JP2698989B2 - Inspection method in multimedia database - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a multimedia database capable of bidirectionally searching main data composed of character data and sub data composed of audio data or image data. Search method.

[Background Art] A database is a system that manages a large amount of data and can handle necessary data when needed. In a normal database, only data such as characters and numbers are handled, but in a multimedia database, character data (main data)
In addition, audio data including music and image data (sub-data) such as still images and moving images are handled in an integrated manner.

In the conventional multimedia database, for both main data and sub-data, narrowing down is performed by specifying predetermined conditions by AND and OR based on the genre (field), keyword, data creation date and time, and the like. By doing so, data retrieval was performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the conventional data search method as described above is a search method centered on character data, and cannot perform a search from visual or auditory memory, which is inconvenient for the user. There was something.

For example, if you remember the melody of a song, but forget the creator of the song, you can play the songs in the database from one end based on the list of sub-data to find the desired song. You can search. However, since the data about the author is included as main data (character data), a separate search is required,
It was not easy to search without storing the character information about the author.

Also, JP-A-63-245720, "Database System"
Discloses a search method in a multimedia database in which related data numbers are assigned to image data and graphic data, and character data (main data) can be searched from such sub data as necessary. I have.

This device can extract the data storage information from the related data number, and can extract the data based on the data storage information, and is specific to the data type such as the data size and the actual data storage information. A data type table storing data-specific information,
By using the data related table storing the data management number of the data related to the data for each data management number and assigning the same data management number to the corresponding entry of the data type table and the data management table, data of different types Can be associated. However, data associated with the same data management number is individually registered. Therefore, when there is a pair of data A and B related to each other, for example, the association of data A to data B is performed. Even if it is performed, the data B is not associated with the data A as it is,
When it is desired to perform bidirectional association between data A and data B, round-trip association between data A to data B and data B to data A is required. That is, a pair of data A and B related to each other
In order to be able to search for the other data from either data, it is necessary to perform very troublesome association work, and it is not suitable for processing a large amount of data. there were. In addition, multimedia
The data handled by the database is intended for images, graphics, and document data, but audio and moving images including music are not included in the target, and the target range of the data included in the database is narrow. It had problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a search method which enables high-speed bidirectional search of main data and sub-data constituting a multimedia database. is there.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a unique main data number and sub data number for main data composed of character data and sub data composed of audio data or image data. And the main data includes the character data and the sub data number of the sub data related to the character data, and the sub data includes the main data selected as the audio data or the image data and the like. When the main data number of the data is written together with the respective data, and the main data is searched for on the screen, a part of the display screen of the character data is displayed.
The image data is directly displayed and the audio data is displayed with the associated sub data with an index name. If the index name is specified, the audio data is reproduced. When the sub data is searched on the screen, the image data is directly displayed. Further, the voice data is characterized in that the index name is displayed on the screen, and for the sub data designated on the screen, the corresponding main data is searched from the additionally written main data number and displayed on the screen. .

Further, when a screen search for the sub data is performed, for the sub data specified on the screen, a pointer indicating the storage position of the related main data is generated based on the sub data number of the sub data, and the pointer is generated. It is characterized in that main data is searched based on the main data.

According to the present invention, unique main data numbers and sub data numbers are assigned to main data composed of character data and sub data composed of audio data or image data, and the main data is provided with the character The data and the sub data number of the sub data related to the data are described together, and the sub data includes the audio data or the image data and the main data number of the main data selected as the data to be additionally recorded. I will make it. When the main data is searched for on the screen, the image data is directly displayed on the part of the display screen of the character data, and the audio data displays the related sub data with the index name, and if the index name is specified, the audio data is displayed. To play. On the other hand, when the screen search for the sub data is performed, the image data is directly displayed on the screen and the audio data is displayed on the screen with the index name. For the sub data specified on the screen, the corresponding main data number is displayed from the above described main data number. Search the main data and display it on the screen. As a result, the main data composed of character data and the sub data composed of audio data or image data can be bidirectionally searched, and the database can be effectively used.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C show the processing of a CPU for a search (reverse search) from sub data to main data according to an embodiment of a search method in a multimedia database according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flowchart, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a table for obtaining a pointer from a data number in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a block showing an example of the configuration of a multimedia database system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure in a multimedia database, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of main data, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of main data, FIG. Is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the sub data, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a list display of the sub data, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the contents of the main data.

