JP2003125332A - Multi-channel simultaneous recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive and simple multi-channel simultaneous recorder. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a television tuner 11 for receiving a plurality of CH broadcast programs, and for generating television signals 1 and 6 with moving images and voices as original information, an ID applying part 33 for applying ID to a plurality of digital signals 24 and 25 to be outputted from the television tuner 11, a packet switchboard 34 for recording for assigning those digital signals 24 and 25 by discriminating storage destinations 351 and 352 for each assigned ID, a main memory 35 as a recording medium for storing assigned packet information 371 and 372 by deciding each block, and a packet switchboard 36 for reproduction for reading those packets 371 and 372 by tracking addresses in headers 371h and 372h at the time of reproduction, and for linking information blocks 371b and 372b to digital signals 24' and 25' which are the same as the original for each system.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-channel simultaneous recording apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventional video tape recorders (hereinafter, referred to as video tape recorders)
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-162794 discloses a "multi-channel recording video system" as a system capable of simultaneously recording multiple channels. this is,
A tuner for simultaneously receiving multiple channels, a CH selector for selecting a channel to be recorded (hereinafter abbreviated as “CH”), a CH block for temporarily recording images and audio corresponding to the CH, and this CH block And a head for recording the images and sounds in the magnetic tape on a magnetic tape in a predetermined order. In this case, the time is stopped, and recording is performed in a predetermined area of the magnetic tape in a predetermined order. [0003] In other words, if the broadcast time of each program of each CH is shifted so that the counterprogram of another channel broadcast simultaneously is not a broadcast program of the same time zone, one V
Since the multi-channel recording can be performed by the TR, if the recording positions on the magnetic tape are determined in a predetermined order, the multi-channel simultaneous information can be appropriately recorded and reproduced. Generally, the recorded content in the recording / reproducing apparatus includes a temporal element, and "shifting the recording time or timing" means "shifting the recording position on the recording medium". The minimum unit time of the time division is determined by the capacity of the temporary recording memory. This is because if there is a memory having a capacity capable of temporarily recording an entire one-hour television program (hereinafter referred to as “one-hour memory”), it is not necessary to divide the time into finer than one hour, and that one-hour For the first time when recording a long program that exceeds
This is because the information is processed in a time-divided manner. If there are ten one-hour memories, each one-hour memory has one hour for each station.
Television broadcasts for 0 stations may be temporarily recorded at the same time, and then a single VTR may sequentially record multiple channels. At that time,
If the recording positions on the magnetic tape are determined in a predetermined order, information on multiple channels simultaneously can be recorded and reproduced appropriately. If there are a plurality of one-hour memories,
Although a VTR may not be necessary, this one-hour memory is an assumption for convenience of explanation, and the minimum unit time of actual time division is appropriately set to 1/30 second for the reason described later. If there is a large number of such recording media, a multi-channel simultaneous recording apparatus can be realized by combination with a VTR that can time-divide recording positions (tracks) on a magnetic tape. [0007] However, when simultaneously recording multiple channels with a conventional VTR or the like, the information density of each channel is reduced with respect to a recording medium having a predetermined information recording density. Therefore, there is a problem that image quality and sound quality are deteriorated. Further, when a VTR using a long-wound magnetic tape as a recording medium is used, there is a drawback that it takes time to search for the head. Therefore, the present invention uses a hard disk built in a personal computer, which has become widespread also in ordinary households, as a main recording medium, and has a convenient and easy-to-use multi-purpose device, such as minimizing deterioration in image quality and sound quality and enabling instant search. It is intended to provide a simultaneous channel recording device. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tuner (10) for receiving a broadcast program of a plurality of channels and generating a television signal having moving picture and audio as original information. ), An A / D converter (20) for converting an analog television signal output from the tuner (10) into a plurality of digital signals, and an output from the A / D converter (20). An ID assigning unit (33) for assigning an ID to the plurality of digital signals obtained, and a recording packet switch (34) for distinguishing and assigning the plurality of digital signals to storage destinations (351) and (352) for each assigned ID. ), A main memory (35) as a recording medium for defining and storing the divided information packets (371) and (372), and packets (371), (372) is replaced with a header (371h), (37
2h), the reproduction packet switch (36) for reading and aligning the addresses in (2h) and connecting the information blocks (371b) and (372b) to the same digital signal as the original for each system.
