U.S. patent application number 10/976804 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for apparatus and method of recording audio and video signal.
This patent application is currently assigned to VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN, LTD.. Invention is credited to Higurashi, Seiji.
Application Number | 20050084243 10/976804 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26475950 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050084243 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Higurashi, Seiji |
April 21, 2005 |
Apparatus and method of recording audio and video signal
Abstract
Auxiliary data carried by a video signal which is now being
broadcast is detected to decide whether or not the video signal is
protected from recording by copyright. The video signal is recorded
on a storage medium when it is not protected from recording. On the
other hand, a predetermined information is recorded on the storage
medium when the video signal is protected from recording. The
information suggests that the video signal has not been recorded
due to copyright protection. Either the video signal or the
predetermined information is retrieved from the storage medium and
displayed on a monitor screen when retrieved from the storage
medium.
Inventors: |
Higurashi, Seiji; (Tokyo-To,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC
400 SEVENTH STREET N.W.
SUITE 600
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Assignee: |
VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
26475950 |
Appl. No.: |
10/976804 |
Filed: |
November 1, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10976804 |
Nov 1, 2004 |
|
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09573813 |
May 19, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
386/254 ; 360/60;
380/201; 386/337; 386/E5.004 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/4348 20130101;
H04N 21/4627 20130101; H04N 5/782 20130101; H04N 7/163 20130101;
H04N 2005/91328 20130101; H04N 21/84 20130101; H04N 5/913 20130101;
H04N 21/4882 20130101; H04N 21/8355 20130101; H04N 21/47214
20130101; H04N 21/4334 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
386/094 ;
360/060; 380/201 |
International
Class: |
H04N 005/76; G11B
015/04; G11B 019/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 25, 1999 |
JP |
1999-144572 |
Mar 31, 2000 |
JP |
2000-97419 |
Claims
1-6. (canceled)
7. A recording apparatus comprising: a recording preset unit to
preset recording of a video signal; a detector to detect auxiliary
data carried by at least a video signal which is now being
broadcast to decide whether or not the video signal is protected
from recording; and a memory to store a predetermined information
suggesting that the video signal has not been recorded, wherein the
predetermined information stored in the memory is output to a
monitor screen or a speaker when the recording has been preset and
there is an attempt to reproduce the video signal detected by the
detector as being protected from recording.
8-10. (canceled)
11. A recording method comprising: presetting recording of a video
signal; and detecting auxiliary data carried by at least a video
signal which is now being broadcast to decide whether or not the
video signal is protected from recording, wherein a predetermined
information stored in a memory and suggesting that the video signal
has not been recorded is output to a monitor screen or a speaker
when the recording has been preset and there is an attempt to
reproduce the video signal detected as being protected from
recording.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to recording audio and video
signals transmitted by digital broadcasting. Particularly, this
invention relates to an audio and video signal recording apparatus
having a preset recording function (presetting the preset data of
TV programs which will be broadcast later, such as, TV channel,
time, etc.) of recording audio and audio signals, such as, TV
programs which will be broadcast later.
[0002] Digital broadcasting via communications satellite (CS) has
been very popular. Not only this, digital broadcasting via
broadcasting satellite (BS), ground wave or cable is on drawing
boards to start in a few years.
[0003] Digital broadcasting transmits TV programs with copy
information including recording inhibit information for TV programs
which are inhibited from recording to secure copyrights thereon,
due to the fact that digital signals are hardly degraded no matter
how many times the signals are recorded.
[0004] Conventional recording apparatus generate a copy guard
signal for such TV programs on reception to allow viewers TV
viewing but inhibit recording.
[0005] Conventional recording apparatus, however, have a drawback
in that viewers often guess wrong that recording has been set
mistakenly or the apparatus has been out of order.
[0006] Viewers tend to make such a wrong guess because a
conventional apparatus inevitably starts recording a TV program
that has been protected from recording, which results in failure of
recording and reproduction, due to the fact that conventional
apparatus allow viewers preset recording even for TV programs that
carries the recording inhibit information.
[0007] The inventor has proposed a technique of TV-program
recording inhibition for TV programs protected from recording by
copyright, which is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined-Patent
Publication No. 1999 (11)-32266.
[0008] In this technique, viewers preset TV-program recording while
watching an on-screen program guide pre-stored in a digital
broadcasting receiver.
