JP2004048150A - Information apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image information encoding/decoding recording and reproducing apparatus capable of facilitating analysis of defects in a disk recorder or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A system controller 115 always stores an internal operating state to an internal memory 111 and extracts internal operating state data stored in the internal memory 111 on the occurrence of a defect in the image information encoding/decoding recording and reproducing apparatus so as to be capable of easily analyzing the operating defect on the basis of information including a casual relationship with an operation history of the image information encoding decoding recording and reproducing apparatus until the operation defect takes place. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information device for recording and reproducing a video signal and an audio signal on an information recording medium.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, along with the development of digital storage media, methods of compressing and recording long-time moving images and sounds on these storage media have been studied, and long-time moving images such as movies can be recorded while maintaining high image quality. It has become possible to record on a single medium. As a read-only standard, there is, for example, “DVD Specifications for Read-Only Disc” (1996). As a standard that can be recorded on and reproduced from a disc, for example, “DVD Specifications for Rewritable / Rewritable / Rewritable in 1999” -Recordable Discs ". Then, DVD players and DVD recorders conforming to these standards have been developed.
[0003]
In these digital AV devices, the operation of the system is becoming more and more complicated, and the software of a system controller for controlling the system is becoming more complicated, and at the same time, the scale thereof is increasing year by year. Therefore, in some cases, it is necessary to upgrade the version of the control program after shipment to correct a problem or the like, and it is necessary to be able to easily do so. As a method by which a user can easily upgrade a control program, for example, as described in JP-A-2001-31852, a method of rewriting a control program of a system controller using a disk on which the upgrade program is recorded is known. Are known.
[0004]
By using such a method, it is possible to upgrade the control program with a simple operation, but naturally it is necessary to modify the program before that, and when a problem occurs, Must be determined and countermeasures taken. However, as systems have become more complex, not only are the phenomena of failure itself simple, but also the conditions leading to their occurrence are often intertwined with various factors, making it difficult to determine the cause. ing.
[0005]
Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the operation state of the system controller 2002 inside the DVD recorder 2001 is set to be output via the communication port 2003 and the connector 2004, and the connection cable 2005 is connected to the connector 2004. In addition, a method has been devised in which data is read by a terminal device 2006 such as a personal computer. By doing so, the internal operation state can be monitored, so that efficient debugging can be performed.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as described above, the conditions leading to the malfunction are often intertwined with various factors, and it is often difficult to reproduce the malfunction once it has been connected to connect the above-mentioned device. When debugging, an external device such as a personal computer or a dedicated cable for connection is required. Usually, it is necessary to open a cover of a device such as a DVD recorder 2001 and connect a connector. Therefore, if a problem occurs at the user,
For example,
(1) Listen to the conditions in detail and reproduce them on another device.
(2) A service person or the like carries a device such as a personal computer and goes to the user for investigation.
(3) pick up and investigate the problematic device,
It is necessary to take such means, and in any case, a heavy load is imposed on the user. Further, in the case of a phenomenon that is difficult to reproduce, the cause may not be able to be investigated forever.
[0007]
The present invention makes it possible for a skilled person such as a service person to know the situation at the time of occurrence of a failure phenomenon without going to the site even if the phenomenon is difficult to reproduce, thereby facilitating analysis of the failure operation. It was done for the purpose of doing.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve this problem, an information apparatus according to the present invention comprises a recording / reproducing means for recording and / or reproducing on / from any one information medium selected from the group of reproduction only, recording / reproducing, and recording / reproducing erasable. Operating state information generating means for generating information relating to the operating state of the recording / reproducing means; and operating state information storing means for storing information generated by the operating state information generating means.
[0009]
In the information device of the present invention, the information on the operation state of the recording / reproducing means is generated by the operation state information generating means at least when the information medium is replaced.
[0010]
Further, the information device of the present invention, in addition to any one of the above configurations, may be configured such that the information medium is one of a read-only medium, a recordable / reproducible medium, and a recordable / erasable medium, A medium type determining means for determining the type of the content of the recorded information is provided.
