JP2006270793A - Digest video recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digest video recording system which can reduce recording time or recording capacity by recording only the abstract scene in a program. <P>SOLUTION: The digest video recording system includes a broadcast receiving device 906 for receiving broadcast program data, a communication device 905 for acquiring ranking information which expresses the importance of recording for carrying out the digest recording of the received program data as a ranking file from the exterior before recording of the broadcast program data, and a digest recording device which generates digest recording program data and records the generated program data in a recorder 915 by extracting a part of the received broad cast program data on the basis of a digest recording file 910 generated from the ranking information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digest recording system, and more particularly, to a digest recording system capable of summarizing and recording important screens of programs.

  As storage media for television broadcast storage, digital storage media, such as DVDs and hard disks, which can be reserved for recording a large number of programs, and can be edited and deleted at high speed and easily, have become widespread. As long as the capacity of the storage medium permits, the user can record the program of interest for the time being, and can easily view the recorded program at his favorite time without being restricted by the broadcast time.

  However, as the capacity of a storage medium increases, when a large number of programs are recorded, it becomes difficult to view all the recorded programs. Programs recorded on a large-capacity storage medium include programs that are desired to be reproduced by browsing all scenes and programs that only need to be understood. For this reason, it is convenient to extract and reproduce only the summary scene of the recorded program for a program that only needs to be understood.

  In recent years, digital terrestrial broadcasting for mobile terminals has been started. The portable terminal has been increased in capacity, such as a hard disk used as a storage medium. For this reason, it is possible to record on a mobile terminal in the near future, and a form of use such as browsing when attending school or commuting can be considered. Since viewing time is limited when going to school or commuting, it is considered useful to play only the summary scene. However, on the other hand, it is necessary to analyze the entire recorded program in order to extract the summary scene. For this purpose, a large processing cost is required, and in a terminal having a limited function such as a portable terminal, etc. Is a heavy burden.

Patent Document 1 discloses a system that provides additional information for summary reproduction of a recorded program via a network, and a terminal that receives the additional information reproduces the recorded program while reflecting the additional information. . According to this system, it is possible to perform summary playback of recorded content by referring to the additional information.
JP 2004-304405 A

  The summary reproduction method disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires that all programs be recorded even for a program that is known only to perform summary reproduction in advance. For this reason, a large amount of storage medium is consumed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a digest recording system that can reduce recording time or recording capacity by recording only a summary scene in a program.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.

  A broadcast receiving apparatus that receives broadcast program data, a communication apparatus that obtains ranking information indicating the importance of recording for digest recording of the received broadcast program data as a ranking file from the outside before recording the broadcast program data, and reception A digest recording device for extracting a part of the broadcast program data based on a digest recording file generated based on ranking information to generate digest recording program data and recording the generated program data in a recording unit .

  Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digest recording system that can reduce recording time or recording capacity by recording only summary scenes in a program.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a digest recording system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the digest recording system receives a video and audio program content broadcast from a broadcasting station 101 via a broadcasting network 100 and records the terminal device 102, the terminal device 102 and the network 103. The server device 104 is connected to each other and capable of bidirectional communication.

  The terminal device 102 can receive and record broadcast program content, and can transmit and receive data to and from the server device via the network 103. For example, a recorder equipped with an HDD or a recordable DVD, or an HDD Or a mobile phone or PDA having an external storage means such as a memory card or a personal computer system.

  The broadcasting network 100 is configured by a broadcasting network using radio waves typified by terrestrial broadcasting and satellite broadcasting. The network 103 is configured by an IP network typified by the Internet or the like, a telephone line network, an ISDN, a PHS network, a mobile phone network, or a network using a wireless LAN or the like. The server device 104 is a server device that includes a large-capacity storage device and enables communication with a plurality of terminal devices, and can be configured by a personal computer system, a workstation, or the like.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the details of the terminal device 102. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the terminal device 102 includes an output device 201, a CPU 202, a main storage device 203, an input device 204, a communication device 205, a broadcast reception device 206, a codec device 207, and a secondary storage device 208. These devices are connected to each other via a bus 200.

  The CPU 202 can be a general-purpose processor, for example, and controls the entire terminal device 102 based on a program that defines the operation of the terminal device 102.

  The main storage device 203 is constituted by a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, a hard disk, or the like. The program executed by the CPU 201, the program data input by the broadcast receiving device 203, the data transmitted / received by the communication device 208, the display device 205 The data to be processed by the CPU 201 such as video data and audio data displayed in is stored.

  The broadcast receiving device 206 may be a tuner, for example, and receives program data broadcast from the broadcast station 101.

  The codec device 207 performs video coding such as MPEG2 and audio coding such as AAC. The codec device 207 is realized by, for example, dedicated hardware or a DSP, and analyzes program data input by the broadcast receiving device 203. The video and audio data are decoded and encoded for recording, or the program content recorded in the storage device 206 is decoded. In some cases, the codec device 204 can be omitted, and the CPU 201 can play the role.

