JP2009027674A - Thumbnail registration apparatus and thumbnail registration program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly acquire a thumbnail image at a sending SOM point from an image file transferred by a file transfer protocol. <P>SOLUTION: A thumbnail registration apparatus is provided with: a file input means 61 for receiving a file including image data by the file transfer protocol (FTP); an information extraction means 62 for extracting image data from the file on the way of transfer which is received by the file input means 61; and a thumbnail registration means 63 for registering a still image on a previously set sending start point out of the image data extracted by the information extraction means 62 as an inputted thumbnail. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thumbnail registration device and a thumbnail registration program for capturing a still image at a transmission start point and registering it as a thumbnail when video data is transferred as a file.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a transmission server system used when transmitting video etc. at a broadcasting station or the like, a material transmission start point (SOM (Start of message) point) is determined during recording or after recording is completed, and this SOM point is reached. The material is on air. For this reason, a general broadcast server-use transmission server system has a function of changing the SOM point of a material from a recording screen, a preview screen, or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-16484 A

  However, when recording the material in the sending server system, if video data is sent in a digital video signal, for example, in SDI format, a thumbnail image can be easily obtained by frame counting at the SOM point. Handling data as a file For example, when FTP (File Transfer Protocol) transfer is performed in the MXF file format, the frame count cannot be handled unless the video is extracted after the entire file is transferred, and the thumbnail image at the SOM point. The problem is that you can not get quickly.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems. That is, the present invention provides a file input means for receiving a file comprising video data by a file transfer protocol, an information extraction means for extracting video data from a file being transferred received by the file input means, and a video extracted by the information extraction means This is a thumbnail registration device comprising thumbnail registration means for taking a still image at a preset transmission start point of data and registering it as a thumbnail.

  In the present invention, when a file having video data is transferred by a file transfer protocol, the video data is extracted from the file being transferred, and a still image at a preset transmission start point is captured. The thumbnail image can be easily registered even during transfer of the video information in the file format.

  In particular, in the present invention, the video data from the start point of the video data of the file being transferred to the transmission start point is extracted and reconstructed into video compressed file format data, and the reconstructed compressed file format data is decompressed. By capturing a still image at the transmission start point, a thumbnail image at the transmission start point can be registered even during file transfer.

  The present invention also includes a step of receiving a file including video data by a file transfer protocol, a step of extracting video data from the file being transferred received in this step, and a preset transmission among the extracted video data A thumbnail registration program that causes a computer to execute a step of capturing a still image at a starting point and registering it as a thumbnail.

  In the present invention, when a file having video data is transferred by a file transfer protocol, the video data is extracted from the file being transferred, and a still image at a preset transmission start point is captured. The thumbnail image can be easily registered even during transfer of the video information in the file format.

  In particular, in the present invention, in the step of extracting video data, the step of extracting the video data from the start point of the video data of the file being transferred to the start point of transmission, reconstructing it into compressed file format data, and registering it as a thumbnail Thus, the reconstructed video compression file format data is expanded to capture a still image at the transmission start point.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, when the video data in the file format is transferred and recorded by the file transfer protocol, it is possible to quickly obtain the thumbnail image at the SOM point even during the transfer. It is possible to visually determine the SOM point of the video data.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a video recording system to which a thumbnail registration apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied. In this video recording system, various video and audio materials are stored in the video server 10 in accordance with a predetermined playlist, and the editing system 20, the control computer 30, the proxy computer 40, thumbnails are centered on the video server 10. The storage unit 50 is connected via a predetermined network N. The thumbnail registration apparatus according to the present embodiment is realized in a transfer relay server 60 interposed between the video server 10 and the network N.

  The video server 10 is storage means for storing various material data (video and audio, edited data, predetermined video file) and recording it as video data. The video server 10 is provided with a port for inputting various material data. For example, a port for inputting material data sent from an external line, a port for inputting material data sent from the editing system 20 etc. via the network N, and a port for inputting material data sent from equipment such as a VTR (not shown) It is.

  The video server 10 is a part that sequentially stores the material data sent through these ports and generates a playlist (recording order list data) in accordance with instructions from the operator. The video server 10 also performs processing of sending video data recorded in response to a predetermined request to a higher system according to a playlist, or sending video data for preview reproduction.

  The editing system 20 is a system for editing various materials. The material video data is trimmed at a predetermined time, a transmission start point (SOM point) is set, and a plurality of video data are connected. This is a system that generates new video data as an editing result by performing various video effects.

  The control computer 30 controls the input / output of materials recorded in the video server 10, controls the ports of the video server 10 with predetermined application software, and records the material data sent via each port in the specified order. The video server 10 is controlled to do so. The recorded order is generated as a playlist.