[0011]
The information device of the present invention may further include, in addition to any one of the above configurations, an operation state information comparison unit that compares the information on the operation state generated by the operation state information generation unit with the information stored in the operation state information storage unit. Means.
[0012]
Further, the information device of the present invention further includes an operation state information determination unit that determines whether there is an operation abnormality based on the comparison result of the operation state information comparison unit.
[0013]
Further, the information device of the present invention further includes an operation abnormality information storage unit that stores information on the operation abnormality determined by the operation state information determination unit.
[0014]
Further, in the information device of the present invention, any one of the operation state information storage units stores storage of information generated by the operation state information generation unit.
[0015]
Further, in the information device of the present invention, any one of the operation state information storage units is a replaceable storage unit.
[0016]
Further, the information device of the present invention additionally writes the information stored in any one of the operation state information storage means on a recording / reproducing medium or a recording / reproducing erasable medium.
[0017]
Further, the information device of the present invention may further include at least one of an operation state information storage unit, a medium type determination unit, an operation state information comparison unit, an operation state information determination unit, and an operation abnormality information storage unit in addition to any one of the above configurations. Command transmission means for transmitting a command to the outside with information from the outside.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation state information generating unit for generating information relating to an operation state of the recording and reproducing unit, and an operation state information storage unit for storing information generated by the operation state information generating unit. Of the information on the operation state, the latest history is stored in the operation state information storage means, so that the information on the operation state when the operation abnormality occurs can be stored in the operation state information storage means. By analyzing the information or reproducing the information with another device or the above-mentioned device based on the information, it is possible to easily, promptly, and reliably deal with the abnormal operation.
[0019]
In the second invention, since the operating state information generating means has a configuration for generating information on the operating state at least when the information medium is exchanged, for example, a recordable / reproducible information medium from a read-only information medium or a recordable / reproducible information medium When switching from an information medium to an information medium of a different type such as a recordable / reproducible erasable information medium, for example, an abnormality occurs in the recording operation or an erasing operation due to a change in the operation state of the recording / reproducing means. In some cases, an operation abnormality such as an abnormality may occur, and the information relating to the abnormal operation can be reliably stored in the operation state information storage means. In addition, if a configuration is employed in which the information on the operation state of the recording / reproducing means is generated by the operation state information generation means only when the information medium is replaced, the information on the operation state stored in the operation state information storage means is intermittent. However, since the amount of information can be suppressed accordingly, the capacity of the operation state information storage means can be suppressed. On the other hand, it is generally useful to collect the history immediately before the occurrence of the operation abnormality and the history up to the operation abnormality as much as possible in repairing, for example, storing the operation state one by one in the operation state information storage means, or It is also useful to store information only when a change in the operation command (such as a search command from a reproduction start command) occurs. The storage timing of the information on the operation state in the operation state information storage means can be appropriately selected and applied.
[0020]
When the configuration of the third aspect of the present invention including the medium type discriminating means for discriminating the type of the information medium is adopted, the type discrimination information of the information medium discriminated by the medium type discriminating means can also be stored in the operation state information storage means. Since the information on the change in the type of the medium that affects the operation abnormality can be added to the occurrence of the abnormality, the amount of information for the above-mentioned analysis or reproduction can be increased, and the time required for analysis and repair can be reduced, and the operation abnormality The situation at the time of occurrence can be analyzed accurately.
[0021]
When the configuration including the operation state information comparison means of the fourth invention is adopted, for example, if the comparison results are the same, only the latest information can be stored and the information immediately before the latest information can be deleted, and a series of operations can be performed. Only information having a different order or type of operation can be stored in the operation state information storage means, which is useful for reducing the storage capacity of the operation state information storage means.
