JP2004221707A - Video recording reservation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To input program reservation information to a mobile information terminal at a place where a video recording apparatus can not be used and thereafter, to quickly reflect the reservation information input in the video recording apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A mobile recording medium 200 is loaded to the card slot part 590 of a mobile information terminal 500. When the reservation information is inputted to the mobile information terminal 500, the mobile information terminal 500 stores the contents of the input to the mobile recording medium 200 as a reservation information file. After that, when the mobile recording medium 200 is loaded to a card slot part 190 of a digital broadcast receiver 100. If the reservation information file of the mobile recording medium 200 is newer than a reservation management table of the digital broadcast receiver 100, the reservation management table of the digital broadcast receiver 100 is updated by the contents of the reservation information file of the mobile recording medium 200. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a reservation recording system, and more particularly to a reservation device that records reservation information of a program on a portable recording medium, a recording device that reflects the reservation information recorded on the portable recording medium in a reservation management table, and these devices. And a program for causing a computer to execute the method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to make a reservation recording of a program such as a television broadcast, a reservation input has been performed using a remote control or the like attached to a recording device. In recent years, there has been proposed a technology related to remote operation using a communication network in order to input a reservation from outside. For example, there is disclosed a technology for connecting to a digital broadcast receiving device via a telephone line and executing a recording reservation via the telephone line by pressing an operation button of the telephone according to voice guidance (for example, see Patent Document 1). ). Further, there is disclosed a technique in which a video recording reservation device for providing program information is provided, and a video recording reservation device makes a recording reservation to a video terminal in response to a request from a mobile terminal or the like (for example, see Patent Document 2). .).
[0003]
On the other hand, as a medium on which the contents of a program are recorded, not only a magnetic recording medium such as a video tape but also a semiconductor recording medium is used as a portable recording medium (for example, see Patent Document 3). ).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-004434 A (FIG. 2)
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-067488 (FIG. 1)
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-6-022275 (FIG. 1)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described conventional technology, a communication unit for performing remote control is required in order to input a reservation on the go. In addition, it requires time and effort to respond to voice guidance and to provide a video recording reservation device in advance. On the other hand, assuming that recording is performed on the portable recording medium itself, it is convenient to hold the reservation information together in the portable recording medium. In particular, in order to be easily edited in each terminal, it is desirable to hold the reservation information in a standard file format.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to input program reservation information in a place where the recording device cannot be used, and to promptly reflect the reservation information input on the recording device.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a recording apparatus of the present invention comprises: a reservation management table for managing reservation information of a program; reading means for reading a reservation information file from a portable recording medium; Updating comparison means for comparing the updating information of the reservation management table with the updating information; and updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when the updating comparison means determines that the reservation information file is newer. Update control means. This brings about an effect that the latest reservation information is reflected on the reservation management table via the portable recording medium.
[0008]
Further, another recording apparatus of the present invention further comprises priority detection means for detecting whether or not the priority information of the reservation information file indicates a highest priority state, and the update control means comprises: If the detection unit determines that the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state, the reservation management table is updated with the contents of the reservation information file regardless of the comparison result of the update comparison unit. I do. This brings about an effect that the contents of the portable recording medium are preferentially reflected in the reservation management table regardless of the time of updating.
[0009]
Further, another recording apparatus of the present invention performs a recording operation based on the contents of the reservation information file when the priority detection means determines that the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state. The apparatus further includes a removal warning unit that generates a warning when receiving an instruction to remove the portable recording medium before completion. This brings about an effect of preventing the removal of the portable recording medium due to an error.
[0010]
In another recording apparatus of the present invention, the warning by the removal warning means includes confirmation of canceling the update of the reservation management table. This brings about an effect of deleting the reservation information that has become unnecessary due to the removal.
[0011]
Further, another recording apparatus of the present invention includes a prompt detecting means for detecting whether or not the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates a prompt, and the prompt and date detecting means determines whether or not the reservation and date information of the reservation information file is correct. Means for starting a recording operation after a lapse of a predetermined time from the mounting of the portable recording medium when it is determined that the instruction is directed. This brings about an effect that the recording operation is started immediately after the specific portable recording medium is mounted.
[0012]
Further, another recording apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that when the prompt detection means determines that the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates prompt, the portable recording medium is provided before the recording operation is completed. Further, a removal warning means for generating a warning when receiving the removal instruction is provided. This brings about an effect of preventing the removal of the portable recording medium due to an error.
[0013]
In another recording apparatus of the present invention, the warning by the removal warning means includes confirmation of canceling the update of the reservation management table. This brings about an effect of deleting the reservation information that has become unnecessary due to the removal.
