JP4595815B2 - Recorder system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for providing a user-friendly linkage between a portable TV recorder and a stationary recorder.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, portable televisions that receive analog television broadcasts have been provided and are widely used to meet the demand for viewing TV on the go. In addition, a stationary digital video recorder (above-mentioned station) that has built-in large-capacity storage devices such as hard disks and DVDs, receives analog and digital TV broadcasts, and records and plays back digital data. The spread is expanding as a replacement product.

  On the other hand, in order to respond to the need to view recorded video data outdoors, a large number of portable video viewers with built-in large-capacity storage devices such as hard disks that transfer digital video data and play it on the go have been commercialized. Yes.

  In the future, as digital broadcasting for mobile devices is expected to become widespread, a portable TV recorder (hereinafter referred to as PTR) with a built-in storage device in a portable TV terminal is available to meet the need to record TV broadcasts on the go. It is thought that it will increase.

  In addition, it is assumed that data broadcasting assumed for digital television broadcasting for mobile devices provides an Internet website address related to program contents.

  Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose techniques for improving usability by enabling recording reservation and recording control from a remote place with the digital video recorder described above.

JP 2001-245264 JP 2001-346137 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-291066 JP 2002-374484 A

  PTRs such as those described above must be received and recorded in an outdoor environment where radio waves are unstable and power supply is limited, so recording such as degradation of image quality due to insufficient radio field strength or recording failure due to battery exhaustion is unavoidable. The risk of failure cannot be avoided. Furthermore, in television broadcasting, a program that has been broadcast once is normally not broadcast again, so recording failure is fatal.

  Alternatively, it is conceivable to perform backup recording at the station as a solution to such a problem, but there is a possibility that another scheduled recording that has been reserved at the station cannot be executed by the backup recording.

  Alternatively, it is necessary to make recording reservations separately for the station and the PTR, which is troublesome.

  Alternatively, even if an Internet website address or the like is obtained by data broadcasting, it cannot be used unless it has a function to connect to the Internet or cannot connect to the Internet due to a radio wave state of a wireless communication function.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a PTR that solves the above-described problems and that has high recorded video quality and is easy to use.

The recorder system of the present invention, which records video information in cooperation with a portable TV recorder and a stationary digital video recorder, includes a first tuner for receiving video information and a first recording unit for recording the video information. A display unit for displaying video information received by the first tuner or video information recorded in the first recording unit, and controlling the first tuner and the first recording unit according to reservation information. First recording reservation means for recording video information, and first video information management for managing a viewing history of video information viewed by the display unit and a state of video information recorded in the first recording unit notify means, the first video management information of the first reservation information and the first video information managing means of said first recording reservation means to the digital video recorder A portable television recorders equipped with first communication means, a second communication means for receiving a first reservation information and the first video management information from the portable television recorders, second to record the recording reservation video information A second recording reservation unit for recording video information by controlling the second tuner and the second recording unit according to the reservation information, and the video information recorded in the second recording unit. A second video information management means for managing the second video recording management means, wherein the second recording reservation means is based on the first reservation information of the portable portable TV recorder received by the second communication means. The portable video recording recorder receives backup recording reservation and the second video information management means is received by the second communication means. It was to remove the video information of the second recording section based on the state of the first video management information and the video information recorded in the second recording unit.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use PTR with high recorded video quality.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a PTR according to an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, in which 100 is a PTR, 101 is a tuner for digital television broadcasting for portable terminals, 102 is a control device, 103 is an audio decoder, 104 is an LCD, and 105 is Communication apparatus 106 Storage 107 Reference antenna 108 Speaker 109 Video decoder 111 TS interface 112 LCD controller 113 Audio DAC / amplifier 114 LCD 114 LCD 115 I / F, 116 is a wireless LAN, 117 is a cellular phone communication I / F, 118 is a modem, and 119 is a CPU / memory.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a communication connection between the communication device 105 built in the PTR 100 of one embodiment of the present invention device and the station 200, wherein 200 is a station, 201 is a public wireless LAN access point, 202 is the Internet, and 203 is A mobile phone / PHS terminal, 204 is a mobile phone communication network, 205 is a public telephone line network, and the same numbers as those in FIG.