  The output device 201 is composed of, for example, a display of a television or a personal computer, a liquid crystal panel, or the like, and displays video and outputs audio when playing back recorded content. In addition, when the user inputs information via the input device 206, a menu, operation guidance, or information input by the user is displayed.

  The input device 204 is realized by a pointing device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a remote controller, and a pen input device, or a liquid crystal touch panel, for example, and acquires control information related to terminal operations input by the user.

  The secondary storage device 208 is composed of RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk or the like, and when the terminal device is turned off, such as program data to be recorded, ranking data acquired from the server device, digest recording file, etc. Store data you don't want to lose.

  The communication device 205 includes, for example, a wireless LAN card or network card in a wireless LAN, or a module for connecting to a PHS or mobile phone network. The terminal device 102 can be connected to the network 103 via the communication device 208, and the terminal device 102 and the server device 104 can transmit and receive data by starting and ending a session via the network 103.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining processing of the digest recording reservation program. First, it is determined whether or not a digest recording reservation is designated by the user via the input device 206 (step 301). If it is determined that a digest recording reservation is not designated, normal reservation setting is performed (step 302). ). The normal reservation setting method uses a well-known method used in a general video recorder, and will not be described in detail here. When the normal reservation setting in step 302 is completed, the digest recording reservation program ends.

  On the other hand, when the user designates the digest recording reservation, the reserved program is selected (step 303). The reserved program is selected by a method such as electronic program guide (EPG) or G code, which is used in a conventional recorder or the like. At the same time, a program ID uniquely assigned to the reserved program is acquired and stored in the secondary storage device 208. The program ID may be any program ID such as a G code that can distinguish programs. Further, the recording reservation management table stored in the secondary storage device 208 is called to determine whether or not the reservation start time and reservation end time of the program to be reserved overlap with other reserved programs. If the reservation times overlap, another reservation program is selected again, or the digest recording reservation program is terminated in accordance with an instruction from the user. When it is determined that the reservation times do not overlap, the recording reservation management table is updated. The recording reservation management table will be described later.

  Next, ranking information is acquired by communication with the server device 104 via the communication device 208 (step 304). The contents of communication with the server will be described later. The definition of the ranking information to be acquired will be described later.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the ranking information has been acquired based on the communication result with the server device 104 (step 305). When it is determined that the acquisition of the ranking information has failed, the normal reservation setting in step 302 is performed. On the other hand, if the ranking information is successfully acquired, digest reservation setting is performed (step 306). The digest reservation setting will be described later. Next, when the digest reservation setting in step 306 is completed, the digest recording reservation program is ended.

  Next, the recording reservation management table will be described. The recording reservation management table is a management table for the terminal device 102 to control the start and end of the recording program, and has the following items as an example for each reserved program.

(10A) Recorded program ID
The recording reservation program ID (10A) is for identifying a reserved program, and may be any program that can distinguish programs stored in the recording reservation management table in addition to the program ID. This item is indispensable, but not specified by the user, but can be uniquely determined in the recording reservation program.

(10B) Scheduled recording program name The scheduled recording program name (10B) assists the user in identifying the reserved program. For example, what program is reserved by displaying it on the reservation list screen or the like. It becomes easy to identify whether or not. This item is not mandatory.

(10C) Recording reservation start time The recording reservation start time (10C) is a reservation time for starting recording. When the time is directly designated by the user via the input device 206, the recording reservation start time (10C) is automatically set from the EPG or G code. It is also possible to get time. This item is mandatory.

(10D) Recording reservation end time The recording reservation end time (10D) is a reservation time for ending the recording, and when the time is directly designated by the user via the input device 206, automatically from the EPG or G code. It is also possible to get time. This item is mandatory.

(10E) Digest recording file name Digest recording file name (10E) stores a digest recording file name used when performing digest recording. Although the digest recording file will be described later, the subsequent digest recording program determines whether or not to perform digest recording depending on the presence or absence of this item.

(10F) Bit rate The bit rate (10F) is used as a parameter when the terminal apparatus 102 performs digital compression of video and audio, such as a PC or HDD recorder, and stores it.

(10G) Recording destination The recording destination (10G) is used when the terminal device 102 includes a plurality of secondary storage devices 208 such as a PC and an HDD recorder. This item is indispensable, but if an initial value is given and there is no designation from the user, that value may be used.

  Next, a procedure for acquiring ranking information through communication with the server device 104 will be described. It is assumed that the server apparatus 104 has received program data scheduled to be broadcast from the broadcast station 102. The server device 104 analyzes the program data when receiving the program data and calculates ranking information in advance before actually communicating with the terminal device 102.

