JP4643435B2 - Video information processing apparatus and video information processing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a video information processing apparatus that edits a moving image, and more particularly, to a video information processing apparatus and a video information processing method that perform a setting process of a chapter that forms a title of video information. As an apparatus to which the present invention is applied, there are, for example, a hard disk built in the apparatus and an apparatus capable of handling a medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disk) that can be freely attached to and detached from the apparatus.

  Recently, a DVD video recorder using a recordable DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) has been put into practical use. An HDD video recorder using an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) has also been developed. Furthermore, hybrid recorders that have both a removable removable DVD and a large-capacity HDD have also appeared.

  In conventional video tape recorders using magnetic tape, editing of recorded content, such as deleting unnecessary scenes or extracting necessary scenes, requires multiple video tape recorders or editing. Equipment was necessary. This is due to the characteristic of the tape media that recording is performed in a straight line in the running direction of the tape.

  On the other hand, disk media such as DVDs and HDDs have a feature of excellent random accessibility. For this reason, video recorders using these disk media can incorporate a recorded content editing function in the video recorder main body without using a special editing device. Specifically, what is called playlist editing, in which partial reference information indicating a part of recorded content is bundled, is generally used.

  The recorded content is an original title that has audio data and video data itself, and a playlist title that does not have unique audio and video data, but consists only of playback order information for the audio and video data of other original titles. It is classified into two types.

  The procedure for creating this playlist generally follows the following procedure. First, a chapter (partial area) in which the user arbitrarily designates the start / end position in the original data such as the original title or another playlist title already created is set. Next, the reproduction order information in which partial reference information corresponding to the created chapter range is bundled is configured. This reproduction order information becomes the playlist title.

  When editing a video information, when using a chapter that has already been set in the original title and creating a playlist that is playback order information to generate a new title, the start position and end of the chapter to be used The location may not always be optimal. That is, the chapter to be used is already set arbitrarily on the original title editing screen, and this position is not necessarily the best for the current user. For example, there may be a case where the video or audio included in the chapter range is cut off from the head or the bottom, or an extra screen is included at the beginning or end of the chapter.

Therefore, a video information processing apparatus is known in which the boundary position of chapters in the title of video information to be edited can be reset very easily (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-208172 A

  According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, when a chapter in a playback order information (playlist) when a video signal is recorded is registered and used in a later editing process, the chapter is within the range of the chapter. In some cases, the video or audio included in the video may have a head / butt cut, or an extra screen may be included at the beginning or end of the chapter. This is not the stage where the chapters are originally set on the original title editing screen, and thus cannot be adjusted. However, according to this patent document 1, the cell boundaries are also displayed on the subsequent editing screen. It can be reset as appropriate by shifting the area or shifting the entry point (EP) in the cell.

  For example, when creating a playlist in which necessary chapters are collected from titles recorded in the VR (Video-Recording) mode and dubbing to the VIDEO mode, the chapter boundary position is set in units of frame shifts so that the excess video cannot be seen. Boundary alignment can be performed in units of GOP (Group Of Picture) shifts.

  However, in Patent Document 1, when creating a playlist, it is easy to determine whether or not it is a necessary chapter from a thumbnail (chapter head image) in the frame shift mode, but it is shifted to a boundary position in GOP units. In this case, there is a problem that it is difficult to determine whether a chapter is necessary or not just by looking at the thumbnail of the chapter.

  Further, since the chapter division is performed in the frame shift mode and then copied to the VIDEO mode, when the chapter boundary position is moved in the GOP shift mode, the original chapter boundary position itself is also changed. If you did not want to change the original chapter boundary position, you had to copy and duplicate the title.

  In view of this, the present invention provides a video information processing apparatus and a video information processing method in which chapter boundary positions in the frame shift mode and chapter boundary positions in the GOP shift mode are stored and can be switched during thumbnail display. Furthermore, the present invention provides a video information processing apparatus and a video information processing method capable of having a plurality of chapter boundary positions by using only separate files related to chapter boundary position information in the GOP shift mode.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a frame shift mode in which the boundary position of the chapter of the original title is shifted back and forth in units of one frame from the input video signal, and a GOP unit that is a DVD video standard editing unit. In a video information processing apparatus having a GOP shift mode that shifts the boundary position of the chapter of the same title back and forth every time, the boundary position of the chapter of the original title divided in the frame shift mode is set as a first management area Recording means for recording and recording a boundary position of the chapters of the same title divided in the GOP shift mode in a second management area different from the first management area; and based-out the original tie recorded each boundary position to the second management area Characterized by comprising a control means for the thumbnail as a representative picture of Le selectively display switchable.

