JP3491818B2 - Video playback device and video playback method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a moving picture reproducing apparatus and a moving picture reproducing method, and more particularly, to a moving picture reproducing apparatus and a moving picture reproducing method for setting a desired parental level for a recording medium on which predetermined moving picture information is recorded. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a moving image reproducing apparatus of this type, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-185657 is known. The moving image reproducing apparatus disclosed in the publication makes it possible to roughly judge the story while preventing the complete viewing of the moving image information digitally recorded on the DVD with age restriction. Specifically, when the viewer inputs a voice, the feature of this voice is extracted and stored. Here, in the case of reproducing the DVD, when the DVD is loaded, the viewer gives an instruction to reproduce the sound. Then, compare this voice playback instruction with the stored voice input,
It is determined whether they match. In this case, if it is determined that they match, the moving image information recorded on the DVD is output as it is as a normal image. On the other hand, if it is determined that they do not match, a video obtained by performing mosaic processing on the moving image information is output.
Further, as another method of restricting the viewing of a DVD having such an age restriction, the viewing level registered in the DVD is read out, and when the viewing level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, scramble processing or mosaic processing is performed on the reproduced video. A method of implementing and making unviewable is adopted.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional moving image reproducing apparatus, the level of parental control is based on that registered in advance in the DVD. Therefore, the user
At present, the only option is to accept the parental control level set by the DVD creator. However, in most cases, the creator side does not set the viewing restriction level to the DVD including the violent scene, the SEX scene, or the like or does not apply the viewing restriction due to the sales strategy or the like. Due to such circumstances, DV including a predetermined video
The idea of restricting viewing of D is a situation in which it does not substantially function, and there is a problem that the user cannot do anything.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a user can set a desired parental level for a recording medium on which predetermined moving image information such as a violent scene or SEX scene is recorded. At the same time, it is an object of the present invention to provide a moving image reproducing apparatus and a moving image reproducing method capable of making viewing of a recording medium for which this viewing limitation is set impossible.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a moving picture reproducing means for reproducing and outputting a moving picture based on moving picture information digitally recorded on a randomly accessible recording medium. And, while storing the parental level setting means for setting a certain parental level for the reproduced moving image, the parental level and the certain identifier of the recording medium in association with each other,
Viewing restriction level storing means for storing a predetermined original viewing restriction level for restricting viewing; viewing restriction level comparing means for comparing the original viewing restriction level and the viewing restriction level stored in the viewing restriction level storing means; When the viewing restriction level comparing unit determines that the viewing restriction level is equal to or higher than the original viewing restriction level, the viewing restriction reproducing unit executes a predetermined process in which the moving image reproduced by the moving image reproducing unit cannot be viewed. It is configured to do so.

In the invention according to claim 1 configured as described above, the moving picture reproducing means reproduces and outputs the moving picture based on the moving picture information digitally recorded on the randomly accessible recording medium. Then, while watching the reproduced moving image, the user sets a predetermined viewing restriction level for the recording medium including the moving image of which the viewing is restricted by the viewing restriction level setting means such as a violent scene or SEX scene. The parental level storage unit stores the parental level set by the parental level setting unit and a predetermined identifier of the recording medium being viewed in association with each other. Then, when the recording medium in which the parental level is stored is reproduced, the parental level comparing unit reads and compares the original parental level and the parental level stored in the parental level storage unit, and when viewing When it is determined that the restriction level is equal to or higher than the original viewing restriction level, the viewing restriction reproducing unit executes a predetermined process in which the moving image reproduced by the moving image reproducing unit cannot be viewed.

At this time, it is preferable that the viewing restriction level stored in the recording medium can be changed to the viewing restriction level desired by the user, that is, the set viewing restriction level. Therefore, in the present invention, the parental level set by the parental level setting means is stored in a predetermined position on the recording medium. Therefore, when the recording medium is applied to another moving image reproducing apparatus, the set parental level can be used, which is preferable.

That is, it is possible to make viewing impossible by setting a desired viewing restriction level by the user side on a recording medium for which viewing is restricted such as a violent scene or SEX scene. Here, the moving picture reproducing means only needs to be able to reproduce the moving picture based on the moving picture information digitally recorded on the randomly accessible recording medium. Therefore, this moving image information may be moving image information compressed by a predetermined method such as MPEG data, and can be appropriately adopted. Further, the parental level setting means only needs to be able to set the parental level while watching the reproduced video by the user, and may be set by the operation panel of the remote controller, or fixed to a predetermined level. It may be set by the operation panel and can be changed appropriately.

