JP2003018512A - Reserved recording/reproducing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reserved recording/reproducing system that can assure the normal execution of timer reserved recording/reproducing operation by securing resources of a channel and a band in timer reservation. SOLUTION: The reserved recording/reproducing system comprises a reservation input section 1 for inputting a program that an operator wishes timer reserved recording/reproduction, a reservation control section 2 for storing timer reservation information that is inputted to the reservation input section 1, switch section 3 for electrically isolating and reconnecting specific equipment and network from and to other networks, and a control section 4 for controlling the reservation input section 1, the reservation control section 2, and the switch section 3. The control section 4 controls a switch section 3 based on timer reservation information stored at the reservation control section 2, and electrically separates and reconnects equipment and a network being reserved by a timer from and to other networks.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reservation recording / reproducing system in a network system in which a plurality of devices are connected via a plurality of networks.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an AV (Audio Visual) device represented by a television receiver (hereinafter, TV), a video tape recorder, a video disc player & recorder, a digital video camera (hereinafter, DVC), and a personal computer ( PC, HDD, etc.
An environment has been established in which peripheral devices can be connected with a high-speed digital interface to communicate multimedia data. This high-speed digital interface includes an IEEE 1394 serial bus and a USB (U
However, especially in AV devices, the number of devices adopting the IEEE 1394 serial bus as a digital interface for data transfer is increasing, and it has become a standard digital interface in the field of home appliances. Is coming.

As a communication system of the IEEE 1394 serial bus, isochronous (Is) for real-time transmission is used.
There are two modes: asynchronous transfer and asynchronous transfer for asynchronous data transmission. Isochronous transfer is used for data that requires synchronous transmission such as moving images and audio, and asynchronous transfer is used for data such as control signals and still images. Transfer is used.
In an environment in which a plurality of AV devices are connected using a digital interface typified by the IEEE 1394 serial bus and multimedia data and control signals can be communicated, a certain device connected to the bus is The operation of the device is controlled. A typical example thereof is a timer reservation function in the recording / reproducing operation of multimedia data.

Further, isochronous transfer in the IEEE 1394 serial bus is carried out at regular intervals (125 μsec) called an isochronous cycle, and even when mixed with asynchronous transfer, it is guaranteed that a minimum of 100 μsec can be used for isochronous transfer as an initial value. ing.

In the IEEE 1394 serial bus, IR
M (Isochronous Resource Ma
nager) manages resources of channels and bands, and it is necessary to acquire these resources from the IRM when performing isochronous transfer.

Here, a channel is a path for transmitting isochronous data between one transmitting device and one or more receiving devices, and a band is a size of packet data transmitted on one channel. It is an isochronous transmission band that is proportional to the size and inversely proportional to the transmission rate.

[0007]

However, since the resources of the IEEE 1394 serial bus used for isochronous transfer are limited, there is a possibility that contention or failure of these resources will occur. The person may not be able to send or receive the data that he or she wants to send or receive.

Therefore, when timer reservation recording / reproducing is performed between devices on the digital interface, at the time of timer reservation, channel and band resources are secured during the actual timer reservation operation, and the timer reservation recording / reproduction operation is normally executed. Not guaranteed to be done.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and it is possible to ensure that the timer reservation recording / reproducing operation is normally executed by securing the channel and band resources at the time of timer reservation. It is an object to provide a reservation recording / playback system that can be performed.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention employs the following means.

A first aspect of the present invention is a reservation recording / reproducing system in a network system in which a plurality of devices are connected via a plurality of networks, in which an operator inputs a program for which timer reservation recording / reproducing is desired. A reservation input unit, a reservation management unit that saves timer reservation information input to the reservation input unit, a switch unit that electrically disconnects and reconnects predetermined devices and networks from other networks, and a reservation input unit A reservation management unit and a control unit for controlling the switch unit, and the control unit controls the switch unit based on the timer reservation information stored in the reservation management unit, so that the timer-reserved device and network are The present invention relates to a reservation recording / reproducing system characterized by electrically disconnecting and reconnecting from a network. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the control unit confirms the use status of another network before controlling the switch unit, and when the other network is in use, the control unit confirms the use status of the other network. The reservation recording / reproducing system according to the first aspect is characterized in that the electrical disconnection processing and the reconnection processing are not performed.

A third gist of the present invention is to attach a program information input section for inputting an electronic program guide (EPG),
The control section controls the switch section based on the electronic program guide input to the program information input section, and relates to the reservation recording / reproducing system according to the first or second aspect.

A fourth gist of the present invention is that the input means of the electronic program guide is a telephone line, broadcast radio waves, wireless communication, the Internet, an information recording medium or an input means from an operator. The present invention relates to a reservation recording / playback system.