[0014]
Further, the reservation device of the present invention, a capacity means for reading the total storage capacity and the used capacity from the portable recording medium, and a means for calculating the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium from the total storage capacity and the used capacity A reservation information input unit for prompting the input of reservation information and receiving the reservation information, a required time calculation unit for calculating a required time from the reservation information, and calculating an available bit rate from the remaining capacity and the required time Bit rate calculating means, a reservation mode presenting means for presenting a reservation mode from the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculating means, and, if there is a correction input of the reservation mode, the reservation mode is corrected. A means for adding the reservation information to the reservation information and a writing means for writing the reservation information to the portable recording medium are provided. This brings about an effect that the reservation mode according to the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium is presented as a default value.
[0015]
In another reservation apparatus of the present invention, the writing means writes the reservation information as a reservation information file in a predetermined format on the portable recording medium. This brings about an effect of facilitating the editing of the reservation information file in each device.
[0016]
In another reservation apparatus of the present invention, the reservation information file in the predetermined format is described in an XML language. This brings about an effect of facilitating information exchange between the devices.
[0017]
Further, in another reservation apparatus of the present invention, the reservation mode presenting means presents a reservation mode having the highest bit rate up to the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculating means. As a result, there is an effect that the reservation mode is presented as a default value so that the image quality is maximized within the range of the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium.
[0018]
In another reservation device of the present invention, the reservation information input means includes priority information in the reservation information. This brings about an effect of displaying that the reservation information should be preferentially handled.
[0019]
In another reservation apparatus of the present invention, the reservation information input means includes an immediate instruction in the reservation information. This brings about an effect of displaying that the recording operation should be started immediately after the portable recording medium is mounted.
[0020]
Further, the reservation recording system of the present invention includes a reservation device for writing reservation information of a program as a predetermined reservation information file on a portable recording medium, and managing the reservation information of the program by reading the reservation information file from the portable recording medium. A recording device that updates a reservation management table to be updated, the recording device comprising: an update-time comparing unit that compares the update-time information of the reservation information file with the update-time information of the reservation management table. Update control means for updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when the reservation information file is judged to be newer by the update time comparing means. This brings about an effect that the latest reservation information is reflected on the reservation management table via the portable recording medium.
[0021]
In another reservation recording system according to the present invention, the reservation information file includes priority information, and the recording device detects whether the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state. The update control means further includes a detection means, and when the priority detection means determines that the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state, the update control means outputs the comparison result of the update comparison means. Regardless, the reservation management table is updated with the contents of the reservation information file. This brings about an effect that the contents of the portable recording medium are preferentially reflected in the reservation management table regardless of the time of updating.
[0022]
In another reservation recording system according to the present invention, the reservation information file includes reservation date and time information, and the recording device detects whether or not the reservation date and time information in the reservation information file indicates immediate operation. Means for starting a recording operation after a lapse of a predetermined time from the mounting of the portable recording medium when it is determined by the prompt detection means that the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates a prompt. And This brings about an effect that the recording operation is started immediately after the specific portable recording medium is mounted.
[0023]
Further, the update control method of the reservation management table of the present invention is an update control method of the reservation management table in a recording device provided with a reservation management table for managing the reservation information of a program, wherein the reservation information file is transferred from a portable recording medium. A reading procedure, a procedure for comparing the updated information of the reservation information file with the updated information of the reservation management table, and, when it is determined that the reservation information file is newer, Updating the reservation management table. This brings about an effect that the latest reservation information is reflected on the reservation management table via the portable recording medium.
[0024]
Another update control method for the reservation management table of the present invention is a method for controlling the update of the reservation management table in a recording device provided with a reservation management table for managing program reservation information, the method comprising updating the reservation information from a portable recording medium. The procedure for reading the file, the procedure for detecting whether or not the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state, and comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table Updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state or when the reservation information file is determined to be newer And This brings about an effect that the contents of the portable recording medium are preferentially reflected in the reservation management table regardless of the time of updating.
[0025]
A reservation information setting method according to the present invention is a reservation information setting method in a reservation apparatus for writing reservation information of a program as a predetermined reservation information file on a portable recording medium, wherein the total storage capacity and the used capacity are obtained from the portable recording medium. A procedure for calculating the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium from the total storage capacity and the used capacity; a procedure for prompting input of reservation information and receiving the reservation information; A procedure for calculating a time, a procedure for calculating a usable bit rate from the remaining capacity and the required time, a procedure for presenting a reservation mode from the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculation means, If there is a correction input, the procedure for adding this reservation mode to the reservation information after making corrections according to the correction input, and writing the reservation information to the portable recording medium ; And a non-procedural. This brings about an effect that the reservation mode according to the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium is presented as a default value.
[0026]
In addition, with respect to each of the above methods, a program for executing those procedures is also included in the present invention.
[0027]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0028]
Referring to FIG. 1, in the reservation recording system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the reservation information is stored in a digital broadcast receiver 100 at home 10 by attaching a portable recording medium 200 in which the reservation information is recorded in advance. Will be reflected. The digital broadcast receiver 100 is an example of a recording device, and may be a computer with a built-in tuner.
