JP5268729B2 - Recording reservation apparatus and recording reservation method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically assign and make program reservation in each recorder without requesting a user to perform program recording individually for each recorder. <P>SOLUTION: A program reservation apparatus allows program reservation in a plurality of recorders, each of which has one or more recording resources and can record one or more broadcast programs at the same time. The program reservation apparatus comprises: an input section that inputs program reservation where channel information about a program, specific information about the recording start time and end time of the program, and information about a recording mode are specified; a table for storing the plurality of input program reservations; a table for storing combinations of recording resources that cannot be used simultaneously; a table for storing identification information about the recording resources that can execute each recording mode; a resource assignment section for assigning a resource to each of the plurality of program reservations; and a program recording assignment transmitting section for transmitting a control signal that instructs the execution of each of the plurality of program reservations to each recorder having a recording resource to which each of the plurality of program reservations is assigned. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording reservation apparatus and a recording reservation method for processing a plurality of recording reservations, for example.

  With the widespread use of HDD (hard disk drive) recorders, it has become possible to record a large amount of content without replacing videotapes. There are also models that have multiple tuners that can record different programs at the same time. When recording a plurality of programs at the same time on a recorder having a plurality of tuners, it is necessary to allocate the programs well to a moving picture recording device (recording resource) in the recorder while satisfying the restrictions of the recorder. A method for solving this assignment has also been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

  However, it is necessary for the user to make an assignment for a recorder without such an assignment function. Further, even if the user owns a plurality of recorders and wants to record a plurality of programs separately for each recorder, the user needs to assign each recorder unless the recorders can cooperate with each other. Also, when recording is performed with a plurality of recorders, the location of the content may not be known during playback.

JP 2008-236599 A

  The present invention provides a recording reservation apparatus and a recording reservation method that allow a user to automatically assign a plurality of recording reservations requested by a user to each recorder without individually setting the recording reservations for each recorder.

The recording reservation apparatus as one aspect of the present invention includes:
A recording reservation device for processing a recording reservation for a plurality of recorders each having one or a plurality of recording resources for recording a broadcast program and capable of simultaneously recording one or a plurality of broadcast programs,
A recording reservation input unit for inputting a recording reservation that specifies channel information of a program to be reserved, recording time information for specifying a recording start time and a recording end time of the program, and a recording mode information of the program;
A recording reservation request table for storing a plurality of recording reservations input by the recording reservation input unit;
A device prohibition constraint table that stores a combination of recording resources that prohibits simultaneous use among the plurality of recording resources of the plurality of recorders;
A recording quality correspondence table for storing identification information of recording resources capable of executing the recording mode for each of a plurality of recording modes;
Based on the device prohibition constraint condition table and the recording quality correspondence table, a resource allocation unit that performs a recording resource allocation process for the plurality of recording reservations in the recording reservation request table;
A reservation assignment transmitting unit for transmitting a control signal instructing execution of each of the plurality of recording reservations to a recorder having a recording resource to which the plurality of recording reservations are respectively assigned;
It is provided with.

The recording reservation method as one aspect of the present invention includes:
A recording reservation method executed in a computer for processing recording reservations for a plurality of recorders each having one or more recording resources for recording broadcast programs and capable of simultaneously recording one or more broadcast programs. ,
A recording reservation input unit inputs a recording reservation specifying channel information of a program to be reserved, recording time information for specifying a recording start time and a recording end time of the program, and recording mode information of the program. ,
The writing means writes a plurality of recording reservations input by the recording reservation input unit to the recording reservation request table,
The reading means can execute the recording mode for each of a plurality of recording modes, and data of a device prohibition constraint condition table storing a combination of recording resources for prohibiting simultaneous use among the plurality of recording resources of the plurality of recorders Read out the recording quality correspondence table data that stores the identification information of the recording resources,
A resource allocation unit performs a recording resource allocation process for the plurality of recording reservations in the recording reservation request table based on the device prohibition restriction condition table and the recording quality correspondence table,
The reservation allocation transmitting unit transmits a control signal instructing execution of each of the plurality of recording reservations to a recorder having a recording resource to which the plurality of recording reservations are respectively allocated.
It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically assign a plurality of recording reservations requested by a user to each recorder without the user individually setting each recording.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the video recording reservation apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. The whole block diagram of the video recording reservation system provided with the video recording reservation apparatus of FIG. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the video recording reservation process by the video recording reservation apparatus of FIG. The flowchart which shows the process sequence performed at the time of the content reproduction in the video recording reservation apparatus of FIG. The block diagram which shows an example of a structure of each input processing means of a some recorder. The figure which shows the example (example 1) of utilization apparatus performance and a status table. The figure which shows the example (example 2) of a utilization apparatus performance and status table. The figure which shows a mode that table data is registered into a remote control from a recorder. The figure which shows the example (example 1) of a recording quality correspondence table. The figure which shows the example (example 2) of a recording quality correspondence table. The figure which shows the example (example 1) of an apparatus prohibition constraint condition table. The figure which shows the example (example 2) of an apparatus prohibition constraint condition table. The figure which shows the example (example 1) of a video recording reservation request table. The figure which shows the example (example 2) of a video recording reservation request table. The figure which shows the example (example 1) of a video recording reservation table. The figure which shows the example (example 2) of a video recording reservation table. The figure which shows the example of the remote control signal data for every model. The figure which shows the example (example 1) of a recorded program history table. The figure which shows the example (example 2) of a recorded program history table. The figure explaining the process which shares a recording reservation between two remote controls. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the process of FIG. The block diagram which shows the detailed structure of a resource allocation part. The block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the input processing means of a recorder. The figure which shows the example (example 3) of a utilization apparatus performance and status table. The figure which shows the example (example 3) of an apparatus prohibition use condition table. The figure which shows the example (example 3) of a recording quality correspondence table. The time series figure which shows an example of reservation registration. The figure which shows an example of a reservation competition network. The figure which shows an example of the reservation competition network at the time of considering the exclusive relationship of a recording resource. The figure explaining the function of one Embodiment of a reservation group extraction means. The flowchart which shows the outline of the process sequence of one Embodiment of a reservation group extraction means. The flowchart which shows the outline of the process sequence of a resource allocation part. The flowchart which shows the detail of the allocation order determination step of FIG. 32, and a sequential allocation step. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of recording resource allocation. The figure which shows an example of the order weight definition table between resource patterns (recording mode). FIG. 36 is a diagram for explaining the order weight table in FIG. 35.

  FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a recording reservation system provided with a recording reservation apparatus 1 as an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, an example in which the recording reservation device 1 has the form of a remote controller is shown.

  The plurality of recorders A to C each have one or a plurality of recording resources for recording a broadcast program, and can record one or a plurality of broadcast programs at the same time. Each of the recorders A to C has a content reproduction function for reproducing a recorded broadcast program (content). A configuration example of the input processing means of the recorders A to C is shown in FIG. The input processing means is a part that receives and records a digital input signal from a tuner or STB (set top box) that receives broadcast waves.

