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Moving image recording apparatus and method, moving image reproducing apparatus, moving image recording and reproducing method, and programs and storage mediaRelated Patent Categories: Television Signal Processing For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Processing Of Television Signal For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Having Another SignalMoving image recording apparatus and method, moving image reproducing apparatus, moving image recording and reproducing method, and programs and storage media description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070172206, Moving image recording apparatus and method, moving image reproducing apparatus, moving image recording and reproducing method, and programs and storage media. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/184,101 filed Jun. 26, 2002. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to a moving image recording apparatus and method, a moving image reproducing apparatus, a moving image recording and reproducing method, programs for implementing these methods, and storage media storing these programs. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In recent years, the diffusion of VTRs and video movies has led to the use of animated images as familiar media. Further, the advance of computer technologies has made it possible to store animated images in a randomly accessible storage medium such as a hard disk for accumulation and management. Consequently, users can enjoy reproducing arbitrary animated images from arbitrary portions thereof without any cumbersome operations such as replacement and rewinding of video tapes. [0006] To manage a plurality of animated images, the users have imparted titles or keywords to these animated images. Alternatively, as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications (Kokai) Nos. 10-243323 and 10-13773, the users have stored reduced-sized representative images of scenes as attribute information in association with the respective animated images and found a target animated image scene using the attribute information. [0007] Further, the users have printed one favorable scene of a moving image using a video printer and labeled such scenes or enjoyed viewing them. [0008] However, if the representative images of the scenes are displayed in a list as the attribute information using the conventional scene managing technique, which is intended mainly to edit the moving images, a huge number of representative images are generated if the moving image is divided into small scenes. Then, with a display apparatus such as a domestic TV or a display device of a portable terminal which has a lower resolution than the display of a personal computer, much time is required to select representative images. As a result, little time is left for reproduction and appreciation of the moving images, which is the original purpose of the scene management. [0009] Further, according to the conventional scene management technique, there are few keys to selection of representative images. As a result, if some representative images of scenes are similar, a desired scene of a moving image cannot be accurately and quickly selected. Furthermore, if the user prints a list of the representative images to enjoy viewing it like an album, the printed similar images are not good to look at, and hence the printing can result in waste of ink or sheets. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] It is a first object of the present invention to provide a moving image recording apparatus and method, a moving image reproducing apparatus, and a moving image recording and reproducing method which allow a user to enjoy reproducing a moving image by easily finding a corresponding desired scene from moving images, as well as programs for implementing these methods and storage media storing these programs. [0011] It is a second object of the present invention to provide a moving image recording apparatus and method, a moving image reproducing apparatus, and a moving image recording and reproducing method which allow a user to print animated image data so as to enjoy viewing the data like an album without wasting ink or sheets, as well as programs for implementing these methods and storage media storing these programs. [0012] To attain the first object, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving image recording apparatus comprising recording means for recording a moving image together with attribute information therefor, division point detecting means for detecting division points at which the moving image breaks on a time base and dividing the moving image at the detected division points into scenes, scene joining means for joining the scenes into which the moving image is divided at the detected division points to limit a number of scenes to not more than a predetermined value if a number of the scenes into which the moving image is divided exceeds the predetermined value, and still image creating means for creating still images from respective ones of the scenes the number of which has been limited, and wherein the created still images are recorded as the attribute information by the recording means. [0013] Preferably, if the length of any of the scenes into which the moving image is divided is smaller than a predetermined value, the scene joining means joins the scene to at least one other scene. [0014] Preferably, the recording means records, as the attribute information, lengths of the scenes into which the moving image is divided at the division points and the created still images in association with time information on the moving image. [0015] The division point detecting means detects the division points based on amounts of changes between frame images constituting the moving image, discontinuities between time codes, or the attribute information. [0016] More preferably, the scene joining means joins the scene to the at least one other scene so as to minimize differences between lengths of the scenes. [0017] Further preferably, even if the number of the scenes into which the moving image is divided at the detected division points is equal to or less than the predetermined value, if the length of any of the scenes is smaller than the predetermined value, the scene joining means joins the scene to the at least one other scene. [0018] Also preferably, the still image creating means creates each of the still images from a leading frame image of a corresponding one of the scenes. [0019] The moving image recording apparatus according to the first aspect is applied to a moving image recording and reproducing apparatus comprising display means for displaying the created still images, still image selecting means for selecting any of the displayed still images, and reproducing means for reproducing scenes of the moving image corresponding to the selected still images. [0020] To attain the first object, in a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving image recording method comprising the steps of recording a moving image together with attribute information therefor, detecting division points at which the moving image breaks on a time base and dividing the moving image at the detected division points into scenes, joining the scenes into which the moving image is divided at the detected division points to limit a number of scenes to not more than a predetermined value if a number of the scenes into which the moving image is divided exceeds the predetermined value, creating still images from respective ones of the scenes the number of which has been limited, and recording the created still images as the attribute information. [0021] To attain the first object, in a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving image recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of recording a moving image together with attribute information therefor, detecting division points at which the moving image breaks on a time base and dividing the moving image at the detected division points into scenes, joining the scenes into which the moving image is divided at the detected division points to limit a number of scenes to not more than a predetermined value if a number of the scenes into which the moving image is divided exceeds the predetermined value, creating still images from respective ones of the scenes the number of which has been limited, recording the created still images as the attribute information, displaying the created still images, selecting any of the displayed still images, and reproducing scenes of the moving image corresponding to the selected still images. [0022] To attain the first object, in a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving image reproducing apparatus that is applicable to the moving image recording apparatus according to the first aspect and that reproduces an animated image recorded in a storage medium, comprising display means for displaying still images recorded in the storage medium, still image selecting means for selecting any of the displayed still images, and reproducing means for reproducing scenes of the moving image corresponding to the selected still images. Continue reading about Moving image recording apparatus and method, moving image reproducing apparatus, moving image recording and reproducing method, and programs and storage media... 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