[0009] This technique, however, also has the same drawback in that
viewers guess wrong that recording has been set mistakenly or the
receiver has been out of order. Viewers make such a wrong guess
when recording inhibit information has not been recorded on the
program guide or they preset recording without reference to the on
screen-program guide.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] A purpose of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus and a method of audio and video signal recording with a
function to inform viewers that a TV program has not been recorded
because it is protected by copyright, no matter how viewers preset
recording, to avoid viewer's wrong guess such that recording has
been set mistakenly or the recording apparatus is out of order.
[0011] The present invention provides a recording apparatus
including: a detector to detect auxiliary data carried by at least
a video signal which is now being broadcast to decide whether or
not the video signal is protected from recording; a recorder to
record either the video signal or a predetermined information on a
storage medium, the information suggesting that the video signal
has not been recorded because it is protected from recording; and
control means for controlling at least the recorder so that the
video signal is recorded on the storage medium when the video
signal is not protected from recording, on the other hand, the
information is recorded on the storage medium when the video signal
is protected from recording.
[0012] Furthermore, the present invention provides a recording
apparatus including: a detector to detect auxiliary data carried by
at least a video signal which is now being broadcast to decide
whether or not the video signal is protected from recording; a
recorder to record the video signal on a storage medium when the
video signal is not protected from recording; and means for
outputting a predetermined information to a monitor screen or a
speaker when the video signal is protected from recording, the
information suggesting that the video signal has not been recorded
because it is protected from recording, the monitor screen
displaying or the speaker giving off the information when there is
an attempt to reproduce the video signal from the storage
medium.
[0013] Moreover the present invention provides a recording method.
Auxiliary data carried by at least a video signal which is now
being broadcast is detected to decide whether or not the video
signal is protected from recording. Either the video signal or a
predetermined information is recorded on a storage medium. The
first information suggests that the first video signal has not been
recorded because it is protected from recording. The recording is
controlled so that the video signal is recorded on the storage
medium when the video signal is not protected from recording, on
the other hand, the information is recorded on the storage medium
when the video signal is protected from recording.
[0014] Furthermore, the present invention provides a recording
method. Auxiliary data carried by at least a video signal which is
now being broadcast is detected to decide whether or not the video
signal is protected from recording. The video signal is recorded on
a storage medium when the video signal is not protected from
recording. On the other hand, a predetermined information is output
to a monitor screen or a speaker when the video signal is protected
from recording. The information suggests that the video signal has
not been recorded because it is protected from recording. The
monitor screen displays or the speaker gives off the information
when there is an attempt to reproduce the video signal from the
storage medium.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an audio and video recording
apparatus as the first preferred embodiment according to the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of TV-program recording process of
the audio and video recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates an on-screen message for a TV program
which has been protected from recording;
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an audio and video recording
apparatus as the second preferred embodiment according to the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of TV-program preset recording
process of the audio and video recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4;
and
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates another on-screen message for a TV
program which has been protected from recording.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Preferred embodiments according to the present invention
will be disclosed with reference to the attached drawings.
[0022] As already stated, digital broadcasting transmits TV
programs with copy information because digital signals are hardly
degraded no matter how many times the signals are recorded.
[0023] The copy information includes copy generation management
system (CGMS) data that allows viewers watching only or allows
recording only once, etc., to secure copyrights on particular TV
programs.
[0024] The present invention utilizes the CGMS data for effective
TV-program preset recording.
[0025] The first embodiment of an audio and video signal receiving
apparatus according to the present invention is disclosed with
reference to a block diagram and a flow chart shown in FIGS. 1 and
2, respectively.
[0026] The audio and video signal recording apparatus shown in FIG.
1 is provided with a recording preset unit 6 that allows a viewer
TV-program preset recording and stores the preset data, such as,
recording starting and finishing time, a TV channel, and so on.
[0027] When it is the preset recording starting time (STEP S11),
the recording preset unit 6 sets a digital broadcasting receiver 2,
a set-top-box (STB), to be tuned to the preset TV channel (STEP
S12), and feeds a control signal to a controller 5 to start
recording.
[0028] An electromagnetic wave carried by the 12-GHz band, for
example, via a communications satellite is received by the STB 2
via an antenna 1 for demodulation, error-correction and separation
into, for example, MPEG2-compressed video and audio data and other
auxiliary data.
[0029] The STB 2 and recording preset unit 6 (surrounded by a dot
line) may be separated from the audio and video recording apparatus
shown in FIG. 1.
[0030] In this case, when it is the preset recording starting time
(STEP S11), the recording prest unit 6 sets the STB 2 to be tuned
to the preset TV channel (STEP S12), turns on the recording
apparatus and feeds a control signal to the controller 5 to start
recording video and audio data (TV program) transmitted from the
separate STB 2.