[0022]
When the configuration including the operation state information determining means of the fifth invention is adopted, for example, the flag at the time of occurrence of the operation abnormality can be stored in the operation state information storage means, and the presence or absence of the operation abnormality up to the current state and the operation abnormality Since the time required to analyze the history of the operation abnormality up to the point can be reduced, the efficiency of dealing with the operation abnormality can be improved. In addition, according to the determination result of the operation state information determination means, for example, it is possible to instruct the user to transmit a warning or the like to the user or to transmit a request for repair or the like to a service center or the like. Optimum use condition can be secured.
[0023]
By employing the configuration including the operation abnormality information storage means of the sixth invention, it is possible to selectively store only abnormality information such as the above-mentioned operation abnormality occurrence time, operation abnormality occurrence location, and operation abnormality degree. In addition to shortening the time required for repair, etc., the information stored in the operation abnormality information storage means is transmitted to the service center by electronic means, for example, so that the service center can provide an estimate for the repair, take a business trip repair or take it to the service center. Can be promptly determined, repair parts can be quickly determined by sending the repair parts to the user, etc.
[0024]
By adopting a configuration in which the operation state information storage means according to the seventh invention stores information on the operation state, only the storage capacity of the operation state information storage means is stored, and when the storage capacity is exceeded, the oldest information is overwritten sequentially. Therefore, there is no need to select information to be stored in the operation state information storage means, and the history of the information device can be stored in the operation state information storage means, so that the cause of the operation abnormality can be searched for without delay.
[0025]
When the exchangeable storage means in the eighth invention is applied to the operation state information storage means, the exchangeable storage means is detached from the information device in which the operation abnormality has occurred, and the exchangeable storage means is attached to another device, for example, and the service center is connected via an electric signal. The cause of the malfunction can be identified by communicating to the outside such as, or by bringing the exchangeable storage means to, for example, mailing or bringing it to a service center, etc., and mailing or bringing the information medium to the service center etc. The search for the cause of the operation abnormality and the determination as to whether or not to carry the information device to the service center or the like in accordance with the result can reduce the burden on the user.
[0026]
By applying at least the recordable information medium in the ninth invention to the operation state information storage means, at least the latest information of the information device using the information medium can be recorded on the information medium, and the main cause of the operation abnormality is the information device. In addition to being able to quickly and easily determine whether or not an information medium is present, it is possible to investigate the cause of the malfunction by mailing or bringing the information medium to a service center, etc., and transport the information device to the service center according to the result. It is possible to determine whether or not to perform the above, and the burden on the user can be reduced.
[0027]
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a command is transmitted to the outside from at least one of the operation state information storage unit, the medium type determination unit, the operation state information comparison unit, the operation state information determination unit, and the operation abnormality information storage unit. Information transmission means that can transmit information about the operation state of the information device to the service center, a store, and the like immediately and appropriately about the appropriate state of the information device, thereby reducing the burden on the user. can do. For example, from the command receiving side, the estimated amount of the repair, the repair time, information on the decision whether the serviceman will perform the on-site repair, whether the user will perform the repair on their own, or the user sends the information device, the amount of the repair parts, etc. It is also possible for the user to make a selection, and to pay for the selection of any of the above and / or for the operation abnormality analysis in accordance with the user's selection.
[0028]
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking an example of an image information encoding / multiplexing recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing a video / audio signal in an information apparatus.
[0029]
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 101 is an optical disk, 102 is an optical pickup, 103 is an optical pickup drive circuit, 104 is a signal processing circuit, 105 is a stream control circuit, 106 is an audio / video decoder that decodes compressed data to obtain image / audio data 113 And 107, an audio / video encoder for compressing and encoding the image / audio data 114, and 115, a system controller for controlling the entire system. The system controller 115 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as CPU) 108, a synchronous DRAM (hereinafter, referred to as SDRAM) 109, a flash ROM (hereinafter, referred to as FROM) 110, a static RAM (hereinafter, referred to as SRAM) 111, An electrically erasable PROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). For example, since the SDRAM 109 does not retain data when the power is turned off, it is mainly used as a work memory, and the SRAM 111 is backed up by a battery or the like even when the power is turned off, and the power is turned off such as various setting values. Is also used to store data to be held. The FROM 110 is used for storing a program of the system controller, and the EEPROM 112 is used for storing a device unique number. Reference numeral 116 denotes a communication control circuit, which can communicate with the outside using, for example, a telephone line under the control of the system controller 115.