Further, the viewing restriction level storage means is only required to be able to store the viewing restriction level set by the viewing restriction level setting means in association with the identifier of the recording medium. Therefore, any non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a hard disk may be used and can be appropriately selected.
In such a case, the identifier of the recording medium may be stored as the one acquired by the moving picture reproducing means at the time of starting the reproduction, or may be stored at the timing set by the parental level setting means. You may make it store what the level setting means acquired. It is sufficient that the above-mentioned parental level can be set by ranking according to the contents of the recording medium, and for example, for those that do not limit viewing, the level "0" is set, and thereafter "1" to "". The rank of “7” is set to be gradually increased according to the content, and the recording restriction level of “8” is set to the recording medium including the violent scene and the SEX scene. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the rank can be classified according to the content recorded on the recording medium, and it can be appropriately changed. Here, the identifier included in the recording medium may be a product number or a product code as long as it can uniquely identify the recorded contents of the recording medium. In such a case, the identifier is formed by alphanumeric characters, but it goes without saying that a title indicating the content recorded on the recording medium or the like can also be handled as the identifier.

The moving image reproduction limiting means reproduces the moving image when the viewing restriction level comparing means determines that the viewing restriction level set by the viewing restriction level setting means is equal to or higher than the original viewing restriction level which is the reference of the viewing restriction. A predetermined process is executed to make the moving image reproduced by the means unviewable. Specifically, scramble processing or mosaic processing is performed to reproduce a moving image of a recording medium for which viewing of a violent scene, SEX scene, or the like is desired to be unviewable. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the predetermined processing is performed and the reproduction is performed, and the reproduction operation itself may be interrupted or a message such as "reproduction is impossible due to viewing restriction" may be output. .

As a specific example of the predetermined processing performed by the above-described viewing restriction reproducing means so as to make the reproduced moving image unviewable, the invention according to claim 2 is the moving image reproducing device according to claim 1. In the above, the viewing restriction reproducing means is configured to execute scramble processing on the output of the moving image reproduced as the predetermined processing. In the invention according to claim 2 configured as described above, the parental control playback means performs the scramble processing on the output of the moving image to be played back as the predetermined processing. As a result, the user cannot view the moving image on the corresponding recording medium.

As another specific example of the predetermined processing for rendering the reproduced moving image unviewable, the invention according to claim 3 is the moving image reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The parental control playback means is configured to perform mosaic processing on the output of the moving image to be played back as the predetermined processing. In the invention according to claim 3 configured as described above, the parental control playback means performs the mosaic processing on the output of the moving image to be played back as the predetermined processing. As a result, the user cannot view the moving image on the corresponding recording medium.

The parental level may be stored on the recording medium side as well. In this case, the viewing restriction level may be set by the viewing restriction level setting means, and the viewing restriction level may be determined by the viewing restriction level stored in the viewing restriction level storage means. The level of viewing restriction may be determined depending on the restriction level. Therefore, it is preferable that the user can appropriately select the viewing restriction level of both of them. Therefore, in the invention according to claim 4, in the moving image reproducing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a predetermined parental level is stored in advance in the recording medium, and
The parental level setting means is configured to include parental level selecting means for selecting the parental level and the parental level of the recording medium that have been set. In the invention according to claim 4 configured as described above, the recording medium on which the moving image information reproduced by the moving image reproducing means is digitally recorded. The creator side of the recording medium stores a predetermined parental level in advance. The user selects from the viewing restriction level selecting means whether to apply the viewing restriction level stored in this recording medium or the viewing restriction level set by the viewing restriction level setting means. Therefore, when the parental level stored in the recording medium is selected, the parental level stored in this recording medium is compared with the above-mentioned original parental level, which is stored in the parental level storage means. If the selected parental level is selected, the stored parental level is compared with the stored parental level.