[0031] The video and audio data, and the auxiliary data are fed to
a switch 7. Among the auxiliary data, copy information indicating
whether recording is allowed or not is fed to a CGMS detector 3 for
deciding whether recording is allowed or not (STEP S13). The result
is fed to the controller 5.
[0032] When recording is allowed (STEP S14), the controller 5
controls the switch 7 to accept the data from the STB 2, and feeds
it to a recorder 8 for recording on a storage medium (not shown),
such as, a magnetic tape, a disk and a hard disk (STEP S15).
[0033] In case that the copy information indicates that recording
is allowed for only once, the controller 5 generates a copy guard
signal which is then recorded on the storage medium with the audio
and video data, for prohibiting recording twice or more.
[0034] When it is the preset recording finishing time (STEP S16),
the recording preset unit 6 feeds a control signal to the
controller 5 to halt recording at the recorder 8 (STEP S17). Then,
the TV-program recording process ends.
[0035] On the other hand, in STEP S14, when recording is not
allowed, the controller 5 controls the switch 7 to accept data from
a memory 4 that has stored non-recording information (character
data, still picture compressed data, etc.) indicating that the TV
program has not been recorded because it is protected from
recording.
[0036] The non-recording information is fed to the recorder 8 via
the switch 7, and recorded on the storage medium for a
predetermined period, such as, 15 seconds (STEP S18). Then, the
TV-program recording process ends.
[0037] The non-recording information will be displayed on a TV
screen (not shown) when a viewer tries to reproduce the TV program,
for informing him or her that the TV program has not been recorded
because it is protected from recording. This avoids that a viewer
guesses wrong such that recording has been set mistakenly or the
recording apparatus has been out of order.
[0038] The non-recording information stored in the memory 4 is
character data, still picture compressed data, etc. A small storage
capacity- and low cost-memory thus can be used as the memory 4.
[0039] It is more preferable, when recording is prohibited,
recording setting data stored in the recording preset unit 6 is
converted into character data and supplied to the switch 7 via the
controller 5 for storage onto the storage medium via the recorder 8
with the non-recording information stored in the memory 4. The
character data can be displayed on the TV screen, when reproduced,
such as illustrated in FIG. 3, to inform which TV program has not
been recorded.
[0040] As disclosed above, according to the first embodiment, when
a TV program is protected from recording, the non-recording
information is stored on the storage medium. A viewer can be
informed, when he or she tries to reproduce the TV program by
another reproducing apparatus, that the TV program has not been
recorded due to copyright protection.
[0041] Instead of recording the non-recording information on the
storage medium via the recorder 8, it is also preferable that
information indicating that a TV program has not been recorded is
stored in the memory 4 and then displayed on a TV screen, when the
viewer tries to reproduce the TV program, to inform that the TV
program has not been recorded due to copyright protection. This
avoids unnecessary recording on the storage medium.
[0042] The second embodiment of an audio and video signal recording
apparatus according to the present invention is disclosed with
reference to a block diagram and a flow chart shown in FIGS. 4 and
5, respectively.
[0043] Elements in this embodiment that are the same as or
analogous to elements in the first embodiment are referenced by the
same reference numbers and will not be explained in detail.
[0044] The second embodiment is provided with a memory 4a that has
stored information, which will be recorded on a storage medium (not
shown), indicating that a TV program has been protected from
recording, and a memory 4b that has stored information, which will
be displayed on a TV screen (not shown), indicating that a TV
program for which a viewer is trying to preset recording with
reference to an electronic program guide (EPG) has been protected
from recording.
[0045] The second embodiment is also provided with an EPG memory 90
for storing an electronic program guide transmitted via the antenna
1 and a STB 20 or through a phone line (not shown), and also a MPEG
decoder 100 for decoding MPEG-compressed audio and video data.
[0046] The STB 20, the EPG memory 90 and the recording preset unit
6 (surrounded by a dit line) can be separated from the audio and
video signal recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4.
[0047] When TV-program preset recording starts (STEP S21), the
electronic program guide stored in the EPG memory 90 is fed to a
controller 50, and displayed on the TV screen via a switch 70 and
the MPEG decoder 100 (STEP S22).
[0048] A viewer selects a TV program which he or she wants to
record, via a remote controller (not shown), with reference to the
time and date of broadcasting, the list of TV programs, the program
category, and so on, on the electronic program guide displayed on
the TV screen (STEP S23).