The fifth gist of the present invention is that the network is
The reservation recording / reproducing system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, which is an IEEE 1394 serial bus.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment (1) of a reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention. The reservation recording / reproducing system 100 includes a reservation input unit 1 for an operator to input a program for which timer reservation recording / reproduction is desired, a reservation management unit 2 for storing timer reservation information input to the reservation input unit 1, and a network. It is composed of a switch unit 3 that performs an electrical disconnection process and a reconnection process, a reservation input unit 1, a reservation management unit 2, and a control unit 4 that controls the switch unit 3.

Next, the operation of the reservation recording / reproducing system 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the operator inputs timer reservation information of a program (program) for which timer reservation recording / reproduction is desired to the reservation input unit 1 (step S101). Next, the timer reservation information input to the reservation input unit 1 is transmitted from the reservation input unit 1 to the reservation management unit 2 and stored therein (step S102).
Next, the control unit 4 checks the timer reservation information (program start and end times) stored in the reservation management unit 2 (step S103) and controls the switch unit 3 having a network interface function. For example, the control unit 4
Controls the switch unit 3 when the operator inputs the timer reservation information, electrically disconnects the network interface port in the switch unit 3 (step S104), and then reserves the timer in the reservation management unit 2. It is determined whether or not the information end time has come (step S10).
5) At the end time of the timer reservation information, reconnection processing of the network interface port in the switch unit 3 is performed (step S106). This completes the series of processing relating to timer reservation.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG.
First, electrical disconnection processing of the network interface port in the switch unit 3 is performed at an appropriate time from the time when the timer reservation information is input to the reservation management unit 2 to the timer reservation start time of the timer reservation information (steps S201 to S201). S206). At this time, the current network usage status is confirmed (step S204), and it is determined whether or not a problem has occurred due to the network disconnection processing (step S205). The problem due to the network disconnection process is interruption of data transmission caused by the network disconnection process for devices using the network. For example, when the network connecting the devices is an IEEE 1394 serial bus, When a device (node) is newly added to or removed from the IEEE 1394 serial bus during data transmission between two or more devices, a bus reset signal is generated, and the currently performed data transmission is interrupted. Then, even at the timer reservation end time (after steps S206 to S207), the current network usage status is confirmed (step S208) so that the above problem does not occur, and whether there is a problem due to the network reconnection processing. Is determined (step S209), and when it is determined that no problem occurs in the reconnection process, the reconnection process of the network interface port in the switch unit 3 is performed (step S210). This completes the series of processing relating to timer reservation.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment (2) of the reservation recording system according to the present invention. Note that the same description as that of the embodiment (1) will be omitted by giving the same reference numerals.

The reservation recording / reproducing system 200 is the same as the reservation recording / reproducing system 100 of the embodiment (1) except that a telephone line,
A program information input section 5 for inputting program information by means such as broadcast radio waves, wireless communication, the Internet, information recording medium or input from an operator, and information display for displaying timer reservation information, program information and system status information, etc. This is a configuration in which the section 6 is attached.

Next, the operation of the reservation recording / reproducing system 200 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, first, the operator inputs timer reservation information of a program desired to be timer-recorded / recorded / reproduced into the reservation input unit 1 (step S301). Also,
Program information regarding a program that can be provided now or in the future is input to the program information input unit 5 by using a telephone line, broadcast waves, wireless communication, the Internet, an information recording medium, or an operator's input (step S301). ). Next, the timer reservation information and the program information input from the two input sections are transmitted to the reservation management section 2 and stored therein (step S3).
02). Next, the control unit 4 controls the switch unit 3 having a network interface function based on the timer reservation information and the program information stored in the reservation management unit 2.
Is controlled (steps S303 to S310). In addition, the information display unit 6 displays timer reservation information, program information, system status information, etc. stored in the reservation management unit 2.
To present this information to the operator.

Here, when the timer is reserved by one operator, that is, step S30 in FIG.
In the state of 3 to S305, one operator or another operator uses a device already timer-reserved,
When requesting the recording / reproducing of another program, the control unit 4 displays the program information currently timer-reserved and the program information newly requested for recording / reproducing on the information display unit 6, and at the same time as the network and the timer reservation. It also displays whether or not the specified device can be used. For example, when the control unit 4 can confirm that the start time and the end time of the program newly requested by the operator end before the start time of the program already reserved in the reservation management unit 2 (step In S311 to S312), use of the network and the device is permitted with time limitation (step S314),
If not (steps S311 to S312), the use is rejected (step S313). Further, information regarding permission or denial of use of the network and the device already timer-reserved is transmitted to the information display unit 6 to present the information to the operator. Further, whether or not to permit the use of the network and the device already timer-reserved may be determined by the operator who has been presented with the information. Next, at the time when the timer reservation start time in the timer reservation information of the reservation management unit 2 has passed and the end time has come (after steps S306 to S307), the current network usage status is confirmed (step S30).
8) It is determined whether or not a problem has occurred due to the network disconnection processing (step S309). Then, when it is determined that the problem does not occur due to the network disconnection process, the network interface port in the switch unit 3 is controlled to perform the reconnection process (step S310). This completes the series of processing relating to timer reservation.

