JPH05268566A - Multi-medium processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain picture quality and sound quality in response to a transfer speed of an input output device by varying a compression ratio of a moving picture and an audio signal in response to the input output device. CONSTITUTION:A compression ratio and an expansion ratio of a moving picture CODEC MC and an audio CODEC AC are switched in response to a transfer speed of input output devices DK1, DK2, LC inputting/outputting multi-medium data. Furthermore, compression ratios and expansion ratios corresponding to plural input output devices are recorded in input output controllers IOC1, IOC2 connecting to the plural input output devices DK1, DK2, LC and the compression ratio and the expansion ratio of the moving picture CODEC MC and the audio CODEC AC are selected according to the compression ratio and the expansion rate of the input output device selected by a host computer HOST. Thus, the compression ratio and the expansion ratio of the moving picture and the audio signal in the moving picture CODEC MC and the audio CODEC AC are optimumly selected. Moreover, the compression rate and the expansion ratio of the input output device selected by the host computer HOST are set automatically.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multimedia processing device, and more particularly to a technique effective for use in a personal computer system that handles moving images and audio.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Among multimedia data, a moving image has a large data capacity and is restricted in processing time. Therefore, in a computer system, when transmitting or storing a moving image,
This is encoded and compressed. To display the compressed video data on the display, decompress it. Generally, in order to encode and compress moving image data, a method of encoding moving image data by utilizing the correlation of intra-frame data of the moving image data or the correlation of inter-frame data is used. These encoding methods have the characteristic that the amount of encoded data varies depending on the characteristics of input moving image data such as the degree of data correlation. Therefore, in order to transmit the compressed moving image data with a constant image quality, it is necessary to detect the encoded compressed moving image data and select the number of transmission paths from the data amount as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-231638. There is.

[0003]

A plurality of input / output devices such as lines and disks are connected to a multimedia processing device for inputting, accumulating and transmitting multimedia data including moving images, voices and texts. Since the image quality of a moving image is smaller as the compression rate is smaller, it is desirable to compress the moving image to a data capacity close to the transfer speed of these input / output devices. However, since these input / output devices generally differ in the speed of data input / output, that is, the line speed or transfer speed, when transferring a moving image to the input / output device,
It is necessary to change the compression rate of the moving image depending on the input / output device.
This also applies to voice.

On the other hand, in order to select the optimum compression rate according to the input / output device as described above, it is necessary to instruct the compression rate to the moving image codec and the audio codec for compression. In the method in which the program on the multimedia processing device recognizes the optimum compression ratio corresponding to the input / output device to be transferred and instructs the compression ratio to the codec, it is necessary to modify the program each time the input / output device is deleted or added. Comes out.

An object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia processing apparatus capable of changing the compression ratio of moving images and audio depending on the input / output device and obtaining image quality and sound quality according to the transfer speed of the input / output device. is there. Another object of the present invention is to
A multimedia processing device with improved system flexibility is provided. The above and other objects and novel characteristics of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0006]

The outline of the representative one of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows. That is, the compression rate and the expansion rate of the moving image codec and the audio codec are switched according to the transfer speed of the input / output device that inputs and outputs the multimedia data. Further, the compression rate and expansion rate corresponding to each of the plurality of input / output devices are recorded in the input / output control device to which the plurality of input / output devices are connected, and the compression of the input / output device selected by the host computer is recorded. The compression rate and the extension rate of the video codec and the audio codec are switched according to the rate and the extension rate.

[0007]

According to the above-mentioned means, the compression rate and the expansion rate of the moving picture and the sound in the moving picture codec and the sound codec can be optimally switched by adding a signal or command to the moving picture codec and the sound codec from the input / output control device. Further, the compression rate corresponding to each of the plurality of input / output devices can be recorded in the input / output control device, and the compression rate and expansion rate can be automatically set according to the input / output device selected by the host computer.

[0008]

1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a multimedia processing apparatus according to the present invention. MC is a video codec, video input interface MI
The moving picture data input from is encoded and compressed. On the contrary, the moving image data which is read out through the demultiplexer DMPX and compressed is decoded and expanded. The moving image input interface MI takes in a moving image from a video camera CA or a video tape recorder VTR, digitizes the moving image, and a moving image codec M
Send to C. The display device DC fetches the moving image data decoded by the moving image codec MC, and thereby drives the display device DP to display the moving image.