  In addition, the control computer 30 issues a command to send the video data recorded on the video server 10 to the host system according to the order of the playlist by the application software, or reproduces the video data recorded on the video server 10 according to the order of the playlist. Can be previewed, or the video data after recording can be modified.

  The proxy computer 40 is a part that functions as a proxy server when performing data input / output with the host system according to an instruction from the control computer 30. Further, the proxy computer 40 has a capture board 41 incorporated therein, and performs a process of capturing a part of the moving image of the material data input to the video server 10 as a still image and registering it as a thumbnail image in the thumbnail storage unit 50.

  The thumbnail storage unit 50 is storage means for registering still images at the SOM points of various material data constituting video data as thumbnail images. The registered thumbnail image is read when video data is recorded by application software executed by the control computer 30, when a playlist is displayed, when previewing, and when target material data is selected. Is displayed on the screen.

<Thumbnail registration device: configuration of transfer relay server>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a transfer relay server that is a thumbnail registration apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the transfer relay server. As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer relay server 60 is interposed between the network N to which the editing system 20 or the like is connected and the video server 10, and is a video file sent via the network N by the editing system 20 or the like. The video file is analyzed and the thumbnail image at the SOM point is registered.

  The video file handled by the transfer relay server 60 is data in a file format sent via the network N by a file transfer protocol (for example, FTP). As this file format, for example, a compatible format such as an MXF (Material eXchange Format) file is used.

  The transfer relay server 60 receives a video file having such a file format, takes a thumbnail image at the SOM point, registers it in the thumbnail storage unit 50, and stores video data (actual data) in the video file as a video server. Send to.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the transfer relay server 60 includes a file input unit 61, an information extraction unit 62, and a thumbnail registration unit 63. The file input means 61 performs processing for receiving a file having video data (for example, a video file such as the MXF file described above) by a file transfer protocol (for example, FTP).

  The information extraction unit 62 analyzes the video file being transferred received by the file input unit 61 and performs processing for extracting video data that is actual data from the file.

  The thumbnail registration unit 63 performs processing for taking in a still image at a preset SOM point from the video data extracted by the information extraction unit 62 and registering it as a thumbnail image in the thumbnail storage unit 50.

  Here, the material data recorded in the video server 10 includes SDI (for example, HD-SDI), which is a general digital video signal. If it is SDI, the video of the material data is input to the video server. It is possible to easily obtain a thumbnail image by counting with a frame counter and capturing a still image at the SOM point with the capture board 61.

  However, in the case of the MXF file format in which the material data is not a video signal format and can be handled as a file by a computer or the like, the file can be quickly transferred to the video server 10 by a file transfer protocol such as FTP. During the transfer, a still image at the SOM point cannot be easily extracted from this file. That is, it is necessary to transfer all the files once, convert them to video signals, and capture images at SOM points according to the frame count.

  In the present embodiment, the thumbnail image at the SOM point can be quickly captured even when the transfer relay server 60 is transferring a video file in the MXF file format, for example, using a file transfer protocol such as FTP. There are features.

<MXF file format>
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the MXF file format, which is one of the video file formats. MXF files are broadly divided into file headers, file bodies, and file footers. The file header stores a header partition pack that is the first partition start code of the MXF file and metadata. In the file body, video data and audio data which are the main body of the material are stored in a container called an essence container. The file footer stores Footer partition pack which is the last partition start code of the MXF file.

  Among these, the video data stored in the file body is provided with front-discarded data on the front side and post-discarded data on the back side, centering on transmission data that is a part for transmitting (broadcasting) the actual video. The first point of the whole video data is called the original material SOM point, and the first point of the transmission data excluding the pre-discard is called the transmission SOM point.

  In the present embodiment, the transfer relay server performs analysis of the file format in the middle of the file transfer, and performs processing for quickly acquiring the thumbnail image at the transmission SOM point before the file transfer is completed.

<Thumbnail image acquisition processing of transfer relay server>
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating thumbnail image acquisition processing by the transfer relay server. The file input means 61 (see FIG. 3) of the transfer relay server 60 sequentially obtains video files using a file transfer protocol such as FTP over the network. At this time, when the file body is extracted from the structure of the file format such as the MXF file described above by the information extracting means 62 (see FIG. 3), and the file up to the preset sending SOM point is taken in, the portion The data up to are reconstructed as video data into a predetermined file format.

  Here, the data from the original material SOM point to the transmission SOM point is used as video data, and reconstructed into compressed file data (for example, MPEG) with headers and footers added before and after it. Then, the reconstructed compressed file data is expanded and the video at the transmission SOM point is captured as a still image, and this is registered in the thumbnail storage unit 50 (see FIG. 1) by the thumbnail registration means 63 (see FIG. 3) as a thumbnail image. To do.