[0030]
The operation of the image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above will be described below.
[0031]
First, the operation at the time of recording will be described. For example, when the recording button (not shown) of the remote controller is pressed by the user, this is detected by the system controller 115, and “「 / month / day / hour / minute / second: remote controller ”is stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111. : Record button ".
[0032]
Next, the system controller 115 sends an encoding start command to the audio / video encoder 107, and writes “○ month / day / hour / minute / second: AV encoder: encode START” in the subsequent area of the SRAM 111, and outputs the audio / video data. When the encoder 107 returns a response indicating that the operation has started normally, "「 / month / day / hour / minute / second: AV encoder: normal START "is written in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111.
[0033]
The stream control circuit 105 instructs the stream control circuit 105 to start transfer of the encoded data, and writes “○ / 日 / day / hour / minute / second: stream control circuit: stream transfer START” in the SRAM 111. When a response indicating that it has started is returned, "○ / month / day / hour / minute / second: stream control circuit: normal START" is written.
[0034]
The optical pickup drive circuit 103 is instructed on the writing position (address) of the optical disk, and for example, “○ month / day / hour / minute / second: optical pick drive circuit: move to address ○” or “○ month / day” Write the instruction content and its result in the subsequent area of the SRAM 111 as shown in “Day 時 hour 分 minute 秒 second: optical pick drive circuit: move to address ○ completed”.
[0035]
In this way, the image / audio data compressed and encoded by the audio / video encoder 107 passes through the stream control circuit 105, and the signal processing circuit 104 performs processing such as addition of an error correction code and digital modulation, and the like. Is recorded on the optical disk 101 via the. As a result, the operating state of the system controller 115 in each state is stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111, for example, as shown in FIG.
[0036]
Next, the operation at the time of reproduction will be described. When a play button (not shown) of the remote controller is pressed by the user, the system controller 115 detects this, and displays “month / day / day / hour / minute / second: remote controller: playback” in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111. Button ".
[0037]
Next, the system controller 115 instructs the optical pickup drive circuit 103 of a position (address) for reading the optical disk, and reads “○ month day x hour x minute x second: optical pick drive circuit: move to address ○”. When a response indicating that the optical pickup drive circuit 103 has moved to a predetermined position is returned, the following is written: "○ / ○ / day / hour / minute / second: Optical pick drive circuit: Movement to address ○ completed".
[0038]
A signal reproduced from the optical disk 101 by the optical pickup 102 is sent to a signal processing circuit 104, where the signal is subjected to processes such as binarization, digital demodulation, and error correction, and then sent to a stream control circuit 105. At this time, the contents written to the SRAM 111 by the system controller 115 are “○ / ○ / day / hour / minute / second: stream control circuit: stream transfer START”, and “○ / month / day / hour / minute / second: stream control circuit: "Normal START".
[0039]
Subsequently, the data from the stream control circuit 105 is sent to the audio / video decoder 106, separated into a video stream and an audio stream, decoded, and output in synchronization. In this way, the operation state of the system controller 115 is stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111, for example, as shown in FIG.
[0040]
Up to this point, a normal case has been described, but if an abnormal operation is detected by the system controller 115, detailed information should be left as much as possible. For example, if there is no response to the start command to the stream control circuit 105 within a predetermined time, the following message is output: "○ month ○ day ○ hour ○ minute ○ second: stream control circuit: START abnormal (no response of ○ second) ", The state of the internal memory of the stream control circuit 105 is read out and recorded.
