JP2005086737A - Recording apparatus and method, and imaging apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently perform data recording and reading of recorded data without any trouble such that recording or reproducing is delayed. <P>SOLUTION: A control section 20 discriminates the attributes of various data such as moving picture data or still picture data acquired through a camera part composed of an optical lens section 11, a photoelectric transducer section 12 and an image processing section 14, or an image input/output section 16 and a communication section 19 on the basis of an operating mode setting state or information added to the acquired data, and the control section 20 records data while specifying a data recording positions on a hard disk 33 on the basis of information indicating the present data recording state on the hard disk 33, so that data having the same attribute can be recorded side by side on the hard disk 33. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention includes, for example, a personal computer or a personal digital assistant provided with a recording device unit, a device having a recording function of an information signal such as a hard disk recorder, a device such as a digital camera having a video or still image imaging function, and , And relates to methods used in these devices.

  Various recording media such as a hard disk, an MO (Magneto Optical Disk), a PD (Phase changer rewritable disk), a zip, and a SuperDisk are provided as recording media capable of large capacity and random access. Various data such as still image data, moving image data, audio (music) data, and text data can be recorded as a plurality of files on these recording media through, for example, a personal computer or a portable information terminal. Has been.

  When using a large capacity and randomly accessible recording medium, it is important to detect a free area quickly and to record an information signal efficiently. No matter how large the recording capacity is, if it takes a long time to detect an empty area, the information signal cannot be recorded efficiently and properly.

  As a technique made in consideration of such points, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-259579) discloses a disk recording medium having a relatively large storage capacity and capable of random access. Thus, a technique for efficiently recording still image data is disclosed.

  The technique described in Patent Document 1 includes a recording area of a disk recording medium, a recording area for high-resolution still image data, a storage area for medium-resolution still image data, and a recording area for low-resolution still image data. Are divided into three recording areas. Then, according to the resolution of the still image data to be recorded, a recording area for recording still image data is determined from the recording areas divided as described above, and a free area is determined in the determined recording area. Thus, an empty area where still image data can be recorded is found.

  By using the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the range of the storage area for searching for the free area can be made narrow according to the resolution of the still image data to be recorded. The region can be searched, and still image data can be quickly and efficiently recorded on a recording medium.

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is as follows.
JP-A-9-259579

  Incidentally, information signals to be recorded on a large-capacity and randomly accessible recording medium record not only still image data but also moving image data, audio data, and other various data. Also in a so-called digital camera that captures and records moving images and still images, the above-described large-capacity and randomly accessible recording medium is used, and various data such as still image data, moving image data, and audio data are stored in a plurality of ways. It is considered to record as a file.

  As described above, even when data having different attributes such as moving image data, still image data, and audio data is recorded on a large-capacity recording medium, it is possible to quickly detect an empty area and efficiently record an information signal. At the same time, the target data must be quickly read out and used.

  That is, in recording data of any attribute, it is necessary to quickly search for a free area so that data can be recorded without delay. Further, for example, when considering still image data continuously reproduced in a so-called slide show mode, it takes too much time to read each file scattered on the recording medium (seek time + reading time). , The reproduction start time is not in time, and a blank time occurs in reproduction. This is a problem that also occurs when moving image data and audio data recorded as different files are continuously reproduced.

  However, a large-capacity and random-accessible recording medium such as the hard disk described above has already been widely used, and using a new recording format for efficiently performing data writing / reading has a conventional large capacity. It is not preferable for ensuring compatibility with the recording medium.

  In view of the above, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for efficiently recording data and reading the recorded data without causing inconveniences such as recording and reproduction delays. The purpose is to do.

In order to solve the above problems, a recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention provides:
Receiving means for receiving an input of an information signal to be recorded on the recording medium;
Discriminating means for discriminating attributes of the information signal received through the accepting means;
Recording control means for controlling recording of the information signal received through the receiving means on the recording medium so that information signals having the same attribute are adjacent to each other based on the attribute determined by the determining means; It is characterized by providing.

  According to the recording apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the attribute of the information signal accepted through the accepting unit is discriminated by the discriminating unit, and on the basis of the discrimination result, the information signals having the same attribute are adjacent to each other. Recording is performed under the control of the recording control means. Therefore, when moving image data is recorded on a recording medium, when moving image data is already recorded, new moving image data is recorded in the vicinity thereof.

  Similarly, when recording still image data on a recording medium, if still image data has already been recorded, new still image data is recorded in the vicinity thereof, and audio data is recorded on the recording medium. In this case, when audio data has already been recorded, new audio data is recorded in the vicinity thereof.

  As a result, since information signals having the same attribute are recorded so as to be adjacent to each other, it is possible to easily and surely manage the free space, and even when reading data having the same attribute, It is possible to prevent the inconvenience such as a long seek time for adjacent positions and a blank time for reproduction. Moreover, there is no need for a procedure for changing the conventional recording format and the conventional recording medium can be used as it is.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently record data, reduce the time required for the seek operation on the recording medium, and properly perform continuous data reading that requires real-time performance without failing. Can be done. That is, the data recorded on the recording medium can be managed efficiently and accurately. Thereby, for example, an application such as a so-called “slide show” that reproduces a plurality of recorded files (moving images, still images, etc.) in a predetermined order can be properly realized.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an apparatus and a method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, an imaging device that can use a removable hard disk as a recording medium and a memory card formed using a semiconductor memory, still image data, moving image data, audio Information signals having different attributes (types) such as data, text data, and other various character data can be recorded on a recording medium, and still image data, moving image data, audio data text data recorded on the recording medium, A case where the present invention is applied to a digital video camera (camera integrated video tape recorder) capable of reproducing information signals having different attributes such as various character data will be described as an example.

[Configuration and basic operation of digital video camera]
First, the digital video camera of this embodiment will be described. The digital video camera according to this embodiment captures an image and records an image data obtained by capturing the image on a recording medium, and the image input / output unit 16, the audio input / output unit 17, or the communication unit 19. It has a VTR mode in which supplied data is recorded on a recording medium and data recorded on the recording medium is reproduced.

  In addition, the imaging mode includes a moving image imaging mode in which a moving image is imaged and a sound that is picked up at the same time is recorded on a recording medium, and a still image imaging mode in which a still image is imaged. In the VTR mode, the supplied data is recorded by operating the record button switch, and the target data recorded on the recording medium is reproduced by operating the playback button switch. Is something that can be done.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a digital video camera according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital video camera of this embodiment includes an optical lens unit 11, a photoelectric conversion unit 12, a camera function control unit 13, an image signal processing unit 14, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 15, an image input / output. 16, an audio input / output unit 17, an audio signal processing unit 18, a communication unit 19, a control unit 20, an operation input unit 31, a hard disk drive (hard disk device) 32, and a memory card 34.

  The control unit 20 controls each unit of the digital video camera according to the present embodiment, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, an EEPROM (Electrical Erasable). and Programmable ROM) 24 are connected through a system bus 25 to form a microcomputer.

  Here, the ROM 22 is prerecorded with various processing programs executed by the CPU 21 of the digital video camera, information used for various processing, and the like. The RAM 23 is mainly used as a work area, such as temporarily storing intermediate results in each process. The EEPROM 24 is a so-called nonvolatile memory, and stores and holds data that needs to be held even when the power of the digital video camera is turned off, such as various setting parameters.

  The operation input unit 31 also has a mode switching key for switching operation modes such as a moving image shooting mode, a still image shooting mode, and a VTR mode, a shutter key for shooting a still image, a shooting start key for shooting a movie, a recording Various operation keys such as keys, play key, stop key, fast forward key, fast reverse key, function keys, operation keys for entering text data such as messages, character data, etc. The electrical signal according to the received operation input can be received and supplied to the control unit 20.

  Accordingly, the control unit 20 reads out and executes a program for performing a target process from the ROM 22 in accordance with an operation input from the user, and controls each unit, so that the digital video camera of this embodiment can be operated by the user. It is possible to perform processing according to an instruction from the user or record information such as text data input through the operation keys on a recording medium.

  The digital video camera of this embodiment can use the hard disk drive 32 and the memory card 34 as recording media. The hard disk drive 32 is configured to be detachable from the digital video camera, and writes data to the built-in hard disk 33 or reads data from the built-in hard disk 33 under the control of the control unit 20. It is something that can be done.

  The hard disk drive 32 used here employs a ZCAV (Zone Constant Angular Velocity) method as a rotation control method. In the ZCAV method, the recording surface of the disk medium is divided into concentric zones (regions composed of a plurality of sectors), and the number of sectors forming the zones is increased toward the outer periphery, and data writing / reading is performed. By increasing the data transfer speed, the data recording density can be kept high even at the outer periphery.

