JP2004022075A - Data recording system and data recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data recording system in which use efficiency of a recording medium is improved and shortage of the resources for a device for recording can be dissolved. <P>SOLUTION: This system is provided with a record indicating and processing section 11 detecting whether the contents of first data recorded and indicated overlaps the contents of second data recorded and indicated before the record and indication of the first data or not, and a recording control section 12 controlling a disk device 2 based on a detected result by the recording and indicating section 11 and recording each data in the prescribed regions on a recording medium. When the contents of the first data overlaps the contents of the second data, the recording control section 12 controls the disk device 2 so that a recording region on the recording medium of the first data is equalized to a recording region on the recording medium of the second data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data recording system and a data recording method for recording data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined area of a randomly accessible recording medium.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, video recording systems using a recording device using a hard disk, an optical disk, or a semiconductor memory as a recording medium have been actively developed. Since these recording devices are excellent in random access and can record / reproduce a plurality of data streams at substantially the same time, if this recording medium is used for a video recording system, it is possible to reproduce while recording or record a plurality of programs at the same time. Becomes possible. As a video recording system for recording a plurality of programs, there is a system disclosed in JP-A-2001-333337.
[0003]
It is conceivable that a plurality of users A, B,... Share a video recording system capable of recording a plurality of programs simultaneously as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. In this case, the recording control circuit 101 of the video recording system records a broadcast program simultaneously or at a different time on a disk device 102 using a hard disk or the like as a recording medium for each recording instruction based on a plurality of types of recording instructions. It has become. Here, the recording control circuit 101 receives three types of recording instructions: a recording instruction input via the user I / F 103, a recording instruction from the timer 104, and a recording instruction input from the network I / F 105. Is to be entered.
[0004]
By the way, in the video recording system shared by a plurality of users as described above, it is rare that each user discusses which broadcast program is going to be recorded with each other, and it is usual that each user performs the recording without permission. is there. Therefore, a plurality of users may try to record the same broadcast simultaneously. Even in such a case, in the conventional video recording system, it is possible to perform a recording operation as long as so-called resources allow, such as the number of tuners and the number of disks that can be simultaneously recorded / reproduced.
[0005]
For example, in FIG. 4, a user A instructs the start of recording of a certain program via the user I / F 103 using the remote controller 106, and a user B in another room transmits the network I / F 105 from the terminal device 107 with a slight delay. In the case where the user A instructs the start of recording of the same program as the program instructed to record by the user A, the recording control circuit 101 controls the disk device 102 to secure independent areas on the recording medium and perform recording. .
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, if the recording operation is performed as long as the resources allow as described above, a plurality of data having the same contents exist on the same recording medium, which causes a decrease in the use efficiency of the recording medium, and the recording of the same program. For this reason, resources are consumed, and other recording / reproducing processes (for example, recording by the timer 104) cannot be performed.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to record only one data when the contents of data to be recorded on the same recording medium are duplicated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data recording system and a data recording method capable of improving utilization efficiency and eliminating a shortage of resources such as devices required for recording.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the data recording system of the present invention controls the recording device using a recording medium that can be randomly accessed to record data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of the recording medium. In a data recording system for recording, it is determined whether or not the content of the first data instructed to be recorded overlaps the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the recording instruction of the first data. Data duplication detecting means for detecting, and data recording control means for controlling the recording device based on the detection result by the data duplication detecting means, and recording each of the data in a predetermined recording area on the recording medium. The data recording control means, when the data duplication detecting means detects that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data are duplicated, Of the recording area on the recording medium of the data, as the same as the recording area on the recording medium of the second data, it is characterized by controlling the recording device.
[0009]
According to the above configuration, when recording data to be recorded on a randomly accessible recording medium used in the recording apparatus, the data recording control unit causes the content of the first data and the content of the second data to be When the duplication is detected, the recording apparatus is controlled so that the recording area of the first data on the recording medium is the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium. , It is possible to eliminate waste that data of the same content is recorded in different areas on the same recording medium.
[0010]
For example, when the data is broadcast data, the first broadcast data and the second broadcast data that has been instructed to be recorded prior to the first broadcast data are specified by a channel and a broadcast time zone. Whether or not the programs are the same is detected, and when it is detected that the programs are the same, the recording area of the first broadcast data on the recording medium is changed to the recording area of the second broadcast data on the recording medium. By doing so, the file entity on the recording medium can be reduced to one.
[0011]
As described above, it is possible to eliminate the waste of recording the same data in different recording areas on the recording medium, so that the consumption of the recording medium can be suppressed, and as a result, the utilization efficiency of the recording medium can be improved. Can be.