And with. The tuner section (10) receives broadcast programs of a plurality of channels at the same time, outputs video signals having moving image and audio as original information separately for each of the plurality of channels, and outputs the plurality of video signals as information. Of the packets (371) and (372). In the packet information distribution unit, storage destinations are allocated for each assigned ID, and the classification of the recording medium for storing the allocated packet information is determined and recorded. [0010] A video tape recorder type auxiliary storage device, such as a magnetic tape, which requires a long time to search for the beginning of a program is not required to be externally connected. By using a hard disk as a main recording medium, it is possible to provide a multi-channel simultaneous recording device that enables instant search. And C
Even for an increase in the amount of information according to the number of H's, the packet switch can maintain the recording density by discriminating the storage destination for each of the IDs assigned to the plurality of CHs, so that the image quality is less deteriorated. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. A multi-channel simultaneous recording apparatus 100 includes a tuner section 10, an AD conversion section 20, a multi-channel simultaneous recording / reproduction section 30, a DA conversion section 40, and a reproduction signal. User 5
0. Note that the same reference numerals are given to portions having the same effect throughout the following drawings to avoid duplication of description. [0012] The tuner section 10 is used to control VHF broadcasts 1 to 1.
Of the two channels, for example, channels 1, 6, and 12 are simultaneously received, and analog television signals 1, 6, and 12 obtained by detecting the plurality of television broadcast waves are output. And
The television signals 1, 6, and 12 are converted into digital signals 24, 25, and 26 by the AD converter 20 and input to the multi-CH simultaneous recording / reproducing unit 30, and the digital signals 24 and 2 are input.
5 and 26 are recorded and reproduced as appropriate. The digital signal thus reproduced is input to a DA converter 40, where the analog signals 1 ', 6',
After being converted to 12 ', the reproduced signal is appropriately used in the reproduction signal using unit 50. TV signals 1, 6, 12, 1 ', 6', 1
As is well known, a video signal of several MHz including a synchronization signal and the like and an audio signal of 20 KHz or less exist as analog signals in 2 ′. The tuner section 10 includes a TV tuner 11
And a CH selector 13. The television tuner 11 is, for example, 1CH, 3CH,
V for all 4CH, 6CH, 8CH, 10CH, 12CH
It is possible to simultaneously receive the HF television broadcast channels, and outputs the television signals 1, 6, and 12 appropriately selected by the CH selector 13. Handling of these three broadcasts is for convenience of explanation of the multi-channel simultaneous recording device 100, and the embodiment is not limited to VHF, but UHF, B
Any of S or cable television broadcasting may be used. Although the processing capacity is shown as a total of 3 CHs, the processing capacity can be increased by increasing the processing capacity as necessary.
There is no limit on the H number. As is well known, the video and audio signal lines generally use independent connection cables for the video and audio signal lines, but FIG. For the sake of illustration, the TV signals 1, 6, 1
In FIG. 2, each line is represented by one line per CH. The AD converter 20 includes AD converters 21 and
2, 23 convert television signals 1, 6, 12 into analog signals 1,
6, 12 are converted into digital signals 24, 25, 26 and output. Since the AD converters 21, 22, and 23 themselves are well known, detailed description is omitted. The multi-CH simultaneous recording / reproducing unit 30 includes a setting instruction unit 31, an ID system memory 32, an ID assigning unit 33, a recording packet switch 34, a main memory 35, a reproduction packet switch 36, and a CH selector 38. Have been. The setting instruction unit 31 designates a TV / CH and a program or broadcast time zone desired to be recorded / reproduced by an operation switch disposed on an operation panel (not shown) and a control signal according to the operation switch, and simultaneously sets the number of channels. Is processed into an information form suitable for faithfully recording and reproducing the TV signal. The ID system memory 32 can update information as needed, and the contents which can be searched are stored in the TV / CH as shown in FIG.
And an ID system corresponding to a program or a broadcasting time zone. Further, if the ID system based on the existing framework is not sufficient, an input for instructing a new setting from the setting instruction unit 31 is also possible. This ID system memory 3
2 provides the necessary control signals to the CH selector 13, the ID assigning unit 33, the recording packet switch 34 and the main memory 35 in response to the instruction of the setting instruction unit 31, as shown in FIG. And perform an operation according to the user's preference. The ID assigning unit 33 generates an appropriate ID according to the rules of the ID system memory 32 described later with reference to FIG.