  Therefore, in the ZCAV method, although the data transfer rate of writing / reading (hereinafter referred to as the transfer rate) is different for each zone, the rotational speed of the disk medium is constant, so as in CLV (Constant Linear Velocity), When accessing, the so-called seek operation that positions the read / write head of the hard disk drive at the desired position on the hard disk does not take time, and as described above, high-density recording of data is also achieved. Is something that can be done.

  Further, in the hard disk drive 32, a file allocation table (FAT) system is used as a file system in order to manage files formed on the hard disk 33, and the recording area of the hard disk 33 is divided into a plurality of partitions. Each partition can be treated like an independent drive. Details of the FAT are described in detail in, for example, “Microsoft Extensible Firmware Initiative FAT32 File System Specification”.

  The memory card 34 is also detachable from the digital video camera, and writes data to the built-in semiconductor memory or reads data from the built-in semiconductor memory according to the control of the control unit 20. It is something that can be done.

  Therefore, the digital video camera of this embodiment has a slot for attaching / detaching the hard disk drive 32 and the memory card 34 so that the hard disk drive 32 and / or the memory card 34 can be easily attached / detached. The hard disk drive and memory card can be used properly.

  The hard disk drive 32 can record video data and audio data, and the memory card 34 can record still image data. It is also possible to select whether the data recording destination is the hard disk drive 32 or the memory card 34.

  In this embodiment, ATA / ATAPI (AT Attachment / Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface) is used as an interface between the digital video camera body and the hard disk drive 32. Details of ATA / ATAPI are disclosed through, for example, the American Standards Association Web page (http://www.t13.org/).

  There are various types of ATA / ATAPI, and in recent years, ATA / ATAPI-6 has been provided. In this ATA / ATAPI-6, the correspondence area that can be expressed by LBA (Logical Block Address) is expanded from 28-bit space to 48-bit space, and it can also correspond to a large-capacity hard disk whose LBA exceeds 28 bits. Is.

  In this embodiment, for example, an existing ATA / ATAPI such as ATA / ATAPI-6 is used, but the usable interface is not limited to this. For example, a successor interface of an existing interface such as ATA / ATAPI-7 or other various interfaces can be used.

  When a predetermined operation key of the operation input unit 31 is operated, the digital video camera is set to the moving image shooting mode, and a shooting start key for shooting a moving image is operated, or the still image shooting mode is set. When a shutter key for shooting a still image is operated, the camera function control unit 13 operates each of the optical lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12 according to control from the control unit 20. Drive signals and timing signals to be generated are formed and supplied to the optical lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12 to operate the optical lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12.

  The optical lens unit 11 includes a lens, a focus mechanism, a diaphragm mechanism, a shutter mechanism, a zoom mechanism, and the like, and controls the focus mechanism, the diaphragm mechanism, the shutter mechanism, and the zoom mechanism in accordance with a drive signal from the camera function control unit 13. Then, an image of a target subject is taken in and formed on a predetermined portion of the photoelectric conversion unit 12.

  The photoelectric conversion unit 12 includes a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a preprocessing circuit, and the like. The photoelectric conversion unit 12 converts an image of a subject captured by the optical lens unit 11 into an electrical signal (image signal) by the CCD, and obtains it. The pre-processing necessary for the pre-processing circuit of the photoelectric conversion unit 12 is performed on the obtained image signal.

  In the pre-processing circuit of the photoelectric conversion unit 12, for example, CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) processing is performed to maintain a good S / N ratio, and AGC (Automatic Gain Control) processing is performed to increase the gain. Processes such as control. Then, the image signal that has been subjected to the predetermined preprocessing is A / D (Analog / Digital) converted and supplied to the image signal processing unit 14.

  The image signal processing unit 14 is configured as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and performs AF (Auto Focus), image data from the photoelectric conversion unit 12 in accordance with control from the control unit 20. Camera signal processing such as AE (Auto Exposure) and AWB (Auto White Balance) is performed.

  Then, an analog image signal to be supplied to the LCD 15 is formed from the image data after the camera signal processing, and this is supplied to the LCD 15 so that the image of the subject can be confirmed through the LCD 15. In the case of the digital video camera of this embodiment, simultaneously, an analog image signal from the image signal processing unit 14 is supplied to an external device such as another recording / playback device or a monitor receiver through the image input / output unit 16. You can also do it.

  Then, the image signal processing unit 14 compresses the image data on which the camera signal processing has been performed with a predetermined compression method, and records the compressed data on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32 through the control unit 20. In this way, the photographed subject image can be recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32.

  In the digital video camera of this embodiment, at the time of shooting a movie, the shooting start key is operated again, and the subject images are sequentially captured as described above until a movie shooting stop instruction is given. It is recorded on the hard disk 33 as moving image data. When the shutter key is operated, when the shutter key is operated, the image formed on the photoelectric conversion unit 12 is captured as a still image and recorded as still image data on the hard disk.

  At the time of shooting a moving image, an audio signal obtained by picking up sound through a microphone (not shown) and converting it into an electric signal is converted into a digital signal, and this is compressed with a predetermined compression method, together with moving image data Recording on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32 is also possible.

  The digital video camera of this embodiment includes an audio input / output unit 17. For this reason, together with the analog image signal output through the image input / output unit 16, as described above, the audio signal captured at the time of shooting is output through the audio signal processing unit 18 and the audio input terminal 17, and other recording / playback devices. It can also be supplied to speaker devices. In this case, the audio signal processing unit 18 performs D / A conversion processing, compression / decompression processing of audio data compressed by a predetermined compression method, and the like.

  In the digital video camera of this embodiment, the information is supplied from an external device such as a video tape recorder, and is received through the audio input / output unit 17 and the analog image signal received through the image input / output unit 16. An analog audio signal can be recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32.

  That is, when an external device is connected to the image input / output unit 16 and the audio input / output unit 17, a predetermined operation key of the operation input unit 31 is operated, and this digital video camera is in the VTR mode. When an analog image signal and an analog audio signal are supplied from the external device and the recording key of the operation input unit 31 is operated, the analog received through the image input / output unit 16 and the audio input / output unit 17 Record image signals and analog audio signals.

  In this case, the analog image signal received through the image input / output unit 16 is supplied to the image signal processing unit 14, where it is A / D converted and data compressed by a predetermined compression method, and then the control unit 20. To be recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32.

  The analog audio signal received through the audio input / output unit 17 is supplied to the audio signal processing unit 18, where it is A / D converted and data-compressed by a predetermined compression method, and then through the control unit 20. Recording is possible on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32. In this way, analog image signals and analog audio signals supplied from external devices can be recorded on the hard disk of the hard disk drive 32.

  In this case, the supplied analog image signal is also supplied to the LCD 15 via the image signal processing unit 14, and an image based on the supplied analog image signal can be displayed on the display screen of the LCD 15 and viewed. . Also, the supplied analog audio signal is supplied to a speaker (not shown) provided in the digital video camera of this embodiment, and sound corresponding to the analog audio signal supplied from the speaker is emitted, and this is output. You will be able to listen.

  Similarly, in the digital video camera of this embodiment, moving image data, still image data, audio data such as music, and other various data received through the communication unit 19 can be recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32. I am doing so. The communication unit 19 transmits / receives data through a wired interface such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or USB (Universal Serial Bus), or performs IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11a / b / g, Data is transmitted and received through a wireless interface such as BlueTooth.

  Therefore, when the communication unit 19 is connected to the network, a predetermined operation key of the operation input unit 31 is operated, and the digital video camera is in the VTR mode. When the recording key 31 is operated, the digital signal supplied through the communication unit 19 can be recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32.

  Since image data and audio data supplied as digital data through the network are often already compressed, the digital data acquired through the communication unit 19 is recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32 through the control unit 20. Will be.

  In this case, the supplied digital image signal is supplied to, for example, the image signal processing unit 14, where it is compressed and decompressed, converted into an analog video signal, and then supplied to the LCD 15. The corresponding image is displayed on the display screen of the LCD 15 so that it can be viewed.

  The supplied digital audio signal is, for example, compressed and decompressed by the audio signal processing unit 18 and converted into an analog audio signal, and then supplied to a speaker (not shown) provided in the digital video camera of this embodiment. Thus, sound corresponding to the analog sound signal is emitted from the speaker and can be heard.

  In addition, the digital data recorded in the digital video camera of this embodiment, such as the hard disk 33, can be supplied to an external device connected to the network through the communication unit 19.

  Note that when an external device is connected to the image input / output unit 16 and the audio input / output unit 17 and is also connected to a network through the communication unit 19, which input / output terminal is instructed by a user instruction, for example. Whether to input or output information through the unit can be switched.

