JP5235289B2 - Information processing apparatus, video display method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to information processing technology executed by a game device or the like, and more particularly to video processing technology.

  In Japan, with the start of digital broadcasting services, TVs compatible with high definition television broadcasting (HD (High Definition) TV) have become widespread. HDTV has a resolution that is at least twice as high as that of SD (Standard Definition) TV, so that it is possible to depict more detailed images than analog TV and general DVD. With the spread of HDTV, the content of high-definition moving images (HD images) is also increasing. For example, in the game industry and the like, there is an active movement to provide high-resolution and high-quality game images. In addition, the performance of personal computers (PCs) has improved and the network environment has been improved, so that HD images can be handled on the network.

  The output video format of a TV or PC monitor is defined by the fineness of the video (number of scanning lines), the video display method (scanning method), the video aspect ratio (aspect ratio), etc. The video format is generally expressed using the number (the number of scanning lines) and the scanning method. In Japan, there is a unique connection standard created for connecting analog video signals of video equipment called D terminals. The following shows the correspondence standard between the D terminal and the video format.

D1: 480 (525) i
D2: 480 (525) p
D3: 1080 (1125) i
D4: 720 (750) p
D5: 1080 (1125) p
D1 to D5 guarantee compatibility not only with the video format of the category associated with each of them but also with the lower category standards. Accordingly, the D4 standard corresponds to video formats of 480 (525) i, 480 (525) p, 1080 (1125) i, and 720 (750) p.

  In an information processing device such as a game device or a personal computer, a processing result of an application is generated as an image signal having a set drawing resolution. This image signal is supplied to the display device and output on the screen in a video format that can be output by the display device. If there are multiple options for the rendering resolution to be set or if the display device can output in multiple video formats, the rendering resolution and video format should be devised to provide users with high-quality video. Need to be set.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a technique for setting an output video format in accordance with an execution environment of an application.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus that displays video on a display device, and includes a drawing resolution acquisition unit that acquires a drawing resolution set in an application program, and a display device. A combination of a video format information holding unit that holds information for specifying a video format that can be output set for the image, a drawing resolution set in the application program, and a video format that can be output from the display device, A video format setting unit that sets a video format of a video to be output to the screen of the display device, an application processing unit that executes an application program and generates an image signal at a drawing resolution set in the application program, and The image signal is sent by the video format setting unit. And an output processing unit that outputs to the display device in the set video format.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a method for displaying video on a display device, the step of obtaining a rendering resolution set in an application program, and an output video format set for the display device. The step of holding the information to be identified in the memory, and the step of setting the video format of the video to be output to the screen of the display device from the combination of the drawing resolution set in the application program and the video format that can be output by the display device And executing an application program to generate an image signal at a drawing resolution set in the application program, and outputting the generated image signal to a display device in a set video format.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to the information processing technique of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for setting an output video format in accordance with an execution environment of an application.

  FIG. 1 shows a use environment of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The game system 1 includes a game device 10 that executes a game application, and a display device 12 that outputs a processing result in the game device 10. The display device 12 may be a television set that includes a display unit that outputs an image and further includes an audio output unit that outputs audio. The display device 12 may be connected to the game apparatus 10 by a wired cable, or may be wirelessly connected by a wireless local area network (LAN) or the like.

  The game apparatus 10 is an information processing apparatus that processes a game application and generates an image signal and an audio signal indicating the processing result of the game application. The game apparatus 10 is connected to at least one display device 12, displays video on the display device 12, and outputs sound. Note that the technique shown in the present embodiment is not limited to the game apparatus 10, and can be realized in an information processing apparatus that displays other images on the display device 12 by executing other types of applications. Therefore, in this embodiment, a game system 1 that executes a game application is shown, but a system that executes another application may be used.

  FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the game apparatus 10. The game apparatus 10 includes a power button 20, an LED 22, a system controller 24, a device controller 30, a media drive 32, a hard disk drive 34, a switch 36, a wireless interface 38, a main controller 100, a main memory 102, and an output processing unit 200. Composed.

  The power button 20 is an input unit where an operation input from the user is performed, and is operated to turn on or off the power supply to the game apparatus 10. The power button 20 may be a push button, and the power on or off may be controlled by being pressed. The power button 20 may have another structure such as a touch sensor that allows the user to turn on / off the power. The LED 22 illuminates and displays the power on / off state. When the system controller 24 detects the pressed state or the non-pressed state of the power button 20 and detects a state transition from the power-off state to the pressed state, the system controller 24 starts up the main controller 100 and starts up the operating system boot sequence. At the same time, the lighting of the LED 22 is controlled. When the power cable is inserted into the game apparatus 10, the system controller 24 maintains the standby mode even when the power is off and monitors the pressing of the power button 20.

  The device controller 30 is configured as an LSI (Large-Scale Integrated Circuit) that exchanges information between devices like a south bridge. As illustrated, devices such as a system controller 24, a media drive 32, a hard disk drive 34, a switch 36, and the main controller 100 are connected to the device controller 30. The device controller 30 absorbs the difference in electrical characteristics of each device and the difference in data transfer speed, and controls the timing of data transfer.