  According to the present invention, the chapter boundary position in the GOP shift mode is separately stored in addition to the chapter boundary position in the frame shift mode. Necessary chapter selection can be facilitated by making it possible to use thumbnail images displayed at the time of creating a playlist at any of the above-mentioned chapter boundary positions.

  Further, even when the chapter position is moved so that an unnecessary part is not shown at the time of creating the title in the VIDEO mode, the chapter boundary position of the original title can be kept in the original frame unit.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment according to a video information processing apparatus of the present invention. In this embodiment, an apparatus capable of handling both a DVD-RAM and a hard disk as a recording medium is shown. However, the hard disk or the DVD-RAM may be replaced with a recording medium using a semiconductor memory, for example.

  When the blocks in FIG. 1 are roughly divided, the main block of the recording unit is shown on the left side, and the main block of the playback unit is shown on the right side.

  The video information processing apparatus in FIG. 1 has two types of disk drive units. First, it has a disk drive unit 23 that rotationally drives an optical disk D as a first medium, which is an information recording medium that can construct a video file, and executes reading and writing of information. Further, it has a hard disk drive unit 21 for driving a hard disk as a second medium. The data processor unit 22 can supply recording data to the disk drive unit 23 and the hard disk drive unit 21 and can receive a reproduced signal. The disk drive unit 23 includes a rotation control system, a laser drive system, an optical system, and the like for the optical disk D.

  The data processor unit 22 handles data for recording or reproduction, and includes a buffer circuit, a modulation / demodulation circuit, an error correction unit, and the like.

  The video information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 mainly includes an encoder unit 50 that constitutes a recording side, a decoder unit 60 that constitutes a playback side, and a microcomputer unit 30 that controls the operation of the apparatus main body.

  The encoder unit 50 includes a video and audio analog-to-digital converter that digitizes an input analog video signal or analog audio signal, a video encoder, and an audio encoder. Furthermore, a sub-picture encoder is also included.

  The output of the encoder unit 50 is converted into a predetermined DVD-VR format by a formatter 51 including a buffer memory, and supplied to the data processor unit 22. That is, it is converted into a format defined by a VR (Video-Recording) standard (for example, a standard for recording on DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, etc.).

  The encoder unit 50 receives an external analog video signal and an external analog audio signal from the AV input unit 40 or an analog video signal and an analog audio signal from the TV tuner unit 42. Here, a digital video signal and a digital audio signal may be used instead of the analog video signal and the analog audio signal.

  The encoder unit 50 can also supply the compressed digital video signal or digital audio signal directly to the formatter 51 when a directly compressed digital video signal or digital audio signal is directly input. The encoder unit 50 can also directly supply the digital video signal and audio signal that have been subjected to analog-digital conversion to the video (V) mixing unit 71 and the audio selector 76.

  In the video encoder included in the encoder unit 50, the digital video signal is converted into a digital video signal compressed at a variable bit rate based on the MPEG2 or MPEG1 standard. The digital audio signal is converted into a digital audio signal compressed at a fixed bit rate based on the MPEG or AC-3 standard, or a digital audio signal of linear PCM.

  When a sub-video signal is input from the AV input unit 40 (for example, a signal from a DVD video player with an independent output terminal of a sub-video signal), or a DVD video signal having such a data structure is broadcast and is transmitted to When received by the tuner 42, the sub-picture signal in the DVD video signal is encoded (run-length encoded) by the sub-picture encoder to become a sub-picture bitmap.

  The encoded digital video signal, digital audio signal, and sub-picture data are packed by the formatter 51 to become a video pack, an audio pack, and a sub-picture pack, and these are collected and converted into a format defined by the VR standard. Is done.

  Here, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 transmits information (packets such as video, audio, and sub-picture data) formatted by the formatter 51 and the created management information to the hard disk drive unit 21 or the data disk via the data processor unit 22. It can be supplied to the drive unit 23 and recorded on the hard disk or the optical disk D. Information recorded on the hard disk or the optical disk D can also be recorded on the optical disk D or the hard disk via the data processor unit 22, the disk drive unit 23, or the hard disk drive unit 21.

  It is also possible to perform an editing process such as deleting a part of video objects of a plurality of programs recorded on the hard disk or the optical disk D or connecting objects of different programs. This is because the data unit handled by the format according to the present invention is defined to facilitate editing.

  The microcomputer unit 30 includes an MPU (micro processing unit) or CPU (central processing unit), a ROM in which a control program and the like are written, and a RAM for providing a work area necessary for executing the program. It is out.