  In FIG. 5, a recorder A has an analog tuner 1001 that receives an analog broadcast wave, an MPEG2 encoder 1002 for compressing and digitizing an analog signal in the MPEG2 format, and a format in which the digital signal can be buffered and written to a recording medium. A recording data formatter 1003 for conversion and a recording means 1004 for storing the format-converted signal are provided.

  The recorder B is a digital tuner 1011 that receives a digital broadcast signal, a recording data formatter A 1012 that buffers the digital broadcast signal and converts it into a format writable on a recording medium, and an H.264 digital signal. H.264 for recompression in H.264 format. H.264 transcoder 1013, recording data formatter B1014 for buffering the compressed signal and converting it into a format writable to the recording medium, and signals converted by recording data formatter A1012 and recording data formatter B1014 are stored. Recording means 1015.

  The recorder C includes a digital tuner A1021, a recording data formatter A1022, a digital tuner B1023, a recording data formatter B1024, 264 transcoder 1025, analog tuner 1026, MPEG2 encoder 1027, recording data formatter C 1028, and recording means 1029. The functional components 1021 to 1029 of the recorder C have the same functions as the functional components with the same names of the recorder A and the recorder B.

  2 is connected to each of the recorders A to C, and displays programs (contents) reproduced by the recorders A to C. The television 2 has a function of switching video input to the recorders A to C in response to an instruction from the remote controller 1. A video selector device may be arranged between the television 2 and the recorders A to C, and outputs of the recorders A to C may be selected by the video selector device and transferred to the television 2. In this case, the video selector device has a function of switching the video input to the television 2 in accordance with an instruction from the remote controller 1.

  The remote controller 1 accepts a plurality of recording reservation requests from the user, and appropriately assigns each recording reservation to each recording resource of the recorders A to C. The remote controller 1 transmits a control signal instructing to execute recording by each recording reservation to a recorder having a recording resource to which each recording reservation is assigned. At the time of transmission, the remote controller 1 may directly transmit the control signal (for example, an infrared signal) to each recorder, or a signal distributor 3 that can communicate with the recorders A to C is provided. The control signal from 1 may be received and transferred to the corresponding recorder.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the remote controller (recording reservation device) 1 of FIG.

<Basic configuration>
First, the functional units P1, P5, P6, P7, P12, P13, DB1, DB2, DB3, DB6, DB7, and DB8 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  FIG. 6 shows an example (Example 1) of the used device performance / state table DB1. FIG. 7 shows an example (example 2) of the used device performance / state table DB1. Example 2 in FIG. 7 is an example when the recorder configuration in FIG. 5 is assumed. A table having both information of Example 1 and Example 2 may be defined as a used device performance / state table.

  The utilization device performance / state table DB1 of Example 2 in FIG. 7 is obtained by attaching management IDs (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8) to the recording resources of each recorder. . Resource IDs are unique among recorders.

  Here, the recording resource does not indicate a functional component such as an individual tuner, but indicates a combination of several functional components that must be used simultaneously during recording. For example, the resource R1 in the recorder C is a set of the digital tuner A and the formatter A, and the resource R3 is the digital tuner A, the formatter C, and the H.264. Refers to a set of H.264 transcoders.

  On the other hand, the used device performance / state table DB1 of Example 1 in FIG. 6 is information related to the state of the recorder such as the recordable time and the remaining recordable amount for each recorder (T company deck 1, T company deck 2, etc.). And information related to the performance of the recorder, such as the number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously. In the table DB1 of Example 1, recording resources are determined by a combination of “analog / digital” and “bit rate selection”. For example, the company T deck 1 includes a recording resource for digitally recording at a bit rate 3 and a recording resource for recording digitally at a bit rate 4.

  Although the utilization device performance / state table can have various forms as in Examples 1 and 2, the processing of the resource allocation unit P1 described later will be described based on the form of Example 2.

  Here, the information of the used device performance / state table DB1 of FIGS. 6 and 7 is input via the used device information input unit P6. The information of the used device performance / state table DB1 may be manually input by the user manually using the used device input unit P6, or the device information (recorder information) described in a predetermined format may be input to a network on the Internet or the like. It may be obtained from the server, and some items of the used device performance / state table DB1 may be automatically filled in from the model number of the recorder. Alternatively, it may be input directly from the recorder to the remote control. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8 (A), the contents of the utilization device performance / state table DB1 may be transmitted to the remote control by means of infrared communication from the recorder. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, only the model number information may be transmitted from the recorder to the remote controller, and the contents of the database DB1 may be downloaded from the network model on the Internet or the like by the remote controller. The recordable remaining amount in the table DB1 of Example 1 may be manually input by the user when the device (recorder) is registered, and then automatically updated according to the recording. The resource ID of FIG. 7 is assigned a unique value when registering information of each recorder in the remote controller 1 via the using device information input unit P6.

  FIG. 9 shows an example (example 1) of the recording quality correspondence table DB6. FIG. 10 shows an example (example 2) of the recording quality correspondence table DB6. Example 2 in FIG. 10 is based on the recorder configuration in FIG. 5 and corresponds to a case where recording resources are defined as in the used device performance / state table DB1 in FIG.

  The recording quality correspondence table DB 6 of Example 2 in FIG. 10 includes, for each recording mode (for example, recording quality or broadcast wave type) that can be specified at the time of recording reservation, the ID (use of resources) that can realize the function corresponding to the recording mode. (Possible resource ID) and the priority of the resource. An ID (resource pattern ID) is assigned to the recording mode. The resource priority is used as an index for a resource allocation process (a process for selecting a selectable resource in step S215 in FIG. 33), which will be described later.

  Information in the recording quality correspondence table DB6 is registered via the recording quality correspondence input unit P13. For example, the user designates a keyword expressing the recording mode via the recording quality corresponding input unit P13, and the user himself / herself selects and registers an ID of a resource capable of realizing a function corresponding to the keyword. In Example 2 of FIG. The user registers a recording method for compression recording with the H.264 transcoder with the keyword “digital normal”. R3 and R4 of recorder C and R7 of recorder A, which are resources capable of H.264 recording, are designated as resources that can be used in “digital normal”. After registering the keyword, the user designates the recording mode by the registered keyword when inputting the recording reservation in the recording reservation input unit P7 described later.

  The resource priority may be individually set by the user when registering in the recording quality correspondence table DB 6, but may be specified collectively in units of recorders. For example, if a user likes or dislikes an individual recorder itself, such as a loud sound, poor performance, or recording failure, this is designated as a resource priority. Furthermore, the priority of resources may be changed dynamically. For example, it is possible to make the recordable remaining amount uniform by sequentially changing the priority every time recording is performed so that the priority of the internal resources becomes higher in the order of the recorder having the largest recordable remaining amount.