  The media drive 32 is a drive device that reads a game program from the medium 50 by driving a medium 50 that records a game program that is an application program. The game program includes at least an execution program for executing a game application and drawing resolution data indicating the drawing resolution of the processed image. The execution program is a program necessary for application processing, and the drawing resolution data indicates the resolution when the result of the application processing is output as an image. The game apparatus 10 allows a plurality of types of drawing resolutions for the game program. The game program is created so that an image can be generated with at least two drawing resolutions from among allowed drawing resolution options, as will be described later.

In the game apparatus 10, the following drawing resolution is allowed.
(1) 1920 × 1080
(2) 1280 × 720
(3) 720 × 576
(4) 720 × 480
Here, (1) 1920 × 1080 and (2) 1280 × 720 are HD (High Definition) rendering resolutions, and (3) 720 × 576 and (4) 720 × 480 are SD (Standard Definition). ) Drawing resolution. Note that (3) 720 × 576 is a rendering resolution corresponding to a PAL television broadcasted in Europe and the like, and (4) 720 × 480 is broadcasted in Japan and the United States in analog television. This is a drawing resolution compatible with NTSC television. Note that the squeeze method is also acceptable for the SD drawing resolution. Accordingly, the game program is set with a drawing resolution from among six drawing resolutions of 1080, 720, 576SQ, 576, 480SQ, and 480 (hereinafter, the resolution may also be expressed by the number of effective scanning lines).

  The hard disk drive 34 is a drive device that drives a built-in hard disk to write / read data. The switch 36 is an Ethernet switch (Ethernet is a registered trademark), and is a device that transmits and receives information by connecting to an external device in a wired or wireless manner. The switch 36 is connected to a wireless interface 38, and the wireless interface 38 is connected to a game controller 40 having a wireless communication function using a communication protocol such as a Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol or an IEEE802.11 protocol. The game controller 40 functions as an input unit through which an operation input from the user is performed.

  The main controller 100 includes a multi-core CPU, and includes one general-purpose processor core and a plurality of simple processor cores in one CPU. In this embodiment, the general-purpose processor core is called a PPU (Power Processing Unit), and the remaining processor cores are called SPUs (Synergistic-Processing Units).

  The main controller 100 executes an operating system (hereinafter simply referred to as “OS (Operating System)”) that provides functions and an environment for efficiently using the game apparatus 10 and comprehensively controls the entire apparatus. . A plurality of application software can be executed on the OS. The OS hierarchy of the game apparatus 10 in the present embodiment takes three layers from the top: the user layer, the kernel (Kernel) layer, and the hypervisor (Hypervisor) layer. In the game device 10, the software of the user layer, the kernel layer, and the hypervisor layer are integrated to function as an “OS” of the game device 10. This OS is a game OS that provides various setting screens provided as standard on the game apparatus 10 and an execution environment for game programs supplied from the media 50. Software that manages the hypervisor layer is called "privileged software". The hypervisor layer is responsible for a part of the entire functions of the OS, that is, the lowest layer function. When the power is turned on from the power button 20, it is always preferentially activated by the privileged software.

  FIG. 3 shows the OS hierarchy when operating the game OS. In this embodiment, the game OS is composed of a user layer, a kernel layer, and a hypervisor layer. When power is turned on by the power button 20, the system controller 24 supplies power to the main controller 100 and the output processing unit 200 via the device controller 30. When power is supplied to the main controller 100, the PPU first executes the boot loader of the game OS to start the hypervisor layer. Subsequently, the PPU activates the kernel layer of the game OS, and further activates the user layer so as to prepare for accepting the game program supplied from the medium 50. Thereby, the main controller 100 can execute a game application.

  The main controller 100 includes a memory controller connected to the main memory 102. The PPU has a register and includes a main processor as an operation execution subject. The PPU efficiently assigns a task as a basic processing unit in each application to each SPU. Note that the PPU itself may execute the task. The SPU has a register, and includes a sub-processor as an operation execution subject and a local memory (dedicated RAM) as a local storage area. The SPU has a dedicated DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller as a control unit, and can transfer data at high speed by transferring data between the main memory 102 and the local memory, and is built in the output processing unit 200. High-speed data transfer can be realized between the frame memory and the local memory.

The output processing unit 200 is connected to the display device 12 and outputs a video signal and an audio signal that are processing results of the application. The output processing unit 200 includes a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and supports the following output video formats.
a) 1080p (16: 9)
b) 720p (16: 9)
c) 1080i (16: 9)
d) 576p (16: 9, 4: 3)
e) 576i (16: 9, 4: 3)
f) 480p (16: 9, 4: 3)
g) 480i (16: 9, 4: 3)
The GPU employs HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). Thereby, a video signal can be digitally output without going through analog.

