JP2006351131A - Data management device, computer program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for reducing user's time and labor when obtained contents are written in a removable medium. <P>SOLUTION: The contents management device 100 includes a recording part 110 for storing data items in a content storage part 108, an attribute storage part 162 for storing the attribute information of the data items, a content management part 160 for selecting a data item to be written in a removable medium 90 in the content storage part 108, and creating a combination table of data items, a message creation part 168 for presenting the data items of a first storage medium and a second recording medium as a writing destination of the data items to the user, and a write part 116 for writing the data items of the content storage part 108 in the removable medium 90 based on the combination table. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a data management apparatus that manages data recorded on a recording medium, and in particular, assists user operations when writing data to an external recording medium and using an external recording medium on which data has been written. The present invention also relates to a data management device that enables effective use of data.

  In recent years, with the digitization of information such as voice and video, high-density electronic information can be obtained from familiar information devices. In particular, recently, information such as video, moving images, still images, and audio, which has been conventionally created in an analog format, is digitized and accumulated and distributed in various places. In this specification, such digital information generally converted into digital data is called content. The content has characteristics such as that it does not deteriorate even when copied, that it can be stored semi-permanently by storing it in an information storage medium, and that it can be easily moved and copied (excellent portability). .

  It is also easy to create such content personally. For example, at present, a high-definition image (in some cases, a video) can be easily captured by a digital camera and stored as digital data. It is also possible to create a moving image by using software that runs on a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”), and to produce content in which video, moving images, still images, audio, and text are combined. Television (hereinafter referred to as “TV”) broadcasting is not only digitized at a broadcasting station, but can also be stored and digitized by an individual.

  Such content is also excellent in portability as described above. For example, it becomes easy to publish content or to provide it to a specific partner by digital broadcasting, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or the like, or communication via an information infrastructure represented by the so-called Internet. Yes. Furthermore, the high functionality of information devices represented by mobile phones and the spread of so-called information home appliances make it easy to obtain content everywhere.

  Thus, since the creation, release, provision, and acquisition of content are facilitated, a large amount of content is available to users. Under such circumstances, it has become easier to obtain the content that the user wants to use by some means. However, most of the users who want to save the contents once obtained at hand.

  Fortunately, at present, information recording apparatuses equipped with a large-capacity information storage medium such as a hard disk have become widespread, and a large amount of content can be centrally stored. However, along with this, the amount of information handled by the user has increased, and it has become difficult to store and store a large amount of information and use it effectively. For example, content is becoming increasingly dense and ubiquitous, and the amount is virtually unlimited. On the other hand, the storage capacity of any recording device is limited.

  Therefore, in order to store the content once obtained without letting go, and to secure a storage area enough to store new content, it has been widely performed to move the content to a removable recording medium. . For example, content selected by the user from content stored on a built-in hard disk is moved to a removable medium such as a DVD and erased from the hard disk. When using the content, the content is read from the DVD and reproduced. In this method, since the user manually selects the content to be moved, the content desired to be saved can be recorded and stored on the removable medium as desired.

  In addition, some recent hard disk recorders automatically erase or deteriorate the contents in the hard disk in order to cope with the tight storage area.

  Furthermore, techniques for improving convenience when using content written on removable media have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technique for facilitating management of content written on a removable medium. The device described in Patent Document 1 is a recording device such as a DVD recorder. When a broadcast program or the like is recorded on a DVD, not only the content of the program but also the content such as program identification information, recording date and time, etc. Record disk management information for management with. Further, when the recording device is equipped with a hard disk, disk management information and disk identification information for identifying the DVD are recorded in the hard disk. With this device, it is possible to manage content information recorded on an external medium and to facilitate content search and the like.

JP 2002-369138 A

  As described above, the storage resources of the hard disk recorder are limited, and it is impossible to store content indefinitely. In order to store new content, it is necessary to erase the stored content and secure a storage area. In the method in which the user manually selects content, moves to a removable medium, and erases from the hard disk, the user must keep track of the usage status of the hard disk, which is cumbersome.

  Removable media is also diversifying. Therefore, when writing to the removable medium, it may be necessary to collate the removable medium with the content. That is, the content to be written and the writing destination must be selected according to the capacity of the removable medium, according to the type of content, or according to the use of the removable medium. In the current situation where a large amount of content is obtained as described above, it is already difficult to select the content to be written and the writing destination. Furthermore, when moving content to removable media, it is necessary to correctly manage which content has been moved to which media. When you want to use the content later, it often happens that you do not know which removable media you moved to.

  If a hard disk recorder that automatically erases or degrades the contents in the hard disk is used, the user may not need to know the usage status of the hard disk. However, if the content is stored in such an apparatus, there is a possibility that the content is already deleted when the user wants to use the content.

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, content written in a removable medium is managed by management information stored in a hard disk. Therefore, it may be easy to use the content after the content is written to the removable medium. However, it does not solve the above-mentioned problems that occur when content is written from a built-in hard disk to removable media.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that reduces the user's trouble when writing content once acquired to a removable medium.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of accurately moving content to a removable medium without violating the user's intention in preparation for tight storage of a built-in storage resource.

  Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that makes it easy to find removable media on which content is recorded.

  A data management apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a data management apparatus for managing recording of data items stored in a predetermined first recording medium on a predetermined second recording medium. The data management device includes a recording unit for storing a plurality of data items in a first recording medium, an attribute information storage unit for storing attribute information of the data items, and a second recording based on the attribute information. To select a data item to be recorded on the medium from among the data items stored in the first recording medium, and to create a combination table representing the data item selected by the selection means A combination table creating means, and a data item in the first recording medium and a second recording medium to which the data item is written based on the combination table in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied, Presenting means for presenting to the user, and writing means for writing the data items stored in the first recording medium to the second recording medium based on the combination table according to an instruction from the user Including.

  The recording means stores a plurality of data items in the first recording medium. The attribute information storage means stores attribute information of the data item. The selecting means selects a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium based on the attribute information. The combination table creating means creates a combination table representing the selected data item. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the presenting means presents the data item and the second recording medium as the writing destination to the user based on the combination table. The user can instruct to write the data item to an appropriate writing destination with reference to the presentation without having to collate the second recording medium and the data item one by one. As a result, the writing unit can appropriately write the data item in the first recording medium to the second recording medium.

  Preferably, the presenting means manages the medium usage status of the first recording medium and determines whether the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the medium usage status, and the predetermined condition by the determination means. Means for presenting the data item in the first recording medium and the second recording medium to which it is written based on the combination table in response to determining that is satisfied.

  If the determination means determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the medium usage status of the first recording medium, the means for presenting presents to the user. That is, the presentation to the user is performed according to the medium usage status of the first recording medium. Even if the user does not grasp the usage status of the first recording medium, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the user can be presented and the user can be instructed to write.

  More preferably, the determination unit includes a free space determination unit for determining whether or not a condition that the free space of the first recording medium falls below a predetermined amount is satisfied.

  When the free capacity of the first recording medium falls below a predetermined amount, presentation is performed to the user by means for presenting. Therefore, it is possible to prompt the user to give an instruction regarding writing to the second recording medium in preparation for the free space of the first recording medium being tight.

  More preferably, the data management device further includes data amount reduction means for performing a predetermined data amount reduction process on the data items in the first recording medium. The determining means manages the medium usage status of the first recording medium, and calculates a predicted value of the free capacity in the first recording medium after processing by the data amount reducing means; Means for determining whether or not a condition of less than a predetermined amount has been satisfied;

  Means for determining the free capacity predicting means by calculating a predicted value of free capacity in the first recording medium after processing by the data amount reducing means among the data items stored in the first recording medium. However, it is possible to determine whether or not to present before actually performing the data amount reduction process. Therefore, before the processing for the data item by the data amount reducing unit is executed, it is possible to perform the presentation based on the user and the writing based on the instruction from the user.

  More preferably, the determination means includes means for determining whether or not writing to the second recording medium by the writing means has become possible.

  When writing to the second recording medium by the writing means becomes possible, the means for presenting presents the user. Therefore, an instruction given by the user regarding writing to the second recording medium can be assisted by presentation.

  More preferably, the determining means includes means for determining whether or not a combination table has been created by the combination table creating means.

  When the combination table is created by the combination table creating means, the presenting means is presented to the user by the presenting means. By this presentation, it is possible to prompt the user to give an instruction regarding writing to the second recording medium in preparation for the free space of the first recording medium being tight.

  The writing means includes a writing instruction receiving means for receiving an input for instructing writing using the combination table and a combination table in response to the writing instruction receiving means receiving the instruction. Means for reading each data item to be read from the first recording medium and writing to the second recording medium.

  The combination table shows data items selected in combinations that can be recorded on the second recording medium. When the writing instruction receiving unit receives an input from the user, the writing unit writes each of the data items indicated by the combination table to the second recording medium. Therefore, even if the user does not select data items to be stored in the second recording medium, the data items are written into the second recording medium in an appropriate combination according to the second recording medium. Moreover, the data item written here is shown by the presentation means, and can assist the user to recognize the data item written in the second recording medium.

  More preferably, the data management device further includes label information creating means for creating label information of the second recording medium to be written by the combination table based on the attribute information, and means for writing Means for printing the label information corresponding to the combination table in response to execution of the writing.

  The label information creating means creates label information of the second recording medium to be written according to the combination table based on the attribute information. That is, label information is created based on the attribute information of the data items shown in the combination table. When writing is performed by the means for writing, the means for printing prints the label information. The printed label information allows the user to manage the second recording medium written by the means for writing in association with the combination table and the data items shown therein.

  The attribute information may include information representing at least one attribute of the date and time when the data item is recorded, the classification, and the title. The label information creating means includes means for creating label information using information representing attributes.

  By creating label information using the date / time, classification, or title attribute at which the data item was recorded, it is possible to create label information that makes it easy for the user to identify the data item.

  Preferably, the data management apparatus further includes medium information creating means for creating medium information for specifying the second recording medium to be written in the combination table, and the medium information corresponding to the combination table and the combination table. The management information creating means for creating the management information of the second recording medium, the management information storage means for storing the management information, and the second recording medium are specified based on the management information Output means for outputting medium information.

  Based on the medium information, it is possible to specify the second recording medium that is the writing destination in the combination table. The data item written to the second recording medium can be specified by the combination table. Therefore, when the management information storage means stores management information including the combination table and medium information corresponding to the combination table, the management information is used to write the data item to be written and the writing based on the combination table. The embedded data item can be managed in association with the second recording medium of the writing destination. The output means outputs the medium information for specifying the second recording medium based on the management information, and by using the output of the medium information, the second recording medium and the data item written therein Can be managed and used.

  More preferably, the output means includes means for searching for a data item written in the second recording medium based on the management information and outputting medium information for specifying the recording medium as a search result.

  The means for outputting searches the write destination of the data item based on the management information, outputs the medium information as the search result, searches the write destination of the data item, and identifies the write destination can do. Therefore, the second recording medium in which a certain data item is written can be specified, and the data item can be easily used.

  More preferably, the medium information creating means includes label information creating means for creating label information of the second recording medium to be written in the combination table based on the attribute information.

  The data management device further includes a data item that satisfies the first condition that the data is recorded on the first recording medium, and that the data management apparatus has been erased from the first recording medium and recorded on the second recording medium. Responding to the user specifying a data item in response to the presentation by the means for presenting the data item satisfying the second condition to the user in a distinguishable manner and the means for presenting in a distinguishable manner Then, according to whether or not the designated data item satisfies the first condition, the designated data item is read from the first recording medium, reproduced and output, and the designated data item is And a means for selectively executing the operation of presenting the medium information of the recorded second recording medium.

  When the user designates a data item that satisfies the first condition, the means for selectively executing reproduces the designated data item in the first recording medium. Therefore, the data items in the first recording medium can be used quickly. On the other hand, when the user designates a data item that satisfies the second condition, the means for selectively executing presents the medium information of the second recording medium. Based on the presentation of the medium information, the second recording medium in which the designated data item is written can be easily specified, and the data item can be easily used.

  The output means outputs the label information created by the label information creation means. Based on the output label information, the second recording medium can be easily identified, and the data item written on the second recording medium can be easily used.

  Preferably, the data management device further includes a data amount reducing unit for performing a predetermined data amount reducing process on a data item already written by the writing unit in the first recording medium.

  Since the data item written by the writing means is stored in the second recording medium, it can be read from the second recording medium and used again as necessary. By performing a predetermined data amount reduction process on such a data item, it is possible to secure a free space in the first recording medium without impairing available data items.

  Preferably, the recording unit includes an acquisition unit for acquiring the data item, a data storage unit for storing the data item acquired by the acquisition unit in the first recording medium, and the data acquired by the acquisition unit. Attribute preparation means for preparing item attribute information and storing it in the attribute storage means. The data management device further includes means for operating the selection means and the combination table creation means so that the combination table is created in response to the attribute information being prepared by the attribute preparation means.

  When the acquisition unit acquires the data item, the data storage unit stores the data item in the first recording medium, so that the free capacity of the first recording medium decreases accordingly. In order to cope with this, the attribute preparation means first prepares attribute information of the data item and stores it in the attribute storage means. Thereby, the selection of the data item based on the attribute information by the selection means becomes possible. Further, in response to the preparation of the attribute information, the selection means and the combination table creation means select data items and create a combination table, respectively. When the presentation unit presents the created combination table, there is a possibility that a data item to be written to the second storage medium is newly designated by the user. Therefore, it is possible to quickly move and copy the data item in the first recording medium to the second recording medium.

  More preferably, the selecting means responds to the fact that the attribute information is prepared by the attribute preparing means, and based on the prepared attribute information, the means for setting the data item selection criteria, and the selection criteria And means for selecting a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium from the data items stored on the first recording medium.

  When the acquisition unit acquires the data item and the attribute preparation unit prepares the attribute information of the data item, the setting unit sets a selection criterion for the data item based on the prepared attribute information. The means for selecting selects data items based on the selection criteria. Therefore, it becomes possible to select a data item according to an appropriate selection criterion according to the data item acquired by the acquisition means.

  Preferably, the data management device further includes medium attribute information storage means for storing medium attribute information including capacity information indicating the capacity of the second recording medium. The attribute information includes data amount information representing the data amount of the data item. The selection means selects a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium from the data items stored in the first recording medium based on the data amount information and capacity information of the data item. Including capacity reference selection means.

  The capacity reference selecting means uses the data amount information and capacity information of the data item to select the data item in a combination based on the capacity of the second recording medium. On the other hand, data items can be selected in a combination that provides an appropriate amount of data. By presenting based on the combination table created based on this selection, even if the user does not check the data amount of the data item one by one, the data item in the second recording medium with the appropriate data amount Can be instructed to write.

  The capacity reference selecting means stores data items to be recorded on the second recording medium in the first recording medium in a combination in which the total data amount of the selected data items is equal to or less than the capacity of the recording medium. Means for selecting from among stored data items may be included.

  Therefore, data items are selected in combinations that fit within the capacity of the second recording medium. By presenting based on the combination table created based on this selection, the data items can be stored in a combination that provides the amount of data that can be stored in the second recording medium without the user having to check the data amount of each data item. Can be instructed to write means.

  The capacity reference selection means is a combination of the ratio of the total data amount of the selected data item to the capacity of the second recording medium that is a value within a predetermined reference range, for recording on the second recording medium. Means for selecting the target data item from the data items stored in the first recording medium may be included.

  Therefore, data items are selected in combinations that fall within an appropriate range for the capacity of the second recording medium. By presenting based on the combination table created based on this selection, the data item can be used without wasting the storage area of the second recording medium even if the user does not check the data amount of the data item. Can be instructed to write means.

  More preferably, the attribute information further includes date and time attribute information indicating the date and time when the data item was recorded, and the capacity reference selecting means uses the data amount information and capacity information of the data item as a reference for the capacity of the second recording medium. The data items to be recorded on the second recording medium are selected from the data items stored in the first recording medium in the order of the date and time represented by the date / time attribute information. Includes means for selecting.

  When the presentation is made based on the combination table created based on the selection by the selection means, the user does not have to check the date and time when the data item was recorded, but the data is recorded on the second recording medium. It becomes possible to instruct the writing means to write the data items in order of date and time. Therefore, it becomes easy to write the data items to the second recording medium in a combination that is easy for the user to understand.

  More preferably, the attribute information further includes classification information representing a classification of the data item, and the selecting means further uses the classification information to select a candidate for selection from the data items recorded on the first recording medium. Including means for collecting. The capacity reference selecting unit includes a unit for selecting a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium from the data items collected by the collecting unit.

  Preferably, the selection means includes a classification means for classifying the data items in the first recording medium based on the attribute information, and a classification selection means for selecting the classification of the processing target from the classification by the classification means; In order to select a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium from the data items belonging to the classification of the processing target selected by the means for selecting from the data items in the first recording medium. Means.

  When presentation is made based on a combination table created based on selection by means for selection, data items are written into the second recording medium by classification even if the user does not confirm the classification of data items one by one. It is possible to instruct the writing means. Therefore, it becomes easy to write the data items to the second recording medium in a combination that is easy for the user to understand.

  The attribute information includes information representing at least one attribute of the data item acquisition route, data item data format, data item public / private type, and data item title, and the classification means is based on the information representing the attribute. Means for classifying the data items in the first recording medium may be included.

  The recording means includes an acquisition means for acquiring the data item, a data storage means for storing the data item acquired by the acquisition means in the first recording medium, and an attribute of the data item acquired by the acquisition means And attribute preparation means for preparing information and storing it in the attribute storage means. The classification selection means includes means for selecting the classification to which the data item belongs as the classification to be processed based on the attribute information of the acquired data item.

  Preferably, the data management device further includes means for accepting input of designation information related to a selection criterion for the data item, and the selection means is responsive to the designation information input based on the designation information and the attribute information. Including designated data item selection means for selecting data items to be recorded on the recording medium from among the data items stored in the first recording medium.

  When the designation information is input, the designation data item selection means selects a data item to be recorded based on the designation information and the attribute information. By making a presentation based on the combination table created based on this selection, the second according to the selection criteria specified by the specification information can be obtained without the user having to collate the second recording medium with the data item. It is possible to instruct the writing means to write to the recording medium.

  More preferably, the designation information includes condition designation information indicating a condition of a data item to be recorded. In response to the input of the condition specifying information, the specified data item selecting means selects the data item to be recorded on the second recording medium based on the condition and attribute information represented by the condition specifying information. Means for selecting from among data items stored in the recording medium are included.

  When the condition designation information is input, the selecting means selects the data item to be recorded based on the condition of the data item to be recorded and the attribute information. By presenting based on the combination table created based on this selection, the condition indicated by the condition designation information can be selected as the selection criterion without the user having to collate the second recording medium with the data item. It is possible to instruct the writing means to write a data item to the second recording medium.

  More preferably, the designation information includes representative designation information that exemplifies typical data items to be recorded. In response to the input of the representative designation information, the designated data item selection means selects the data item to be recorded on the second recording medium based on the attribute of the data item exemplified by the representative designation information and the attribute information. And means for selecting from the data items stored in the first recording medium.

  When the representative designation information is input, the selecting means selects the data item to be recorded based on the attribute of the data item exemplified by the representative designation information and the attribute information. By presenting based on the combination table created based on this selection, the attributes of representative data items can be used as selection criteria without the user having to collate the second recording medium with the data items. The writing means can be instructed to write an appropriate data item to the second recording medium.

  Preferably, the data management device further takes a data item output means for outputting the data item recorded on the first recording medium, a data item output history by the data item output means, and based on the output history Means for preparing attribute information and storing it in the attribute storage means. The selection means includes means for selecting a data item based on the data amount information and output history of the data item.

  When a data item is output and used by the data item output means, attribute information is prepared based on the output history and stored in the attribute storage means. By selecting a data item based on this attribute information, the data item is selected in an appropriate combination according to the usage status of the data item. When the presentation is made based on the combination table created based on the selection by the selection means, the user is instructed to the writing means to the second recording medium without checking the output history one by one. Is possible.

  The data item output means may include means for reproducing and outputting the data item in the first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from the user.

  The selecting means includes means for selecting data items in the first recording medium in a plurality of combinations recordable on the second recording medium based on the attribute information, and the combination table creating means includes selecting means Means for creating a combination table representing the data items selected in accordance with each of a plurality of combinations may be included.

  By selecting data items in a plurality of combinations, it is possible to present an appropriate data item write destination even when data items are written across a plurality of second recording media. Become. In addition, the user can select a favorite combination from a plurality of presented combinations.

  There may be a plurality of types of second recording media, and the data management device further includes means for storing a plurality of pieces of medium attribute information corresponding to the plurality of types of second recording media. The selecting means stores, in the first recording medium, a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium for each of the plurality of types of second recording media based on the attribute information and the plurality of medium attribute information. Means for selecting from among the stored data items;

  Therefore, it is possible to cope with diversification of removable media, create an appropriate combination table for each of a plurality of types of recording media, and present an appropriate writing destination for each content.

  When the computer program according to the second aspect of the present invention is executed by a computer, it causes the computer to operate as any one of the data management devices according to the first aspect of the present invention. Therefore, by executing this computer program on a computer, the operation and effect of the first aspect of the present invention described above can be realized on a computer.

  A recording medium according to the third aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded. The operation and effect of the first aspect of the present invention can be realized by reading and executing the computer program recorded on the recording medium by a computer.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a data item is presented together with a recordable recording medium for the data item. The user can instruct to write the data item to an appropriate writing destination with reference to the presentation without having to collate the second recording medium and the data item one by one. As a result, the data item in the first recording medium can be appropriately written to the second recording medium. In preparation for tightness of the free space of the first recording medium, it is possible to prompt the user to write instructions before the data amount reduction process is executed.

  The writing means can also write the data items indicated by the combination table on the second recording medium. Even if the user does not select the data items to be stored in the second recording medium, the data items are written into the second recording medium in an appropriate combination according to the second recording medium. Furthermore, using the label information, the written second recording medium can be managed in association with the combination table and the data items shown therein.

  Further, the second recording medium that is the writing destination in the combination table can be specified by the medium information. The management information storage means stores the management information including the combination table and the medium information, and the output of the medium information is used by outputting the medium information specifying the second recording medium based on the management information. Thus, the second recording medium and the data items written therein can be managed and used. The write destination of the data item can be searched and the write destination can be identified.

  In addition, by performing a predetermined data amount reduction process on the data items already written in the second recording medium, a free space is secured in the first recording medium without impairing available data items. be able to.

  Selection of data items and creation of a combination table can be performed in accordance with the acquisition of data items, and data items in the first recording medium can be quickly moved and copied to the second recording medium. . At this time, it is possible to select data items based on more appropriate selection criteria.

  In addition, since the data item is selected by using the data amount information and the capacity information of the data item in combination with the capacity of the second recording medium as a reference, the data item is appropriate for the capacity of the second recording medium. Data items can be selected in combination with the amount of data. Therefore, even if the user does not check the data amount of each data item, it is possible to instruct the second recording medium to write the data item in a combination that provides an appropriate data amount.

