Abstract:
The present invention includes a shooting portion configured to shoot a surface of a disk and output video data, a storage portion configured to store the video data output from the shooting portion, a display portion configured to perform video display based on the video data stored in the storage portion, and an output portion configured to digitally output the video data stored in the storage portion to the outside.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-372380, filed Dec. 24, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a disk reproduction apparatus which reproduces data from a disk recording medium, and control method thereof.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    As is well known, nowadays, there has been placed on the market a disk reproduction apparatus which reproduces data recorded on an optical disk, e.g., a CD (Compact Disk), an LD (Laser Disk), a V(video)-CD and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).  
           [0006]    This type of disk reproduction apparatus reads recorded data through an optical pickup while driving to rotate an optical disk when this optical disk is attached, and applies predetermine signal processing to reproduce the read data, thereby reproducing video and audio.  
           [0007]    Meanwhile, such a disk reproduction apparatus has a structure that attachment and removal of an optical disk are carried out through a disk tray set so as to be capable of being inserted/pulled to/from an apparatus main body.  
           [0008]    That is, when an optical disk is attached to the disk reproduction apparatus, the disk tray is taken out from the apparatus main body, the optical disk is placed on the disk tray, and the disk tray is then accommodated in the apparatus main body.  
           [0009]    Further, when taking out an optical disk from the disk reproduction apparatus, the disk tray is taken out from the apparatus main body, the optical disk placed on the disk tray is removed, and the disk tray is then accommodated in the apparatus main body.  
           [0010]    Meanwhile, in the disk reproduction apparatus having such a disk tray, when the disk tray is accommodated in the apparatus main body, a user cannot visually confirm from the outside of the apparatus main body whether an optical disk has been placed on the disk tray.  
           [0011]    Therefore, of the disk reproduction apparatuses, there has emerged a model having a window formed in the apparatus main body, by which a user can visually confirm presence/absence, a rotating state and others of the optical disk.  
           [0012]    On the other hand, label information such as a title is printed on the surface of the optical disk. However, when the optical disk is loaded in the disk reproduction apparatus and driven to rotate at a high speed, even if a user visually confirms from the above-described window, he/she can simply confirm that the optical disk is rotating but cannot read the label information on the optical disk.  
           [0013]    It is to be noted that Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 3-286470 discloses a structure that a see-through window is provided to a cover of a disk reproduction apparatus and a luminous body which illuminates a disk surface is caused to blink in accordance with the rotation cycle of the disk, thereby enabling a user to read characters or pictures of the rotating disk with the naked eye.  
           [0014]    Furthermore, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-35072 discloses a structure that a liquid crystal shutter is set to a cover body of a CD player and this liquid crystal shutter is caused to enter a light transmission state in accordance with the rotation cycle of the disk, thereby enabling a user to visually confirm information on a label surface of the rotating disk.  
           [0015]    However, the techniques disclosed in these publications are just the structures by which a user visually checks an actual disk loaded in the disk reproduction apparatus, and they do not dwell on a level which enables a user to positively exploit the label information printed on the disk surface.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0016]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disk reproduction apparatus comprising: a shooting portion configured to shoot a surface of a disk and output video data; a storage portion configured to store the video data output from the shooting portion; a display portion configured to perform video display based on the video data stored in the storage portion; and an output portion configured to digitally output the video data stored in the storage portion to the outside.  
           [0017]    According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a disk reproduction apparatus, comprising: shooting a surface of a disk and obtaining video data; storing the obtained video data; and performing video display based on the stored video data; and digitally outputting the stored video data to the outside. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment according to the present invention, which illustrates a DVD player;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a signal processing system of the DVD player in the same embodiment;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when disk loading is performed in the same embodiment; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when disk unloading is performed in the same embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    An embodiment according to the present invention will now be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show a DVD player  11  as a disk reproduction apparatus described in this embodiment.  
         [0023]    This DVD player  11  supports a disk tray  12  so as to be retractable with respect to its front panel  11   a  in directions indicated by arrows A and B. This disk tray  12  is controlled to be in a pulled state and an inserted state by a disk loading device  13 .  
         [0024]    Moreover, this DVD player  11  has a shooting device  14  set at a position opposed to the disk tray  12  which is accommodated in the DVD player  11 . This shooting device  14  has a function to shoot an optical disk  15  mounted on the disk tray  12  and output the result as digital video data.  