The output processing unit 200 supports the following audio formats.
7.1ch LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation)
5.1ch LPCM
5.1ch DD (Dolby (registered trademark) Digital Interactive Encoding)
2ch LPCM

  FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the main controller 100 and the output processing unit 200. The main controller 100 includes an input reception unit 104, an HDMI control unit 110, a video format information acquisition unit 116, a video format setting unit 120, a drawing resolution acquisition unit 130, a flash memory 140, an execution processing unit 150, a memory controller 160, and a local memory 162. Is provided. The output processing unit 200 includes an image output unit 210 and an audio output unit 230. The image output unit 210 is configured as a GPU.

  In FIG. 4, each element described as a functional block for performing various processes can be configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and other LSIs in terms of hardware. It is realized by a program such as an OS program or a game program loaded on the computer. As described above, the main controller 100 is provided with one PPU and a plurality of SPUs, and each of the PPUs and SPUs can be configured individually or in cooperation with each other. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof, and is not limited to any one.

  The main controller 100 has an input receiving unit 104 as means for transmitting / receiving control information to / from the device controller 30, and an HDMI control unit 110 as means for transmitting / receiving control information to / from the output processing unit 200. The input receiving unit 104 receives an operation input from the user's game controller 40. In the game system 1, the user uses the game controller 40 to perform various setting operations such as display settings while viewing the GUI displayed on the screen of the display device 12.

  FIG. 5A shows a display setting screen corresponding to NTSC analog television broadcasting. In this setting screen, the user selects a check box of a video format that can be output by the display device 12. Since the NTSC display device 12 always supports the output of the standard video format (480i), the standard video format check box is checked by default, and the user cannot remove it. ing. If the display device 12 can output all other video formats of 480p, 1080i, 720p, and 1080p, as shown in FIG. 5A, the user checks all the check boxes.

  FIG. 5B shows a display setting screen corresponding to the PAL analog television broadcast. In this setting screen, the user selects a check box of a video format that can be output by the display device 12. Since the display device 12 of the PAL system always supports the output of the standard video format (576i), the check box of the standard video format is checked by default setting, and the user cannot remove it. ing. If the display device 12 can output all other video formats of 576p, 1080i, 720p, and 1080p, as shown in FIG. 5B, the user checks all the check boxes.

  When receiving the information selected on the display setting screen from the user, the input receiving unit 104 supplies the information to the video format information acquiring unit 116. As a result, the video format information acquisition unit 116 acquires information for specifying a video format that can be output that is set for the connected display device 12. The video format information acquisition unit 116 stores this video format information in the video format information holding unit 142.

  The HDMI control unit 110 executes device authentication with the HDMI device connected to the game apparatus 10. The attribute request unit 112 requests the connected device to return an EDID (Extended Display Identification Data). The EDID is an ID unique to the monitor that conveys attribute values such as the monitor model name and setting values to the host. For example, when the HDMI control unit 110 recognizes the connection of the HDMI device at the time of booting, reconnecting the connector, or powering on the monitor, the attribute requesting unit 112 requests a reply of EDID, and the attribute acquiring unit 114 is returned. The obtained EDID is acquired and supplied to the video format information acquisition unit 116.

  In the present embodiment, the video format information acquisition unit 116 specifies information specifying the video format that can be output from the display device 12 from the EDID notified from the display device 12 in addition to the selection input from the display setting screen by the user. You may get it. In this case, the video format information acquisition unit 116 extracts and acquires information specifying a video format that can be output from the EDID. The video format information acquisition unit 116 stores this video format information in the video format information holding unit 142.

  As described above, the video format information acquisition unit 116 can acquire information for specifying a video format that can be output set for the display device 12 based on selection input from the user or EDID from the HDMI device. The video format information acquisition unit 116 sets priorities for the selection input by the user and the EDID information from the HDMI device, and when there are both inputs, acquires the video format specifying information according to the priorities. May be. Also, the video format information acquisition unit 116 may acquire the video format specifying information by taking the logical product of both inputs, or may take the logical sum. The EDID from the HDMI device is acquired when the game apparatus 10 is turned on, and the video format information acquisition unit 116 receives the EDID at a timing earlier than the selection input by the user. Therefore, the video format information acquisition unit 116 first acquires video format specifying information that can be output from the EDID, stores it in the video format information holding unit 142, and then acquires the selection input from the user. The content held in the information holding unit 142 may be overwritten.

  The flash memory 140 has a video format information holding unit 142 and a correspondence table holding unit 144 in its storage area. As described above, the video format information holding unit 142 holds information for specifying a video format that can be output set for a display device. According to the selection input on the video output setting screen shown in FIG. 5A, the video format specifying information that can be output indicates five of 480i, 480p, 1080i, 720p, and 1080p. As the video format specifying information, for example, a flag value for each video format may be set, a flag value “1” is set for a video format that can be output, and a flag value “0” is set for a video format that cannot be output. The

  The correspondence table holding unit 144 holds a correspondence table in which a plurality of types of correspondence relationships in which video formats to be output to a display device are associated with combinations of drawing resolutions and video formats are set. In this correspondence table, ranks are set for combinations of drawing resolution and video format.