  Ranking information determines the importance of various scenes from program data and arranges them in order. The ranking information is a set of position information that identifies the position of the scene in the program data and the importance of the scene. is there. The server device stores this ranking information as a ranking file in a storage device in the server device, and stores a program for searching for a desired ranking file using the program ID as a key. The importance of the scene may be set according to the convenience of the content provider that provides the server device, or a method of automatically calculating the importance based on a certain algorithm may be used.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the ranking file. As shown in FIG. 4, the ranking file has three types of formats: a ranking file format 401, a ranking file format 402, and a ranking file format 403, and can be used properly according to the application. However, as a common item of the ranking file, it is necessary to include program IDs such as a program ID 404, a program ID 405, and a program ID 406 for identifying program data as shown in the figure. The ranking file can be searched using the program ID.

  In the ranking file format 401, the information of the entire program is arranged with the program ID 404, the recording time 407 of the scene in the program, and the importance 408 of the scene as a set. The recording time 407 may be indicated by the broadcast time in the program, but may be indicated by a difference value from the recording start time, and there is no restriction on the unit of time. The recording time 407 and the importance 408 are set for each frame to be recorded. However, the recording start time and the end time may be indicated, and the importance of the scene within the time interval may be indicated.

  In the ranking file format 402, information on the entire program is arranged with a set of the frame number 409 of the scene in the program and the importance 410 of the scene in addition to the program ID 405. The frame number 409 displays the start of the recorded program as 0 frame and the number of difference frames up to the scene as the frame number. The importance level 410 is set for each frame to be recorded, but may be indicated by a method of indicating the importance level of scenes between the frames by indicating the start frame number and end frame number of the scene.

  In the ranking file format 403, the program ID 406, the program data packet number 411, and the importance 412 of the scene are arranged as a set, and information on the entire program is arranged. The packet number 411 displays the packet number 411 as the packet number 411 for the packet received at the start of the recorded program, and the difference packet number up to the scene as the packet number 411. The importance level 410 is set for each packet to be recorded, but it may be indicated by a method such as the importance level of a scene within the frame by indicating the start packet number and end packet number of the scene. This ranking file format 403 can be used only when program data can be distributed by dividing into packet units, such as digital broadcasting. The packet number 411 may be a unique ID that can identify a packet.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining ranking information acquisition processing. The terminal device 102 can acquire ranking information by communicating with the server device 104 via the network 103.

  When communicating with the server device 104 via the communication device 205, the server device 104 is requested to search for ranking information of the reserved video recording program using the program ID acquired when the reserved program is designated in step 303. (Step 501).

  The server device 104 uses the program ID designated by the terminal device 102 as a key, and whether there is a file that matches the program ID field included in the ranking file for a plurality of ranking files stored in the server device If a ranking file including the designated program ID is found, the terminal device 102 is notified that the ranking file for the designated program ID has been found and has been found. The ranking file is transmitted to the terminal device 102 via the network (step 503).

  The terminal device 102 stores the received ranking file in the secondary storage device 207 and ends the communication with the server. On the other hand, when the ranking file including the designated program ID is not found, the terminal device 102 is notified that there is no ranking file for the designated program ID (step 504), and the terminal device 102 is notified from the server device. When the notification that the ranking file does not exist is received, the communication with the server apparatus 102 is terminated.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, processing when performing digest reservation recording setting using the ranking file received from the server apparatus 102 will be described. Here, FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the ranking file in the terminal device 102, and FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing when performing the digest reservation recording setting.

  In the ranking file storage area 611 shown in the secondary storage device 611 in FIG. 6, the ranking file acquired from the server device 104 via the communication device 605 is stored.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when performing the digest reservation recording setting, the ranking rate input by the user 609 via the input device 604 is acquired (step 701). Here, the ranking rate is the rate at which digest recording is performed when the length of the entire program to be recorded is 100. When the ranking is acquired, the output device 601 is prompted to input the ranking rate, and is acquired by the user's input using the numeric keypad or the numeric buttons on the remote controller. At this time, the recording-related parameters such as the video and audio bit rates to be recorded and the selection of the recording devices (VHS, DVD and HDD) are acquired.

  Next, in the received ranking file, selection is made in order from a scene of high importance until reaching a length matching the condition of the ranking rate, and a digest recording file is created (step 702). The digest recording file is obtained by extracting only the scene to be recorded from the ranking file, and the format is the same as the ranking file shown in FIG. It is not necessary to select a scene that exactly matches the ranking rate, and a scene closest to the ranking rate may be selected.