AC is a voice codec, which encodes and compresses voice data input from the microphone MIC. Also, the audio data that has been read out and compressed through the demultiplexer DMPX is decoded and expanded,
The speaker SP is driven to output sound. The text interface TI controls the transfer of text data between the host computer HOST and the multiplexer MPX, and between the host computer HOST and the demultiplexer DMPX. Host computer HOST
Performs text data processing and control of the entire system. The multiplexer MPX multiplexes the compressed moving image data from the moving image codec MC, the compressed audio data from the audio codec AC, and the text data from the text interface TI, and outputs multimedia data in the format as shown in FIG. create.

The demultiplexer DMPX receives multimedia data MMD in a format as shown in FIG. 2, which will be described later, and compresses moving image data MD and compressed audio data as exemplarily shown in FIG. It is divided into AD and text data TD.

In FIG. 1, the input / output control unit IOC1
Is connected to two disk memory devices DK1 and DK2. Here, the data transfer rate of the disk memory device DK1 is 1 megabits per second (1 Mbit / sec), and the data transfer rate of the other disk memory device DK2 is 1.5 megabits per second (1.5 Mbit / sec). It goes without saying that this embodiment is not limited to this.

The line controller LC is connected to the other input / output controller IOC2. Here, the line controller LC
The data transfer rate is, for example, 64 kilobits per second (64
Kbit / sec). The bus 20 is a system bus, and a program such as that shown in FIG. 3 which operates on the host computer HOST sends a command to each device,
Used to transfer data. Video clock signal 2
1 and 23 send signals specifying the coding rate of the moving image codec MC. The audio clock signals 22 and 24 send signals specifying the coding rate of the audio codec AC.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of multimedia data. Multimedia data MM
D is divided into fixed-length slots SL, and each slot is composed of text data TD, compressed moving image data MD, and compressed audio data AD, one of which is shown as an example. Table 1 shows the above-mentioned elements TD and MD of the multimedia data MMD transferred to each input / output device.
Is a table showing the data transfer rates of AD and AD, that is, the coding rates, and the coding rates of the multimedia data MMD transferred by the disk memory devices DK1 and DK2 are the multi-level data transferred by the line control device LC to the input / output control device IOC1. The coding rate of the media data MMD is the input / output control unit IOC.
2 are set by the operating system OS on the host computer HOST at the time of initialization. Here, the transfer rate of the text data TD in all the input / output devices is fixed to 16 kilobits (16 Kbit / sec), but the present invention is not limited to this.

The transfer rates shown in Table 1 are referred to as coding rates. The moving image codec MC and the audio codec AC compress moving images or audio up to the transfer rates shown in Table 1, and expand the data at these transfer rates to the original data. ..

[0015]

[Table 1]

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a program that operates on the host computer HOST. Under the operating system OS, the reception processing program RAP that performs the reception processing of the multimedia data MMD, the transmission processing program TAP that performs the transmission processing of the multimedia data MMD, the multimedia data MMD of the disk memory device DK1 or DK2.
The search processing program SAP for performing the search processing and the registration processing program WAP for performing the registration processing of the multimedia data MMD in the disk memory device DK1 or DK2 operate.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the multimedia data receiving process. Here, the multimedia data MMD received from the line control device LC
Will be explained by taking as an example the case where the video data MD is divided, the video data MD is displayed on the display device DP, the audio data AD is output to the speaker SP, and the text data TD is transferred to the host computer HOST.

When another multimedia processing device (not shown) on the network issues a connection request to the multimedia processing device shown in FIG. 1, the line control device LC connected to the network operates as an input / output control device. The host computer HOST is interrupted from the IOC 2 through the bus 20.

Next, the operating system OS operating on the photo-computer HOST processes the interrupt and notifies the reception processing program RAP that there is a connection request, and the reception processing program RAP passes through the line controller LC and others. Connection processing with the multimedia processing device.

The reception processing program RAP uses the input / output control unit IO as a preparation for receiving the multimedia data MMD.
C2 is set, and the output of the line controller LC is instructed to be output to the demultiplexer DMPX. Further, the coding rates of the moving image data MD and the audio data AD transferred by the line control device LC set in the input / output control device IOC2 are
A clock signal 21 and 22 are sent from the input / output control unit IOC2 to the moving image codec MC and the audio codec AC.

Thereafter, the transmitted multimedia data MMD is received by the line controller LC, transferred from the input / output controller IOC2 to the demultiplexer DMPX,
The text data TD divided by the demultiplexer DMPX is transferred from the text interface TI through the bus 20 to the host computer HOST.

