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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for
recording on cassettes. In particular, the present invention relates to an
improved method and apparatus for recording on, and playing back,
videocassettes.
2. Description of Related Art
Known video recorders are capable of placing "indexing" markers on a tape
for later use in locating the beginning of recorded programs. To find the
starting point of a program, these systems essentially play the tape while
"looking out" for the earlier-recorded markers. This approach tends to be
slow and subjects the tape to mechanical fatigue. Specific programs are
not identified by the index markers, nor can specific programs be
automatically sought by such systems. These apparatus are not capable of
providing a Table of Contents displaying recorded programs, nor are they
capable of furnishing the means to go to a selection chosen from such a
table.
Also known are video recorders designed to be connected to special purpose
hardware, such as professional editing equipment or computers. In most
cases, such devices comprise ordinary professional grade video recorders
that are designed to be controlled by a conventional personal computer, to
which the video recorder is connected by an electrical cables While these
configurations permit more features to be implemented than ordinary video
recorders, they do not improve the user friendliness of the overall
system. On the contrary, they typically require the operator to be in
possession of special technical skills, such as expertise in the operation
of computers and proficiency in one or more computer programming
languages.
Also known are ongoing efforts to improve the graphical user interface of
video recording equipment, especially in the areas that relate to the
"programming" of timed recordings. A variety of strategies have been
suggested that make use of on-screen menus or numeric codes.
It is an object of the present invention to enhance the functional range of
tape recording and playing equipment, and to simultaneously improve the
user friendliness of the resultant hardware, while maintaining
compatibility with prior art systems. It is a further object of the
present invention to enable an array of novel functions to be implemented
that are not possible or practical using presently available hardware.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, these and other objectives are
achieved by providing an improved videocassette that includes electronic
data storage areas as part of the videocassette mechanism, in addition to
the usual audio and video recording areas found in prior art mechanisms.
The electronic data storage areas may be accessed independently of the
ordinary audio and video recording areas Typically, access to these
electronic data areas will be by a random access means rather than by a
sequential access means One advantage of this is that the information
stored in the these areas may be retrieved more rapidly than the
information stored on the tape itself. For instance, movie credits saved
in the auxiliary memory may be viewed at any time by a viewer. In sharp
contrast, in current systems movie credits typically can only be seen at
the end of the tape. To see the credits without screening the whole tape,
a viewer presently must fast-forward the tape to the end. This process can
consume considerable amounts of time.
Improved videocassettes in accordance with the present invention are
operatively compatible with prior art recorders and players An improved
videocassette that is used with an ordinary, prior art recording apparatus
will function identically to an ordinary, prior art videocassette. Lost,
however, are the many benefits afforded by the use of the improved
videocassette with the improved recording apparatus in accordance with the
present invention. It is also possible for an ordinary, prior art
videocassette to be used with the improved recording or playing apparatus
of the present invention. Again, while this allows for prior art
compatibility, none of the advantages of the present invention will be
available to the user.
Additionally with respect to prior art compatibility, another advantage of
the present invention is that certain embodiments permit ordinary users
who are themselves not in possession of any special technical skills, the
capacity to upgrade their existing tape collection from the current art
recording scheme to one that operates in accordance with, and embraces all
the advantages of, the improved recording scheme taught by the present
invention Therefore, not only does the present invention assure prior art
compatibility, but it also provides ordinary users with the capacity to
upgrade their prior art cassette mechanisms.
The present invention is thus directed to improving tape recording and
playing equipments such as VCR's (video cassette recorders) camcorders
tape decks, DAT (digital audio tape) recorders, Walkman-type personal
stereos, as well as other tape based recorders and players The improvement
may be accomplished by a two phase process: an improvement to the tape
mechanism, and an improvement to the recording or playing apparatus. In
the improved configuration, an array of functions that are presently not
available to current art equipment may be implemented. The additional
functions are intended to expand the operational range of existing
equipment, while simultaneously increasing the "user-friendliness", or
ease of use of the hardware.
