JP2003006995A - Disk region management method, client device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the occurrence of contradiction between management data and contents data management. SOLUTION: The client device is provided with a region securing means 23 which acquires the management data and contents data from data provided from a network, writes the data length of the management data among those in a disk management data region, secures a data area corresponding to the data length in a disk contents data area and stores the data area data into the management data region, a writing control means 24 which successively writes the contents data in the contents data area, a judging means 26 which outputs a write amount as effective data information whenever data relating to the write amount of contents data reach setting data defined in advance and an effective data information updating means to update the effective data information stored in the management data region on the basis of the effective data information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disk area management method, a client device and a program for managing a disk area for storing content data such as movies and music.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the Internet, CATV system, etc., content data such as movies and music are collectively delivered from a content server to a requesting client device based on a content acquisition request from the client device, and the content data is sent to the client device side. A content service method is adopted in which the content is stored in an installed disk device.

In such a content service method, since the required content data is stored in advance on the disk of the client device side, the user can use the content data when needed, which is a problem with the content service methods long ago. There is no complaint that the processing time corresponding to the content transmission time that has been extended is prolonged, and it is possible to improve the degradation of service to the user.

By the way, conventionally, a content server such as a cache server provides content data to a requesting client device according to an instruction from a service provider or a content income request from a client device. For example, in the case of performing distribution processing in real time on the server machine side and in the case of performing distribution processing in advance 2
Since there is a street and priority is given to the case of real-time distribution processing, it can be interrupted during the provision of content data,
In addition, it may be interrupted due to factors such as the Internet or CATV network.

On the other hand, the disk area management method on the client device side divides content management data (metadata) such as content attributes and data length inserted in a packet into original content data, and the content data is stored in a logical disk. In addition to storing, the data area of the logical disk is confirmed after the content data is stored, and the confirmed data area is put in the content management data described above for management.

[0006]

Therefore, in the above-described disk area management method, the above-mentioned service provider and the content server are convenient for the Internet and C.
The content data may be interrupted during the transmission due to the cause of the ATV network, or the connection may be interrupted during the reception of the content due to a problem of the client device itself.

When such a situation occurs, the synchronization management of the content management data including the data area in which the content data is stored and the actually stored content data becomes insufficient, and the management of the management data and the content data becomes insufficient. However, there is a problem in that some or all of the disk area becomes unusable and the content data cannot be read.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a disk area management method, a client device, and a program for avoiding a contradiction between management data and content data. .

[0009]

(1) In order to solve the above problems, a disk area management method according to the present invention for managing a management data area and a content data area provided in a disk is provided from a network. The data length included in the management data acquired from the received data is stored in the management data area, and an area corresponding to this data length is secured in advance in the content data area, and the secured data area data is stored in the management data area. It is a method to write in.

According to the present invention, since the content data area is secured and managed based on the data length included in the management data in advance by using the method as described above, the contradiction between the management data and the content data management occurs in advance. It is possible to prevent

(2) Further, the disk area management method according to the present invention for managing the management data area and the content data area provided in the disk acquires the management data and the content data from the received data provided on the network. Then, an area corresponding to the data length included in the management data is secured in advance in the content data area, and the step of writing the secured data area data in the management data area and the writing of the content data to be written in the content data area. This is a method of updating the valid data information stored in the valid data area of the management data area as the valid data information as the write data amount of the content data each time the data related to the write data amount reaches the predetermined write setting data. .

According to the present invention, by using the method as described above, every time the data related to the write data amount of the content data to be written in the content data area reaches the predetermined write setting data, the effective data in the management data area is set. Since the effective data information stored in the area is updated, even if the writing of data is interrupted, the effective data range of the content data in the management data area is clear, so it is necessary to rewrite all the content data. In addition, the network can be used efficiently, and the communication fee can be saved for the user.

(3) Further, a client device according to the present invention, which is provided with a disk having a management data area and a content data area and receives and stores data provided on the network, stores the data provided on the network. Receiving means for receiving and acquiring management data and content data from this received data, and writing the data length included in the management data acquired by this receiving means into the management data area, and also creating a data area corresponding to this data length. Secure in the content data area,
After securing the data area in the management data area and the data area securing means for storing the secured data area data in the management data area, the content data acquired by the receiving means is sequentially written in the data area of the content data area. The content data write control unit to be inserted and the write data amount of the content data is output as valid data information each time the data related to the write data amount of the content data to be written by the write control unit reaches predetermined write setting data. The effective data determining means and the effective data information updating means for updating the effective data information stored in the management data area based on the effective data information output from the determining means.

