JP2010187078A - Video reproduction apparatus and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video reproduction apparatus and method of controlling the same, which can display a video which is easy to confirm an important object; concretely, to provide the video reproduction apparatus and method of controlling the same, which enables a user to recognize that the video during viewing and listening is a video content including information expressing a portion of a region of the video and to recognize a position relation of a whole video and a partial video. <P>SOLUTION: The video reproduction apparatus reproduces a video content including an image and a partial region information expressing a portion of the region of the video, and outputs to a display apparatus. The video reproduction apparatus includes a region change means which changes a region of the image to be output to the display apparatus, and a control means which controls the region change means. The control means is characterized to output the image of the whole region to the display apparatus at a time of the reproduction start and to instruct the region change means to output the video of a specified region by the partial region information onto the display apparatus after a predetermined time passes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a video playback apparatus that plays back video content including video and partial area information representing a partial area of the video, and outputs the video content to a display device, and a control method thereof.

  In recent years, broadcast images and videos recorded on optical disks have been improved in definition from the SD standard of about 720 × 480 pixels to 1920 × 1080 pixels. Furthermore, in the advanced satellite digital broadcasting standard for next-generation broadcasting, an image of 7680 × 4320 pixels is scheduled. Therefore, a part of a high-definition video (video that is broadcast (recorded); entire video) (partial video), for example, a video that is important for the creator or user is enlarged and displayed according to the user's instructions. A playback device has been proposed.

  For example, information (partial region information) of a region (partial region) that seems to be particularly important in the entire video is multiplexed with the video as meta-information, and the video (partial video) of the partial region is enlarged / returned according to the user's instruction. A method of reproduction is being studied. Accordingly, it is possible to enjoy a video of a large subject even with a playback device having a small display area such as a portable terminal. In addition, when displaying a partial video in an enlarged manner, the video recognition screen is displayed at the same time, so that it is possible to easily know which part of the whole video corresponds to the reproduced video (partial video) ( For example, see Patent Document 1. Broadcasting of video content in which partial area information is multiplexed on video is also called wide-angle broadcast (the entire video area is also called the entire field angle and the partial area is also called the partial field angle).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-006712

  When the video content is video content including a video and partial area information representing a partial area of the video (for example, an important subject area), the video playback apparatus normally displays the entire video at the start of playback. Is displayed. However, when playing back on a playback device such as a portable terminal with a small display area, an important subject is displayed small, so the user can easily grasp the contents of the video content (important subject) at the start of playback. I can't. On the other hand, when a partial video is displayed at the start of playback, the user can easily grasp the content of the video content (an important subject), but it is difficult to grasp whether the reproduced video is a partial video. Further, when the reproduced video is a partial video, the user cannot grasp the positional relationship between the partial video and the whole video (which portion of the whole video is the partial video). Further, when notifying the positional relationship between the partial video and the entire video using the above-described conventional technology, a video recognition screen must be superimposed on the partial video. When the video recognition screen is displayed so as not to overlap the partial video, the partial video must be displayed smaller. Therefore, it may be difficult to confirm an important subject.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a video playback apparatus and a control method thereof that enable video display in which an important subject can be easily confirmed. Specifically, the video playback apparatus that allows the user to recognize that the video being viewed is video content including information representing a partial area of the video, the positional relationship between the entire video and the partial video, and the same An object is to provide a control method.

The video playback apparatus of the present invention
A video playback device that plays back video content including video and partial region information representing a partial region of the video, and outputs the content to a display device,
Area changing means for changing the area of the video to be output to the display device;
Control means for controlling the area changing means;
With
The control means instructs the area changing means to output the video of the entire area to the display device at the start of playback and to output the video of the area specified by the partial area information to the display device after a predetermined time has elapsed. It is characterized by doing.