  Next, the recording capacity and time of the program content to be recorded are calculated from the digest recording file and displayed on the output device 601 (step 703). In step 701, the recording capacity is calculated from the bit rate acquired together with the ranking rate and the recording time of the program. Next, the calculated recording capacity and recording time are displayed on the output device 601 to ask the user whether or not to perform digest reservation recording (step 704). When a signal indicating permission is input from the user 609 via the input device 604, the digest recording file is stored in the recording reservation management table 612 in the secondary storage device 608, and the digest reservation recording setting is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that a signal indicating non-permission is input from the user via the input device 604, the process returns to step 701 and the processes of steps 701 to 704 are repeated.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the digest recording process. First, as shown in FIG. 6, the terminal device 102 starts the recording program when the recording time comes, based on the recording reservation management table 612 stored in the secondary storage device 608, and at the end time. When it becomes, control of the recording program end is performed. When the recording program is started near the recording start time, it is checked whether or not a digest recording file is stored in the recording reservation management table 612. When it is determined that the digest recording file is stored, the digest recording program is activated, and the digest recording process is performed from the recording start time to the recording end time.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when performing the digest recording process by starting the recording program, first, the digest recording file corresponding to the item of the digest recording file name 10E of the recorded program stored in the recording reservation management table 612 is selected. Obtained from the secondary storage device 608 and stored in the main storage device 603. Further, the values stored in the recording file name 10B, recording start time 10C, recording end time 10E, bit rate 10F, and recording destination 10G items of the recorded program stored in the recording reservation management table are acquired, Save in the storage device 603. Next, based on the acquired values, operation settings such as the data transfer destination and the encoding bit rate of the broadcast receiving device 606 and the codec device 607, and further parameters set for the digest recording program are set (step 801). ).

  Next, program data is acquired via the broadcast receiving device 606. At this time, digest recording processing is performed (step 802). Next, it is determined whether or not the recorded program has ended (step 803). If the recorded program has not ended, steps 802 and 803 are repeated. If it is determined that the recorded program has ended, the digest recording program is ended. The digest recording process in step 802 will be described later.

  The processing flow of the digest recording process differs depending on the broadcast format (analog broadcast, digital broadcast) and the ranking file format to be used. For this reason, it divides and demonstrates to the following four forms.

(20A) When ranking file format 401 is used for analog broadcasting (20B) When ranking file format 402 is used for analog broadcasting (20C) When ranking file format 401 is used for digital broadcasting (20D) Ranking file format 402 is used for digital broadcasting When used (20E) When ranking file format 403 is used in digital broadcasting FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining digest recording processing when ranking file format 401 is used in analog broadcasting (20A). FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the ranking file in FIG. 102, and FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the processing when performing the digest reservation recording setting.

  In the case of analog broadcasting, program data such as video data and audio data is not transmitted in the form of a data packet including time information, but video data and audio data are continuously transmitted. For this reason, it is impossible to use the ranking format 403, and the ranking file format 401 or 402 is inevitably used.

  In FIG. 9, an encoding unit 914 is one of the functions of the codec device 907, and encodes video and audio data. A buffer area 913 in the codec device 907 is an area for temporarily storing program data, and is used for storing frame data for predictive encoding used in an encoding method such as MPEG. . The recorded program recording unit 915 is located in the secondary storage device 908 and is used as a storage area for recorded programs.

  Next, the processing flow of the recording processing program will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, first, program data including video and audio is received from the broadcast receiving apparatus 906 shown in FIG. 9 (step 1001). It is assumed that analog-digital conversion is performed when the program data is received. Next, it is determined whether or not there is a description of the current time in the digest recording file 912 located in the main storage device 903 (step 1002). The determination in step 1002 corresponds to ON / OFF of the switch 916 in the block diagram 9.

  If the current time is described in the digest recording file 910 in step 1002, the program data received in step 1001 is input to the codec device 907 (step 1003). After performing an appropriate encoding process, the codec device 907 records the encoded program data in the recorded program recording unit 915 located in the secondary storage device 908.

  If the current time is not described in the digest recording file 910 in step 1002, it is determined whether the program data received in step 1001 is necessary for encoding (step 1004). For example, in a moving picture coding system represented by MPEG, a group of several video frames is called a GOP in order to provide functions for fast-forwarding, rewinding and playing from the middle of a program, and playback in units of GOP is performed. Many HDD recorders store data in GOP units. Therefore, in order to perform storage in units of GOP, a scene that requires encoding also occurs for a frame at a time that is not described in the digest recording file. In this case, the process proceeds to step 1003. On the other hand, if it is determined that the program data is not necessary for encoding, the received program data is discarded and the digest recording process is terminated.

  It is also possible to create a digest recording file in advance so that a program can be recorded in units of GOPs, in which case step 1004 is ignored.

Next, processing of the digest recording processing program when the ranking file format 402 is used in analog broadcasting (20B) will be described. The digest recording processing program according to this method uses the ranking file format 401 in analog broadcasting (20A)
The process flow is almost the same as the process flow except that step 1002 is replaced with a process of determining whether or not the frame number of the digest recording file matches the number of frames of the received program data. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

  11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining digest recording processing when the ranking file format 401 is used in digital broadcasting (20C). FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of ranking files in the terminal device 102. FIG. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting.

