JP2008084366A - Information processing device and video recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device which does not need any complicated operation and can automatically select and assign video recording apparatuses for easy retrieval in viewing the content when contents are recorded to a plurality of connected video recording apparatuses. <P>SOLUTION: The information processing device (e.g. television device 1) is provided with: a video recording receiving means for receiving operation of specifying contents to be recorded from the user by a remote controller 2 or the like; a corresponding information storing means for storing corresponding information indicating video recording conditions of contents allocated respectively to a plurality of video recording equipment (e.g. recorders 4, 5, 6) connected to the television device 1; and a condition-based video recording processing means for assigning processing of recording the target contents received by the video recording receiving means to video recording equipment satisfying the recording conditions indicated by corresponding information stored in the corresponding information storing means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing device and a recording system, and more specifically, an information processing device that can be connected to a plurality of external recording devices through a digital interface such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), and the device and the recording device. The present invention relates to a recording system provided.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, recording devices that record broadcast content (also simply referred to as a program) on a storage device such as a hard disk (HDD) or a portable recording medium by reserving or recording operations have become widespread. This recording device is useful when the user cannot view the content in time or wants to view it later, and there is also a device that records content distributed over the network. In recent years, with the start of digital broadcasting and the widespread use of recording devices equipped with a large-capacity recording medium, users can view a desired program from a huge amount of programs within a limited time.

  On the other hand, when the number of recorded contents becomes enormous, it becomes difficult for the user to search for contents to view. In order to solve this problem, various techniques have been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1-3).

  Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing apparatus for quickly and efficiently searching for image data that has been reserved and recorded. In this information processing apparatus, genres such as “documentary”, “drama”, and “movie” of the program to be reserved for recording are registered as items in the directory, and the name of the program to be reserved for recording is the item in the corresponding directory item. Registered in

  In Patent Document 2, a program search keyword is input from program information obtained from a modem or a CD-ROM, a program search is performed to perform scheduled recording, and a keyword of the recorded program is organized to search for a recorded program. A technique for facilitating the above is disclosed. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for displaying a list of contents recorded in a plurality of AV devices connected to a network.

  Incidentally, in recent years, the DVI (Digital Visual Interface) standard has been used as an interface for transmitting digitized video signals at high speed between a computer main body and a display. The HDMI standard, which is a digital connection standard that is a further development of the DVI standard, is also used. This HDMI standard is intended to digitally connect an output device such as an STB (Set Top Box) and a display in the home in response to changes such as digitization of TV broadcasting and switching of a display device to a flat panel. .

  In this HDMI, a function of transmitting an audio signal and a control signal is added, and the requirement for TV use is satisfied. Conventional connections between devices use multiple cables for video, audio, and control signals, but the HDMI standard requires only one HDMI cable, and the control signal supports bidirectional transmission. Therefore, for example, by relaying a control signal from a monitor to an output device such as an STB or a DVD player connected via HDMI, the entire AV system (home theater, etc.) can be operated with one remote controller.

  As a prior art related to such HDMI, for example, Patent Document 4 discloses that a master / slave network including the HDMI standard is formed, a DDC (Display Data Channel) bus (one direction) and a CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) bus. A routing determination method and configuration in connection with (bidirectional) is disclosed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-228561 discloses a technique for reducing device setting work by acquiring device information using a connection based on HDMI and automatically converting the format (video / audio) of each device. Further, Patent Document 6 discloses a technique for automatically matching when the specifications differ between the HDMI-compatible data transmitting device and the HDMI-compatible data receiving device.

  In addition to the HDMI standard, there are a DisplayPort standard and a UDI (Unified Display Interface) standard as a standard developed from the DVI standard. The UDI standard is different from the HDMI standard in that it does not support audio signals, and the DisplayPort standard and the UDI standard are different from the HDMI standard in that connections are assumed not only between devices but also within devices.

  As video / audio transmission technology, video / audio transmission method using MPEG compressed data according to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard, component terminal, Y (luminance signal) / D video terminal There are a component video transmission system of Pb (blue color difference signal) / Pr (red color difference signal), an optical digital audio transmission system in a digital audio format according to IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 60958 standard, IEC 61937 standard, and the like.

AV devices are connected according to such various standards, and a system in which a plurality of recording devices are connected to a display device such as a television device or a monitor can be constructed. In the technique of Patent Document 3, the specification HAVi (Home Audio / Video Interoperability) of an AV device compatible with a home network is adopted. In this specification, the IEEE 1394 standard is used for network connection.
JP 2000-285647 A JP 2001-339683 A JP 2003-18515 A JP 2005-528853 A JP 2005-51547 A JP 2006-129256 A

  However, in a system configuration in which a plurality of recording devices are connected to a display device, when performing a recording processing operation such as recording start / end or recording reservation, the user can determine the recording device that the recording processing is to be executed by his / her own judgment. It is necessary to select first and then specify a recording target program for the recording device after selection. That is, the recording system having the above-described configuration requires time-consuming operations such as selection of a recording device by user judgment and designation of a program to be recorded. Further, even if a recording system capable of designating a program before selecting a recording device based on the above-described user judgment is constructed, the operation is the same.

  Further, in the above-described recording system, there are a plurality of recording devices, and it is possible to store a huge amount of recorded programs in total. Therefore, it is necessary to efficiently manage recorded programs. For this management, the above-mentioned user judgment must be appropriate. Therefore, the user has to know what program is recorded in each recording device, and must determine which recording device is appropriate for recording each time a program is recorded. It takes a lot of work.

  In order to make it easy to grasp the recorded program for such a recording device, it is conceivable that the user decides his own rules such as allocating the program to the recording device by genre and storing it. Such distribution by genre makes it easy to search for a recorded program to be viewed, but only by assisting the user's memory, a user-judged operation such as selecting a recording device and specifying a program to be recorded can be performed. There is no substitute for what is needed.