The control method of the video playback device of the present invention is as follows:
Playing back video content including a video and partial area information representing a partial area of the video;
Outputting the video of the entire area to the display device at the start of reproduction, and outputting the video of the area specified by the partial area information to the display device after a predetermined time has elapsed;
It is characterized by including.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a video playback device and a control method thereof that enable video display in which an important subject can be easily confirmed. Specifically, the video playback apparatus that allows the user to recognize that the video being viewed is video content including information representing a partial area of the video, the positional relationship between the entire video and the partial video, and the same A control method can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the video reproduction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the component descriptor. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the definition of information described in component_type of the component descriptor. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the entire video. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a partial video. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a characteristic processing flow in the video reproduction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the video reproduction device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a characteristic processing flow in the video reproduction apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the partial region identification image.

<Example 1>
Hereinafter, a specific example (Example 1) of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The video playback apparatus according to the present embodiment plays back video content including a video and partial area information representing a partial area of the video, and outputs the video content to a display device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the video reproduction apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the video reproduction apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an antenna 101, an information acquisition unit 102, a signal separation unit 103, a video reproduction unit 104, a metadata processing unit 105, a region change unit 106, a display unit 107, A control unit 108, a timer 109, and the like are included. In the present embodiment, a case where an advanced satellite digital broadcast program received from an antenna is used as an example of video content (broadcast program) will be described.

  The antenna 101 receives a plurality of digital television broadcast signals (video contents; broadcast programs) in which video data, audio data, metadata, and the like are multiplexed and digitally modulated.

  The information acquisition unit 102 selects an arbitrary broadcast program from the plurality of broadcast programs according to an instruction from the control unit 108. The selected broadcast program is demodulated, error-corrected, etc., and an MPEG2-TS (Transport Stream) signal is acquired and output.

  The signal separation unit 103 separates video data (video information) and metadata (meta information) from the multiplexed MPEG2-TS signal according to the packet ID of the selected program. The data is sent to the metadata processing unit 105. The multiplexed MPEG2-TS signal may include audio data and data broadcast (multimedia) data, but FIG. 1 does not show a configuration for processing these data.

  The video playback unit 104 is an ITU-T Rec. H. H.264 / ISO / IEC14496-10 MPEG-4 Part 10 Advanced Video Coding is decoded, and the decoded video data is sent to the area changing unit 106.

The metadata processing unit 105 extracts, from the metadata, information for filtering the MPEG2-TS signal by the signal separation unit 103 and information regarding the entire video and partial video that are characteristic of the present invention. Specifically, such information is transferred to ARIB (Association of
EIT (Event Information Table) in the PIT / SI (Program Specific Information) table defined in STD-B10 of Radio Industries and Businesses (Travel Industry Table) Extracted from the component type (component_type) of the descriptor.

  The area changing unit 106 changes the area of the video output to the display device (display unit 107) in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 108. For example, when outputting a video of the entire region (entire video), video data sent from the video playback unit 104 is output. When outputting a video of a partial area (partial video), the video of the area specified by the partial area information is cut out and output. Note that the area changing unit 106 changes the resolution of the output video to the resolution of the display unit 107. That is, an image having a resolution smaller than the resolution of the display unit 107 is output after being enlarged to the resolution of the display unit 107, and an image having a resolution larger than the resolution of the display unit 107 is reduced to the resolution of the display unit 107. Is output from.

  The display unit 107 displays the video signal output from the region changing unit 106. As the display unit 107, various display panels such as a display panel having an electron-emitting device, a liquid crystal display panel, a plasma display panel, and an organic EL display panel may be applied. In the present embodiment, the video reproduction apparatus has the display unit 107, but the display unit 107 may be an external device.

  The control unit 108 controls each function of the video playback device.

  The timer 109 counts time within the apparatus.