  The tuner 101 receives a radio wave from the antenna 108 and outputs it as TS (TransmitStream: digital image / audio stream) data.

  The TS I / F 111 separates video and audio from the TS data input from the tuner 101 and outputs image data to the video decoder 110 and audio data to the audio decoder 103. The video decoder 110 decodes the input compressed image data and outputs it to the LCD 104 as a display device via the LCD controller 112. On the other hand, the audio decoder 103 decodes the input compressed audio data and outputs it to the speaker 109 via the audio DAC / amplifier 113.

  The control device 102 is an LSI that includes a TS I / F 111, a video decoder 110, an LCD controller 112, an audio decoder 103, a clock function 114, and a CPU / memory 119 that controls each unit of the portable television recorder. The CPU / memory 119 controls the operation of each unit, stores TS data from the tuner 101 in the storage 106 during recording, and passes the TS data read from the storage 106 to the TS-I / F 111 during playback. In addition, the communication apparatus 105 is controlled to control communication with the station 200. The clock function 114 has a function of providing time information to the CPU / memory 119 and a function of notifying the CPU / memory 119 when a preset time is reached.

  The power supply 107 is a power supply unit including a rechargeable secondary battery, supplies power necessary for the operation of the PTR 100 to the entire apparatus, and provides information such as the remaining amount of the secondary battery to the control apparatus 102.

  The station 200 is provided with video / audio output for the PTR 100 instead of the LCD 104 and the built-in speaker 109, and the power source 107 does not have a battery for main function operation and has a small capacity for supplying power necessary for the clock backup operation. Built-in battery. Since it is premised that the same program can be recorded in the PTR 100 and the station 200, when the simulcast is not performed, the tuner 101 is equipped with a TV tuner for mobile terminals like the PTR 100, and the simulcast is performed. Is equipped with a broadcast tuner for stationary equipment.

  The communication device 105 of the PTR 100 includes a USB I / F 115, a wireless LAN 116, a mobile phone communication I / F 117, and a public telephone line modem 118. The station 200 has a similar communication function, and each has an appropriate communication I / F. Use to communicate with each other.

  The communication device 105 communicates by directly connecting to the station 200 via the USB I / F 115, or if the direct connection is not possible, connects to the public wireless LAN access point 201 via the wireless LAN 116 and via the Internet 202 according to the user's request. Communicate with the station 200, connect the cellular phone / PHS terminal 203 with the cellular phone communication I / F, communicate with the station 200 from the cellular phone communication network 204 via the Internet 202 or the public telephone line network 205, or a modem 118 connects to the public line network 205 to communicate with the station 200.

An example of a recording reservation screen in such a station 200 is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 3, 300 is a recording reservation list, 301 is a recording reservation date and time designation column, 302 is a recording reservation channel designation column, 303 is a recording reservation program name designation column, 304 is a recording reservation destination designation and terminal notification status display column, and 305 is A backup recording designation column, 306 is a recording reservation priority designation column, 307 is a storage remaining amount guide display column when recording is completed, 308 is a recording priority setting selection area, and 309 is a storage remaining margin selection area during backup recording.

  Recording reservation is performed by designating the date and time 301, the channel 302, and the program name 303. Information such as date and time and program name may be acquired from an electronic program guide and a program to be reserved for recording may be selected and specified. As shown in the recording reservation destination designation column 304, in the station 200 of the present invention, it is possible to select whether the reserved recording is performed in the station 200 itself or in the PTR 100. In addition, by registering a unique ID of a PTR in advance, reservation destinations can be individually specified for a plurality of PTRs.