  Even if the user does not categorize the data items one by one, it is possible to instruct the writing means to write the data items according to the classification to the second recording medium. It becomes easy to write the item to the second recording medium. In addition, data items can be selected and presented in an appropriate combination according to the usage status of the data items or designation by the user. The user can give an instruction without checking the output history one by one. Corresponding to the diversification of removable media, an appropriate combination table can be created for each of a plurality of types of recording media, and an appropriate writing destination can be presented for each content.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the operation and effect of the first aspect of the present invention described above can be realized by a computer.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the operation and effect of the first aspect of the present invention can be realized by reading and executing a computer program recorded on a recording medium by a computer.

[First Embodiment]
<Overview>
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used for the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

  In addition, the term “content” refers to all electronic information converted into digital data in this specification, and in particular, regardless of the source, video, images, and images including electronically playable video and audio, and The data includes information that can be viewed, reproduced, and used by the user by using electronic means such as voice, but may be data that the user cannot view.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the entire system according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, a system 50 according to the present embodiment includes an external device 62 that is a content provider, a display device 64 that receives a content reproduction signal and displays video and audio, and image information. Receiving and printing to the printing device 66, the external device 62, the display device 64, and the printing device 66, the content is acquired from the external device 62, and the removable medium 90 capable of storing, reproducing, and writing the content. And a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as “remote controller”) 60 that receives an instruction operation of the user to the content management apparatus 100 and generates an operation signal corresponding to the instruction. Including.

  The external device 62 inputs content to the content management device 100 via a network communication device 72 that transmits content to the content management device 100 via a network 70 such as the so-called Internet and a direct wireless communication path 74. An input device 76, an antenna 78 for receiving a broadcast signal and supplying it to the content management apparatus 100, and a removable medium in which content is written in a format that can be read by the content management apparatus 100 (hereinafter referred to as "removable medium" It may be referred to as “written removable media”). Specifically, the removable media 80 and 90 are a DVD, a CD (Compact Disc), an FD (Flexible Disk), or the like.

  The content management apparatus 100 has a function of storing the content attributes together with the content and managing the content based on the content attributes. Further, the content management apparatus 100 has a function of notifying the user via the display device 64 for assisting an instruction operation. That is, content to be written to the removable medium 90 is selected in advance, and the selected content and the removable medium 90 to be written into the content are associated with each other and notified to the user. When reading and reproducing the content from the written removable medium 80, the written removable medium 80 in which the content to be reproduced is written is searched and notified. In this specification, these notifications are collectively referred to as “user notification”. The content management apparatus 100 further has a function of creating a print image of the label of the removable medium 90 and outputting it to the printing apparatus 66. The label information is also used when performing user notification.

  The content management apparatus 100 further performs a function of erasing content from the storage area in the content management apparatus 100 to secure the storage area and writing by performing user notification in preparation for the storage area in the content management apparatus 100 being tight. And a function for prompting the user to write content to the removable medium 90.

<Configuration>
FIG. 2 shows a functional configuration of the content management apparatus 100 in a block diagram form. Referring to FIG. 2, content management apparatus 100 includes an operation input unit 102 for receiving an operation signal from remote controller 60 shown in FIG. 1, external device 62 and removable medium 90 shown in FIG. In accordance with an operation signal given via an interface 106 for mediating transfer of content between the content, a content storage unit 108 for storing content, and an operation input unit 102, the content and its A recording unit 110 for acquiring information related to attributes and storing it in the content storage unit 108; a playback unit 112 for acquiring and playing back content from within the content storage unit 108 or from the external device 62 via the interface 106; Between the unit 112 and the display device 64 (see FIG. 1). An output unit 114 for mediating transfer of the playback signal of the content, a writing unit 116 for reading the content in the storage unit 108 and writing to the removable medium 90 via the interface 106, and the operation input unit 102 In accordance with the operation signal, the reproduction unit 112, the writing unit 116, and the content processing unit 118 are controlled, and the content and writing by the content and writing unit 116 are performed using the content attributes and the control result acquired by the recording unit 110. A content management unit 160 for managing the removable media 80 and 90 that are the targets of the content management, a content processing unit 118 for erasing content in the storage unit 108, and a content management unit under the control of the content management unit 160 According to control by 160, a message for user notification And a message creation unit 168 for output to the display device 84 via the output unit 114, a content management unit 160, and a predetermined printing device 66. The label of the removable medium 90 is controlled by the content management unit 160. A label image output unit 170 for outputting the print image to the printing device 66.

  The content management apparatus 100 further includes the following functional units for storing information used by the content management unit 160 and management of the removable media 80 and 90. That is, the relationship between the attribute storage unit 162 for storing the attribute of the content under the management of the content management unit 160 and the attribute information indicating the current state, the removable media 80 and 90 under the management of the content management apparatus 100, and the content And a media type storage unit 166 for storing a media type list that represents the relationship between the type of removable media 90 and its capacity. Details of the attribute information, the save list, and the media type list will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  The interface 106 includes a communication unit 140 for receiving content input by performing communication between the network communication device 72 and the input device 76, and a content reception unit for receiving broadcast program content via the antenna 78. 142, the written removable medium 80 (see FIG. 1) and the removable medium 90 are driven, the content written in the removable medium 80 is read, and the content given from the writing unit 116 to the removable medium 90 is written. Media drive 144 for performing recording.

  The recording unit 110 has a function of acquiring various types of information regarding the acquired content attributes and issuing an acquisition completion notification to the content management unit 160 when the acquisition and storage of the content are completed.

  The acquisition completion notification includes a content ID for uniquely identifying the content, information indicating a situation at the time of acquisition, and various types of information regarding other content attributes. The information indicating the situation at the time of acquisition includes, for example, information on the content acquisition location, the content type, the date and time when the content was recorded, the user who instructed recording, the recording mode, and the file size of the content. Various pieces of information related to the content attributes include, for example, information on the title of the content, the source, and the data format. When the content is a content of a broadcast program, such information can be obtained from a program guide provided by an existing program information service or the like. Hereinafter, this information is referred to as “attribute information at the time of acquisition”.

  The content acquired by the recording unit 110 is roughly classified into two types from the viewpoint of the content owner. The first type of content is content that is disclosed and managed by a person other than the user. The second type of content is content that is personally created and managed by the user. In the present specification, the former content is called “public content” and the latter content is called “private content”. For example, content distributed on the Internet and supplied via the network 70, public broadcast and private broadcast content supplied by the antenna 78, and the written removable media 80 are distributed. All commercially available contents correspond to public contents. On the other hand, for example, content captured by an imaging device such as a digital camera or a camcorder owned by the user corresponds to private content. Content is also classified by content type, title, and the like.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of attribute information at the time of acquisition acquired by the recording unit 110 (see FIG. 2). Referring to FIG. 4, the attribute information 240 at the time of acquisition is information on program guidance regarding the broadcast content by the existing program information service or the like. A content ID for identifying the content is assigned to the attribute information 240 at the time of acquisition. The attribute information 240 at the time of acquisition further includes a program type indicating the type of program, a program image quality, a broadcast channel, a program ID, a program number (NO) indicating the number of broadcasts of the program, a title, and a subtitle. , Keywords, performers, and program introduction (contents). The program type refers to, for example, distinction between serial drama, news, documentary, and the like. It is assumed that all of these information can be obtained from the program guide. The attribute information 240 at the time of acquisition may be information that is transmitted together with a broadcast signal and described in BML (Broadcast Markup Language) or the like. Alternatively, the information may be provided so as to be appropriately available by a server such as a broadcasting station.

  The writing unit 116 has a function of detecting that the removable medium 90 is loaded in the media drive 144 and notifying the content management unit 160 of the type of the removable medium 90.

  FIG. 3 shows a functional configuration of the content management unit 160 in a block diagram format. Referring to FIG. 3, content management unit 160 creates attribute information of the content based on the content acquisition completion notification from recording unit 110 and stores the attribute information in attribute storage unit 162. In response to the attribute information received from the attribute information editing unit 200, the content is selected based on the attribute information and the media type list in the media type storage unit 166 in a combination that provides an appropriate data amount for the capacity of the removable medium 90. , A save list creating unit 202 for creating a save list representing the relationship between the selected content and the removable medium 90 and storing it in the save list storage unit 164; and an attribute storage in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied Attribute information and save list used for user notification are read from the unit 162 and save list storage unit 164, respectively. The user notification processing unit 204 to be given to the message creation unit 168 and the content to be written to the removable medium 90 are read by the operation signal from the operation input unit 102 (see FIG. 2) and stored by the user notification processing unit 204. A write processing unit 206 for specifying information based on the list and giving information specifying the content to the writing unit 116, and a data amount of content that can be stored in the content storage unit 108 using the content attribute information According to the operation signal from the operation input unit 102 and the free capacity monitoring unit 208 for monitoring and determining how to deal with the tightness of the free space and controlling the content processing by the content processing unit 118 Search content based on content attribute information and save list, control and user for content playback A notification request to the reproduction unit 112 and a user notification processing section 204 and a reproduction target determining unit 210.

  The save list creation unit 202 has a function of selecting content such that content having similar attributes is written to the removable medium 90. In order to select content with similar attributes, the save list creation unit 202 determines the classification of the content to be processed based on the given content attribute information, and collects the content to be processed based on the classification. Do. In addition, the content is selected based on the classification and the media type list so that an appropriate amount of content can be written. The saved list creation unit 202 further has a function of notifying the attribute information editing unit 200 and the user notification processing unit 204 that a saved list has been created. The content collection based on the content classification will be described later.

  The user notification processing unit 204 creates a message in the message creation unit 168 in response to a request from any of the save list creation unit 202, the write processing unit 206, the free space monitoring unit 208, and the reproduction target determination unit 210. And a function of giving the read storage list to the write processing unit 206.

  The write processing unit 206 responds to an operation signal from the operation input unit 102 (see FIG. 2) or responds to a notification from the writing unit 116 that the loading of the removable medium 90 is detected. The user notification processing unit 204 has a function of requesting user notification. The writing processing unit 206 receives the save list from the user notification processing unit 204, and in accordance with an operation signal, specifies a content for the writing unit 116 based on the save list, and completes writing of the specified content. And a function of notifying the attribute information editing unit 200.

  The attribute information editing unit 200 includes a storage list creation unit 202, a write processing unit 206, a free space monitoring unit 208, and a reproduction target determination unit 210, which creates a storage list, writes content, and deletes content. The function has a function of receiving the notification regarding reproduction and changing the attribute information in the attribute storage unit 162 based on the notification.

<Attribute information>
5 and 6 show examples of attribute information created by the attribute information editing unit 200. FIG. The attribute information 260 shown in FIG. 5 is attribute information of public content created based on an acquisition completion notification including attribute information 240 (see FIG. 4) at the time of acquisition. On the other hand, the attribute information 320 shown in FIG. 6 is attribute information of private contents.

  Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, attribute information 260 (320) includes content ID 262, content acquisition location 264, and the following information representing the content classification. That is, the content type 266, the recording date and time 268 indicating the date and time when the content was recorded, the recording user 270 instructed to acquire the content, the content recording mode 272, the content file size 274, and the content recording location And the like, a content title 278, and a user comment 280. The values of these items 262 to 280 are set by the attribute information editing unit 200 based on the attribute information at the time of acquisition. The values of these items are set for each content based on the acquisition completion notification from the recording unit 110. In the public content attribute information 260, the value of the type 266 is a predetermined value representing any one of a broadcast program, a content published via a network, and a content stored in a publicly distributed removable medium 80. is there. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the value of the type 266 is a value representing a broadcast program. In the private content attribute information 320 shown in FIG. 6, the type 266 is a predetermined value (private video) indicating private content.