  Among the execution results of the MPU, the contents to be notified to the user are displayed on the display unit 43 of the video information processing apparatus or displayed on the monitor 45 display as OSD (on-screen display). The microcomputer unit 30 has a key input unit 44 for giving an operation signal for operating this apparatus.

  The decoder unit 60 separates and extracts each pack from a DVD format signal having a pack structure, a memory used when pack separation or other signal processing is performed, and main video data (video packs) separated by the separator. A V decoder that decodes the content), an SP decoder that decodes the sub-picture data separated by the separator (the contents of the sub-picture pack), and an A decoder that decodes the audio data separated by the separator (the contents of the audio pack) Have In addition, a video processor is provided that appropriately synthesizes the decoded sub-video with the decoded main video, and outputs the menu, highlight button, subtitles, and other sub-videos superimposed on the main video.

  The output video signal of the decoder unit 60 is input to the video mixing unit 71. In the video mixing unit 71, text data is synthesized. The video mixing unit 71 is also connected to a line that directly takes in signals from the TV tuner 42 and the A / V input unit 40. A frame memory 72 used as a buffer is connected to the video mixing unit 71. When the output of the video mixing unit 71 is an analog output, it is output to the outside via an I / F (interface) 73, and when it is a digital output, it is output to the outside via a digital / analog converter 74. In the case of digital output, the digital-analog converter 74 may not be provided.

  The output audio signal of the decoder unit 60 is analog-converted by the digital-analog converter 77 via the selector 76 and output to the outside. The selector 76 is controlled by a select signal from the microcomputer unit 30. Accordingly, the selector 76 can directly select a signal that has passed through the encoder unit 50 when directly monitoring 45 the digital signal from the TV tuner 42 or the A / V input unit 40.

  In this apparatus, one video file is recorded on one disc. Further, in order to continue reproduction without interruption while accessing (seeking) data, a minimum continuous information unit (size) is determined. This unit is called CDA (Contiguous Data Area). The CDA size is a multiple of an ECC (error correction code) block (16 sectors), and the file system records in this CDA unit.

  The data processor unit 22 receives data in VOBU units from the formatter of the encoder unit 50 and supplies data in CDA units to the disk drive unit 23 or the hard disk drive unit 21. Further, the MPU of the microcomputer unit 30 creates management information necessary for reproducing the recorded data. When the MPU recognizes a data recording end command, it sends the created management information to the data processor unit 22. Thereby, the management information is recorded on the disc. Accordingly, when encoding is performed, the MPU of the microcomputer unit 30 receives data unit information (eg, segmentation information) from the encoder unit 50. The MPU of the microcomputer unit 30 recognizes the management information (file system) read from the optical disk and the hard disk at the start of recording, recognizes the unrecorded area of each disk, and sets the recording area on the data to the data processor unit 22. Is set to disk via.

  Before describing the features of this patent, an example of chapter division processing by manual operation will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a title list screen. FIG. 3 shows an edit list screen. FIG. 4 shows a chapter editing screen. FIG. 5 shows a play list editing screen.

  First, when the user operates a remote controller (not shown) and presses a viewing navigation key (viewing navigation key) for viewing a title list, a title list screen (viewing navigation screen) 101 is displayed as shown in FIG. Here, thumbnails as representative images for the three titles A, B, and C are displayed. When a title to be edited is selected in the navigation screen 101 to be viewed and an editing navigation key (editing navigation key) is pressed, an editing list screen (editing navigation screen) 102 for the selected title as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. Here, a chapter editing menu for editing chapters and a playlist editing menu for editing playlists are displayed. For example, when the user selects a chapter editing menu from the editing navigation screen 102, a chapter editing screen 103 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. The user divides chapters on this chapter editing screen 103, or adjusts the chapter boundary position while viewing the top image of the chapter.

  At this time, the chapter boundary position is aligned in the frame shift mode (frame unit). When all the chapters are edited, the chapter division position information and the like in the frame shift mode are written in the first management area (management file 1) of the hard disk or the optical disk.

  Specifically, the playback time of the entry point is written in the entry point presentation time map (EP_PTM) in the cell entry point information (C_EPI) in the hierarchical structure of the video manager (VMG) defined in the VR standard. It is.

  The playlist is created by selecting necessary ones from the chapters divided as described above. When the remote controller is operated and the edit navigation key is pressed, the playlist edit menu is selected from the edit navigation screen. A playlist editing screen 104 as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed.

  On the playlist editing screen 104, the title list and the chapter list of the selected title can be switched. Select what you want from the displayed titles or chapters and create a playlist.