  The distribution by genre can be assumed to be limited to a certain genre by using the keyword recording function as described in Patent Document 2 in each recording device, in addition to the user's judgment at the time of program selection. However, even if such a distribution method is adopted, it is possible to automatically record a program of each genre with each recording device, but for a program that does not get caught by a keyword, the user newly assigns a keyword. It is necessary to add or to select a recording device at the user's discretion for each program and execute the recording process. Such a recording process also requires time and effort such as selecting a recording device and specifying a program to be recorded based on user judgment.

  Furthermore, even when it is desired to execute the same recording process on any two or more of a plurality of connected recording devices, the same recording processing operation must be performed on each recording device. ,It takes time and effort.

  Even with the techniques described in Patent Documents 1-3, a recorded program cannot be automatically distributed to a plurality of recording devices for each recording device. Therefore, various troubles are involved in the recording processing operation in the recording system as described above. It also occurs. In addition, in the technology related to the HDMI standard including Patent Literature 4-6 and the technology related to other standards, a technology that saves such trouble is not disclosed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and does not require a complicated user operation when recording content on a plurality of connected recording devices, and when the content is viewed on the recording device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can be automatically selected and distributed so as to facilitate the search, and a recording system including the apparatus and a plurality of recording devices.

  In order to solve the above problems, a first technical means of the present invention is an information processing apparatus in which a plurality of recording devices can be connected via a network, and a recording receiving means for receiving a recording target content designation operation from a user And correspondence information storage means for storing correspondence information indicating the recording target condition of the content assigned to each of the plurality of recording devices connected to the information processing apparatus, and the recording target content received by the recording receiving means And a recording processing unit by condition for instructing the recording processing to be allocated to a recording device that matches the recording target condition indicated by the correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit.

  A second technical means is the same as the first technical means, characterized by comprising correspondence information setting means for setting the correspondence information.

  According to a third technical means, in the second technical means, the correspondence information setting means has means for setting the correspondence information by a user operation.

  According to a fourth technical means, in the second or third technical means, the correspondence information setting means totals a plurality of already recorded contents for each of a plurality of recording devices connected to the information processing apparatus. It has a means for acquiring information and setting the correspondence information based on the acquired total information.

  According to a fifth technical means, in any one of the first to fourth technical means, an HDMI input terminal is provided, and the plurality of recording devices are provided with an HDMI output terminal, and are connected to the HDMI input terminal by an HDMI cable. It is characterized by being.

  A sixth technical means is the fifth technical means, wherein the conditional recording processing means has means for transmitting a recording instruction by a CEC command to a recording device to be allocated.

  A seventh technical means includes the HDMI input terminal according to the fourth technical means, the plurality of recording devices include an HDMI output terminal, and are connected to the HDMI input terminal by an HDMI cable. Acquisition is characterized by being executed using a CEC command.

  According to an eighth technical means, in any one of the first to seventh technical means, the plurality of recording devices include device-side receiving means for receiving content from a broadcast source and / or a distribution source. It is a thing.

  According to a ninth technical means, in any one of the first to seventh technical means, a receiving means for receiving content from a broadcast source and / or a distribution source is provided.

  A tenth technical means is the ninth technical means, wherein the plurality of recording devices receive content from a broadcast source and / or distribution source, or receive content received by the information processing apparatus via a network. The apparatus side receiving means to perform is provided.

  The eleventh technical means comprises recording means for recording the content received by the receiving means in the ninth or tenth technical means, and the correspondence information storage means is not only for the plurality of recording devices. The recording means is also one of recording devices, and stores the correspondence information.

  A twelfth technical means is the information processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh technical means, wherein the information processing apparatus is a display device for displaying content.

  A thirteenth technical means is a recording system including the information processing apparatus according to any one of the first to twelfth technical means and the plurality of recording devices connected to the information processing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, in a recording system including a plurality of recording devices, when recording content on a plurality of connected recording devices, no complicated operation by the user is required, and when the content is viewed on the recording device. It is possible to automatically select and distribute such that it is easy to search.

  The information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus capable of connecting a plurality of recording devices via a network, and the recording system according to the present invention includes the information processing apparatus and a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to the information processing apparatus. Recording equipment.

  Information processing devices applicable to the present invention include various display devices such as a display device such as a television device (TV receiver) that displays content, a general-purpose computer (PC) with a display monitor, a recording device, and a repeater device such as an AV amplifier. Equipment. If a device that does not include a display device for displaying a screen when a user makes a recording reservation, such as a recording device or a repeater device, is adopted as the information processing device, a display device for displaying the device may be connected. That's fine. In addition, the television apparatus includes a reception unit that receives content from a broadcast source and / or a distribution source. However, a display device that does not include a reception unit such as a monitor can be applied except for some forms described below. Hereinafter, only an example in which a television apparatus is applied as an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

  The recording device provided in the recording system of the present invention will be described as a recorder. However, the recording device is a device that is connected to the TV device, or a device that is once connected to the TV device, and at least records according to an instruction from the TV device. Target devices that can operate. In addition, each recorder will be described on the assumption that it includes a device-side receiving unit that receives content from the broadcast source and / or distribution source, but if not provided, the video received by the receiving unit of the television device as will be described later・ It only needs to be able to receive audio.

  The network applied in the recording system of the present invention is only illustrated as being configured based on the HDMI standard, but may be configured based on other standards such as those conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard, the UDI standard, and the LAN standard. Good. However, when the UDI standard is adopted, an audio signal transmission line is provided separately. When the IEEE 1394 standard is adopted, a connection state grasping process and a transmission process necessary for instructing the recorder according to the present invention are separately performed. It is necessary to take measures according to the standard such as adding.