  Next, the metadata obtained by the signal separation unit 103 will be described in detail. Specifically, the above-described component descriptor will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the component descriptor. In component_type, resolution information of the entire video is described in an 8-bit field. For example, component_type describes 0x01, 0xB1, 0xF3, 0xF2, and the like. 0x01 is defined as 480i, 0xB1 is defined as 1080i, 0xF3 is defined as 4320p and a normal program (broadcast program not including partial area information), and 0xF2 is defined as a broadcast program including 4320p and partial area information (FIG. 3). Therefore, the control unit 108 can determine the resolution of the entire video of the broadcast program and the presence / absence of partial area information from the component_type.

  When there is partial area information, the partial area information is described in text_char. For example, the reference coordinates of the partial area (coordinates indicating the lower left of the area) are (x, y), the size of the partial area is w (width), h (height), and each is represented by 2 bytes, The list is described. FIG. 4 is an example of the entire image, and FIG. 5 is a part (partial region) of FIG. 4 and 5, x = 1, y = 2161, w = 1920, and h = 1080. When expressed in hexadecimal (2 bytes), x = 0x0001, y = 0x0871, w = 0x0780, and h = 0438, and these are arranged in succession, that is, 0000187017800438 is described in text_char. Thereby, the control unit 108 can grasp the partial area information from the text_char. The video playback apparatus can display the partial video on the display unit 107 by using the partial area information. Specifically, the control unit 108 controls the region changing unit 106 so as to output the video of the region specified by the partial region information to the display unit 107.

  Next, the flow of characteristic processing (processing of the control unit 108) in the video reproduction apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing from step S601 to step S608 is started when the video playback device is started, and is ended when the video playback device is ended.

  First, the control unit 108 determines whether or not there is a channel selection instruction from the remote controller from the user (step S602). If it is determined that a channel selection instruction has been made (step S602: YES), the control unit 108 instructs the information acquisition unit 102 to acquire (select) the selected broadcast program in accordance with an instruction from the user. .

  Next, the control unit 108 acquires the broadcast program metadata from the metadata processing unit 105 (step S603). Specifically, resolution information and partial area information of the entire video of the broadcast program are acquired as metadata.

  Then, the control unit 108 instructs the region changing unit 106 to output the video of the entire region to the display unit 107 (step S604). That is, the display unit 107 is instructed to display the entire video when playback is started (when a user selects a digital broadcast program).

Next, the control unit 108 determines whether or not the broadcast program includes partial area information (step S605). If the broadcast program does not include partial area information (step S605:
NO), the process proceeds to step S608. If the video playback device is activated, the processing from step S601 is repeated. If the broadcast program includes partial area information (step S605: YES), the process proceeds to step S606.

  In step S606, the control unit 108 checks the time counted by the timer 109. Specifically, it is confirmed that a predetermined time has elapsed since the entire video is displayed on the display unit 107. The predetermined time may be any time and can be appropriately changed by the user (5 seconds, 10 seconds, 60 seconds, etc.).

  Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 108 instructs the region changing unit 106 to output the video of the region specified by the partial region information to the display unit 107 (step S607), and the process proceeds to step S608. As a result, the partial video is displayed on the display unit 107.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when video content including partial area information is reproduced, the entire video is first displayed, and after a predetermined time, the display is switched to the partial video. As a result, the user can be interested in other video (parts other than the partial video) that has been displayed once, and can let the user recognize that the video being reproduced is a partial video. That is, the user can recognize that the video being viewed is video content including information representing a partial area of the video. Further, by switching the display from the entire image to the partial image, the user can recognize the positional relationship between the entire image and the partial image.

  In this embodiment, an advanced satellite digital broadcast program is used as an example of video content including a video and partial area information representing a partial area of the video, but the video content is not limited to this. Such video content may be a terrestrial digital broadcast program, a CATV broadcast program, a broadcast program using IP communication, a stored content stored in a Blu-ray disc, or the like. If partial area information can be acquired from video content, the same processing can be performed.