As described above, the method of reproducing the moving picture information recorded on the predetermined recording medium and setting the predetermined parental level on the same recording medium is not necessarily limited to the actual device, and its method is not limited thereto. It is easy to understand that it also works as. Therefore, the invention according to claim 5 is a moving picture reproducing method for reproducing moving picture information recorded on a predetermined recording medium, wherein the moving picture is reproduced based on the moving picture information digitally recorded on the randomly accessible recording medium. And output the moving picture reproduction step, the watching restriction level setting step for setting a predetermined watching restriction level for the reproduced moving picture, and the watching restriction level and the predetermined identifier of the recording medium are stored in association with each other. The viewing restriction level storing step, the viewing restriction level comparing step of comparing the pre-stored original viewing restriction level with the viewing restriction level stored in the viewing restriction level storing step, and the viewing restriction level comparing step When it is determined that the restriction level is equal to or higher than the original viewing restriction level, the viewing restriction reproduction is performed to perform a predetermined process in which the moving picture reproduced in the moving picture reproduction step cannot be viewed It is constituted comprising a degree. That is, there is no difference in that the method is not limited to the actual device and is effective as the method.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, a user can set a desired parental level for a recording medium on which predetermined moving picture information is recorded, and the parental level is equal to or higher than the predetermined parental level. It is possible to disable the reproduction of the recording medium, the set parental level can be written in the recording medium, and the set parental level can be applied to other moving image reproducing apparatuses. A moving image playback device can be provided. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to present a specific method of making the content unviewable. Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to present another specific method for making the content unviewable. Further, according to the invention of claim 4, the parental level stored in the recording medium can also be used, and the usability is further improved. Further, according to the invention of claim 5, it is possible for the user to set a desired parental level for the recording medium on which the predetermined moving image information is recorded, and the recording of the predetermined parental level or higher is performed. It is possible to disable playback of the medium, write the set parental level to the recording medium, and play the set parental level on other video playback devices. A method can be provided.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a digital video disc (hereinafter referred to as DVD) player including a moving picture reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a DVD player 10 includes a CD drive 20 for reading moving image information digitally recorded on a DVD, which is an optical recording medium, as a data bit stream, and a moving image before compression conversion from the read data bit stream. A decoder 40 that restores information and audio information to reproduce a moving image and a sound, a system controller 50 that controls the operation of the entire DVD player 10, and a scramble circuit that scrambles the moving image reproduced by the decoder 40. 41 and an EEPROM for storing predetermined user setting information
51, a remote controller 60 for a user to input an operation instruction to the DVD player 10, and a light receiving circuit 52 for inputting an operation instruction by an infrared blinking signal from the remote controller 60.
And an operation panel 53 capable of executing the same operation instruction on the DVD player 10 side.

The CD drive 20 has a servo signal processing section 22 for driving the optical pickup 21 to a predetermined position by sending a control signal to a focus servo or the like.
An RF amplifier 24 that amplifies a read signal from the optical pickup 21 to generate a predetermined control signal, and restores digital data recorded from the amplified signal and converts the digital data into a data bit stream. CD to output
The signal processing unit 26 and the signal processing unit 26 are mutually operated under the control of the syscon 50, and the data bit stream recorded on the DVD can be output to the decoder 40. The decoder 40 uses data bits
The stream is separated into a video component and an audio component, and MPEG demodulation is performed to restore the video signal and the audio signal while outputting them in synchronization with each other. Inside the system controller 50, a CPU as a main body of arithmetic processing, a ROM in which a predetermined control program is recorded, a RAM used as a work area, and the like are provided, and a control for controlling an external device is provided. A circuit is provided. Under the control of the system controller 50, the CD drive 20 and the decoder 40 execute the moving picture reproduction as described above, and in this sense, these compose the moving picture reproducing means.

Further, the operation panel 53 connected to the system controller 50 is provided with a plurality of push-down keys as input keys, in which the parental level selection key 53a, the parental level setting key 53b, and the parental level set by the user. A parental level setting ON / OFF key 53c for selecting whether or not to give priority is provided.

The parental level selection key 53a can raise or lower the parental level to select a desired parental level. When a desired parental level is selected by the parental selection key 53a, the parenthesis setting key 53b is pressed to confirm the level, and the system controller 50 stores the content in the EEPROM 51. In such a case, the syscon 50 reads the label of the DVD via the CD drive 20 and associates it with the parental level so that the EEPROM 5
Store in 1. On the other hand, the same DV is stored in the predetermined storage position of the DVD.
Since a predetermined parental level is set by the creator D, the user sets the parental level setting ON / OFF key 5
3c, the user gives priority to the contents set by the parental lock selection key 53a and parental lock setting key 53b.
Select whether to give priority to the parental level stored in D. That is, if the parental level setting key 53c is turned on, the user's selection and setting are prioritized, and if the parental level is set off, the parental level stored in the DVD is prioritized.

Such various keys are also arranged on the remote controller 60, and operate in the same way to constitute the same operation. Further, these operation contents may be displayed on a display or a screen on which a moving image is reproduced and displayed by an OSD circuit (not shown) to prompt the user to perform the operation. In this embodiment, the DV for reproducing the moving image information recorded on the DVD
Although the configuration of applying the moving picture reproducing apparatus according to the present invention to the D player 10 is adopted, it goes without saying that the present invention relates to a video CD player for reproducing moving picture information recorded on a DVD used for recording a game or the like. You may employ the structure which applies a moving image reproducing apparatus. In such a case, the scramble processing is performed on the moving image that is played when an attempt is made to execute the game with the parental level, and the game cannot be executed.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an outline of a DVD reproducing process executed by the system controller 50 of the DVD player 10 while controlling the whole. In the figure, the setting of the parental control level executed by the user using the operation panel 53 or the remote controller 60 is determined (step S100),
The moving image information of the DVD is reproduced according to the setting status of the parental level (step S200).