  On the other hand, the recording quality correspondence table DB 6 of Example 1 in FIG. 9 includes the normal / high level as a recording mode that can be designated at the time of recording reservation, and coefficient information (the remaining amount at the high level) when calculating the remaining recordable amount. ) Is recorded in association with the recorder. The normal high level represents the recording mode (image quality). The remaining amount at the high level indicates, for example, how much the remaining recording amount is when the image quality is designated as a high level compared to when the normal is designated. For example, when the high level is “0.33” and the high level is designated, it indicates that the recordable amount is 0.33 when the normal is designated rather than when the normal is designated. In Example 1, the priority of the recording resource is set in the used device performance table / state table DB1 of FIG. For example, all the recording resources of company T deck 1 have a priority of 1.

  The recording quality correspondence table can have various forms as in Examples 1 and 2, but the processing of the resource allocation unit P1 described later will be described based on the form of Example 2.

  FIG. 11 shows an example (example 1) of the device prohibition constraint table DB7. FIG. 12 shows an example (example 2) (integrated table on the right side of the figure) of the device prohibition constraint condition table DB7. Example 2 in FIG. 12 is an example when the recorder configuration in FIG. 5 is assumed.

  The device prohibition constraint table DB7 (integrated table) of Example 2 in FIG. 12 expresses the exclusive relationship (cannot be used simultaneously) of the recording resources of the recorders A to C in FIG. 5 as a constraint. “○” indicates that it can be used simultaneously, and “×” indicates that it cannot be used simultaneously. For example, when the recording resource R1 is used, the recording resources R2, R4 to R8 are not exclusive because there are no competing functional components (can be used at the same time), but the recording resource R3 cannot be used at the same time. Further, when the recording resource R5 is used, the formatter C is occupied, so that the recording resources R3 and R4 cannot be used. Information of the device prohibition constraint condition table DB7 is registered via the constraint condition input unit P12. For example, when the user registers information (restriction conditions) of each recorder in the remote controller 1, the information is transferred from each recorder via the restriction condition input unit P12, and is integrated and stored as one device prohibition restriction condition table. Alternatively, the user manually registers from the constraint condition input unit P12.

  In Example 2 of FIG. 12, the constraint conditions of the recorders are integrated, and an integrated table (device prohibition constraint condition table) is created by integrating the constraint conditions. It is assumed that there are no constraints across recorders when integrating. For this reason, for example, for the resource R8 of the recorder A and the resources R6 and R7 of the recorder B, the R8 row R6 and R7 columns and the R6 and R7 row R8 columns are all marked with no restriction. If the user wants to specify that the recorder A and the recorder B do not want to be used at the same time, x is input to these items.

  On the other hand, the device prohibition constraint condition table DB 7 of Example 1 in FIG. 17 similarly defines the constraint conditions for assigning a recording reservation. For example, the T company deck 1 (recorder) cannot perform normal recording at the same time. In T company deck 2, recording without encoding is prohibited.

  Although the device prohibition constraint condition table can have various forms as in Example 1 and Example 2, the processing of the resource allocation unit P1 described later will be described based on the form of Example 2.

  FIG. 13 shows an example (example 1) of the recording reservation request table DB2. FIG. 14 shows an example (example 2) of the recording reservation request table DB2. Example 2 in FIG. 14 is an example when the recorder configuration in FIG. 5 is assumed.

  The recording reservation request table DB2 of Example 2 in FIG. 14 includes channel information of a program to be recorded, recording time information for specifying a recording start time and a recording end time, mode information for specifying a recording mode of the program, and reservation priority. Reservation data (recording reservation) including etc. is recorded. The recording time information may consist of a recording start time and a recording end time, or may consist of a recording start time and a recording time length. The priority of the reservation is used for sieving when all recording reservations cannot be assigned, for example. Information in the table DB2 is registered through the recording reservation input unit P7, and the recording reservation input unit P7 includes a writing unit for writing the recording reservation into the recording reservation request table DB2. The user may manually register all the information via the recording reservation input unit P7, or a program to be recorded from an electronic program guide distributed on a network server such as the Internet (see FIG. 8B). Registration may be performed by selecting (however, registration of mode information and priority is performed manually by the user).

  On the other hand, the recording reservation request table DB2 of Example 1 of FIG. 13 has the same configuration as that of Example 2.

  1 allocates reservation data (recording reservation) registered in the recording reservation request table DB2 so as to satisfy the device prohibition constraint condition DB7 and the recording quality correspondence table DB6 in accordance with the allocation strategy indicated in the allocation parameter DB8. The resource allocation result is recorded in the recording reservation table DB3. When the recording mode cannot be assigned to an executable recording resource, the recording reservation may be canceled, and when the recording mode can be assigned in another recording mode, the recording mode is changed and assigned. May be. The resource allocation unit P1 includes a reading unit that reads data from each table DB1, DB2, DB6, and DB7. Details of the resource allocation processing by the resource allocation unit P1 will be described later with reference to FIGS. The timing of resource allocation may be when the recording reservation request table DB2 is added or modified, or when the user instructs execution of the resource allocation process.

  FIG. 15 shows an example (Example 1) of the recording reservation table DB3. FIG. 16 shows an example (example 2) of the recording reservation table DB3. Example 1 in FIG. 15 corresponds to the recording reservation request table DB2 in Example 1 in FIG. 13, and Example 2 in FIG. 16 corresponds to the recording reservation request table DB2 in Example 2 in FIG.

  As shown in Example 1 in FIG. 15 and Example 2 in FIG. 16, each requested recording reservation is stored in the recording reservation table DB 3 in association with the identification information of the recorder having the allocated recording resource. Each record in the recording reservation table DB3 corresponds to assigned recording reservation data, for example. In this embodiment, the recording reservation request table DB2 and the recording reservation table DB3 are managed separately. However, common fields may be integrated and these tables may be managed as one table.

  Here, the allocation parameter DB 8 used when the resource allocation unit P1 allocates resources will be described. The allocation parameter DB 8 represents a resource allocation strategy and is set via the allocation parameter input unit P5. For example, (1) keep the recordable remaining amount ratio of each recorder constant, (2) minimize the number of active recorders, (3) minimize the risk of recording failure due to changing broadcast time, etc. There are parameters. The strategy based on this parameter is reflected in the priority of the recording quality correspondence table DB6 of Example 2 of FIG. 10 (or the priority of the used device performance / state table DB1 of Example 1 of FIG. 6) at the time of resource allocation. (Ie, by dynamically changing the priority of the recording resource). For this purpose, the resource allocation unit P1 includes priority setting means.

  When setting the priority according to the strategy (1), for example, the priority is changed so that the priority of the internal recording resource becomes higher in the order of the recorder having the largest recordable remaining amount. Achieve uniformity. The priority is changed every time recording is performed by a recorder, for example. The calculation criteria for the remaining recordable amount may be anything, but may be, for example, normal quality or any other recording quality. The priority of the recording resources in the same recorder may be the same or different.

  When the priority is set according to the strategy (2), for example, the priority may be set for each recorder in the order of the recorder that the user wants to use.