In one embodiment of the present invention an improved cassette may be
derived from a "standard" cassette that is modified by the user to enable
the numerous advantages of the present invention. In another embodiment of
the present invention an improved cassette mechanism may comprise a
cassette that has been manufactured to operate in conjunction with an
improved playing apparatus.
The present invention enables an array of appealing capabilities,
heretofore unavailable, to be implemented in a convenient,
prior-art-compatible, and user friendly manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present
invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows one configuration of a videocassette in accordance with the
teachings of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a read/write head accessing a memory strip of
the videocassette of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows several examples of user-applicable auxiliary memory.
FIG. 4 shows an organizational diagram for an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 5 shows an organizational diagram of the enhancement block.
FIG. 6 shows an example of a possible "Table of Contents" screen that may
be displayed on a video monitor in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 7 shows an example of a "Go To Program by Title" capability of a VCR
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows an example of a "Portable Agenda" capability in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 shows an example of the transfer of information stored in the
auxiliary memory of one videocassette to the auxiliary memory of another
videocassette in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 shows two features supported by hardware in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 shows an example of sophisticated video tape editing capabilities
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 12 and 12A show an embodiment of the present invention in which an
auxiliary memory is removably mounted onto a videocassette.
FIG. 13 shows a user removing an auxiliary memory from one videocassette
and inserting it into another videocassette in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 shows the flexibility afforded by a removable auxiliary memory in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 shows a Table of Contents screen for a prerecorded video tape that
serves as a companion to a textbook.
FIGS. 16A and 16B show a preview frame in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention.
FIGS. 17A and 17B show another preview frame in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 18A-18C show the use of command instructions stored in an auxiliary
memory to operate a VCR in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 19 shows the use of an auxiliary memory with a personal stereo in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 shows expansion means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated
mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be
taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of
illustrating the general principles of the invention. The scope of the
invention is best defined by the appended claims.
As illustrated in FIG. 10 an improved videocassette 10 is provided in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention and includes an
auxiliary memory. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary memory
media is in the form of a linear strip 50 on the swing-up hood 12 of the
videocassette 10. Data may be recorded on the strip 50 whenever a
recording is made. The data may include, for example, the starting time
and the ending time of a recorded program, the position on the video tape
at which the starting point and the ending point of the recorded program
occur, the channel of the recorded program, etc. The data may be recorded
on the strip 50 whenever a recording is made, regardless of whether the
recording is initiated manually or automatically by the VCR.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a read/write head 60 accessing the memory
strip 50 of the videocassette 10 shown in FIG. 1 As indicated by the arrow
3, the read/write head 60 may be positioned so that it linearly tracks
along the length of the strip 500 The strip 50 may be located on the
swingup hood 12 of the videocassette 10. While the location of the strip
50 on the swing-up hood 12 of the videocassette 10 is not a requirement of
the present invention, it does place the auxiliary memory 50 at a
relatively maximum distance from the magnetic tape within the
videocassette 10. Moreover, it leaves available other locations on the
exterior of the videocassette 10 which may be used for the placement of
conventional adhesive labels.
FIG. 3 illustrates several examples of user-applicable auxiliary memory
media 50, as well as several potential locations for the placement of such
auxiliary memory media 50 on the videocassette 10. The auxiliary memory
media 50 may be applied virtually anywhere on the videocassette 10. The
auxiliary memory media 50 may assume any convenient geometric shape 50a,
50b. Further, the auxiliary memory media 50 may be optically based,
magnetically based, semiconductor based, etc., or any combination of
these.