  Accordingly, in the following system configuration, an external device for relay (relay external) including at least a television apparatus having an HDMI input terminal and a recorder having an HDMI output terminal and having an HDMI input / output terminal (input terminal and output terminal). Equipment). The HDMI input terminal referred to in this specification refers to an HDMI terminal on the side to which a data stream including video packets (audio packets) is input based on the HDMI standard.

  Also, the instruction from the television apparatus to the recorder executes processing using a CEC command as will be described later. CEC is a control protocol standardized by HDMI. By exchanging CEC commands, which are control signals based on the protocol, between devices, the input configuration of external devices (recorders, relay external devices) connected directly or indirectly to the TV device is recognized, and the external devices are activated. It is possible to execute operations and input switching operations at external relay devices. According to the HDMI standard, data other than video and audio can be bidirectionally transmitted by the CEC command as described above, and data is transmitted from the HDMI terminal to the counterpart device. Further, the CEC command includes a CEC vendor command that can be arbitrarily defined by the vendor, in addition to the command defined in advance. This allows the vendor to customize it.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a recording system including a television apparatus according to the present invention. In the configuration example of FIG. 1, an AV amplifier 3 that is a repeater device is connected to the HDMI input terminal 1 of the television device 1 that is a sink device, and a recorder C (4 that is an output device to the HDMI input terminal 2 of the television device 1. ) Are connected to each other. The HDMI input terminals 1 and 2 function as input terminals when the television apparatus 1 is used as a sink device, but function as HDMI output terminals when used as a repeater device or a source device.

  A plurality of output devices having an HDMI output terminal as a source device are connected to the HDMI input terminal of the AV amplifier 3 via an HDMI cable, and the input line can be switched by the selector function of the AV amplifier 3. The switching of the input line can be executed not only by a direct user operation on the AV amplifier 3 but also by a CEC command transmitted from the television apparatus 1.

  In this configuration example, it is assumed that two recorders A (5) and B (6) are connected to the HDMI input terminals 1 and 2 of the AV amplifier 3 as output devices. The output device corresponds to various devices such as a DVD recorder, HDD recorder, D-VHS recorder, digital video camera, DVD player, tuner device, STB (digital STB) having an HDMI output terminal. However, only a device having at least a recording function can be applied as a recording device in the present invention.

  As described above, in the configuration example of FIG. 1, the recorder 4 and the AV amplifier 3 are directly connected to the HDMI input terminal of the television apparatus 1, and the two recorders 5 and 6 are indirectly connected via the AV amplifier 3. ing. These devices 3 to 5 form a hierarchical structure with respect to the television apparatus 1, and the recorder 4 and the AV amplifier 3 are the first hierarchy, and the recorders 5 and 6 are the second hierarchy.

  FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram showing a configuration example of the recording system of FIG. The television apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a tuner and demodulator 10 that tunes (tunes) a received signal of a digital broadcast received by an antenna and demodulates the tuned digital broadcast data, and a tuner and demodulator 10. A TS-Demux (TS separator) 11 that separates output digital broadcast data TS (Transport Stream) data into video data and audio data, and video data and audio data output from the TS separator 11 And an A / V decoder 12 for decoding each of the above.

  The TS separator 11 also separates (extracts) EPG (electronic program guide) data from the digital broadcast data, outputs it to the system controller 20 described later, and performs processing in an EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 described later. After that, the EPG can be displayed on the display 17. Note that in order to receive other broadcasts such as analog broadcasts and satellite broadcasts, the television device 1 may be provided with an antenna, a tuner, a demodulation unit, and the like.

  In addition, the television device 1 includes an A / V output control unit 13, an audio signal processing unit 14, a speaker 15, a video signal processing unit 16, and a display 17. The A / V output control unit 13 receives decoded video data and audio data input from the A / V decoder 12, video data and audio data input from an HDMI connector 21 and an HDMI connector 22 described later, or a connector (not shown). Control is performed to switch the output by selection control from the system controller 20, which will be described later, from among the video / audio data input from, the video / audio data received and decoded from the broadcast. In the case of the HDMI standard, video data (video signal) transmitted from the reservation / playback processing unit 4c of the recorder 4 or the recorders 5 and 6 is transmitted to the A / V output control unit 13 by TMDS (Transition Minimized Differential Signaling). It is transmitted by the method called.

  The audio signal processing unit 14 performs processing such as amplification and equalization on the audio data among the audio data and video data selected by the A / V output control unit 13, and the speaker 15 is connected to the audio signal processing unit 14. The output audio data is output as sound.

  The video signal processing unit 16 performs various video processing such as scaling, motion correction, and γ processing on the video data among the audio data and video data selected by the A / V output control unit 13. The video data output from the video signal processing unit 16 is output as video. The display 17 provided in the television device 1 may be any type of display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma panel display.

  The TV apparatus 1 receives the TV remote controller 2 that transmits various user operations to the main body side of the TV apparatus 1, the remote control receiver 19 that receives the operation signal transmitted from the TV remote controller 2, and the remote controller receiver 19. A system controller 20 that receives an operation signal and executes processing corresponding to the operation. In addition, instead of the TV remote controller 2 and the remote control receiving unit 19 or in combination, operation buttons for accepting various user operations may be provided on the main body side of the television apparatus 1. In addition, the TV remote controller 2 and the remote controller receiver 19 can perform other general operations as a television device such as channel selection.

  The system controller 20 executes not only a process responding to such an operation but also an entire process executed by the television apparatus 1 by controlling each part inside the television apparatus 1. The system controller 20 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as a work area for the CPU, reads a program stored in a nonvolatile memory described later, and temporarily stores data being processed. ) And a control program for controlling various processes, a rewritable nonvolatile memory for storing various data such as EPG data and user data, and the like. Of course, hardware that performs similar control may be incorporated in the system controller 20 instead of this control program.