  Next, as described above, the operation at the time of reproducing image data and audio data recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32 will be described. When the instruction for reproducing the target image data and audio data is input after the VTR mode is set through the operation input unit 31, the control unit 20 receives the target image data and audio data from the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32. read out. The read image data is supplied to the image signal processing unit 14, and the read audio data is supplied to the audio signal processing unit 18.

  The image signal processing unit 14 performs compression / decompression processing on the image data supplied through the control unit 20 in accordance with the compression method used at the time of data compression, restores the image data before the data compression, and performs D / A conversion. Thus, an analog image signal is formed and supplied to the LCD 15 and the image input / output unit 16.

  Also, the audio signal processing unit 18 performs compression / decompression processing on the audio data supplied through the control unit 20 in accordance with the compression method used for the data compression characters, restores the audio data before data compression, The analog audio signal is formed by A / A conversion, and this is supplied to the audio input / output unit 17 or a speaker provided in the digital video camera.

  In this way, the image data and audio data recorded on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32 can be reproduced and used. Further, as described above, the analog image signal and analog audio signal to be reproduced can be output to the external device connected thereto through the image input / output unit 16 and the audio input / output unit 17. In addition, digital data recorded in the hard disk 33 or the like can be output to the outside through the communication unit 19.

  As described above, the digital video camera of this embodiment can also use the memory card 34. For example, when an instruction to shoot a still image is given through the operation input unit 31, the optical video camera The still image data captured through the lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12 is subjected to the above-described various adjustment processes in the image signal processing unit 14 and then compressed, and this is recorded in the memory card 34 through the control unit 20. Is done.

  In addition, by designating the recording destination through the operation input unit 31 and specifying either the hard disk drive 32 or the memory card 34, still image data can be recorded in the hard disk drive 32 or moving image data. And audio data can be recorded on a memory card.

[About data recording control]
As described above, the digital video camera according to this embodiment has still image data and moving image data obtained by taking an image through a camera unit including the optical lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12, or the image input / output unit 16. Still image data and moving image data supplied from an external device through the communication unit 19, and still image data and moving image data supplied through the communication unit 19 can be recorded in the hard disk 33 and the memory card 34.

  Similarly, with respect to audio data obtained by collecting sound with a microphone (not shown), audio data supplied from an external device through the audio input / output unit 17, and audio data supplied through the communication unit 19, the hard disk 33 is also used. And can be recorded on the memory card 34.

  In addition to these still image data, moving image data, and audio data, for example, program data, text data, and the like can be recorded on the hard disk 33 and the memory card 34. Thus, the digital video camera of this embodiment can record various data with different attributes (types) on a recording medium.

  Here, using the digital video camera of this embodiment, different recording dates, different recording locations, scenes at different events, etc. are recorded as files on the hard disk 33, for example, and are continuously recorded in the form of a slide show. Think about playing. In this case, a file (data) that summarizes the reproduction order, which is called a playlist, is formed, and is used to continuously reproduce different images.

  In general, each file (moving image file, still image file, audio file, etc.) referenced from a playlist is managed by a file system (FAT system in this embodiment). For example, when a hard disk is divided into one or more partitions and a so-called “format” is performed on the designated partition, a file system is incorporated in that partition, as will be described in detail later.

  Various data is read and written as files through the file system, but if you look at how each file is recorded based on the zone (or sector) where it physically exists, for example, it will be played back continuously. Data to be recorded is recorded over a plurality of zones that are continuous but have different data transfer rates on a hard disk that is rotationally driven by the ZCAV method, or is recorded discretely on a hard disk. There is also a case.

  In such a case, since the seek operation takes time, for example, data that requires real-time reproduction cannot be read out smoothly. For example, when an image is reproduced, an image to be displayed is not displayed. There is a possibility of causing inconvenience such as a so-called blank period that is not displayed.

  For this reason, the digital video camera of this embodiment prevents normal continuous playback from being impossible because, for example, the seek operation takes time as described above during continuous playback such as slide show playback. Therefore, data with the same attribute can be recorded across recording unit areas with different transfer rates by recording within the same recording unit area such as a zone unit, or data with the same attribute can be recorded over the entire recording area. It is not scattered and recorded.

  In the following, in order to simplify the description, a case where various data is recorded on the hard disk 33 will be described as an example.

[About hard disk drive 32 and hard disk 33]
First, before describing in detail the recording control in the digital video camera of this embodiment, the hard disk 33, which is a recording medium having a large capacity and capable of random access in which various data are recorded, can be recorded. explain.

  As described above, in the hard disk drive 32 of this embodiment, the FAT system is used as the file system, and the ZCAV (constant zone angular velocity) method is used as the hard disk rotation control method. For this reason, the hard disk 33 is initialized in accordance with the FAT system, and recording can be controlled in a predetermined zone unit.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the state of the hard disk 33 that can be used by being initialized in accordance with the FAT system. FIG. 2A mainly shows partitions and their management states, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between sectors and zones.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the first sector (LBA = 0 sector) of the hard disk is provided with a system boot area MBR (Master Boot Record), which will be described in detail later. Next to the MBR, a preliminary free area is provided, and next to the free area, a partition area is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, a BPB (BIOS Parameter Block), a FAT, and a spare FAT are provided in the partition area. In FIG. 2A, the part after the spare FAT is a data area where data is actually recorded. In FIG. 2A, only one partition area is shown. However, as will be described later, a plurality of MBR partition tables are prepared according to the number of partition areas to be formed. Partition areas are formed so that each can be treated as an independent individual disk (storage area).

  The hard disk 33 is used in the ZCAV method as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the hard disk 33 is divided into a large number of zones composed of a plurality of sectors. The rotational speed of the hard disk 33 itself is constant, but the data transfer rate in each zone is controlled to be different, and high density recording is performed without reducing the data recording density in the outer zone. To be able to.

  The control unit 20 of the digital video camera according to this embodiment cooperates with the hard disk drive 32 to determine whether or not data is recorded for each zone. It is possible to grasp and manage whether or not data with a proper attribute is recorded.

  Next, a plurality of partition areas that can be formed on the hard disk 33 will be described. 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining a partition area formed on the hard disk 33 and a partition table for managing the partition area. As shown in FIG. 2A and also in FIG. 3, the MBR provided in the first sector (LBA = 0 sector) of the hard disk 33 is composed of an activation code area 331 and a partition table area 332.

  At the time of activation, first, an activation code (program) is read from the activation code area 331 of the MBR. As shown in FIG. 3, the read activation code of the MBR refers to the partition table of the partition table area 332 formed immediately after the activation code, reads the information of the boot sector of the target partition, An OS (Operating System) is activated by the code (program) of the boot sector.

  A plurality of (for example, four) partition tables can be provided. As described above, each partition table holds information indicating the position (start address) and size (partition size) of each partition area formed by dividing the recording area of the hard disk 33. In FIG. As shown in Fig. 5, the target partition area can be accessed and the information recorded therein can be referred to.

  Next, the partition table formed in the MBR of the head sector will be specifically described. As described above and as shown in FIG. 4A, the MBR of the head sector of the hard disk 33 (an area of 512 bytes from the head of the hard disk 33) includes an activation code area 331 and a partition table area 332.

  In this embodiment, the partition table area 332 is an area having a size capable of storing a partition table having a data length of 16 bytes for four entries, that is, an area for 64 bytes. However, a partition table for four entries is not always formed, and at least one and a maximum of four can be formed according to the number of partitions provided.

  The 2 bytes following the partition table area 332 are signatures (magic numbers) attached to the partition table, and unless it is “55h” and “AAh” in order, it is determined that the partition table does not exist or has been destroyed. Will be. In this specification and drawings, the letter h immediately after the character string represented by a numeral, an alphabet from A to F, and a combination thereof, such as “55h” and “AAh” described above, This indicates that the character string is expressed in hexadecimal.

  The data structure of the partition table having a data length of 16 bytes (128 bits) is as shown in FIG. 4B. The 8-byte area from the 0th byte to the 7th byte is a storage area for information used when the address is specified by the CHS method, and the 8-byte area from the 8th byte to the 15th byte is the LBA method. This is an information storage area used when specifying an address.