[0041]
As described above, the operation state of the system controller 115 is sequentially written from the top of a predetermined area of the SRAM 111, and when the area reaches the end of the area secured in advance, the operation is returned to the top and overwritten. By doing so, the latest operation state can always be left on the SRAM 111. Further, as described above, the SRAM 111 is backed up by a battery or the like, and the contents stored in the SRAM 111 are retained even when the power of the image information encoding / multiplexing recording / reproducing apparatus is turned off.
[0042]
Next, processing when a disk is mounted will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure of the system controller 115 when a disk is mounted.
[0043]
When a disk is loaded, it is determined in step 402 whether the disk is a DVD-RAM disk. If the disk is a DVD-RAM disk, the process proceeds to step 411; And discriminates whether the disc is a special format disc created for transmission to the outside via a communication line (hereinafter, referred to as a communication disc). If the disc is a communication disc, the process proceeds to step 420. If the disc is not a communication disc, it is determined in step 404 whether the disc is a DVD-Video disc. If the disc is a DVD-Video disc, the DVD-Video process is performed in step 405. . Similarly, in step 406, it is determined whether the disc is a Video-CD disc. If the disc is a Video-CD, the process of video-CD is performed in step 407; Whether it is Audio-CD or not, the processing of Audio-CD is performed in step 409. If it is determined in step 408 that the disc is not an Audio-CD, it means that the loaded disc cannot be handled by this apparatus. An unsupported disc has been mounted. "
[0044]
If it is determined in step 402 that the disk is a DVD-RAM disk, in step 411, it is determined whether the disk is a special format disk created for upgrading the system control program (hereinafter, referred to as an upgrade disk). Do. In the version upgrade disk, data is recorded on a DVD-RAM disk, for example, in a format as shown in FIG. “FF”), and an identification code (ID) indicating that the disc is a version upgrade disc is written at address “200”. At the next address “201”, the start address (the address “300” in the example of FIG. 5) of the area in which the program to be rewritten for upgrading is recorded, and at the subsequent address “202”, the program is recorded. The final address of the specified area is written.
[0045]
If it is determined in step 411 that the disk is an upgrade disk, in step 412, the program of the system controller 115 is upgraded, and the contents of the FROM 110 are rewritten. (There are various methods for upgrading the program.) However, the detailed description is omitted because it is not directly related to the gist of the present invention). As described above, when the predetermined process is completed, the disc is ejected in process 419, and a series of operations is completed.
[0046]
If it is determined in step 411 that the disk is not a version-up disk, it is determined in step 413 whether the disk is a special-format disk (hereinafter, referred to as a dump disk) created to extract and record internal operating state information. Identify. In the dump disk, for example, data is recorded in a format as shown in FIG. 6 on a DVD-RAM disk, and all the addresses from the innermost address “0” to the address “200” are “1” (in hexadecimal notation). FF "), and an identification code (ID) indicating that the disk is a dump disk is written at address" 200 ". The start address of the data area is written at address "201", and the start address of an unused area of the data area is written at address "202". Since nothing is written in the data area at first, Indicates the same address (address "300" in the example of FIG. 6).
[0047]
If it is determined in step 413 that the disk is a dump disk, in step 415, the system controller 115 changes the “address of the unused area for data” (address “300” in this example) from the address “202” of the disk. In reading and processing 416, header information and predetermined information such as a model name, a serial number, and a version of a control program are written at the head of the address (address "300"). The data to be written at this time is transferred from the CPU 108 to the stream control circuit 105 and written to the optical disk 101 via the signal processing circuit 104.
[0048]
Next, in process 417, the CPU 108 reads out the internal operation state information stored in the SRAM 111, and writes this data via the stream control circuit 105 and the signal processing circuit 104 after the header information and the like written in process 416. .
[0049]
When the writing of the contents of the SRAM 111 is completed, the last address is written to the address "202" as the "head address of the unused area for data" in the process 418, and the disc is ejected in the process 419 to complete the process.