[0012]
Further, when the contents of the data to be recorded overlap, the operation of the control device and the recording device can be spared because the substantial data recording operation is not performed, and the trouble due to overload can be suppressed. .
[0013]
In addition, since duplicate recording is not performed, it is possible to record other different recording data, and it is possible to suppress a shortage of resources such as devices necessary for recording data.
[0014]
The data recording control means obtains position information of a recording area on a recording medium for each data instructed to be recorded, and controls the recording apparatus so as to record the position information of the recording area on the recording medium. You may.
[0015]
In this case, the position information of the recording area on the recording medium is obtained for each data instructed to be recorded, and the position information of this recording area is recorded on the recording medium. The position information is recorded separately for each data. Even if the content of the first data and the content of the second data overlap and there is only one file entity on the recording medium, Since the appearance is the same as the case where the recording is performed according to the recording instruction, the user can obtain an intuitive operation feeling.
[0016]
Also, since the contents of the recording instructions individually performed by the user are stored on the recording medium, it is possible to provide recording data according to the contents of the recording instructions for each user. For example, when the present invention is applied to a system that is charged at the time of recording on a recording medium by downloading the recording data, even if the same recording data is erroneously instructed to be downloaded a plurality of times, the recording is performed. Since no data is recorded on the medium in duplicate, as a result, the duplicate recording instruction is cancelled, and there is no risk of being charged twice.
[0017]
When the data for which recording is instructed is broadcast data, the data duplication detecting means sets the broadcast channel information included in the first broadcast data for which recording is instructed prior to the first broadcast data. The content of the broadcast data may be determined to be duplicated when it is the same as the broadcast channel information included in the second broadcast data instructed to be recorded.
[0018]
In this case, the data duplication detecting means overlaps the two broadcast data when the broadcast channel information included in the first broadcast data is the same as the broadcast channel information included in the second broadcast data. Therefore, the identity of the broadcast channel information included in each broadcast data is determined.
[0019]
Therefore, the data recording control means should control the recording device based on the result of the determination made by the data duplication detection means to simultaneously record the first broadcast data and the second broadcast data in parallel. Alternatively, it is possible to determine whether to stop recording of one of the overlapping broadcast data and control the recording of the broadcast data on the recording medium.
[0020]
The determination of the identity of the broadcast channel information is performed by determining the unique information (for example, code information) assigned to each program (broadcast program) or, if necessary, the information specified by combining dates and times. Can be performed.
[0021]
At least one of the recording instructions may be transmitted from a terminal device connected to the data duplication detecting means via the network to the data duplication detecting means.
[0022]
Further, at least one of the recording instructions may be transmitted from the timer unit to the data duplication detecting unit.
[0023]
According to a data recording method of the present invention, in a data recording method for recording data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of a randomly accessible recording medium, the contents of the first data instructed to be recorded and the first data are recorded. It is detected whether or not the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the data recording instruction is duplicated, and the detection result indicates that the content of the first data and the content of the second data are duplicated. In this case, the recording area of the first data on the recording medium is the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium.
[0024]
According to the above configuration, when the content of the first data and the content of the second data indicate that they overlap, the recording area on the recording medium of the first data is changed to the second data. By using the same data as the recording area on the recording medium, the waste of recording the same data separately on the recording medium can be eliminated.
[0025]
Therefore, the use efficiency of the recording medium can be improved, and the shortage of resources such as devices necessary for recording can be solved.
[0026]
Further, in the data recording method, that is, in the data recording method for recording the data for which recording is instructed in a predetermined recording area of a recording medium which can be randomly accessed, the content of the first data for which recording is instructed, and A procedure for detecting whether or not the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the data recording instruction is duplicated; and a step of determining whether the detection result is the same as the content of the first data and the content of the second data. To make the computer execute the procedure of making the recording area of the first data on the recording medium the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium when May be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium as the program.
[0027]
In this case, since data recording control can be managed using a general-purpose computer, the cost for constructing a data recording system can be reduced.
[0028]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the data recording system of the present invention is applied to a video recording system for receiving a TV broadcast and recording a broadcast program.
[0029]
First, before describing the video recording system according to the present embodiment, a file system used in the present video recording system will be described. This file system indicates a logical rule for accessing a target file on a recording medium.
[0030]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the file system records a management record for every file included in the disc as a recording medium, and collects a set of the management records as a management record group to the disc. It shall be recorded in a predetermined area.