Next, an example in which the present invention is applied to a network system in which a plurality of devices are connected via a network will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 6 shows a network system 300 in which a plurality of devices are connected via a network. Network system 30
0 is the network 10 connecting the devices, the DVC
11, a PC 12 for data processing and recording of various information such as video and audio, an HDD for recording data of various information
13, DVD recorder 14 (hereinafter referred to as DVD 14) for recording video and audio on a DVD disc, TV 15 for displaying video and audio, STB 16 (Set-top Box) for receiving BS and CS satellite broadcast programs, magnetic tape It is composed of a D-VHS video tape recorder 17 (hereinafter, D-VHS 17) for recording video and audio, and each device is connected via a network 10.

FIG. 7 schematically shows the network system 300, which is a state in which no timer reservation is made for the device. Here, the outer rectangle shows the outer shape of the device, and the inner rectangle shows the network interface port.

Next, regarding the operation of the network system 300, as shown in FIG. 9, each functional block shown in FIG. 2 is built in the D-VHS 17 together with the recording / reproducing unit 7, and the STB 16 is provided in the D-VHS 17. An example will be described in which the program received in step 3 is timer-reserved recorded in the D-VHS 17. First, the operator operates the D-VHS17.
The timer reservation information such as the start time, the end time, and the channel of the program for which timer reservation is desired is input to the reservation input unit 1 by using the remote controller or an input unit such as an operation button on the main body. The input timer reservation information is transmitted to the reservation management unit 2 built in the D-VHS 17 and stored therein. The control unit 4 uses the reservation management unit 2
The switch unit 3 having the network interface function is controlled on the basis of the timer reservation information of (1) to electrically disconnect the network interface port.

FIG. 8 schematically shows each device when the timer is reserved, and one of the two ports in the D-VHS 17 which is connected to the TV 15 via the network. The state where the port is electrically disconnected from the other port or the like connected to the STB 16 is shown. In this state, D-VHS17 and ST
The network including B16 is a DVC on one side of FIG.
11, PC12, HDD13, DVD14 and TV1
It is in a state of being electrically separated from the network including 5. In this state, for example, even if a large amount of data is transmitted between devices on one network and the channel and band of this network have to be used almost exclusively, the other network does not Is not affected by this, D-VHS17
Data can be transmitted between the STB 16 and the STB 16.

In the above example, the process of disconnecting the network is performed immediately when the timer is reserved, but as shown in the flow of FIG. 4, the network is kept connected until the timer reserved program starts. Alternatively, a method of disconnecting the network immediately before starting the program may be used. Further, an electronic program guide (Electric Program Guide) obtained by any means such as a telephone line, broadcast radio waves, wireless communication, the Internet and an information recording medium, or a combination of a plurality of hands.
e. Below, using EPG) and detailed program information input by the operator, simply limit the use of the network before the start time of the timer reserved program,
A method of disconnecting the network just before starting the program may be used.

In the above example, all the functional blocks of the reservation input unit 1, reservation management unit 2, switch unit 3, control unit 4, program information input unit 5 and information display unit 6 are built in the D-VHS 17. However, all the functional blocks are a single device (in the above example, the D-VHS
It is not limited to being incorporated in 17), but may be incorporated in a plurality of devices in a distributed manner. For example, the reservation management unit 2 is built in the STB 16, and the control unit 4 of the D-VHS 17 uses the network 10 or communication means such as infrared communication to use timer reservation information in the reservation management unit 2 built in the STB 16. The switch unit 3 may be controlled by accessing the.
The switch unit 3 may be built in the TV 15, and the control unit 4 may control the switch unit 3 by using the same communication means as above. Also, for example,
A device such as the TV 15 that does not have a recording unit therein and is not a source source of a program desired by the operator is provided with a reservation management function other than the switch unit 3, and the switch unit 3 incorporated in the D-VHS 17 The control may use communication means other than the network.

For the method of disconnecting the network in the switch unit 3, for the method of stopping the power supply to the network interface port, see P1394a.
A method of disabling the port status using the port disable function defined in P.139.
In addition to the electrical separation method that does not involve physical separation, such as the method of using the 1394 bus bridging function defined in 4.1, the network cable and port (connector) connected to the port (connector) There is a method of electrically separating indirectly by physically separating by some means.