In the multimedia database system shown in FIG. 3, a floppy disk or a hard disk 10 stores data base management information, main data, sub data, and the like. The disk device 12 is interposed between the disk 10 and the CPU 14, and reads or writes data from / to the disk 10. The CPU 14 searches and manages data according to a program stored in the ROM 16. The RAM 18 stores data under search, operation data of the CPU 14, and the like. The music / sound reproducing device 20 and the image reproducing device 22 are devices that reproduce sub data including sound data including music and image data such as still images and moving images. The display device 24 displays characters and images corresponding to the main data and the sub data, for example, on a CRT display. The mouse 26 is a pointing device for a user to give an instruction to the system through the screen of the display device 24. CPU14
An interface (not shown) such as a buffer is provided between the device and the peripheral devices 12, 20 to 26.

FIG. 4 shows a data structure in the multimedia database. The main data 1, 2,... N are units of data obtained by one search, and all include data relating to characters or numerical values. The sub data 1, 2,... M are also units of data obtained by one search, and these data include data relating to audio data, image data, and the like. These main and sub data are stored on the disk 10 in a predetermined format.

FIG. 5 shows an example of main data. The main data includes a header section, a character data section, a sub data information section, and a related main data information section. The header section includes the data number (# 0123), title (Beethoven), type (composer), and the like of the main data. The character data part is the main part of the main data and includes character information on the title (German composers, mainly working in Vienna ...). The sub-data information section includes position information (for example, X = 30, Y = 18), title (for example, fate), and data number (for example, # 1234) for each medium for the sub-data cited by the main data. The related main data information section includes position information (for example, X = 28, Y = 28), a title (for example, Germany), and a data number (for example, # 5046) for other related main data. The position information is information indicating a position at which the sub data or other main data to be referred to when the main data is displayed on the display screen is displayed.

FIG. 6 shows a display example of main data. In this example, the main data of FIG. 5 is displayed. In FIG. 6, the title of the main data (Beethoven) is displayed at the top of the screen.
And the type (composer) are displayed, and below that, character information that is the center of the main data is displayed. Then, the sub data (fate, portrait) and other main data (Germany) cited in the main data are displayed at the bottom of the screen. In the sub data, images and moving images can be displayed on the screen,
It is displayed as it is. Therefore, the "portrait" at the lower left of the screen is actually displayed as an image. On the other hand, since voice, music, and the like cannot be displayed on the screen, the title ("Fate" in this example) is displayed. Further, since the other main data is mainly composed of character data, its title ([Germany] in this example) is displayed. The display (quotation) positions of the sub data and other main data correspond to the position information in FIG.

When the user performs a designation operation on the screen of FIG. 6 with the mouse 26, the designated sub data or other main data is searched. For example, when the sub-data [fate] is clicked with the mouse 26, the music / sound reproducing device 20 reproduces the music of [fate]. The CPU 14 performs such a search process. The CPU 14 checks the position on the screen clicked by the mouse 26 with the position information registered in the main data, and knows that the fate of the sub data has been designated. Then, based on the sub-data number # 1234, the sub-data of the title [fate] is read from the disk 10, the real data (see FIG. 7) for reproducing apparatus search included in the data is taken out, and the real data is retrieved. Transfer to the corresponding playback device. The information that gives the connection from the primary data to the secondary data is
This is a sub data number provided in the main data.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the contents of the sub data. Each sub data includes its data number (for example, # 1234), title (fate), actual data (R4C...), And cross reference information (main data numbers # 0123, # 0189,...). As described above, the actual data is search information to be passed to the playback device. The cross-reference information is for enabling a search from the sub data to the main data related thereto, and is set and input when the sub data is created. Also, if you change the citation status of the sub data in the main data,
The cross reference information is also updated. Such setting and updating of the cross-reference information may be performed by the CPU 14 or may be performed from an input device such as a keyboard.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU 14 for searching main data from sub data. This processing is performed by “displaying and selecting a list of sub-data” (FIG. 1 (A)).
And "selection and selection of a list of main data citing the selected sub data" (FIGS. 1 (B) and 1 (C)).