  The drawing resolution acquisition unit 130 acquires drawing resolution data set in the game program. The drawing resolution data is recorded in a predetermined area of the medium 50 and is data set in advance for presenting the resolution supported by the game application to the game apparatus 10. When the game program of the medium 50 is read to the main memory 102, the drawing resolution acquisition unit 130 acquires drawing resolution data via the memory controller 160.

  FIG. 6 shows drawing resolution data acquired by the drawing resolution acquisition unit 130. As described above, in the game system 1, six types of drawing resolution including the squeeze method are allowed, and the resolution of the image signal that can be generated by the game execution program is set as drawing resolution data. Embedded.

  The drawing resolution data shown in FIG. 6 represents the corresponding drawing resolution with a flag value. A flag value “1” indicates that an image signal can be generated at that resolution, and a flag value “0” indicates that an image signal cannot be generated at that resolution. In the illustrated example, it is shown that the game program can generate image signals of two types of drawing resolutions having the number of effective scanning lines 1080 (aspect ratio 16: 9) and 480 (aspect ratio 4: 3). There may be a game program that can generate a game image at all drawing resolutions.

  In the game system 1, it is preferable that a game program is prepared so as to correspond to at least one HD and SD, respectively. Currently, HDTV is not completely popular, and many users own SDTV. By enabling output to SD, it is possible to provide an environment where anyone can execute a game program, and own HDTV. It is possible to provide a high-quality HD image to the user who is doing this.

  The video format setting unit 120 has a function of setting the video format of the video to be output to the screen of the display device 12 from the combination of the drawing resolution set in the game program and the video format that can be output by the display device 12. . As a result, the output video format can be determined as an optimum value under the game execution environment. Specifically, the video format setting unit 120 refers to the correspondence table held in the correspondence table holding unit 144 and combines the drawing resolution set in the game program to be executed and the video format that can be output from the display device 12. Is determined as an output video format. The video format setting unit 120 notifies the execution processing unit 150 of the set output video format.

  FIG. 7 shows a correspondence table used for the display device 12 compatible with the NTSC system. In the correspondence table, ranks are set for combinations of drawing resolutions and video formats, and output video formats to be output to the display device are associated with the combinations. Since the order of combination is used as a priority when selecting a combination by the video format setting unit 120, the order of combination is set in ascending order from the one with the best image quality. Therefore, in the correspondence table, the order of combinations including the HD (High Definition) video format is set higher than the order of combinations including the SD (Standard Definition) video format.

  The video format setting unit 120 reads information specifying a video format that can be output by the display device 12 from the video format information holding unit 142, and acquires drawing resolution data from the drawing resolution acquisition unit 130. The drawing resolution data may be once stored in a memory such as the local memory 162 and read from the memory to the video format setting unit 120.

  For example, it is assumed that the video format specifying information is the content selected and input by the user as shown in FIG. 5A, and the drawing resolution data is as shown in FIG. At this time, the video formats that can be output are five types of 480i, 480p, 1080i, 720p, and 1080p, and the drawing resolutions that can be supported by the game program are two types of 1080 and 480.

  The video format setting unit 120 refers to the correspondence table read from the correspondence table holding unit 144 and searches for a combination of any of the two types of drawing resolutions and any of the five types of video formats. In this search process, the determination whether or not there is a combination of the drawing resolution and the video format in the correspondence table is executed by using a determination formula that sequentially determines from the upper level to the lower level. The video format setting unit 120 determines whether or not the combination of the drawing resolution and the video format is established using the determination formula.

  In the drawing resolution data, a flag value “1” is set to a drawing resolution that can be generated by the execution program, and in the video format specifying information, a flag value “1” is set to a video format that can be output by the display device 12. ing. The video format setting unit 120 searches for and extracts combinations in which the flag values of both the drawing resolution and the video format are “1” from the combinations set in the correspondence table using a determination formula. Thus, in the determination formula, it is determined whether or not both flag values are “1” in the combination set in the correspondence table. According to this search process, the combination of the first rank (1080, 1080 / p / 16: 9), the combination of the third rank (1080, 1080 / i / 16: 9), and the combination of the eighth rank (480, 480 / p / 4: 3) and the combination of the 9th place (480, 480 / i / 4: 3) is determined.

  When the drawing resolution set in the game program to be executed and the video format that can be output from the display device 12 are combined, and there are a plurality of combinations, the video format setting unit 120 ranks in the correspondence table. The video format associated with the higher combination is selected. In this case, since the first combination (1080, 1080 / p / 16: 9) is the highest rank, the video format setting unit 120 outputs 1080 / p / 16: 9 associated with this combination. Determine the video format. In this way, when there are a plurality of combinations, the output screen to the display device 12 can have high image quality by selecting the output video format associated with the highest combination.

