JP3771969B2 - Information reading device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the code is optically read from a recording medium on which multimedia information including at least one of audio information, video information, and digital data converted into a digital code is recorded as an optically readable code. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an information reading apparatus that automatically reads and reads the read digital code into multimedia information and outputs it.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 6 shows an information reading apparatus that conventionally reads the code from the recording medium in which the multimedia information is recorded as an optically readable code, and restores the code to the multimedia information for output. A configuration is known. In this conventional example, as shown in FIG. 6, in an apparatus having two different processing systems (CPU and host computer), a data buffer for temporarily holding data in order to transfer data between the processing systems. A memory is used, and the data buffer memory has a double buffer configuration in this conventional example. That is, when one data buffer memory (1) 101 transmits / receives data to / from the first device (CPU) 103, the other data buffer memory (2) 102 receives data from the second device (host computer) 104 and data. Is to send and receive.
[0003]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-265939 discloses a configuration as shown in FIG. In this conventional example, a first device (CPU) 201 and a second device (host computer) 205 access a single data buffer memory 203. In FIG. 7, 202 is a timing arbitration circuit, and 204 is an interface circuit. As shown in the timing chart of FIG. 8, in the information reading apparatus having such a configuration, the CPU 201 and the host computer 205 access the data buffer memory 203 in a time division manner while performing bus arbitration with respect to the data buffer memory 203. Perform data transfer. As a result, each processing system performs data transmission and reception while operating in parallel.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the prior art, no consideration is given to the viewpoint of shortening the processing time. That is, in the second conventional example shown in FIG. 7, a bus arbitration time is required for data transfer. During this time, the processing system stops operating, and therefore the processing time is long. The invention according to claim 1 of the present application has been made paying attention to this viewpoint, and has as its first object to provide a high-speed information reading device.
[0005]
In the prior art, no consideration is given to the viewpoint of rearranging data when the order in which the first processing system transfers data and the order in which the second processing system performs processing are different. . That is, when the first processing system transfers data in time series and the second processing system processes data in an order different from the time series, an operation of rearranging data is necessary. The invention according to the claims 1, which has been made in view in this respect, high speed that the second processing system provides information readout apparatus that performs processing in the desired order of the second It is the purpose.
[0006]
In the prior art, no consideration is given to the operational relationship between the two processing systems and the viewpoint of performing the entire processing at high speed. That is, when the first processing system transfers data in time series and the second processing system starts processing by transferring a predetermined amount of data, the second processing system transfers data. Need to start. The invention according to the claims 1, this aspect also been made in view, in which to provide an information reading device for the operation of the entire processing system for high-speed and third purposes.
[0007]
Also, in the prior art, what is the handling of the multimedia information optically read from the recording medium when there is one that is required to be restored immediately and one that is not required to be restored immediately? Has not been taken into account. The invention according to claim 2 of the present application has been made paying attention to this viewpoint, and an object thereof is to provide an information reading apparatus that can be restored by a data processing unit suitable for the characteristics of multimedia information.
[ 0008 ]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is an optically readable code for multimedia information including at least one of audio information, video information, and digital data converted into a digital code. In an information reading apparatus for optically reading the code from a recorded recording medium and restoring and outputting the read digital code as multimedia information, the digital code is obtained from a signal optically read from the recording medium. A pre-processing unit for extracting the multimedia information, a data processing unit for restoring the multimedia information, the pre-processing unit connected to one port, and the data processing unit connected to the other port. In parallel with the writing of the digital code from the Digital code written in the scan is read and a multi-port memory to be output to the data processing unit, wherein the code recorded on the recording medium is composed of blocks of a plurality of digital codes, An address uniquely determined for each block is added, and the pre-processing unit associates the read digital code with the block address and the address of the multiport memory in the order of restoration. The block is stored in the multi-port memory in units of blocks, and has a path for inputting the stored block address of the digital code to the data processing unit , while the data processing unit is in the order of the addresses of the multi-port memory. The digital code is read, and a frame composed of a plurality of the blocks is The multimedia information is restored on a per-frame basis, and the number of blocks constituting the frame is stored in the multiport memory from the block address input from the pre-processing unit via the path. It is determined that the information has been stored, and immediately after the determination, the processing for restoring the multimedia information is started .