  When setting the priority according to the strategy of (3), for example, the priority of the recording resource of the recorder having the function of automatically updating the recording start time and the recording end time of the set recording reservation according to the change of the broadcast time, It should be higher than the recording resource of a recorder that does not have this function. The priority of the recording resources in the same recorder may be the same or different.

<Function expansion at the time of recording reservation 1-Transmission of recording reservation information->
Next, the function units P2, P3, P8, and DB5 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  FIG. 17 shows an example of the remote control signal data DB5 for each model.

  In the remote control signal data DB5 for each model, for example, in the case of a remote control remotely operated by infrared communication, a control signal correspondence table for performing control such as playback and stop of each recorder (video deck) is recorded. That is, the remote control signal data DB5 for each model stores a control signal for each recorder model.

  The signal data selection unit P3 searches and selects a remote control signal necessary for video operation from the remote control signal data DB5 of the recorder model to be operated.

  The reservation allocation transmitting unit P2 is a control signal (indicating the form of a recording reservation setting instruction signal) that instructs execution of each recording reservation in the recording reservation table DB3 (recording reservation list) obtained as a result of the resource allocation process by the resource allocation unit P1. Or may have a form of a recording start signal and a recording end signal transmitted from the remote control at a timing according to the recording start time and the recording end time as will be described later). To do. At the time of transmission, the reservation allocation transmission unit P2 selects a control signal corresponding to each recorder model via the signal data selection unit P3.

  As described above, the remote control signal may be transmitted by prompting the user to point the remote control (recording reservation device) 1 to the signal receiving unit of the recorder and then performing the button operation by the user. The remote control signal may be distributed via the signal distributor 3 shown in FIG.

  Here, a supplementary explanation will be given for the process of transmitting the recording reservation list to a plurality of recorders.

  Scheduled recording is usually performed on the video (recorder) body. At this time, the remote control is merely used as a “mouse device” for inputting information, and does not transmit the reservation contents to the video (recorder) body. Some recorders can perform scheduled recording editing from a mail or LAN-connected personal computer. In such a recorder, the remote control can be used to send a scheduled recording list by providing a mail transmission and network connection function. However, not all users are connected to the recorder via LAN.

  G code reservation is one of the mechanisms adopted by many recorders. The G code is obtained by encrypting reservation start date and time, recording time, and recording channel information up to one month ahead. The encryption algorithm is private. The user inputs the G code number into the remote controller and transmits it to the recorder. Normally, the remote control itself does not have a decoding function, and the number is sent directly to the recorder body and decoded in the recorder. Therefore, it is feasible to transmit the recording reservation signal to the conventional recorder by transmitting the G code.

  On the other hand, it is also possible to send the control signal for directly pressing the recording button to the recorder based on the recording reservation table DB3 without transmitting the G code. In this case, since the remote control serves as a reservation timer, a counting means for counting the current time is provided in the remote control, and a control signal instructing the start of recording is transmitted at a timing according to the recording start time. A control signal for instructing the end of recording is transmitted at a timing according to the recording end time. At this time, it is necessary to always allow the control signal from the remote controller to reach the recorder.

  When the broadcast time of a program to be recorded is changed due to the influence of a sports broadcast or a special program, if the remote control has a function to collect the change schedule in real time, resource allocation (rescheduling) according to the program change is performed. It is also possible to transmit a recording reservation or recording start control signal to the recorder as soon as possible before the broadcast start time. As a result, even a recorder that does not have a function of following the recording time change can be adapted to the broadcast time zone change.

  This is the end of the supplementary explanation.

  The reservation confirmation unit P8 has a function of presenting the contents of the recording reservation table DB3 to the user. The reservation confirmation unit P8 can cause the user to confirm the list of assigned recording reservations registered in the recording reservation table DB3 by presenting the contents of the recording reservation table DB3 to the user.

<Function expansion at recording reservation 2-Addition and update of target recorder>
Next, the function units P10 and P11 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The signal data update unit 10 edits the registered signal data in the remote control signal data DB 5 for each model and registers new signal data. For example, when the user acquires a new recorder and the remote control signal data of the recorder is not registered in the remote control signal data DB 5, the user inputs the remote control signal data of the new model using the signal data update unit 10. Thus, the remote control signal data DB5 for each model is updated.

  The signal data obtaining unit P11 obtains a new remote control signal, for example, when the manufacturer updates the remote control signal, and changes the contents of the remote control signal data DB5 with the obtained remote control signal. The signal data obtaining unit P11 may obtain the remote control signal data provided by the manufacturer via the personal computer through the personal computer and register it in the remote control signal data DB 5, for example, or the dedicated remote control attached to the newly obtained recorder. May be received directly and registered in the remote control signal data DB5. Further, the signal data obtaining unit P11 may have a function of changing the contents of the remote control signal data DB5 so that signals that are mixed between recorders cannot be used.

<Content playback function>
Next, the function units P4, P9, and DB4 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The recorded program table updating unit P4 determines whether or not the recording has been completed by monitoring the recording end time for the reserved recording already allocated in the recording reservation table DB3 by using a counting unit that counts the current time. The data of the program for which recording has been completed (allocated recording reservation data) is deleted from the recording reservation table DB3. At the same time, the recorded program table update unit P4 adds the deleted data to the recorded program history table DB4 (that is, moves the data from the recording reservation table DB3 to the recorded program history table DB4).

  An example (example 1) of the recorded program history table DB4 is shown in FIG. 18, and an example (example 2) of the recorded program history table DB4 is shown in FIG. Example 1 in FIG. 18 corresponds to the recording reservation table DB3 in Example 1 in FIG. 15, and Example 2 in FIG. 19 corresponds to the recording reservation table DB3 in Example 2 in FIG. The broadcast date / time field of the table DB4 uses the value of the recording start time field of the recording reservation table DB3.

  The recorded program selection unit P9 presents the contents of the recorded program history table DB4 to the user, selects a program to be viewed, and transmits a content reproduction control signal to the recorder that has recorded the selected program. The recorded program selection unit P9 may transmit an input switching signal so that the input to the selected recorder is switched to the television or the video selector device (video switching device) before or after transmitting the signal to the recorder. Good (see FIG. 2).

  The recorded program selection unit P9 may receive selection of content (program) to be deleted from the user, and delete data of the program instructed by the user from the recorded program history table DB4. At this time, a content deletion control signal may be transmitted to the recorder in which the program is recorded.

  Viewing age restriction information or the like may be added to the recorded program history table DB 4 to change the list presented by the user who performs the remote control operation. In addition to the program name, attribute information about the program (series episode #, name of performer, genre information, etc.) may be recorded, and a search and filtering function may be provided.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow at the time of recording reservation in the remote controller 1 of FIG.

  The constraint conditions of the recorders used by the user and the constraint conditions between the recorders are input via the constraint condition input unit P12, and the input constraint conditions are integrated to generate the device prohibition constraint condition table DB 7 (S11).