[0031]
Each management record includes basic information such as a file name, a file timestamp (creation date / time / update date / access date / time, etc.), access right, and the like, as well as index information indicating a position of a cluster where a file entity is recorded. It is configured. Here, a cluster means a minimum unit for recording / reproducing on a recording medium, and a file means a set of clusters.
[0032]
For example, when a file having a file name: File_1 is created and its entity (file 1) exists in the cluster numbers 0010 to 0012 and the cluster numbers 0020 to 0039 as shown in FIG. (A) is recorded as the file 1 shown in FIG. When a file having a file name: File_2 is created and its entity (file 2) exists in the cluster numbers 0050 to 0059 as shown in FIG. 3, the management record is shown in FIG. File 2 is recorded.
[0033]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the index information is represented by a pair of a cluster start number and the number of subsequent clusters (including the head). For example, in the file 1, the head number 0010 of the cluster and the number [3] of the cluster are expressed as a pair, and the head number 0020 of the cluster and the number [20] of the cluster are expressed as a pair.
[0034]
By separating attribute information such as the file name and creation date and time of each file from the file using the management record group, the host device can perform processing such as file search at high speed.
[0035]
Next, a video recording system according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of the present video recording system.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 1, the video recording system according to the present embodiment includes a recording control circuit 1, a disk device 2 that is controlled by the recording control circuit 1, and a recording designation (record designation) to the recording control circuit 1. A user I / F3, a timer (timer means) 4, a network I / F5, a remote controller 6 for sending recording designation information to the user I / F3, a recording designation information to the network I / F5, This is a configuration provided with a terminal device 7 for sending data via the terminal.
[0037]
The recording control circuit 1 is a circuit that controls recording of the disk device 2 and includes a recording instruction processing unit (data duplication detecting unit) 11, a recording control unit (data recording control unit) 12, and a recording data generating unit 13. ing. Details of the recording control circuit 1 will be described later.
[0038]
The disk device 2 is a drive device using a hard disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like that can be randomly accessed, and can record data in a desired cluster by a predetermined control such as a command transmission specifying a cluster number. It has become. This recording control is performed by the recording control circuit 1.
[0039]
The user I / F 3 is used by a user to directly operate a front panel switch, a remote controller, and the like. In the present embodiment, as described above, an example using the remote controller 6 is shown. For example, when the user presses a recording button (recording button) on the remote control 6, a recording start command is transmitted to the recording instruction processing unit 11 in the recording control circuit 1 via the user I / F3 together with channel information to be recorded, and the recording is stopped. When the button is pressed, a recording end command is transmitted to the recording instruction processing unit 11 in the recording control circuit 1 via the user I / F3.
[0040]
The timer 4 transmits a recording start command to the recording instruction processing unit 11 in the recording control circuit 1 at a predetermined time according to the timer setting, and transmits a recording end command at a predetermined time.
[0041]
The network I / F 5 is for operating the video recording system from the terminal device 7 connected by a network line. Normally, the terminal device 7 is installed at a location away from the installation location of the video recording system main body. For example, a user operates the terminal device 7 or a recording start / end command is issued by a timer built in the terminal device 7, and the recording instruction processing unit 11 in the recording control circuit 1 is transmitted via a network line and a network I / F 5. Sent to.
[0042]
Next, the recording instruction processing unit 11, the recording control unit 12, and the recording data generation unit 13 in the recording control circuit 1 will be described below. In the following description, transmission of a recording instruction from the remote controller 6 to the recording instruction processing unit 11 via the user I / F 3 is simply referred to as a recording instruction (recording) from the user I / F 3 for simplicity. Similarly, the transmission of the recording instruction from the terminal device 7 to the recording instruction processing unit 11 via the network I / F 5 simply means that the recording instruction from the network I / F 5 is used. Recording start command, recording end command, etc.).
[0043]
The recording instruction processing unit 11 receives a recording start command and a recording end command from the user I / F 3 as a C_UIF input, a recording start command from the timer 4, a recording end command as a C_Timer input, and a recording start command from the network I / F 5. , A recording end command is received as a C_Net input.
[0044]
Note that the recording start command includes at least broadcast channel information and recording start date and time information, and the recording end command includes at least recording end date and time information.
[0045]
Further, the recording instruction processing unit 11 transmits a W_UIF output to the recording control unit 12 as information indicating whether or not a C_UIF input has been received, and transmits a W_Timer output to the recording control unit 12 as information indicating whether or not a C_Timer input has been received. , C_Net input, the W_Net output is transmitted to the recording control unit 12 as information indicating the presence / absence of reception.