[0050]
The dump disk that has been dumped in the internal operation state as described above is in a state as shown in FIG. 7, for example. When this dump disk is subsequently mounted on another device, the start address of the unused area for data (address “202” in this example) indicates the end of the previously written data. The second data is written, and the “head address of the unused area for data (address“ 202 ”)” is updated to the last address of the second data recording. In this manner, by repeating the same operation, data can be additionally written as many times as there is space in the disk.
[0051]
In step 403, it is determined whether or not the disc is a communication disc. The communication disc is recorded on a disc such as a DVD-R or a CD-R in a format as shown in FIG. All the addresses from the innermost address “0” to the address “200” are filled with “1” (“FF” in hexadecimal notation), and an identification code (ID) indicating that the disk is a communication disk at the address “200”. The address “201” describes communication destination information such as the telephone number of the connection destination, and the address “202” describes an authentication code for performing authentication when connecting to the communication destination. ing.
[0052]
If it is determined in step 403 that the disk is a communication disk, in step 420 the communication destination information is read from the address "201" of the disk. In step 421, a connection is instructed to the communication control circuit 116 using the read communication destination information. I do. When the connection with the other party is completed and the authentication code is requested, the authentication code is read from the address "202" of the disk in processing 422 and transmitted through the communication control circuit 116. When the authentication is completed, the part number and serial Transmit device information such as numbers. Subsequently, in a process 423, the internal operation state information stored in the SRAM 111 is read and transmitted via the communication control circuit 116. Then, when all the information is transmitted, the communication line is disconnected, and the disc is ejected in step 419. If the destination is, for example, a service center of the image information coding / multiplexing recording / reproducing apparatus or a store where the apparatus was purchased, information such as the necessity of analysis and repair regarding the abnormality that has occurred, and, if necessary, estimation and repair time, etc. Can be obtained immediately.
[0053]
In this embodiment, the DVD-RAM is used as the dump disk for writing the internal operation state. However, the present invention is not limited to the DVD-RAM. good.
[0054]
In addition, although the DVD-R and the CD-R are used as communication disks, they merely indicate that a non-rewritable disk may be used, and may be a read-only disk or a rewritable disk. This is applicable if rewriting is prohibited, and the same applies to any type of disc.
[0055]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a trouble phenomenon occurs, it is possible to download the history of the internal operation state at that time and to transmit the history through the communication line simply by mounting a predetermined disk. It is possible to know the situation at the time of the occurrence of the problem with a simple operation without having to go to the site, and without having to recreate difficult-to-reproduce phenomena. Operation analysis can be facilitated.
[0056]
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 901 denotes a memory card and 902 denotes a memory card control circuit. The operation of the image information encoding / decoding recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above will be described below. Since the recording / reproducing operation for the optical disk 101 is the same as that described in FIG. The operation with respect to 901 will be described.
[0057]
To record on the memory card 901, first, a memory card is selected as a recording destination. For example, a memory card is selected as a recording destination by a user by displaying a screen such as a “recording destination selection screen”. At this time, the system controller 115 writes “○ / month / day / hour / minute / second: recording destination selection: memory card” in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111.
[0058]
Next, for example, when the record button of the remote controller is pressed, “○ / month / day / hour / minute / second: remote controller: record button” is written in the area subsequent to the SRAM 111 in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. Then, the image / audio data compressed and encoded by the audio / video encoder 107 is transferred to the stream control circuit 105. The data sent to the stream control circuit 105 is subjected to signal processing for the memory card by the memory card control circuit 902 and written to the memory card 901. In each of the above operations, the system controller 115 changes the operation state of the SRAM 111 It is stored in a predetermined area.
[0059]
At the time of reproduction, first, a memory card is designated as a reproduction source. At this time, the system controller 115 writes “○ / month / day / hour / minute / second: reproduction source selection: memory card” in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111.