  Next, when the video content recorded on the HDD is dubbed and recorded on the DVD-R, it is necessary to convert the format of the video / audio data from the VR standard to the DVD-Video standard due to limitations of the Video standard. The chapter boundary must be set to the MPEG-2 group of picture (GOP) boundary. However, on the HDD, the user can set a chapter boundary at any position as long as it is a frame unit. Therefore, when such a title is dubbed and recorded on a DVD-R, the chapter boundary slightly deviates from the position set by the user. Sometimes. Due to this shift, an image that could not be seen in the VR mode may be seen.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a chapter boundary position of a title in units of frame shifts or GOPs. As shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the user wants to create a playlist that does not display, for example, the video of Δ. In that case, in the VR mode, since the chapter boundary position is in frame shift units, chapter 1 and chapter 3 may be simply added to the playlist.

  FIG. 7 shows thumbnails displayed on the screen for creating a playlist based on the title of FIG. Since FIG. 7 shows thumbnails in the frame shift mode (displaying the top position of chapters), chapter 1 is indicated by “◯”, chapter 2 is indicated by “Δ”, and chapter 3 is indicated by “☆”.

  However, when a frame having a chapter boundary position in the frame shift unit is dubbed to the video mode, the video image of Δ in the last frame of chapter 2 can be seen. In order to avoid this, there is a method of changing the chapter boundary position from the frame shift unit to the GOP shift unit. FIG. 8 shows titles whose chapter positions are shifted so as not to display the image of Δ. What is necessary is just to add the chapter 1 and the chapter 3 to a play list in the title of FIG. FIG. 9 shows thumbnails displayed on the screen for creating a playlist based on the title of FIG. Since FIG. 9 shows thumbnails in the GOP shift mode, chapter 1 is indicated as “◯”, chapter 2 is indicated as “◯”, and chapter 3 is indicated as “☆”.

  In this way, since the thumbnail displays the top position of the chapter, it is difficult to select a chapter to be added to the playlist by using only the thumbnail. At the stage of dividing the chapter in the VR mode, it is easy to determine whether it is a necessary chapter just by looking at the thumbnail image. Rai.

  In order to solve the above problem, the features of the present invention will be described with reference to a flowchart.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the chapter boundary position shift procedure in the frame shift mode.

  First, when the user operates the remote controller and presses the edit navigation key, the edit navigation screen 102 is displayed. Then, the playlist editing menu is selected from the editing navigation screen 102, and the title to be edited is selected (step ST101). The user performs chapter division in the frame shift mode or adjusts the chapter boundary position in units of frames (step ST102). Step ST102 is repeated until this operation is completed (N in step ST103). If completed, the chapter boundary position information in the frame shift mode is stored in the original management file 1 (step ST104). This management file 1 is stored as the playback time of the entry point in the entry point presentation time map (EP_PTM) in the cell entry point information (C_EPI) in the video manager (VMG) defined in the VR standard as described above. Is done.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the chapter boundary position shift procedure in the GOP shift mode.

  When the user operates the remote controller and presses the edit navigation key, the edit navigation screen 102 is displayed. The playlist edit menu is selected from the edit navigation screen 102, and the title for moving the boundary position in the GOP shift mode is selected. (Step ST111). The chapter boundary position is adjusted in the GOP shift mode for the selected title (step ST112). Then, step ST112 is repeated until chapter boundary alignment is completed (N in step ST113), and when completed, the microcomputer unit 30 displays on the monitor 45 whether or not chapter boundary position information is stored in the management file 2. The user sees the display result and decides whether to save it in the second management area (management file 2) in the hard disk. When it is determined to store the chapter boundary position information in the management file 2 (Y in step ST115), the microcomputer unit 30 stores the chapter boundary position information as the management file 2 in the hard disk (step ST115). When the user decides not to store the chapter boundary position information in the management file 2 (N in step ST115), the microcomputer unit 30 causes the management file 1 to overwrite and store the chapter boundary position information (step ST116).

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a playlist editing procedure.

  When the user operates the remote controller and presses the edit navigation key, the edit navigation screen 102 is displayed. From the edit navigation screen 102, a playlist editing menu is selected, and a title including a chapter to be added to the playlist is selected. Then, the microcomputer unit 30 determines whether chapter boundary position information relating to the selected title is recorded in the management file 2 (step ST122). If it is determined that the file is recorded in the management file 2 (Y in step ST121), the microcomputer unit 30 displays on the monitor 45 as a thumbnail whether the management file 1 or the management file 2 is used. If the user uses the management file 2 as the thumbnail, the microcomputer unit 30 reads the chapter boundary position information from the management file 2 stored in the hard disk (step ST124).