The moving picture data MD divided by the demultiplexer DMPX is decoded at the coding rate indicated by the clock signal 21 in the moving picture codec MC and expanded, converted into a video signal by the display control device DC, and converted into a moving picture by the display device DP. Is displayed. The divided audio data AD is decoded and expanded in the audio codec AC at the coding rate designated by the clock signal 22, and the audio is output from the speaker SP. Then, when the transmission of the multimedia data MDD is completed, the reception processing program RAP performs a disconnection process.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the multimedia data storing process. FIG. 5 shows an example in which a moving image input from the video camera CA and a voice input from the microphone MIC are encoded and compressed, respectively, and combined with the text sent by the host computer HOST and stored in the disk memory device DK1. It is shown.

The WAP of the registration processing program that operates on the host computer HOST is activated by an instruction from a user who uses the multimedia processing apparatus of this embodiment, and is first input to the input / output control unit IOC1 that controls the disk memory device DK1. It instructs to store the output of the multiplexer MPX in the disk memory device DK1.

Video data MD transferred to the disk memory device DK1 set in the input / output control device IOC1
And the audio data AD are coded to the moving picture codec MC and the audio codec AC respectively in the clock signals 23 and 2.
Sent at 4.

The moving image signal input from the video camera CA is digitized by the moving image interface MI,
The moving image coded by the moving image codec MC and encoded at the coding rate indicated by the clock signal 23 is sent to the multiplexer MPX13 as compressed moving image data MD. Microphone MI
The voice input from C is encoded by the voice codec AC at the coding rate indicated by the clock signal 24, compressed, and sent to the multiplexer MPX as voice data AD. At the same time, the WAP of the registration processing program transfers the text data specified by the user to the text interface TI via the bus 20 and is sent to the multiplexer MPX as the text data TD at the text interface TI.

In the multiplexer MPX, the moving picture data M
Input / output control unit IO as multimedia data MMD by multiplexing D, voice data AD and text data TD
Send to C1. The input / output control device IOC stores this multimedia data MMD in the disk memory device DK1.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the multimedia processing apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, each element constituting the multimedia processing apparatus has the same function as that of the embodiment of FIG. 1 except for the following.

In this embodiment, the moving image codec MC
And the audio codec AC are connected to the bus 20, and the input / output control devices IOC1 and IOC2 send a command for specifying the coding rate to the video codec MC and the audio codec AC through the bus 20. The compression rate is variable.

Thereafter, as in the embodiment of FIG.
Video and microphone MIC input from camera CA
The operation of this embodiment will be described by taking as an example the case where the input voices are encoded and compressed, combined with the text sent by the host computer HOST, and stored in the disk memory device DK1. When the WAP of the registration processing program is activated by an instruction from the user who uses the multimedia processing device, the multiplexer MPX is first added to the input / output control device IOC1 which controls the disk memory device DK1.
The output of is stored in the disk memory device DK1.

The input / output control unit IOC1 transfers the moving image data MD to the set disk memory device DK1.
And the coding rates of the audio data AD are sent to the moving image codec MC and the audio codec AC by commands via the bus 20. Thereafter, the moving image signal input from the video camera CA is digitized by the moving image input interface MI, encoded by the moving image codec MC1 at the encoding rate indicated by the received command and compressed, and sent to the multiplexer MPX as moving image data MD. Be done. The voice input from the microphone MIC is the voice codec A.
A multiplexer MP is encoded as audio data AD by encoding with the encoding rate indicated by the command received by C and compressing.
Sent to X. At the same time, the registration processing program WA
P transfers the text data designated by the user to the text interface TI via the bus 20 and is sent to the multiplexer MPX as the text data TD at the text interface TI. The multiplexer MPX multiplexes the moving image data MD, the audio data AD34 and the text data TD and sends them as multimedia data MMD to the input / output control device IOC1. I / O controller IOC
1 transfers the multimedia data MMD to the disk memory device DK1 for storage.

The multimedia data MMD received from the line control device LC is divided, the moving image data MD is displayed on the display device DP, and the audio data AD is speaker SP.
To output the text data TD to the host computer H.
Also in the case of transferring to the OST, a command is similarly sent from the input / output control device IOC2 to the moving image codec MC and the audio codec AC, and is decoded and expanded at the compression ratio indicated by the command. In this example,
When compressing / decompressing the moving image and the sound, the host computer does not need to transfer the moving image and the sound data, so that the host computer can execute other processing.