  The attribute information 260 (320) further includes a higher classification 304 and a lower classification 306 of the content. The upper classification is a predetermined value indicating whether the content is public content or private content. The value of the upper classification 304 is set based on the value of the attribute information type 266. The value of the lower classification 306 is set to a value representing the program attribute or content type. For example, the value of the lower classification 306 for the public content is set to a predetermined value representing the program attribute. Further, for example, the value of the lower classification 306 for private content is set to a value representing the type of content based on the values of the acquisition source 264, the recording mode 272, and the like.

  The attribute information 260 (320) further includes the number of viewing times 282 of the content. When the attribute information 260 (320) is created, the value of this item is set to a predetermined value indicating that the item has not been viewed as shown in FIG. When the content is played, based on the notification from the playback target determination unit 210 (see FIG. 3), the content is changed to a numerical value representing the number of times of playback as shown in FIG.

  The attribute information 260 (320) further includes information on the following items relating to processing for content. That is, a save list flag 284 indicating whether or not the content has been registered in the save list, and whether or not the content can be deleted from the content storage unit 108 after the writing to the removable medium is completed. And an automatic erasure flag 288 indicating whether or not the content can be deleted from the content storage unit 108 when writing to the removable medium 90 is not completed. And a storage necessity flag 290 indicating whether or not the content is to be written to the removable medium.

  The value of the save list flag 284 is set to a predetermined value indicating that it is not registered when the attribute information 260 (320) is created, and registered based on the notification from the save list creation unit 202 (see FIG. 3). It is changed to a predetermined value representing that.

  The values of the automatic erasure flag 286 when saved and the automatic erasure flag 288 when not saved are a predetermined value indicating that erasure may be performed (hereinafter referred to as “OK”) and a predetermined value indicating that erasure should not be performed. One of the values (hereinafter referred to as “NG”). It is set to OK when the attribute information 260 (320) is created, and is changed according to an instruction operation by the user. Moreover, it can set so that these values may be determined by a predetermined conditional expression. For example, the value of the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 in the attribute information 260 shown in FIG. 5 is set to be determined by a conditional expression using the value of the number of views 280 as a variable. In this conditional expression, when the value of the viewing count 280 is 0 or 2 or more, the value of the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 is NG. That is, it indicates that the content can be erased from the content storage unit 108 even if the content has not been written to the removable medium 90 only when the content has been reproduced only once.

  The value of the storage necessity flag 290 is set in accordance with an instruction from the user, similarly to the values of the automatic deletion flag 286 when saved and the automatic deletion flag 288 when not saved. When the attribute information 260 (320) is created, the attribute information 260 (320) is set to a predetermined value indicating that writing to the removable medium is necessary, and is changed to a predetermined value indicating that writing is not required according to an instruction operation by the user. The

  The attribute information 260 (320) further includes information on the following items relating to the writing of content to removable media. That is, the storage flag 292 indicating whether or not the writing of the content to the removable medium has been executed, the external output date and time 294 indicating the date and time when the writing is completed, and the recording mode of the content in the writing destination removable medium are indicated. It includes an external output mode 296, an external output user 298 instructed to write the content, and an external output ID 300 for identifying the removable medium on which the content is to be written or the content has been written.

  The value of the save flag 292 is set to a predetermined value (unsaved) indicating that writing has not been completed when the attribute information 260 (320) is created, and the value from the save list creation unit 202 (see FIG. 3) is set. Based on the notification, the value is changed to a predetermined value (saved) indicating that it has been registered. The values of the external output date / time 294, the external output mode 296, and the external output user 298 are set based on a notification from the writing processing unit 206. The value of the external output ID 300 is an identification number of the volume of the removable medium 80 or 90 specified by the save list. This value is set based on a notification from the save list creation unit 202 when the save list is created by the save list creation unit 202. The volume identification number will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The attribute information 260 (320) further includes an erasure flag 302 indicating whether or not the content has been erased from the content storage unit 108 shown in FIG.

<Media type list>
FIG. 7 shows an example of a media type list stored in the media type storage unit 166. Referring to FIG. 7, media type list 340 includes entries 350 </ b> A,..., 350 </ b> N for each type of removable media 90 that can be written by media drive 144. Each of the entries 350A,..., 350N includes a media type 342 that indicates the type of the removable medium 90 and a capacity 344 that indicates the amount of data that can be stored in the removable medium. Of the entries 350A,..., 350N, the entries 350A to 350E are entries representing removable media (raw media) 90 in which nothing is written. In these entries, the value of the media type 342 is a value indicating a general name of the removable medium, and the value of the capacity 344 is a general capacity of the type of media. On the other hand, each of the entries 350F to 350N is an entry that represents a removable medium in which content is written by the content management apparatus 100 and that can be additionally written. In these entries, the value of the media type 342 is the volume identification number in the save list. The value of the capacity 344 is a capacity that can be additionally recorded on the removable medium.

<Save list>
FIG. 8 shows an example of information stored in the save list storage unit 164. Referring to FIG. 8, information 360 stored in save list storage unit 164 includes a plurality of save lists 362A,. Each of the save lists 362A,..., 362D includes a volume ID 364 for identifying the removable medium 90, label information 366 attached to the removable medium in which the contents of the volume are written, and content contents corresponding to the volume. Based on the correspondence shown by the ID list 368, the save list 362A,... 362D, an output 370 indicating whether or not content has been written to the removable medium, and a removable medium usage rate 372 including. The usage rate 372 represents the ratio of the total data amount of the content listed in the content ID item to the data amount that can be stored in the removable medium corresponding to the save list.

  The value of the volume ID 364 is given to the save list 362A, ..., 362D by the save list creation unit 202. After the writing based on the save list is actually performed, the written removable medium 80 is managed by the volume ID 364. The label 366 stores information constituting the label image. This information includes a date, a title, a comment, and a volume ID. This information is created by the save list creation unit 202 based on the content attribute information listed in the content ID 368 (see FIG. 5 or 6), and when the writing processing unit 206 requests label printing, and This is used when the save list notification unit 204 notifies the save list. The value of the output 370 is set based on the notification from the write processing unit 206.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a message created by the message creation unit 168. Referring to FIG. 9, message 380 created here is a message in the form of a list of contents listed in save list 360. Message 380 includes a plurality of entries for each content. Each entry includes a recording date and time (year / month / day) 382, an upper classification 384 and a lower classification 386, a title 388, a file size 390, and an output 392 representing the volume ID of the saved list in which the contents are listed. In the message 380 shown in FIG. 9, the entries are listed in order of the recording date and time of the content. The display order of the entries is changed as appropriate according to the user's instruction, such as classification order, title order, size order, and the like.

  In the message 380, there is an entry in which the value of each item is written in italics. The content corresponding to these entries indicates that the content has already been written to the removable medium 90 and has been deleted from the content storage unit 108 by the content processing unit 118. In this way, the content stored in the content storage unit 108 and the content that has been written to the removable medium 90 and has been deleted from the content storage unit 108 are displayed in a distinguishable manner.

<Realization by computer>
The content management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, except for a special apparatus such as a broadcast receiving tuner, is similar to general computer hardware and a computer program (hereinafter simply referred to as computer program) executed by the computer hardware. And “data” stored in computer hardware.

  FIG. 10 shows an internal configuration of a computer that implements the functions of the content management apparatus 100. Referring to FIG. 10, this computer 400 includes an input device 402 that receives an input from remote control 60, a network connection circuit 404 for providing connection to network 70, and a broadcast receiving tuner connected to antenna 78. 406, a content input / output device 408 for realizing data input / output with respect to the removable media 80 and 90, and an output device 410 connected to the display device 64. The computer further includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 412, an input device 402, a network connection circuit 404, a broadcast receiving tuner 406, a content input / output device 408, an output device 410, and a bus 414 connected to the CPU 412. A memory 416 for storing a bootup program, a program command, a system program, work data, and the like, a data file for forming the program command, the system program, and content, attribute information, a save list, and the like. A non-volatile memory 418 such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and a printer connection circuit 420 connected to the bus 414 and the printing device 66.

  A program for causing the computer to realize the function of the content management apparatus 60 is stored in the nonvolatile memory 418 in advance. Alternatively, it may be stored in the removable medium 80 inserted into the content input / output device 408 and further transferred to the nonvolatile memory 418. Alternatively, the program may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 418 via the network 70 and the network connection circuit 404. The program is loaded into the memory 416 during execution. The program may be loaded into the memory 416 directly from the removable medium 80 or via the network 70.

  This program includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer to realize the functions of content management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. Some of the basic functions necessary to implement these functions are provided by operating system (OS) or third party programs running on the computer, or modules of various toolkits installed on the computer. Therefore, this program does not necessarily include all functions necessary for realizing the system and method of this embodiment. This program includes only instructions for realizing the functions of the content management apparatus 100 described above by calling appropriate functions or “tools” in a controlled manner so as to obtain a desired result. Just go out. The operation of the computer is well known and will not be repeated here.

  Hereinafter, a control structure of a program for realizing the content management apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the control structure of a program for creating a save list for one type of removable medium 90. Referring to FIG. 11, this program is automatically recorded when content is newly recorded in content management apparatus 100 by acquisition from external device 62 (see FIG. 1) and attribute information corresponding to the content is stored. It is activated. When this program is started, in step 442, the content is classified into the same classification as the content based on the type 266, title 278, upper classification 304, and lower classification 306 in the attribute information 260 (320) of the newly recorded content. The attribute information of the content that belongs and the value of the save flag 292 is “unsaved” is collected. The content corresponding to the attribute information collected at this time is a candidate for the content to be saved. In step 444, the collected attribute information 260 (320) is sorted in ascending order of the recording date and time 268.

  In step 446, based on the collected and sorted attribute information, the content with the oldest recording date and time 268 is selected and processed in a temporary storage list for processing (hereinafter, this storage list is referred to as a “temporary list”). Add That is, the processing target content ID is stored in the content ID item of the temporary list, and the value of the processing target file size attribute is added to the value of the total data amount.

  In step 448, the file size of the next oldest content to be processed among the candidates and the sum of the total data amount at that time are compared with the capacity 344 of the removable medium 90 (see FIG. 7). Next, if the sum of the file size of the old content and the total data amount at that time exceeds the capacity of one removable medium 90, the process proceeds to step 450. If it is less than the capacity of the removable medium, the process proceeds to step 452.

  In step 450, the temporary list at that time is registered as a saved list. That is, the usage rate 372 is calculated based on the total data amount and the capacity 344, and information on the new volume ID 364 and label 366 is created, and the save list 362 is created and stored.

  In step 452, it is determined whether there is content that is not a processing target in step 446 among candidate contents. If there is unprocessed content that is not a processing target, the process returns to step 446. If there is no unprocessed content, the process proceeds to step 454. In step 454, the temporary list at that time is discarded, and the process proceeds to step 460.

  In step 460, it is determined whether one or more new save lists have been registered. If a new save list is registered, the process proceeds to step 462, a message is created based on the save list and the attribute information, and the message is displayed to notify the user and the process ends. Otherwise, the process ends.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a control structure of a program for writing content to the removable medium 90 using the save list. Referring to FIG. 12, this program is activated in response to an operation signal being issued in response to an operation for designating a save list by the user. Referring to FIG. 12, when this program is activated, in step 472, the designated save list is specified based on the operation signal, and the content IDs listed in the save list among the contents held inside are specified. Reads and writes to the removable medium 90. In this step, a label image is created and output to the printing device 66 (see FIG. 1).