  Also, the user determines an allocation parameter (recordable allocation strategy), and inputs the determined parameter from the parameter input unit P5 as an allocation parameter DB 8 (S12).

  Further, the recordable remaining amount of each recorder is set in the used device performance / state table D1 via the used device information input unit P6 (S13). It is assumed that other items of the used device performance / state table D1 have been registered in advance. Once the recordable remaining amount is registered in the recorder, the recordable remaining amount is automatically updated every time recording is completed.

  Further, the user registers a recording reservation (information on a scheduled recording program) in the recording reservation request table DB2 via the recording reservation input unit P7 (S14).

  Next, when the resource allocation unit P1 receives, for example, a resource allocation processing instruction input from a user or when a recording reservation is added (or deleted) to the recording reservation request table DB2, the resource allocation is performed according to the allocation parameter DB8. By performing the process (optimum allocation calculation), a recording reservation list is created, and the created recording reservation list is registered in the recording reservation table DB 3 (S15). Details of the processing of the resource allocation unit P1 will be described later.

  If the user confirms the contents of the recording reservation table DB3 using the reservation confirmation unit P8 and changes the broadcast time or the like (there is S16), the process returns to step S14 to record the recording reservation (information about the scheduled recording program). Re-input to the reservation request table DB2. The resource allocation unit P1 performs a resource allocation process based on the re-recorded recording reservation request table DB2, creates a recording reservation list, and updates (overwrites) the recording reservation table DB3 with the re-created recording reservation list.

  When the contents of the recording reservation table DB3 are not changed (No in S16), the reservation allocation transmitting unit P2 transmits a control signal instructing setting of each recording reservation to each recorder based on the recording reservation table DB3 (S17). Alternatively, a recording start control signal and a recording end control signal are transmitted at timings corresponding to the recording start time and the recording end time, respectively. As a control signal for each recorder, a control signal corresponding to the recorder model is acquired using the signal data selection unit P3.

  The recorded program table update unit P4 compares the recording end time with the current time in the recording reservation table DB3 to detect a recorded program, and the detected program data (allocated recording reservation data) is recorded in the recording reservation table. Move from DB3 to recorded program history table DB4 (S18). At this time, reservation data (recording reservation) corresponding to the data is deleted from the recording reservation request table DB2.

  The remaining recordable amount of the recorder that has recorded the data added to the recorded program history table DB4 (allocated recording reservation data) is updated to the utilization device performance / state table DB1 (S19). This update may be automatically performed by the recorded program table update unit P4 or other functional units, or may be manually performed by the user via the use device information input unit P6. The update amount can be calculated from the recording end time, the recording start time, the recording mode, and the like.

  Thereafter, when further recording reservation is made (with S20), the process returns to step S14. When recording reservation is not performed, the user determines whether there is a change in the recorder configuration (without S20) (S21), and when there is a change (with S21), the process returns to step S11 to use device performance / state table. Set DB1. If there is no change in the recorder configuration (no S21), this flow ends.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow at the time of content reproduction in the remote controller 1.

  The user refers to the contents of the recorded program history table DB4 using the recorded program selection unit P9 and selects a program (content) to be reproduced (S31).

  The recorded program selection unit P9 specifies a recorder in which the selected program is recorded (S32), and instructs the signal data selection unit P3 of the model of the recorder. (S33).

  The recorded program selection unit P9 sends an input switching signal to the video playback device (television) or video so that the input of the video playback device (television) or video selector device is switched to the recorder in which the selected program is recorded. The data is transmitted to the selector device (S34).

  The recorded program selection unit P9 receives, from the signal data selection unit P3, a control signal that instructs the corresponding recorder to reproduce the program (content) selected in step S31 when the user presses the playback button on the remote control. (S35).

  Thereafter, if another program (content) is to be reproduced (returned to S36), the process returns to step S31. Otherwise, the present flow is terminated.

<Resource allocation process associated with update process of recording reservation request table DB2>
As the contents of the recording reservation request table DB2 are updated, it is necessary to re-execute resource allocation and update the recording reservation table DB3. At this time, the recording has already started or the item immediately before the recording start time cannot be changed, and resource allocation is performed using the item as a fixed reservation. However, when the data of the recording reservation table DB3 has already been transmitted to each recorder, there are recorders that can delete / modify the reservation contents remotely, and recorders that cannot change the recording reservations that have been set once, so this corresponds to the latter. Recording reservations are allocated as fixed reservations that cannot be changed. When the user directly deletes the reservation by operating a recorder that cannot change the reservation remotely, by editing the recording reservation table DB3 directly from the reservation confirmation unit P8 in FIG. 1 and deleting the corresponding reservation item. The fixed reservation may be canceled.

<Share recording schedule>
A method for making up for resource shortages by providing a mechanism for sharing recording reservations among multiple remote controllers is shown below.

  Assume that there is a user 1 who owns recorders A and B and a user 2 who owns recorders C and D as shown in FIG. When the users 1 and 2 input a recording reservation to their own remote controllers 1a and 1b, it may be impossible to satisfy all of them with only the recorder group that they own. In such a case, this problem can be solved by sharing the recording reservations of the user 1 and the user 2. For example, a part or all of the recording reservation that cannot be realized only by the recorders A and B by the user 1 is executed using the recorders C and D of the user 2. Such sharing of the recording reservation can be realized by performing the flow process shown in FIG. 21 between the remote controllers 1a and 1b of the users 1 and 2.

  A remote controller ID that can distinguish the remote controllers 1a and 1b from each other is prepared in advance, and a data communication path is established between the two remote controllers 1a and 1b (S41). Each of the remote controllers 1a and 1b includes data communication means for performing data communication with each other.

  One of the remote controllers 1a and 1b is designated as the master unit. The other remote controller automatically becomes a slave (S42). The parent machine is designated by, for example, pressing a specific button on the remote controller serving as the parent machine.

  The used device performance / state table DB1, the device prohibition restriction condition table DB7, the recording quality correspondence table DB6, and the recording reservation request table DB2 are transmitted from the child device to the parent device (S43).

  The resource allocation unit P1 of the parent device merges each table DB1, DB7, DB6, DB2 transmitted from the child device in step S43 with the tables DB1, DB7, DB6, DB2 in the parent device (S44). At this time, among the data in each merged table, the remote controller ID of the slave unit is appended to the slave unit data so that each data can be distinguished from the slave unit or the master unit. .

  The resource allocation unit P1 of the parent device re-executes the resource allocation process based on each merged table (S45). At this time, when the recording reservation of the same program is included in the recording reservation request merge table on the parent device side and the child device side, the priority of one reservation may be lowered.

  Each data in the recording reservation list obtained as a result of the re-execution (rescheduling) is appended with a remote control ID for distinguishing whether the recording person in charge is a master unit or a slave unit and transmitted to the slave unit (S46). The slave unit records the received recording list in the recording reservation table DB3 of the slave unit (S47). Note that a remote control ID for distinguishing whether the recording person in charge is a master unit or a slave unit may also be appended to the recording reservation table DB3 of the master unit.