  In FIG. 11, the stream analysis unit 1114 in the codec device 1107 analyzes the contents of the data packet and separates the video / audio and the accompanying data when receiving video and audio in units of data packets as in digital broadcasting. Do. Note that the encoding / decoding unit 1115 needs to perform decoding processing when digital broadcast recording is performed by changing the image quality and the encoding method, and therefore the encoding / decoding unit 1115 performs decoding with respect to the encoding unit 913 in FIG. It adds a function.

  Next, the processing flow of the digest recording processing program when the ranking file format 401 is used in digital broadcasting (20C) will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the digest recording processing program first acquires a program data packet from the broadcast receiving apparatus 1106 (step 1201). Next, the stream analysis unit 1114 analyzes and separates the program data packet acquired in step 1201 (step 1202). In step 1202, the reproduction time information of each frame included in the program data packet is acquired. At the same time, the program video data and the program audio data in the program data packet are separated.

  Next, the separated program video data is input to the encoding / decoding unit 1115 (step 1203). Step 1203 is a step necessary when the sequence of the reproduction time information acquired in step 1202 does not correspond to the decoding order of the program video data. For example, encoding is performed using an encoding method capable of bidirectional prediction such as MPEG. The converted video data may have different video frame decoding order and video frame playback order. If the reproduction time information is stored in the program video packet in consideration of the frame decoding order, the processing in step 1203 is not necessary, but the reproduction time information does not consider the frame decoding order. When stored in a video packet, the actual playback time cannot be acquired unless the frame prediction method is examined. Therefore, a frame prediction method is acquired for all the program video data included in the program data packet, and accurate reproduction time information of each frame is obtained by associating with the reproduction time information acquired in step 1202. get. The acquisition method of the frame prediction method does not need to decode the program video data when the arrangement of the frame prediction methods can be acquired by the syntax of the program data packet, and the processing of step 1203 is unnecessary. In addition, since an encoding method such as MPEG stores a prediction method in units of frames in the header portion of the frame and enables identification of the bit stream in units of frames, if only the header portion of the frame is decoded, It is possible to acquire a frame prediction method for video data included in a program data packet. In this case, the processing amount can be reduced as compared with the case where all the frames are decoded. If it is impossible to identify the bit stream in units of frames, it is necessary to decode all of the video data. However, the decoding result is stored in the buffer area 1115 and decoded again in a later step. What is necessary is just not to make it.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the reproduction time information acquired in step 1203 is included in the digest recording file 1110 (step 1204). The determination in step 1204 corresponds to ON / OFF of the switch 1117 in the block diagram 11. When it is determined that the playback time information is included in the digest recording file, the program video data and the program audio data are input to the encoding / decoding unit 1115, the encoding process is performed, and the recording program recording unit 1116 is performed. Record (step 1205). In the case of digital broadcasting, in order to receive encoded program data, it may be recorded in the recorded program recording unit 1116 without changing the program data. When the program data quality and the encoding method are changed and stored in order to reduce the storage capacity, the program video data and the program audio data are once decoded and re-encoded, and then the recorded program recording unit 1116. To record.

  If it is determined in step 1204 that the playback time information is not included in the digest recording file 1110, it is determined whether the program video data and the program audio data are data necessary for decoding the next and subsequent frames (step 1204). 1206).

  As described above, when the program video or program audio is encoded by the video encoding method such as MPEG or the audio encoding method such as AAC, the current frame is decoded by the previous frame. Results may be required. Therefore, if it is determined that the frame is necessary for decoding the subsequent frames, the process of step 1205 is performed. Specifically, when the program data is recorded in the recorded program recording unit 1116 without changing the program data, if the frame is not included in the digest recording file, the program data is stored as it is. In the case of this method, scenes that are not specified by the user are recorded, but by using a method of playing back while referring to the digest recording file 1109 used at the time of recording, the user can view at the time of browsing. Only specified scenes can be played. Further, when the program data quality and the encoding method are changed and stored, the program data is stored in the buffer area 1113 because it is necessary for decoding the next and subsequent frames.

  If it is determined in step 1205 that the program video data and the program audio data are not necessary for decoding the next and subsequent frames, or when the processing in step 1205 is completed, whether or not other program data remains in the program data packet. If it is determined that there is any remaining data, steps 1204 to 1207 are repeatedly executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that no other program data remains in the program data packet, the digest recording process is terminated.

  Next, processing of the digest recording processing program when the ranking file format 402 is used in digital broadcasting (20D) will be described. The digest recording processing program according to this method is almost the same as the processing flow when the ranking file format 401 is used in digital broadcasting (20C), and step 1204 matches the frame number of the digest recording file and the number of frames of the received program data. The only difference is that it is replaced with a process of determining whether or not to do so. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

  13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining digest recording processing when the ranking file format 403 is used in digital broadcasting (20E). FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the flow of ranking files in the terminal device 102. FIG. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting.

