JP3268789B2 - Video tape recorder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video tape recorder, and more particularly to a video tape recorder provided with an image memory for storing and reproducing a video signal, and displaying a plurality of still images on a multi-screen by displaying a plurality of still images. Related to a video tape recorder that can confirm the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some conventional video tape recorders have a multi-index search function. This multi-index search function is to write what still images are recorded in the video tape by the user's operation or arbitrarily by writing a plurality of still images to the image memory and displaying them on the monitor with multiple screens. This is the function to confirm. Also, by selecting a desired screen, the video displayed on that screen can be searched for.

[0003]

However, in this method, it is necessary to reproduce or fast-forward the tape from the beginning to the end once in order to store a plurality of still images in the image memory. In particular, when a video tape on which a multi-screen still image has been created once is used, for example, when the video is re-recorded from the middle, the tape is reproduced or fast-forwarded again from the beginning to the end in order to create a new multi-screen image. Needs to store a plurality of still images in the image memory. This is especially true if you use the same videotape
It is very troublesome to repeat the reproduction. Further, in this method, since time character information and the like are not displayed on each screen constituting the multi-screen, it is impossible to confirm where the still image is recorded on the video tape. Was.

[0004] Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a video tape recorder which can easily store a still image in a memory and can confirm the recorded contents of a video tape and its recording position at a glance. is there.

According to the present invention, image storage means for sequentially storing video signals of a plurality of still images at predetermined time intervals during recording / reproduction, and time is measured according to a signal which is reset when a video tape is inserted and synchronized with the video signal. Time measurement means for outputting time data, time data storage means for storing time data by the time measurement means for each still image stored by the image storage means, multi-screen of a plurality of still images on a monitor
Operating means for instructing display, responding to instructions from operating means
To read the video signals of a plurality of still images from the image storage
Readout means for outputting the time data stored for each still image and
Calculating means for calculating each time the difference data between the <br/> between data when outputting the time measuring means when the operation means is operated, a plurality of superimposed, respectively between time and the difference data of the static
A video tape recorder including a video signal output unit that outputs a video signal of a still image .

[0006]

At the time of reproduction or recording, for example, at a predetermined time interval determined by the time length of the inserted video tape, the video signal is converted into a digital signal and sequentially and automatically recorded in the image memory. This eliminates the need for an operation for creating a multi-screen still image. Also, when recording, count the signals recorded in synchronization with the video signal,
This is converted into a linear time counter value, and when the video signal of the still image is recorded in the image memory, the linear time counter value at that time is stored for each still image. Then, the time data obtained by the linear time counter value is superimposed on the output video signal as time character information for each screen at the time of multi-screen display. As a result, the time information is displayed together with the still image on each of the multi-screens.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a still image can be easily stored in the image memory without any operation for storing the still image in the image memory. Can be eliminated. Also, since the time information is displayed on each of the multi-screens, the recorded contents of the video tape and the recorded positions can be checked at a glance.

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0009]

Referring to FIG. 1, a video tape recorder 10 of this embodiment includes a system control circuit 12 including a microcomputer, and the whole operation is controlled by the system control circuit 12. An operation signal is supplied from the operation unit 14 to the system control circuit 12. The operation unit 14 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the remote controller 16 and the light receiving unit 18
The light receiving unit 18 receives an optical operation signal from the remote controller 16 and supplies the signal to the system control circuit 12. The operation unit 14
May be formed on the main body panel of the video tape recorder 10.

When an instruction to reproduce or record is given from the operation unit 14 to the system control circuit 12, the system control circuit 12 instructs the first switch circuit 20 to select either a reproduced video signal or a broadcast video signal. I do. The first switch circuit 20 operates so as to select a reproduced video signal at the time of reproduction and a broadcast video signal at the time of recording according to an instruction of the system control circuit 12. The video signal selected by the first switch circuit 20 is separated into a luminance signal component and a color difference signal component by the first video processing circuit 22.
These signals are converted into digital signals by the analog / digital conversion circuit 24. The synchronization signal separation circuit 26 separates a synchronization signal from the input video signal. In synchronization with this synchronization signal, a memory control circuit 28 including a microcomputer performs control to write the video digital signal converted by the analog / digital conversion circuit 24 to the image memory 30. At this time, the memory control circuit 28 controls the video digital signal to be compressed and written to the image memory 30 based on the information on which area of the image memory 30 and when to write the digital signal supplied from the system control circuit 12. I do. In this embodiment, the image memory 30 is divided into nine parts as shown in FIG. 3, so that the compression ratio of the video digital signal is 1/3 in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