The resource allocation unit P1 of the parent device deletes the used device performance / state table DB1, the device prohibition restriction condition table DB7, and the recording quality correspondence table DB6 received from the child device from the corresponding merge tables (S48).
Thereafter, the data communication path between the two remote controllers 1a and 1b is closed (S49).

  Each remote controller 1a, 1b sets the recording reservation assigned to each recorder (S50). The recording reservation with the remote control ID not belonging to itself is not transmitted to the recorder, and moves to the recorded program history table DB4 with the remote control ID added after the broadcast ends.

  Details of the resource allocation unit P1 in FIG. 1 will be described below.

  FIG. 22 is a detailed block diagram of the resource allocation unit P1 in FIG. The resource allocation unit P1 includes a storage medium that stores a reservation group extraction unit 11, an order calculation unit 12, an allocation order determination unit 13, a sequential allocation unit 14, a reservation data conversion unit 16, work data 15, and weight definition data 17. Is done.

  The reservation group extracting unit 11 extracts a reservation group that affects resource allocation of a recording reservation (hereinafter simply referred to as reservation) that has been added, deleted, or changed from the recording reservation request table DB2. The order calculation means 12 calculates the order of the reservation based on the device prohibition constraint condition table DB and further based on the resource exclusive relationship with the resource set of other reservations with overlapping time zones. The order will be described later. The allocation order determining means 13 determines an appropriate order for allocating resources to the reservation based on the order and the priority of the reservation. The sequential allocation means 14 sequentially allocates according to the determined allocation order so as to satisfy the exclusive relationship with the resources allocated to other competing allocated reservations.

  In the following, for the sake of simplicity, a case where there is one target recorder will be described as an example. An example of the input processing means of this one recorder is shown in FIG. The input processing means 6 includes a tuner A 40 and a tuner B 41 that receive digital broadcast waves, a tuner 42 that receives analog broadcast waves, and an H.264 digital signal. H.264 for recompression in H.264 format. H.264 transcoder 43, MPEG2 encoder 44 for compressing and digitizing analog signals in MPEG2 format, recording data formatter A45 for converting digital broadcast signals into a format writable on a recording medium, data formatter B46, compression The recording data formatter C47 is configured to buffer the converted signal and convert it into a format writable on a recording medium. The broadcast data recording means 7 includes a hard disk drive and DVD drive for recording broadcast data, and a recording control means for controlling. There may be a case where a part of the broadcast data recording means 7 corresponds to a recording resource that is automatically allocated by the resource allocation process.

  FIG. 24 shows an example (example 3) of the used device performance / state table DB 7 in the case of the recorder having the configuration of FIG. That is, this table DB 7 shows the definition of recording resources. As described above, the recording resource does not indicate an individual tuner or the like, but is handled as a combination of several functional parts that must be used simultaneously during recording. For example, resource R1 is a set of digital tuner A and formatter A, and resource R3 is digital tuner A, formatter C, H.264. Refers to a set of H.264 transcoders. When there are a plurality of target recorders, a field for identifying the recorder may be added as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 25 shows an example (example 3) of the device prohibition constraint condition table DB 7 when the recording resource of FIG. 24 is defined. For example, when the resource R1 is used, the resources R2, R4, and R5 are not exclusive because there are no competing functional components, but the resource R3 cannot be used at the same time. Further, when the resource R5 is used, the formatter C is occupied, so that the recording resources R3 and R4 cannot be used. When there are a plurality of target recorders, the device prohibition constraint condition table for each recorder may be integrated as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 26 shows an example (example 3) of the recording quality correspondence table DB6 in the case of the recorder having the configuration of FIG. In this example, each program is digital broadcast or analog broadcast, and the recording mode is normal or H.264. Three types of recording modes (resource patterns or keywords) are defined by H.264 designation. In the example (example 2) of the recording quality correspondence table DB6 shown in FIG. 10 described above, a priority field is provided. However, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, there is no priority set for each recording resource. An example of is shown.

  Note that the examples of FIGS. 23 to 26 are illustrative examples, and will be described based on this example in the following description. However, the present invention is versatile enough to cope with any functional component configuration. Have.

  Next, the reservation competition relationship modeling by the reservation conflict network, which is the basis of the processing of the resource allocation unit P1, will be described with reference to FIGS. 27 and 28. FIG. FIG. 27 shows an example in which the recording times of a plurality of reserved programs are arranged along the time axis. FIG. 28 shows an example in which the reservation in FIG. 27 is expressed as a reservation conflict network. In FIG. 28, each vertex in the network indicates a reserved program, and when two vertices are connected by a side (connection arc), it indicates that the recording time zones partially overlap between the reservations. For example, program A and program B are connected to each other because the recording time zones partially overlap, but program F is not connected to each other because the recording time zone does not directly overlap with any reservation.

  As another example of a reservation contention network, there may be a case where only recordings whose recording times partially overlap each other and whose recording resources available for each reservation are mutually exclusive are mutually connected. An example is shown in FIG. Here, if the analog broadcast recording resource R5 follows the exclusive relationship shown in FIG. 25, the digital broadcast recording resources R1 and R2 are not in an exclusive relationship. Not connected. If a digital broadcast program has a user H.264. If there is a reservation with H.264 designation, the reservation uses the recording resources R3 and R4, so there is an exclusive relationship, and the reservation is connected in the reservation conflict network.

  Next, the function of the reservation group extraction unit 11 will be described with reference to FIG. The reservation group extracting means 11 uses a reservation newly added / deleted or changed in time by changing the broadcast time or program extension as a base reservation, and a plurality of reservation groups connected to the base reservation on the reservation conflict network. A reservation group that interacts with the recording resource allocation to the base reservation is extracted and reassigned. The fact that a certain reservation is linked with the base reservation means that there is a path from the node corresponding to the base reservation to the reservation on the network, and the time does not always overlap directly with the base reservation. In the example of FIG. 27, as shown in FIG. 30, if a program D (indicated by a thick frame) is a base reservation, programs A, B, C, D, and E are extracted as the reservation group 1. If program H is a base reservation, programs G, H, I, and J are extracted as reservation group 2.

  As described above, the timing of resource allocation may be when the recording reservation request table DB2 is added or modified, or when the user instructs execution of the resource allocation process. Are items that have been added or modified. In the latter case, all items are reserved as starting points.

  FIG. 31 shows an outline of the processing of the reservation group extraction unit 11. First, a reservation whose base time reservation and recording time overlap is searched in all reservation data (step S1). If there is no overlapping reservation, the process ends (NO in step S2), and if there is an overlapping reservation (YES in step S2). All reservations found in step S1 are added to the reservation group (step S3). Here, in the case of a reservation in which a base reservation is newly added or a reservation whose time has been changed, the reservation group includes the base reservation, and if the base reservation is a reservation scheduled to be deleted, the reservation group does not include the base reservation itself. .