  In step 474, the output 370 (see FIG. 8) of the save list used in the processing in step 472 is changed to “done”, and in each of the attribute information corresponding to the content IDs listed in the save list, The value of the save flag 292 (see FIG. 5 or 6) is changed to “saved”, and the process ends.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a control structure of a program for monitoring the free space and erasing contents. Referring to FIG. 13, when this program is started, it is determined in step 480 whether or not removable medium 90 is loaded. If loading is detected, go to step 486. Otherwise, go to 482. In step 482, it is determined whether or not the content storage area is tight. In this program, the determination is made based on whether or not the free space in the content storage area is 10% or less of the entire storage area. If the free area is 10% or less, the process proceeds to step 484. Otherwise, return to step 480.

  In step 484, it is determined whether or not the storage area can be avoided by releasing the erasable content from the storage area. In this case, content whose erasure flag 302 (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 6) has not been erased is targeted for determination. Among the determination targets, content that satisfies the condition that the value of the attribute information automatic deletion flag 286 is OK and the value of the storage flag 292 has been stored is regarded as erasable content. It is determined whether or not the total of the file size and the free area of the content satisfying the condition is 10% or more of the entire storage area. If it is 10% or more, the process proceeds to step 488. Otherwise, go to step 486. In step 486, the user is notified of the saved list and the program ends. In step 488, the content is deleted with the goal of 15% or more of the free space. That is, first, contents satisfying the condition in step 484 are deleted in order from the oldest recording date and time. When the goal is achieved, the program ends. When all the contents satisfying the condition in step 484 are erased without achieving the target, the contents whose unsaved automatic erase flag 288 is OK are erased in order from the oldest recording date and time. When the goal is achieved, the program ends. Alternatively, when all contents whose OK value in the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 is OK are deleted, the program is terminated.

<Operation>
Content management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment operates as follows.

-Acquisition and recording of content First, the operation when the content management apparatus 100 newly records content will be described. The content management apparatus 100 starts a series of operations related to content acquisition and recording when any of the following three conditions is satisfied. That is,
(1) Whether the user has designated the location of the content by operating the remote controller 60 shown in FIG.
(2) A signal for requesting content recording is given to the content management apparatus 100 from the network communication device 72 or the input device 76 shown in FIG.
(3) Whether the media drive 144 detects that the written removable media 80 is loaded in the media drive 144 (see FIG. 2) of the content management apparatus 100,
These are the three conditions.

  When the first condition is satisfied, the operation input unit 102 illustrated in FIG. 2 receives the operation signal from the remote controller 60 and determines the content of the instruction from the user based on the operation signal. When it is determined that the instruction content is a request for content acquisition, the operation input unit 102 gives the operation signal to the recording unit 110. The recording unit 110 starts operations related to acquisition and recording in accordance with a given operation signal.

  When the second condition is satisfied, the input device 76 shown in FIG. 1 can communicate with the content management apparatus 100 via the communication unit 140 shown in FIG. A signal from the input device 76 is received by the recording unit 110 via the communication unit 140 illustrated in FIG. 2, and the recording unit 110 starts operations related to content acquisition and recording in response to the signal.

  When the third condition is satisfied, a signal indicating loading of the written removable medium 80 is given from the media drive 144 to the recording unit 110. In response to this signal, the recording unit 110 starts operations related to content acquisition and recording.

  In the content acquisition and recording operation, the recording unit 110 first specifies a content acquisition source. For example, when the content is a broadcast program, a broadcast channel is selected from receivable broadcast channels based on an instruction from the user, and the broadcast time of the program is specified. When the content is from the network communication device 72, the address of the content in the network 70 is specified based on an instruction from the user or by communicating with the network communication device 72 via the communication unit 140. If the content is from the input device 76, the input device 76 is identified by communicating with the input device 76 via the communication unit 140.

  The recording unit 110 acquires content from the specified acquisition source using the interface 106, assigns a content ID to the acquired content, and stores the acquired content in the content storage unit 108.

  At this time, the recording unit 110 identifies the file size, recording date and time, and type of the content. At this time, the recording unit 110 acquires information about attributes such as the title of the content, the acquisition source, and the data format of the content, and sets the acquired attribute information. For example, program guide information 240 (see FIG. 4) is acquired from a program information service or the like and used as attribute information at the time of acquisition. The recording unit 110 further acquires information indicated by the recording user. When operating in accordance with a user instruction using the remote controller 60, the user inputs a user name or the like using the remote controller 60. The recording unit 110 acquires information as a recording user based on the operation signal. When acquiring content from the input device 76, information representing the user is acquired from the input device 76.

  When the acquisition and storage of the content is completed, the recording unit 110 combines information such as the content ID, the attribute information at the time of acquisition, the content acquisition location, the type, the recording date and time, the recording user, the recording mode, and the content file size. The acquisition completion notification is created and given to the content management unit 160.

  Referring to FIG. 3, in response to receiving the acquisition completion notification from recording unit 110, attribute information editing unit 200 starts creating attribute information 260 (320) (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 6). The content management unit 160 first includes a content ID 262, a content acquisition location 264, a recording date and time 268, a recording user 270, a recording mode 272, a file size 274, a location 276, a content title 278, and a comment 280 in the attribute information 260 (320). Is set for each content based on the acquisition completion notification.

  Further, the attribute information editing unit 200 specifies the content type 266 based on the acquisition completion notification. This type depends on where the content is obtained. For example, if the content is acquired from a broadcast channel, a commercially available DVD, a CD-ROM, a server that publishes the content on the Internet, the content is a public content. In this case, the attribute information editing unit 200 specifies whether the public content is a broadcast program, content published on the Internet, or content stored in the publicly distributed removable medium 80, A value of type 266 is set according to the result. If the content source is supplied from the input device 76 shown in FIG. 1, the content is private content. In this case, the attribute information editing unit 200 further sets the value of the type 266 with reference to the recording mode indicated by the acquisition completion notification. The attribute information editing unit 200 further sets the values of the upper classification 304 and the lower classification 306 based on the value of the type 266 set as described above and the attribute information 240 at the time of acquisition.

  In addition to the above items of the attribute information, the attribute information editing unit 200 includes content viewing times 282, a save list flag 284, a saved automatic deletion flag 286, an unsaved automatic deletion flag 288, a storage necessity flag 290, Each item of the storage flag 292 is provided in the attribute information, and an initial value of each item is set. At this time, the values of the saved automatic deletion flag 286 and the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 are set to OK. The value of the storage necessity flag 290 is set to a predetermined value indicating that writing to the removable medium is necessary. The value of the save flag 292 is set as unsaved.

  The attribute information editing unit 200 further creates attribute information 260 (320) including the items of the external output date / time 294, the external output mode 296, the external output user 298, and the external output ID 300. However, the values of these items are not set at this point. The attribute information editing unit 200 stores the created attribute information 260 (320) in the attribute storage unit 162 and provides the attribute information to the save list creation unit 202.

  In response to receiving the attribute information 260 (320) from the attribute information editing unit 200, the save list creating unit 202 starts creating a save list.

  When the creation of the saved list is started, the saved list creating unit 202 performs the following processing for all media types 342 listed in the media type list 340 (see FIG. 7).

  First, the save list creation unit 202 sets the classification of the content to be processed based on the given attribute information 260 (320). For example, the value of the type 266 and the value of the title 278 of the given attribute information 260 (320) are set as the classification of the content to be processed.

  Subsequently, the save list creation unit 202 collects attribute information of contents belonging to the same category from the attribute storage unit 162. That is, the type 266 value and the title 278 value are attribute information of the same content, and the storage flag value “unsaved” is read. Content corresponding to the collected attribute information is a candidate for content to be stored.

  The save list creation unit 202 sorts the collected attribute information 260 (320) in ascending order of the recording date and time 268. By this sorting, the contents can be specified in the order from the oldest recording date.

  Subsequently, the save list creation unit 202 prepares a temporary list and lists the content IDs of content candidates to be saved in the temporary list in order from the oldest recording date and time. At this time, referring to the value of the file size 274 of the attribute information, the total file size of the listed contents is calculated. Then, refer to the file size of the candidate to be processed next to the candidate added to the temporary list at the end, and if the sum of the total capacity and the file size exceeds the capacity, the enumeration is stopped and Register the temporary list in as a saved list. That is, the usage rate 372 is calculated based on the total file size and the capacity 344 (see FIG. 7), and a new volume ID 364 and label 366 are created to create a save list 362. Further, the created save list is stored in the save list storage unit 164.

  When this process is completed, a temporary list is newly prepared, and enumeration in the temporary list is resumed in order from the candidate at the time when the enumeration was stopped. This is repeated until all candidates are listed. If a temporary list remains when all candidates are listed in the temporary list, the temporary list is discarded without being registered.

  When the above processing is completed and the save list creation unit 202 stores one or more save lists in the save list storage unit 164, the save list creation unit 202 sets the content IDs listed in the newly created save list as attribute information. This is given to the editing unit 200 and a change of attribute information is requested. The saved list creation unit 202 further requests the user notification processing unit 204 for user notification.

  Based on the content ID given from the save list creation unit 202, the attribute information editing unit 200 reads the attribute information of the content in the save list from the attribute storage unit 162. If the value of the storage list flag 284 of the read attribute information is “unregistered”, the value of the item is changed to “registered”. Also, the value of the external output ID 300 is set to the volume ID in the save list. The attribute information editing unit 200 re-stores the changed attribute information in the attribute storage unit 162.

User notification The content management apparatus 100 performs a user notification of the save list as follows.

Save list user notifications
(1) When a new save list is registered,
(2) When the removable medium 90 is loaded in the media drive 144, and (3) When the storage capacity of the content storage unit 108 shown in FIG.
It is executed in either case.

  In the case of (1), the saving list creation unit 202 requests the attribute information editing unit 200 to change the attribute information and requests the user notification processing unit 204 to notify the user of the saving list.

  In the case of (2), when the writing unit 116 shown in FIG. 2 detects that the removable medium 90 is loaded in the media drive 144, the writing unit 116 notifies the writing processing unit 206 (see FIG. 3) of the content management unit 160. give. In response to the notification from the writing unit 116, the writing processing unit 206 requests the user notification processing unit 204 to notify the user of the saved list.

  In the case of (3), the free space monitoring unit 208 detects the tightness of the free space and requests the user notification processing unit 204 for a user notification of the save list. The operation of the free space monitoring unit 208 will be described later.

  The user notification processing unit 204 responds to a request from any one of the save list creation unit 202, the write processing unit 206, and the free capacity monitoring unit 208, and the volume of the save list 360 stored in the save list storage unit 164. Among them, volumes 362B,..., 362D whose output attribute value is set to “not yet” are read. Further, the user notification processing unit 204 reads the attribute information of the content listed in the save list from the attribute storage unit 162 with reference to the content ID 368 of the save list 362B,. The user notification processing unit 204 selects information used as a user notification. For example, each content type 266, recording date and time 268, file size 274, and title 278 are selected. The user notification processing unit 204 gives the values of these selected items for each content together with their volume IDs 364 to the message creation unit 168 (see FIG. 2), and requests creation of a message.

  The message creation unit 168 creates a user notification 380 (see FIG. 9) based on the given information, and gives it to the output unit 114 for each volume ID. The output unit 114 outputs the given message to the display device 64, and the display device 64 (see FIG. 1) displays the message. The save list 360 shown in FIG. 8 may be displayed and selected as it is, except for volumes whose output attribute value is set to “not yet”.