Next, the detailed processing contents of the parental level determination processing in step S100 described above are shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the same figure, the user stored in the EEPROM 51 sets the parental level setting ON / OFF key 5
The content set in 3c or the hardware state of the parental level setting ON / OFF key is read (step S105). Then, it is determined whether the state of the parental level setting key is ON or OFF (step S110). If it is ON, the parental level set by the user and stored in the EEPROM 51 is read (step S115). FIG. 5 shows an example of the parental control level stored in the EEPROM 51. In the figure, the title indicates the title of the DVD, and the label is DV.
The product number uniquely added to D is shown. Therefore,
The product number and title can be made to correspond one to one. The parental level is defined corresponding to each title / label.

On the other hand, in step S115, the EEPROM
The title or label corresponding to the DVD that the user is trying to watch may not be set because the parental level stored in 51 is read and tried.
Using the title or label of the DVD as a search key,
The parental level shown in FIG. 5 is searched to determine whether or not there is a corresponding setting (step S120). here,
If there is no corresponding setting, the OSD circuit displays a setting screen prompting the setting of the parental level on the screen or display (step S125). The user performs a predetermined operation on the operation panel 53 or the remote controller 60 in accordance with this display to set a parental level for the DVD (step S130).

Next, the reference viewing restriction level, which is the reference for restricting viewing, stored in the EEPROM 51 shown in FIG. 6 is read (step S135), and step S115.
Or the parental level read out in step S13
It is compared with the parental level set at 0 (step S140). This standard parental level is the operation panel 5
3 or may be set by a predetermined operation on the remote controller 60 and stored in the EEPROM 51, or may be set by a hardware setting method such as a DIP switch. In such a case, the setting of this hardware will be read out electrically. Then, if the set viewing-and-listening restriction level is equal to or higher than the reference viewing-and-listening restriction level as a result of this comparison, the scramble flag for instructing to perform the scramble process is turned on at the time of reproducing the moving image (step S145). On the other hand, if the set parental level is less than the reference parental level, the scramble flag is turned off (step S150). By the way, if the state of the parental level setting ON / OFF key 53c is OFF in step S110, the parental level stored in the DVD is prioritized, so this parental level is read (step S155), and step S1.
The processing after 20 is executed.

Next, the detailed processing contents of the moving image reproduction processing of step S200 described above are shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the figure, when it is determined whether or not the scramble process is performed on the moving image to be reproduced in the viewing restriction level determination process described above, the moving image information recorded on the DVD is reproduced. In such a case, the RF amplifier 24 amplifies the read signal from the optical pickup 21 to generate a predetermined control signal (step S205). And C
The digital data recorded from the amplified signal is restored in the D signal processing unit 26, converted into a data bit stream and output, and the decoder 40 converts the data bit stream into a video component and an audio component. And the MPEG demodulation to restore the video signal and the audio signal (step S210).

Before outputting the restored video and audio signals, the state of the scramble flag set in steps S145 and S150 is confirmed (step S215). Here, when the scramble flag is on, the scramble circuit 41 is operated to perform the scramble process on the restored video signal and output it (step S220). In such a case, since the video signal cannot be viewed due to the scramble processing, the audio signal is also muted so that the video signal cannot be viewed. on the other hand,
If the scramble flag is off, the scramble circuit 4
The restored video signal and audio signal are output as usual without activating 1 (step S225). Here, during the output of the video signal, when the user outputs the video signal as usual, while watching the contents of the DVD,
Alternatively, when the scramble process is performed, the parental level of the DVD can be changed. It is determined whether or not there is a parental control level setting request for this change (step S230).
A setting screen for prompting the setting of the parental level is displayed on the screen or the display by the D circuit (step S235). The user operates the operation panel 5 according to this display.
3 or a predetermined operation is performed by the remote controller 60 to set a parental level for the DVD (step S240). And the set contents are EEPR
It is stored in the OM 51 as shown in FIG. At this time, if the corresponding title or label already exists, it is overwritten and updated, and if it does not exist, it is newly added (step S24).
5). The process corresponding to the setting request is executed while the RF signal is input (step S250).