Because the auxiliary media of the present invention may be user
applicable, ordinary individuals are provided with the capacity to convert
prior art cassette mechanisms into cassette mechanisms that can make use
of the advanced features of the present invention. Further, because the
auxiliary media of the present invention may be applied by ordinary users
to prior art cassette mechanisms, the present invention does not require
the introduction of yet another recording format to the already confusing
medley of formats now available to consumers. Thus, the present invention
teaches a technique of expanding the operational range of tape recording
equipment beyond that of the current art, without necessitating the
wholesale abandonment of the current art cassette format. Old recordings
made on standard cassettes with prior art equipment may be played on
equipment that has been constructed in accordance with the present
invention. New recordings made on cassettes and equipment constructed in
accordance with the present invention may be played on standard prior art
equipments although without access to the enhanced features enabled by the
present invention. In addition, standard prior art cassette mechanisms may
be upgraded for use in accordance with the present invention by ordinary
users, unskilled in the technical arts.
FIG. 4 is an organizational diagram that illustrates the information flow
between various components in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention. The block referred to in FIG. 4 as the "Conventional
VCR Block" 100 includes hardware that is generally found in current video
cassette recorders. The "Conventional VCR Block" 100 thus furnishes the
means to read from, and to write to, conventional video cassette tapes.
The block referred to in FIG. 4 as the "Enhancement Block" 110 includes
hardware that is useful in facilitating several of the enhanced features
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
A more detailed organizational diagram of the Enhancement Block 110 is
furnished in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the Enhancement Block 110 may
include a microprocessor based logic unit 150 as well as a peripheral
storage device controller and interface unit 155.
FIGS. 4 and 5 further illustrate a functional block referred to as the
"Tape Position Processor" 105 The Tape Position Processor 105 provides
information about the "position" of the audio/video read/write heads on
the tape (the tape is referred to in FIGS. 4 and 5 as the "Primary Memory"
1). The term "position" is used herein to refer to the physical location
of the heads relative to the tape at any given instant (for example, the
physical location of the heads relative to the beginning of the tape
reel).
There are various techniques for keeping track of position. Some of these
techniques are more accurate than others. For example, some of the more
familiar methods include Control Track Pulse counting, Longitudinal Time
Coding, and Vertical Interval Time Coding. To make use of such techniques,
the Tape Position Processor 105 preferably has access to the tape signals
103 where the time code resides. While time-coding is typically frame
accurate, it is often sufficient to determine approximate tape positions
such as by mechanical/physical means 115. A mechanical counter may be
employed as part of the cassette mechanism to count the revolutions of the
tape reel. Similarly, mechanical metering means may be employed to measure
the tape as it travels from the source to the take-up reel. Alternatively,
the angular velocity of the reel may be monitored and compared to known
reference rates at different tape positions. In any event, the physical
measurements 113 taken by the Position Detectors 115 preferably provide
data 102 which may be used by the Tape Position Processor 105 to supply
position information 107 to the Enhancement Block 110. It is also possible
to employ a combination of position determination techniques, such as
using mechanical means to first approximate the position, and then using
"software" means (such as time code or index markers) to more precisely
ascertain position These methods and considerations are familiar to video
engineers.
The auxiliary memory 50 is intended to serve as a storage location that is
capable of supplementing the primary memory 1. Virtually any kind of
information that may be retained by a memory medium may be placed in the
auxiliary memory 50. Generally, the most pertinent type of information
with respect to a videocassette apparatus will be program identification
data. Program identification data may include, for example, such
information as the date and time of a recorded program, the channel, the
position on the tape at which the program is located, etc. VCR's generally
possess real-time-clocks, as these are usually necessary for timed
recordings to be made. VCR's also generally possess tuners, as these are
usually required to derive the audio/video input signals to be recorded.