  When PTR 100 is designated as a recording reservation destination, the station 200 confirms whether or not communication with the PTR 100 is possible, and if communication is possible, recording reservation instruction information (date and time 301, channel 302, program name 303) is given to the PTR 100. The PTR 100 sets the recording reservation according to this instruction. If it is not communicable, it waits until it becomes communicable, and if it is connected and communicable later, a recording reservation instruction is notified to PTR100. When the recording reservation is completed, the PTR 100 notifies the station 200 to that effect, but when the instructed recording reservation overlaps with a program that has already been set for recording reservation in the PTR 100, the PTR 100 notifies the station 200 to that effect. The station 200 displays on the screen whether or not to cancel the program already reserved in the PTR 100 and set the recording reservation, and asks the user to determine the result and notifies the PTR 100 of the result. When the notification is completed and the station 200 completes normally and the reservation instruction has been transmitted to the PTR 100, the station 200 displays "Notified" in the reservation column of the recording reservation destination designation column 304.

  Further, when communication is possible via the Internet, in addition to transmitting the reservation instruction information directly, the station 200 transmits an email in which the reservation instruction information is described or attached to the specified mail address, In addition, this mail is given a title that indicates that it is a recording reservation instruction for the PTR 100. The PTR 100 periodically confirms reception of the mail addressed to this mail address, confirms the title, and if it is a recording reservation instruction mail, performs recording reservation setting according to the instruction. Similarly, the notification from the PTR 100 to the station 200 can be realized by transmitting information to the e-mail address for the station. However, the e-mail title includes the identifier of the other party, for example, the device name such as the station ““ terminal ”, It is also possible to perform bidirectional information notification using a single mail address by attaching the ID of the exchanged device.

When the PTR 100 is designated as the recording reservation destination 304 in the recording reservation at the station 200, the backup recording designation column 305 can be set so that the backup recording is performed at the station 200 in preparation for the risk of a recording failure at the PTR 100.
When backup recording is designated in this backup recording designation column 305, the scheduled recording is executed assuming that the scheduled recording is set at the same time as the scheduled recording in the station 200, and in preparation for the recording failure in the PTR 100.

  The station 200 to which backup recording is specified may overlap with a recording that has already been scheduled for recording by backup recording, and a recording priority setting selection area 308 is added to the recording reservation list 300 in order for the user to specify a countermeasure for the overlapping. Have. Furthermore, the recording priority (priority) can be designated for each recording reservation in the recording reservation priority designation column 306 from three types: high, medium, and low. Referenced to determine the recording priority when "determine" is selected.

  FIG. 5 is an example of a time table based on the priority level of recording reservation execution in an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numerals 401, 402, and 403 show images of time tables that are actually executed for reserved recording. The same number as FIG. 3 shows the same object.

  In the case where normal recording and backup recording overlap as shown in FIG. 5, the station 200 performs appropriate recording according to the state selected in the recording priority setting selection area 308.

In the recording priority setting selection area 308, three options of “always give priority to station reservation”, “always give priority to backup recording” and “determine priority recording according to priority” are prepared. If the recording reservation overlaps when “Always give priority to station reservation” is selected, the normal reservation recording of the station is executed with priority over the backup recording. (501) When the recording reservation overlaps when “Always give priority to backup recording” is selected, the backup recording is executed with priority over the normal reservation recording of the station. (502) When “Determine priority recording according to priority” is selected, the priority level is set according to the priority (high, medium, low) specified in the recording reservation priority specification column 306 set at the time of recording reservation. Perform high scheduled recording. (503)
In any setting in the recording priority setting selection area 308, if the overlapping of recordings is a part, the reservation with a low priority is recorded halfway or in the middle before the priority recording starts or after it ends. To do.

  Further, even when the backup recording does not overlap with the normal recording reservation, the storage capacity of the station 200 is insufficient due to the execution of the backup recording, and the normal recording reservation after the execution of the backup recording cannot be executed. There is sex. In order to prevent this, if the priority of backup recording is medium or low, the remaining storage capacity is checked 5 minutes before the start of backup recording. The predicted storage remaining capacity is displayed on the recording reservation list 300 as shown in the storage remaining capacity guideline display column 307 when recording is completed, and is also presented as a guide to the user. In the remaining amount calculation, only the capacity that is actually recorded is subtracted in consideration of the priority.