  When the video format setting unit 120 searches for a combination of the drawing resolution and the video format from the top of the correspondence table and detects the corresponding combination, the video format setting unit 120 ends the search process at that time and determines the output video format from the combination. May be. Thereby, the search processing time can be shortened.

  Note that the drawing resolution and the video format resolution are different from the other combinations when attention is paid to the combinations of the drawing resolutions of the ranks 4 and 5 and the video format. As described above, in the correspondence table, the correspondence (for example, correspondence such as rank 2) in which the output video format is associated with the combination of the drawing resolution and the video format having the same resolution as the drawing resolution, the drawing resolution, A correspondence relationship (correspondence relationship of ranks 4 and 5) in which an output video format is associated with a combination of video formats having a resolution higher than the drawing resolution is set.

  This is intended to remedy the case where, for example, the rendering resolution does not support 1080, HD supports only 720, and the HD video format that the display device 12 can output is only 1080i. ing. That is, since the resolution is originally different and cannot be displayed in HD, the game apparatus 10 upconverts the image data of 1280 × 720 drawn by the application processing unit 154 to 1920 × 1080 and outputs it from the display device 12. Like that. As a result, 720 HD images can be output with high definition as 1080 HD images. The up-conversion process is executed in the output processing unit 200.

  Also, in the correspondence table, a correspondence relationship including a combination of one drawing resolution and a video format having a resolution equal to the drawing resolution (correspondence relationship of rank 2), and a video format having a higher resolution than the drawing resolution In the case of holding the correspondence including the combination of (rank 4 and 5), the ranking of the combination including the video format having the resolution equal to the rendering resolution includes the video format having the resolution higher than the rendering resolution. It is set higher than the order of combination. Since image data generated at a rendering resolution of 1280 × 720 maintains higher image quality when output at the same resolution, a combination of output resolutions of 1280 × 720 takes precedence over a higher output resolution of 1920 × 1080. To be selected. As a result, it is possible to provide the user with high-quality video with priority over the user. In the correspondence table of this embodiment, the combination of one rendering resolution and a video format having a resolution lower than the rendering resolution is not defined because the image size is reduced, but the image size A combination for down-converting may be included in the correspondence table.

  FIG. 8 shows a correspondence table used for the display device 12 compatible with the PAL system. In the correspondence table, ranks are set for combinations of drawing resolutions and video formats, and output video formats to be output to the display device are associated with the combinations. Since the order of combination is used as a priority when selecting a combination by the video format setting unit 120, the order of combination is set in ascending order from the one with the best image quality. Therefore, in the correspondence table, the order of combinations including the HD (High Definition) video format is set higher than the order of combinations including the SD (Standard Definition) video format. The basic structure of the correspondence table is the same as that of the correspondence table shown in FIG.

  In the case of the correspondence table for the PAL system, combinations including the drawing resolution 480 are introduced into the combination orders 10 to 13. Even some PAL-compatible TVs can display NTSC image data. By incorporating these combinations into the corresponding table, for example, a game program for Japan can be started on a European PAL-compatible TV. There is a case.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the video format setting unit 120 determines the output video format with reference to the correspondence table held in the correspondence table holding unit 144 has been described. In this embodiment, the video format setting unit 120 uses a determination program that determines whether or not the combination of the drawing resolution and the video format shown in the correspondence table is established in the set priority order without using the correspondence table. Thus, the output video format may be determined.

  This determination program provides the video format setting unit 120 with a function for determining whether or not a combination of the drawing resolution and the video format is established, and a function for determining a video format to be output to the display device 12 for the established combination. make it happen. Except for not determining the output video format using the correspondence table, the basic determination method is equivalent to the determination method for determining whether or not the combination can be established in the search processing described with reference to FIG. A determination method using the determination program is shown below.

  The video format setting unit 120 has a plurality of determination formulas for determining whether or not a combination of the rendering resolution set in the game program to be executed and the video format that can be output from the display device 12 is established. An execution order is set in the plurality of determination formulas. Here, the execution order indicates the order in which the judgment formulas are executed, and is equivalent to the priority order in FIGS. The determination formula is a program for determining whether or not both the flag value of the drawing resolution data and the flag value of the video format specifying information are “1”. The determination program, when the determination formula is satisfied, The video format to be output to the display device 12 is configured to be output to the execution processing unit 150. Therefore, the video format setting unit 120 executes the determination process using the determination formula according to the execution order, and determines the video format associated with the established combination as the video format to be output to the display device 12.

  In the determination program, the execution order of the determination formula for determining whether or not a combination including an HD (High Definition) video format can be established determines whether or not a combination including an SD (Standard Definition) video format can be established. It is set higher than the execution order of the judgment formulas. As a result, the video format setting unit 120 can first determine the establishment of the best image quality among the possible combinations, and therefore the determination process is terminated when the determination formula is satisfied, and the determination process is performed. Time can be shortened.