The memory control circuit 28 controls reading of the video digital signal from the image memory 30 in parallel with controlling the writing of the video digital signal to the image memory 30. The video digital signal to be read is for all areas of area numbers 0 to 8 of the image memory 30 shown in FIG. 3, but the order of the read area is specified by the system control circuit 12. That is, the video digital signals are sequentially read from the area having the smaller linear time counter value when stored in the image memory 30. The linear time counter value is recorded on the tape every 1/60 second at the time of recording, and the signal read from the tape by the linear time signal detection circuit 32 during tape running during reproduction, fast forward, rewind, etc., is counted. The value is converted into time data by the system control circuit 12. For example, the linear time counter values corresponding to the respective areas of the area numbers 0 to 8 of the image memory 30 are shown in FIG.
, The order of the areas read from the image memory 30 is the area numbers 4, 5, 6,
The order is 7,0,1,2,3,8.

The video digital signal read from the image memory 30 under the read control of the memory control circuit 28 is converted into an analog signal by a digital / analog conversion circuit 34 and formed into a video signal by a second video processing circuit 36. . This signal is selected by the second switch circuit 38 according to an instruction from the system control circuit 12 and supplied to the on-screen control circuit 40.

The video signal supplied to the on-screen control circuit 40 includes a linear time counter value supplied from the system control circuit 12 by the on-screen control circuit 40 (strictly speaking, when the video signal is recorded in the image memory). This is the difference between the linear time counter value and the linear time counter value at the time of calling the multi-screen.) Is superimposed on the corresponding still image. FIG. 5 shows an example of an image obtained by projecting the multi-screen image signal thus extracted on a monitor. The time display in FIG. 5 indicates the superimposed linear time counter value, and the number indicates the area number when the still image is stored in the image memory 30. Of these, the area number is not actually displayed.

Next, the operation of the video tape recorder of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS.
The programs shown in these flowcharts are stored in the ROM 42 in the system control circuit 12 shown in FIG. First, a process of storing a video signal in the image memory 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, in step S1, whether the device state has changed due to a signal from the device state detection circuit 46,
That is, it is determined whether the tape has been inserted, or whether the state has been changed from the stop state to the reproduction or recording state. If the device state has not changed in step S1, the process proceeds to step S11. If the device state has changed in step S1, the process proceeds to step S3 to reset the time counter. This is a process for measuring the duration of the reproduction or recording state and comparing it with the image storage time interval. In the time counter, the CPU 44 counts time based on time data from a timer 48 in the system control circuit 12. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is determined whether or not the change in the device state is the insertion of a video tape. If the change in the device state is the insertion of a tape, the process proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, the linear time counter is reset. That is, the count time based on the signal from the linear time signal detection circuit 32 is set to “0: 0”.
0 ". Then, the process proceeds to step S25, where "0" is written to the next recording area number storage area 52 in the RAM 50 shown in FIG. That is, the next recording area number of the image memory 30 for storing the video digital signal is set to “0”. Then, in step S27, the variable i is set to “0”.
And proceed to step S29. In step S29, data of "no storage" is written in the area flag [i] of the area flag storage area 54 in the RAM 50. Then, in step S31, “1” is added to the variable i,
In step S33, it is determined whether or not the variable i has exceeded the last area number ("8" in this embodiment). The processing from step S29 to step S31 is performed at step S
At 33, the process is repeated until the variable i exceeds the final area number. Thereafter, the flow advances to step S35 to instruct the memory control circuit 28 to write the blue-back video digital signal in the image memory 30. That is, if there is an area in the image memory 30 in which neither a reproduced video signal nor a broadcast video signal is stored, the screen in that area becomes a blue screen during multi-screen display. Then, the process returns to step S1. Thus, the initialization of the linear time counter and the image memory 30 is performed by the processing of steps S23 to S35.

In step S5, if a tape has already been inserted, the flow advances to step S7 to determine whether or not the change in the device state has changed to the reproduction state. If the change in the device state is the reproduction state in step S7, the flow advances to step S37 to instruct the first switch circuit 20 to select a reproduction video signal.
Then, in a step S41, the variable i is set to “0”. Thereafter, in step S43, it is determined whether or not data of "no storage" is written in the area flag [i] of the area flag storage area 54. If the data of "no storage" has been written, that is, if no video digital signal of the reproduced video signal or the broadcast video signal is stored in the area indicated by i in the image memory, the process proceeds to step S47 and i is set to "1". , And proceeds to step S49 to determine whether or not the variable i has exceeded the last area number of the image memory 28. If the variable i does not exceed the last area number of the image memory 30 in step S49, the process returns to step S43.