Therefore, since the client device according to the present invention secures and manages the content data area based on the data length included in the management data in advance, it prevents occurrence of a contradiction between the management data and the content data management in advance. Even if data writing is interrupted, the effective data range of the content data in the management data area is clear, so there is no need to rewrite all content data and the network can be used efficiently. In addition, it is possible to save communication charges for the user.

(4) Furthermore, when the data newly provided on the network and received by the constituent element described in the above (3) is interrupted, the valid data information stored in the management data area and the predetermined reproduction. When valid data is compared by valid data and the valid data information is determined to be reproducible or not reproducible depending on whether or not the valid data information exceeds the reproducible data, and when it is determined that the reproducible is determined by this determination means, Reproduction processing control means for reproducing the content data stored in the content data area,
When it is judged by the judging means that the content cannot be reproduced, a re-data requesting means for requesting the provision of the content again to the predetermined server on the network is added.

According to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, since the reproduction valid data is set in advance for each content data when the reception of the content data is interrupted, the content data already stored in the content data area is reproduced. It is possible to know whether or not it is possible, and if the content cannot be reproduced, the content can be promptly provided, and the reliability of the user can be improved.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, prior to describing the disk area management method according to the present invention, an example of the system configuration of the content data service system will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, 1 is the Internet, CA
A network including a TV and other various content service networks, to which a service provider 2 and a content server 3 such as a cache server for accumulating content data such as movies, music and various other visual information are connected. . This network 1
A large number of client devices 4 that receive the content data service are connected to. The client device 4 is composed of a data management control device 5 that executes management control of content data, and a disk device 6 including a logical disk / physical disk.

The content data is provided from the content server 3 to the control device 5 of the requesting client device 4 via the network 1 according to an instruction from the service provider 2 or based on a content acquisition request from the control device 5.

On the other hand, the disk device 6 installed in the client device 4 has a relationship as shown in FIG.
In other words, the disk device 6 when viewed from the application of the control device 5 is a part of the physical disk or RAID.
Even though a plurality of physical disks 11a and 11b are used in a (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disxs) configuration, the logical disks 12 appear to be stored in the area of one continuous disk. In many cases

By the way, the management method, which is the main part of the present invention, is not an essential problem as to how the physical disks are arranged. Therefore, only the logical disk 12 will be described below.

An embodiment of the disk area management method according to the present invention will be described below.

First, the client device 4 according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 3, the logical disk 12 installed in the
4 ”. In the figure, a state in which one management data (indicated by a diagonal line rising to the right in the figure) is written in the management data region 13, and a state in which one content data (a shaded region in the illustration downward to the right) is also written in the content data region Is represented.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a format of management data. The content attribute includes, for example, the name of the content data, the attribute indicating the date and time when the content data is downloaded, the content, the valid period, the number of times of reading, the number of times of reading, and the like. The data length stores the data length of the content data expressed in byte units, KB units, the number of blocks, or the like. The data area stores data of a start position and an end position of a part of the content data area for writing the content data on the disc. Further, in the valid data information, of the content data being written to the disc, information indicating how much data is written on the disc is a byte unit, a KB unit, a block unit, a ratio to the data length, and the content data area 14 The data is written in a format such as a location where data has already been written (for example, the number of bytes from the beginning, the number of KB, the number of blocks).

By the way, while the content data provided from the network 1 is being transmitted, the content data is interrupted due to various causes as described above, and a contradiction occurs between the management data and the content data. The disk area management method as described above is processed so that no contradiction occurs.

One disk area management method is shown in FIG.
And it demonstrates with reference to FIG.

(1) The control device 5, which is a part of the client device 4, extracts the content data from the received packet and writes the content attribute to the content data area 14 of the logical disk 12 as shown in FIG. After obtaining the data length and writing it in the management data area 13, the data area corresponding to this data length is reserved and reserved in the content data area 14, and the reserved data area data is stored in the management data area 13. Write in the area.

(2) The data amount related to the write data amount of the content data, for example, a predetermined ratio (%) or a predetermined data amount (for example, KB) or a predetermined data writing time is set in advance, and the content data is written to the disc. Is written in a predetermined ratio (%) or a predetermined data amount or a predetermined time, it is determined that the written content data amount is valid, and the valid data information already stored in the management data area 13 is used. The effective range of the content data written in the content data area 14 is set by updating the writing ratio or the data amount or time of certain content data.

Incidentally, FIG. 6 shows the contents data area 14
When the ratio of the writing amount of the content data in each data area is set to be valid every 10%, for example, when it reaches 50% of the reserved area in the content data area 14, the valid data information of the management data area 13 is set. It means that it is reflected.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment of the disk area management method, the content data area 14 is reserved in advance according to the data length, and the range of the reserved area is set as the data area of the management data area 13. It is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the reserved area reserved in the content data area 14 is not known because it is written in.