[0029]
Various devices are conceivable for inputting reservation information to the portable recording medium 200. For example, a desktop computer 300, a notebook computer 400, a personal digital assistant (PDA: Personal Digital Assistance) 500, and the like can be considered. These devices may be installed in any location, for example, indoors at the place where the user is going out, or outdoors while moving. Further, when the digital broadcast receiver 100 in the home 10 is in use and the reservation cannot be input, a mode in which the computer in the home 10 performs the reservation input may be considered.
[0030]
Each device of the digital broadcast receiver 100, the desktop computer 300, the notebook computer 400, and the portable information terminal 500 includes a card slot unit 190, 390, 490, and 590 in which the portable recording medium 200 is mounted. Have. Each device has a portable recording medium 200 mounted in these card slots, and performs reading or writing with the portable recording medium 200.
[0031]
As a result, the user can make a reservation input of a program at any convenient time regardless of the place. In the embodiment of the present invention, as described below, the reservation information to be held in the portable recording medium 200 is in a standard file format, thereby facilitating the editing in each device. In addition, while updating time of the reservation information is managed so that the latest reservation information is reflected in the digital broadcast receiver 100, there is provided a means for forcibly reflecting the reservation information regardless of the update time.
[0032]
The portable recording medium 200 can record not only the reservation information but also the contents of the program. The portable recording medium 200 recorded in the digital broadcast receiver 100 can be reproduced by the digital broadcast receiver 100 as it is, or can be reproduced by another digital broadcast receiver. Further, in each device such as the desktop computer 300, the notebook computer 400, and the portable information terminal 500, the content recorded on the portable recording medium 200 can be reproduced by providing a reproduction application. it can.
[0033]
Referring to FIG. 2, digital broadcast receiver 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes control unit 110, memory unit 120, flash unit 129, tuner 131, external input unit 132, and network input / output unit 133. , Demodulation unit 134, demultiplexer 140, audio decoding unit 141, image decoding unit 142, switch unit 150, digital-analog (D / A) conversion unit 160, audio output unit 161, and image output It includes a unit 162, a multiplexer 170, an audio encoding unit 171, an image encoding unit 172, a bus 180, and a card slot unit 190. The antenna 109, the speaker 101, and the display 102 are connected as external devices.
[0034]
The control unit 110 controls the operation of the entire digital broadcast receiver 100. The control unit 110 is constituted by, for example, a CPU. The memory unit 120 corresponds to a main memory of the control unit 110, and stores a program that operates on the control unit 110, a reservation management table that manages reservation information of programs, and the like. The flash unit 129 is a non-volatile recording medium, and is used to hold information required again after the digital broadcast receiver 100 is turned off. Therefore, when the power of the digital broadcast receiver 100 is turned on, the contents of the flash unit 129 are transferred to the memory unit 120.
[0035]
The tuner 131 detects a signal of a predetermined channel from the broadcast signal supplied from the antenna 109 under the control of the control unit 110 and supplies the detected signal to the demodulation unit 134. The broadcast signal may be a terrestrial wave, a satellite signal based on a broadcasting satellite (BS) broadcast or a communication satellite (CS) communication satellite broadcast. The demodulation unit 134 demodulates the broadcast signal from the tuner 131 under the control of the control unit 110, extracts data, and supplies the data to the demultiplexer 140. In the case of digital broadcasting, the data is digitally modulated by, for example, phase modulation (PSK), and the demodulation unit 134 extracts data from the digitally modulated signal.
[0036]
The external input unit 132 connects an input from outside the digital broadcast receiver 100. The external input signal may be an analog signal or a digital signal. In the case of an analog signal, the external input unit 132 supplies the audio data to the audio output unit 161 and the image data to the image output unit 162 under the control of the control unit 110. These audio data and image data are also supplied to the switch unit 150 at the same time. In the case of a digital signal, the external input unit 132 supplies the digital signal to the demodulation unit 134 under the control of the control unit 110.
[0037]
The network input / output unit 133 connects the digital broadcast receiver 100 to an external network, performs communication processing using a protocol such as TCP / IP under the control of the control unit 110, and extracts data. The signal is supplied to the demultiplexer 140.
[0038]
The demultiplexer 140 separates data from the demodulation unit 134 or the network input / output unit 133 into audio data and image data, and supplies the data to the audio decoding unit 141 and the image decoding unit 142, respectively. The demultiplexer 140 functions, for example, as a transport decoder for digital data, and separates a transport stream of MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) 2 into an audio stream as audio data and an image stream as image data. The demultiplexer 140 can also receive data from the memory unit 120 via the bus 180.
[0039]
The audio decoding unit 141 and the image decoding unit 142 decode the audio data and the image data supplied from the demultiplexer 140, respectively, and supply them to the switch unit 150. For example, an MPEG-encoded audio stream and image stream are MPEG-decoded to produce an audio signal and an image signal. The image decoding unit 142 can further convert the decoded image signal into, for example, an NTSC (National Television System Committee) system. In that case, the image decoding unit 142 is connected to the image output unit 162 via the switch unit 150, and is connected to the NTSC system. The signal is displayed on the display 102.