The operation and effect obtained from the above embodiment are as follows. That is, (1) a control signal or command is added from the input / output device to the video codec and the audio codec, and the compression rate and expansion rate of the video and audio in the video codec and the audio codec are switched according to the control signal or command. The effect that image quality and sound quality can be provided according to the transfer rate is obtained.

(2) According to the above (1), it is possible to cope with the expansion and change of the system without making a drastic change in the software, so that it is possible to obtain a highly flexible multimedia processing system. Be done.

(3) A host connected to the multimedia processing device by recording the compression ratio and the expansion ratio corresponding to each of the plurality of input / output devices in the input / output control device to which the plurality of input / output devices are connected. Depending on the input / output device selected by the computer, the input / output control device automatically adds signals or commands with the corresponding compression ratio and expansion ratio to the video codec and audio codec, so that the program inputs / outputs multimedia data. At this time, the program does not need to know the transfer rate of the input / output device, and the program need not be modified when the configuration of the input / output device is changed, so that the system expandability can be enhanced.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments, the invention of the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say. For example, in FIG.
In the above, a function for inputting a still image may be added. Various embodiments can be adopted for the number of input / output devices for data transfer and the configuration of the memory device. The present invention can be widely used as a multimedia processing device.

[0037]

The effects obtained by the typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows. That is, a control signal or command is added to the video codec and the audio codec from the input / output device, and the compression rate and the expansion rate of the video and audio in the video codec and the audio codec are switched according to the control signal or command. It is possible to provide image quality and sound quality according to the above.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a multimedia processing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of multimedia data.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a program that operates in the multimedia processing device.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram for explaining an example of the multimedia data receiving process.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart diagram for explaining an example of the multimedia data storage processing.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the multimedia processing device according to the present invention.

[Description of Codes] MC: video codec, MI: video input interface, CA: video camera, VTR: video tape recorder, DC: display controller, DP: display device, AC: audio codec, MIC: microphone,
SP ... Speaker, TI ... Text interface, HO
ST ... host computer, MPX ... multiplexer,
DMPX ... Demultiplexer, IOC1, IOC2 ... Input / output control device DK1, DK2 ... Disk memory device, L
C ... Line control device, MMD ... Multimedia data, S
L ... Slot, TD ... Text data, MD ... Compressed moving image data, AD ... Compressed voice data, OS ... Operating system, RAP ... Reception processing program, TAP ... Transmission processing program, SAP ... Search processing program, WA
P ... Registration processing program, 20 ... Bus, 21-24 ... Clock signal.

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location // G06F 12/00 547 D 7232-5B (72) Inventor Katsumi Maeda 5-22, Kamimizumoto-cho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo No. 1 Inside Hitachi Microcomputer System Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Morita 5-22-1 Kamisuihonmachi, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Inside Hitachi Microcomputer System Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of input / output devices for inputting, accumulating or transmitting multimedia data consisting of moving images, voices and texts, an input / output control device for controlling these input / output devices, and an input / output device for these input / output devices. A moving picture codec for compressing / decompressing a moving picture, and an audio codec for compressing / decompressing the sound input / output to / from these input / output devices. The control signal is supplied from the input / output device to the moving picture codec. According to the present invention, a multimedia processing apparatus characterized in that the compression rate and the expansion rate of the moving image in the moving image codec can be switched. 2. A control signal is supplied from the input / output device to the audio codec, and a compression rate and an expansion rate of a moving image in the audio codec can be switched according to the control signal. Multimedia processing equipment 3. The multimedia processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined command is supplied to the moving picture codec, and a compression rate and a decompression rate of the moving picture in the moving picture codec can be switched according to the command. 4. The multimedia processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a command is supplied to the audio codec, and a compression rate and an expansion rate of a moving image in the audio codec can be switched according to the command. 5. The input / output control device to which the plurality of input / output devices are connected records the compression ratio and the expansion ratio corresponding to each of the plurality of input / output devices, and the input / output device selected by the host computer. The multimedia processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a control signal having a corresponding compression rate and expansion rate is added to the moving image codec and the audio codec in accordance with the above. 6. The input / output control device to which the plurality of input / output devices are connected records the compression ratio and the expansion ratio corresponding to each of the plurality of input / output devices, and the input / output device selected by the host computer. The multimedia processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a command of a compression rate and a decompression rate corresponding to the command is added to the moving image codec and the audio codec.