Referring to FIG. 5, when a tape recording is made in accordance with the
illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the contents of a set of
semiconductor memory registers 170 (typically containing data such as the
present date, present time, present channel, present tape position, etc.)
are placed into the Auxiliary Memory 50 by way of a write operation,
similar to a disk-write operation performed by a computer. However, in the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral I/O device,
rather than being a disk drive, is the secondary storage medium provided
by the cassette in the form of the Auxiliary Memory 50 (which may be of
magnetic media, optical media, semiconductor media, etc.). Similarly, an
interface unit 155 (which is comparable to a. computer storage device
interface unit) writes information to and reads information from the
Auxiliary memory 50 (as indicated by the arrows respectively designated by
the numbers 157 and 158 in FIG. 5). Upon completion of a recording, the
data file corresponding to the just-recorded program may be re-opened and
a set of completion parameters that may include the ending-tape-position
end-date, end-time, etc., may be saved. When title information or comments
or other data are available they too may be saved (regardless of whether
they originate from the signal source, audio subcarriers, a keyboard, or
another input device). Some embodiments of the present invention may also
be capable of placing analog audio and video information into the
auxiliary memory 50. Such embodiments may make use of A/V lines 117 and
119 for line input and output, respectively, to and from the interface
unit 155. The specific hardware and encoding scheme used to place data
into the auxiliary memory 50 will depend on the type of media employed for
the auxiliary memory. Such techniques are well within the abilities of the
skilled artisan.
Similarly, when a cassette is inserted into a cassette player in accordance
with the present invention, a directory area of the auxiliary memory 50
may be read to determine the collection and sequence of programs recorded
on the cassette The accessed cassette program data may be placed into
semiconductor memory 175 where it may be more easily manipulated The
microprocessor based logic unit, under the control of instruction code
stored in ROM, may generate a Table of Contents using program data placed
earlier in RAM. As the starting and ending tape positions of the various
tape resident programs is known, the apparatus is capable of finding any
program present on the tape. Furthermore, because the microprocessor based
logic unit 150 controls the operation of the Conventional VCR Block 100
via instruction code 205 sent to machine state controller 200, as well as
manages the Device User Interface, programs may be selected from the Table
of Contents and the logic unit will handle the actual mechanics of
locating and playing the selected program The specific implementation of
such techniques will be apparent to the skilled artisan.
As shown in FIG. 5 with respect to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a rather sizable array of functional possibilities may be
afforded by the present invention. For example, synthetic voice-overs may
be added to existing tape sound tracks This may be accomplished by having
the control unit send instructions and data to the sound synthesizer 350
of the Acoustic Processor Unit 300 (which may include DSP circuitry). The
Sound Synthesizer may output a synthetic voice audio signal to the A/V
Mixer 80. This synthetic voice "sound track" may subsequently be mixed by
the A/V Mixer 80 with audio signals emanating from a variety of other
sources. It may, for instance, be merged with audio signals coming from a
Tuner 400 through line 410. Or, it may be blended with an audio track that
may be coming from a tape. Or still, it may be combined with a sound track
coming from the Auxiliary memory 50. Or, the original synthetic voice
sound track may have had as its origin a "script" that was resident in the
Auxiliary memory 50. As is known in the art, such "scripts" may be
comprised of phonemes or even of ordinary words, etc. Whether individually
or in combination, the audio signals mentioned above may be output by the
apparatus through line 85 for reception on a television or stereo
receiver. Alternatively, they may be recorded onto the tape via pathways
17 and 7. Finally, whereas the illustrative case just presented utilized a
synthetic voice as an example, it may be equally possible to furnish
synthesized music, or sound effects, or analog audio, etc.
In an analogous fashion to the example above, the Graphics Processor Unit
500 may be capable of generating information that may be combined in the
A/V Mixer 80. The Graphics Processor Unit 500 may be used to generate text
information, for example. Tables of Contents, Menus, Information Screens,
etc. are all examples of text information that make use of character
generator functions. Instructions and data from the Control Unit 150 may
govern the content and format of the Graphics Unit output. The output
video signal 525 may be furnished to the A/V mixer 80. Video information
coming from the Tuner 400 or from the tape via lines 6 and 16 may be
combined with the output video signal 525 in the mixer 80 before it is
output to a monitor. Suitably mixed information may also be recorded on
the tape. Furthermore, whereas text may be the most common form of
information to be merged with conventional video signals, it may be
nonetheless possible to combine graphics such as computer animations, or
other special effects.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of one of the many possible "Table of
Contents" screens that may be displayed on a video monitor 999 when a
videocassette is inserted into a VCR in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, a listing may be displayed on
the screen of the video monitor showing all of the programs recorded on
the videocassette. If the listing is too lengthy to be displayed on a
single screen, the viewer may be alerted that the listing is "continued"
on subsequent screens. The date and time when the program was recorded, as
well as the original ending time of the program, may also be displayed.