  As a result, even when the video file is being transferred to the transfer relay server 60, the file is reconstructed at the stage where the data up to the transmission SOM point is acquired, and the thumbnail image at the transmission SOM point can be acquired.

<Thumbnail registration program>
The thumbnail registration program according to the present embodiment is a program process executed in the transfer relay server described above. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the thumbnail registration program. In the following description, reference numerals not shown in FIG. 6 refer to FIGS. 2 and 3.

  First, the file input means 61 receives a video file such as an MXF file sent via the network N based on a file transfer protocol such as FTP (step S1). Next, the information extraction unit 62 analyzes the structure of the transferred video file (step S2) and sequentially takes in the video data.

  Next, video data is received up to the sending SOM point (step S3). The information about the sending SOM point is used when it is included in the metadata of the MXF file, and is used when it is sent as other data from the outside. When the video data up to the sending SOM point is received, the information extracting means 62 performs processing for reconstructing the received video data (video data up to the sending SOM point) into a compressed file format (step S4). For example, MPEG is used as the compressed file format, and reconstruction is performed by adding information such as headers and footers according to the file format to be reconstructed before and after the received video data.

  Next, the thumbnail registration unit 63 decompresses the reconstructed data in the compressed file format, and takes in the video at the transmission SOM point as a still image (step S5). Since the video data up to the transmission SOM point is reconstructed as a separate file by the information extraction unit 62, the thumbnail registration unit 63 can capture a still image at the transmission SOM point using this separate file, and the file input unit during that time. The subsequent video file can be received by 61.

  Then, the thumbnail registration unit 63 registers the captured still image at the transmission SOM point in the thumbnail storage unit 50 as a thumbnail image (step S6).

<Specific thumbnail acquisition function for video recording system>
The video recording system to which this embodiment is applied specifically has the following thumbnail acquisition function. In other words, whether the material data is being recorded on the video server or the recording of the material data is completed, the following three functions are used as appropriate in order to obtain a thumbnail of the transmission SOM point, It is possible to acquire a thumbnail of the sending SOM point.

(1) Function to generate thumbnail image of SOM point when recording SDI video data (2) Function to generate thumbnail image during video file recording by FTP transfer (3) When sending SOM point is changed after recording is completed Functions for Generating Thumbnail Image at Transmission SOM Point Accompanying the Change Each function will be described below.

(1) Function for generating thumbnail images at SOM points when recording SDI video data This function is used when video data in SDI format is sent via a line connected to a port of a video server. The recording start trigger is acquired, and a thumbnail image at the transmission SOM point is captured with a frame count system, registered in the thumbnail storage unit, and provided to the host system and the like.

  FIG. 7 is a screen display example of the recording work displayed by the application software of the control computer. In this example, each material sending device connected to four ports (systems) of the video server is displayed, and either “recorded” or “recording” is shown as the status. In the lower right of the screen, the video data sent from the material sending device being recorded is captured at a frame count corresponding to the sending SOM point using the frame count and displayed as a thumbnail image. With SDI video data, it is possible to easily obtain a thumbnail image of a transmission SOD point by using a frame count during recording.

(2) Function for generating thumbnail image during recording of video file by FTP transfer This function is a function related to the characteristic part of the present embodiment described above. For example, MXF being transferred by a file transfer protocol such as FTP The transfer relay server buffers video files such as files (materials), transfers the files to the SOM point of the corresponding file, re-mediates the files being transferred, and then creates thumbnails from the re-mediated material files. It is acquired, registered in the thumbnail storage unit, and provided to the host system.

The specific internal logic in the transfer relay server is as follows. In this example, the file transfer protocol is FTP and the video file is an MXF file.
1. Recording starts (FTP transfer starts).
2. The file header (preample) and metadata are decomposed from the MXF file transferred by FTP, and video data is extracted from the file body.
3. The video file format is checked from the extracted video data (this time an MPEG file is assumed).
4). Based on the video format information, the file size during FTP transfer is checked, and the process waits until video data at a preset transmission SOM point is transferred.
5). When the sending SOM point is transferred, the file being transferred in FTP is re-mediated (here, an MPEG file is assumed).
6). The transmission SOM point position is calculated from the PS (Program Stream) packet of the re-mediated file.
7). A still image at the calculated transmission SOM point is captured and generated as a thumbnail image.
8). The generated thumbnail image is registered in the thumbnail storage unit and provided to a related system such as a host system as necessary.

  The screen display in the case of acquiring the thumbnail image of the transmission SOM point from the video file by FTP transfer is the same as that shown in FIG.