Writing Content to Removable Media Hereinafter, an operation in which the content management apparatus 100 writes content to the removable media 90 will be described. When the user views the user notification 380 (see FIG. 9) displayed on the display device 64 (see FIG. 1) and performs an operation of designating the volume ID using the remote controller 60, the remote controller 60 performs an operation corresponding to the operation. Send a signal. When the operation input unit 102 shown in FIG. 2 receives this operation signal, the operation signal is given to the writing processing unit 206 (see FIG. 3). In response to the operation signal, the write processing unit 206 requests the user notification processing unit 204 for a storage list of volume IDs designated by the user. The user notification processing unit 204 selects the one designated by the user from the saved list read out for user notification, and gives it to the writing processing unit 206.

  The writing processing unit 206 gives the content ID listed in the content ID item of the save list to the writing unit 116 and requests writing of the content with the content ID to the removable medium 90. The writing unit 116 shown in FIG. 2 reads the content assigned with the given content ID from the content storage unit 108 in accordance with the request from the writing processing unit 206, and the removable medium 90 via the media drive 144. Write to.

  At this time, if necessary, the writing unit 116, the writing processing unit 206, the user notification processing unit 204, and the message creation unit 168 can execute content writing based on the save list. The message is created and displayed to the user so that For example, when a removable medium is not loaded in the media drive 144, and when a removable media of a different media type is loaded in the media drive 144, the writing unit 116 detects it, and the writing processing unit 206 detects the removal medium. Give the detection result. In response to this detection result, the writing processing unit 206 requests the user notification processing unit 204 for user notification. The user notification processing unit 204 specifies a removable medium to be loaded based on the volume ID of the save list given to the writing processing unit 206. The user notification processing unit 204 gives information about the specified removable media to the message creation unit 168. The message creation unit 168 creates a user notification that prompts the user to load the removable medium 90 into the media drive 144 and causes the display device 64 to display the notification.

  When the writing of the content to the removable medium 90 is completed, the writing unit 116 notifies the writing processing unit 206 shown in FIG. In response to the notification, the writing processing unit 206 specifies the content ID of the content to be written, the volume ID of the writing destination, the external output user, and the external output date and time. The writing processing unit 206 combines these pieces of information to create a writing completion notification and gives it to the attribute information editing unit 200. Further, the write processing unit 206 notifies the storage list creation unit 202 of the write destination volume ID. Further, the writing processing unit 206 provides the label image output unit 170 with information on the label 366 of the save list.

  Based on the writing completion notification, the attribute information editing unit 200 reads the attribute information of the written content and makes the following changes to the attribute information. That is, the value of the save flag 292 in the attribute information 260 (320) is changed to “saved”. Further, based on the writing completion notification, the values of the items of the external output date / time 294, the external output mode 296, and the external output user 298 are set. Further, if the value of the external output ID 300 is different from the volume ID notified by the write completion notification, the value of the item is updated with the notified volume ID.

  In response to the notification from the write processing unit 206, the save list creation unit 202 identifies the save list to which the notified volume ID is assigned, and sets the value of the output 370 of the save list to “done”. Update.

  The label image output unit 170 creates image data according to the shape of the label from the information of the given label 366. The label image output unit 170 outputs the created image data to the printing device 66. The printing device 66 prints the given image data on the label of the removable medium 90. FIG. 14 shows an example of the label of the removable medium 80. Referring to FIG. 14, label 520 is a label for a disc such as a DVD. The information stored in the item of the label 366 in the save list 362A is printed on the label 520. The user can identify the content written in the removable medium 80 and the volume ID of the removable medium by this label. The created label image itself may be stored in the save list storage unit 166 in association with each volume ID.

-Content deletion When the attribute information in the attribute storage unit 162 is added or changed, the free space monitoring unit 208 calculates the total file size of the content stored in the content storage unit 108 based on the attribute information. . The free capacity monitoring unit 208 holds information on the maximum capacity of the content storage unit 108, and calculates the free capacity in the content storage unit 108 based on this information and the total file size. When the available capacity becomes 10% or less of the maximum capacity, the available capacity monitoring unit 208 predicts the available capacity when processing by the content processing unit 118 is performed. That is, the free space monitoring unit 208 has the value of the save flag 292 “saved” from the attribute information 260 (320) (see FIG. 5 or 6) stored in the attribute storage unit 162, and A search is made for a case where the value of the automatic deletion flag 286 at the time of saving is OK. The free space monitoring unit 208 calculates the total file size of each content obtained by the search based on the attribute information. The free capacity monitoring unit 208 uses the sum of the file sizes and the free capacity as a predicted value of the free capacity, and determines whether the predicted value is 10% or more of the maximum capacity.

  If the predicted value is less than 10% of the maximum capacity, the user is prompted to write to the removable medium 90. That is, the free space monitoring unit 208 requests the user notification processing unit 204 to notify the user of the saved list. In response to this request, the user notification processing unit 204, the message creation unit 168 (see FIG. 2), and the output unit 114 perform user notification by the series of operations described above. When the user views the user notification 380 (see FIG. 9) displayed on the display device 64 (see FIG. 9) and performs an operation of designating the volume ID using the remote controller 60, the content management device 100 performs the operation on the removable medium 90. Write content. As a result, there are more cases where the value of the save flag 292 (see FIG. 5) is “saved” and the value of the automatic erasure 286 is “OK”.

  When the predicted value is 10% or more of the maximum capacity, the free capacity monitoring unit 208 refers to the attribute information 260 (320) (FIG. 5 or FIG. 6) stored in the attribute storage unit 162 and performs content processing. The content to be erased by the unit 118 is designated. At this time, the free capacity monitoring unit 208 designates the content with the goal that the free capacity is 15% or more of the maximum capacity. That is, first, the free space monitoring unit 208 deletes the searched content in order from the oldest recording date and time. When the goal is achieved, the designation ends. If the target is not achieved even if all the searched contents are deleted, the contents having the value of the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 of OK are designated in order from the oldest recording date and time. When the goal is achieved, the content specification is finished. Alternatively, when all contents whose OK value in the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 is OK are specified, the content specification is terminated.

  The content processing unit 118 deletes the content with the given content ID from the content storage unit 108. The attribute information editing unit 200 sets the value of the saved automatic deletion flag 286 or the value of the unsaved automatic deletion flag 288 in the content attribute information 260 (320) of the content ID given from the free space monitoring unit 208 to “delete”. Change to "Done".

-User notification at the time of content reproduction Hereinafter, an operation at the time of content reproduction by the content management apparatus 100 will be described.

  When the user operates the remote controller 60 shown in FIG. 1 to instruct reproduction of content, the operation input unit 102 receives an operation signal from the remote controller and determines the content of the instruction from the user based on the operation signal. If it is determined that the instruction content is a request for content reproduction, the operation input unit 102 gives an operation signal to the reproduction target determination unit 210 shown in FIG.

  The reproduction target determination unit 210 determines the source of the content to be reproduced in response to the given operation signal. If the acquisition destination is any of the external devices 62 shown in FIG. 1, the reproduction target determination unit 210 designates the content acquisition source and requests the acquisition and reproduction of the content from the reproduction unit 112 shown in FIG. In this case, the playback unit 112 acquires and plays back content from the external device 62 via the interface 106 in accordance with a request from the playback target determination unit 210. The playback unit 112 outputs a playback signal of the content to the display device 64 via the output unit 114. The display device 64 receives the reproduction signal and displays the content.

  If the content source is not the external device 62 or is unknown, the user notification processing unit 204 is requested to notify the user. The user notification processing unit 204 and the message creation unit 168 create the message 380 shown in FIG. 9 by the same operation as the above operation. When the user views the message 380, selects any entry of the message 380 using the remote control 60, and performs an operation for instructing the reproduction of the content, the operation signal is transmitted via the operation input unit 102 as shown in FIG. Is given to the reproduction target determination unit 210 shown in FIG. Based on the operation signal and the attribute information read out by the user notification processing unit 204, the reproduction target determination unit 210 identifies the content to be reproduced and refers to the attribute information of the content.

  When the content to be reproduced is stored in the content storage unit 108, the reproduction target determination unit 210 gives the content ID to the reproduction unit 112. The reproduction unit 112 acquires the content to be reproduced from the content storage unit 108 based on the given content ID and reproduces it. When the content to be reproduced has already been erased from the content storage unit 108, the reproduction target determination unit 210 acquires the content ID 262 and the external output ID 300 of the content from the reproduction target attribute information 260 (320). The user notification processing unit 204 is requested to create an error message.

  Based on the content ID 262 and the external output ID 300, the user notification processing unit 204 displays the attribute information to be reproduced and the save list corresponding to the written removable medium 80 in which the content is written. This is given to the creation unit 168. In this case, the message creation unit 168 creates and displays a message for requesting loading of the written removable medium 80.

  FIG. 15 shows an example of a message for requesting loading of the written removable medium 80. The message shown in FIG. 15 includes the title of the content to be played back, that the content has been deleted from the content storage unit 108, the volume ID of the removable medium 80 in which the content has been written, and the label image. Including. The title of the content to be reproduced is information obtained from the attribute information of the content. The volume ID is information obtained from the external output ID 300 of the attribute information or information obtained from the volume ID 364 of the save list (for example, the save list 362A) shown in FIG. Further, the label image is information obtained from the saved list. The user can easily find a removable medium in which content to be reproduced is written with reference to the display of the label image.

[Second Embodiment]
The content management apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment described above records the new content in the content management apparatus 100 by acquiring the content from the external device 62 (see FIG. 1), and attributes corresponding to the new content. When the information is stored, the process of automatically creating the save list is started. Further, the content management apparatus 100 collects content belonging to the same category as the new content category and creates a new save list. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, it is possible to start creation of a save list when a predetermined instruction is received from a user, and to collect content based on the user's instruction. The content management apparatus according to the second embodiment described below further receives designation of content to be written from the user, and creates a save list based on the designation.

  The content management apparatus according to the present embodiment has a configuration similar to that of content management apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. However, the content management unit of the content management apparatus according to the present embodiment, in addition to the functions of the content management unit 160 shown in FIG. Has the ability to create.

  There are two types of contents to be written. One designation is a designation of a condition to be satisfied by the content to be written to the removable medium 90. The other designation is designation of a representative example of content to be written. Hereinafter, the former designation is referred to as “condition designation” and the latter designation is referred to as “representative designation”.

  When the user designates conditions, the user can specify the content conditions to be written to the removable medium 90 as, for example, the upper classification 304 (see FIG. 5 or 6) and the lower classification 306 in the attribute information 260 (320). A condition to be satisfied by the attribute of the content to be written to the removable medium 90 is designated by the characters in the title 278 or the like, or a combination thereof. In this case, content satisfying the designated condition becomes a candidate for content to be written, and a save list for the content is created. When the user designates a representative, the user designates one of contents desired to be written on the removable medium 90. Content having an attribute similar to the designated content is a candidate for content to be written. The content management unit creates a save list for these contents.

  FIG. 16 shows a functional configuration of the content management unit 600 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 16, content management unit 600 has a similar configuration to content management unit 160 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, but instead of save list creation unit 202 shown in FIG. 3, A save list creation unit 602 is included. In addition to the function of the save list creation unit 202, the save list creation unit 602 has a function of receiving a designation from the user via the operation input unit 102 and creating a save list based on the designation. Upon receiving the condition specification, the save list creation unit 602 sets the classification of the content to be written to the removable medium 90 based on the specification, and collects the content corresponding to the set condition as the write target To do. Then, a save list candidate is created by the same operation as the save list creation unit 202 according to the first embodiment. In addition, when receiving a representative designation, the save list creation unit 602 operates similarly to the operation in which the save list creation unit 202 according to the first embodiment creates a save list based on the newly recorded content attribute information. Then, a candidate for the save list is created based on the attribute information of the designated content.