  In step ST122, when the microcomputer unit 30 determines that the chapter boundary position information related to the selected title is not recorded in the management file 2 (N in step ST122), the user manages the thumbnail in step ST123. If the file 1 is to be used (N in step ST123), the microcomputer unit 30 reads the chapter boundary position information from the management file 1 (step ST125).

  The microcomputer unit 30 displays a thumbnail on the monitor 45 based on the chapter boundary position information read from either the management file 1 or the management file 2 (step ST126). That is, when the management file 1 is read, the chapter boundary position in units of frames is shown, and when the management file 2 is read out, the chapter boundary position in units of GOP is shown. Then, a chapter is added to the playlist (step ST127), and when another title is added to the playlist (Y of step ST128), the process returns to step ST121, and when not added (N of step ST128). It progresses to step ST129.

  If the chapter addition is completed (Y in step ST129), the flow is finished, but if it is still added (N in step ST129), the process returns to step ST126 (N in step ST129).

  As described above, when creating a playlist in which necessary chapters are collected from the titles recorded in the VR mode and dubbing to the video mode, the chapter boundary position is changed from the frame shift unit to the GOP so that the excess video cannot be seen. Boundary alignment may be performed in shift units.

  When creating a playlist, it is easy to determine whether it is a required chapter from the thumbnail in the frame shift mode (chapter top image), but if it is shifted to the boundary position in GOP units, the chapter thumbnail was viewed It is difficult to determine whether it is a necessary chapter. Therefore, chapter boundary position information for displaying thumbnails during playlist editing can be switched from the GOP shift mode to the frame shift mode, making it easy to select the necessary chapters. That is, since the thumbnail display as shown in FIG. 9 is difficult to understand, it is possible to switch to the thumbnail display as shown in FIG. 7, and the user can easily select a chapter.

  Further, since the chapter division is performed in the frame shift mode and then copied to the video mode, when the chapter boundary position is moved in the GOP shift mode, the chapter boundary position itself of the original title is also changed. If you do not want to change the original chapter boundary position, you must duplicate and duplicate the title. However, in the present invention, the chapter boundary position information in the GOP shift mode is made a separate file (management file 2), so that the title confidence is not duplicated.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the implementation stage, it can change variously in the range which does not deviate from the summary.

The block diagram which shows schematic structure of embodiment which concerns on the video information processing apparatus of this invention. The figure showing a title list screen. The figure showing an edit navigation screen. The figure showing a chapter edit screen. The figure showing a play list edit screen. The figure which shows the title shifted to the frame unit. The figure which shows the thumbnail by the boundary position shifted per frame. The figure which shows the title shifted to the GOP unit. The figure which shows the thumbnail by the boundary position shifted to the GOP unit. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the boundary position shift in frame shift mode. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the boundary position shift in GOP shift mode. The flowchart which shows a play list edit procedure.

Explanation of symbols

30 ... Microcomputer part, 50 ... Encoder part, 60 ... Decoder part, 21 ... HDD part, 23 ... Disk drive part, 45 ... Monitor 45

Claims (4)

A frame shift mode that shifts the border position of the original title chapter back and forth from the input video signal in units of one frame, and a chapter border position of the same title is shifted back and forth for each GOP unit that is a DVD video standard editing unit. In a video information processing apparatus having a GOP shift mode to
The boundary position of the chapter of the original title divided in the frame shift mode is recorded in a first management area, and the boundary position of the chapter of the same title divided in the GOP shift mode is recorded in the first management area. Recording means for recording in a second management area different from the area;
And a control means for enabling selective display switching thumbnail as a representative picture of based-out the original title to each boundary position recorded in the first and second management area by said recording means A video information processing apparatus characterized by the above. The video information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein boundary positions of a plurality of the chapters of the original title are recorded in the first and second management areas. The frame shift mode that shifts the border position of the original title chapter back and forth from the input video signal in units of one frame, and the chapter title position of the same title is shifted back and forth for each GOP unit that is a DVD video standard editing unit. In a video information processing method having a GOP shift mode,
The boundary position of the chapter of the original title divided in the frame shift mode is recorded in a first management area, and the boundary position of the chapter of the same title divided in the GOP shift mode is recorded in the first management area. Record in a second management area different from the area,
Image information processing method characterized by selectively display switching thumbnail as a representative picture of the based-out the original title recorded each boundary position in the first and second management area. 4. The video information processing method according to claim 3, wherein boundary positions of a plurality of the chapters of the original title are recorded in the first and second management areas.

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