Method of recording picture information, record carrier, and picture retrieval and reproduction device for reading the record carrier

A method of recording picture information on a record carrier, comprising:

• scanning a plurality of pictures on a record carrier to provide respective picture information signals,
• converting each of said picture information signals into respective at least first and second absolutely coded pictures, each absolutely coded picture representing the corresponding picture as a luminance distribution defined by a two dimensional array of luminance pixels having predetermined luminance values, the respective number of luminance pixels of each second absolutely coded picture being greater than the respective number of luminance pixels of the corresponding first absolutely coded picture, corresponding first and second absolutely coded pictures thereby forming a group of representations of the same picture with different resolutions, and
• recording each first absolutely coded picture in one part of a respective given picture file,
• recording each second absolutely coded picture in an other part of said respective given picture file following the corresponding one part, whereby a part of the file including a coded picture representing a lower resolution picture of said one picture is followed by a part of the file including a coded picture representing a higher resolution picture of said one picture, and
• recording, in an overview file, a respective further absolutely coded picture for each of said plurality of pictures.

A record carrier on which picture information is recorded which represents at least one picture with different resolutions, characterized in that for each picture a separate picture file is recorded including at least first and second absolutely coded pictures and at least one residually coded picture, each absolutely coded picture representing said one picture as a luminance distribution defined by a two dimensional array of luminance pixels having predetermined luminance values, the number of luminance pixels of said second absolutely coded picture being greater than the number of luminance pixels of said first absolutely coded picture, said first and second absolutely coded pictures thereby forming a group of representations of the same picture with different resolutions;

• and said one residually coded picture comprising residual codes which, when combined with said second absolutely coded picture, represent said one picture with higher resolution than the resolution of said second absolutely coded picture,
• said first absolutely coded picture being recorded in one part of a given picture file,
• said second absolutely coded picture being recorded in an other part of said given picture file following said one part, and
• said residually coded picture being recorded in yet another part of said given picture file following said other part.

An apparatus for picture retrieval and reproduction, comprising:

• a read unit for reading coded pictures recording on a record carrier on which picture information is recorded which represents a plurality of pictures, each picture being represented with different resolutions, for each picture a separate picture file being recorded including at least first and second absolutely coded pictures, each absolutely coded picture representing said one picture as a luminance distribution defined by a two dimensional array of luminance pixels having predetermined luminance values, the number of luminance pixels of said second absolutely coded picture being greater than the number of luminance pixels of said first absolutely coded picture, said first and second absolutely coded pictures thereby forming a group of representations of the same picture with different resolutions, said first absolutely coded picture being recorded in one part of a given picture file, said second absolutely coded picture being recorded in an other part of said given picture file following said one part;
• and said record carrier further comprising an overview file separate from said picture files, a respective further absolutely coded picture being recorded in said overview file for each of said plurality of pictures,
• and a picture processing unit for converting coded pictures read by the read unit into a picture signal and supplying the picture signal to a picture signal output arranged for coupling to a picture display device, said picture processing unit comprising:
• means for entering commands to control said read unit and said picture processing unit,
• means, responsive to a first command, for controlling the read unit to read out successively two coded pictures representing said one picture, and converting the two coded pictures to supply respective picture signals having a lower resolution and then a higher resolution, and
• means, responsive to a second command, for reading from the overview file more than one of the further absolutely coded pictures, and for supplying successive picture signals corresponding to said more than one of the further absolutely coded pictures.