  Here, the CHS method is to specify an address (position) on the hard disk 33 by using three parameters of a cylinder, a head, and a sector as one set. In the LBA method, numbers (block addresses (logical addresses)) are assigned in order from, for example, 0 to each accessible unit block (for example, one sector unit) on the recording area of the hard disk. By designating, an address (position) on the recording area of the hard disk is designated.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the storage area for information used when accessing by the CHS method is the 0th byte storage area for active flag information (hereinafter simply referred to as flag information), the 1st byte to the 3rd byte. Storage area of start sector information used when 3 bytes up to 3 bytes are accessed by CHS method, 4th byte is storage area for partition type information (hereinafter simply referred to as type information), 5th byte to 7th byte A storage area of end sector information used when 3 bytes are accessed by the CHS method.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, the information storage area used when accessing by the LBA method is the storage area of the start sector information in which 4 bytes from the 8th byte to the 11th byte are used by the LBA method, 12 bytes The 4 bytes from the first to the 15th byte are a partition size storage area used in the LBA method.

  The CHS method uses the physical structure of the hard disk as it is, and as described above, there are three parameters for addressing: cylinder, head, and sector. It becomes complicated. On the other hand, in the case of the LBA method, since it is designated by a single parameter called a block address, the address designation at the time of access is very simple.

  For this reason, the LBA method has become the main addressing method for hard disks, and the LBA method is also used for other recording media, for example, various memory cards that are becoming widely used as so-called removable media. More and more addresses can be specified. The hard disk used in the digital video camera of this embodiment also uses the LBA method for addressing.

  In the hard disk drive 32 of this embodiment, an EBR (Extended Boot Record) can also be used. The MBR is for a basic area that always exists in one system, whereas the EBR is for an extended area that is secured in addition to the basic area.

  This EBR is also formed in the same manner as the MBR described above with reference to FIG. 4A, and includes an activation code area and a partition table area, and the data structure of each partition formed in the partition table area is also shown in FIG. 4B. It is configured similarly to the MBR partition table described above. This EBR does not necessarily exist, and is provided according to a partition creation policy by the system or user.

  Thus, in the digital video camera of this embodiment, a plurality of partition areas can be formed on the hard disk 33, and each partition area can be used as an independent storage area. Therefore, the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment cooperates with the hard disk drive 32 to determine whether or not data is recorded in each partition area unit. It is possible to grasp whether or not attribute data is recorded.

  In the digital video camera of this embodiment, as can be seen from the above description, data recording control is performed using the zone of the hard disk 33 as a reference or using the partition area of the hard disk 33 as a reference. To be able to do.

  In the case of the digital video camera of this embodiment, the hard disk drive 32 and the memory card 34 can be used as described above. Therefore, as described above, the hard disk 33 and the memory card 34 can be used properly such as recording data having different attributes.

  Note that, for example, by enabling two hard disk drives to be connected to the digital video camera of this embodiment, it is possible to use two hard disk drives properly.

[(1) Recording control based on zone]
Here, first, a case where data recording control is performed using a zone in a hard disk rotated by the ZCAV method as a reference will be described. An outline of recording control using a zone as a reference is as follows.

  At the start of recording, first, the current shooting mode is detected. If you are in the still image shooting mode for capturing still images and already recorded still image data (recorded still image file) is on the hard disk, it is located in the same zone as the recorded still image file on the hard disk. Starting cluster is calculated, and recording of new still image data (still image file) is started therefrom. If it is impossible to record one still image file in the same zone, one unused zone is selected, and recording is started from the start cluster located there. The same applies to the moving image mode.

  That is, data having the same attribute is recorded in the same zone. As described above, data having the same attribute is grouped in units of zones, so that data having different attributes of still image data and moving image data is prevented from being distributed and recorded in a plurality of zones of the hard disk 34, and is reproduced at the time of reproduction. Inconveniences such as a blank period are prevented.

  As processing units on the hard disk, three processing units such as sectors, clusters, and zones are used as described above. The sector is the minimum recording unit for the hard disk, and, for example, 512 bytes are one sector. A cluster is a collection of a plurality of sectors, and is the minimum recording unit per file. That is, since a sector is too small as a unit for managing files, OS (Operating System) management is facilitated by using a cluster composed of a plurality of sectors.

  Further, as described above, a zone is composed of a plurality of sectors. When a data is recorded at a predetermined transfer rate on a hard disk that is driven to rotate at a constant rotational speed, the zone is predetermined. This is a concentric area (processing unit) in which data can be recorded with a recording density of. Therefore, although depending on the size of the file, a plurality of files can be recorded in one zone, and the zone is a processing unit much larger than the cluster.

  When recording control is performed based on the zone, it is necessary for the control unit 20 of the digital video camera to accurately grasp how the zone is formed on the hard disk 33. Therefore, in the digital video camera of this embodiment, a sector-by-sector read test is performed over the entire surface of the hard disk 33, the time required for reading is measured, the measurement result is retained, and the change point of the time required for reading is determined. By detecting this, the start position (start LBA) of each zone is detected.

  5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining processing for detecting the start LBA of each zone by the read test. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents LBA (logical block address) and the vertical axis represents the time taken to read data from the disk. As described above, the disk rotation control method in the hard disk drive 32 used in this embodiment is the ZCAV method, and the rotation speed is constant, but high-density recording of data is performed in each zone. For this reason, the data transfer rate in each zone is controlled to be different, and the reading speed is faster in the outer peripheral zone and the reading speed is slower in the inner peripheral zone.

  For this reason, when a data read test is performed in units of sectors from the outer periphery side to the inner periphery side, the data read speed in each zone is substantially constant as shown in FIG. Since the reading speed is controlled so as to go to the zone, the reading speed changes stepwise. Therefore, as shown by the circles in FIG. 5, it is possible to identify the start LBA of each zone by detecting the change point of the read speed, and the LBA immediately before the change point is the previous zone. It can be seen that this is the ending LBA.

  Specifically, first, it is necessary to grasp the maximum value of the LBA of the hard disk 33, which is information for determining whether or not the read test has been completed for all sectors of the hard disk 33. As described above, ATA / ATAPI is used for the interface between the digital video camera body of this embodiment and the hard disk drive 32, and “IDENTIFY” is a command defined in this ATA / ATAPI. By using “DEVICE”, the maximum value of the LBA is detected.

  That is, “Total number of user addressable sectors” is included in the information that can be acquired from the hard disk drive 32 side when the “IDENTIFY DEVICE” command is executed, and the maximum LBA value (MAX) that can be specified from this value is Understand.

  Then, for LBA = 0 to MAX (that is, the entire surface of the hard disk 33), a command for reading data, such as “READ SECTOR (S)” or “READ DMA”, is read and the data length is 512 bytes (in other words, Sector Count). = 1, in units of each sector), and sequentially executed, the time required for each execution (time required for reading) is measured and stored as shown in FIG.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the accumulated data (LBA and required time) are analyzed, and the LBA located at the changing point is specified. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the difference between the time (required time) required for reading in each sector accumulated and the time (required time) required for reading in the immediately preceding sector is obtained. For example, when the absolute value is 0.0005 seconds or more, it is determined that the point is a zone change point, and the LBA at the conversion point is the start LBA of the zone.

  The number of detected start LBAs indicates the number of zones of the hard disk 33. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A or FIG. 3, the obtained start LBA information of each zone is held in a “free area” existing between the MBR and the partition. The size of this “free area” is normally several hundred kilobytes to several megabytes, which is sufficient to hold the start LBA information of each zone.

  Here, the magnitude of the difference in required time for detecting the change point is 0.0005 seconds, but the present invention is not limited to this. An appropriate value may be used according to the performance of the device.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the processing performed in the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment in order to detect the start LBA of each zone on the hard disk 33 described with reference to FIGS. It is. The processing shown in FIG. 7 is executed by being incorporated in, for example, a full disk read inspection performed at the time of manufacture.

  First, the control unit 20 of the digital video camera first transmits an “IDENTIFY DEVICE” command to the hard disk drive 32 to obtain various information from the hard disk drive 32, and obtains “Total number of user addressable sectors” of the obtained information. The maximum LBA value (MAX) that can be specified is obtained (step S1).

  Next, the control unit 20 executes a data read command such as “READ SECTOR (S)” from the outermost side in units of sectors, measures the data read time in units of sectors, and accumulates the measurement results. (Step S2). Then, for all sectors of the hard disk 33, it is determined whether or not the data reading time measurement and accumulation have been completed (step S3). The determination process in step S3 is a process for determining whether or not the measurement and accumulation of the read time up to the maximum value of the LBA acquired in step S1 has been completed.

  In the determination process of step S3, when it is determined that the measurement and storage of the read time up to the maximum value of the LBA has not ended, the LBA is incremented by 1 and the read position is positioned in the next sector area (step S4). The processing from step S2 is repeated. If it is determined in step S3 that the reading time has been measured up to the maximum value of the LBA, the change point, that is, the start LBA of each zone is specified based on the accumulated reading time for each sector (step S5). ).