The signal source of the recorded program (that is, whether the source of
the recorded program was a broadcast channel, a line input, a camcorder,
etc.) may also be displayed. The program title, program length, and any
other pertinent information may optionally be displayed. Tape consumption
statistics may also be presented to the viewer, as well as information
regarding the type of tape on which the programs are recorded (such
information might be supplied in the auxiliary memory by the tape
manufacturer). Until broadcast or program scheduling technologies improve,
however, it will be recognized that some of the information mentioned
above, such as titles, may require the user to make entries using a
keyboard or other input device. Eventually, it is foreseen that increased
amounts of "on-line" descriptive information will be made available by any
of a wide variety of methods (including, for example, co-broadcast
signals, use of audio subcarriers, down-loading from telephonic or cable
services, disposable published data sheets, etc.).
FIG. 7 depicts an example of a "Go To Program by Title" capability of a VCR
1000 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The
screen 999 of the video monitor displays a video tape program listing 970.
The viewer may select a program to be viewed by visually highlighting or
"framing" 980 the program displayed on the screen of the video monitor.
Highlighting a program from the listing of programs displayed on the
screen may be executed via controls located either at the VCR 1000 or on a
remote control unit 1010, as illustrated in FIG. 7. After a displayed
program has been highlighted, the viewer may then depress a Go To button
1050 on the remote control unit 1010 or on the VCR 1000. The VCR 1000 will
then advance the video tape to the selected program.
The "Go To Program by Title" capability of the present invention thereby
allows a viewer to go to a recorded program by selecting that program from
among a list of programs displayed on an on-screen Table of Contents. The
"Go To Program by Title" capability of the present invention may therefore
be distinguished from the "indexing" capability of some prior art VCRs
While some prior art VCR's are capable of indexing recorded programs and
are capable of seeking index markers on the video tape, such prior art
units are not capable of allowing a viewer to go to a recorded program by
selecting that program from an onscreen Table of Contents.
The video monitor screen 999 illustrated at the bottom of FIG. 7 depicts a
program that the viewer has selected and that the VCR 1000 has advanced
to. After the selected program has been viewed, the VCR 1000 may either
continue to play the next linearly resident program on the video tape, or
it may automatically stop, or it may play a subsequent recorded program
that has been selected by the viewer. The viewer may select a series of
recorded programs to be viewed, in any sequence. A VCR in accordance with
the present invention is capable of automatically playing the selected
programs in the order specified by the viewer. In another embodiment, pre
programmed intermissions may be supplied whereby a VCR may automatically
seek the next selected program in the sequence after completion of the
current program, but does not play the selected program until a "Continue"
command is entered by the viewer.
FIG. 8 illustrates the "Portable Agenda" capability of one embodiment of
the present invention. The "Portable Agenda" capability enables a taping
schedule or "recording agenda" of programs that have been programmed into
one VCR to be transferred to one or more other VCR's without the need to
manually reprogram the other VCR's. In one embodiment of the present
invention, an auxiliary memory of a videocassette may be used as the means
for communicating the recording agenda of a first VCR to one or more other
VCR's into which the videocassette may be inserted.