  In this embodiment, when a digital broadcast program is selected from a plurality of digital television broadcast signals (when a user selects a digital broadcast program) is set as the start of playback, Not limited to. For example, the above-described stored content playback instruction or broadcast program switching time may be set as the playback start time. Switching between broadcast programs can be detected by EIT.

  In this embodiment, there is no particular reference to switching from the whole video to the partial video, but the whole video may be switched to the partial video at a time, or the whole video may be changed step by step. It may be switched as follows. By changing in a stepwise manner, it is possible to switch between continuous and smooth images (switching between images without a sense of incongruity is possible). Thereby, it is possible to make the user more surely recognize the positional relationship between the entire video and the partial video.

In order to change from the whole video to the partial video in a stepwise manner, the region of the video output to the display device may be changed in a stepwise manner from the whole region to the region specified by the partial region information. An example of the method will be described with reference to FIGS. In the example of FIG. 4, the position (the coordinates (X1, Y1) indicating the lower left of the area) and the size (width W1, height H1) of the entire video are X1 = 1, Y1 = 1, W1 = 7680, H1 = 4320. It is represented by In the example of FIG. 5, the position (the coordinates (X2, Y2) indicating the lower left corner of the region) and the size (width W2, height H2) of the partial video are X2 = 1, Y2 = 2161, W2 = 1920, H2 = 1080. It is represented by When the transition from the whole image to the partial image is performed in n stages, the position and size of the i-th output image can be obtained by solving the following equations (i = 1, 2, 3,... N). ).
Xi = X1 + (X2-X1) × i / n
Yi = Y1 + (Y2−Y1) × i / n
Wi = W1- (W1-W2) * i / n
Hi = H1- (H1-H2) * i / n

  If the broadcast program includes a plurality of pieces of partial area information, that is, if there are a plurality of areas (partial areas) specified by the partial area information, the video in any one of the plurality of areas Switch to. For example, the entire video may be switched to the video of the partial area described first among the plurality of partial areas described in the component descriptor. There is no particular limitation on which partial region the image is switched to.

<Example 2>
Hereinafter, a specific example (Example 2) of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, description of functions and configurations similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the video reproduction apparatus according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the video playback apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an antenna 701, an information acquisition unit 702, a signal separation unit 703, a video playback unit 704, a metadata processing unit 705, an area changing unit 706, a control unit 707, A timer 708 is included. These functions are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 7, the video display device further includes a drawing unit 709, a synthesis unit 710, a resolution information acquisition unit 711, and a storage unit 712. The video display apparatus according to the present embodiment is connected to the external display unit 713 whose maximum displayable resolution is 1080i. Since the external display unit 713 is the same as the display unit 107 of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The drawing unit 709 draws at least one of a picture, a character, or a symbol. Specifically, partial area information and resolution information indicating the maximum resolution of the external display unit 713 are acquired from the control unit 707, and an image is drawn (created) in accordance with a drawing instruction from the control unit 707, and sent to the combining unit 710. Further, the drawing is ended in accordance with an instruction to erase the drawn image from the control unit 707. Note that the rendered image represents the area specified by the partial area information, and in the present embodiment, the drawing unit 709 draws a frame surrounding the area specified by the partial area information. Hereinafter, an image created by the drawing unit 709 is referred to as a partial area identification image.

  The combining unit 710 combines the video (video signal) sent from the region changing unit 706 and the partial region identification image (image signal) sent from the drawing unit 709. The synthesized video (synthesized video) is sent to the external display unit 713. The external display unit 713 displays the video sent from the synthesis unit 710.

  The resolution information acquisition unit 711 reads the resolution information from the external display unit 713 and sends it to the control unit 707 at the same time as detecting that the external display unit 713 is connected to the video playback device.

  The storage unit 712 stores program information of video content obtained by the control unit 707 from the metadata processing unit 705. The program information is, for example, a short format event descriptor described in the event information section of the EIT, and includes a program name of video content and a description related to the program.