Next, the internal structure of the switch section 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The switch unit 3 includes, for example, a LINK unit 20 that is a link layer and a PHY unit 2 that is a physical layer.
1, a boat unit 22 connected to the IEEE 1394 serial bus, a control bus 23, a data bus 24, an IEEE 139
It is composed of four serial buses 25 and 26. Although the control bus 23 and the data bus 24 are separated here,
A common signal bus may be used.

Each block of the switch unit 3 is controlled based on a control signal input from the control unit 4 via the control bus 23, whereby the power supply to the boat unit 22 is turned on.
It is also possible to perform ON / OFF control. Further, the switch unit 3 is set to P1394. When the port disable function defined in a is supported, it is assigned to each port in the PHY register in the switch unit 3 by a remote command issued by another device connected to the serial bus. Port Status Page
It is also possible to set the "Disabled" field of the register to "1" to disable the port state of the switch unit 3.

FIG. 11 shows another example of the internal structure of the switch section 3 in the IEEE 1394 serial bus.
The switch unit 3a includes the data buses 24 and 27 and IEEE1.
394 serial bus 25, 26, 28, 29, signal bus 3 for cycle synchronization and stream interface
It consists of zero. Although the control bus 23 and the data bus 24 are separated here, a common signal bus may be used.

The switch section 3a is based on the 1394 bus bridge defined in P1394.1, and the switch section 3 is composed of two portals, each of which serves as a node for the connected IEEE 1394 serial bus. Operate. The two portals are
Bridge transfer is performed by performing stream transfer between the respective LINK units. When this bridge transfer is stopped, each of the IEEE connected two portals
The data is not transferred between the E1394 serial buses and is separated from the network.

The case where the network connecting the devices is the IEEE 1394 serial bus has been described above as an example, but the reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention is particularly limited to the IEEE 1394 serial bus. Instead, it may be another digital interface.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, a reservation input section through which an operator inputs a program for which timer reservation recording / reproduction is desired, and a reservation for saving the timer reservation information input to this reservation input section. The control unit includes a management unit, a switch unit that electrically disconnects and reconnects a predetermined device and a network from another network, and a control unit that controls the reservation input unit, the reservation management unit, and the switch unit. The switch unit is controlled based on the timer reservation information stored in the reservation management unit to electrically disconnect and reconnect the timer reserved device and network from other networks and devices. As a result, the channel and band of the network worm can be secured at the time of timer reserved recording / reproduction, and it can be guaranteed that the timer reserved recording / reproducing operation is normally executed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment (1) of a reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment (2) of the reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the reserved recording / reproducing system of FIG.

4 is a flowchart showing another operation example of the reservation recording / reproducing system of FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the reserved recording / reproducing system of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a system in which a plurality of devices are connected via a network.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing FIG. 6 (before network disconnection processing).

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing FIG. 6 (after network disconnection processing).

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the reservation recording / reproducing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the switch unit 1.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the internal structure of the switch section.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Reservation input section 2 Reservation management department 3 switch part 4 control unit 5 Program information input section 6 Information display section 7 Recording / playback section 10 network 11 DVC 12 PC 13 HDD 14 DVD 15 TV 16 STB 17 D-VHS 100 Reserved recording / playback system 200 Reserved recording / playback system 300 network system

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Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A reservation recording / reproducing system in a network system in which a plurality of devices are connected via a plurality of networks, wherein a reservation input section for inputting a program desired by an operator for timer reservation recording / reproduction, and the reservation. A reservation management unit that saves timer reservation information input to the input unit, a switch unit that electrically disconnects and reconnects predetermined devices and networks from other networks, and a reservation input unit, reservation management unit, and switch unit The control unit controls the switch unit based on the timer reservation information stored in the reservation management unit, and electrically disconnects the timer-reserved device and network from other networks. A reservation recording / reproducing system characterized by reconnection processing. 2. The control unit, before controlling the switch unit,
2. The reservation recording / reproducing system according to claim 1, wherein the usage status of the other network is confirmed, and when the other network is in use, electrical disconnection processing and reconnection processing from the other network are not performed. . 3. A program information input section for inputting an electronic program guide (EPG) is provided, and the control section controls the switch section based on the electronic program guide input to the program information input section. The reservation recording / reproducing system according to claim 1. 4. The reservation recording / reproducing according to claim 3, wherein the input means of the electronic program guide is a telephone line, broadcast radio wave, wireless communication, the Internet, an information recording medium, or an input means from an operator. system. 5. The reservation recording / reproducing system according to claim 1, wherein the network is an IEEE 1394 serial bus.