  Further, the television apparatus 1 includes an EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 that performs OSD display on an internal display device (display 17). The EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 controls the OSD display setting data at the time of OSD display stored in the internal storage area or the system controller 20 by the control from the system controller 20 caused by the user operation by the TV remote controller 2 or the like. Based on the above, the OSD data (including EPG data to be described later) stored in advance or received at the time of broadcast reception is displayed. The OSD data processed by the EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 is superimposed on the video data before (or after) the video signal processing unit 16 so that the superimposed video data can be output on the display 17. It has become. The EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 may be configured by an OSD processing program that can be executed by the system controller 20, or may be configured by hardware.

  The EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 also executes an EPG process that generates an EPG image from the EPG data received from the system controller 20 and outputs it as OSD data. This EPG process may include a process of determining which operation corresponds to a user operation for an EPG image being output and executing a reservation process, which will be described later, or returning it to the system controller 20. .

  Further, the EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 executes reservation processing based on the user operation signal received from the system controller 20. As the reservation process here, not only the viewing reservation process but also a recording process instruction for recorders 4 to 6 to be described later is executed as the main feature of the present invention. When the television device 1 is also provided with a recording function, the recording processing by the television device 1 itself is also executed. This recording processing instruction is executed for the corresponding recording device based on the correspondence information stored in the device selection table 18 as will be described later. The device selection table 18 may be stored in a storage device inside the television device 1. In addition, the reservation processing is basically executed based on the program designation operation received for the EPG image being output. However, the G code is not limited to the operation for simply designating the program name or the time zone. It may be executed based on various user operations that can specify a program to be recorded, such as a reservation.

  As the OSD data output from the EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23, a bitmap or the like can be adopted, and not only an EPG image and an image for accepting other recording target content designation operations but also various setting menu screens and volume adjustment screens. In addition, a brightness adjustment screen, a timer setting screen, and the like may be included.

  In addition, the television device 1 includes connection means (communication interface) for connecting to the recorders 4 to 6, and the HDMI connector 21 and the HDMI connector 22 are illustrated as examples of this.

  On the other hand, the recorder 4 includes an HDMI connector 4b, a reservation / playback processing unit 4c, and a control unit 4a for controlling the whole. The HDMI connector 4 b exchanges CEC commands with the system controller 20 via the HDMI connector 22.

  The reservation / playback processing unit 4c responds to recording processing instructions such as recording start / end and recording reservation, playback processing of recorded programs, and recording processing instructions received from the TV apparatus 1 described later as the main feature of the present invention. Execute the recorded process. Therefore, genre data described later is stored in a storage area inside or outside the reservation / playback processing unit 4c. The reproduction process is for recording data stored in a storage device in the recorder 4 or recording data stored in a portable recording medium attached to the recorder 4. The reservation / reproduction processing unit 4 c The reproduced signal is output to the television apparatus 1 side via the HDMI connector 4b. The output reproduction signal is input to the A / V output control unit 13 of the television apparatus 1 and finally output to the display 17 and the speaker 15 when this is a display target. The reservation / playback processing unit 4c may be capable of recording processing such as recording start / end and recording reservation executed by the recorder 4 alone.

  The AV amplifier 3 includes an output-side HDMI connector 3b, input-side HDMI connectors 3c and 3d, and a control unit 3a that controls the whole. The HDMI connectors 3c and 3d are connected to the recorders 5 and 6, respectively. The HDMI connector 3 b exchanges CEC commands with the system controller 20 via the HDMI connector 21. The HDMI connectors 3c and 3d exchange CEC commands with the control units (not shown) of the recorders 5 and 6 via the HDMI connectors (not shown) of the recorders 5 and 6, respectively. The control unit 3a also performs a process of switching which of the recorders 5 and 6 is to be output, and this process can be executed by a CEC command issued by the HDMI connector 21 under the control of the system controller 20.

  The configuration of the recorders 5 and 6 is the same as that of the recorder 4, except that the data is exchanged with the television apparatus 1 via the AV amplifier 3. Accordingly, the video signal (reproduction signal) from the recorder 5/6 that is the output target of the recorders 5 and 6 is passed to the A / V output control unit 13 via the HDMI connector 3c / 3d.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of three devices connected in series in the systems of FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 3, components related to data exchange between the display device 30, the repeater device 40, and the output device 50 are mainly shown. Each device corresponds to, for example, the television apparatus 1, the AV amplifier 3, and the recorder 5 (or the recorder 6) in FIGS.

  Each device 30, 40, 50 is connected directly or indirectly by an HDMI cable. The HDMI cable includes a TMDS line 61 for transmitting video / audio signals, which are digital signals, in a differential manner, and a CEC line 62, which is a bidirectional bus for transmitting a common control signal (CEC command) between devices. Contains. The CEC line 62 is a transmission line used in the present invention as described above. In addition, the HDMI cable includes a DDC line used for transmission of EDID (Extended Display Identification Data), HDCP authentication, and the like.

  The TMDS line 61 is a serial transmission line also called a digital signal transfer line. For example, three data transmission lines for each of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) channels, one clock transmission line, and the like. Is provided. The video signal decomposed into R, G and B is transmitted as a baseband signal in the transmission path, and the audio signal is inserted in the blanking period of the video signal and transmitted simultaneously with the video signal. The HDMI standard also supports transmission of multi-surround audio signals such as 5.1ch and 6.1ch. In the blanking period, model information including a manufacturer name, model name, category, and the like may be inserted. The model information is inserted as an SPD (Source Product Description) packet defined by CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) -861 standard, which is an optional item in the HDMI standard.

  The output device 50 includes an HDMI transmitter 51, a HOST CPU 52, a front microcomputer 53, and a CEC I / F 54. If the recorder 4 is described instead of the recorder 5 or 6, the front microcomputer 53 corresponds to that included in the control unit 4a of FIG. 2, and the HOST CPU 52, the HDMI transmitter 51, and the CEC I / F 54 are the HDMI connector 4b of FIG. It corresponds to. Note that this is called “HOST” in order to perform main control of the HDMI connection.

  The HDMI transmitter 11 reads video data and audio data or OSD data recorded on a medium such as a DVD, and converts the audio signal into an HDMI format stream inserted in the blanking period of the video signal. Then, the HDMI transmitter 11 transmits the converted stream including video / audio as a video packet / audio packet to the repeater device 40 using the TMDS line 61.

  The CEC I / F 54 connects the CEC line 62 in the HDMI cable, and enables bidirectional communication of CEC commands with the repeater device 40. The CEC I / F 54 also enables bidirectional communication of CEC commands with the display device 30 via the repeater device 40. The operation of the CEC I / F 54 is controlled by the front microcomputer 53 including a CEC controller, and can control devices connected by HDMI using a CEC command. In the case of CEC, the logical address (device type) and physical address (device position) of each HDMI-connected device are acquired. Therefore, the transmission side device can transmit a CEC command to a desired device by designating this logical address (and physical address), and the reception side device can transmit the logical source of the transmission added to the CEC command. The transmission side device can be recognized by the address (and physical address), and a confirmation signal or the like can be returned.

  The front microcomputer 53 operates with low power, and always monitors CEC commands transferred from the CEC line 42. In the front microcomputer 53, a CEC command is readable and stored in a ROM, a rewritable ROM, and the like, so that the CEC command can be monitored and read out. Further, the front microcomputer 53 monitors the presence or absence of transmission of a remote control signal from the remote controller 56 by the infrared light receiving unit 55. The HOST CPU 52 includes an HDMI controller and controls the operation of the entire apparatus such as the HDMI transmitter 51 and the front microcomputer 53. Further, the front microcomputer 53 is operating even when the HOST CPU 52 is down due to the standby mode of the output device 50 or the like (operates in a state where at least a CEC command can be transferred).

  The repeater device 40 includes an HDMI receiver 41, an HDMI transmitter 42, a HOST CPU 43, a front microcomputer 44, and a CEC I / F 45. The front microcomputer 44 corresponds to that included in the control unit 3a of FIG. The HOST CPU 43, the HDMI receiver 41, the HDMI transmitter 42, and the CEC I / F 45 correspond to the HDMI connectors 3b, 3c, and 3d in FIG. Circuit.

  The repeater device 40 receives the stream transferred from the output device 50 by the HDMI receiver 41, further transmits it from the HDMI transmitter 42, and transfers it to the display device 30. Further, the CEC I / F 45 connects the CEC line 62 to the output device 50 and the CEC line 62 to the display device 30.

  The HOST CPU 43 and the front microcomputer 44 have the same functions as those in the output device 50 described above. The HOST CPU 43 controls the front microcomputer 43, the HDMI receiver 41, and the HDMI transmitter 42, and also controls the entire apparatus. The front microcomputer 44 includes a CEC controller and monitors a CEC command transferred from the CEC line 62. By this monitoring, the front microcomputer 44 allows two-way communication between the display device 30 and the output device 50 by passing through when the CEC command received by the CEC I / F 45 is not a CEC command to the repeater device 40 itself. To.

  Further, when the repeater device 40 has a plurality of HDMI input terminals, such as the AV amplifier 3 in FIG. 2, a plurality of HDMI devices (for example, recorders 5 and 6) can be connected as output devices. In this case, the input port of the stream transferred to the display device 30 can be appropriately switched between the recorders 5 and 6 in FIG. The switching of the stream input port can be realized by a CEC command corresponding to a user operation on the remote controller 35 of the display device 30 or a user operation on an operation unit (not shown) such as a remote controller for the repeater device 40. it can. The remote controller 35 corresponds to the TV remote controller 2 of FIG. 2, and includes a predetermined shortcut key (one-touch key) 35a and a selection / decision key 35b in addition to a normal power key and a channel selection key.

  The display device 30 includes a HOST CPU 31 incorporating a HDMI receiver, a monitor microcomputer 32, and a CEC I / F 33. The monitor microcomputer 32 corresponds to that included in the system controller 20 of FIG. The HOST CPU 31 and the CEC I / F 33 correspond to the HDMI connector 21 and the HDMI connector 22 in FIG. The HDMI receiver may be separated from the HOST CPU 31.

  The display device 30 receives the stream sent from the repeater device 40 by the HOST CPU 31 with a built-in HDMI receiver. Further, the CEC line 42 is connected to the repeater device 40 by the CEC I / F 33.

  The HOST CPU 31 incorporates an HDMI receiver and controls the entire apparatus. The HDMI receiver built in the HOST CPU 31 also performs video / audio separation on the received stream, and outputs it to the A / V output control unit 13.

  The monitor microcomputer 32 controls an infrared light receiving unit 34 (corresponding to the remote control receiving unit 19 in FIG. 2) that receives a remote control signal from the remote control 35. Even when the HOST CPU 31 is down in the standby mode of the display device 30 or the like, the monitor microcomputer 32 operates to maintain a state in which a remote control signal can be received and a CEC command described later can be transmitted and received.

  The monitor microcomputer 32 includes a controller for the CEC line 62 and monitors the CEC command transferred from the CEC line 62. In the display device 30, the monitor microcomputer 32 can obtain information on the number of ports of the HDMI input terminal of the repeater device 40 connected to the display device 30 from the CEC line 62. In other words, the display device 30 causes the repeater device 40 to output the number of ports of the HDMI input terminal by transmitting a predetermined CEC command to the repeater device 40.

  In the display device 30, the monitor microcomputer 32 obtains information indicating which port is selected from among the ports of the HDMI input terminal of the repeater device 40 connected to the display device 30 from the CEC line 62. Thus, the operation target device can be selected based on the information.

  For example, in the system configuration example of FIG. 2, it is assumed that the television apparatus 1 has selected to display an image from the HDMI input 1 (the HDMI connector 21 in FIG. 2) by a user operation. When the television apparatus 1 switches the input in this way, the CEC command <Set Stream Path> is transmitted to the connected device (in this case, the AV amplifier 3), and “Ack” is transmitted from the connected device to the CEC command. Is returned, the path to the connection destination device has been established. It is assumed that the command to be transmitted also describes the address (logical address or logical address and physical address) of the transmission source device itself.

  Here, when the HDMI input terminal 2 (the HDMI connector 22 in FIG. 2) is selected, the recorder 4 is not notified of the selected device by only replying “Ack” from the recorder 4, and therefore the recorder 4 is identified as the operation target device. Become. On the other hand, when the HDMI input terminal 1 (HDMI connector 21 in FIG. 2) is selected, the AV amplifier 3 is not an output device, and which device is the operation target depends on the AV amplifier 3 connected to this terminal. It depends on the choice. When the AV amplifier 3 selects the recorder 5, the television apparatus 1 obtains the information by the CEC command (receives information on the selected device at the same time as “Ack”), and sets <Set Stream Path> to the recorder 5. When a confirmation signal is returned from the recorder 5, a route to the recorder 5 is established.

  Hereinafter, various types of recorder automatic selection processing (automatic allocation processing), which is the main feature of the present invention, executed in the recording system illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. Will be described with reference to FIG.

  The television apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a recording reception unit, a correspondence information storage unit, and a conditional recording processing unit which will be described below. The recording accepting means is means for accepting a recording target content specifying operation (including a user operation for recording processing) from the user, and includes a TV remote controller 2, a remote control receiving unit 19, an EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23, and a video signal processing unit. 16, a display 17, and a system controller 20.

  The correspondence information storage means stores correspondence information indicating a recording target condition of the content (recording target content condition) assigned to each of the plurality of recorders connected to the television apparatus 1 (as a recording target). The correspondence information storage means can be configured by the above-described device selection table 18 and its storage area. As content recording target conditions, different genres may be assigned to the respective recorders, or different performers or directors may be assigned. Further, if the television apparatus 1 is provided with a recording means for recording the content received internally, the correspondence information storage means is not only for a plurality of recorders, but this recording means is also one of the recorders. It is better to store the correspondence information.

  The condition-specific recording processing means allocates and instructs the recording processing of the recording target content received by the recording receiving means to a recorder that matches the recording target conditions (genre etc.) indicated by the correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage means. The condition-specific recording processing means can be constituted by a connector such as the system controller 20 and the HDMI connectors 21 and 22. For example, a processing program for executing such an instruction may be stored in the system controller 20. In the case of HDMI connection, the system controller 20 may control the target HDMI connector 21/22 (CEC I / F 33 in FIG. 3) so that this instruction issues a predetermined CEC command (command for instructing recording processing).

  As described above, the recorders 4 to 6 that are HDMI-connected may be directly connected as illustrated, or may be connected via a relay external device (AV amplifier 3) having an HDMI input / output terminal. At this time, the condition-based recording processing means preferably has means for transmitting a recording instruction by a CEC command to the recording apparatus to be allocated.

  On the other hand, the recorders 4 to 6 detect a predetermined CEC command (recording process instruction command) transmitted from the television apparatus 1 and execute a recording process based on the command. Therefore, it is assumed that this command is a command issued by designating the address of the target recorder (any one of the recorders 4 to 6) and describes information that can determine the program to be recorded.

  With such a configuration, when the recording target content is designated by the user, the television apparatus 1 instructs the corresponding recorder to perform a recording process based on the correspondence information stored in the device selection table 18.

  For example, the genre data recorded in the recorders 4 to 6 is returned to the television apparatus 1 and the preference information (genre etc.) of the recorded contents of the recorders 4 to 6 is automatically discriminated. You may store in. That is, when the television apparatus 1 manages the internal information of the plurality of recorders 4 to 6 and reserves the recording of the program in the television apparatus 1, it is automatically determined which recorder of the recorders 4 to 6 is to be recorded. To record. Further, the correspondence information may be stored in the device selection table 18 by determining a genre to be preferentially allocated to the recorders 4 to 6 by a simple operation of the user for the first time. That is, when the recorders 4 to 6 are connected by an HDMI cable, the user only needs to set the preferences of the recorders 4 to 6 for the first time, and thereafter, the trouble of selecting a device at the time of recording reservation can be omitted. it can.

  Thus, it is preferable that the television apparatus 1 includes correspondence information setting means for setting correspondence information. As described above, the correspondence information setting unit acquires, for each of the plurality of recorders 4 to 6 connected to the television apparatus 1, aggregate information (for example, genre data) for a plurality of already recorded contents. Means for setting the correspondence information based on the totaled information. In the recorders 4 to 6 connected by HDMI, acquisition of the total information may be executed using a CEC command. The correspondence information setting means may include means for setting the correspondence information by a user operation together with or instead of such means.