  The video format setting unit 120 also determines a rendering resolution, a determination formula for determining whether a combination of video formats having a resolution equal to the rendering resolution is established, a rendering resolution, and a video format having a resolution higher than the rendering resolution. And a determination formula for determining whether or not the combination can be established. As described in connection with the correspondence table, for example, the rendering resolution does not support 1080, HD supports only 720, and the HD video format that can be output from the display device 12 is only 1080i. Such cases can be remedied. That is, since the resolution is originally different and cannot be displayed in HD, the game apparatus 10 upconverts the image data of 1280 × 720 drawn by the application processing unit 154 to 1920 × 1080 and outputs it from the display device 12. Like that. As a result, 720 HD images can be output with high definition as 1080 HD images.

  The video format setting unit 120 has a resolution higher than the drawing resolution for determining the execution order of the determination formula for determining whether or not a combination of one drawing resolution and a video format having a resolution equal to the drawing resolution can be established. It is set higher than the determination formula for determining whether or not the combination with the video format can be established. For example, image data generated at a drawing resolution of 1280 × 720 maintains a higher image quality when output at the same resolution, so that the output of 1280 × 720 is relatively lower than the high output resolution of 1920 × 1080. The resolution combination judgment formula is executed with priority. As a result, it is possible to provide the user with high-quality video with priority over the user.

Returning to FIG. 4, the execution processing unit 150 includes an OS execution unit 152 that executes an OS and an application processing unit 154 that executes an application.
When the power is turned on, the OS execution unit 152 reads and executes the boot loader of the game OS recorded in a predetermined area such as the ROM or the flash memory 140, and executes a hyper function, which is a partial function of the game OS. Prioritize the visor layer. This provides an environment in which the application processing unit 154 executes the game execution program.

  The memory controller 160 controls writing / reading of the external main memory 102 and the local memory 162 built in the SPU. The memory controller 160 stores the program read from the hard disk or the medium 50 in the main memory 102 or the local memory 162. The execution processing unit 150 executes processing based on a program stored in the main memory 102 and / or the local memory 162.

  When the display device 12 is an HDMI device, the HDMI terminal is equipped with a copy protection function called HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection). In this HDCP mechanism, a method is adopted in which after the connected devices authenticate each other, the video is transferred by encryption decided between the devices, and this authentication takes about several seconds. In the present embodiment, as soon as the video format setting unit 120 sets the output video format, the application processing unit 154 executes a game program activation process. At this time, it is preferable that HDCP authentication is executed in parallel, and when the authentication is completed, the application processing unit 154 is notified to that effect. Thereby, the application processing unit 154 can recognize that the HDCP authentication has already been completed when the game program is started, and can immediately enter a state in which the game application can be executed.

  The application processing unit 154 executes a game execution program on the OS, and generates an image signal at a drawing resolution set in the game program. The application processing unit 154 is notified of the output video format set by the video format setting unit 120, and from this output video format, any drawing resolution is selected from among a plurality of drawing resolutions supported by the execution program. Decide. For example, as described above, in the game program, 1080 and 480 are set as the drawing resolution (see FIG. 6), and when the output video format is determined to be 1080 / p / 16: 9, the application processing unit 154 Determines that 1080 is adopted as the drawing resolution. Note that information on the employed drawing resolution may be notified from the video format setting unit 120 to the application processing unit 154. The processing result of the application processing unit 154 is supplied to the output processing unit 200.

  In the output processing unit 200, the image output unit 210 includes an image control unit 212, a converter 214, a memory controller 216, a frame memory 218, and a display controller 220. The image control unit 212 manages the image processing function in the image output unit 210 in an integrated manner. The memory controller 216 controls writing / reading of the frame memory 218. The image data generated by the application processing unit 154 is written into the frame memory 218.

  The converter 214 has a function of up-converting an image signal output at a predetermined drawing resolution to a predetermined output resolution. Converter 214 may be configured as a hardware scaler, but may have an up-conversion function configured by software. The image control unit 212 receives the output video format information set by the video format setting unit 120, receives the drawing resolution by the application processing unit 154, and determines the drawing resolution by the application processing unit 154 and the output resolution of the output video format. If they are different, the image signal from the application processing unit 154 is input to the converter 214 to generate an up-converted image signal. For example, when the drawing resolution is 720 and the output video format is 1080 / i / 16: 9, the converter 214 converts the image data of 1280 × 720 into image data of 1920 × 1080 and stores it in the frame memory 218. return.

  The display controller 220 generates horizontal and vertical synchronization signals, and sequentially reads pixel data of the image frame data from the frame memory 218 in a line according to the display timing of the display device 12. The display controller 220 receives an instruction of the output video format from the image control unit 212, and outputs the pixel data read in a line shape in the instructed video format. Note that the converter 214 may be incorporated in the display controller 220, and the image signal up-converted by the converter 214 may be output from the display controller 220 to the display device 12 without being returned to the frame memory 218.