[0040]
The switch unit 150 converts the data supplied from the external input unit 132 or the audio decoding unit 141 and the image decoding unit 142 into a D / A conversion unit 160, an audio output unit 161 and an image output unit 162 under the control of the control unit 110, or , To the audio encoding unit 171 and the image encoding unit 172. For example, when outputting to the speaker 101 and the display 102, the digital signal is directly output to the audio output unit 161 and the image output unit 162 via the D / A conversion unit 160 if the signal is an analog signal. On the other hand, when it is necessary to perform MPEG conversion, the data is output to the audio encoding unit 171 and the image encoding unit 172. In this case, the data encoded by the audio encoding unit 171 and the image encoding unit 172 is multiplexed by the multiplexer 170 to form, for example, an MPEG2 transport stream.
[0041]
The card slot unit 190 is loaded with the portable recording medium 200, and reads and writes data from and to the portable recording medium 200 under the control of the control unit 110. For example, data generated by the multiplexer 170 is recorded on the portable recording medium 200 attached to the card slot unit 190 via the bus 180. The card slot section 190 is provided, for example, on the front of the digital broadcast receiver 100, and is provided for the purpose of attaching and detaching the portable recording medium 200.
[0042]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration according to the embodiment of the present invention. The reservation information file 201 is a file for holding the reservation information recorded on the portable recording medium 200, and is read by the reading unit 191 of the card slot unit 190 in the digital broadcast receiver 100. The reservation management table 121 is a table used for managing reservation information in the digital broadcast receiver 100, and is stored in the memory unit 120.
[0043]
The update time comparison unit 111 compares the update times of the reservation information file 201 and the reservation management table 121 and outputs which contents are newer. The priority detection unit 112 detects the priority information held in the reservation information file 201 and outputs whether the reservation information has the highest priority or the normal one. The update control unit 113 controls whether to update the reservation management table 121 based on the contents of the reservation information file 201. If the contents of the reservation information file 201 are newer than the contents of the reservation management table 121, control is performed to update the reservation management table 121 with the contents of the reservation information file 201. If the priority information of the reservation information file 201 indicates the highest priority, the reservation management is performed by the contents of the reservation information file 201 regardless of whether the contents of the reservation information file 201 are newer than the reservation management table 121 or not. Control is performed to update the table 121.
[0044]
The prompt detection unit 114 detects the reservation date and time information held in the reservation information file 201, and outputs whether or not the reserved date and time is “immediate”. The “immediate operation” is, as described later, reserved for starting the recording operation after a predetermined time has elapsed since the portable recording medium 200 was mounted.
[0045]
When the priority information of the reservation information file 201 of the portable recording medium 200 attached to the card slot unit 190 indicates the highest priority or the reservation date and time information indicates immediate, the removal warning unit 115 When the portable recording medium 200 is removed, a warning is issued. When the portable recording medium 200 is removed, a control signal to that effect is supplied from the card slot unit 190 to the removal warning unit 115, and when the above-described condition is satisfied, the removal warning unit 115 A warning is indicated on the speaker 101 or the like. If the priority information indicates the highest priority or if the reservation date and time information indicates immediate, it is assumed that the recording is intended to be performed on the portable recording medium 200 itself. A warning is issued to prevent removal. However, it is conceivable that the user notices that the user has mounted a different portable recording medium 200 against his / her intention and tries to replace it with another portable recording medium 200 and removes the recording medium 200 without following the warning. It is permissible to do so. As the contents of the warning, it is conceivable to confirm the intention to remove or to confirm whether or not to cancel the reservation information reflected in the reservation management table 121.
[0046]
It should be noted that the processing of the updating comparison unit 111, the priority detection unit 112, the update control unit 113, the prompt detection unit 114, and the removal warning unit 115 can be realized by the control unit 110 in the digital broadcast receiver 100. .
[0047]
FIG. 4 visually shows reservation information for a certain week as an example of the logical contents of the reservation management table 121. The reservation information 1211 holds the reservation contents at each date and time. For example, it is shown that a reservation is made on Monday 13th from 12:00 to 14:00. The reservation information also holds information other than the reservation date and time, and includes, for example, information such as the reserved channel and the image quality to be recorded. The reservation information is managed for each date and time, and when the date and time overlap when updated with the contents of the reservation information file 201, the old reservation information is overwritten with the new reservation information.
[0048]
The last update 1212 is managed separately from the update accompanying the file. This is in consideration of, for example, the occurrence of a situation in which a file is updated when transferred between the memory unit 120 and the flash unit 129, for example.
[0049]
The contents of the reservation management table 121 can be browsed by an application in the digital broadcast receiver 100. Although the present invention assumes that reservation information is input by another device, it goes without saying that the reservation information can be changed using an attached remote controller or the like as before.