First, the processing of "display and selection of a list of sub-data" will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the type of sub-data (for example, music) is selected, the pointer P is initialized to point to the head address of the storage location of the sub-data of data number 1 (step 1). Next, after an appropriate background image is displayed on the screen (step 2), a constant (offset for the sub data number: see FIG. 7) is added to the pointer P to indicate the address of the "title" of the sub data. A pointer T is generated (step 3), and a "title" is
Is extracted, and the characters of the title are displayed (step 4). Next, the pointer P indicating the sub data number is set to 1
Next (step 5), the above processing is performed for the next sub data (sub data number 2) (steps 6 to 4). Such a process is repeated n times (step 6). Where n
Is the number of sub data that can be displayed on one screen. Thus,
For example, a list of titles of the sub data of music is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. If it cannot fit on one screen, it proceeds to the (n + 1) th and subsequent sub-data in response to an instruction (step 8) requesting the next screen, and performs the same processing as described above. When an instruction to return to the previous screen is given (step 9), the process returns to the search for the 2n-th sub data (step 10), and the above processing is repeated.

In order to obtain a pointer P indicating the storage location (address) of the sub data from each sub data number in steps 1 and 5, for example, a table as shown in FIG. 2 is used. This table is stored in the ROM 16, the RAM 18, or the disk 10.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 (B) and 1 (C), a process of “list of main data citing designated sub-data” will be described.
This process is executed when specific sub-data is selected in step 7 of FIG. 1A and there is no next screen request or previous screen request (steps 8 and 9).

First, a pointer S indicating the storage location of the sub data is generated from the table (FIG. 2) based on the designated sub data number s (step 11). Next, after receiving the search instruction (step 12), a constant is added to the pointer S to change the pointer X pointing to the start address of the cross reference portion (for example, the address of the cross reference # 1 in FIG. 7). Set (step 13). Next, a copy of the pointer X is made and used as a pointer Y (step 14). Cross reference information (main data number) is extracted based on the pointer Y, and a table (FIG. 2) is obtained based on the cross reference information. ) To generate a pointer M pointing to the start address of the corresponding main data storage location (step 15). Next, the pointer M is advanced to the position (address) of the "title" of the main data (step
16) Read the "title" based on the address and display it on the screen (step 17). Next, the pointer Y is advanced to the position of the next cross-reference information (step
18) Perform the same processing as above. By repeating such processing as many times as the number of main data registered in the cross-reference unit (step 19), a list of main data citing the sub data is displayed on the screen.

When, for example, the d-th main data is selected from the list of such main data by the mouse 26 (step 20),
By adding d to the pointer X, the pointer X is changed to a pointer X indicating the position (address) of the cross-reference information of the selected main data (step 21). Then, the target main data number is extracted based on the pointer X, and the data number m is displayed (step 23). In FIG. 1 (B), when the reproduction of the designated sub data is instructed (step 12), in response to this, the actual data in the sub data is extracted and the reproduced data is reproduced (20). , 22 etc.) to reproduce music, images and the like (step 24).
Further, even after the search of the main data is completed, by storing the designated sub data number s, a list of main data citing the sub data is displayed again or at any time, and the desired main data is displayed. Can be searched again.

In the above, the processing for displaying data by title has been described, but other displays can also be performed. For example, when the sub data is an image, the pointer T is set so as to point to the actual data position instead of the title position (change step 3). Then, based on the pointer T, the actual data is extracted and sent to the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the image, and at the same time, the reproduced image is subjected to reduction processing (thinning or color correction) (step 4 is changed). ), A list of reduced images can be displayed. Also, when a background (image data) exists for the main data, a reduced image can be displayed by the same processing as that for the sub data. If the main data includes only character data, the character data can be read by setting a pointer to the position (address) of the character data, and the reduced display of characters and the display of the first few characters can be performed.