When content data is written at a predetermined rate (%) or a predetermined data amount (for example, KB) or every predetermined time, the written state is updated in the valid data information of the management data area 13. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine which range in the content data area 14 is invalid data. Further, when the writing of the content data is interrupted, at least the data writing area in the content data area 14 described in the valid data information does not need to be rewritten, and it is not necessary to rewrite all the content data after the restart. The service can be improved by that amount, and the reliability of the user can be increased.

Next, FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the disk area management method according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, when it is effective to write the content data in parallel in the content data area 14 from the viewpoint of improving the performance of the disk and other technical points, the management data area 13 is set to When setting the number of data areas and valid data information according to the number of parallel writing, and writing content data at a predetermined rate (%) or a predetermined data amount (for example, KB) or at a predetermined time, each valid data By writing and updating the information in parallel, it is possible to easily prevent the occurrence of a contradiction between the management data and the content data, as in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a client device according to the present invention.

The client device 4 includes a control device 5 including a CPU for executing predetermined management control according to a program stored in the program memory 21 as described above, content data, and management data for managing the content data. And a disk device 6 for storing.

The data management control device 5 receives, for example, a packet or the like transmitted from the network 1 such as the Internet, a CATV network or other various content service networks, and acquires management data and content data from the packet or the like. The data receiving unit 22 for storing the management data relating to the content data acquired by the data receiving unit 22, for example, the content attribute and the data length are stored in the management data area 13 of the disc.
While securing a data area corresponding to the data length in the content data area 14, a data area securing means 23 for storing this data area data in the data area of the management data area 13, and securing a data area in this management data area 13. After that, a content data writing control means 24 for sequentially writing the content data in the data area is provided.

Further, the data management control device 5 takes in the ratio of the contents written in the contents data area or the writing amount or the writing time from the contents data writing control means 24, and a predetermined ratio set in the setting section 25 in advance ( %) Or a predetermined amount of data (for example, KB) or a predetermined time, and when it exceeds the setting data, the content data written in the content data area is determined to be valid data.
Valid data judging means 2 for instructing update of valid data information
6 and the valid data judging means 26 receives the update instruction, the valid data information of the management data area is obtained by using the ratio of the content data written in the content data area which is considered to be valid data, the writing amount or the writing time. A valid data information updating means 27 for updating is provided.

Further, although not shown, a keyboard,
An input device such as a mouse, a display unit for outputting the status of processing results, an output device such as a printer, and a buffer memory for temporarily storing necessary data are provided.

Next, an operation of the client device and a series of processing examples of the program stored in the program memory 21 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the client device 4 starts operating,
The data receiving unit 22 determines whether or not, for example, a packet having the management data and the content data from the network 1 is received. When it is determined that the packet has been received, the content data and the management data are acquired from the packet. Store in buffer memory (not shown) (S
1, S2: required data acquisition function).

Thereafter, the data area securing means 23 extracts the content attribute and the data length from the management data stored in the buffer memory, writes them in the management data area of the disc, and creates a data area corresponding to this data length. Secure in the content data area. Then, the secured data area data is written as the data area of the management data area (S3 to S5: data area securing function).

After the writing of the data area is completed, the content data writing control means 24 sequentially writes the content data stored in the buffer memory into the content data area (S6: content data writing control function).

At this time, the valid data judging means 27 compares the writing of the content data by the content data writing control means 24 with the setting data set in the setting section 25 in advance, and sets the writing of the content data in the content data area. It is judged whether or not the data is exceeded, and if it is, the written content data is judged as valid data, and when the update of the valid data information is instructed, the valid data information updating means 27 determines that the content is valid data. The effective data information in the management data area is updated using the ratio of the content data written in the data area, the write amount, or the write time (S7, S8: valid data determination update function).

Thereafter, it is judged whether or not the writing of all the content data is completed (S9), and if not completed, the process returns to step S6 to repeat the same processing.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the packet data transmitted from the network 1 is received and divided into the content data and the management data, and the data area securing means 23 makes the contents among the management data. After storing the attribute and data length in the management data area of the disk, the content data area of the disk is secured based on this data length, and the range of that area is written as the data area in the management data area. Since the relationship with the area is the same, the contradiction between both data can be avoided in advance.