The ID is read from the system memory 32, and the ID is given to the digital signals 24, 25, and 26. As described later with reference to FIG. , And are rearranged into the form of the packet group 37. The recording packet switch 34 is used in "packet communication" which is well-known in computer communication, and a detailed description thereof is omitted, but a plurality of digital signals 24 and 25 shown in FIG. Length block 371b,
372b, and in accordance with the ID system,
Packets 371 and 372 are created by attaching headers 371h and 372h containing a designated storage position at the time of recording (see FIG. 2) and a destination number or the like (hereinafter, referred to as an "address") for specifying an information extraction criterion at the time of reproduction. The packet group 37 is used. In general, the original purpose of a packet switch is to efficiently transmit a plurality of data signals having a strong intermittent burst property over a telephone line or the like in a short time. By applying the "packet communication" technology to a multi-channel simultaneous recording device, a small-capacity memory is efficiently used. In the main memory 35, designated storage locations 351, 352,... Shown in FIG.
4 and the packet switch 36 for reproduction,
H TV program content (hereinafter referred to as "content")
Is a recording medium for recording and reproducing, and uses a RAM. This recording medium corresponds to a magnetic tape in a VTR. Then, the digital signal 24 is transmitted to the packet 371.
, Stored in the designated storage location 351 in the main memory 35, and converted the digital signal 25 into a packet 372,
It is stored in the designated storage location 352. The packet switch for reproduction 36 has a main memory 35.
Of the packets 371 and 372 recorded in the header 37
1h and 372h are identified, and a packet with an address indicated by the setting instruction unit 31, for example, packet 3
Only 71 is restored to the same digital signal 24 ′ as the original digital signal 24. Thus, the packet group 37 also shown in FIG. 1 is stored in the main memory 35 via the recording packet switch 34. The stored packet group 37 is restored to the same digital signal 24 ', 25', 26 'as the original through the packet switch 36 for reproduction, and is reproduced. Is also possible.
The reproduced digital signals 24 ′, 25 ′, and 26 ′ are input to the DA converter 40 and converted into analog signals, as described above, and are appropriately used by the reproduced signal using unit 50. The CH selector 38 selects digital signals 24 ′, 25 ′ and 26 ′ corresponding to a desired TV / CH as set by the setting instruction section 31 and inputs the digital signals to the DA conversion section 40. The DA converter 40 includes a DA converter 41 and a DA converter.
It comprises a converter 42 and a DA converter 43, and converts digital signals 24 ', 25', 26 'from digital signals to analog television signals 1', 6 ', 12', respectively, and outputs them. In FIG. 1, the CH selector 38 selects all the digital signals 24 ', 25', and 26 '.
Three choices can be made as appropriate. If only the selected output is used, only the DA converter 41 is sufficient. In addition,
Since the D / A converter itself is well known, detailed description is omitted. The reproduction signal utilization section 50 is used as a multi-channel simultaneous recording apparatus, as in the case where there are a plurality of home VTRs, and the contents thereof are provided for viewing on a monitor 51. Also, for business use, it can also perform a relay function by appropriately delaying the broadcast time. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the information packet and the storage position. The digital signals 24, 25, and 26 described in FIG.
, The time series of the digital signals 24 and 25 is extended horizontally, and the information block 371 is divided by 1/30 second.
b and 372b, each block is given an identification code, that is, an ID, and is stored in the main memory 35 in a schematic diagram. Here, the reason why the time is divided by 1/30 second is that according to the NTSC television system of Japan and the United States, 30 images per second are transmitted while being regulated by a synchronization signal. In the case of the Russian PAL or SECAM system, 25 frames are transmitted every second, so the time may be divided by 1/25 second. Here, the NTSC, PAL, and SECAM television systems are well known and will not be described. As described above, the digital signal 24 is converted into the packet 371 and the designated storage location 35 in the main memory 35 is converted.