(3) Function to generate a thumbnail image at the transmission SOM point when the transmission SOM point is changed after the recording is completed. This function is transmitted when the preview is performed after the recording of the material data is completed. This is a function for generating a thumbnail image corresponding to the changed transmission SOM point when the SOM point is changed.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a screen display example at the time of preview, and FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow when the transmission SOM point is changed in the preview. As shown in FIG. 8, on the screen display at the time of preview, the recorded video data can be reproduced (preview) in accordance with the playlist, and it corresponds to the transmission SOM point of each material data registered in the playlist. A thumbnail image is displayed at the bottom right of the screen.

  At the time of preview, the operator can designate an arbitrary point and set it as a new transmission SOM point. This function includes a high resolution preview and a low resolution preview.

i) In the case of a high-resolution preview When the operator designates and confirms an arbitrary SOM point with reference to the screen display at the time of preview, the video from the high-resolution preview line is cueed up to the SOM point, and the point The still image is captured and registered in the thumbnail storage unit 50 as a thumbnail image. Also, thumbnail images registered in related systems such as a host system are provided as necessary.

  In the processing flow shown in FIG. 9, high-resolution video data output from the video server 10 is sent to the capture board 41 of the proxy computer 40 and displayed on the screen displayed by the application software of the control computer 30 (see FIG. 8). When the operator designates an arbitrary SOM point, the capture board 41 captures a still image of high-resolution video data. Then, the captured still image is registered in the thumbnail storage unit 50 as a thumbnail image, and is provided from the thumbnail storage unit 50 to the host system or the like as necessary.

ii) In the case of low resolution preview When the target material data is selected from the screen display at the time of preview, the low resolution file (Proxy file) is copied to the control computer 30 and re-mediated. Then, referring to the screen display of the preview, when the operator designates and confirms an arbitrary SOM point, a thumbnail is captured from the re-mediated file and registered in the thumbnail storage unit 50 as a thumbnail image. Also, thumbnail images registered in related systems such as a host system are provided as necessary.

  In the processing flow shown in FIG. 9, the control computer 30 acquires a low resolution file from the thumbnail storage unit 50 and converts it into a re-media. Then, the re-mediated video data is displayed on the preview screen display (see FIG. 8), and when the operator designates an arbitrary SOM point, a still image at the SOM point is captured from the re-mediated file, and a thumbnail is displayed. The image is registered in the thumbnail storage unit 50 as an image, and is provided from the thumbnail storage unit 50 to a host system or the like as necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, the file transfer protocol is FTP and the video file format is the MXF file format. However, other protocols and file formats are also applicable.

It is a block diagram explaining the video recording system to which the thumbnail registration apparatus concerning this embodiment is applied. It is a figure explaining the transfer relay server which is a thumbnail registration apparatus of this embodiment. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of a transfer relay server. It is a schematic diagram explaining the structure of the MXF file format which is one of the formats of a video file. It is a schematic diagram explaining the thumbnail image acquisition processing by the transfer relay server. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of a thumbnail registration program. It is the example of a screen display of the recording operation | work displayed by the application software of a control computer. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen display at the time of a preview. It is a figure explaining the flow of a process when changing the transmission SOM point by a preview.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Video server, 20 ... Editing system, 30 ... Control computer, 40 ... Proxy computer, 41 ... Capture board, 50 ... Thumbnail memory | storage part, 60 ... Transfer relay server, 61 ... File input means, 62 ... Information extraction means, 63 ... Thumbnail registration means, N ... Network

Claims (4)

File input means for receiving a file with video data by a file transfer protocol;
Information extracting means for extracting video data from a file being transferred received by the file input means;
A thumbnail registration apparatus comprising: a thumbnail registration unit that takes in a still image at a preset transmission start point from the video data extracted by the information extraction unit and registers it as a thumbnail. The information extracting means extracts the video data from the start point of the video data of the file being transferred to the transmission start point, and reconstructs the data into a compressed file format.
The thumbnail registration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thumbnail registration unit decompresses the data in the video compression file format reconstructed by the information extraction unit and captures a still image at the transmission start point. Receiving a file with video data by a file transfer protocol;
Extracting video data from the file being transferred received in the step;
A thumbnail registration program which causes a computer to execute a step of capturing a still image at a preset transmission start point in the extracted video data and registering it as a thumbnail. In the step of extracting the video data, the video data from the start point of the video data of the file being transferred to the transmission start point is extracted and reconstructed into compressed file format data,
4. The thumbnail registration program according to claim 3, wherein in the step of registering as a thumbnail, the reconstructed data in the video compression file format is expanded to capture a still image at the transmission start point.