[ 0009 ]
In the invention according to claim 1 configured as described above, since the multi-port memory capable of simultaneously reading and writing different addresses is used, the multi-port memory written by the pre-processing unit and the multi-port memory performed by the data processing unit are used. The reading of the port memory can be performed asynchronously, and the processing speed can be increased by eliminating the time required for mediation between the operations of both processing units when a single port memory is used.
[0010]
Incidentally, the block data is recorded, may restore order as the order of reading from the recording medium does not match, but in this case it is necessary to restore the order of block addresses, in the invention according to claim 1, The digital code is read out in block units by the pre-processing unit, and at the same time, the block address is read out, and the read block information is stored in the address of the multi-port memory corresponding to the block address. so that the restoration by the reading process the data stored in the address order. This eliminates the need for rearranging the data in the order of block addresses at the time of restoration, so that the restoration process can be performed at high speed.
[ 0011 ]
In the invention according to claim 1 , the digital code includes a plurality of blocks which are recording units to form a frame which is a unit of restoration, and the preprocessing unit sets a block address when storing data in the multiport memory. Output to the data processor. Then, the data processing unit discriminates the input block address, and when the blocks constituting the group are prepared, the frame unit data is read from the multiport memory and restored. Therefore, since the data processing unit stores the digital code sufficient for the pre-processing unit to form the frame and performs the restoration operation, the time from data reading to digital code restoration is shortened and the processing speed is increased. Is possible.
[0012]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the information reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the data processing unit is a first data processing unit, and there is no path through which the block address is input from the pre-processing unit. A second data processing unit is further provided which reads the digital code in the order of addresses of the multi-port memory and restores the multimedia information.
[0013]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the multimedia information that is not required to be restored immediately is restored immediately after the block address is input and the number of blocks constituting the frame are stored in the multiport memory. It is possible to restore the data separately from the multimedia information that is required to be recovered, in this case, the second data processing unit, and to restore the data by the data processing unit suitable for the characteristics of the multimedia information. enable. Here, the former multimedia information includes audio (since discontinuity is not allowed, restoration is more important than restoration speed), and the latter is video (immediate response is important). , Some omissions can be compensated later). The first data processing unit in claim 2 corresponds to the data processing unit 5 in the embodiment, and the second data processing unit corresponds to the data processing unit 4.
[ 0014 ]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an information reading apparatus according to the present invention. An information reading apparatus according to this embodiment includes an optical reading unit 1 that reads an image signal from a recording medium, and a pre-process that processes the image signal input from the optical reading unit 1 and reads a recorded digital code. Unit 2, a multi-port memory 3 in which a digital code is written by the pre-processing unit 2, has at least two or more ports separately, and can simultaneously read and write different addresses, and a digital code from the multi-port memory 3 And data processing units 4 and 5 for restoring audio information, video information, digital data, and the like.
[ 0015 ]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described based on the timing chart shown in FIG. The optical reading unit 1 optically reads an image signal from a recording medium and outputs the image signal to the pre-processing unit 2 for each screen. The pre-processing unit 2 processes the image signal for each screen, extracts a digital code, and writes it in the multiport memory 3. Further, the data processing units 4 and 5 read the digital code written by the pre-processing unit 2 from the multiport memory 3 and perform processing for each fixed number of data necessary for restoration, so that audio information, video information, digital Restore data.
[ 0016 ]
As described above, the pre-processing unit 2 operates in synchronization with the image signal output from the optical reading unit 1 in the preceding stage, and the data processing units 4 and 5 perform subsequent audio information and video not shown in the present embodiment. Operates in synchronization with information and digital data. That is, the pre-processing unit 2 and the data processing units 4 and 5 operate asynchronously. In this way, since the pre-processing unit 2 and the data processing units 4 and 5 transfer data by the multiport memory 3, it is not necessary to perform arbitration of the memory bus, and the time of each processing unit relating to bus arbitration is maintained. Therefore, it can operate at high speed.
[ 0017 ]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of codes used in the present embodiment. This code is composed of a marker 11 indicating a position, an address code 12 indicating the restoration order of blocks, and a data dot 13 which is recorded information. In this way, the data dots 13 surrounded by the markers 11 constitute a block, and the block address added to each block is recorded in the portion sandwiched between the markers 11. Such a code may not match the order of recording (reading) and the order of restoring data in order to prevent, for example, the loss of continuous data when the recording medium is missing. In such a case, the address code is used, the read data is temporarily stored, and the data is restored in the order of the address code.