Further, it is possible to perform a search from the designated sub data to the main data without going through the sub data list. That is, at the time when the sub-data is searched from the main data, all the main data citing the sub-data are displayed in a list, and the desired main data can be searched.

For example, assume that there is main data as shown in FIG.
This main data is a description of a movie titled "Encounter", and quotes sub-data [Fate] of music as [Theme Song]. When [theme song] is selected by the mouse 26, the song of [fate] is reproduced. By the way, the cross-reference information of the sub-data can be referred to at the time of searching / reproducing such sub-data, so that a list of all the main data citing the sub-data based on the cross-reference information is displayed, and Main data can be searched. In the case of this example, the main data “Beethoven” is also registered in the cross-reference part of the sub data [fate].
It is possible to reach the screen shown in the figure.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, character data and sub data numbers of sub data associated therewith are described in the main data, and audio data or image data are recorded in the sub data. The main data number of the main data selected as the object to be described above is also recorded together with the main data number, so that a database that enables bidirectional search between the main data and sub data is simple and accurate. When the main data is screen-searched using the database created in this way, the image data is directly included in a part of the display screen of the character data, By displaying data and playing back audio data if an index name is specified, adding both images and audio for information that is limited only by displaying character data on the screen When searching for sub-data on the screen, the image data is displayed directly and the audio data is displayed on the index name on the screen, and the sub-data specified on the screen is displayed. By searching the corresponding main data from the written main data number and displaying it on the screen, for example, if the melody of a certain song is stored but the composer forgets it, By searching, the main data consisting of character data that introduces the composer can be easily searched, or the main data related to the image can be searched and displayed on the screen from images that are familiar or interesting. Therefore, it is possible to obtain information that cannot be reached only by character data, and to easily construct a search system based on a bidirectional search of main data and sub data. The excellent effects such as the multimedia information dealing with images and the like in an integrated manner can be effectively utilized to search from different cut.

Further, the present invention, when a screen search for the sub-data, for the sub-data specified on the screen, based on the sub-data number of the sub-data, to generate a pointer indicating the storage position of the relevant main data, Since the main data is searched based on the pointer, a pointer indicating the storage position (address) of the main data is generated based on the sub data number, and the main data is searched at high speed using the pointer. And the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (A), 1 (B) and 1 (C) show a CPU for a search (reverse search) from sub data to main data according to an embodiment of a search method in a multimedia database according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a table for obtaining a pointer from a data number in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a configuration example of a multimedia database system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure in a multimedia database, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of contents of main data, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of main data,
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the sub data, and FIG.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a sub data list display, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the contents of main data. In the drawing, 10: disk 12: disk device 14: CPU 16: ROM 18: RAM 20: music / sound reproducing device 22: image reproducing device 24: display device 26: mouse

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A unique main data number and a unique sub data number are respectively assigned to main data composed of character data and sub data composed of audio data or image data, and the main data is provided with the character data and the sub data number. Along with the sub-data number of the related sub-data, the audio data or the image data and the main data number of the main data selected for the co-recording are written together in the sub-data to form a database. When searching for data on the screen, the image data is displayed directly on the part of the display screen of the character data, and the audio data is displayed with the associated sub-data with the index name, and if the index name is specified, the audio data is displayed. When reproducing and searching for the sub data on the screen, the image data is displayed directly on the screen and the audio data is displayed on the screen with the index name, and the sub data specified on the screen is displayed. , Search method in a multimedia database, characterized in that the screen by searching the corresponding said main data displayed from the the listed main data number. 2. When a sub-data is searched for on a screen, for a sub-data specified on a screen, a pointer indicating a storage position of the related main data is generated based on a sub-data number of the sub-data. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the main data is searched based on the pointer.