  As described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the processing in step S5 determines the magnitude of the difference between the read time of each sector and the read time of the immediately preceding sector, and the magnitude of the difference. This is a process of specifying a point (LBA) whose length is greater than or equal to a predetermined value as the start LBA of the zone.

  Then, the start LBA information of each zone identified in step S5 is stored in a predetermined area of the hard disk 33 such as an empty area between the MBR and the partition area (step S6), and the processing shown in FIG. To do.

  As described above, by executing the processing shown in FIG. 7, the digital video camera according to the present embodiment has the number of zones formed on the hard disk 33 and the range of each zone (start LBA to end LBA). Can be grasped on a sector basis, and this can be stored on the hard disk 33 and referenced at any time.

  However, when data is recorded as a file, since the cluster is a unit as described above, it is not possible to perform the recording control by the zone only by grasping the state of the zone on the hard disk 33 by the sector unit. Can not. For this reason, it is necessary to be able to grasp the state of the zones on the hard disk 33 grasped in units of sectors in units of clusters, and to manage the usage status for each zone.

  Therefore, in the digital video camera of this embodiment, a zone use table for managing information about each zone is created. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a zone use table formed and used in the digital video camera of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the zone use table of this embodiment manages the zone number, type, and start cluster number for each zone.

  In the zone use table shown in FIG. 8, the zone numbers are values assigned in order from the outermost zone, and values from 0 to n-1 are assigned in order. Here, n is the total number of zones that are known by performing the processing of FIG.

  The type is information indicating the usage status for each zone, such as whether or not data is recorded in the zone, and if so, what kind of attribute data is recorded. The specific holding method of this type is, for example, “01h” when moving image data is recorded as a flag, “02h” when still image data is recorded, and when unused. Is expressed by a predetermined value such as “00h” and held. The information indicating this type is given by the control unit 202 according to the recorded data when data is first recorded in the unused zone.

  The start cluster number is obtained by calculation based on the information on the hard disk 33 managed by the file system and the start LBA of each zone detected by performing the read test as described above. Information. A method for calculating the start cluster number of each zone will be specifically described.

  The digital video camera of this embodiment will be described assuming that, for example, FAT32 is used as a file system. In the case of FAT32, the “start sector (LBA)” (see FIG. 3B) in the MBR partition table of the first sector of the hard disk 33 and “BPB_SecPerClus (number of sectors per cluster) in the BPB (BIOS Parameter Block)” ”,“ BPB_NumFATs (number of FATs) ”,“ BPB_FATSz32 (number of sectors per FAT) ”,“ BPB_RootClus (start cluster number of root directory) ”and the start LBA that has already been detected. .

For example,
Partition start sector = 3Fh
BPB_SecPerClus (number of sectors per cluster) = 40h
BPB_NumFATs (number of FATs) = 2h
BPB_FATSz32 (number of sectors per FAT) = 9000h
BPB_RootClus (start directory number of root directory) = 2h
Then, the LBA physically corresponding to the cluster number “100” is
3Fh + (9000h × 2h) + 40h × (100h−2h) = 15FBFh (1)
And can be calculated.

Therefore, since the start LBA of each zone has already been detected, the start cluster number may be calculated based on the equation (1). That is, if the relationship between the start cluster number and the start LBA is simply shown,
3Fh + (9000h × 2h) + 40h × (starting cluster number−2h) = starting LBA
... (2)
It can be shown that the corresponding start cluster number can be calculated by substituting the start LBA of each detected zone for the start LBA in equation (2).

  In this way, the zone use table shown in FIG. 8 for managing information about each zone formed on the hard disk 33 is formed. In the case of the zone use table in the example shown in FIG. 8, n zones are formed on the hard disk 33, and moving image data is already recorded in the 0th zone and the 1st zone, and n-3. Still image data has already been recorded in the 1st zone and the (n-1) th zone, indicating that the 2nd zone and the (n-2) th zone are still unused.

  The zone use table is created in, for example, an empty area sandwiched between the MBR and the partition area at the time of recording processing of the hard disk 33 performed at the time of manufacturing the device, and thereafter, data is recorded on the hard disk 33. In such a case, it is updated as necessary under the control of the control unit 20.

  The control unit 20 of the digital video camera according to this embodiment, as a rough management, records the moving image data on the outer peripheral side of the hard disk 33 because it has a large amount of data and high real-time data, and still image data Since the amount of data is smaller than that of moving image data and the data is less real-time, it is recorded on the inner peripheral side of the hard disk 33. This approximate management is performed through the file system. When the remaining recording capacity of the hard disk 33 decreases, even moving image data is recorded in a free area on the inner periphery side, and still image data is stored. Is also recorded on the outer peripheral side.

  When various data are recorded on the hard disk 33, according to the conventional technique, the recording start cluster number is determined by searching (as much as possible) a position where the data can be recorded in a lump based on the free space indicated by the FAT. However, in the case of the digital video camera of this embodiment, the usage status of each zone is confirmed through the zone usage table formed as shown in FIG. 8, and recording is performed according to the type of data (moving image, still image, etc.). The zones are distributed.

  If the total amount of data to be recorded (file size) is divided, it becomes possible to reliably detect a free area with an appropriate capacity based on the FAT information. Since the file size is large, 2 Inconveniences such as having to record data across two zones can also be avoided.

  However, for example, when recording data by newly forming data, such as when shooting a moving image, the file size is not known at the beginning of recording. In such a case, a free area (number of clusters) to be secured may be determined according to the type of data. The standard capacity of the free space (number of clusters) to be secured is determined in advance as static information, for example, several megabytes for still images and music, and several hundred megabytes to several gigabytes for moving images. You should keep it.

  Of course, the amount of free space to be secured changes dynamically depending on the user's so-called behavioral characteristics and the type of recording format, such as going out and shooting many videos or shooting still images more frequently than movies. It is also possible to do.

  FIG. 9 illustrates the processing of the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment when data recording control is performed using the zone of the hard disk 33 that is rotationally driven and controlled by the ZCAV method as a reference. It is a flowchart for. The process shown in FIG. 9 is a process executed in the control unit 20 when the recording process is started.

  As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the digital video camera according to the present embodiment is capable of recording still image data and moving image data obtained by shooting, an external device through the image input / output unit 16 and the audio input / output unit 17. Thus, various data can be recorded, and various data acquired through the communication unit 19 can be recorded.

  For this reason, the control unit 20 first selects an operation mode (a still image shooting mode, a moving image shooting mode, an information recording mode from an external device, an information recording mode obtained through the communication unit) that can be switched by the user. By checking the information added to the header of the data to be recorded, etc., whether the data to be recorded is video data, still image data, audio data such as music The attribute of the data such as what is determined is grasped (step S11).

  In the process of step S11, for example, if the operation mode is the still image shooting mode, it can be understood that the data to be recorded is still image data, and the operation mode is the moving image shooting mode. Thus, it can be seen that the data to be recorded is moving image data. In addition, in the case of data provided through an external device or communication network, it is possible to grasp the attribute of data to be recorded based on information indicating the attribute of the data added to the header of the data. is there.

  Next, the control unit 20 calculates the number of clusters necessary for recording the target data (step S12). As described above, the processing in step S12 is set to a predetermined size such as several megabytes for still images and music, and several hundred megabytes to several gigabytes for moving images, as described above. In the case of data provided through a communication network, it is possible to calculate accurately based on information indicating the file size and cluster size added to the header of the data.

  Then, the control unit 20 refers to the zone usage table shown in FIG. 8 to confirm and grasp the usage status of each zone (step S13). That is, the control unit 20 refers to the zone use table of the hard disk 33 and grasps which attribute data is recorded in which zone and which zone is unused. Then, the control unit 20 refers to the FAT of the hard disk 33 and determines the recording start cluster number based on the information in the zone usage table (step S14).

  In the process of step S14, first, based on the information in the zone use table, a zone in which data having the same attribute is already recorded is detected, and all the data to be recorded this time can be recorded in the detected zone. Check whether or not. If recording is possible, the cluster number of the unrecorded area of the zone is determined as the recording start cluster, and if there is not enough free space, the unused zone is set as the recording area of the current data. Determine the cluster number. When the unused zone is used as the current data recording area, the zone use table shown in FIG. 8 is also updated.

  Then, the data is recorded in the zone indicated by the determined recording start cluster (step S15). That is, the control unit 20 controls the hard disk drive 32 so as to record data in the zone indicated by the determined recording start cluster, and supplies data from a predetermined input end to the hard disk drive 32, thereby Is stored in the hard disk 33 as a file.

