Display of closed captioned information during video trick modes

#1. Technical Field

#The invention concerns improved trick mode playback, and more particularly to the display of closed captioned information during trick mode playback of a video presentation.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a DVD device that can be provided with one or more advanced operating functions in accordance with the inventive arrangements.

#FIG. 2 is a flowchart that is useful for understanding the inventive arrangements as implemented in an exemplary media player such as device 100 of FIG. 1.

#The present invention can be used for displaying closed caption information during limited video trick modes in any type of digital video recorded on any suitable digital data storage medium. For convenience, the invention shall be described in the context of a DVD medium utilizing conventional MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited in this regard. Notwithstanding, the digital data storage medium can include any media capable of storing substantial amounts of digital data for retrieval and playback at a subsequent time. As used herein, a storage medium can include, but is not limited to, optical, magnetic and electronic means for storing data. Exemplary digital storage media can include an optical digital versatile disk (DVD), a magnetic hard disk, a personal video recorder (PVR), a magneto-optical disk, a video CD or regular CD, or solid-state memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or synchronous DRAM (SDRAM).

#A storage medium reader is provided for reading coded digital data from a digital data storage medium. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary DVD video player in which the present invention may be implemented. Device 100 can have the capability to read stored data such as MPEG—formatted data from a digital storage medium. Referring to FIG. 1, the storage medium can be a re-writable DVD 102. Device 100 can include a mechanical assembly 104, a control section 120, and an audio/video (A/V) output processing section 170. The allocation of most of the blocks to different sections is self-evident, whereas the allocation of some of the blocks is made for purposes of convenience and is not critical to understanding the operation of the device 100. Importantly, it should be recognized that if the digital data storage medium were a solid-state device, the mechanical assembly 104 would not be necessary to practice the invention. In this case, the coded digital data stored in the digital storage medium can be directly accessed by control CPU 130 and buffered in track buffer 114. Importantly, it should be recognized that the invention is not limited to the arrangements of device 100. In an alternate embodiment, device 100 can be configured as a PVR. In that case, the PVR can include a fixed disk and an MPEG encoder connected thereto. The MPEG decoder can be coupled to the control CPU 130 and error correction circuit 112.

#Notwithstanding, the mechanical assembly 104 can include a motor 106 for spinning the DVD 102 and a pickup assembly 108 adapted to be moveable above the surface of the spinning DVD 102. A laser being part of pickup assembly 108 can illuminate data already stored onto the track for playing back video and/or audio program data. For purposes of understanding the invention, it is irrelevant whether the disc is recordable. The laser on the pickup assembly 108 and the motor 106 can be controlled by a servo 110. The servo 110 can also be configured to receive an input playback signal representing data read from spiral tracks on the DVD 102. The playback signal can also serve as an input to an error correction circuit 112, which can be considered part of the control section 120 or part of the A/V output processing section 170.