  In the remaining storage check just before the start of backup recording, the storage capacity that will be consumed by the recording reservation that is set up to 24 hours after the start time of backup recording is calculated, Compare with remaining storage. As a result, when the remaining storage capacity is low, the backup recording is stopped, and the backup recording is performed only when the remaining storage capacity is larger. At this time, the time to be secured as the remaining storage margin can be selected by the user in the setting of the remaining storage margin selection area 309 at the time of backup recording, and is referred to when checking the remaining storage.

  On the other hand, FIG. 4 shows an example of a recording reservation screen in the PTR 100 of one embodiment of the present invention. 400 is a recording reservation list, 401 is a recording reservation date / time specifying column, 402 is a recording reservation channel specifying column, and 403 is a recording. This is a reserved program name designation column.

  The PTR 100 has a single recording reservation function. By specifying the date and time 401 and the channel 402 on the recording reservation list 400, the CPU 119 is notified when the clock function 114 reaches the specified time, and the PTR 100 is automatically reserved for recording. Receive the broadcast and record the program for a specified time. When a recording reservation is designated on the PTR 100, the PTR 100 communicates with the station 200 to notify the backup recording. Upon receiving this notification, the station 200 adds the actual recording reservation as “recording reservation in the PTR 100 (with backup)” to its own recording reservation list 300 and reserves the backup recording.

  Alternatively, at the time of recording reservation in the PTR 100, the backup recording instruction is not initially notified, and when the radio wave condition defect status from the tuner 101 is detected at the start of the reserved recording or during the reserved recording, or before the reserved recording is started to the end of the reserved recording If a low battery status from the power source 107 is detected during this period, the communication function 105 tries to connect to the station 200 and notifies the station 200 to perform backup recording of the reserved recording after connection. The station 200 performs recording according to the notified information.

  Since the backup-recorded program is recorded in both the station 200 and the PTR 100, an automatic deletion function is provided in order to prevent the storage capacity from being wasted. If the PTR 100 cannot record normally due to deterioration of radio wave reception status or battery shortage during scheduled recording, it will save the recording viewing status of recording failure as recording information. Record the status of success. In addition, the user can designate a status as to whether or not the recorded program has been viewed, such as “unviewed” or “viewed”. In addition, when both the beginning and end portions of the recorded program are reproduced, the “viewed” status is automatically recorded.

  When the PTR 100 is connected to the station 200 after the scheduled recording is completed and becomes communicable, recording such as “viewed”, “unviewed”, “recording failure”, etc., together with the date / channel of the program reserved for recording to the station 200 Send viewing status. Similarly, when the station 200 is also performing backup recording, it transmits program information and a recording / viewing status to the PTR 100. Each of the PTR 100 and the station 200 erases the program data of the PTR 100 and the station 200 according to the combination of the recording statuses shown in FIG. If the recording result of the PTR 100 is “recording failure” or successful recording but “viewed” and the recording result of the station 200 is “recording success”, the recorded data stored in the PTR 100 (on the way) (Including data that failed to be recorded) is determined to be unnecessary and is deleted.

  On the other hand, the station 200 holds data that has failed due to “recording failure”, and if the PTR 100 has succeeded in recording (regardless of “viewed” or “unviewed”), the station 200 It is determined that the recording data stored in 200 is no longer necessary, and the recording failure data of the station 200 is deleted.

  However, the data to be deleted can be left as long as the remaining storage capacity is not insufficient. For this reason, although the program to be automatically deleted is deleted from the recorded program list, it is left on the actual storage and is actually deleted when the storage remaining amount is insufficient. As a result, the user can restore the program remaining on the storage even if it is deleted from the recorded program list.