1 and converts the digital signal 25 into a packet 372 and stores it in the designated storage location 352. Therefore, it is possible to separately record a plurality of systems in the single main memory 35, and to reproduce all the recorded systems at the same time at the time of reproduction to individually select or reproduce the selective information. In the present invention, since simultaneous multi-channel recording is the main purpose, simultaneous multi-channel playback may not be possible. The packet communication on which the present invention is based is well-known as a technique for improving the transmission efficiency by shredding data and transmitting the data collectively for each destination so as to be suitable for computer communication. Although a detailed description is omitted, a technique for improving the transmission efficiency, which is the original purpose of the packet communication, is designed so that information divided into a plurality of systems in a single main memory 35 can be efficiently used in memory capacity. , And designated recording positions 351, 352,... That is, in recording, the digital signals 24 and 25 are converted into packets 371 and 372 in FIG. 2 and stored in designated storage locations 351 and 352 in the main memory 35. 372 are read and aligned by following the addresses of the headers 371h and 372h, connected by the system of the information blocks 371b and 372b, and reproduced as the original digital signals 24 'and 25'. This is restored to an analog signal as described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a list of ID systems for specifying a TV channel or a TV program. For example, IDs corresponding to CH1 to CH12 are defined as 01 to 12, and parentheses immediately below the TV program name in FIG. If a G code of up to eight digits that specifies and describes the program (a license agreement with Gemstar is required) is used, it is easy to set a recording reservation. The setting for simultaneous recording of multiple channels may be made by setting a reservation for recording programs broadcast from a plurality of broadcasting stations (CHs) in the same time zone. Here, an instruction to simultaneously record 1CH and 6CH is given from the setting instruction section 31 (see FIG. 1), and the control signal accesses the ID system memory 32, and the CH1 and CH2 are recorded.
By picking up the IDs corresponding to No. 6 as ID01 and ID06, and appropriately controlling the recording packet switch 34, the information block 371b with the header 371h having the ID01 is sequentially recorded in the designated storage position 351. Similarly, the information block 372b accompanied by the header 372h to which the ID 06 is similarly added is sequentially recorded in the designated storage position 352 (see FIG. 2). In addition to the CH designation, for example, 13
If a program from the time is specified, “CHANGE REPORT” of 1CH is specified by the G code reservation of 47903977, and “Love & Fight” of 6CH is specified by the G code reservation of 5915 (see FIG. 3). If the user does not want to use the G code, the date / time / time information relating to the broadcast station (CH) and the recording start and end times are set.
Day of the week (specific days / Monday to Friday / Saturday and Sunday /
Key) (not shown) from the setting instruction section 31. In addition, regarding these recording reservations, existing home VT
It is known as an essential requirement for R, and G code recording reservation is well known as an optional function of the VTR, so further description is omitted. Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has been widely used in ordinary households instead of a VTR which requires a long time to search for the beginning of a program, such as a magnetic tape. By using a hard disk built in a personal computer or the like as a main recording medium, it is possible to provide a multi-channel simultaneous recording apparatus that enables instant search of a recorded program. The packet exchange can maintain the recording density by distinguishing the storage destination for each of the IDs assigned to the plurality of CHs, even for the information amount that increases according to the number of simultaneously recorded CHs. Less deterioration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of information packets and storage locations; FIG. 3 is an ID system list for specifying a TV channel or a TV program; Description of 1, 6, 12, 1 ', 6', 12 'TV signal 10 Tuner section 11 TV tuner 13, 38 CH selector 20 AD converter 21, 22, 23 AD converter 24, 25, 26, 24' , 25 ′, 26 ′ Digital signal 30 Multi-channel simultaneous recording / reproducing unit 31 Setting instruction unit 32 ID system memory 33 ID assigning unit 34 Recording packet switch 35 Main memory 36 Reproduction packet switch 37 Packet groups 371, 372, 373 Packets 371b, 372b Information blocks 371h, 372h Headers 351, 352 Designated storage location 40 D / A converters 41, 42, 43 D / A converter 5 Playback signal utilization portions 51, 52, and 53 monitor 100 multi-CH simultaneous recording device

Claims (1)

1. A multi-channel simultaneous recording apparatus having a tuner section (10) for receiving a broadcast program on a plurality of channels and generating a television signal having moving image and audio as original information. An AD converter (2) that converts an analog television signal output from the tuner (10) into a plurality of digital signals;
0), an ID assigning unit (33) that assigns IDs to a plurality of digital signals output by the AD converting unit (20), and a storage destination (351), ( 352), a recording packet switch (34) for distinguishing and distributing the information, and packets (371), (37) of the distributed information.
2) A main memory (35), which is a recording medium for defining and storing a division for each, and a header (3) for reproducing packets (371) and (372) during reproduction.
71h), a reproduction packet switch (36) for reading and aligning the addresses in (372h) and connecting the information blocks (371b) and (372b) to the same digital signal as the original for each system. Multi-channel simultaneous recording device.