[0060]
Next, when the play button of the remote control is pressed, the system controller 115 detects this, and writes “○ / month / day / hour / minute / second: remote control: play button” in the SRAM 111 and sends it to the stream control circuit 105. To instruct playback from the memory card 901.
[0061]
The stream control circuit 105 reads data from the memory card 901 via the memory card control circuit 902. At this time, the memory card control circuit 902 performs predetermined signal processing. This data is sent from the stream control circuit 105 to the audio / video decoder 106, separated into a video stream and an audio stream, and after being decoded, they are output in synchronization. In each of the above operations, the operation state of the system controller 115 is stored in a predetermined area of the SRAM 111.
[0062]
Next, a process when a memory card is inserted will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows a processing procedure of the system controller 115 when a memory card is inserted.
[0063]
When a memory card is inserted, the memory card is extracted in a process 1002 to extract internal operation state information and transmit it to an external device via a communication line. ) Is determined.
[0064]
If it is a communication memory card, the process proceeds to step 1008. If it is not a communication memory card, a special format memory card (hereinafter, dump memory card) created in step 1003 to extract and record the internal operation state information. ). If the memory card is a dump memory card, the process proceeds to step 1012. If the memory card is not a dump memory card, is the memory card of a special format created for upgrading the system control program in process 1004 (hereinafter referred to as an upgrade memory card)? Determine if If the memory card is an upgrade memory card, the process of upgrading the program of the system controller 115 is performed in step 1005. If the memory card is not an upgrade memory card, the process of a normal memory card is performed as process 1006.
[0065]
In the version upgrade memory card, data is recorded in a format as shown in FIG. 11, for example, and all the addresses from "0" to "200" are filled with "1"("FF" in hexadecimal notation), An identification code (ID) indicating that the memory card is a version upgrade memory card is written in “200”. The next address "201" is written with the start address (the address "300" in the example of FIG. 11) of the area where the version-up program to be rewritten is recorded, and the program is recorded at the subsequent address "202". The last address of the area is written.
[0066]
In the process 1003, whether or not the memory card is a dump memory card is identified. Data is recorded in the dump memory card, for example, in a format as shown in FIG. 12, and the address "0" to the address "200" are all "1" ( A hexadecimal notation "FF") is filled in, and an identification code (ID) indicating that the memory card is a dump memory card is written at an address "200". The start address of the data area is written at address "201", and the start address of an unused area of the data area is written at address "202". Since nothing is written in the data area at first, Indicates the same address (address "300" in the example of FIG. 12).
[0067]
If it is determined in step 1003 that there is a dump memory card, in step 1012 the system controller 115 changes the address “202” of the memory card 901 to the “head address of the unused area for data” (in this case, the address “300”). In step 1013, header information and predetermined information such as a model name, a serial number, and a version of a control program are written at the head of the address (address "300"). The data to be written at this time is transferred from the CPU 108 to the stream control circuit 105, and is written to the memory card 901 via the memory card control circuit 902.
[0068]
Next, in a process 1014, the CPU 108 reads the internal operation state information stored in the SRAM 111, and continues this data via the stream control circuit 105 and the memory card control circuit 902 after the header information and the like written in the process 1013. Write. When the writing of the contents of the SRAM 111 is completed, the last address is written to the address “202” as “the head address of the unused area for data” in step 1015, and the processing is completed.
[0069]
In step 1002, it is determined whether or not the memory card is a communication memory card. Data is recorded on the communication memory card in a format as shown in FIG. 13, for example. The address "0" to the address "200" are all filled with "1"("FF" in hexadecimal notation), and an identification code (ID) indicating that it is a communication memory card is written at the address "200". The address "201" describes information of a communication destination such as a telephone number of a connection destination, and the address "202" describes an authentication code for performing authentication when connecting to the communication destination. I have.
[0070]
If it is determined in step 1002 that the memory card is a communication memory card, in step 1008, a communication destination is read from the address “201” of the memory card 901 via the memory card control circuit 902 and the stream control circuit 105. The connection is instructed to the control circuit 116.