  As described above, in the present invention, when a plurality of recorders are connected by HDMI cable or connected by other cables or wirelessly, the recording is automatically performed according to the genre or the like, and recording is performed. The recorded data can be managed efficiently, and it is possible to quickly find the program you want to watch. That is, in the present invention, even when a plurality of recorders are owned, the management of program data to be recorded for each recorder can be made more efficient, and the work of recording reservation is almost the same as the operation of one unit. It's okay. The present invention is not limited to the effect that the devices connected to the television apparatus 1 can be operated in an integrated manner using a network, and can be used for device selection when many recorders are connected. Automation can be performed. Further, in the present invention, since the recorders are automatically allocated, it is possible to prevent a plurality of users from making the same reservation as compared with the recording reservation operated for each recorder.

  The plurality of recorders may include device-side receiving means for receiving content from the broadcast source and / or distribution source or receiving the content received by the television device 1 via the network. The network here may be a network conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard, the LAN standard, or the like, and may be any network that can transmit video / audio data from the television apparatus 1 side to the recorder side. In the present invention, unless one of the recorders 4 to 6 has a function of receiving content directly from the broadcast source and / or distribution source, only one HDMI cable is required, and other cables such as a LAN cable are unnecessary. It becomes.

  Next, an example of the recorder automatic allocation process described above will be described with a specific example with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 in addition to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the genre data aggregation process on the recorder side in an example of the recorder automatic allocation process of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows the device selection table generation process in the example of the recorder automatic allocation process of the present invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating.

  Although only the recorder 4 will be described, it is assumed that each of the recorders 4 to 6 executes the process described in FIG. The control unit 4a of the recorder 4 first initializes the counts of all genres to 0 (step S1). Subsequently, the control unit 4a searches the hard disk in the recorder 4 (step S2) and determines the presence or absence of recorded data (step S3). If there is recorded data in step S3, the genre of the program information of the recorded data is acquired (step S4). What is necessary is just to acquire the program information added to content itself as content information. And it counts up about the acquired genre (step S5).

  In the case of NO in step S3 and after the process of step S5, the control unit 4a determines whether or not all the recorded data has been searched (step S6). If there remains, the process returns to step S2 and repeats the process. . When the search ends in step S6, the control unit 4a stores the search result as genre data (step S7). The genre data includes, for example, counts for sports, news, dramas and the like.

  On the other hand, the system controller 20 of the television apparatus 1 first initializes the counts of all stored genres to 0 as in the device selection table 18 (step S11), and searches for recorders connected via HDMI using the CEC command. (Step S12). In step S12, as described above, not only the HDMI connection but also a search for recorders of other connection methods may be executed. In the case of connection of other methods, this method is supported instead of the control using the CEC command described later. Control may be performed.

  Subsequently, the system controller 20 requests and receives the count data of the recorded program genre from the HDMI controllers 21 and 22 by the CEC command with respect to the searched recorder (step S13). In step S13, the genre data counted by the recorders 4 to 6 in response to the request may be transmitted by the CEC command. Thereby, the television apparatus 1 can grasp the tendency of the stored genre with respect to the recorder searched in the genre data stored in step S7. Note that the processing in step S13 can be substituted by performing control such that the genre data saved by each recorder 7 in step S7 in FIG. 4 is automatically sent to the television apparatus 1 by the CEC command.

  Subsequent to step S13, the system controller 20 compares the counts for each genre (step S14), and determines for each genre whether the count is larger than the count held in the television apparatus 1 (step S15). ). If so, the system controller 20 associates the recorder with the genre having a large count, and overwrites the count of the genre with the value (step S17).

  In the case of NO in step S15 and after the processing in step S17, the system controller 20 determines whether or not the counting has been completed for all genres (step S18), and if there is any remaining, returns to step S14. The same processing is performed for the remaining genres. Further, in the case of YES in step S18, the system controller 20 determines whether or not all recorders have been searched (step S19), and if there are remaining recorders, the process returns to step S12 and the same applies to the remaining recorders. Execute the process. When the comparison of the counts of all genres for all recorders is completed (YES in step S19), the system controller 20 stores the associated results in the device selection table 18 (step S20). .

  By performing the initial setting as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the device selection table 18 can be generated, and as described later, the device selection table 18 can be used to automate device selection when recording is reserved. It becomes possible. Note that the new recorder does not need to execute the process shown in FIG. 4 (the count is 0 even if it is executed). Instead, the device selection setting may be performed only once for each genre in the television apparatus 1.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the automatic selection list for each recorder generated by the processes of FIGS. 4 and 5. The device selection table 18 may be stored such that each genre is selected for each recorder as in the recorder-specific automatic selection list 60 of FIG. Here, sports are associated with recorder A (5), news with respect to recorder B (6), and drama with respect to recorder C (4).

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the automatic selection list classified by genre generated by the processing of FIGS. 4 and 5. The device selection table 18 may be stored such that each recorder is selected by genre, as in the genre automatic selection list 70 of FIG. Here, the recorder A (5) is associated with sports, the recorder B (6) is associated with news, and the recorder C (4) is associated with drama. Here, other genres such as movies are not associated as not applicable, but may be associated in advance with other recorders such as recorder A (5). It should be noted that the list as described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 may be set by a user operation.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a device selection process in an example of the recorder automatic allocation process of the present invention. First, the system controller 20 of the television apparatus 1 determines whether or not a program reservation has been accepted from the TV remote controller 2 via the remote control receiver 19 (step S31). Will wait. The program reservation itself can be executed by, for example, displaying the EPG image by pressing the one-touch key 35a of the TV remote controller 35 of FIG. 3 and then selecting the content to be recorded by pressing the selection / decision key 35b once or several times. .

  When the reservation is accepted (YES in step S31), the system controller 20 controls the EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit 23 to acquire the genre from the program information of the accepted recording target content. The processing unit 23 returns the genre to the system controller 20 (step S32).