  In this way, as much as possible, the data recording positions on the hard disk are tried to be grouped according to the data attributes, and the data requiring real-time property is continuously and logically divided into logical clusters. As a result, it is possible to record at a position where the transfer rate is constant (that is, at a position not across a plurality of zones).

  FIG. 10 shows an example of a data recording state when data is recorded by a conventional recording control method that does not use a zone usage table, and data by the recording control method in the digital video camera of this embodiment using a zone usage table. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of a recording state of the data at the time of recording. In FIG. 10, a character “STILL” indicates a still image file, a character “VIDEO” indicates a moving image file, and a character “AUDIO” indicates an audio file.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, in the case of the conventional method, data files having different attributes are recorded almost randomly. However, as shown in FIG. 10B, by using the method according to the present invention, data files having the same attributes are recorded. It is possible to record adjacently. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a seek operation with a large moving distance, perform quick and smooth access, and avoid inconvenience in reproducing data that requires real-time performance. Also, a relatively large free area can be secured, so that the recording area of the hard disk can be used efficiently.

  As described in detail later, by making it possible to record data having the same attribute in a collective manner in this way, in order to make image data and audio data efficient and user-friendly Even when the provided AV management information is used, there is an effect such as smooth access to target data.

[(2) Recording control based on partition]
Next, a case where data recording control is performed using a partition as a reference will be described. Even when data recording control is performed using this partition as a reference, control is basically the same as when data recording control is performed using the above-described zone as a reference.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of how to partition a hard disk. As described above, according to the number of partition tables formed in the partition table area in the MBR formed in the first sector of the hard disk, the hard disk is divided into up to four partition areas as shown in FIG. 11A. Is possible.

  Therefore, the hard disk can be divided into two partition areas as shown in FIG. 11B, or only one partition area can be provided as shown in FIG. 11C. Further, as described above, by using EBR, the hard disk can be divided into five or more partition areas. Then, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, when the hard disk is divided into at least two or more partition areas, the partition to be the data recording destination is divided using the partition as a reference. Is possible.

  In this case, a partition usage table for managing the usage status of each partition is formed on the hard disk 33. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the partition use table. As shown in FIG. 12, the partition usage table of this embodiment manages the partition number, type, and free capacity for each partition.

  In the partition usage table, the partition number is assigned to each partition when the partition is formed. In this case, n is a value that matches the total number of partitions. The type is information indicating the usage status for each partition, such as whether or not data is recorded in the partition, and if so, what attribute the data is.

  The specific type holding method is, for example, “01h” when moving image data is recorded and “02h” when still image data is recorded, as in the case of the zone use table described above. When not used, it is expressed by a predetermined value such as “00h” and held.

  In the partition usage table, the free space is information indicating the free space of each partition. When the partition is formed, the size of each partition area is instructed by the manufacturer or user, and the indicated value becomes the initial value of the free space.

  This partition usage table is created by the control unit 20 after forming partitions having the number and size specified when the partition is formed at the time of manufacturing or when the user starts using the partition usage table. , Formed on the hard disk 33 of the hard disk drive 32. The partition usage table is also formed in a free area provided between the MBR and the first partition, for example.

  When data is written to the partition, the capacity of the written data is subtracted from the information on the free area of the partition use table for the partition. Also, when data is recorded for the first time in an unused partition, information indicating the attribute of the recorded data is recorded in the partition usage table type area for that partition.

  In the partition usage table of FIG. 12, moving image data is already recorded in the 0th partition and there is no free space already, and still image data is already recorded in the 1st partition and there is no free space. In the second partition, audio data such as music is recorded, but there is a free space of 1000 sectors.

  In the partition usage table of FIG. 12, moving image data is recorded in the n-3th partition and there is a free space of 20000 sectors, and audio data is recorded in the n-2th partition. There is a free space of 40000 sectors, and still image data is recorded in the (n-1) th partition, indicating that there is a free space of 300000 sectors. In the case of a partition usage table of an unused partition, the type indicates that it is unused, and all of the storage capacity of the partition is made free.

  Therefore, the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment uses the partition usage table shown in FIG. 12 formed in the empty area of the hard disk 33 and the used partition and the data are not recorded. It is possible to grasp the type of unused partition, and it is possible to accurately grasp the attribute and free capacity of recorded data for the used partition. By using the partition usage table shown in FIG. 12, recording control in units of partitions can be performed.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment when recording control is performed in units of partitions. The process shown in FIG. 12 is a process executed in the control unit 20 when the recording process is started.

  First, the control unit 20 checks the attribute of data to be recorded on the hard disk 33 (step S21). The process of step S21 is the same as the process of step S11 shown in FIG. 9, and the attribute of the data to be recorded is determined based on the attribute information added to the operation mode, the header of the data to be recorded, and the like. This is a process of confirming (ascertaining).

  Then, the control unit 20 refers to the parameter use table shown in FIG. 12 based on the attribute of the data to be recorded and the total amount thereof, data having the same attribute is recorded, and sufficient free space If there is a partition with data, that partition is determined as the data recording destination, and there is a partition with data with the same attribute recorded, but if there is not enough free space, an unused partition Is determined as the data recording destination (step S22).

  Thereafter, the control unit 20 refers to the FAT of the determined partition, and sets the target data, that is, moving image data, still image data, audio data obtained by shooting, an external device, Processing for recording moving images, still image data, audio data, and the like provided through the communication network is performed, and after the recording processing is completed, the processing shown in FIG. 13 is terminated.

  As described above, since data having the same attribute can be recorded in the same partition, it is possible to prevent data having the same attribute from being scattered around the hard disk 33 and to efficiently record the data on the hard disk. . Therefore, even in the case of playback such as a so-called slide show in which still images are played back continuously, playback can be performed satisfactorily without causing inconvenience such as a time required for the seek operation.

  Thus, the recording partition can be changed according to the attribute of the data to be recorded. Similarly to recording control in units of zones and recording control in units of partitions, when a plurality of recording media that can be used at the same time are connected, such as mounting a plurality of hard disks in the digital video camera of this embodiment, the recording media It is also possible to control to record data having different attributes in units.

  In this case, the control unit 20 manages which attribute data is recorded on which recording medium, or whether to record, confirms the attribute to be recorded, and records according to the attribute. The previous recording medium may be controlled.

  As described above, data recording control can be performed by using any one of the zone, the partition, and the recording medium as a recording destination reference. Even when data is recorded based on any of zones, partitions, and recording media, an OS (Operating System) or firmware executed in the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment is used. However, based on the operation mode and the attribute information added to the data to be recorded, the attribute of the data to be recorded is confirmed, and according to the confirmed attribute, the zone, partition or recording medium that is the recording destination The data should be distributed to each other.

[Modification]
As described above, the digital video camera of this embodiment refers to the information of the zone usage table and the partition usage table, determines the zone and partition to actually write the data, and the data with the same attribute is the neighborhood on the hard disk. It was made possible to record in a recording area.

  In addition to this, by controlling the search direction of the recording area on the hard disk based on the supply path of the data to be recorded and the attributes of the data to be recorded, the hard disk can efficiently record data and It is possible to make it possible to use the data recorded in the more efficiently.

  The hard disk 33 is a disk-shaped recording medium. If the recording area is conceptually shown, as shown in FIG. 14, the MBR that must be accessed first is provided on the outer peripheral side, and the outer peripheral side (the first side) ) To the inner peripheral side (terminal side). When data is recorded, data is written from the outer peripheral side (first side).

  Further, as described above, since the hard disk drive 32 of this embodiment controls the rotation of the hard disk 33 by the ZCAV method, the recording area on the outer peripheral side is quickly accessed and the data is transferred at a high transfer rate. Record with. However, for the recording area on the inner circumference side, it takes time to seek compared to the recording area on the outer circumference side, and it takes time to access, and the data transfer rate is lower than that on the outer circumference side.

  Therefore, from the viewpoint of quick access to the recording area and data transfer rate, the outer recording area is more advantageous for data recording than the inner recording area. Therefore, the digital video camera of this embodiment controls the search direction on the hard disk based on the supply path of the data to be recorded and the attribute of the data to be recorded.

  First, the case where the search direction on the hard disk is controlled based on the supply path of the data to be recorded will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a case where the search direction on the hard disk is controlled based on the supply path of the data to be recorded. The process shown in FIG. 15 is a process executed in the control unit 20 when recording is instructed by the user.

  That is, when receiving an instruction input to record data, the control unit 20 executes the process shown in FIG. 14, and first confirms the data recording mode that is instructed by the user (step S31). ). Specifically, the processing of this step S31 is the operation state of the digital video camera of this embodiment is the shooting mode or the data supplied from the external device is recorded on the recording medium or recorded on the recording medium. This is to check whether the VTR mode is used to reproduce the data being recorded.