  FIG. 13 is substantially the same as FIG. 11 except that the position of the program data transfer switch 1317 in FIG. 13 is different from the position of the switch 1117 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the digest recording processing program first acquires a program data packet from the broadcast receiving apparatus 1306 (step 1401). Next, the stream data analysis unit 1314 in the codec device 1307 analyzes and separates the program data packet acquired in step 1401 (step 1402). When the packet number 411 of the ranking file format 403 is indicated by the number of received packets, a variable called the number of received packets is prepared with 0 at the start of program recording, and the total number of received packets up to the present is used as the packet number. Set and add 1 to the number of received packets. On the other hand, if the packet number 411 of the ranking file format 403 is described with a unique ID, the current data packet ID is acquired and set as the packet number based on the analysis result of the program data packet.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the packet number acquired in step 1402 is included in the digest recording file 1310 (step 1403). If it is determined that the packet number is included in the digest recording file 10, program packet data Is input to the encoding / decoding unit in the codec device 1307 (step 1404). The determination in step 1403 corresponds to ON / OFF of the switch 1317 in the block diagram 13. If there is no change in quality or encoding method, the program packet data is recorded in the recorded program recording unit 1316 in the secondary storage device 1408. On the other hand, if there is a need to change the quality or encoding method, the encoding / decoding unit 1415 is recorded. Is then recorded in the recorded program recording unit 1316, and the digest recording processing program is terminated.

  If it is determined in step 1403 that the packet number acquired in step 1402 is not included in the digest recording file 1310, the program packet data is discarded and the digest recording process ends.

  9, 11 and 13, the stream analysis unit and the encoding / decoding unit in the codec device can be implemented as software executed by the CPU. In this case, the buffer area is the main storage device. Use a part of.

  Further, in the above description, the explanation was made on the assumption that broadcasting using radio waves typified by analog broadcasting and digital broadcasting was used, but it can also be used for digest recording of streaming broadcasting via a network such as the Internet, In that case, the broadcast receiving device 206 can be omitted, and the flowcharts of the digest recording processing programs in FIGS. 12 and 14 differ only in that the program data packet is acquired from the broadcast receiving device 206 to the communication device 205.

  15, 16, and 17 are diagrams for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention. Since this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, description of the common configuration is omitted. In the first embodiment, the terminal 102 acquires a ranking file through communication with the server device 104 via the network 103, and processes the ranking file acquired in the terminal 102 based on the ranking rate specified by the user. The digest recording file was created. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, a digest recording file is directly acquired by specifying an option such as a ranking rate from the user when communicating with the server device 104.

  Note that the processing flow of the digest recording reservation program executed by the CPU 201 of the terminal device can use the processing flow of FIG. 3 as it is. However, in step 305, a digest recording file is acquired instead of a ranking file. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the digest reservation setting program in step 306 can be omitted.

  Next, a procedure in which the terminal device 102 acquires a digest recording file through communication with the server device 104 via the network 103 will be described. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a digest recording file in the terminal apparatus 102, and FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a process when performing digest reservation recording setting.

  As shown in the figure, the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the designation from the user is input to the server device 104 via the communication device 1506, and as a result, a digest recording file is generated.

  In FIG. 16, first, the terminal apparatus 102 requests the server apparatus 104 to search for the ranking information of the reserved recording program using the program ID acquired by specifying the reserved program in step 303 via the communication apparatus 1505 ( Step 1601). The server device 104 uses the program ID specified by the terminal device 102 as a key to search for a plurality of ranking files stored in the server device whether they match the program ID field included in the ranking file. If it is determined that the ranking file does not exist (step 1602), the terminal device 102 is notified that there is no ranking file for the designated program ID (step 1603), and the terminal device 102 receives the ranking file from the server device. When the notification that there is no data is received, the communication with the server apparatus 102 is terminated.

  If it is determined in step 1602 that a ranking file exists, the terminal apparatus 102 acquires recording option data such as a ranking rate and a bit rate specified by the user 1509 (step 1604). The terminal apparatus 102 transmits the obtained ranking rate to the server apparatus 104 via the communication apparatus 1505. The server device 104 receives the ranking rate designated by the user 1509 through communication with the terminal device 102, and creates a digest recording file from the ranking file found in step 1601 and the ranking rate (step 1605).

  Next, the server device 104 calculates the recording capacity and time of the program content to be recorded from the digest recording file, and notifies the terminal device 102 of the recording capacity and time (step 1606). When the terminal device 102 receives the notification of the recording capacity and time from the server device 104 via the communication device 1505, the terminal device 102 displays the notification on the output device 1501. The user 1509 makes a determination by looking at the recording capacity and time displayed on the output device 205 (step 1607). If the user 1509 determines that the acquired recording capacity and time are acceptable, the terminal device 102 determines the communication device 1505. The permission signal indicating that permission from the user 1509 is obtained is transmitted to the server device 104, and the server device 104 receives the permission signal from the terminal device 102, and then transmits the digest recording file to the terminal device 102. (Step 1608). When the terminal device 102 receives the digest recording file via the communication device 1505, the terminal device 102 stores it in the recording reservation management table 1610 in the secondary storage device 1608, and ends the communication with the server device 104. On the other hand, if the user 1509 does not accept the recording with the recording time and the recording capacity in step 1607, the steps 1604 to 1607 are repeated again.