  Similar to the content management apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the content management apparatus according to the present embodiment is similar to general computer hardware except for a special apparatus such as a broadcast receiving tuner. And a program executed by the computer hardware and data stored in the computer hardware.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a control structure of a program in which the content management apparatus according to the present embodiment creates a save list based on an instruction from the user. Referring to FIG. 17, this program is automatically started when the content management apparatus is activated. When this program is started, in step 622, it waits for an operation input for instructing the creation of a save list by the user. When the operation input by the user is performed, the process proceeds to step 624.

  In step 624, upon receiving a condition designation or representative designation input from the user, based on the designation, what are the attributes of the content to be written to the removable medium 90 as follows. Determine if it exists. That is, first, in response to receiving a designation from the user, it is determined whether the designation is a condition designation or a representative designation. If the user inputs the upper classification 304 (see FIG. 5 or 6), the lower classification 306, the characters in the title 278, or a combination thereof, it is determined that the condition is specified, and the input upper classification Based on the characters in 304, the lower classification 306, and the title 278, the attributes of the content to be stored are specified. If the user selects a content using the message 380 shown in FIG. 9 and inputs a content ID 262 (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 6) and designates one content, it is determined that the content is representative designation. Then, the attribute information 260 (320) of the designated content is read and specified as the attribute of the content to be written.

  In step 626, the classification to be written is set based on the attribute of the content to be written specified in step 624, and the attribute information of the content belonging to the classification is collected. That is, if the designation received in step 624 is a condition designation, contents having attributes satisfying the conditions input by the user are collected. If the designation received in step 624 is a representative designation, the classification to be written is specified based on the attribute of the designated content, and contents belonging to the same classification as the classification are collected. The content corresponding to the attribute information collected at this time is a candidate for the content to be saved in the list, similarly to the content corresponding to the attribute information collected in step 442 shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to steps 444 to 448 which are the same as those of the program shown in FIG. In step 448, if the sum of the file size of the next oldest content and the total data amount at that time exceeds the capacity of one removable medium 90, the process proceeds to step 628. Otherwise, go to step 452 which is the same as that of the program shown in FIG.

  In step 628, the temporary list at that time is registered as a candidate for the saved list. That is, the same information as the save list 362 (see FIG. 8) is created by the same processing as the step 450 of the program shown in FIG. 11, and stored separately from the save list 362. In addition, when the candidate of the preservation | save list is already memorize | stored at this time, the candidate of the preservation | save list created is memorize | stored separately from the candidate of the preservation | save list already stored. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 452.

  In step 452, it is determined whether there is any candidate content collected in step 624 that has not yet been processed in step 446. If there is still content that has not been processed, the process returns to step 446. Otherwise, go to step 630.

  At the time of proceeding to step 630, at least one of a candidate for the saving list and a temporary list exists. In step 630, a message is created based on the candidates for the save list and the temporary list, and the user is notified by displaying the message. In the subsequent step 632, an instruction from the user is received and the content is determined.

  If the input instruction is an instruction to change the condition received in step 624, the process returns to step 624. If the input instruction is an instruction to confirm a candidate for the save list, the process proceeds to step 634. If the input instruction is an instruction to cancel creation of the save list, the process proceeds to step 636. In step 634, the candidate for the storage list and the temporary list that are the objects of notification in step 630 are determined as the storage list 362 (see FIG. 8), and the process ends. In step 636, the storage list candidates and the temporary list created in this process are discarded and the process ends.

  In the program shown in FIG. 17, the creation of the save list is canceled in step 636 based on the instruction received from the user in step 632, but at any time when the instruction to cancel the creation of the save list is received, An interrupt process for canceling the creation of the save list may be executed.

  The operation of the content management apparatus according to the present embodiment is the same as the operation of the content management apparatus according to the first embodiment, except for the operation of creating a save list according to a predetermined instruction from a user described later. Therefore, description thereof will not be repeated.

  When the user performs an operation input for instructing creation of the save list, the content management apparatus according to the present embodiment starts creating the save list in response to the operation input. In this case, the save list creation unit 602 receives a condition designation or representative designation input by the user.

  In response to the input of the condition specification, the save list creation unit 602 writes the writing based on the inputted upper classification 304 (see FIG. 5 or 6), the lower classification 306, the characters in the title 278, and the like. Set the content category to be included. The save list creating unit 602 collects the set classification contents as contents to be written, and creates save list candidates by the same operation as the save list creating unit 202 according to the first embodiment.

  When receiving a representative designation input, the save list creation unit 602 first sets the classification of the content to be written. At this time, the save list creation unit 602 sets the content classification based on the attribute information of the designated content. This operation is the same as the operation in which the save list creation unit 202 according to the first embodiment sets the content classification based on the newly recorded content attribute information. The save list creation unit 602 collects the contents of the set classification as a writing target. In this case, contents that match the contents for which the upper classification, the lower classification, the title characters, and the like are designated are collected as contents to be written, and candidates for the save list are created.

  The save list creation unit 602 further stores the created save list candidates in the save list storage unit 164 separately from the confirmed save list. When all the collected contents to be written are processed, the temporary list at that time is stored in the save list storage unit 164 in the same manner as the save list candidates. Furthermore, a user notification is requested to the user notification processing unit 204. At this time, the save list creation unit 602 does not request the attribute information editing unit 200 to change the attribute information.

  In response to the request from the save list creation unit 602, the user notification processing unit 204 reads the save list candidates and the temporary list stored in the save list storage unit 164 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. put out. The user notification processing unit 204 further reads out the attribute information of the contents listed in the list from the attribute storage unit 162 and selects information used for the user notification. For each content, the user notification processing unit 204 gives the selected information and their volume IDs to the message creation unit 168 (see FIG. 2), and requests creation of a message. The message creation unit 168 creates a message by the same operation as in the first embodiment, and outputs the message via the output unit 114. When the user views the output list and makes a predetermined input for changing the designation, the content management apparatus of the present embodiment performs the above-described series of operations based on the newly entered designation in the stored list. Recreate the candidate and notify the user again.

  By repeating such an operation, the user can specify conditions for collecting contents to be written while confirming the notified candidate for the save list. If more content than what the user intended is listed in the list of saved lists, or if content that is not intended by the user is listed in the list of saved lists, the user changes to a more strict condition You can change the designation to do so. Thereby, the accuracy of the content listed in the candidate for the save list is increased, and the number of listed content is reduced. Conversely, if the user feels that there is too little content, the user may instruct the change of conditions so that the conditions are relaxed. As a result, the number of contents that match the changed condition increases, and the number of contents listed as candidates for the save list increases.

  Finally, when an instruction to confirm the candidate for the save list is given, the save list creation unit 602 (see FIG. 16) decides the save list candidate and the temporary list in the save list storage unit 164, The content IDs of the contents listed therein are given to the attribute information editing unit 200 and a change of the attribute information is requested. By a series of these operations, a saved list according to the user's intention is created. It should be noted that after the notification, the candidate for the saving list and the temporary list may be confirmed in the saving list storage unit 164 in response to the elapse of a predetermined time without an input for changing the designation.

  In the second embodiment described above, the user has made a specified change in order to change the number listed in the save list candidates. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. The content management apparatus may be configured to create and present candidates for the save list while automatically changing the conditions. For example, when the total capacity of the save list candidates is small, the conditions may be gradually reduced so that the capacity of the removable medium 90 approaches. Specifically, when the user designates a condition using the title of the content or when the user designates a representative, the save list creation unit 602 first selects a save list candidate based on the title. Attempt to create. As a result, when the total capacity does not reach the capacity of the removable medium 90 (for example, when it is 50% or less), the content to be written must satisfy the title character string shortened by one character. Used to collect content to be written and create a candidate for a save list. If this process is repeated and the capacity of the title character string does not reach 0 characters, the lower classification is excluded from the conditions, and only the upper classification is used as the condition. As described above, the processing is performed when the total amount of data of the collected contents becomes larger than the capacity of the removable medium 90 as a result of the gradual relaxation of the conditions and the collection of the contents matching the conditions. Stop and discard the writing target collected at that time. Then, the result obtained by the previous round of collection is adopted. And the candidate of the preservation | save list produced based on the said writing object employ | adopted is notified with respect to a user. Thus, an amount of content corresponding to the capacity of the removable medium 90 can be collected as a writing target and notified to the user. Note that the user may select whether or not to create and present a candidate for the save list while automatically changing the conditions.

  Here, the title character string used as a condition for collecting the writing target is changed in units of one character. However, the method for changing the condition is not limited to such a method. For example, morphological analysis may be performed on a title character string, and the title character string may be changed in units of morphemes. In this embodiment, the upper classification, the lower classification, and the character string of the title are used as the conditions for collecting the writing target. However, the information that can be used as the conditions is not limited to this. . In addition to this, for example, keywords such as performers, date and time, or file size may be used as a condition. In addition, elements specified by the user among the elements constituting the attribute information may be used as a condition, which is convenient for the user. In the above embodiment, the content is classified into two stages, that is, a higher classification and a lower classification. However, a more detailed classification may be prepared and used for collection.

  As described above, the content management apparatus according to the first and second embodiments prepares a combination of contents that can be written to the removable medium 90 in advance and creates a save list on behalf of the user. By presenting to the user based on the saved list, the content can be written in such a combination that an appropriate amount of content is written to the removable medium 90 without the user having to select content each time.

  Since the content is selected based on the capacity of the removable medium, the storage resource of the removable medium can be used without waste. Since the content to be saved in the list is selected based on the content attribute, the content can be written to the removable medium in a combination that is easy for the user to understand.

  In addition, since a label is created using the save list and attribute information and the user is notified using the information, it becomes easy for the user to identify the removable medium on which the content has been written.

  In the above embodiment, the attribute information editing unit 200 changes the attribute information based on the notification from each functional unit of the content management unit 160 shown in FIG. It is not limited to the form. For example, the attribute information editing unit 200 may receive an operation signal from the operation input unit 102 and change the attribute information in accordance with the operation signal. Also, for example, attribute information may be acquired from an external device via the interface 106 and updated sequentially.

  Note that the timing for starting the creation of the save list is not limited to those exemplified in the first and second embodiments. For example, the save list creation unit 202 shown in FIG. 3 may periodically execute a series of operations for creating a save list.

  The save list creation units 202 and 602 create save lists and their candidates for each type listed in the media type list 340. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, a correspondence relationship is set in advance between the content classification and the type of the removable medium 90, and the type of the removable medium 90 corresponding to the classification is selected from the media type list 340 according to the classification of the content to be processed. You may make it select. For example, for removable media in which content has been written by the content management device, such as entries 350F to 350N, the category of the written content is set as a category having a correspondence relationship based on the save list. Also good.

  Also, the save list creation units 202 and 602 classify content using the type and title of the attribute information. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. The value of the attribute used for content classification can be changed as appropriate. For example, when content of the same classification is collected, the total amount of data of the collected content is calculated, and content to be processed when the total is too small or too large for the capacity of the removable medium 90 You may change the classification. Alternatively, the save list creation unit 202 may receive an instruction operation by the user via the operation input unit 102 and select a classification of content to be processed according to the instruction operation.

  The size of the classification based on the attribute information 260 (320) may be changed in stages. For example, as a first step, contents that are not in the save list and stored in the content storage means are collected with the same type, program type, and title. If the predetermined removable media is less than one unit, the content having the same type and program type is collected as the second stage. If it is still less than one unit of the predetermined medium, as the third stage, contents having only the same type are collected.