  Here, the shooting mode records real-time data with an undefined file size at the present time such as moving image data and audio data that are acquired through a so-called camera unit such as the optical lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12 or a microphone. It is intended to be recorded on a medium.

  Recording processing in the VTR mode is supplied through the image input / output unit 16 and the audio input / output unit 17 or through the communication unit 19 to which various wireless communication protocols are applied, such as USB, Ethernet (registered trademark), Data with a predetermined file size is recorded on a recording medium.

  Accordingly, in step S31, whether the shooting mode or the VTR mode is detected to record real-time data with an indefinite file size on the recording medium, or data on which the file size has already been determined is recorded on the recording medium. You can determine what you are trying to do.

  Then, based on the result of the confirmation process in step S31, the control unit 20 obtains real-time data such as image data captured via the camera unit and audio data captured via a microphone provided in the digital video camera. It is determined whether or not the recording mode is set (step S32).

  In the determination process of step S32, when it is determined that the digital video camera of this embodiment is a shooting mode for recording data captured through the camera unit or the microphone, quick access is possible and The zone or partition that is the data recording destination is searched from the outer peripheral side (start) to the inner peripheral side (end) of the hard disk 33 capable of recording data (step S33).

  In the determination process of step S32, if it is determined that the shooting mode is not for recording data captured through the camera unit or the microphone, the inner peripheral side of the hard disk (access is disadvantageous compared to the outer peripheral side of the hard disk) The zone or partition that is the data recording destination is searched for from the (end) to the outer peripheral side (start) (step S34).

  After the process of step S33 or the process of step S34, the process of recording data in the found recording destination is performed by these processes (step S35), and the process shown in FIG. 15 is terminated.

  As a result, for so-called real-time data obtained by shooting, the recording destination is detected from the outer peripheral side of the hard disk 33, the recording destination is quickly identified, and the recording capacity is given a high transfer rate. It is possible to record on a recording medium. In addition, for image data and audio data whose amount of data from an external device or the like is determined, the recording destination is detected from the inner circumference side of the hard disk 33, and a stable recording area with a necessary recording capacity is secured. It is possible to record in the recording area on the inner circumference side.

  Next, a case where the search direction on the hard disk is controlled based on the attribute of data to be recorded will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining a case where the search direction on the hard disk is controlled based on the attribute of data to be recorded. The process shown in FIG. 16 is a process executed in the control unit 20 when recording is instructed by the user.

  That is, when receiving an instruction input for recording data, the control unit 20 executes the process shown in FIG. 16, and first confirms the attribute of the data to be recorded (step S41). More specifically, the processing of step S41 is first confirmed whether the mode is the shooting mode or the VTR mode. If the mode is the shooting mode, it is confirmed whether the mode is the moving image shooting mode or the still image shooting mode. For example, the attribute information added to the header portion of the provided data is confirmed. Thereby, it is possible to confirm the attribute of the data to be recorded, such as whether the data to be recorded is moving image data, still image data, or audio data.

  And the control part 20 judges whether the data which it is going to record is moving image data based on the result of the confirmation process of step S41 (step S42). In the determination process of step S42, when it is determined that the data to be recorded is moving image data, the data can be accessed quickly, and the data can be recorded quickly from the outer peripheral side (top) of the hard disk 33. The zone or partition that is the data recording destination is searched toward the circumferential side (end) (step S43).

  In the determination process of step S42, when it is determined that the data to be recorded is not moving image data, it is disadvantageous for access from the inner peripheral side (end) to the outer peripheral side (which is disadvantageous for access) compared to the outer peripheral side of the hard disk ( The head or head is searched for a zone or partition to which data is to be recorded (step S34).

  After the process of step S33 or the process of step S34, the process of recording data in the found recording destination is performed by these processes (step S35), and the process shown in FIG. 16 is terminated.

  As a result, the recording destination is detected from the outer peripheral side of the hard disk 33 for the necessary moving image data that has a large amount of data and the continuity of the data from the beginning to the end of the data and the accompanying audio data. The recording destination is quickly specified, and the recording capacity is provided with a margin, so that the recording can be performed on the recording medium at a high transfer rate. Still image data and audio data are smaller in data amount than moving image data, and it is relatively easy to ensure data continuity. Therefore, the recording destination can be detected from the inner periphery of the hard disk 33. As a result, a recording area having a required recording capacity can be secured and recording can be stably performed on the recording area on the inner circumference side.

[Use of AV management information]
When recording and using many data with various attributes such as moving image data, still image data, and audio data on a large-capacity recording medium such as a hard disk, the data can be efficiently managed and used efficiently. In order to achieve this, it is conceivable that only management information is collectively managed in a separate file. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining an overview of this collective management method.

  As shown in FIG. 17, even in this example, AV (Audio / Visual) management information 101, still image file A, still image file B, and moving image file C are recorded on the recording medium 10. To do. In the case of this collective management method, as shown by AV management information 101 in FIG. 17, the management information of each image data is managed in a file different from the image data files A, B, and C. The image data file is associated with a predetermined pointer.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining an example of AV management information. In the case of this example, the AV management information includes a title file 101a, a thumbnail file 101b, and a property file 101c. In each of these files, various information for the image data recorded as the file is held as entry information (registration information).

  Each of the title entries 0, 1, 2,... Registered in the title file 101a is a text input by the user, such as a comment, a memo, a note, etc. for each of the image data stored as a file. Retain data.

  Further, each of the thumbnail entries 0, 1, 2,... Registered in the thumbnail file 101b is reduced image data of an image formed by image data stored as a file, and is not limited to one type, but a plurality of thumbnail entries. It is also possible to have a reduced image.

  Further, each of the property entries 0, 1, 2,... Registered in the property file 101c holds various management information for each of the image data stored as a file. Each property entry includes at least the file pointer Pt, the original recording file flag aa, the shooting date / time information bb, and the correction date / time information cc, as shown in the property entry n portion in FIG. Is done.

  The file pointer Pt is information for specifying the image data file corresponding to the property entry. The original recording file flag aa indicates whether or not the image data is captured by the digital video camera according to this embodiment and recorded on the recording medium. In the case of this example, when the original recording file flag aa is “1”, it indicates that the file is an image data file taken by the digital video camera of this embodiment, and when it is “0”, It indicates that the file is an image data file not taken by the digital video camera of this embodiment.

  The shooting date / time information bb indicates the shooting date / time of image data captured by the digital video camera of this embodiment and recorded on the recording medium. The correction date / time information cc indicates the date / time when the correction processing of the image data was performed. However, as will be described later, in the case of image data provided from the outside, the correction date / time information cc is used as an acquisition date / time indicating the date / time when the digital video camera acquired the image data. .

  A title entry, a thumbnail entry, and a property entry can be provided as AV management information for each content file such as an image data file or an audio data file. Each image data file is indirectly associated with the title entry and the thumbnail entry via the property entry.

  Accordingly, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 18, a title entry n, a thumbnail entry n, and a property entry n are provided as AV management information for the still image file A, and for the still image file B. , Title entry 2, thumbnail entry 2, and property entry 2. Similarly, a title entry n + 1, a thumbnail entry n + 1, and a property entry n + 1 are provided for the moving image file C.

  Further, for example, the property file 101c can record the definition of the reproduction order, etc., and the contents of the property file 101c of the AV management information are interpreted by the application, and according to the defined contents. The target image data and audio data can be reproduced. Thereby, for example, a slide show reproduction that continuously reproduces still images can be performed.

  Thus, by providing management information about image data and audio data recorded on a recording medium separately from the image data file and audio data file, the search time and search time for the image data file and audio data file are markedly increased. In addition to being advantageous in that it can be shortened, it is also possible to perform playback in various unconventional manners such as slide show playback.

  Therefore, for example, by referring to the property file information of the AV management information using the shooting date and time as a search key, the target still image file can be quickly found. Further, considering the case where slide show playback of still image data is performed in a predetermined order, as described above, the target still image file can be quickly identified based on the information in the property file 101c. Is possible.

  However, when a plurality of still image files to be played back as a slide show are scattered over a wide area on the hard disk, a seek operation with a large moving distance frequently occurs, and effective use of the function of the AV management information is effective. It can also interfere. However, by applying the present invention, the still image files are recorded so as to be collected in a nearby recording area, so that frequent seek operation with a large moving distance can be prevented, and AV management information can be prevented. The target still image file quickly specified by the user can be quickly accessed and played back. That is, the reproduction can be performed smoothly.