[0071]
If an authentication code can be obtained by connecting to the other party, in step 1010, the authentication code described in the address “202” of the memory card 901 is read and transmitted via the communication control circuit 116. And device information such as a serial number. Next, in step 1011, the internal operation state information stored in the SRAM 111 is read out and transmitted via the communication control circuit 116. When all the information has been transmitted, the communication line is disconnected and the processing ends.
[0072]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a malfunction occurs, only by inserting a predetermined memory card, it is possible to download the history of the internal operation state at that time or transmit the history through the communication line. It is possible to know the situation at the time when the problem occurred with a simple operation, without having to go to the site by skilled personnel such as service personnel and without having to reproduce difficult phenomena, Can be easily analyzed.
[0073]
In the above description, the operation state of the system controller 115 is held in the SRAM 111. However, the present invention is not limited to the SRAM 111, and may be another type of memory. May be recorded separately. For example, the data may normally be written in the SRAM 111, and an important portion (for example, only a portion where an error has occurred) may be written in the EEPROM 112 as necessary.
[0074]
Also, the case where the information indicating the internal state is output as a character code so as to be easy to read has been described as an example. Then, more information may be stored by reducing the data amount.
[0075]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when a failure occurs, the history of the internal operation state at that time can be collected simply by mounting a predetermined disk, so that a skilled person such as a service person can The advantageous effect that the situation at the time of occurrence of the trouble phenomenon can be known by a simple operation without going to the site and without having to reproduce the phenomenon that is difficult to reproduce is obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an internal operation state written in a memory of the image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an internal operation state written in a memory of the image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when a disc is mounted on the image information encoding / decoding / recording / playback apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a format of a version upgrade disk;
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a format of an internal state dump disk.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a format of an internal state dump disk.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a format of a disk for internal state data communication.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when a memory card is inserted in the image information encoding / decoding / recording / reproducing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a format of a memory card for version upgrade.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a format of a memory card for dumping;
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a format of a communication memory card.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a conventional image information encoding / decoding recording / reproducing apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
101, 701 Optical disk
102 Optical Pickup
103 Optical pickup drive circuit
104 signal processing circuit
105 stream control circuit
106 Audio Video Decoder
107 Audio Video Encoder
108 CPU
109 SDRAM
110 FROM
111 SRAM
112 EEPROM
115 System Controller
116 Communication control circuit
501, 601 DVD-RAM disk
901 memory card
902 Memory card control circuit

Claims (10)

A recording / reproducing means for recording and / or reproducing on or from any one of the information media selected from the group of reproduction-only, recording / reproducing, and recording / reproducing erasable; An information device comprising: state information generating means; and operation state information storage means for storing information generated by the operation state information generating means. 2. The information apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the operation state of the recording / reproducing means is generated by the operation state information generating means at least when the information medium is replaced. A medium type discriminating means for discriminating any one of a read-only medium, a recordable / reproducible medium, and a recordable / erasable medium; The information device according to claim 1, further comprising: 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation state information comparison unit that compares information on the operation state generated by the operation state information generation unit with information stored in the operation state information storage unit. Information device as described. 5. The information apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an operation state information determination unit that determines whether or not there is an operation abnormality based on a comparison result of the operation state information comparison unit. The information device according to claim 5, further comprising an operation abnormality information storage unit that stores information on the operation abnormality determined by the operation state information determination unit. The information device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operation state information storage unit stores storage of information generated by the operation state information generation unit. The information device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the operation state information storage unit is a replacement storage unit. 9. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the operation state information storage means is additionally recorded on a recording / reproducing medium or a recording / reproducing erasable medium. Command transmission means for transmitting a command to at least one of the operation state information storage means, the medium type determination means, the operation state information comparison means, the operation state information determination means and the operation abnormality information storage means to the outside; The information device according to claim 1, further comprising:

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