  Subsequently, the system controller 20 searches the device selection table 18 for a recorder corresponding to the genre (step S33), and determines whether or not a recorder has been set for the genre (step S34). In the case of YES in step S34, the system controller 20 instructs the recording reservation processing with the CEC command to the set recorder via the HDMI connectors 21 and 22 (step S36), and the received recorder makes the recording reservation. Can be executed. Here, the system controller 20 may request the CEC I / F 33 in FIG. 3 to create and send a CEC command by specifying the recorder and the content to be recorded.

  On the other hand, in the case of NO in step S34, the system controller 20 performs EPG / OSD / reservation processing so that the lists 60 and 70 exemplified in FIG. 6 and FIG. The unit 23 is controlled (step S37). In step S37, the display of the list 60 allows the user to confirm what genre is set for all the recorders 4-6. Further, the display of the list 70 allows the user to check which recorder is set for all genres. If there is no corresponding part, the device selection is performed by the user setting as in the next steps S38 and S39. It is good to do. The list display in step S37 may be executed for confirmation even when YES in step S34.

  Subsequently, the system controller 20 receives a user operation from the TV remote controller 2 via the remote control receiver 19, and selects a recorder from the displayed list based on the user operation (step S38). The system controller 20 performs setting so that a recording process instruction is given to the recorder selected in step S38 (step S39), and executes the process of step S36.

  When it corresponds to the case of no match as in the list 70, the user may be selected as no match as in steps S37 to S39. However, as an alternative method, any recorder can be recorded, or prioritized. Alternatively, processing such as selection based on the remaining capacity of the storage capacity may be executed.

  Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is realized as a recorder automatic allocation method including the processing procedure described in each embodiment, and a computer-readable processing program for executing the processing procedure. May be. Further, it is preferable that a program for responding to a request from the tabulation or the television apparatus is incorporated in the recording device so as to be executable. As described above, these programs to be incorporated into an information processing apparatus and a recording device are programs for causing a control unit (control computer) including an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU to execute a processing procedure. This is a program for causing the control unit to function.

  Such a program may be distributed by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, or distributed and distributed via a network. Specific examples of recording media storing programs and data for realizing the functions of the present invention include various CDs, MOs (magneto-optical disks), DVDs, FDs, flash memories, and other various ROMs and RAMs. Can be assumed.

It is the schematic which shows the structural example of the video recording system containing the television apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is an internal block diagram which shows the structural example of the video recording system of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of three apparatuses connected in series among the systems of FIG.1 and FIG.2. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the genre data totaling process by the side of the recorder in an example of the recorder automatic allocation process of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the production | generation process of the apparatus selection table in an example of the recorder automatic allocation process of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the automatic selection list classified by recorder produced | generated by the process of FIG.4 and FIG.5. It is a figure which shows an example of the automatic selection list classified by genre produced | generated by the process of FIG.4 and FIG.5. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the apparatus selection process in an example of the recorder automatic allocation process of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Television apparatus, 2 ... TV remote control (R / C), 3 ... AV amplifier, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4b, 21, 22 ... HDMI connector, 3a, 4a ... control part, 4, 5, 6 ... recorder, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Tuner and demodulation part, 11 ... TS-Demux, 12 ... A / V decoder, 13 ... A / V output control part, 14 ... Audio signal processing part, 15 ... Speaker, 16 ... Video signal processing part, 17 ... Display , 18 ... device selection table, 19 ... remote control receiving unit, 20 ... system controller, 23 ... EPG / OSD / reservation processing unit, 30 ... display device, 40 ... repeater device, 50 ... output device, 31, 43, 52 ... HOST CPU, 32 ... monitor microcomputer, 33, 45, 54 ... CEC I / F, 34, 55 ... infrared light receiving unit, 41 ... HDMI receiver, 42, 51 ... HDMI transmitter , 44 and 53 ... front microcomputer, 61 ... TMDS line, 62 ... CEC line.

Claims (13)

  An information processing apparatus in which a plurality of recording devices can be connected via a network, each receiving a recording receiving unit for receiving a recording target content designation operation from a user, and each of the plurality of recording devices connected to the information processing apparatus The correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage means indicates the correspondence information storage means for storing the correspondence information indicating the recording target condition of the content allocated and the recording processing of the recording target content received by the recording acceptance means. An information processing apparatus comprising: a condition-specific recording processing unit that allocates and instructs a recording device that meets a recording target condition.   2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising correspondence information setting means for setting the correspondence information.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the correspondence information setting unit includes a unit that sets the correspondence information by a user operation.   4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the correspondence information setting unit acquires aggregate information for a plurality of already recorded contents for each of a plurality of recording devices connected to the information processing apparatus. An information processing apparatus comprising means for setting the correspondence information based on the acquired total information.   5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an HDMI input terminal, wherein the plurality of recording devices include an HDMI output terminal, and are connected to the HDMI input terminal by an HDMI cable. An information processing apparatus characterized by the above.   6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conditional recording processing means includes means for transmitting a recording instruction by a CEC command to a recording apparatus to be allocated.   5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an HDMI input terminal, wherein the plurality of recording devices have an HDMI output terminal, and are connected to the HDMI input terminal by an HDMI cable. An information processing apparatus that executes using a CEC command.   8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of recording devices include device-side receiving means for receiving content from a broadcast source and / or a distribution source. Processing equipment.   8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means for receiving content from a broadcast source and / or a distribution source.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of recording devices receive content from a broadcast source and / or distribution source, or receive a content received by the information processing device via a network side. An information processing apparatus comprising a receiving unit.   11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a recording unit that records the content received by the receiving unit, wherein the correspondence information storage unit includes not only the recording devices but also the recording unit. An information processing apparatus that stores the correspondence information as one of recording devices.   12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a display device that displays content.   A recording system comprising: the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12; and the plurality of recording devices connected to the information processing apparatus.

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