FIG. 8 illustrates a first VCR 1100 and a second VCR 1200. The "Portable
Agenda" capability of the present invention does not require the two VCR's
to be electrically connected to each other. Nor does the "Portable Agenda"
capability of the present invention require the two VCR's to be in signal
communication with one another other. The set of programs that the user
wishes to record may be transferred from the internal program memory of
the first VCR 1100 to an auxiliary memory 50 of a videocassette 10. Upon
transfer, the videocassette 10 retains information about the list 922 of
programs to be recorded in a Recording-Agenda file in the auxiliary memory
50. A "Load Program From Video tape" function may be used to extract the
recording schedule from the videocassette 10, thereby permitting a
"Recording Agenda" to follow a video tape from one VCR to another without
the need for re-programming. The VCR may have a "record from VCR" mode and
a "record from video tape" mode. The VCR may also have an "Agenda Append"
feature that allows programs appearing on different video tapes or in
other machines to be added to the VCR, s internal memory. Unwanted
programs can be deleted from any agenda. Any information capable of being
placed in the auxiliary memory 50 of a videocassette 10 may likewise be
made portable.
FIG. 9 illustrates a procedure for transferring information stored in the
auxiliary memory 50a of one videocassette 10a to the auxiliary memory 50b
of a second videocassette 10b. In the example shown in FIG. 9e the
transferred information consists of a recording agenda 922, although the
illustrated process may be applicable to the transfer of virtually any
type of information contained in the auxiliary memory. The single VCR 1000
present in FIG. 9 serves as an intermediary in the transfer. The first
videocassette 10a may be loaded into the VCR 1000. The recording agenda
922 of the first videocassette 10a may be recorded and stored by the VCR
1000. The first videocassette 10a may be then removed from the VCR 1000
and the second videocassette 10b (which may be a new, blank videocassettes
may be subseguently loaded into the same VCR 1000. The recording agenda
922 of the first videocassette 10a may be then duplicated by the VCR 1000
onto the auxiliary memory 50b of the second videocassette 10b. The present
invention thereby enables a recording agenda to be transferred from one
videocassette to another videocassette without requiring any recording to
be performed on the video tape, with a VCR serving only as an
intermediary. Any information that may be placed into an auxiliary memory
can be transferred between videocassettes in this manner.
FIG. 10 illustrates two features supported by one embodiment of the present
invention.
The first feature illustrated in FIG. 10 is the ability to define and
automatically playback one or more segments of the video tape as a
repetitive "loop". A starting point or a starting frame 935 for the video
tape loop may be effectively tagged on the video tape by means of
recording the starting positions or frame, in an auxiliary memory in a
"Loop-File". As used herein, the term "Loop-Files" refers to file entities
similar in most respects to Recorded-Program-Files. Whereas a
recorded-program-file contains information about the starting and ending
tape positions of a recorded program, a loop-file contains information
about the starting and ending tape positions of a loop segment.
Loop-Files, however, will more frequently also include instruction code
which may be used to control the machine state controller 200. These are
the instruction codes used by the microprocessor based control unit to
place the apparatus into a "play state", "rewind state", etc. An ending
point or an ending frame 939 for the loop may be tagged on the video tape
in a manner similar to tagging the starting point. When the user sees the
point in the tape that is to be the end of the loop, a loop-end command
may be executed and the tape position or frame at that location may be
recorded in the loop-file. If a videocassette that has been so tagged is
inserted into the VCR, then the VCR will repeatedly play the designated
loop segment. The loop segment may be played repeatedly at either a normal
speed, or at a reduced or increased speed. This feature may be useful in a
number of applications, such as scientific investigations, court room
illustrations, and the like. Other information about the loop segment
(i.e., length, title, etc.) may also be retained in a loop-file in an
auxiliary memory. Specific loop segment playback guidelines may also be
selected and retained in an auxiliary memory. Normal speed playback, slow
motion playback, freeze frame with frame-by-frame advance, or any
combination of these may be automatically executed on playback, without
requiring the sustained presence of an operator. A loop count can be taken
so that loop playback will terminate after a predesignated number of
cycles. Loop termination criteria may also be included in the loop-file as
part of the loop-definition. Furthermore, because a single cassette may
contain a number of loop-segments, a user may select for viewing any of
the loop segments present from an on-screen Table of Contents, in a manner
similar to that for selecting an ordinary recorded program. This may be
easily accomplished since loop-files, as file entities, may be treated
similarly to program-files.