  Further, the PTR 100 has an Internet connection function, a Web page display function, and a mail reception function. In digital TV broadcasting for portable devices, when the URL or e-mail address of a program-related Internet Web page broadcasted by PTR 100 on a broadcast wave is received, if the URL is received, the Web can be connected to the Internet. Display pages and send / receive emails. On the other hand, even if the PTR 100 has the web page display function, the web page cannot be referred to on the spot due to a poor radio wave condition such as a wireless communication function for connecting to the Internet, or referred to on the spot according to the user's preference. If not, the PTR 100 stores the information such as the URL in the storage in association with the program information (date and time, channel, program name). The stored information can be pulled out or deleted when the user desires, and the Web page or the like can be referred to when the radio wave state is recovered at a later date. Further, the station 200 has an Internet connection function, a Web page display function, and a mail reception function. When the station 200 is connected to the station 200, the stored information is transferred to the station 200. Can be displayed.

It is a block diagram of PTR of an Example. It is a figure which shows the communication connection of the communication apparatus 105 and the station 200 which PTR100 of an Example incorporates. It is a recording reservation screen in the station 200 of an Example. It is a recording reservation screen in PTR100 of an Example. This is a time table when normal recording and backup recording overlap. A combination of recording statuses for determining automatic erasure in the embodiment will be shown.

Explanation of symbols

100 ... PTR, 101 ... Tuner for digital TV broadcasting for mobile terminals,
102 ... Control device, 103 ... Audio decoder, 104 ... LCD, 105 ... Communication device,
106 ... Storage, 107 ... Power supply, 108 ... Antenna, 109 ... Speaker,
110 ... Video decoder, 111 ... TS interface,
112 ... LCD controller, 113 ... Audio DAC / Amplifier, 114 ... LCD,
115: USB I / F, 116: Wireless LAN, 117: Mobile phone communication I / F,
118 ... modem, 119 ... CPU / memory, 200 ... station,
201: Public wireless LAN access point, 202 ... Internet,
203 ... Mobile phone / PHS terminal, 204 ... Mobile phone communication network, 205 ... Public telephone network,
300 ... Recording reservation list, 301 ... Recording reservation date and time designation column,
302: Recording reservation channel designation row 303: Recording reserved program name designation row,
304: Recording reservation destination designation and terminal notification status display column, 305 ... Backup recording designation column,
306 ... Recording reservation priority designation column, 307 ... Storage remaining amount guide display column when recording is completed,
308 ... Recording priority setting selection area,
309 ... Storage remaining margin selection area at the time of backup recording,
400 ... Recording reservation list, 401 ... Recording reservation date / time designation column,
402 ... Recording reservation channel designation column, 403 ... Recording reservation program name designation column,
501: Reservation execution time table when “Always give priority to station reservation”
502 ... Reservation execution time table when "always give priority to backup recording"
503... Reservation execution time table for "determining priority recording according to priority"

Claims (1)

A recorder system that records video information in cooperation with a portable TV recorder and a stationary digital video recorder,
A first tuner for receiving video information, a first recording unit for recording the video information, and video information received by the first tuner or video information recorded in the first recording unit are displayed. A display unit, a first recording reservation unit for controlling the first tuner and the first recording unit according to reservation information to record video information, a viewing history of video information viewed by the display unit, First video information management means for managing the status of the video information recorded in the first recording section, first reservation information of the first recording reservation means, and first of the first video information management means A portable television recorder comprising first communication means for notifying the digital video recorder of the video management information of
Second communication means for receiving first reservation information and first video management information from the portable TV recorder, a second recording unit for recording video information reserved for recording, and a second tuner according to the reservation information And a second recording reservation unit for controlling the second recording unit to record video information, and a second video information management unit for managing the video information recorded in the second recording unit. Consisting of a digital video recorder with
The second recording reservation means performs backup recording reservation based on the first reservation information of the portable portable TV recorder received by the second communication means,
The second video information management means is based on the first video management information of the portable portable TV recorder received by the second communication means and the status of the video information recorded in the second recording unit. recorder systems and deletes the video information recording part of.

Images