[0046]
For example, the recording instruction processing unit 11 sets the W_UIF output to 1 if the command included in the received input is a recording start command from the user I / F 3, and sets the W_Timer output if the command is a recording start command from the timer 4. In the case of a recording start command from the network I / F 5, the output of W_Net is set to 1, and in the case of a recording end command, each output is set to 0 and each output is transmitted to the recording control unit 12.
[0047]
Further, the recording instruction processing unit 11 determines that the content of the first data that has been instructed to be recorded via any of the user I / F3, the timer 4, and the network I / F5 precedes the recording instruction of the first data. It has a function as data duplication detecting means for detecting whether or not the content of the second data instructed to be recorded is duplicated.
[0048]
Specifically, the recording instruction processing unit 11 outputs, in addition to the output (W_UIF, W_Timer, W_Net), the broadcast channel information included in the recording start command of the received input (first data), The OL_UIF output, the OL_Timer output, and the OL_Net output are transmitted to the recording control unit 12 as information indicating whether or not the broadcast channel information included in the recording start command of the input (second data) overlaps. ing.
[0049]
Here, the OL_UIF output includes information indicating that it overlaps with the recording start command of the user I / F3, and the OL_Timer output includes information indicating that it overlaps with the recording start command of the timer 4. The OL_Net output includes information indicating that the output is the same as the recording start command of the network I / F 5.
[0050]
That is, the recording instruction processing unit 11 analyzes the received recording start command, and determines that the content is duplicated if the preceding recording start command is a recording instruction for the same channel as that currently being recorded. , OL_UIF output, OL_Timer output, and OL_Net output. In the present embodiment, “1” is set when the duplication destination is the user I / F 3, “2” is set for the timer 4, and “3” is set for the terminal device 7 via the network I / F 5. For example, when the content of the recording start command from the user I / F 3 overlaps with the content of the recording start command from the terminal device 7 received earlier, “3” is transmitted to the recording control unit 12 as OL_UIF output. .
[0051]
Further, the recording instruction processing unit 11 transmits Ch_UIF output, Ch_Timer output, and Ch_Net output to the recording data generation unit 13 as channel information corresponding to the recording start command and the recording end command, in addition to the above input. For example, when the recording start command from the timer 4 instructs the recording of the sixth channel, “6” indicating the sixth channel is set in the Ch_Timer output, and the Ch_Timer output is transmitted to the recording data generation unit 13. In the case of a recording end command, a "0" indicating the recording end command is set in the Ch_Timer output and transmitted to the recording data generation unit 13.
[0052]
The recording data generation unit 13 includes a TV tuner and a data selector as broadcast receiving means, and tunes to a reception channel specified by a Ch_UIF input, a Ch_Timer input, or a Ch_Net input that receives any of the broadcast receiving means. The received digital data is transmitted to the recording control unit 12 as a D_UIF output, a D_Timer output, and a D_Net output by controlling a data selector.
[0053]
For example, when the received Ch_UIF input is set to “8” in the recording data generation unit 13, the reception data of the eighth channel is transmitted to the recording control unit 12 as a D_UIF output.
[0054]
Based on the W_UIF input, W_Timer input, W_Net input, OL_UIF input, OL_Timer input, and OL_Net input transmitted from the recording instruction processing unit 11, the recording control unit 12 receives the D_UIF input, D_Timer input transmitted from the recording data generation unit 13. , D_Net input (broadcast program) is recorded in an empty cluster by controlling the disk device 2.
[0055]
The recording control unit 12 includes a user I / F memory as storage means for storing cluster position information (index information) to be recorded when data is recorded in an empty cluster of the disk device 2. 14, a timer memory 15, and a network I / F memory 16.
[0056]
When the recording control unit 12 controls the disk device 2 to record data in an empty cluster, the cluster position information of the cluster is held in each memory, and when the recording of the data in the cluster is completed, The disk device 2 is controlled so that management record data is generated using the contents held in the memory and recorded in a predetermined cluster.
[0057]
In the recording control unit 12, for example, if the received OL_UIF input, OL_Timer input, and OL_Net input are other than “0”, it indicates that duplication of recording data has occurred, and thus the received W_UIF Even if the input, W_Timer input, and W_Net input are “1”, the data received from the duplicated D_UIF input, D_Timer input, and D_Net input is not recorded in the disk device 2 and the index information in the management record is copied to the duplication destination. Only the management record is recorded on the disk device 2 as the same as that of the above.