A second feature illustrated by FIG. 10 is the capability of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention to perform "Frame Retrieval". Specific
frames, 935-939, of a recorded video tape sequence may be tagged by a
viewer. This may be done by viewing the recorded video tape on a video
monitor and activating a "Tag Frame" command on either the remote control
unit or on the VCR when the specific frame appears on the video monitor
screen. Information identifying the location on the video tape of the
tagged frame may then be recorded in an auxiliary memory. A "Frame
Retrieval" function may be initiated when a videocassette containing the
tagged frame is inserted into a VCR. The VCR may then read the auxiliary
memory for the stored information identifying the location of each tagged
frame on the video tape and may then advance the video tape to that
location. When the tagged frame is located, the frame may be "played" into
a digital frame buffer where it may be retained. The viewer may thereby
flip through a sequence of frames at the viewer's own pace, in either
forward or reverse action mode. In cost-saving embodiments of the
invention this frame retrieval feature may be implemented without digital
frame buffers. However, the freeze frame display of single images may be
less stable without the use of such buffers, and damage to the video tape
may occur if a frame is frozen for an extended period. Additionally,
features such as zoom-in and image enhancement are more difficult to
implement in the absence of such buffers.
FIG. 11 illustrates the sophisticated video tape editing capabilities of an
embodiment of the present invention. A program recorded on a video tape
may be edited using professional editing equipment (not shown) and the
editing commands 857 may be stored in an auxiliary memory. It may be also
possible for a "Carbon Copy" feature to be implemented, in which the
editing commands are automatically saved. The editing commands may be
archived for future reference, or they may be used to edit another copy of
the same original, in such manner that portions of the second edited
footage are identical to the first edited footage, while other portions
are different. Identical edits may be executed under automated control.
FIG. 11 also illustrates amateur level editing. A first VCR 1000a may be
electrically connected to a second VCR 1000b. The first VCR 1000a plays
back a pre-selected series of recorded programs. The second VCR 1000b
simultaneously records the programs being played back by the first VCR
1000a. The first VCR 1000a may play back the recorded programs in normal
time modes or it may play back the recorded programs in a fast or slow
motion mode, or it may play back the recorded programs one frame at a time
in accordance with a pre-programmed scheme, or it may play back
loop-segments of the recorded programs. If the second VCR 1000b records in
normal time mode, then a video tape recorded by the second VCR 1000b will
contain all of the special effects of the first video tape routine in
normal time modes Auto-splice duplication of jump-recorded programs, and
of programs containing unwanted insertions can be performed. Duplications
may be programmed to occur at a convenient hour, such as when the machine
is known to be idle.
FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which an
auxiliary memory 50 may be removably mounted onto a videocassette 10 A
retainer, sleeve, or mounting frame 173 may first be applied to the
videocassette 10. The auxiliary memory 50 may then be inserted into the
retainer, sleeve or mounting frame. The auxiliary memory 50 may also be
supplied with a "reversible" adhesive backing such as those used with
Post-It dotes made by 3M.
FIG. 12A depicts an embodiment of a retainer. Arrow 177 indicates a region
on the retainer 173 in which a "coordination memory area" 178 may be
located. A function of the coordination memory area is to store a code
that may be used to determine whether the removable auxiliary memory 50
has been separated from the videocassette 10 after a program has been
recorded on the videocassette 10. Such a coordination memory area may be
desirable when the auxiliary memory 50 is of the removable variety, so
that program table of contents information may be coordinated with
programs that are actually recorded on the video tape. This coordination
may be accomplished by recording the same code in the auxiliary memory 50
as in the coordination memory area. The VCR may be equipped with a means
for reading and comparing the codes written in the auxiliary memory 50 and
the coordination memory | | |