  Thus, in this embodiment, only the digest recording file is stored in the terminal 102. Therefore, a part of the creation method such as the ranking file creation algorithm can be hidden from the user.

  The ranking file is generated by the server device 104 or obtained by provision from the broadcasting station 101. Therefore, the importance in the ranking file can be set according to the convenience of the content provider such as a broadcasting station. For example, by setting a high importance level for a scene that the user does not want to skip such as a program sponsor CM, and providing a digest recording file based on the ranking file, the program sponsor CM is preferentially viewed by the user. It is also possible to make it.

  In addition, a billing system is provided for users who want to obtain digest recording files, providing digest recording files that skip CMs in recorded programs for paying users, and recording CMs in recorded programs for free users. It is also possible to provide a service such as providing a digest recording file. In this case, it is necessary to prepare several types of ranking files for each program.

  Further, if specified by the user, the ranking file format may be expanded to give additional data to the user. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of an expanded ranking file format. The ranking file format includes a program ID 1701, recording time 1702, importance 1703, and additional data 1704. Here, the additional data 1704 is recorded when the terminal device 102 performs summary recording. The type of additional data can be selected according to the specification from the user or the convenience of the content provider.

  The following items can be listed as additional data.

(30A) Digest scene commentary caption data When summary recording is performed, it may be difficult to understand the scene contents when it is actually played back and viewed. In such a case, by displaying the summary caption comment data for the summary scene shown in the additional data 1705 in the scene at the time corresponding to the recording time 1702 of the ranking file format 1701, it is possible to help the user understand the scene. .

(30B) Image file name The program data of the time corresponding to the recording time 1702 in the ranking file format is recorded by superimposing the image of the image file name indicated in the additional data 1704 on the program video. The image file is acquired at the same time as the digest recording file acquisition in step 1608 of FIG. For example, when an image file is set as a CM image and this CM image is overlaid and recorded, the user can obtain a digest recording file for free.

  Since it is not indispensable to handle the additional data 1704, the terminal device 102 may ignore the additional data 1704 and perform summary recording. The recording time 1702 may be replaced with a frame number or a packet number indicated by the ranking file formats 402 and 403 in FIG.

  18, 19 and 20 are diagrams for explaining a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a digest recording system, and FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the details of the terminal device 102.

  Since this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first and second embodiments, the description of the common configuration is omitted.

  In the first and second embodiments, a case has been described in which the terminal 102 acquires a ranking file through communication with the server device 104 via the network 103. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the ranking file is obtained via a digital broadcast data packet.

  As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the terminal 1802 acquires a ranking file through communication with the broadcasting station 1901 via the broadcasting network 1800, and based on the ranking rate specified by the user for the ranking file acquired in the terminal 1802. To create a digest recording file.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow of a digest recording reservation program executed by the CPU 201 of the terminal device 1802. 20 is the same as FIG. 3 except that the process of performing communication with the server of FIG. 3 (step 303) is replaced with the process of searching for a ranking file matching the program ID from the received broadcast data (step 2003). is there. For this reason, only processing different from FIG. 3 will be described.

  In this embodiment, the ranking file is included in program packet data such as MPEG-2 TS that is distributed by the broadcasting station 1801 and used in digital broadcasting or the like. The ranking file is classified into, for example, MPEG-2 TS program arrangement information (ISO / IEC 13818-1) as in the current electronic program guide. In step 1903, the terminal device 1802 analyzes the program packet data acquired from the broadcast receiving device 1906 within a predetermined time one after another by the stream analysis unit 1914 of the codec device 1907, and determines whether or not a ranking file is included ( Step 2004). If the ranking file is included, the ranking file is acquired. If there is a ranking file for the program ID to be reserved, the ranking file is transferred to the ranking file storage area 1911 of the secondary storage device 1908. Next, the digest reservation setting process (step 2005) is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above. On the other hand, if the ranking file does not exist, normal reservation processing (step 2006) is performed. Note that the digest recording processing program according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In the case of digital broadcasting, the terminal device can acquire information related to the reserved program from the electronic program guide. Therefore, the broadcasting station 1801 distributes the ranking file in association with the data constituting the electronic program guide, so that the terminal device 1802 can visualize the presence or absence of the ranking file related to the program in the electronic program guide. In this case, the ranking file can be automatically acquired when the program ID is acquired in step 2002, and step 2003 can be omitted.