         [0025]    The digital video data output from this shooting device  14  is supplied to a video processing circuit  16  where predetermined signal processing is applied to this data, and then stored in a storage device  17 . Additionally, the video processing circuit  16  reads the digital video data from the storage device  17 , and displays it in a display device  18  consisting of a liquid crystal set on the front panel  11   a.    
         [0026]    Further, the video processing circuit  16  reads the digital video data from the storage device  17 , applies compression encoding processing and the like to this data, and outputs the result to a video output portion  19 . This video output portion  19  outputs the input digital video data to an external monitor  20  where a video image is displayed.  
         [0027]    Here, the disk loading device  13 , the shooting device  14  and the video processing circuit  16  are integrally controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  21 .  
         [0028]    A characteristic operation in the above-described structure will now be explained. FIG. 3 is a flowchart summing up operation when the disk tray  12  is pulled to the outside of the DVD player  11 , the optical disk  15  is loaded and this tray is retracted inside the DVD player  11 , i.e., when disk loading is performed.  
         [0029]    First, when started (step S 1 ), the CPU  21  monitors the disk loading device  13  and judges whether a disk loading operation is carried out at step S 2 . Then, when the CPU  21  determines that the disk loading operation is not carried out (NO), the processing is terminated (step S 6 ).  
         [0030]    Furthermore, when it is determined that the disk loading operation is carried out at step S 2  (YES), the CPU  21  issues a shooting command to the shooting device  14  at step S 3 . Therefore, the surface of the optical disk  15  mounted on the disk tray  12  is shot by the shooting device  14 .  
         [0031]    Thereafter, at step S 4 , the CPU  21  applies predetermined signal processing to the digital video data output from the shooting device  14  by the video processing circuit  16 , and stores a result in the storage device  17 .  
         [0032]    Then, at step S 5 , the CPU  21  reads the digital video data from the storage device  17 , applies predetermined signal processing to this data by the video processing circuit  16 , and displays the result on the display device  18 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 is a flowchart summing up operation when the disk tray  12  which has the optical disk  15  mounted thereon and is accommodated in the DVD player  11  is pulled to the outside of the DVD player  11 , i.e., when disk unloading is carried out.  
         [0034]    First, when started (step S 11 ), the CPU  21  monitors the disk loading device  13  and judges whether the disk unloading operation is carried out at step S 12 . Then, when the CPU  21  determines that the disk unloading operation is not performed (NO), the processing is terminated (step S 15 ).  
         [0035]    Furthermore, when it is determined that the disk unloading operation is carried out at step S 12  (YES), the CPU  21  controls the display device  18  to a non-display state at step S 13 , erases the digital video data stored in the storage device  17  at step S 14 , thereby terminating the processing (step S 15 ).  
         [0036]    According to the above-described embodiment, first, when the optical disk  15  is loaded, its surface is automatically shot, the obtained digital video data is stored, and the stored digital video data is video-displayed. As a result, even if the optical disk  15  is driven to rotate, its label information can be readily visually confirmed.  
         [0037]    It is to be noted that the timing with which the shooting device  14  shoots the surface of the optical disk  15  is controlled to be carried out when the optical disk  15  is still in a stationary state after being loaded but yet to be driven to rotate.  
         [0038]    Moreover, the digital video data obtained from the shooting device  14  is held in the storage device  17  until the disk unloading operation is carried out, and it is erased from the storage device  17  when the disk unloading operation is performed.  
         [0039]    Therefore, even if, e.g., a power supply switch is turned off with the optical disk  15  being attached, the label information of the optical disk  15  can be displayed by again turning on the power supply switch as long as the disk unloading operation is not carried out.  
         [0040]    Here, in the above-descried embodiment, the digital video data stored in the storage device  17  can be read, and it can be digitally output to the outside through the video processing circuit  16  and a video output portion  19 .  
         [0041]    Therefore, the label information of the optical disk  15  can be enlarged and displayed by a monitor  20 . Additionally, when a PC (Personal Computer) or the like is connected outside, the label information can be edited, and a user can be effectively urged to positively utilize the label information.  
         [0042]    Further, in the above embodiment, description has been given taking a DVD player  11  as an example, but the present invention is not restricted to a DVD player, and it can be extensively applied to an apparatus which can reproduce a disk storage medium such as a magnetic optical disk or a magnetic disk.  
         [0043]    It is to be noted that the present invention is not restricted to the foregoing embodiment as it is, and constituent elements can be modified and embodied in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention on an embodying stage. Furthermore, appropriately combining a plurality of the constituent elements disclosed in the foregoing embodiment can form various kinds of inventions. For example, some constituent elements may be deleted from all the constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment.