JP2011223056A - Video playback method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video playback method and a game machine capable of smoothly playing video data however that may require high speed decode processing.SOLUTION: The present invention is a video playback method where a display device of a video game machine plays a video by a graphic board having an image decompression device, a graphic arithmetic processing unit and a graphic video RAM. The graphic board has: a process to read all compressed video data necessary for the playback from a storage device where compressed video data of each frame compressed by a DXTc algorism and connected in the order of the playback is stored, and to store the read data in the video RAM; a process where the image decompression device, when all the compressed video data necessary for the playback has been stored in the video RAM, reads the compressed video data and decompresses the data in accordance with the order of playback as video data; and a process where the decompressed video data is transferred by the graphic arithmetic processing unit to the display device at a prescribed time interval to be played as the video.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for reproducing compressed moving image data.

  Conventionally, in order to reproduce a moving image, the CPU sequentially transfers the compressed moving image data to the video RAM of the graphic board while decoding the compressed moving image data. Here, in general, there is a case where a moving image decoding process cannot be smoothly played back by a CPU that has a large burden and a calculation performance that is not so high.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that improves the decoding processing speed by using a new algorithm for an arithmetic expression used for decoding processing.

JP 2001-86505 A

  However, even if a new algorithm is used for the arithmetic expression as in the invention according to Patent Document 1, only the CPU is decoding the moving image data. In other words, in order to smoothly play back 3D video data that requires a higher decoding speed, the burden of the CPU alone, which processes other controls at the same time, becomes too large to be played back smoothly. There is a case.

  In view of the above, the present invention provides a moving image reproduction method and a game machine that can smoothly reproduce even moving image data that requires high-speed decoding.

  According to a main aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving image reproduction method for causing a display device of a video game machine to reproduce a moving image by a graphic board having an image development device, a graphic arithmetic processing unit, and a video RAM. Reading all the compressed video data necessary for playback from the storage device storing the compressed video data for each frame compressed by the DXTC algorithm and concatenated in the order of playback, and storing them in the video RAM; When all the compressed moving image data necessary for the reproduction is stored in the video RAM, the image expansion device reads out the compressed moving image data as a moving image data and expands the expanded moving image data in the reproduction order. The graphic processing unit transfers the data to the display device at predetermined time intervals. Video playback method characterized by a step of reproducing the video on it is provided.

  In this case, the step of detecting the storage capacity of the video RAM in real time as a storable capacity, the step of comparing the storable capacity and the data amount of the compressed video data, and the compressed video data Is larger than the storable capacity, the process of dividing the compressed moving image data so that the amount of data is less than the storable capacity, and the divided compressed moving image data is stored in the video RAM. A step of sequentially deleting the compressed moving image data transferred to the display device from the video RAM, and of the remaining compressed moving image data to be reproduced next The process of comparing the amount of data with the storable capacity, and the storable capacity is more than the capacity of the compressed video data to be reproduced next If it becomes heard, it is desirable to have a process that stores all read the compressed video data to be reproduced the next to the video RAM.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the storage device stores a plurality of different compressed moving image data, and the graphic board includes a step of dividing the storage area of the video RAM into a plurality of sections. A step of reading all of the plurality of different compressed moving image data necessary for reproduction from the storage device and storing them in each of the divided storage areas; and When each compressed moving image data is stored, the image expansion device reads each compressed moving image data and expands it as respective moving image data in the reproduction order, and combines the expanded moving image data at a predetermined time interval. And a step of simultaneously reproducing a plurality of different moving images by transferring them to the display device respectively. It is subjected.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game machine for causing a display device to reproduce a moving image by a graphic board having an image development device, a graphic arithmetic processing unit, and a video RAM, and the graphic board has a DXTC algorithm. Means for reading out all the compressed moving image data necessary for reproduction from the storage device storing the compressed moving image data for each frame, which is compressed in accordance with the reproduction order and stored in the video RAM, and the video RAM When all the compressed moving image data necessary for the reproduction is stored, the image expansion device reads out the compressed moving image data as read moving image data in the reproduction order, and the expanded moving image data is converted into the graphic operation. The processing unit transfers it to the display device at predetermined time intervals so that it can be replayed as a moving image. Game machine, characterized in that it comprises a means for are provided.

  It is possible to provide a moving image reproduction method capable of smoothly reproducing even moving image data that requires high-speed decoding processing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment.

  Features other than the features of the present invention described above and remarkable effects of the present invention can be easily understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the following embodiments and drawings.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing apparatus 1 as one embodiment. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the image processing apparatus 1 is mounted on a control unit of a video game machine installed in an amusement park or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image processing apparatus 1 may be mounted on, for example, a personal computer.

  Here, the image processing apparatus 1 includes a graphic board 3, a CPU 7, a RAM 8, a data storage unit 10, and a program storage unit 11, which are connected to each other via a bus. The graphic board 3 is connected to the display device 2 via an input / output interface (not shown).

  The data storage unit 10 stores game data 13 and compressed moving image data 16 (A, B). Here, the game data 13 is data necessary for executing the game, such as character data or game sequence data. Then, the game is executed according to the operation of the player by appropriately reading out necessary data by the game execution unit 19 described below.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the compressed moving image data 16 has two pieces of compressed moving image data A and B (hereinafter referred to as “compressed moving image data 16” unless otherwise distinguished from A and B). write). The compressed video data 16 is specifically a 3D movie or the like to be reproduced and displayed on the display device 2 in a relatively short time (for example, 30 seconds) during standby until coin insertion or during game play. The video data is compressed.

  The compressed moving image data is compressed by DXTC (DirectX Texture Compression), which is a technique for compressing 3D computer graphics. The compressed moving image data 16 can be transferred from the data storage unit 10 to a video RAM 4 to be described later while being compressed. That is, the image processing apparatus 1 does not perform the process of sequentially transferring the compressed moving image data to the video RAM while performing the decoding of the compressed moving image data, and the compressed moving image data A is stored in the compressed moving image data storage area in a compressed state. 9 are all transferred.

  The program storage unit 11 includes a main control unit 18, a game execution unit 19, a storage capacity comparison unit 20, a compressed data division unit 21, and a compressed data deletion unit 22. The function units 18 to 22 stored in the program storage unit 11 are actually execution programs that are called and executed on the RAM 8 by the CPU 7.

  The graphic board 3 includes a video RAM 4, a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit, corresponding to the “graphic arithmetic processing unit” of the present invention) 5, and an image development device 6.

  The video RAM 4 is a memory for mainly processing graphics. In this embodiment, the video RAM 4 has a compressed moving image data storage area 9 for storing the compressed moving image data 16. Here, the compressed moving image data storage area 9 temporarily stores all the compressed moving image data 16 necessary for reproduction read from the data storage unit 10 by the main control unit 18. .

  Further, it is possible to appropriately design how much of the maximum storage capacity of the video RAM 4 is allocated to the compressed moving image data storage area 9, but at least 128 MB of compressed moving image data is stored. It is desirable that With this data capacity, a 3D movie can be played back for about 30 seconds. Further, the storage capacity comparison unit 20 detects in real time how much capacity is stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (hereinafter referred to as “storable capacity”).

  The image expansion device 6 decodes the compressed moving image data 16. Here, the image expansion device 6 may be any device that can decode moving image data compressed by DXTC. For example, the image expansion device 6 is mainly used for texture mapping as standardly mounted on a general-purpose graphic board. An arithmetic unit may be used.

  In addition, the compressed moving image data 16 stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 is transferred to the image expanding device 6 by the GPU 5 and transferred to the image expanding device 6. The compressed moving image data 16 is decoded by the image developing device 6. Then, the moving image data that has been decoded by the image expansion device 6 (hereinafter, the decoded data is referred to as “moving image data” in order to be distinguished from the compressed moving image data 16) is transferred to the GPU 5. It is like that.

  The GPU 5 is an arithmetic processing unit for mainly processing graphics. The GPU 5 reads the compressed moving image data 16 stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 and transfers it to the image expansion device 6 as described above based on an instruction from the main control unit 18. It has become. At this time, the compressed moving image data 16 is connected and sequentially transferred so that the frame images are in the reproduction order. In addition, when the decoded moving image data is transferred from the image development device 6, the GPU 5 performs rendering processing on the moving image data and outputs it to the display device 2 as a video signal. That is, a moving image (3D movie in this embodiment) is reproduced and displayed on the display device 2.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

(Normal processing)
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the normal processing of this embodiment. This normal processing is processing when the data capacity of the compressed moving image data 16 is smaller than the storable capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (in this embodiment, 128 MB). In other words, in the present embodiment, the processing is performed when the compressed moving image data A (100 MB) shown in FIG. In addition, the codes | symbols S1-9 shown below respond | correspond to S1-9 of FIG.

  First, when the game execution unit 19 tries to display the moving image A (corresponding to the compressed moving image data A) according to the game sequence data, the main control unit 18 responds to the progress of the game processed by the game execution unit 19. All the compressed moving image data A is read from the data storage unit 10 (S1). Then, the main control unit 18 transfers all of the read compressed moving image data A to the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (S2). Then, all the transferred compressed moving image data A (100 MB) is stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (S3).

  Next, the GPU 5 transfers the compressed moving image data A stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 to the image developing device 6 while reading out the compressed moving image data A in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 18. At this time, the GPU 5 connects and sequentially transfers the frame images of the compressed moving image data A so as to be in the reproduction order (S4).

  When receiving the compressed moving image data A transferred from the video RAM 4, the image expansion device 6 starts decoding the compressed moving image data A (S5). Then, the image expansion device 6 transfers each frame image of the moving image data A that has been decoded to the GPU 5 (S6).

  Then, the GPU 5 renders the received moving image data A for each frame image, and sequentially outputs it to the display device 2 as a video signal (S7). Then, a 3D movie is reproduced and displayed on the display device 2 as the moving image A (S8).

  Further, when the output of the moving image data A to the display device 2 is completed, the compressed data deleting unit 22 sends the corresponding compressed moving image data A to the compressed moving image data storage area 9 for each frame, for example. Are sequentially deleted (S9). That is, as a result, the storable capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 gradually increases. Finally, all the compressed moving image data A is deleted from the compressed moving image data storage area 9, and this normal processing is terminated.

(Division processing)
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the dividing process in the present embodiment. Here, the division processing means that the data capacity of the compressed video data 16 is larger than the storable capacity of the compressed video data storage area 9, and the compressed video data 16 is stored in the compressed video data storage area 9 as it is. When all the data cannot be stored, the compressed moving image data 16 is divided into a plurality of pieces for processing. In the present embodiment, the processing is performed when the compressed moving image data B (150 MB) having a larger data capacity than the storable capacity (128 MB) of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 is reproduced. Hereinafter, this division process will be described. Note that reference numerals S11 to S26 shown in FIG. 3 correspond to reference signs S11 to S26 in the following description.

  First, when the game execution unit 19 tries to display the moving image B (corresponding to the compressed moving image data B) according to the game sequence data, the storage capacity comparison unit 20 stores the storage capacity (this In the embodiment, the maximum capacity of 128 MB) is detected (S11), and compared with the capacity of the compressed moving image data B (150MB) (S12).

  At this time, if the data capacity of the compressed moving image data 16 is smaller than the storable capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (YES in S13), the above-described normal processing (FIG. 2) is performed. On the other hand, when the data capacity of the compressed moving image data B is larger than the storable capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 as in the present embodiment (NO in S13), the compressed data dividing unit 21 The compressed moving image data B is divided and read from the data storage unit 10 so as to be smaller than the storable capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (S14). For example, the compressed data dividing unit 21 divides the compressed moving image data B into two of 80 MB and 70 MB.

  The compressed data dividing unit 21 then converts the first 80 MB (hereinafter referred to as “unit compressed moving image data B1”) of the read compressed moving image data B after the division into the compressed moving image data storage area 9. (S15). Then, all the unit compressed moving image data B1 (for 80 MB) is stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (S16).

  Next, the GPU 5 reads out the unit compressed moving image data B1 stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 18 and sequentially transfers it to the image developing device 6. At this time, the GPU 5 connects and sequentially transfers the frame images of the unit compressed moving image data B1 in the order of reproduction (S17).

  When receiving the unit compressed moving image data B1 transferred from the compressed moving image data storage area 9, the image expanding device 6 starts decoding the unit compressed moving image data B1 (S18). Then, the image development device 6 transfers each frame image to the GPU 5 as the moving image data B1 after the decoding process is completed (S19).

  Then, the GPU 5 performs a rendering process for each frame image of the received moving image data B1, and transfers it to the display device 2 as a video signal (S20). Then, a 3D movie is reproduced and displayed as the moving image B1 on the display device 2 (S21).

  Here, as in the present embodiment, when 70 MB of the remaining compressed moving image data B (hereinafter referred to as “unit moving image compressed data B2”) still remains in the data storage unit 10 (YES in S22). ) When the output of the moving image data B1 to the display device 2 is completed, the compressed data deleting unit 22 sends the corresponding compressed moving image data B1 to the compressed moving image data storage area 9 for each frame, for example. Are sequentially deleted (S23). That is, as a result, the storable capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 gradually increases.

  When the storage capacity comparison unit 20 detects that the storage capacity of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 is equal to or greater than the data capacity (70 MB) of the remaining unit compressed moving image data B2, the compressed data division is performed. The unit 21 determines that all of the unit compressed moving image data B2 can be stored in the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (YES in S24). The compressed data dividing unit 21 reads all the unit compressed moving image data B2 from the data storage unit 10 and transfers all the unit compressed moving image data B2 to the compressed moving image data storage area 9 (S25).

  When the output of the unit compressed moving image data B2 to the display device 2 is completed through the above-described S16 to S21 (NO in S22), the compressed data deleting unit 22 causes the compressed moving image data corresponding thereto accordingly. For example, B2 is sequentially deleted from the compressed moving image data storage area 9 for each frame. Finally, all the compressed moving image data B2 is deleted from the compressed moving image data storage area 9, and the dividing process ends (S26).

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said one Embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the summary of invention.

(Parallel processing)
For example, in the above-described normal processing and division processing, the compressed moving image data A or B is processed as one moving image. However, as described below, a plurality of different compressed moving image data C and D are processed. May be processed in parallel.

  That is, in this case, the game execution unit 19 displays a plurality of different moving images (for example, two different 3D demo movies C and D) according to the game sequence data on the display device 2 or other games not shown. In the case of simultaneous playback on a machine (for example, when the image processing apparatus 1 is shared by one player and two players but the screen is different), the main control unit 18 divides the video RAM 4 by the number to be processed in parallel. A plurality of storage areas are provided in advance. For example, when there is the compressed moving image data C and D, the storage area of the video RAM 4 is also divided into two according to it.

  Next, the main control unit 18 reads all the compressed moving image data C and D from the data storage unit 10 in accordance with the progress of the game processed by the game execution unit 19.

  The main control unit 18 then transfers all of the read compressed moving image data C and D to the storage area of the allocated video RAM 4. That is, in this case, each of the transferred compressed moving image data C and D is stored in each storage area allocated to the video RAM 4.

  Next, the GPU 5 reads out each of the compressed moving image data C and D stored in the video RAM 4 and transfers them in parallel to the image expansion device 6 in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 18. Further, the GPU 5 connects and sequentially transfers the frame images of the compressed moving image data C and D so that they are in the reproduction order.

  When receiving the compressed moving image data C and D read and transferred from the video RAM 4, the image expansion device 6 starts parallel processing of decoding the compressed moving image data C and D. Then, the image expansion device 6 sequentially transfers the frame images of the moving image data C and D for which decoding processing has been completed, to the GPU 5 respectively.

  Next, the GPU 5 performs rendering processing and the like for each frame image of the received moving image data C and D in parallel and generates a moving image by combining them into one image. Then, the generated moving images (hereinafter simply referred to as “moving images”) C and D are transferred to the display device 2 as video signals. Then, the moving images C and D are reproduced and displayed on the display device 2 as one image in parallel. If it is desired to display the moving images C or D separately on a plurality of display devices at this time, the video signals of the moving image data C and D may be output to the separate display devices.

  The compressed data deleting unit 22 sequentially deletes the compressed moving image data C and D from the video RAM 4 in the order in which the transfer to the display device 2 is completed, and finally all the compressed moving image data C and D are deleted. Is deleted, and this process ends.

  Of course, this parallel processing may be performed in combination with the division processing. For example, when the compressed moving image data A (100 MB) and B (150 MB) in the present embodiment are to be processed in parallel (the storage capacity (128 MB) of the compressed moving image data storage area 9 has both data once. Therefore, the above-described division processing (S11 to S26) may be performed for each storage area of the divided compressed moving image data storage area 9. That is, in this case, parallel processing is possible regardless of the data capacity of each compressed moving image data to be reproduced and displayed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image processing apparatus 2 ... Display apparatus 3 ... Graphic board 4 ... Video RAM
5 ... GPU
6 ... Image development device 7 ... CPU
8 ... RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Compressed moving image data storage area 10 ... Data storage part 11 ... Program storage part 13 ... Game data 16 ... Compressed moving image data (A, B)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 18 ... Main control part 19 ... Game execution part 20 ... Memory capacity comparison part 21 ... Compression data division part 22 ... Compression data deletion part

Claims (5)

A moving image reproduction method for causing a display device of a video game machine to reproduce a moving image by a graphic board having an image development device, a graphic arithmetic processing unit, and a video RAM,
This graphic board
Reading all the compressed video data required for playback from the storage device storing the compressed video data for each frame compressed by the DXTc algorithm and concatenated in the playback order, and storing them in the video RAM;
When all the compressed moving image data necessary for the reproduction is stored in the video RAM, the image expansion device expands the compressed moving image data as read moving image data in the reproduction order;
And a step of reproducing the expanded moving image data as a moving image by transferring the graphic operation processing unit to the display device at a predetermined time interval. The moving image playback method according to claim 1,
Detecting the storage capacity of the video RAM in real time as a storage capacity;
Comparing the storable capacity with the amount of compressed video data;
When the data amount of the compressed moving image data is larger than the storable capacity, a process of dividing the compressed moving image data so that the data amount is equal to or less than the storable capacity;
And storing the divided compressed moving image data in the video RAM for each of the divided compressed moving image data. The moving image playback method according to claim 2,
Sequentially deleting the compressed moving image data transferred to the display device from the video RAM;
A step of comparing the amount of compressed moving image data to be reproduced next and the storable capacity among the remaining divided compressed moving image data;
A step of reading all of the compressed video data to be reproduced next and storing it in the video RAM when the storable capacity becomes larger than the capacity of the compressed video data to be reproduced next. A video playback method characterized by the above. The moving image playback method according to claim 1,
The storage device stores a plurality of different compressed video data,
The graphic board
A step of dividing the storage area of the video RAM into a plurality of sections;
Reading all of the different compressed video data from the storage device as necessary for reproduction, respectively, and storing each in the divided storage areas;
When each compressed moving image data necessary for the reproduction is stored in each storage area, the image expansion device reads each compressed moving image data and expands it as respective moving image data in reproduction order;
And a step of synthesizing the expanded moving image data and transferring them to the display device at predetermined time intervals to reproduce them as a plurality of moving images. A game machine that causes a display device to reproduce a moving image by a graphic board having an image development device, a graphic arithmetic processing unit, and a video RAM,
This graphic board
Means for reading all the compressed moving image data necessary for reproduction from the storage device storing the compressed moving image data for each frame compressed by the DXTc algorithm and concatenated in the reproduction order, and storing the data in the video RAM;
When all the compressed moving image data necessary for the reproduction is stored in the video RAM, the image expansion device expands the compressed moving image data as read moving image data in the reproduction order;
A game machine comprising: means for reproducing the expanded moving image data as a moving image by transferring the graphic operation processing unit to the display device at a predetermined time interval.

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