[0058]
For example, when each of the received inputs is W_UIF = 0, W_Timer = 1, W_Net = 1, OL_UIF = 0, OL_Timer = 0, and OL_Net = 2, the data received as the D_Timer input is actually Is recorded in the disk device 2, but data received as a D_Net input overlapping with the data received as the D_Timer input is not recorded, and the cluster index information in the management record is assumed to be the same as the cluster in which the D_UIF is recorded. The disk device 2 is controlled to record only the management record.
[0059]
A specific example of the operation of the video recording system having the above configuration will be described below. In this description, the broadcast program of the eighth channel is recorded from PM 9:00 to PM 11:00 according to the instruction of the timer 4, and the program is recorded from PM 9:05 to PM 11:04 on the same day according to the instruction of the terminal device 7. It is assumed that a broadcast program of eight channels is recorded, and a broadcast program of the fourth channel is recorded from 10:00 PM to 10:30 PM on the same day according to an instruction of the remote controller 6 by the user.
[0060]
First, the recording instruction processing unit 11 is set to an initial state. Here, it is assumed that the recording instruction processing unit 11 does not perform any processing as an initial state. At this time, in the recording instruction processing unit 11, the W_UIF output, W_Timer output, W_Net output, OL_UIF output, OL_Timer output, OL_Net output, D_UIF output, D_Timer output, and D_Net output are all “0”.
[0061]
First, at 9:00 PM, a signal including a recording start command “WStart, CH8” instructing recording start of the eighth channel is transmitted from the timer 4 to the recording instruction processing unit 11.
[0062]
Upon receiving “WStart, CH8” from the C_Timer input, the recording instruction processing unit 11 transmits “1” to the recording control unit 12 as a W_Timer output, and transmits “8” to the recording data generation unit 13 as a CH_Timer output. Upon receiving this, the recording data generation unit 13 converts the signal of the program being broadcast on the eighth channel into digital data, and transmits the digital data to the recording control unit 12 as a D_Timer output.
[0063]
The recording control unit 12 detects that the received W_Timer input has transitioned from “0” to “1”, and confirms that the OL_Timer input is “0”, and converts the data input from the D_Timer input into an empty cluster. The disk device 2 is controlled to record, and at the same time, the position information (index information) of the cluster used for recording is held in the timer memory 15.
[0064]
Next, at PM9: 05, a signal including a recording instruction command “WStart, CH8” for instructing recording start of the eighth channel is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the recording instruction processing unit 11 via the network I / F5. .
[0065]
Upon receiving this, the recording instruction processing unit 11 sets the W_Net output to “1” and transmits it to the recording control unit 12, while detecting that the channel is the same as the channel designated by the timer 4 earlier, and The output is set to “2” indicating that the output is the same as the recording instruction of the timer 4 and transmitted to the recording control unit 12.
[0066]
When detecting that the W_Net input has transitioned from “0” to “1” and confirming that the OL_Net input has been set to “2”, the recording control unit 12 does not actually control the disk device 2. The cluster position information held in the timer memory 15 after the time of PM 9:05 is also held in the network I / F memory 16.
[0067]
Next, at 10:00 PM, a signal including the recording support command “WStart, CH4” for instructing the start of recording of the fourth channel is transmitted from the remote controller 6 to the recording instruction processing unit 11 via the user I / F3. .
[0068]
Upon receiving this, the recording instruction processing unit 11 transmits “1” to the recording control unit 12 as the W_UIF output, and transmits “4” to the recording data generation unit 13 as the Ch_UIF output. Note that OL_UIF remains at “0” because it does not overlap with the preceding recording process.
[0069]
Upon receiving this, the recording data generation unit 13 converts the program (signal) broadcast on the fourth channel into digital data and transmits the digital data to the recording control unit 12 as a D_UIF output.
[0070]
The recording control unit 12 detects that the W_UIF input has transitioned from “0” to “1”, and confirms that the OL_UIF input is “0”, so that the recording data as the D_UIF input is recorded in an empty cluster. The device 2 is controlled, and at the same time, the position information of the cluster used for recording is held in the user I / F memory 14.
[0071]
Next, at PM10: 30, a signal including the recording end command “WStop” is transmitted from the remote controller 6 to the recording instruction processing unit 11 via the user I / F3.
[0072]
Upon receiving this, the recording instruction processing unit 11 returns the W_UIF output to “0”, sets the Ch_UIF output to “0”, and transmits it to the recording control unit 12.
[0073]
When detecting that the W_UIF input has transitioned from “1” to “0”, the recording control unit 12 stops recording the D_UIF input, and stores the cluster position information and the file name stored in the user I / F memory 14. Is generated, and the disk device 2 is controlled to record the data in the management record cluster.
[0074]
Next, at 11:00 PM, a signal including a command “WStop” instructing the end of recording is transmitted from the timer 4 to the recording instruction processing unit 11.