  Here, the case of a slide show reproduction of still image data has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. In various cases, such as when related video data is continuously played back, or when playing back a plurality of audio data, the playback order is determined. Of the control unit 20 of the digital video camera of this embodiment and the hard disk drive 32 at the time of data recording or reproduction so as to minimize the seek operation with a large moving distance as much as possible. A digital video camera with reduced load and high operation reliability can be realized.

  As described above, the present invention is realized mainly by the function of the control unit 20 of the digital video camera, and the positioning is software that is operated in the control unit 20. It operates in relation to the “file system” and “device driver”.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 19, when data is recorded on a recording medium (in this embodiment, the hard disk 33), or when data recorded on the recording medium is read and used, A file system (file management program) 52 for managing files on the recording medium and a device driver 53 for controlling the recording medium based on information from the file system exist below the application program 51 serving as a window with the user. To do.

  In the case of recording various data, the data is written by the functions of the file system 52 and the device driver 53. In the previous stage, the data has been described with reference to FIGS. 9, 13, 15, and 16. By performing so-called pre-processing, it is possible to appropriately search for a data recording destination and collectively record data having the same attribute so as to be adjacent to each other.

  That is, the file system 52 and the device driver 53 that control data writing / reading are used as they are without being changed, and a process for specifying the recording destination at the time of data recording is added. The present invention can be realized. Therefore, processing such as confirmation of the usage status of each zone or each partition may be added to the file system.

  In the above-described embodiment, the information signal receiving means includes three units such as the camera unit including the optical lens unit 11, the photoelectric conversion unit 12, the image input / output unit 16, the audio input / output unit 17, and the communication unit 19. It is realized by one system, and the discriminating means is realized by the control unit 20, and the recording control means is realized mainly by the control unit 20. Needless to say, the imaging means is realized by a camera unit including the optical lens unit 11 and the photoelectric conversion unit 12.

  In the above-described embodiment, the zone use table and the partition use table are described as being formed in the free area immediately after the MBR of the hard disk 33. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be formed in another area on the hard disk 33, or may be formed in the RAM 23 or the EEPROM 24 of the control unit 20, or may be formed in an external memory such as the memory card 34. When a zone use table and a partition use table are formed in an external memory such as a memory card, a media ID (media identification information) indicating which recording medium the table is for is added to each table. Just keep it.

  Even when data recording control is performed using the recording medium as a reference, a table for managing the recording state of the data on the recording medium is stored in the external memory such as the hard disk, the RAM 23 of the control unit 20, the EEPROM 24, or the memory card 34. Can be formed. Of course, even in this case, when a table is formed in an external memory such as a memory card, a media ID (media identification information) indicating which recording medium the table is for is added to each table. Keep it.

  In the above-described embodiment, the recording area of the hard disk is first roughly divided into the recording area for moving image data and the recording area for still image data. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is of course possible to simply perform data recording control based on either zone or partition.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where moving image data and still image data are recorded on a recording medium as an information signal having different attributes has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. Of course, in addition to moving image data and still image data, audio data, text data, and other various character data can be recorded together in separate areas. Even for moving image data and still image data, recording areas can be grouped according to information such as format.

  For example, in the case of moving image data, the data compressed by the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method and the data compressed by another data compression method are separated, or the data compressed and the data compressed It is of course possible to separate what is not done. In this case, it can be distinguished by information indicating a format added to a header of data to be recorded.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where a hard disk is used as a recording medium has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when using various other recording media adopting the ZCAV (Zone Constant Angular Velocity) method, such as a part of MO (Magneto Optical disk), PD (Phase change rewritable disk), Zip, SuperDisk. The invention can be applied.

  In the above-described embodiment, the data to be recorded on the recording medium is described as an example of recording audio data such as moving image data, still image data, music, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to recording text data, program data, and other various data.

  Even for moving image data and still image data, recording areas can be grouped according to information such as format. For example, in the case of moving image data, the data compressed by the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method and the data compressed by another data compression method are separated, or the data compressed and the data compressed It is of course possible to separate what is not done.

  In this case, it can be distinguished by information indicating a format added to a header of data to be recorded. In this case, for example, it is effective when recording a photographed image and information provided through a network or information provided from an external device on the same recording medium. This is because image data obtained by photographing and image data provided from outside often have different data formats.

  In the above-described embodiment, the file system is described as using FAT, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied when using various file systems other than FAT.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a digital video camera has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a personal computer using a hard disk drive or the like as a recording device, a hard disk device, and other electronic devices capable of recording data on a recording medium such as a hard disk or an MO.

It is a block diagram for demonstrating the digital video camera to which this invention was applied. It is a figure for demonstrating the state of the hard disk 33 which can be utilized by being initialized according to a file system. It is a figure for demonstrating the state of the hard disk 33 which can be utilized by being initialized according to a file system. It is a figure for demonstrating the partition area | region formed on the hard disk 33, and the partition table which manages this. It is a figure for demonstrating the process which detects the start LBA of each zone by a read test. It is a figure for demonstrating the process which detects the start LBA of each zone by a read test. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing for detecting a start LBA of each zone on a hard disk 33; It is a figure for demonstrating a zone utilization table. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recording process at the time of recording data on the basis of a zone. Example of data recording state when data is recorded by a conventional recording control method not using a zone usage table, and data recording when data is recorded by a recording control method using the present invention using a zone usage table It is a figure for demonstrating an example of a state. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of how to divide the partition on a hard disk. It is a figure for demonstrating a partition utilization table. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recording process at the time of recording data on the basis of the partition provided in the hard disk. It is a figure for demonstrating the basic state of a hard disk. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the case where the search direction on a hard disk is controlled based on the supply path | route of the data which it is going to record. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the case where the search direction on a hard disk is controlled based on the attribute of the data which it is going to record. It is a figure for demonstrating the package management of the data by AV management information. It is a figure for demonstrating AV management information. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship in the case of implement | achieving this invention by software, and another required program.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Optical lens part, 12 ... Photoelectric conversion part, 13 ... Camera function control part, 14 ... Image signal processing part, 15 ... LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), 16 ... Image input / output part, 17 ... Audio | voice input / output part, 18 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Audio | voice signal processing part, 19 ... Communication part, 20 ... Control part, 21 ... CPU, 22 ... ROM, 23 ... RAM, 24 ... EEPROM, 31 ... Operation input part, 32 ... Hard disk drive (hard disk device), 33 ... Hard disk , 34 ... Memory card

Claims (10)

Receiving means for receiving an input of an information signal to be recorded on the recording medium;
Discriminating means for discriminating attributes of the information signal received through the accepting means;
Recording control means for controlling recording of the information signal received through the receiving means on the recording medium so that information signals having the same attribute are adjacent to each other based on the attribute determined by the determining means; A recording apparatus comprising: The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The recording apparatus, wherein the recording control unit records information signals having the same attribute for each predetermined recording area formed so as to divide the recording area of the recording medium. The recording apparatus according to claim 2,
The recording apparatus, wherein the recording area used by the recording control means is a recording zone or a recording partition on the recording medium. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
Multiple recording media can be used,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording control unit records information signals having the same attribute for each of the plurality of recording media. An image pickup means that enables imaging of one or both of moving image information and still image information as a reception end of an information signal to be recorded on a recording medium;
A discriminating unit for discriminating an attribute of whether the image obtained by the imaging unit is a still image or a moving image;
Recording control means for controlling recording of the information signal received through the receiving means on a recording medium so that information signals having the same attribute are adjacent to each other based on the attribute determined by the determining means. An imaging apparatus characterized by that. A reception step for receiving an input of an information signal to be recorded on the recording medium;
A determination step of determining an attribute of the information signal received in the reception step;
A recording control step for controlling recording of the information signal received in the receiving step to the recording medium so that information signals having the same attribute are adjacent to each other based on the attribute determined in the determining step. A recording method characterized by the above. The recording method according to claim 8, wherein
In the recording control step, recording is performed such that information signals having the same attribute are collected for each predetermined recording area formed so as to divide the recording area of the recording medium. The recording method according to claim 7, comprising:
The recording method, wherein the recording area to be used in the recording control step is a recording zone or a recording partition provided on the recording medium. The recording method according to claim 10, wherein
Multiple recording media can be used,
In the recording control step, recording is performed such that information signals having the same attribute are collected for each of the plurality of recording media. An imaging step for imaging one or both of moving image information and still image information through an imaging means that is an acceptance end of an information signal to be recorded on a recording medium;
A determination step of determining whether the image captured in the imaging step is a still image or a moving image;
And a recording control step for controlling recording of the information signal received in the receiving step to the recording medium so that information signals having the same attribute are adjacent to each other based on the attribute determined in the determining step. An imaging method characterized by the above.

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