[0050]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the logical structure of the portable recording medium 200. In the embodiment of the present invention, various file formats adopted by a general-purpose operating system can be adopted as a file management system so that the reservation information file 201 can be easily edited by various devices. As an example of a general file management system, a file management system provided with a boot record 210, a file allocation table 220, a directory 230, and a data area 240 will be described.
[0051]
The boot record 210 describes a boot program for system startup and comprehensive information on the portable recording medium 200. As one of the information, the total storage capacity 211 that can be recorded on the portable recording medium 200 is included. By referring to the total storage capacity 211, it is possible to know the maximum recordable capacity of the portable recording medium 200.
[0052]
The data area 240 is divided into clusters of a predetermined size, the relationship between the clusters is managed by the file allocation table 220, and the relationship between the file name and the cluster is managed by the directory 230. For example, the file allocation table 220 holds the next cluster number corresponding to each cluster in the data area 240. The directory 230 holds a file name, a leading cluster number, an update date and time, and the like for each file. The directory 230 holds the total capacity of the used files as the used capacity 231. By referring to the used capacity 231, the capacity used in the portable recording medium 200 can be known, so that the remaining capacity can be calculated by subtracting this from the above-mentioned total storage capacity 211. .
[0053]
In the file management system provided in this manner, it is desirable that the reservation information file 201 be given a predetermined file name in a predetermined hierarchy (for example, called a directory or a folder). Thereby, each device can easily acquire the reservation information file 201 from the portable recording medium 200.
[0054]
Note that, as the portable recording medium 200, for example, a semiconductor recording medium such as a Memory Stick (registered trademark) can be used.
[0055]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of types of reservation information according to the embodiment of the present invention. The reservation information includes, for example, a reservation channel, a reservation date and time, a reservation mode, and a reservation information file update time. As a method of designating a reserved channel, there are a method of explicitly designating a channel number (channel designation) and a method of designating a channel being viewed as a reserved channel (viewing channel). When a currently-viewing channel is designated when multiple screens are displayed, it can be considered that the main screen is regarded as being viewed and the channel is reserved.
[0056]
As a method of specifying the reservation date and time, a method of specifying a predetermined time every hour (every hour), a method of specifying a predetermined time every week on a predetermined day (every week), a method of specifying a predetermined time every month on a predetermined date (monthly), There is a method of specifying a start time and an end time. Further, a method (immediate operation) in which the reservation date and time is designated by a relative time from when the portable recording medium 200 is inserted into the card slot unit 190 without absolutely being designated is also conceivable. If 0 minutes is specified in the case where the immediate operation is selected, the recording can be started immediately after the portable recording medium 200 is mounted.
[0057]
The reservation mode specifies the encoding bit rate, and the higher the bit rate, the higher the recording quality. For example, defining the coding bit rate as 4M [bits / second (bps)] in the high quality mode, 1M [bits / second] in the medium quality mode, and 600K [bits / second] in the low quality mode Can be.
[0058]
When the reservation information file is updated, the update time and the priority are recorded. The updating is the actual updating of the reservation information file 201, and information of the system calendar of the device used for the input is used. Therefore, this update is not information specified by the user. On the other hand, the priority is specified by the user, and it can be specified that the reservation information of the reservation information file 201 should have higher priority than any reservation information in the reservation management table 121 (highest priority). The update control unit 113 (FIG. 3) normally reflects the contents of the reservation information file 201 to the reservation management table 121 only when the reservation information file 201 is updated more recently than when the reservation management table 121 is updated. When the priority indicates the highest priority, the update control unit 113 reflects the contents of the reservation information file 201 in the reservation management table 121 regardless of the priority at the time of updating.
[0059]
When the reservation date and time described here is immediate or when the priority is the highest priority, it is assumed that it is assumed that recording is performed on the portable recording medium 200 itself on which the reservation information is recorded. Therefore, as described above, when the portable recording medium 200 being loaded is to be removed when these designations are made, the removal warning unit 115 issues a warning.
[0060]
FIG. 7 is an example of a screen for the user to input reservation information. Clicking the button on the left side of each input field opens a pop-up window for selection. As for the reserved channel, when "channel designation" is selected in the designation method selection column 610, the channel designation column 611 becomes valid. An arbitrary channel can be designated by the channel designation field 611. Regarding the reservation date and time, when “start time” is selected in the designation method selection column 620, the time designation columns 621 to 625 become valid. An arbitrary start time can be designated by using the time designation fields 621 to 625. For the reservation mode, the image quality can be designated in the mode selection field 630. In this example, "medium image quality" is specified. As for the priority, the priority can be designated in the priority selection column 640. In this example, "normal" is specified.
[0061]
Here, when selecting the reservation mode, the user may want some reference. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the default value of the reservation mode is presented on the program reservation menu so that the user can correct it, and when the user determines the content as it is, the default value is adopted. . As a method of setting the default value, it is possible to always recommend any of the harmful substances, but here, a method of recommending a higher image quality within a range allowed by the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200 will be described.