Also, while writing the content data in the content data area secured in advance, it is compared with, for example, a preset predetermined data amount, and when the write data amount exceeds the set data, it is judged as valid data and managed. Since the valid data information in the content data area is sequentially updated to the data area, the valid data range of the content data area is known even if the content data area is interrupted during transmission, so only the remaining content data needs to be sent. , The content data service can be efficiently performed.

As described above, the program memory 2
Even when the program stored in 1 is read and executed by the client device main body 5 which is a CPU, it is possible to achieve the same effect as described above.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the client device according to the present invention.

The control device 5 constituting the client device 4 is an example in which a configuration relating to a reproduction process when the transmission of content data is resumed after the transmission of the content data is newly added to the configuration shown in FIG.

That is, the control device 5 is composed of a CPU, and it is important whether or not the content data can be used as effective content when the content data is reproduced at the time of restart after transmission interruption. ) Or a predetermined data amount (for example, KB) or a validity determination data setting unit 31 for setting a predetermined time,
Functionally, in response to the restart instruction, for example, the effective data amount described in the effective data information of the data management area of the disk device 6 is compared with a predetermined data amount set in the effective determination data setting unit 31, and the effective data amount is compared. When the amount of data exceeds a predetermined amount of data, a reproducible instruction is transmitted, and when the amount of effective data is less than the prescribed amount of data, a data validity judging means 32 for transmitting a reproduction impossible instruction and reproducible When the instruction is received, it is judged that the data reproduction processing is possible, and the content reproduction data stored in the disk device 6 is read out and reproduced on the display device 33, for example, and the data validity judgment means 32 cannot reproduce. When the instruction is received, the content data stored in the disk device 6 is erased, and a re-data re-execution process is performed to request a new content data again. It is constituted by the requesting means 35. Reference numeral 36 is a program memory for storing the restart processing program. Although not shown, in addition to the program memory 36, a buffer memory for temporarily storing data of processing results and necessary data is provided.

Next, the operation of the client device 4 and a series of processing examples of the data restart processing program stored in the program memory 31 will be described with reference to FIG.

The control device 5 reads the data restart processing program from the program memory 31, stores it in, for example, a buffer memory, and executes the data restart processing program. That is, after the data transmission is interrupted, it is determined whether or not the restart instruction is issued, and when the restart instruction is issued,
The valid data information of the relevant content data stored in the management data area is read, and the valid data information is compared with the setting data corresponding to the relevant content data set in the validity judgment data setting section 31. It is determined whether or not (S11 to S1
3: Data validity judgment function).

As a result of this judgment, when the valid data information exceeds the setting data, the data reproduction processing control is executed, the content data is read from the disk device 6 and reproduced and displayed on the display device 33 (S14, S15: reproduction processing). Control function).

On the other hand, when the valid data information is less than the set data, it is judged that the data cannot be reproduced.
The corresponding content data stored from is deleted, and the same content data is requested again (S16, S17: re-data request function).

After requesting the content data again,
The procedure shifts to the series of program processing shown in FIG.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, when the content data is resumed after being interrupted,
When the valid data information in the management data area is compared with the preset setting data that is the preset validity judgment data, and when the valid data information exceeds the setting data, it is determined that the data can be reproduced, and when the valid data information is less than the setting data. , It is judged that it is meaningless to play, and it is not enough to provide it to the user, so the corresponding content data that has already been written is deleted, and the corresponding content data is requested again, so the transmission of the content data is interrupted. Even at the time of resumption, it is possible to provide the user with content data that is satisfactory to some extent. Further, as described above, even when the program stored in the program memory 36 is read and executed by the client device main body 5 which is a CPU, it is possible to achieve the same effect as described above.

Note that the above-mentioned technique is applied to, for example, the Web.
For cache servers that show data access at high speed, and for home-use game machines that fetch programs and necessary data using the Internet or telephone lines, prevent inconsistencies between management data and content data, Alternatively, it can be similarly applied to shortening the re-transfer time when a communication failure occurs, which can greatly contribute to the saving of communication cost.

In addition, the invention of the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the respective embodiments can be implemented in combination as much as possible, and in that case, the effect of the combination can be obtained. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments includes various inventions of higher and lower stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, when the invention is extracted by omitting some of the constituent elements from all the constituent elements described in the means for solving the problem, the omitted part when implementing the extracted invention. Are appropriately supplemented by well-known techniques.

[0060]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the content data area is secured and managed based on the data length included in the management data, the occurrence of a contradiction between the management data and the content data management in advance. It is possible to provide a disk area management method and a client device that can prevent this.