  Steps S4 to S9 are processes for cascading finding reservations that are not directly connected to the base point reservation.

  First, it is determined whether there is a duplicate check unprocessed reservation in the reservation group. If there is no duplicate check unprocessed reservation (NO in step S4), the process proceeds to a reallocation process for the reservation group. If there is a duplicate check unprocessed reservation remaining (YES in step S4), one reservation A that has not been subjected to duplicate check is acquired from the reservation group (step S5), and the recording time overlaps with the reservation A, and the reservation group still remains. Reservations not included in the search are searched in all reservation data (step S6). If there is such a reservation (YES in step S7), all reservations found in step S6 are added to the reservation group (step S8). Next, reservation A is stored by a method such as setting a flag as having been subjected to duplication check processing (step S9), and the process returns to step S4.

  Note that in the processes of step S1 and step S6, there may be a case where the recording time overlaps and a reservation in which the recording resources available for each reservation are mutually exclusive is searched. This corresponds to a case where only reservations in which recording resources available for each reservation are mutually exclusive are connected to each other as a reservation conflict network.

  Next, the overall processing procedure of the resource allocation unit P1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 32 and 33. FIG. FIG. 32 is an outline of the entire processing procedure of the resource allocation unit P1. First, reservation data and base reservation ID are input from the recording reservation request table DB2 (step S101), and the reservation group extraction unit 11 extracts a reservation group including the base reservation (step S102). If necessary, reservation data conversion is performed. The means 16 performs reservation data conversion and initialization of work data (step S103). Reservation data conversion is to convert a reservation format depending on the video model into a common format used in the allocation algorithm, and the work data is data that is temporarily stored when the allocation process proceeds. The order calculation means 2 performs the order calculation for each reservation (step S104), and the assignment order determination means 13 determines the assignment order according to the order and the priority of the reservation (step S105). Here, in the network, the number of edges coming out from a certain node is referred to as a degree in graph theory terms. For example, in the example of FIG. 29, the order of reservation for program B and program H is two. The sequential allocation unit 14 performs sequential allocation according to the allocation order (step S106), and if necessary, the reservation data conversion unit 16 converts the reassignment result and outputs the reassignment result to the recording reservation table DB3 (step S107).

  The process of step S105 and step S106 is demonstrated in detail using FIG.

  Steps S201 to S212 are details of the allocation order determination process in step S105. First, a reservation A is searched from the reservation group for which the degree is less than the number of available resource candidates and is not yet handled as a network deletion (step S201). Here, a reservation whose degree is less than the number of available resource candidates can always be assigned a resource no matter what other connected reservations are assigned. For this reason, the possibility of succeeding in the resource allocation of the entire reservation group becomes higher if the allocation order is delayed.

  If there is no reservation A whose degree is less than the number of available resource candidates (NO in step S202), the process proceeds to step S207. If there is such a reservation A (YES in step S202), the reservation A is connected to search for one reservation B whose degree has not been updated (step S203). If there is such a reservation B (YES in step S204), the order of reservation B is reduced by the weight of the combination of the resource patterns (recording mode) of reservations A and B, and the order is updated (step S205). If there is no such reservation B (NO in step S204), the reservation A is treated as deleted from the network, loaded on the stack (step S206), and the process returns to step S201.

  Here, a supplementary explanation will be given later regarding the weight of the combination of resource patterns (recording modes) in the order calculation. Further, the deletion from the network may be a means such as setting a flag so that it can be identified that it has been removed from the reservation competing network, and does not erase the information regarding the network connection. The stack is a temporary storage means having a FILO (first in last out) structure. However, as long as the reservation ID can be taken out in the reverse order stored in the processing after step S213, other stacks are used. Means may be used.

  Next, if all reservations in the reservation group are handled as deleted from the network (YES in step S207), the process proceeds to step S213. Otherwise (NO in step S207), priority is given to reservations that are not handled as deleted from the network. One reservation C having the lowest degree is searched (step S208). Further, the reservation C is connected to search for one reservation D whose degree has not been updated (step S209). If there is such a reservation D (YES in step S210), the order of the reservation D is set to the resource pattern of the reservations C and D. The weight of the combination of (recording mode) is reduced, the order is updated, and the process returns to step S209 (step S211). If there is no such reservation D (NO in step S210), the reservation C is treated as deleted from the network, loaded on the stack, and the process returns to step S201 (step S212).

  Steps S213 to S215 are details of the sequential allocation process of step S106. If the stack is empty (YES in step S213), it is determined that all the reallocation processes have been completed, and the process ends. If the stack is not empty (NO in step S213), one reservation E is taken out from the top of the stack and treated as being restored to the network (step S214). Find the reserved reservation connected to reservation E from the reservations to be restored on the network, allocate recording resources that do not compete with each other (non-exclusive relationship), and if allocation is impossible, flag allocation failure The process returns to step S213 (step S215). Here, as described a little earlier, when a priority is set for a resource as in the recording quality correspondence table DB6 (example 2) in FIG. 10, this priority is set when selecting a selectable resource. As an index, one with a high priority is preferentially selected.

  In the process of step S215, if it is determined that the allocation is impossible because there is no free resource, the resource allocated before the re-allocation or the resource desired by the user is allocated temporarily and broadcasted. When recording is performed by the data recording means 7, there may be a case where processing such as partial recording is performed in a state where a part of the reservation is missing. Further, when the reservation information includes information on the recording resource desired by the user, if the recording resource desired by the user can be assigned in the process of step S215, the reservation information may be pre-assigned preferentially.

  FIG. 34 shows an example of the processing of FIG. Here, five reservations A, B, C, D, and E are extracted as reservation groups and are to be reassigned. It is assumed that reservations A and B have the highest priority, D and E have normal priority, and C has the lowest priority. (1) to (5) correspond to the allocation order determination process in step S105, and (6) to (10) correspond to the sequential allocation process in step S106. In each reservation competing network, the reservation surrounded by a dotted rectangle is regarded as being deleted from the network.

  Finally, a supplementary description will be given of the weight of the combination of resource patterns (recording modes) in the order calculation with reference to FIGS. In the order calculation in the present embodiment, the connection weights are not necessarily 1 even among the reservations connected to each other, and may be asymmetric. For example, in the example of the recording resource in FIG. 23, if the definitions in FIGS. 24 to 26 are followed, the set values of the weights are as shown in FIG. 35 according to the combination of resource patterns (recording modes). The weight definition data 17 in FIG. 22 defines weights according to such combinations of resource patterns (recording modes). In the method for determining the value of the resource weight, in the reservation connected to the reservation subject to the degree calculation, the recording resource set exclusive of the reservation subject to the degree calculation in the selectable recording resource set of the reservation is selected. Assume that the recording resource with the largest number is selected. Then, the number of recording resources in the exclusive relationship with the recording resource in the reservation selectable resource set to be the order calculation target is set as the order weight.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 36, when the reservations A and B of the resource pattern P2 (designated by H.264 in digital broadcasting) are used, the weight at the time of order update is 2. This is because, for example, when resource R2 is used in reservation A, reservation B cannot use both resources R2 and R3 simultaneously due to the exclusive relationship. In the connection between the reservation of the resource pattern P2 and the reservation of the resource pattern P3 (analog broadcasting), the weights are asymmetric. For example, if R2 or R3 is used in the reservation A, the reservation C cannot use R5, but if the reservation C uses R5, the reservation A cannot use both R2 and R3 at the same time due to the exclusive relationship. In this example, the order of reservation A is 4, reservation B is 2, and reservation C is 1.