  Next, the flow of characteristic processing (processing of the control unit 707) in the video reproduction apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing from step S801 to step S811 is started when the video playback device is started, and is ended when the video playback device is ended.

  First, the control unit 707 determines whether or not there is a channel selection instruction from the remote controller from the user (step S802). If it is determined that an instruction for channel selection has been made (step S802: YES), the control unit 707 instructs the information acquisition unit 702 to acquire (select) the selected broadcast program in accordance with an instruction from the user. .

  Next, the control unit 707 acquires the broadcast program metadata from the metadata processing unit 705 (step S803). Specifically, resolution information and partial area information of the entire video of the broadcast program are acquired as metadata.

  Then, the control unit 707 determines whether or not the broadcast program includes partial area information (step S804). If the broadcast program does not include partial area information (step S804: NO), the process proceeds to step S805. In step S805, the area change unit 706 is instructed to output the video of the entire area to the external display unit 713. As a result, the entire video is displayed on the external display unit 713. If the broadcast program includes partial area information (step S804: YES), the process proceeds to step S806.

  In step S806, the control unit 707 compares the program information of the video content to be reproduced with the program information stored in the storage unit S712, and determines whether or not the video content to be reproduced has been reproduced in the past. To do. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the video content to be played has been played in the past by comparing the program name of the video content to be played back and the description of the video content played back in the past and the explanation about the program. If it is determined that the video content to be played has been played in the past (step S806: YES), the process proceeds to step S810. If it is determined that the video content to be played has not been played in the past, that is, if the video content to be played is video content to be played for the first time (step S806: NO), the process proceeds to step S807.

  In step S807, the control unit 707 stores the program information of the broadcast program in the storage unit 712. Further, it instructs the area changing unit 706 to output the video of the entire area to the external display unit 713. As a result, the entire video is displayed on the external display unit 713.

  Then, the control unit 707 instructs the drawing unit 709 to create a partial area identification image (step S808). Specifically, an instruction is given to draw (create) a frame surrounding the area specified by the partial area information. Thereby, the partial area identification image is displayed. Further, the timer 708 is used to confirm the time after the frame is displayed.

  After a predetermined time has elapsed since the frame was displayed, the control unit 707 instructs the drawing unit 709 to delete the frame (end of drawing) (step S809). The predetermined time may be any time and can be appropriately changed by the user (5 seconds, 10 seconds, 60 seconds, etc.). Then, the process proceeds to step S810.

  In step S810, the control unit 707 instructs the region changing unit 706 to output the video of the region specified by the partial region information to the external display unit 713, and the process proceeds to step S811. Thereby, the partial video is displayed on the external display unit 713.

In the present embodiment, when there are a plurality of regions (partial regions) specified by the partial region information, the control unit 707 selects one of the plurality of regions based on the resolution information acquired from the external display unit 713. Select one. Then, the area changing unit 706 is instructed to output the image of the area to the display device. Specifically, the control unit 707 compares the resolution information with a plurality of partial areas. Then, the area changing unit 7 has a size (resolution) that is equal to or less than the maximum displayable resolution of the external display unit 713 and outputs the video of the largest partial area to the display device.
Direct to 06.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when video content including partial area information is reproduced, the entire video is first displayed, and after a predetermined time, the display is switched to the partial video. As a result, the user can be interested in other video (parts other than the partial video) that has been displayed once, and can let the user recognize that the video being reproduced is a partial video. That is, the user can recognize that the video being viewed is video content including information representing a partial area of the video. Further, by switching the display from the entire image to the partial image, the user can recognize the positional relationship between the entire image and the partial image.

  In addition to displaying the entire video (immediately after starting the video playback device or immediately after channel selection), a partial area identification image (frame, character, logo, etc.) representing the area specified by the partial area information is displayed. Users can be instantly notified of the existence of a region. If the video content to be played has been played in the past, it is considered that the user has recognized that a partial area exists in the video content to be played. Therefore, in such a case, the output of the video of the entire region is omitted (that is, the processing in step S807 and the like is omitted), and the video of the region specified by the partial region information is output. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the time until switching from the entire video to the partial video, and it is possible to provide an environment where the user can concentrate on viewing.