  Further, the present embodiment can be applied not only to broadcasting using radio waves but also to streaming broadcasting using the Internet or the like. When used for streaming broadcasting, the broadcast receiving device 206 is omitted, and the communication device 205 is essential. However, since the program data and the ranking file are not different from the above-described processing method except that the program data and the ranking file are acquired via the communication device 205, the description thereof is omitted.

It is a figure explaining the digest video recording system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the detail of the terminal device. It is a figure explaining the process of a digest recording reservation program. It is a figure explaining the structure of a ranking file. It is a figure explaining the acquisition process of ranking information. It is a figure explaining the flow of the ranking file in the terminal device 102. FIG. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting. It is a figure explaining a digest video recording process. It is a figure explaining the flow of the ranking file in the terminal device 102. FIG. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting. It is a figure explaining the flow of the ranking file in the terminal device 102. FIG. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting. It is a figure explaining the flow of the ranking file in the terminal device 102. FIG. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting. It is a figure explaining the flow of the digest video recording file in the terminal device 102 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the process at the time of performing a digest reservation video recording setting. It is a figure which shows the example of the extended ranking file format. It is a figure explaining the digest video recording system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the detail of the terminal device. It is a figure which shows the processing flow of the digest recording reservation program performed by CPU201 of the terminal device 1802. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Broadcast network 101 Broadcast station 102 Terminal apparatus 103 Network 104 Server apparatus 201 Output apparatus 202 CPU
203 Main Storage Device 204 Input Device 205 Communication Device 206 Broadcast Reception Device 207 Codec Device 208 Secondary Storage Device 610 Digest Recording File 611 Ranking File Storage Area 612 Recording Management Table 913 Buffer Area 914 Encoding Unit 915 Recorded Program Recording Unit 1114 Stream Analysis Part 1115 encoding / decoding part

Claims (20)

A broadcast receiving device for receiving broadcast program data;
A communication device that obtains ranking information representing the importance of recording for digest recording received broadcast program data as a ranking file from the outside before recording the broadcast program data;
A digest recording device that extracts a part of the received broadcast program data based on a digest recording file generated based on ranking information to generate digest recording program data and records the generated program data in a recording unit; Digest recording system characterized by that. The digest recording system according to claim 1,
A digest recording system comprising a server device storing ranking information for each broadcast program. The digest recording system according to claim 2,
The digest recording system, wherein the server device stores a ranking file that ranks and displays importance for each recording time from the beginning of the program. The digest recording system according to claim 2,
The digest recording system, wherein the server device stores a ranking file that ranks and displays importance for each frame number of received broadcast program data. The digest recording system according to claim 2,
The digest recording system, wherein the server device stores a ranking file that ranks and displays importance for each packet number of received broadcast program data. The digest recording system according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
The digest recording system is characterized in that the digest recording file is generated according to the importance of recording specified based on the ranking file. The digest recording system according to claim 1,
The digest recording system, wherein the ranking file is automatically acquired from the outside via the communication device when recording of the broadcast program data is designated. The digest recording system according to claim 1,
The digest recording system is characterized in that the ranking file includes additional data. The digest recording system according to claim 8,
A digest recording system characterized in that the additional data is subtitle data for explaining the digest screen. The digest recording system according to claim 1,
The broadcast data receiving apparatus receives a streaming broadcast broadcast via a network. A broadcast receiving device for receiving broadcast program data;
A communication device that obtains ranking information representing the importance of recording for digest recording received broadcast program data as a ranking file from the outside before recording the broadcast program data;
A digest recording device that extracts a part of received broadcast program data based on a digest recording file generated based on ranking information to generate digest recording program data and records the generated program data in a recording unit; A recording apparatus characterized by that. The recording device according to claim 11, wherein
The ranking device is a recording device that ranks and displays importance for each recording time from the beginning of a program. The recording device according to claim 11, wherein
The ranking device is a recording device that ranks and displays the importance for each frame number of received broadcast program data. The recording device according to claim 11, wherein
The ranking device is a recording device that ranks and displays importance for each packet number of received broadcast program data. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14,
A digest recording file is generated according to the importance of recording specified based on a ranking file. Receiving broadcast program data;
A step of obtaining ranking information representing the importance of recording for digest recording the received broadcast program data as a ranking file from the outside before recording the broadcast program data;
A step of extracting a part of the received broadcast program data based on a digest recording file generated based on ranking information to generate digest recording program data, and recording the generated program data in a recording unit A video recording method. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein
The ranking method is a recording method characterized in that the ranking is a file displaying the importance of each recording time from the beginning of the program. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein
The ranking method is a recording method characterized in that the ranking is a file displaying the importance of each frame number of the received broadcast program data. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein
The ranking method, wherein the ranking file is a file that ranks and displays importance for each packet number of received broadcast program data. The recording method according to any one of claims 17 to 19,
A digest recording file is generated according to the importance of recording specified based on a ranking file.

Images