  When the audio output unit 230 receives the audio signal from the execution processing unit 150, the audio output unit 230 outputs the audio from the speaker of the display device 12.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

  In the embodiment, the setting of the output video format has been described, but the same applies to the output audio format. In the output format setting process, the output format of the audio to be output to the audio output device is set from the combination of the output audio format set in the game program and the audio format that can be output by the audio output device. The audio output device may be integrated with the display device or may be an AV amplifier.

  FIG. 9A shows an audio output setting screen. In this setting screen, the user selects a check box of an audio format that can be output by the audio output device. In this example, the user has checked the check boxes of the Dolby (registered trademark) digital 5.1 channel and the linear PCM2 channel.

  FIG. 9B shows a confirmation screen for audio output settings. Press the enter button on this screen to confirm the selected audio format. When receiving the audio format selection information from the user, the input receiving unit 104 supplies the audio format information acquisition unit (not shown).

  FIG. 10 shows audio output data included in the game program. The audio output data specifies an output format that can be generated by the game execution program, and the corresponding output format is expressed by a flag value. In the illustrated example, it is shown that the game program enables 7-channel audio output, 5-channel audio output, and 2-channel audio output.

  FIG. 11 shows a correspondence table used when determining the audio output format. In the correspondence table, a plurality of types of correspondences are set, in which output formats output to the audio output device are associated with combinations of output formats supported by the game program and output formats supported by the audio output device. . In addition, a rank is set for each combination. This correspondence table is held in the flash memory 140.

  An audio format setting unit (not shown) sets an output format to be output to the audio device from the audio output data included in the game program and the output format supported by the audio output device. According to the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, 2LPCM of rank 4 is set. The set audio format is notified to the application processing unit 154, and the application processing unit 154 generates an audio signal according to the audio format. The generated audio signal is output from the audio output unit 230 to the audio output device.

  Note that a DD module, which is an audio output module, needs to be activated to output a predetermined audio format, specifically 5.1ch DD. This DD module is a hardware module that enables Dolby digital sound output, and it takes about several seconds to start. For this reason, when the application processing unit 154 starts executing the game program startup process, it is preferable to execute the DD module startup process in parallel. When the DD module activation process is completed, the DD module notifies the application processing unit 154 to that effect. Thereby, the application processing unit 154 can recognize that the DD module is already activated when the game program is started, and can immediately enter a state in which the game application can be executed.

  In the game apparatus 10, for example, an output video format in the display device 12 is set in advance in accordance with a resolution that can be output from the display device 12. When the preset output video format is different from the output video format set by the video format setting unit 120, the output video format set by the video format setting unit 120 is given priority. When HDCP authentication is executed in accordance with the change of the output video format, it is preferable to perform HDCP authentication as described above in parallel with the start processing of the game execution program, and the output audio format is also changed. In some cases, it is preferable to activate a predetermined audio output module in parallel with the activation process of the execution program.

It is a figure which shows the use environment of the game system concerning the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional block diagram of a game device. It is a figure which shows the OS hierarchy at the time of game OS operation | movement. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of a main controller and an output process part. (A) is a figure which shows the setting screen of the display corresponding to the analog television broadcast of NTSC system, (b) is a figure which shows the setting screen of the display corresponding to the analog television broadcast of PAL system. It is a figure which shows the drawing resolution data which a drawing resolution acquisition part acquires. It is a figure which shows the corresponding | compatible table used with respect to the display apparatus corresponding to NTSC system. It is a figure which shows the corresponding | compatible table used with respect to the display apparatus corresponding to a PAL system. (A) is a figure which shows the setting screen of audio | voice output, (b) is a figure which shows the confirmation screen of audio | voice output setting. It is a figure which shows the audio | voice output data contained in a game program. It is a figure which shows the corresponding | compatible table used when determining an audio | voice output format.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Game system, 10 ... Game device, 12 ... Display apparatus, 24 ... System controller, 30 ... Device controller, 32 ... Media drive, 34 ... Hard disk drive, 40 ... Game controller, 50 ... Media, 100 ... Main controller, 102 ... Main memory, 104 ... Input reception unit, 110 ... HDMI control unit, 112 ... Attribute request unit, 114 ... Attribute acquisition unit, 116 ... Video format information acquisition unit, 120 ... Video format setting unit, 130 ... Drawing resolution acquisition unit, 140 ... Flash memory, 142 ... Video format information Holding unit, 144... Correspondence table holding unit, 150... Execution processing unit, 152... OS execution unit, 154. Application processing unit, 160 ... Memory controller, 162 ... Local memory, 200 ... Output processing unit, 210 ... Image output unit, 212 ... Image control unit, 214 ... Converter, 216 .. Memory controller, 218... Frame memory, 220... Display controller, 230.