  Note that the control unit 707 may instruct the drawing unit 709 to draw a partial region identification image having a different color for each region when there are a plurality of regions specified by the partial region information. For example, the drawing unit 709 may be instructed to draw frames of different colors (including line types) for each region. Thereby, it is possible to make the user recognize the existence of a plurality of areas more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the drawing unit 709 draws a frame has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the drawing unit 709 displays characters or logos (“UFO”, “ UFO and me "," in the house ", etc.) may be drawn. You may combine a frame, a character, a logo, etc.

  In this embodiment, if it is determined in step S806 that the video content to be played has been played in the past, the process proceeds to step S810. However, the video content is played back before a predetermined period. There is no need to consider the video content. For example, if the video content to be played has been played in the past month, the process proceeds to step S810, and if it has been played before that, it may be considered to be played for the first time (go to step S807). It may be) The predetermined period may be set by a user or a manufacturer, for example.

  As described above, according to the video reproduction apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform video display in which an important subject can be easily confirmed. Specifically, it is possible to allow the user to recognize that the video being viewed is video content including information representing a partial area of the video, and the positional relationship between the entire video and the partial video.

  The present invention is not limited to the two embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist.

101, 701 Antenna 102, 702 Information acquisition unit 103, 703 Signal separation unit 104, 704 Video reproduction unit 105, 705 Metadata processing unit 106, 706 Region change unit 107 Display unit 108, 707 Control unit 109, 708 Timer 709 Drawing unit 710 Compositing unit 711 Resolution information acquiring unit 712 Storage unit 713 External display unit

Claims (10)

A video playback device that plays back video content including video and partial region information representing a partial region of the video, and outputs the content to a display device,
Area changing means for changing the area of the video to be output to the display device;
Control means for controlling the area changing means;
With
The control means instructs the area changing means to output the video of the entire area to the display device at the start of reproduction, and to output the video of the area specified by the partial area information to the display device after a predetermined time has elapsed. A video reproduction apparatus characterized by: The video content is a digital broadcast program,
The video playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playback start time is a channel selection time of the digital broadcast program by a user. The control means instructs the area changing means so that an area of an image output to a display device changes stepwise from an entire area to an area specified by the partial area information. 3. The video playback device according to 1 or 2. Resolution information acquisition means for acquiring resolution information representing the maximum resolution that can be displayed on the display device,
When there are a plurality of areas specified by the partial area information, the control unit selects one of the plurality of areas based on the resolution information, and outputs an image of the area to the display device. 4. The video reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an instruction is given to the area changing unit. 5. The control means includes
Determine whether the video content to be played has been played in the past,
When it is determined that the video content to be played has been played in the past, the output of the video of the entire area is omitted and the video of the area specified by the partial area information is output. 5. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the changing means is instructed. At least a drawing means for drawing any of a picture, a character, or a symbol;
The said control means instruct | indicates the said drawing means to draw the image showing the area | region designated with the said partial area information at the time of reproduction | regeneration start, The any one of Claim 1 to 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Video playback device. The video reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit instructs the drawing unit to erase the drawn image after a predetermined time elapses. 8. The video reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drawing unit draws a frame surrounding a region specified by the partial region information. The control means instructs the drawing means to draw an image of a different color for each area when there are a plurality of areas specified by the partial area information. The video reproduction device according to any one of the above. Playing back video content including a video and partial area information representing a partial area of the video;
Outputting the video of the entire area to the display device at the start of reproduction, and outputting the video of the area specified by the partial area information to the display device after a predetermined time has elapsed;
A method for controlling a video playback apparatus, comprising:

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