Further, according to the present invention, even if the writing of data is interrupted, the effective data range of the content data in the management data area is clear, so that it is not necessary to rewrite all the content data, and the network efficiency is improved. It is possible to provide a disk area management method, a client device, and a program that can be used effectively and save the communication charge for the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a content service system to which the method of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a disk device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a data area of a logical disk used in a disk area management method and a client device according to the present invention.

4 is a diagram showing a format of management data stored in a data management area shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state at the time of writing content data as an example of an embodiment of a disk area management method according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of content data writing of 50% as an example of an embodiment of a disk area management method according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the disk area management method according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a client device according to the present invention.

9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the client device shown in FIG. 8 and a series of processing examples of a program.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the client device according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the client device shown in FIG. 10 and a series of processing examples of a program.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Network 4 ... Client device 5 ... Data management control device 6 ... Disk device 11a, 11b ... Physical disks 12 ... Logical disk 13 ... Management data area 14 ... Content data area 21 ... Program memory 22 ... Data receiving means 23 ... Data area securing means 24 ... Content data writing control means 26 ... Means for determining valid data 27 ... Effective data information updating means 32 ... Data validity judging means 34 ... Data reproduction processing control means 35 ... Re-data requesting means

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Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A disk area management method for managing a management data area and a content data area provided in a disk, wherein a data length included in management data obtained from received data provided from a network is stored in the management data area. At the same time, an area corresponding to the data length is secured in the content data area in advance, and the secured data area data is written in the management data area. 2. A disk area management method for managing a management data area and a content data area provided in a disk, wherein management data and content data are acquired from received data provided on a network and included in the management data. An area corresponding to the data length is secured in advance in the content data area, and the secured data area data is written in the management data area, and the write data amount of the content data to be written in the content data area is set. Each time the related data reaches a predetermined write setting data, the write data amount of the content data updates the valid data information stored in the valid data area of the management data area as valid data information. Area management method. 3. The disk area management method according to claim 2, wherein, when the content data can be written in parallel to the content data area, a number corresponding to the number of parallel writes is written in the management data area. A disk area management method comprising forming a data area for writing the data area data and valid data information and the valid data area. 4. A client device, which is provided with a disk having a management data area and a content data area, receives and stores data provided from a network, receives the data provided from the network, and receives the received data. Receiving means for obtaining management data and content data from the device, and writing a data length included in the management data obtained by the receiving means into the management data area, and a data area corresponding to this data length in the content data area. A data area securing unit that secures and stores the secured data area data in the management data area; and after securing a data area in the content data area,
Content data write control means for sequentially writing the content data acquired by the receiving means in the data area of the content data area, and data relating to the write data amount of the content data to be written by the write control means are predetermined. Valid data determining means for outputting the write data amount of the content data as valid data information each time the write setting data is reached, and the valid data stored in the management data area based on the valid data information output from the determining means. A client device comprising: valid data information updating means for updating data information. 5. A computer provided with a disk having a management data area and a content data area, set with predetermined write setting data, and storing and managing data provided from the network, provided from the network. The required data acquisition function for receiving management data and content data from the received data, and writing at least the data length included in the management data acquired by the required data acquisition function into the management data area. A data area securing function of securing a data area corresponding to this data length in the content data area and writing the secured data area data in the management data area, and the content data acquired by the acquisition function Sequentially in the data area of the content data area Each time the data related to the content data write control function to be loaded and the write data amount of the content data to be written by this write control function exceeds the previously set write setting data, the write data amount of the content data is valid data. A program for realizing a valid data judgment function for outputting as information and a valid data information updating function for updating the valid data information stored in the management data area based on the valid data information outputted from this judging function. . 6. The client device according to claim 4, wherein when data provided from the network and received is interrupted, valid data information stored in the management data area and predetermined reproduction valid data are stored. By comparing, the data validity judging means for judging whether the reproduction is possible or not according to whether the valid data information exceeds the reproduction valid data, and the content data area when the reproduction is possible by the judging means. The reproduction processing control means for reproducing the stored content data, and the re-data requesting means for requesting the provision of the content again to the predetermined server on the network when the judging means judges that the reproduction is impossible. A client device characterized by the above. 7. The program according to claim 5, wherein reproduction valid data is set in advance for each content, and a computer that stores and manages data provided on the network is provided and received on the network. When the existing data is interrupted, the effective data information stored in the management data area is compared with the effective reproduction data, and whether the effective data information exceeds the effective reproduction data is reproducible or not reproducible. Data validity judgment function to judge
When it is determined by this determination function that reproduction is possible, a reproduction processing control function for reproducing the content data stored in the content data area, and when it is determined by the determination function that reproduction is impossible, a predetermined server on the network. A program that realizes a re-data request function for requesting to provide content again.