[0075]
Upon receiving this, the recording instruction processing unit 11 returns the W_Timer output to “0”, sets the OL_Net output to “0”, sets the Ch_Timer output to “0”, sets the CH_Net output to “8”, and records each output. This is transmitted to the control unit 12 or the recording data generation unit 13.
[0076]
Upon detecting Ch_Net = 8, the recording data generation unit 13 transmits to the recording control unit 12 data obtained by converting a program (signal) broadcast on the eighth channel into digital data as a D_Net output.
[0077]
When detecting that the W_Timer input has transitioned from “1” to “0”, the recording control unit 12 stops recording the data of the D_Timer input, and configures the cluster position information and the file name held in the timer memory 15. Then, the disk device 2 is controlled so as to generate management record data to be recorded and record the data in the management record cluster.
[0078]
When detecting that the OL_Net input has transitioned from “2” to “0”, the recording control unit 12 controls the disk device 2 to record data received as the D_Net input in an empty cluster of the disk device 2. At the same time, the cluster position information is additionally held in the network I / F memory 16.
[0079]
Next, at PM 11:05, a signal including a command “WStop” instructing the end of recording is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the recording instruction processing unit 11 via the network I / F 5.
[0080]
Upon receiving this, the recording instruction processing unit 11 returns the W_Net output to “0” and sets the Ch_Net output to “0”.
[0081]
When detecting that the W_Net input has transitioned from “1” to “0”, the recording control unit 12 stops the recording operation of the data received as the D_Net input, and the cluster held in the network I / F memory 16. The control unit 2 controls the disk device 2 to generate management record data including the position information and the file name, and to record the data in a predetermined management record cluster.
[0082]
By a series of these operations, the management record as shown in FIG. 2 is recorded, and the substance of each file is recorded.
[0083]
In this embodiment, it is assumed that data for one minute can be recorded in one cluster for simplicity. The file name of the file according to the recording command of the user I / F 3 is “U” at the beginning, the file of the recording command of the timer 4 is “T” at the beginning, and the file according to the recording command of the terminal device 7 is “N”. ”And the recording start / end time continues.
[0084]
In FIG. 2, file 1 is a file recorded according to an instruction from a timer 4, file 2 is a file recorded according to an instruction from a terminal device 7, and file 3 is recorded according to an instruction from a user I / F3. The file 1 and the file 2 have the same channel on the same channel for some time, but the actual file in that part is one.
[0085]
As described above, when the contents of the recording data are duplicated, only the management record is recorded, and by making the file entity the same, the recording medium of the disk device 2 can be effectively used, and the load on the recording device is reduced. You. In addition, since the management record exists independently even from the user who operates the terminal device 7, the management record is an apparently independent file, and then there is an advantage that the file can be selected intuitively at the time of reproduction.
[0086]
In the above description of the operation of the video recording system, when the present invention is not applied, not only is the recording medium wasted but also it is necessary to record three data streams substantially simultaneously at 10:00 to 10:30 PM. As a result, the operation of the disk device 2 cannot follow, and problems such as dropped frames occur.
[0087]
In the above description, an example in which the start time and the end time are specified when the recording data is specified has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a method of specifying the code information for specifying the program is used. There may be. According to this method, even if the broadcast time of the subsequent program is shifted backward due to the extension of the broadcast time of the sports program, the subsequent program and the desired program are recorded without omission. be able to.
[0088]
As described above, according to the data recording control device of the present invention, when the content of the recording data specified by the recording instruction is the same as the content of the recording data specified by the preceding recording instruction, Since the recording apparatus is controlled so that there is only one entity, consumption of the recording medium is suppressed.
[0089]
Further, since the management records indicating the actual positions of the files are respectively recorded, it is apparently the same as the case where the recording is performed according to the recording instruction, so that the user can obtain an intuitive operation feeling.
[0090]
In addition, since the substantial data recording operation is not performed, the operation of the apparatus can have a margin, and a trouble due to an overload can be suppressed.
[0091]
According to the present invention, as described in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of devices such as a recording control circuit 1, a disk device 2, a user I / F 3, a timer 4, a network I / F 5, a remote controller 6, and a terminal device 7 Although the system (video recording system) configured has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to an apparatus in which the above-described devices are integrated.
[0092]
Further, a recording medium in which a program code which is software for realizing the function of the above-described recording control circuit 1 is recorded in a computer-readable manner is supplied to a system or an apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or the apparatus supplies This can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.