[0049] When the electronic program guide lists up copy information
for each TV program, the copy information is fed from the EPG
memory 90 to a CGMS detector 30 for decision of whether the
selected TV program is protected from recording or not, and the
result is informed to the controller 50 (STEP S24).
[0050] When the TV program is protected from recording, the
controller 50 controls the switch 70 to retrieve the information
from the memory 4b to display on the TV-screen via the MPEG decoder
100 such that, as shown in FIG. 6, the TV program, you are trying
to preset recording on channel XX, is protected by copyright (STEP
S25), and the preset recording process ends.
[0051] On the other hand, in STEP S23, when no copy information is
listed on the electronic program guide stored in the EPG memory 90,
for example, due to mis-recording of copy information on the
electronic program guide or when the copy information indicates
that the selected TV program is permitted to record, TV-program
recording is preset (STEP S26), and the process enters into the
recording waiting mode (STEP S27). Then, the process goes to the
recording process shown in FIG. 2.
[0052] Even though no copy information is listed on the electronic
program guide stored in the EPG memory 90, as stated above, the
copy information carried by the TV program which is now being
broadcast is detected in STEP S13 (FIG. 2) for decision of whether
recording is allowed or not. And, if not, the non-recording
information is recorded on the storage medium, as already
disclosed.
[0053] There is a case that a TV program has been allowed to record
according to the electronic program guide, but it is prohibited
when actually broadcast. In this case, it is also preferable that
the copy information carried by the TV program which is now being
broadcast is detected in STEP S13 (FIG. 2) for decision of whether
recording is allowed or not, and, the non-recording information is
recorded on the storage medium if not allowed.
[0054] For a TV program which is protected from recording according
the electronic program guide, it is preferable that, after
displaying the message as shown in FIG. 6 on the screen, the
process may go to the recording waiting mode (STEP S27). In this
case, the non-recording information as shown in FIG. 3 will be
recorded on the storage medium according to the ordinary processing
(the first embodiment), however, the TV program can be recorded if
it is allowed when actually broadcast.
[0055] For each embodiment, the message shown in FIG. 3 will be
displayed when the viewer tries to reproduce a TV program which has
been protected from recording. The message may be audio information
or the combination of audio and video information, and which may be
stored in the memory 4b as compressed data. These data will be
decoded by the MPEG-decoder 100 and sent to the screen and speakers
(not shown).
[0056] As disclosed, according to the present invention, when
recording is preset for a TV program protected by copyright, the
information indicating that the TV program has not been recorded
due to copyright protection is recorded on a storage medium on
which the TV program should have been recorded, thus achieving
unnecessary recording.
[0057] Therefore, when a viewer tries to reproduce the TV program
from the storage medium, he or she can know that the TV program has
not been recorded due to not incorrect presetting or breakdown of
the recording apparatus but copyright protection. The viewer can
also know it when he or she tries to reproduce the TV program by
using another reproducing apparatus.
[0058] The present invention decides whether or not a TV program is
allowed to record not by referring to an electronic program guide
but to copy information carried by the TV program when actually
broadcast. This avoids missing a chance to record a TV program
which is allowed to record.
[0059] The present invention also offers a recording apparatus
without a STB and a recording preset unit. In this case, also the
recording apparatus detects copy information carried by a TV
program which is being broadcast and supplied by the separate STB
to decide whether the TV program is allowed to record.
[0060] This is also useful to a viewer when he or she tries to
reproduce the TV program from a storage medium, he or she can know
that the TV program has not been recorded when protected by
copyright not because of incorrect presetting or breakdown of the
recording apparatus.
[0061] Moreover, according to the present invention, when, for
example, a latter half of a series of TV programs which will be
broadcast later or which have been broadcast now, are protected
from recording under copyright, the first half the TV programs will
be stored on a storage medium when recorded, and the message as
shown in FIG. 3 will be stored on a storage medium at the time of
broadcasting the latter half of the TV programs.
[0062] Therefore, viewers can recognize the cause of failure to
record the latter half of the TV programs, without guessing wrong
that recording has been set mistakenly or the receiver has been out
of order.
[0063] Moreover, not only to the preset recording of TV programs
which will be broadcast later as disclosed, but also, the present
invention can be applied to the situation where a viewer tries to
record a TV program which is protected from recording and being
broadcast now while he or she is viewing another TV program on
different channel. A message, such as shown in FIG. 3 will also be
stored on a storage medium for this situation.
* * * * *