[ 0018 ]
FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram showing the pre-processing unit 2 and the I / F unit of the multi-port memory 3. The pre-processing unit 2 includes a code reading unit 2-1 and a memory control unit 2-2, and the code reading unit 2-1 reads a block address and block information from image data. The memory control unit 2-2 writes block information to the address of the multiport memory 3 corresponding to the block address. As a result, the restoration order and the address are stored in the multiport memory 3 so as to match with each other. Therefore, at the time of restoration, the data processing units 4 and 5 restore the data in the order of the addresses of the multiport memory 3 to obtain a desired restoration. I do. As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the data processing units 4 and 5 perform processing according to the address of the multiport memory 3, processing such as block address comparison is unnecessary, and data restoration is performed at high speed. be able to.
[ 0019 ]
The digital code is processed in units of frames composed of a fixed number of data. In this embodiment, a frame is composed of a plurality of blocks. The data processing unit 5 inputs the address of the read block from the pre-processing unit 2, and starts processing when the blocks constituting the frame are ready.
[ 0020 ]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the data processing unit 5. In the present embodiment, a frame counter is provided for each frame, each frame counter is counted when a block address corresponding to the frame is input, and when the value of the frame counter reaches the number of blocks for restoring the corresponding frame, the data processing unit 5 Performs frame recovery. With the above operation, the data processing unit 5 can start processing at the same time that the necessary data is prepared in the multiport memory 3, so that the time from reading to restoration of the digital code can be shortened. Become.
[ 0021 ]
【The invention's effect】
As described above based on the embodiments, according to the first aspect of the invention, the multi-port memory writing performed by the pre-processing unit and the multi-port memory reading performed by the data processing unit can be performed asynchronously. In addition, since the time required for mediation between the operations of both processing units can be saved, the processing speed can be increased. Further, it is not necessary to arrange the data in the order of the block addresses at the time of restoration , and the restoration process can be performed at high speed. In addition, since the restoration operation is performed simultaneously with the storage of the digital code , the time from data reading to the restoration of the digital code can be shortened, and the processing speed can be increased. According to the second aspect of the present invention, multimedia information that is required to be restored immediately and multimedia information that is not required to be restored immediately can be restored in different systems. It can be restored by a suitable data processing unit.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an information reading apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a code used in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;
4 is a block configuration diagram showing configurations of a pre-processing unit and a multi-port memory in the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the data processing unit in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a block configuration diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional information reading apparatus.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of a conventional information reading apparatus.
8 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the conventional example shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical reading part 2 Pre-processing part 2-1 Code reading part 2-2 Memory control part 3 Multiport memory 4,5 Data processing part
11 Markers
12 Address code
13 data dots

Claims (2)

The multimedia information including at least one of audio information, video information, and digital data converted into a digital code is optically read from a recording medium recorded as an optically readable code, In an information reading apparatus for restoring and outputting the read digital code as multimedia information, a pre-processing unit for extracting the digital code from a signal optically read from the recording medium, and data for restoring the multimedia information The preprocessing unit is connected to one processing port and the data processing unit is connected to the other port, and in parallel with writing of the digital code from the preprocessing unit to a certain address, Reads the digital code written at a different address And a multi-port memory to be output to the data processing unit Te, where code recorded on the recording medium is composed of blocks of a plurality of digital code, the address uniquely determined for each block The pre-processing unit stores the read digital code in the multi-port memory in the block unit in the order of restoration by associating the block address with the address of the multi-port memory. A path for inputting the stored block address of the digital code to the data processing unit, while the data processing unit reads the digital code in the order of the addresses of the multi-port memory, and comprises a plurality of the blocks The multimedia information is restored in units of frames. The block address input from the pre-processing unit via the path is determined to determine that the number of blocks constituting the frame is stored in the multiport memory, and immediately after the determination, An information reading device configured to start processing for restoring multimedia information . The data processing unit is a first data processing unit, does not have a path to which the block address is input from the pre-processing unit, reads the digital code in the order of addresses of the multiport memory, The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second data processing unit that performs restoration.

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