[0062]
When the encoding bit rate is X [bits / second], the scheduled recording time is Y [seconds], and the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200 is Z [bits],
Z ≧ X × Y
Is selected and presented as the largest X in the range in which is satisfied, higher image quality can be recommended as long as the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200 allows. Here, the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200 is obtained by subtracting the used capacity 231 (FIG. 5) in the directory 230 of the portable recording medium 200 from the total storage capacity 211 (FIG. 5) in the boot record 210 of the portable recording medium 200. It is possible to obtain as a value.
[0063]
For example, if the encoding bit rate X is defined as 4M [bits / second] in the high quality mode, 1M [bits / second] in the medium quality mode, and 600K [bits / second] in the low quality mode, the recording is scheduled. When the time Y is 1 hour (= 3600 seconds), the required capacity in each mode is as follows.
[0064]
High image quality mode: 4M x 3600 [bits] = 1800M [bytes]
Medium image quality mode: 1M x 3600 [bits] = 450M [bytes]
Low image quality mode: 600K x 3600 [bits] @ 264M [bytes]
Therefore, for example, with the 512M [byte] portable recording medium 200 immediately after purchase, recording can be performed in either the medium image quality mode or the low image quality mode. Therefore, the medium image quality mode is presented as a default value on the program reservation menu.
[0065]
It should be noted that depending on the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200, the scheduled recording time may not be completely recorded in any mode in some cases. In this case, after the low image quality mode is presented, a message indicating that recording cannot be completed is displayed to prompt the user to cancel the reservation input or to prompt the user to change to a medium with a large remaining capacity. Conceivable.
[0066]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the reservation information file 201 generated by the reservation input example of FIG. Here, an example in the XML (extensible Markup Language) language is shown as a standard file format, but this is an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) language or a BML (Broadcast Markup Language, etc.). Alternatively, a non-standardized language based on rules agreed between certain devices may be used.
[0067]
The first line is a declaration statement indicating that the file is in the XML language. The second line is a tag indicating that the part up to the last line is a reservation information file. In the third line, the reserved channel is described by “channel designation”. The fourth line is a tag indicating that the portion up to the sixth line is a description relating to the reservation date and time. Regarding this reservation date and time, the fifth line describes the start time. The seventh line describes that the reservation mode is “medium image quality”. The eighth line describes the time of update. The ninth line describes that the priority is “normal”.
[0068]
FIG. 9 is another screen example in which the user inputs reservation information. In this example, for the reserved channel, “viewing channel” is selected in the designation method selection column 610, and the channel designation column 611 is not displayed. Regarding the reservation date and time, “immediate” is selected in the designation method selection column 620, and the time designation column 626 is enabled. For the reservation mode, “high image quality” is designated in the mode selection field 630. As for the priority, “highest priority” is designated in the priority selection column 640.
[0069]
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the reservation information file 201 generated by the reservation input example of FIG. Unlike the example of FIG. 8, the designation of the reserved channel on the third line describes that the channel is “viewing channel”, and the designation of the reserved date and time information on the fourth line indicates that 0 after the portable recording medium 200 is mounted. It describes that it is "immediate" to start recording after a minute. Further, the designation of the priority on the seventh line is “highest priority”. Therefore, when the portable recording medium 200 holding the reservation information file 201 is mounted, the channel being viewed is immediately recorded regardless of the quality at the time of updating.
[0070]
Next, the operation of the timer recording system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0071]
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a procedure for inputting reservation information in each device such as the desktop computer 300, the notebook computer 400, and the portable information terminal 500. The user makes an input according to the following procedure according to the program reservation menu shown in FIGS. First, as a method of designating a reserved channel, whether the channel is designated or the channel being viewed is selected (step S801). In the case of channel designation, a more specific channel is designated. Next, the user selects which designation method is used as the reservation date and time (step S802). In the program reservation menu, designation of the date and time is prompted according to the designation method.
[0072]
Next, the remaining capacity of the mounted portable recording medium 200 is calculated (step S803). That is, as described above, a value obtained by subtracting the used capacity 231 (FIG. 5) in the directory 230 of the portable recording medium 200 from the total storage capacity 211 (FIG. 5) in the boot record 210 of the portable recording medium 200 is obtained. The remaining capacity of the medium 200 is calculated.
[0073]
On the other hand, the required capacity according to the reservation date and time is calculated for each reservation mode (step S804). That is, as described above, the required capacity is calculated from the product of the encoding bit rate and the scheduled recording time in each reservation mode.
[0074]
Then, the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200 calculated in this way is compared with the required capacity in each reservation mode, and the encoding bit rate that is the maximum within the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium 200 is selected. (Step S805), and the corresponding reservation mode is presented as a default value (Step S806). The user can change the default value and input a reservation mode (step S808), or can directly use the default value as the reservation mode (step S807).