In step S43, if the data of "no storage" is not written in the area flag [i], that is, the video digital signal of either the reproduced video signal or the broadcast video signal is stored in the area indicated by the variable i of the image memory 30. Is stored, the process proceeds to step S45. In step S45, it is determined whether the linear time counter value recorded in LTC [i] of the linear time counter value storage area 56 in the RAM 50 is within the time interval of the current linear time counter value ± the image storage time interval. Judge. If LTC [i] is not within the time interval of the linear time counter value ± the image storage time interval, the process proceeds to step S47, and in step S49, the variable i exceeds the last area number, or
At 43, the same process is repeated until an area in which a video digital signal of either a reproduced video signal or a broadcast video signal is newly stored in the image memory 30 is found. If LTC [i] is within the time interval of the linear time counter value ± the image storage time interval in step S45, the process proceeds to step S51. Then, in step S51, the linear time counter value at that time is stored in LTC [i]. After that, the memory control circuit 28 is instructed to write the video digital signal from the analog / digital conversion circuit 24 to the area indicated by the variable i of the image memory 30, and the process returns to step S1.

In this embodiment, when reproduction or recording is started, the first image is stored in the image memory 30. Therefore, according to the determination in step S45,
This prevents the time interval of the video digital signal stored in the image memory 30 from becoming narrower than the image storage time interval, for example, when reproduction / stop is repeated within the image storage time interval.

If the variable i exceeds the last area number of the image memory 28 in step S49, the process proceeds to step S49.
Proceeding to 55, the linear time counter value is stored in LTC (next storage area number). Then, in step S57, the memory control circuit 28 is instructed to write the video digital signal from the analog / digital conversion circuit 24 into the area indicated by the next recording area number in the image memory 30. Then, in step S59, “1” is added to the next storage area number, the next storage area number is updated, and the next storage area number storage area 52 is written. At this time, if the next storage area number exceeds “8”, the next storage area number is set to “0”. And step S
Return to 1.

If the device state has not changed in step S1, the process proceeds to step S11, and first, it is determined whether or not the reproduction state is continued. If it is not the reproduction state in step S11, it is determined in step S17 whether or not it is in the recording state. If the device state is neither the reproduction state nor the recording state, the process returns to step S1. If the device state is the continuation of the reproduction state in step S11, the process proceeds to step S13, and it is determined whether or not the time counter value is larger than the image storage time interval. The image storage time interval may be automatically determined from the total time length of the inserted video tape, or may be determined by a user's key input. Further, the information may be stored in the ROM 42 in advance. If the time counter value is equal to or less than the image storage time interval in step S13, the process returns to step S1. Step S
If the time counter value has become larger than the image storage time interval in step 13, the time counter is reset in step S15, and the process proceeds to step S37 to execute the first step.
It instructs the switch circuit 20 to select a reproduced video signal. Thereafter, the processing from step S41 to step S59 is performed.

If the recording state is continuing in step S17, the flow advances to step S19 to determine whether or not the time counter value exceeds the image storage time interval.
If the time counter value is equal to or less than the image storage time interval, the process returns to step S1. If the time counter value is larger than the image storage time interval in step S19, the process proceeds to step S21, where the time counter is reset, and the process proceeds to step S39. Then, in step S39, the first switch circuit 20 is instructed to select a broadcast video signal. Then, from step S41 to step S
The processing of 59 is performed.

As described above, steps S1 to S5
By the processing up to 9, the writing processing of the video digital signal to the image memory 28 is performed. In this embodiment, the writing of the video digital signal into the image memory 30 is limited to the time of reproduction and the time of recording. However, the writing may be performed at the time of fast-forward or rewind according to the user's selection. .

By such processing, in the video tape recorder of the present invention, the video signals are automatically and sequentially stored in the image memory 30 at predetermined time intervals, so that a still image can be easily stored in the image memory. it can. In particular, when recording and playback are repeated using the same video tape, the trouble of recreating a multi-screen image again can be eliminated.

Next, based on the video digital signal stored in the image memory 30, a process of confirming what video is recorded on the entire video tape on a multi-screen as shown in FIG. The processing for cueing reproduction from a still image stored in
Description will be made based on the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in step S61, it is determined whether a key input from the operation unit 14 has been performed. If there is no key input, it waits until there is a key input. If there is a key input in step S61, the flow advances to step S63 to determine whether the key input is a tape content confirmation key input. If the key input is the tape content confirmation key in step S63, the process proceeds to step S75. In step S75, the data in each area of the image memory 30 is read in ascending order of the linear time counter value stored in LTC [n] (n = 0 to 8) of the linear time counter value storage area 56 in the RAM 50, Instruct the digital / analog conversion circuit 34 to output. And step S
Proceeding to 77, the second switch circuit 38 is instructed to select an output signal from the image memory 30. Then LTC
On-screen character information is obtained by superimposing the difference obtained by subtracting the linear time counter value at the time when the tape content confirmation key is input from the linear time counter value stored in [n] into the corresponding position as on-screen character information. It instructs the screen control circuit 40. Then, in step S81, the content confirmation mode of the content confirmation mode storage area 58 in the RAM 50 is turned on, and in step S8
In step 3, the selected area number "0" is written in the selected area data storage area 60 in the RAM 50, and step S6
Return to 1.

