Patent ID: 6424677
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: G11B,H04N

Abstract:
An apparatus for altering the total running time of an original program signal in real time to generate a time-altered program signal, the original program signal including an original video program signal that includes a plurality of video signal elements in sequence, each video signal element having a predefined length of video time associated therewith, the original program signal also including an original audio program signal, the original audio program signal including a plurality of audio signal segments in sequence, each audio signal segment having the predefined length of audio time associated therewith, each video signal element having one or more corresponding audio signal segments associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:(a) a video analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that receives the original video program signal and converts each video signal element of the original video program signal to corresponding digital video data; (b) a video data processor that compares digital video data received from the video ADC and corresponding to adjacent video signal elements in said sequence of video signal elements, determines an amount of motion difference between said adjacent video signal elements, and deletes digital video data corresponding to a video signal element if the motion difference between said adjacent video signal elements is less than or equal to a predefined motion difference threshold value to provide a time-shortened sequence of digital video data; (c) a digital video memory buffer that stores digital video data received by the digital video memory buffer from the video data processor; (d) an audio analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that receives the original audio program signal and converts each audio signal segment of the original audio program signal to corresponding digital audio data; (e) an audio data processor that compares digital audio data received from the audio ADC and corresponding to adjacent audio signal segments in said sequence of audio signal segments, determines an amount of audio signal difference between said adjacent audio signal segments, and, for each video signal element deleted from the original video program signal, deletes digital audio data corresponding to one or more audio signal segments, such that the amount of deleted audio time substantially corresponds to the predefined length of time associated with the deleted video signal element, based upon the amount of audio signal difference between adjacent audio signal segments to provide a time-shortened sequence of digital audio data; (f) a digital audio memory buffer that stores digital audio data received by the digital audio memory buffer from the audio data processor; (g) a video digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts a sequence of digital video data output by the digital video memory buffer to a corresponding time-shortened analog video program signal; (h) an audio digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts a sequence of digital audio data output by the digital audio memory buffer to a corresponding time-shortened analog audio program signal; (i) circuitry that provides the time-shortened analog video program signal and the time-shortened analog audio program signal as a time-shortened broadcast program signal; and (j) a threshold adjustment element for raising the motion difference threshold value on-the-fly such that, if the total number of deleted video signal elements runs behind a programmed elapsed time, whereby the motion difference threshold value is automatically raised to permit a larger number of video signal elements to be deleted.