[0075]
When the priority is further selected (step S809), the setting of the reservation information input ends (step S810). Finally, the set values are reflected in the reservation information file 201 on the portable recording medium 200, and the update time is recorded based on the system calendar (step S811).
[0076]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a procedure for updating the reservation management table 121 in the digital broadcast receiver 100. When the portable recording medium 200 is inserted into the card slot section 190 (Step S901), the reservation information file 201 in the portable recording medium 200 is searched (Step S902). If the reservation information file 201 does not exist at a predetermined level of the portable recording medium 200, the reservation management table 121 is not updated (step S903). If the reservation information file 201 exists in the portable recording medium 200 (step S903), the language used in the reservation information file 201 is searched (step S904). This language can be checked by the file name, the tag at the head of the file, and the like. If the searched language is not a supported language, the reservation management table 121 is not updated (step S905).
[0077]
If the searched language is a compatible language (step S905), the update time and the priority are searched as the information at the time of updating the reservation information file (step S906). If the priority indicates the highest priority (step S907) or if the time at which the reservation information file 201 is updated is newer than the time at which the reservation management table 121 is updated (step S908), the reservation is made according to the reservation information in the reservation information file 201. The management table 121 is updated (Step S909). Conversely, if the priority does not indicate the highest priority (step S907) and the time of updating the reservation information file 201 is older than the time of updating the reservation management table 121 (step S908), the update of the reservation management table 121 is not performed. Not done.
[0078]
Thereafter, this updating procedure is not executed until the portable recording medium 200 is removed (Step S910). When the portable recording medium 200 is removed and the portable recording medium 200 is mounted again (step S901), the above-described update procedure is executed.
[0079]
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the reservation information of the program is input to each device such as the desktop computer 300, the notebook computer 400, and the portable information terminal 500, and the portable information is stored as the reservation information file 201. The reservation management table 121 of the digital broadcast receiver 100 can be updated as needed by writing the data on the recording medium 200 and attaching the portable recording medium 200 to the card slot unit 190 of the digital broadcast receiver 100.
[0080]
Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the latest reservation information is obtained by comparing the time when the reservation information file 201 of the portable recording medium 200 is updated with the time when the reservation management table 121 of the digital broadcast receiver 100 is updated. In addition to the reflection in the reservation management table 121, the reflection in the reservation management table 121 can be flexibly controlled according to the priority of the reservation information.
[0081]
Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the immediate operation can be designated as the reservation date and time of the reservation information, so that when a specific portable recording medium 200 is attached to the digital broadcast receiver 100, recording is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed. You can get started.
[0082]
Here, the embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0083]
Further, the processing procedure described here may be regarded as a method having a series of these procedures, or may be regarded as a program for causing a computer to execute the series of procedures or a recording medium storing the program.
[0084]
【The invention's effect】
As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to input reservation information of a program in a place where a recording device cannot be used, and then promptly reflect the reservation information input on the recording device. Is obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of a timer recording system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the digital broadcast receiver 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of logical contents of a reservation management table 121 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a logical structure of the portable recording medium 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of types of reservation information according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an example of a screen for a user to input reservation information in the embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation information file 201 generated by the reservation input example of FIG.
FIG. 9 is another example of a screen for a user to input reservation information in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation information file 201 generated by the reservation input example of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a procedure for inputting reservation information in each device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a procedure for updating the reservation management table 121 by the digital broadcast receiver 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Home
40 on the go
100 digital broadcast receiver
101 speaker
102 Display
109 antenna
110 control unit
111 Update comparison unit
112 Priority detection unit
113 Update control unit
114 Prompt detection section
115 Removal warning section
120 memory section
121 reservation management table
129 Flash unit
131 Tuner
132 External input section
133 network input / output unit
134 Demodulation unit
140 demultiplexer
141 audio decoding unit
142 Image decoding unit
150 Switch section
160 converter
161 Audio output unit
162 Image output unit
170 multiplexer
171 Voice Encoding Unit
172 image encoding unit
180 bus
190 Card slot
200 Portable recording media
201 Reservation information file
210 Boot Record
220 File Allocation Table
230 directories
240 data area
300 desktop computer
390 card slot
400 notebook computer
490 Card slot
500 portable information terminal
590 Card slot

Claims (22)

A reservation management table for managing program reservation information;
Reading means for reading the reservation information file from the portable recording medium;
Update time comparing means for comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table,
A recording apparatus comprising: an update control unit that updates the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when the reservation information file is determined to be newer by the update comparison unit. Further comprising a priority detection means for detecting whether the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state,
The update control unit, when the priority detection unit determines that the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state, regardless of the comparison result of the update comparison unit, 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reservation management table is updated according to the contents of: When the priority information of the reservation information file indicates that the priority information indicates the highest priority state, the portable recording medium is removed before the recording operation based on the contents of the reservation information file is completed. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a removal warning unit that generates a warning when receiving the instruction. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the warning by the removal warning unit includes confirmation of canceling the update of the reservation management table. Prompt detection means for detecting whether or not the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates prompt;