By this processing, the still image stored in the image memory 30 is displayed on a multi-screen. At this time, the linear time counter value is superimposed on each screen as shown in FIG. 5, so that the recording position of each still image in the video tape can be confirmed at a glance. Step S65
If the memory image select key is input at
Proceed to step S85. In step S85, it is determined whether the content confirmation mode is turned on, that is, whether the multi-screen is displayed on the monitor.
If the content confirmation mode is not turned on, step S61
Return to If the content confirmation mode is turned on in step S85, the process proceeds to step S87, where the linear time counter value stored in LTC [j] having the selected area number (here, j) in the selected area data storage area 60 An area number having a linear time counter value that is one greater than that is written to the selected area data storage area 62. At this time, if there is no area having a larger linear time counter value, the area number having the first linear time counter value is stored in the selected area data storage area 6.
Write to 2. Then, the process returns to step S61.

By this processing, a screen for cueing reproduction described later is selected. In this embodiment, the selection screen is advanced one by one by inputting a select key, but this may be directly selected by a direct key. If the play key has been pressed in step S67, the flow advances to step S89 to determine whether or not the content confirmation mode has been turned on. If the content confirmation mode is turned on, the selected area number (here, k)
The video tape is rewound or fast-forwarded to the portion indicated by the linear time counter value stored in LTC [k] indicated by (1), and the flow advances to step S93. If the content confirmation mode has not been turned on in step S89, the process directly proceeds to step S93. Then, in step S93, the video tape is reproduced. Thereafter, in step S95, the content confirmation mode is turned off, and the flow advances to step S97 to instruct the second switch circuit 38 to select a reproduced video signal, and returns to step S61.

In step S61, there is a key input,
If the key is not any of the tape contents confirmation key, the memory image select key, and the reproduction key, the flow advances to step S69 to turn off the contents confirmation mode. Then, the flow advances to step S71 to instruct the second switch circuit 38 to select a reproduced video signal or a broadcast video signal. The flow advances to step S73 to perform a process corresponding to the input key, and then returns to step S61.

Since the processing for confirming the tape contents among the processing in steps S61 to S97 is performed in parallel with the image recording processing, a multi-screen can be called even during recording / reproduction. In the video tape recorder of this embodiment, the first screen is stored in the image memory at the time of recording, so that it is easy to find each of the plurality of programs in the video tape.
Also, even if the first screen disappears from the image memory due to the reproduction operation, after searching for a nearby screen, V
Using ISS, it is possible to find the first screen at the time of recording.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system control circuit and its peripheral circuits according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing an image memory and an area number thereof;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a linear time counter value corresponding to an image stored in each area of an image memory.

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing one example in which a memory image having a linear time counter value shown in FIG. 4 is output to a monitor;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing each area in a RAM;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a part of an operation of storing a still image in an image memory.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a part of an operation of storing a still image in an image memory.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a part of an operation of storing a still image in an image memory.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a part of an operation of storing a still image in an image memory.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation for preventing a still image storage time interval from becoming shorter than a predetermined time in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing processing when a variable exceeds the total number of areas of the image memory in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation when a key input is made.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing processing when a tape content confirmation key is input in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing processing when a memory image select key is input in FIG.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing processing when a reproduction key is input in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Video tape recorder 12 ... System control circuit 14 ... Operation part 20 ... 1st switch circuit 28 ... Memory control circuit 30 ... Image memory 32 ... Linear time signal detection circuit 38 ... 2nd switch circuit 40 ... On-screen control circuit 42 ... ROM 44 CPU 46 Device state detection circuit 48 Timer 50 RAM 56 Linear time counter value storage area

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image storage means for sequentially storing video signals of a plurality of still images at a predetermined time interval during recording / reproduction, and a time which is reset when a video tape is inserted and which is measured according to a signal synchronized with the video signal. Time measurement means for outputting data, time data storage means for storing time data by the time measurement means for each of the still images stored by the image storage means, and instructing a multi-screen display of the plurality of still images on a monitor
Operating means for displaying the plurality of still images in response to an instruction from the operating means.
Reading means for reading an image signal from the image storage means , time data stored for each of the still images, and the operation means;
Calculating means for calculating each time the difference data between the time data in which the time measuring means outputs when operated, and before Symbol time difference data a plurality of superimposed, respectively
A video tape recorder including a video signal output unit that outputs a video signal of a still image .