In the present embodiment, the scramble circuit 41 employs a structure for scrambling a moving picture, but it goes without saying that a moving picture reproduced on a DVD having a predetermined viewing restriction level or higher cannot be viewed. The method to
The mosaic processing is not limited to the scramble processing and may be performed. Further, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration that scramble processing or mosaic processing is performed so that the reproduction is not possible, and the reproduction operation itself is interrupted / stopped, or a message such as "reproduction is impossible due to viewing restriction" is displayed. It may be output, etc., and can be changed appropriately. Although the audio signal is muted with respect to the audio signal, of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a structure in which the volume level is reduced and the audio signal is output substantially unviewable.

As described above, since the parental level is set on the operation panel 53 or the remote controller 60 by the user's predetermined operation, the certain operation keys of the operation panel 53 and the remote controller 60 constitute the parental level setting means. In addition to storing the contents set by the operation panel 53 and the remote controller 60, the EEPROM 5
Reference numeral 1 constitutes a parental level storage means. In addition, the set parental level is compared with the standard parental level, and the scramble flag that determines whether or not to scramble the played video is turned on / off. It constitutes a limit level comparing means. Then, since the application of the parental level set in the DVD and the parental level set by the user is selected, the parental level setting ON / OFF key 53c of the operation panel 53 constitutes a parental level selecting means. , The scramble circuit 41 constitutes a viewing restriction reproducing means.

As described above, the user can operate the DVD player 10
While viewing the DVD, it is possible to set the parental level for the DVD by the operation panel 53 or the remote controller 60. Then, when the DVD is played back, this setting is read using the label of the DVD as a key, and if it is at or above the reference viewing restriction level for restricting viewing, scrambling can be performed by the scramble circuit 41. Since there are violent scenes, SEX scenes, etc., it becomes possible to make viewing of a DVD with a predetermined viewing restriction level impossible. Therefore, it is possible to change the parental level that is currently stored in the DVD and is unilaterally determined by the creator of the DVD in a form that is suitable for the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a DVD player including a moving image reproducing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of a DVD reproduction process of the present DVD player.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing content of a parental level determination processing executed by this DVD player.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of a moving image reproduction process executed by the present DVD player.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a set parental control level stored in an EEPROM.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a reference parental level as a comparison target of the parental level set to be stored in the EEPROM.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... DVD player 20 ... CD drive 21 ... Optical pickup 22 ... Servo signal processing unit 24 ... RF amplifier 26 ... CD signal processing unit 40 ... Decoder 41 ... Scramble circuit 50 ... Syscon 51 ... EEPROM 52 ... Light receiving circuit 53 ... Operation panel 53a ... Parental level selection key 53b ... Parental level setting key 53c ... Parental level setting ON / OFF key

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A moving picture reproducing means for reproducing and outputting a moving picture on the basis of moving picture information digitally recorded on a randomly accessible recording medium, and a predetermined parental level for the reproduced moving picture. , The viewing restriction level setting means for storing the set viewing restriction level at a predetermined position of the recording medium, the viewing restriction level and a predetermined identifier of the recording medium are stored in association with each other, and viewing is performed. Viewing restriction level storage means for storing a predetermined original viewing restriction level to be restricted; viewing restriction level comparing means for comparing the original viewing restriction level and the viewing restriction level stored in the viewing restriction level storage means; If the level comparison means determines that the parental level is equal to or higher than the original parental level, the video played by the video playback means cannot be viewed. Video reproducing apparatus characterized by comprising a viewing restriction reproducing means for performing such a predetermined process. 2. The moving picture reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parental control reproducing means performs scramble processing on an output of a moving picture reproduced as a predetermined processing. 3. The moving picture reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parental control reproducing means performs mosaic processing on an output of a moving picture to be reproduced as a predetermined processing. 4. The moving image reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium stores a predetermined parental level in advance, and the parental level setting unit includes: A moving image reproducing apparatus, comprising: a parental level selecting unit for selecting a parental level that has been set and a parental level of a recording medium. 5. A moving picture reproducing method for reproducing moving picture information recorded on a predetermined recording medium, wherein the moving picture is reproduced and outputted based on the moving picture information digitally recorded on a randomly accessible recording medium. A step, a step of setting a predetermined parental level for the reproduced video, and a step of setting the parental level set in the recording medium at a predetermined position, and the parental level. And a parental level storing step of storing the parental level in correspondence with a predetermined identifier of the recording medium, and viewing by comparing the pre-stored original parental level and the parental level stored in the parental level storing step. When the parental level is judged to be equal to or higher than the original parental level in the parental level comparing step and the parental level comparing step, the video is replayed in the video reproducing step. Video playback method characterized by moving being to and a viewing limitation regeneration step of performing a predetermined process can not view.