When the prompt detection means determines that the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates a prompt, a means for starting a recording operation after a lapse of a predetermined time after the portable recording medium is mounted. The recording device according to claim 1, further comprising: If the prompt detection unit determines that the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates a prompt, a warning is generated if a removal instruction of the portable recording medium is received before the recording operation is completed. 6. The recording device according to claim 5, further comprising a warning unit. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the warning by the removal warning unit includes confirmation of canceling the update of the reservation management table. Capacity means for reading the total storage capacity and the used capacity from a portable recording medium;
Means for calculating the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium from the total storage capacity and the used capacity,
Reservation information input means for prompting input of reservation information and receiving the reservation information;
Required time calculating means for calculating a required time from the reservation information,
Bit rate calculation means for calculating an available bit rate from the remaining capacity and the required time,
Reservation mode presenting means for presenting a reservation mode from the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculating means;
Means for adding the reservation mode to the reservation information after correcting the reservation mode if there is a correction input,
Writing means for writing the reservation information to the portable recording medium. 9. The reservation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the writing unit writes the reservation information as a reservation information file in a predetermined format on the portable recording medium. 10. The reservation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the reservation information file in the predetermined format is described in an XML language. 9. The reservation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the reservation mode presenting unit presents a reservation mode having a highest bit rate with the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculating unit as an upper limit. 9. The reservation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the reservation information input unit includes priority information in the reservation information. 9. The reservation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the reservation information input unit includes an immediate instruction in the reservation information. A recording device that writes program reservation information to a portable recording medium as a predetermined reservation information file; and a recording device that reads the reservation information file from the portable recording medium and updates a reservation management table that manages program reservation information. A scheduled recording system comprising:
The recording device,
Update time comparing means for comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table,
An update control means for updating the reservation management table according to the contents of the reservation information file when the reservation information file is judged to be newer by the update time comparing means. The reservation information file includes priority information,
The recording device further includes a priority detection unit that detects whether the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state,
The update control unit, when the priority detection unit determines that the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state, regardless of the comparison result of the update comparison unit, 15. The reservation recording system according to claim 14, wherein the reservation management table is updated according to the content of the reservation recording table. The reservation information file includes reservation date and time information,
The recording device includes a prompt detection unit that detects whether or not the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates a prompt, and the reservation date and time information of the reservation information file indicates a prompt by the prompt detection unit. 15. The scheduled recording system according to claim 14, further comprising: means for starting a recording operation after a predetermined time has passed since the portable recording medium is mounted when the determination is made. An update control method of the reservation management table in a recording device including a reservation management table for managing program reservation information,
Reading the reservation information file from the portable recording medium;
Comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table;
Updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when it is determined that the reservation information file is newer. An update control method of the reservation management table in a recording device including a reservation management table for managing program reservation information,
Reading the reservation information file from the portable recording medium;
Detecting whether the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state,
Comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table;
Updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state or when it is determined that the reservation information file is newer. An update control method characterized in that: A reservation information setting method in a reservation device that writes reservation information of a program as a predetermined reservation information file on a portable recording medium,
Reading the total storage capacity and the used capacity from the portable recording medium;
Calculating the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium from the total storage capacity and the used capacity;
A step of prompting for the reservation information and receiving the reservation information;
Calculating a required time from the reservation information;
Calculating a usable bit rate from the remaining capacity and the required time;
A procedure for presenting a reservation mode from the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculating means;
A step of adding the reservation mode to the reservation information after correcting the reservation mode if there is a correction input,
Writing the reservation information to the portable recording medium. A program for a recording device having a reservation management table for managing program reservation information,
Reading the reservation information file from the portable recording medium;
Comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table;
Updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when it is determined that the reservation information file is newer. A program for a recording device having a reservation management table for managing program reservation information,
Reading the reservation information file from the portable recording medium;
Detecting whether the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state,
Comparing the update information of the reservation information file with the update information of the reservation management table;
Updating the reservation management table with the contents of the reservation information file when the priority information of the reservation information file indicates the highest priority state or when it is determined that the reservation information file is newer. A program characterized by being executed. A program for a reservation device that writes reservation information of a program as a predetermined reservation information file on a portable recording medium,
Reading the total storage capacity and the used capacity from the portable recording medium;
Calculating the remaining capacity of the portable recording medium from the total storage capacity and the used capacity;
A step of prompting for the reservation information and receiving the reservation information;
Calculating a required time from the reservation information;
Calculating a usable bit rate from the remaining capacity and the required time;
A procedure for presenting a reservation mode from the bit rate calculated by the bit rate calculating means;
A step of adding the reservation mode to the reservation information after correcting the reservation mode if there is a correction input,
And a step of writing the reservation information to the portable recording medium.

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