  As described above, according to the remote control (recording reservation device) according to the present embodiment, the recording reservations are collectively received by the user, and the recording reservations received from the user are satisfied while satisfying the predetermined constraints. By appropriately allocating the recording mode to the executable recording resource, the user does not need to individually make a recording reservation for each recorder, and efficient recording reservation is possible. That is, it is possible to realize reservation optimization among a plurality of recorders by assigning recording reservations on the remote controller side and transmitting only the assignment result to each recorder as a normal recording reservation.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce user trouble (recorder selection, content search, etc.) during content playback by managing the recording history with a remote controller.

  Note that the recording reservation device according to the present embodiment described above can also be realized by using, for example, a general-purpose computer device as basic hardware. That is, each functional unit included in the recording reservation apparatus can be realized by causing a processor mounted on the computer apparatus to execute a program. At this time, the recording reservation apparatus may be realized by installing the above program in a computer device in advance, or may be stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or distributed through the network. Thus, this program may be realized by appropriately installing it in a computer device.

1: Remote control 2: TV (video playback device)
3: Signal distributors A to D: Recorder DB1: Used device performance / state table DB2: Recording reservation request table DB3: Recording reservation table DB4: Recorded program history table DB5: Remote control signal data DB6: Recording quality correspondence table DB7: Device Prohibition constraint condition table DB8: allocation parameter P1: resource allocation unit P2: reservation allocation transmission unit P3: signal data selection unit P4: recorded program table update unit P5: allocation parameter input unit P6: utilization device information input unit P7: recording reservation Input unit P8: Reservation confirmation unit P9: Recorded program selection unit P10: Signal data update unit P11: Signal data acquisition unit P12: Restriction condition input unit P13: Input unit for recording quality

Claims (8)

A single unit independent of the plurality of recorders , which processes recording reservations for a plurality of recorders each having one or more recording resources for recording broadcast programs and capable of simultaneously recording one or more broadcast programs. A recording reservation device ,
A recording reservation input unit for inputting a recording reservation that specifies channel information of a program to be reserved, recording time information for specifying a recording start time and a recording end time of the program, and a recording mode information of the program;
A recording reservation request table for storing a plurality of recording reservations input by the recording reservation input unit;
A device prohibition constraint table that stores a combination of recording resources that prohibits simultaneous use among the plurality of recording resources of the plurality of recorders;
A recording quality correspondence table for storing identification information of recording resources capable of executing the recording mode for each of a plurality of recording modes;
Based on the device prohibition constraint condition table and the recording quality correspondence table, a resource allocation unit that performs a recording resource allocation process for the plurality of recording reservations in the recording reservation request table;
A reservation assignment transmitting unit for transmitting a control signal instructing execution of each of the plurality of recording reservations to a recorder having a recording resource to which the plurality of recording reservations are respectively assigned;
A recording reservation apparatus characterized by comprising: A priority setting means for setting priority to the plurality of recording resources of the plurality of recorders;
The resource allocation unit performs the recording resource allocation process according to the priority set for each of the plurality of recording resources, and there are a plurality of recording resources as allocation candidates for one of the plurality of recording reservations. The recording reservation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording resource is assigned to a recording resource with the highest priority. 3. The recording reservation according to claim 2, wherein the priority setting unit sets a priority of a recording resource of a recorder having a large recordable remaining amount higher than a recording resource of a recorder having a small recordable remaining amount. apparatus. The priority setting means sets the priority of the recording resource of the recorder having the function of automatically updating the recording start time and the recording end time of the set recording reservation for the program in accordance with a change in the broadcast time of the program. The recording reservation device according to claim 2, wherein the recording reservation device is set higher than a recording resource of a recorder that does not have a recording medium. It further comprises counting means for counting the current time,
The reservation allocation transmitting unit transmits a control signal instructing execution of recording at a timing corresponding to the recording start time for each recording reservation to which the recording resource is allocated, and a timing corresponding to the recording end time. The recording reservation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a control signal instructing execution of recording end is transmitted. Counting means for counting the current time;
Detecting means for detecting a recording reservation in which a recording end time has elapsed among individual recording reservations to which the recording resource is allocated;
The recorded recording that presents the detected recording reservation content to the user, receives a program playback instruction from the user, and transmits a control signal instructing playback of the program specified in the program playback instruction to the recorder that recorded the program A program selector,
The recording reservation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: Second recording reservation apparatus for processing recording reservations for a plurality of second recorders each having one or a plurality of recording resources for recording broadcast programs and capable of simultaneously recording one or a plurality of broadcast programs A data communication unit for performing data communication with
The data communication unit receives the second device prohibition constraint condition table, the second recording reservation request table, and the second recording quality correspondence table from the second recording reservation device;
The resource allocation unit
Based on the device prohibition constraint condition table, the second device prohibition constraint condition table, the recording quality correspondence table, and the second recording quality correspondence table, the recording reservation request table and the second recording reservation request table Allocate recording resources for multiple recording reservations in both,
The data communication unit transmits information on the plurality of recording reservations to the second recording reservation apparatus in association with identification information of a recorder or a second recorder having a recording resource to which the plurality of recording reservations are respectively assigned. The recording reservation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording reservation apparatus is a recording reservation apparatus. A single unit independent of the plurality of recorders, which processes recording reservations for a plurality of recorders each having one or more recording resources for recording broadcast programs and capable of simultaneously recording one or more broadcast programs. a recording reservation method executed by a computer mounted on one of the video-recording programming apparatus,
A recording reservation input unit inputs a recording reservation specifying channel information of a program to be reserved, recording time information for specifying a recording start time and a recording end time of the program, and recording mode information of the program. ,
The writing means writes a plurality of recording reservations input by the recording reservation input unit to the recording reservation request table,
The reading means can execute the recording mode for each of a plurality of recording modes, and data of a device prohibition constraint condition table storing a combination of recording resources for prohibiting simultaneous use among the plurality of recording resources of the plurality of recorders Read out the recording quality correspondence table data that stores the identification information of the recording resources,
A resource allocation unit performs a recording resource allocation process for the plurality of recording reservations in the recording reservation request table based on the device prohibition restriction condition table and the recording quality correspondence table,
The reservation allocation transmitting unit transmits a control signal instructing execution of each of the plurality of recording reservations to a recorder having a recording resource to which the plurality of recording reservations are respectively allocated.
A recording reservation method characterized by the above.

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