Claims (12)

An information processing apparatus for displaying video on a display device,
A drawing resolution acquisition unit for acquiring a plurality of drawing resolutions set in the application program;
A video format information holding unit for holding information for specifying a video format that can be output set for a display device;
A video format setting unit for setting an output video format of video output to the screen of the display device from a combination of a plurality of drawing resolutions set in the application program and a video format that can be output by the display device;
An application processing unit that executes an application program and generates an image signal at a drawing resolution adopted by the video format setting unit;
An output processing unit that outputs the generated image signal to the display device in an output video format set by the video format setting unit;
The combination of the drawing resolution set in the application program and the video format that can be output by the display device includes the drawing resolution, the combination of video formats having a resolution equal to the drawing resolution, the drawing resolution, and the drawing resolution. A combination of video formats with higher resolution,
When the video format setting unit sets an output video format associated with a rendering resolution and a combination of video formats having a higher resolution than the rendering resolution,
The application processing unit generates an image signal at a drawing resolution adopted by the video format setting unit,
The output processing unit up-converts the image signal generated by the application processing unit into the output video format and outputs it to the display device.
An information processing apparatus characterized by that.   The video format setting unit has a function of determining whether or not a combination of a drawing resolution and a video format can be established, and determining an output video format to be output to a display device for the established combination. Item 4. The information processing apparatus according to Item 1. The video format setting unit has a plurality of determination formulas for determining whether or not the combination of the drawing resolution and the video format is established, and the execution order is set in the plurality of determination formulas,
The said video format setting part determines the output video format output to a display apparatus with respect to the established combination by performing the determination process using a determination formula according to an execution order. Information processing device.   The video format setting unit determines an execution order of a determination formula for determining whether or not a combination including an HD (High Definition) video format is established, and whether or not a combination including an SD (Standard Definition) video format is established. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information processing apparatus is set higher than an execution order of the determination formula.   The video format setting unit includes a rendering resolution, a determination formula for determining whether or not a combination of video formats having a resolution equal to the rendering resolution can be established, a rendering resolution, and a video format having a resolution higher than the rendering resolution. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a determination formula for determining whether the combination can be established.   The video format setting unit determines the execution order of a determination formula for determining whether or not a combination of one drawing resolution and a video format having a resolution equal to the drawing resolution is established, and a video having a resolution higher than the drawing resolution. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the information processing apparatus is set higher than a determination formula for determining whether or not the combination with the format can be established. A correspondence table holding unit that holds a correspondence table in which a plurality of types of correspondences in which a combination of a drawing resolution and a video format is associated with an output video format to be output to a display device is set;
The video format setting unit refers to the correspondence table, and outputs a video format associated with a combination of a drawing resolution set in an application program to be executed and a video format that can be output by a display device, as an output video format. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is determined as follows. The correspondence table holding unit sets the order of combinations of drawing resolution and video format,
The video format setting unit, when combining the drawing resolution set in the application program to be executed and the video format that can be output by the display device, if there are a plurality of combinations, ranks in the correspondence table The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an output video format associated with a high combination is selected.   An audio format setting unit that sets an audio format to be output to the audio output device from a combination of an audio output format set in the application program and an output format that can be output by the audio output device; The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   When the audio format setting unit sets a predetermined audio format, a module for executing audio output in a predetermined audio format is activated in parallel with the application program activation process by the application processing unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9. A method of displaying video on a display device,
Obtaining a plurality of drawing resolutions set in the application program;
Storing in a memory information identifying a video format that can be output set for a display device;
A step of setting an output video format of video to be output to the screen of the display device from a combination of a plurality of drawing resolutions set in the application program and a video format that can be output by the display device;
Executing an application program to generate an image signal at the drawing resolution employed in the output video format setting step;
Outputting the generated image signal to a display device in a set output video format,
The combination of the drawing resolution set in the application program and the video format that can be output by the display device includes the drawing resolution, the combination of video formats having a resolution equal to the drawing resolution, the drawing resolution, and the drawing resolution. A combination of video formats with higher resolution,
When the output video format setting step sets the output video format associated with the combination of the drawing resolution and the video format having a higher resolution than the drawing resolution,
The application execution step generates an image signal at the drawing resolution adopted in the output video format setting step,
In the output step, the image signal generated in the application execution step is up-converted to the output video format and output to the display device.
A video display method characterized by the above. To a computer that outputs image signals to a display device,
A function to obtain multiple drawing resolutions set in the application program;
A function for storing in a memory information specifying an output video format set for a display device;
A function for setting an output video format of video output to the screen of the display device from a combination of a plurality of drawing resolutions set in the application program and a video format that can be output by the display device;
A function of executing an application program and generating an image signal at a drawing resolution adopted by the output video format setting function;
A program for realizing a function of outputting a generated image signal to a display device in a set output video format,
The combination of the drawing resolution set in the application program and the video format that can be output by the display device includes the drawing resolution, the combination of video formats having a resolution equal to the drawing resolution, the drawing resolution, and the drawing resolution. A combination of video formats with higher resolution,
When the output video format setting function sets the output video format associated with the combination of the drawing resolution and the video format having a higher resolution than the drawing resolution,
The application execution function generates an image signal at the drawing resolution adopted by the output video format setting function,
The output function is a program characterized in that the image signal generated by the application execution function is up-converted to the output video format and output to the display device.

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