[0093]
Specifically, in a data recording method for recording the data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of a randomly accessible recording medium, the content of the first data instructed to be recorded and the recording of the first data A procedure for detecting whether or not the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the instruction is duplicated, and the detection result indicates that the content of the first data and the content of the second data are duplicated. And a procedure for causing a computer to execute a procedure for setting the recording area of the first data on the recording medium to be the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium. A recorded computer-readable recording medium may be used.
[0094]
That is, a program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure in the recording instruction processing unit 11 and the processing procedure in the recording control unit 12 in the recording control circuit 1 is recorded on the computer-readable recording medium. Will be.
[0095]
In this case, the program code itself read from the recording medium realizes the above-described function, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Examples of the storage medium for supplying the program code include a medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, an MD, and a nonvolatile memory card. A memory such as a ROM or a RAM can be used.
[0096]
The functions described above are not only realized by executing the above-described program code read out by a computer, but also executed by an OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on an instruction of the program code. The processing is partially or wholly performed, and the processing is also realized.
[0097]
Further, the above-described function is realized by writing the program code read from the storage medium into a memory provided in a function expansion board or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Based on the instruction, a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and is also realized by the processing.
[0098]
Therefore, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may not be recorded on the recording medium but may be a single program.
[0099]
That is, the computer detects whether the contents of the first data instructed to be recorded overlap the contents of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the instruction to record the first data. If the procedure and the detection result indicate that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data overlap, the recording area of the first data on the recording medium is changed to the second data. And a procedure for making the same as the recording area of the data on the recording medium.
[0100]
As described above, by causing the computer to execute the processing procedure of the recording instruction processing unit 11 and the processing procedure of the recording control unit 12, the recording control circuit 1 is implemented using a general-purpose computer. Can be configured.
[0101]
Therefore, the video recording system can be easily constructed using a general-purpose computer, and the cost required for constructing the video recording system can be reduced.
[0102]
Further, in the present embodiment, as the data to be symmetrically processed, broadcast data has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, music data, video data, electronic book data, The data may be map data for navigation or the like, software, or data such as music, video, characters, etc. recorded on a recording medium such as a tape or a disk.
[0103]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the data recording system of the present invention controls the recording device using a randomly accessible recording medium to record the data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of the recording medium. In the system, data duplication detecting whether or not the content of the first data instructed to be recorded overlaps the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the recording instruction of the first data. Detecting means, and data recording control means for controlling the recording device based on a detection result by the data duplication detecting means to record the data in a predetermined recording area on the recording medium; When the data duplication detecting means detects that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data are duplicated, the recording control means records the first data. The recording area on the medium, as the same as the recording area on the recording medium of the second data, which is configured for controlling said recording device.
[0104]
Therefore, when recording data to be recorded on a randomly accessible recording medium used in the recording apparatus, the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data are duplicated by the data recording control means. When this is detected, the recording device is controlled so that the recording area of the first data on the recording medium is the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate waste that data having the same content is recorded in different areas on the same recording medium.
[0105]
As described above, the waste of recording the same data in different recording areas on the recording medium can be eliminated, and thus the consumption of the recording medium can be suppressed.
[0106]
Further, when the contents of the data to be recorded overlap, the operation of the control device and the recording device can be spared because the substantial data recording operation is not performed, and the trouble due to overload can be suppressed. .
[0107]
As described above, since the duplicate recording is not performed, not only the efficiency of use of the recording medium is improved, but also it is possible to record other different recording data, and a resource shortage of a device or the like necessary for recording the data is eliminated. The effect that it can control is produced.
[0108]
The data recording control means obtains position information of a recording area on a recording medium for each data instructed to be recorded, and controls the recording apparatus so as to record the position information of the recording area on the recording medium. You may.
[0109]
In this case, the position information of the recording area on the recording medium is obtained for each data instructed to be recorded, and the position information of this recording area is recorded on the recording medium. The position information is recorded separately for each data. Even if the content of the first data and the content of the second data overlap and there is only one file entity on the recording medium, Since the appearance is the same as the case where the recording is performed according to the recording instruction, the user can obtain an intuitive operation feeling.
[0110]
Further, since the contents of the recording instructions individually performed by the user are stored on the recording medium, it is possible to provide recording data in accordance with the contents of the recording instructions for each user.
[0111]
When the data for which recording is instructed is broadcast data, the data duplication detecting means sets the broadcast channel information included in the first broadcast data for which recording is instructed prior to the first broadcast data. The content of the broadcast data may be determined to be duplicated when it is the same as the broadcast channel information included in the second broadcast data instructed to be recorded.