  In addition, content having a time element such as a moving image can be recorded on the removable medium 90 while being compressed or expanded. For example, rate conversion is performed on the moving image to adjust the capacity. If the content listed in the save list covers a predetermined number of units of removable media, rate conversion may be performed so that the total capacity of the integer number of removable media is used up. In this case, it is preferable for the user to perform rate conversion within a range that does not significantly affect the image quality of the content.

  In the above-described embodiment, the content processing unit 118 (see FIG. 2) and the free space monitoring unit 208 (see FIG. 3) delete erasable content in order from the oldest recording date / time 268 of the content (see FIG. 5). Deleted from the content storage unit 108. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, public content may be deleted prior to private content. Alternatively, content with a large capacity may be erased with priority over content with a small capacity. Alternatively, content with a small number of viewing times may be deleted with priority over content with a large number of viewing times. Alternatively, the values of the items of the attribute information may be combined to give priority to the contents, and the contents to be deleted may be determined based on the priority. Further, instead of deleting the content, the content may be compressed to reduce the data amount of the content.

  The printing apparatus 66 shown in FIG. 1 can also be configured to be built in the media drive 144 shown in FIG. In this case, it is convenient to execute the writing of the content on the removable medium 90 and the printing of the label image by a series of operations. For example, when writing to the removable medium 90 by the writing unit 116 and the media drive 144 shown in FIG. 2 is completed and the media drive 144 ejects the removable medium 90, the label image output unit 170 labels the printing device 66 with a label. Output an image. The printing device 66 prints a label image directly on the ejected removable medium 90.

  The embodiment disclosed herein is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The scope of the present invention is indicated by each claim in the claims after taking into account the description of the detailed description of the invention, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the wording described therein are intended. Including.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the whole system containing the content management apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the content management apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a content management unit 160. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the attribute information at the time of acquisition. It is a figure which shows an example of attribute information. It is a figure which shows another example of attribute information. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a media type list stored in a media type storage unit 166. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a saved list storage unit 164. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the message produced by the message production part. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a computer that implements the functions of the content management apparatus 100. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control structure of the program which produces a preservation | save list | wrist about one type of removable media 90. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control structure of the program which writes the content to the removable media 90 using a save list. It is a flowchart which shows the control structure of the program which monitors a free space and erases a content. It is a figure which shows an example of the label image of a removable medium. It is a figure which shows an example of the message which requests | requires loading of the written removable medium. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the content management part 600 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control structure of a program for creating a save list based on a user instruction in the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  50 systems, 60 remote controllers, 62 external devices, 64 display devices, 66 printing devices, 70 networks, 72 network communication devices, 74 direct communication paths, 76 input devices, 78 antennas, 80 written removable media, 90 books Removable media, 100 content management device, 102 operation input unit, 106 interface, 108 content storage unit, 110 recording unit, 112 playback unit, 114 output unit, 116 writing unit, 118 content processing unit, 160,600 content Management unit, 162 attribute storage unit, 164 storage list storage unit, 166 media type storage unit, 168 message creation unit, 170 label image output unit, 200 attribute information editing unit, 202, 602 storage list creation unit, 204 user Processing unit, 206 Write processing unit, 208 Free space monitoring unit, 210 Playback target determination unit, 400 Computer, 402 Input device, 404 Network connection circuit, 406 Broadcast receiving tuner, 408 Content input / output device, 410 Output device, 412 CPU, 414 bus, 416 memory, 418 non-volatile memory

Claims (33)

A data management device for managing recording of data items stored in a predetermined first recording medium to a predetermined second recording medium,
Recording means for storing a plurality of data items in the first recording medium;
Attribute information storage means for storing attribute information of the data item;
Selection means for selecting, from the data items stored in the first recording medium, data items to be recorded on the second recording medium based on the attribute information;
A combination table creation means for creating a combination table representing the data items selected by the selection means;
In response to the satisfaction of a predetermined condition, based on the combination table, the data item in the first recording medium and the second recording medium to which the data item is written are presented to the user. Presentation means for
A data management apparatus comprising: writing means for writing data items stored in the first recording medium to the second recording medium based on the combination table in accordance with an instruction from a user. The presenting means is
Determination means for managing a medium usage status of the first recording medium and determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the media usage status;
In response to determining that the predetermined condition is satisfied by the determining means, based on the combination table, a data item in the first recording medium and a second write destination of the data item The data management apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for presenting a recording medium. The data management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit includes a free space determination unit for determining whether or not a condition that a free space of the first recording medium falls below a predetermined amount is satisfied. Furthermore, the data item in the first recording medium includes a data amount reduction means for performing a predetermined data amount reduction process,
The determination means includes
Free space predicting means for managing the medium usage status of the first recording medium and calculating a predicted value of free capacity in the first recording medium after processing by the data amount reducing means;
The data management apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for determining whether a condition that the predicted value is below a predetermined amount is satisfied. The data management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit includes a unit for determining whether or not writing to the second recording medium is enabled by the writing unit. The data management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit includes a unit for determining whether or not the combination table is generated by the combination table generation unit. The writing means includes
A write instruction receiving means for receiving an input for instructing writing using the combination table from a user;
Means for reading each data item indicated by the combination table from the first recording medium and writing to the second recording medium in response to the writing instruction receiving means receiving the instruction. The data management apparatus in any one of Claims 1-6 containing these. Further, based on the attribute information, label information creating means for creating label information of the second recording medium that is a writing destination in the combination table;
The data management apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: means for printing the label information corresponding to the combination table in response to execution of writing by the means for writing. The attribute information includes information representing at least one attribute of a date and time when the data item is recorded, a classification, and a title,
9. The data management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the label information creating means includes means for creating the label information using information representing the attribute. Furthermore, medium information creating means for creating medium information for specifying the second recording medium as a writing destination in the combination table;
Management information creating means for creating management information of the second recording medium, comprising the combination table and medium information corresponding to the combination table;
Management information storage means for storing the management information;
The data management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: output means for outputting medium information for specifying the second recording medium based on the management information. The output means searches for a write destination of a data item to be written on the second recording medium based on the management information, and outputs medium information for specifying the recording medium as the search result The data management apparatus according to claim 10, comprising means. 11. The medium information creating means includes label information creating means for creating label information of the second recording medium as a writing destination in the combination table based on the attribute information. Data management device. Furthermore, a data item that satisfies the first condition of being recorded on the first recording medium, and a data item that has been erased from the first recording medium and recorded on the second recording medium. Means for presenting the data items satisfying the condition of 2 in a distinguishable manner;
In response to the presentation by the means for presenting in a discriminable manner, whether or not the designated data item satisfies the first condition in response to designation of the data item by the user Accordingly, an operation of reading and reproducing the designated data item from the first recording medium, and an operation of presenting the medium information of the second recording medium on which the designated data item is recorded. The data management device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising means for selectively executing. 2. The data according to claim 1, further comprising data amount reduction means for performing a predetermined data amount reduction process on the data item written by the writing means in the first recording medium. Management device. The recording means includes
Obtaining means for obtaining the data item;
Data storage means for storing the data items acquired by the acquisition means in the first recording medium;
Including attribute preparation means for preparing attribute information of the data item acquired by the acquisition means and storing the attribute information in the attribute storage means,
The apparatus further comprises means for operating the selection means and the combination table creation means so that the combination table is created in response to the attribute information being prepared by the attribute preparation means. The data management device described. The selecting means is
Means for setting a selection criterion for the data item based on the prepared attribute information in response to the attribute information being prepared by the attribute preparing means;
16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for selecting a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium from data items stored on the first recording medium based on the selection criteria. The data management device described. Furthermore, medium attribute information storage means for storing medium attribute information including capacity information representing the capacity of the second recording medium,
The attribute information includes data amount information representing a data amount of the data item,
The selection means selects a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium based on the data amount information and the capacity information of the data item, and stores the data item stored in the first recording medium. The data management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising capacity reference selecting means for selecting from among. The capacity reference selecting means selects a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium in a combination in which the total amount of data of the selected data items is equal to or less than the capacity of the recording medium. 18. The data management apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for selecting from data items stored in the recording medium. The capacity reference selecting means is a combination in which the ratio of the total data amount of the selected data item to the capacity of the second recording medium is a value within a predetermined reference range, 18. The data management device according to claim 17, further comprising means for selecting a data item to be recorded in the data item from among data items stored in the first recording medium. The attribute information further includes date and time attribute information indicating the date and time when the data item was recorded,
The capacity reference selection means is a combination based on the data amount information of the data item and the capacity of the second recording medium based on the capacity information, and in the order of the date and time represented by the date and time attribute information. 18. The data management device according to claim 17, further comprising means for selecting a data item to be recorded on the recording medium from among data items stored in the first recording medium. The attribute information further includes classification information representing a classification of the data item,
The selection means further includes means for collecting the candidates for selection from the data items recorded on the first recording medium using the classification information,
The capacity reference selecting means includes means for selecting a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium from the data items collected by the collecting means. The data management device described. The selecting means is
Classification means for classifying the data items in the first recording medium based on the attribute information;
Classification selection means for selecting the classification of the processing target from the classification by the classification means;
A data item to be recorded on the second recording medium is selected from data items belonging to the processing target classification selected by the selecting means among the data items in the first recording medium. The data management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The attribute information includes information representing at least one attribute of a data item acquisition route, a data format of the data item, a public / private type of the data item, and a title of the data item,
The data management apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the classification means includes means for classifying data items in the first recording medium based on information representing the attribute. The recording means includes
Obtaining means for obtaining the data item;
Data storage means for storing the data items acquired by the acquisition means in the first recording medium;
Including attribute preparation means for preparing attribute information of the data item acquired by the acquisition means and storing the attribute information in the attribute storage means,
The classification selecting means includes
23. The data management apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising means for selecting a classification to which the data item belongs as the classification to be processed based on the attribute information of the acquired data item. And further includes means for receiving input of designation information related to the selection criteria of the data item,
In response to the input of the designation information, the selection means stores a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium on the first recording medium based on the designation information and the attribute information. The data management device according to claim 1, further comprising designated data item selection means for selecting from the selected data items. The designation information includes condition designation information representing a condition of a data item to be recorded,
The designated data item selecting means is a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium based on the condition represented by the condition designation information and the attribute information in response to the input of the condition designation information. 26. The data management apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising: means for selecting from among data items stored in the first recording medium. The designation information includes representative designation information that exemplifies typical data items to be recorded,
In response to the input of the representative designation information, the designated data item selection means is a target of recording on the second recording medium based on the attribute of the data item exemplified by the representative designation information and the attribute information. 26. The data management apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising means for selecting a data item to be selected from data items stored in the first recording medium. Furthermore, a data item output means for outputting a data item recorded on the first recording medium,
Means for taking an output history of the data item by the data item output means, preparing the attribute information based on the output history, and storing the attribute information in the attribute storage means,
The data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit includes a unit for selecting the data item based on data amount information of the data item and the output history. 29. The data management apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the data item output means includes means for reproducing and outputting data items in the first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from a user. The selecting means includes means for selecting data items in the first recording medium in a plurality of combinations recordable on the second recording medium based on the attribute information;
The data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the combination table creating unit includes a unit for creating a combination table representing the data item selected by the selection unit for each of the plurality of combinations. There are a plurality of types of the second recording medium,
The data management device further includes means for storing a plurality of medium attribute information corresponding to a plurality of types of the second recording media,
The selecting means selects, based on the attribute information and the plurality of medium attribute information, a data item to be recorded on the second recording medium for each of the plurality of types of second recording media. The data management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for selecting from among data items stored in the recording medium. A computer program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to operate as the data management device according to any one of claims 1 to 31. A computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 32 is recorded.

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