[0112]
In this case, the data duplication detecting means overlaps the two broadcast data when the broadcast channel information included in the first broadcast data is the same as the broadcast channel information included in the second broadcast data. Therefore, the identity of the broadcast channel information included in each broadcast data is determined.
[0113]
Therefore, the data recording control means should control the recording device based on the result of the determination made by the data duplication detection means to simultaneously record the first broadcast data and the second broadcast data, Alternatively, it is possible to determine whether to stop recording of one of the overlapping broadcast data, and to control the recording of the broadcast data on the recording medium.
[0114]
At least one of the recording instructions may be transmitted from a terminal device connected to the data duplication detecting means via the network to the data duplication detecting means.
[0115]
Further, at least one of the recording instructions may be transmitted from the timer unit to the data duplication detecting unit.
[0116]
According to the data recording method of the present invention, as described above, in a data recording method of recording data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of a randomly accessible recording medium, the content of the first data instructed to be recorded is Detecting whether or not the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the recording instruction of the first data overlaps with the content of the first data and the content of the second data. In this case, the content of the first data on the recording medium is set to be the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium.
[0117]
Therefore, when it is indicated that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data are overlapping, the recording area of the recording medium of the first data is changed to the recording area of the second data. By making the same as the recording area on the medium, it is possible to eliminate the waste of separately recording the same data on the recording medium.
[0118]
Therefore, the use efficiency of the recording medium can be improved, and the effect of eliminating the resource shortage of the recording apparatus can be achieved.
[0119]
Further, in the data recording method, that is, in the data recording method for recording the data for which recording is instructed in a predetermined recording area of a recording medium which can be randomly accessed, the content of the first data for which recording is instructed, and A procedure for detecting whether or not the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the data recording instruction is duplicated; and a step of determining whether the detection result is the same as the content of the first data and the content of the second data. To make the computer execute the procedure of making the recording area of the first data on the recording medium the same as the recording area of the second data on the recording medium when May be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium as the program.
[0120]
In this case, since data recording control can be managed using a general-purpose computer, there is an effect that costs for constructing a data recording system can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a video recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of each file created in the video recording system shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a file system used in the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a general video recording system.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Recording control circuit
2 Disk device
3 User I / F
4 timer (timer means)
5 Network I / F
6 remote control
7 Terminal device
11 Recording instruction processing unit (data duplication detecting means)
12 Recording control unit (data recording control means)
13 Record data generation unit
14 User I / F memory
15 Timer memory
16 Network I / F memory

Claims (7)

In a data recording system for recording data instructed to be recorded by controlling a recording device using a randomly accessible recording medium to record the data in a predetermined recording area of the recording medium,
Data duplication detecting means for detecting whether or not the content of the first data instructed to be recorded overlaps the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the first data recording instruction; ,
Data recording control means for controlling the recording device based on the detection result by the data duplication detection means, and recording the data in a predetermined recording area on the recording medium,
The data recording control means, when the data duplication detecting means detects that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data are duplicated, on the recording medium of the first data. A data recording system, wherein the recording device is controlled so that a recording area is the same as a recording area of a second data on a recording medium. The data recording control means obtains position information of a recording area on a recording medium for each data instructed to be recorded, and controls the recording apparatus so as to record the position information of the recording area on the recording medium. The data recording system according to claim 1, wherein When the data instructed to be recorded is broadcast data,
The data duplication detecting means may be configured such that the broadcast channel information included in the first broadcast data instructed to be recorded includes broadcast channel information included in the second broadcast data instructed to be recorded prior to the first broadcast data. The data recording system according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the contents of the broadcast data are duplicated when they are the same. 2. The data recording system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the recording instructions is transmitted from a terminal device connected to the data duplication detecting means via the network to the data duplication detecting means. 2. A data recording system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said recording instructions is transmitted from said timer means to said data duplication detecting means. In a data recording method for recording data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of a randomly accessible recording medium,
Detecting whether or not the content of the first data instructed to be recorded overlaps the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the recording instruction of the first data;
When the detection result indicates that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data overlap, the recording area of the first data on the recording medium is changed to the second data. A data recording method characterized by making the same as a recording area on a recording medium. In a data recording method for recording data instructed to be recorded in a predetermined recording area of a randomly accessible recording medium,
A procedure for detecting whether the content of the first data instructed to be recorded overlaps with the content of the second data instructed to be recorded prior to the recording instruction of the first data,
When the detection result indicates that the contents of the first data and the contents of the second data overlap, the recording area of the first data on the recording medium is changed to the second data. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the same procedure as a recording area on a recording medium is recorded.

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