JPH0564186A - Multi-medium equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use surplus processing capability effectively by detecting a load state of each section so as to interpolate and interleave multi-medium information. CONSTITUTION:Multi-medium information is read from an information storage means 101 of an auxiliary storage device A by an information read means 102, divided into two by an information division means 103 of a decoder B and decoded by decoding means 104, 105 and fed to a personal computer system C. Then multi-medium information is outputted to an output device D via buffer means 106, 107 and information output means 108, 109 of the system C. In this case, load values 114, 194, 134, 144, 154, 164, 174, 182 of the means 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109 are detected by a load detection means 112 of an information quantity controller E and interpolation and interleave of the multi- medium information are controlled by an interpolation interleave means 113. Thus, surplus processing capability due to cell abort or the like is effectively utilized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multimedia device for reproducing multimedia information provided by a distribution medium or communication, and in particular, a high-quality and high-quality device in which a high load (excessive load) may occur due to load fluctuation. Functional multimedia device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a video conference system, which is a kind of multimedia device, when a part of the device has a restriction on processing speed or transmission speed, information is thinned out at one specific place. .. Therefore, there is a problem that the processing capacity is surplus in other devices constituting the multimedia device. For example, in a TV conference system capable of inputting and outputting video and audio from an input / output device and transmitting them, the following is performed. This system is provided with means for discarding a cell that is one frame of video, and an increase in the amount of information that occurs when the movement of the subject in the input video becomes intense, etc. is encoded by the image coding means on the transmission side. The amount of information after processing is detected, and when the amount of information exceeds a predetermined value, the means for discarding the cell is operated so that the amount of information does not exceed the line transmission rate of the communication line.

[0003]

In the above prior art, the processing capacity of other processing means such as the information dividing means and the code / decoding means surplus is surplus due to the discarding of the cell, and the above processing capacity is effectively used. Not not. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multimedia device that can effectively utilize the surplus processing capacity.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a receiving means for receiving multimedia information from one or a plurality of information sources, at least one information processing means for processing the multimedia information, and a multimedia In a multimedia device comprising information output means for outputting information, load detecting means for detecting a load state of at least one of the receiving means, the information processing means, and the information output means, An interpolating / decimating means for interpolating or decimating the media information is provided.

[0005]

The receiving means receives multimedia information from one or more information sources. The information processing means processes multimedia information. The interpolation thinning-out means interpolates or thins out a predetermined amount of information according to the detection result of the load state of the processing means. The information output means outputs this multimedia information.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multimedia device using the present invention, FIG. 2 is an operation diagram showing an operation of interpolation or thinning of multimedia information by a load detection means and an interpolation thinning means, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the buffering operation by the FO 202 and the counter 205, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the outline of the interpolation thinning operation of the interpolation thinning means 113. As shown in FIG. 1, a multimedia device using the present invention includes an auxiliary storage device A, a decoder B, a personal computer system C, an output device D,
It has an information amount control device E.

The auxiliary storage device A has an information storage means 101, an information reading means 102 which is a receiving means, and a load value output path 12 for transmitting a load value 114 to a load value detecting means 112.
4. The multimedia information 115 is interpolated and thinned out 113
And an input / output path 115 for communicating with. The information storage means 101 is an information storage medium capable of storing multimedia information, and is an optical disk device having an information storage capacity of several hundred MB or more and a read speed of one hundred tens of KB / sec or more.

The information reading means 102 is a host adapter which sequentially reads out the multimedia information stored in the information storage means 101 in accordance with a request and outputs it as a predetermined electric signal sequence having a transfer rate of about 1.5 MB / sec at the maximum. This is an eight-to-four modulation (8 to 14 modulation, hereinafter abbreviated as EFM) demodulator and a cross interleaved Reed-Solomon code (hereinafter referred to as "8 to 14 modulation") corresponding to the recording code adopted corresponding to the information storage characteristic of the information storage means 101. (Abbreviated as CIRC)
Built-in error correction function and predetermined descrambler. Further, the information storage amount of the built-in buffer can be output to the load value output path 124 as the load value 114, and the input / output path 1 can be divided into units for dividing the multimedia information to be handled.
Input / output is possible via 25. Load value output path 1
Reference numeral 24 is an electric signal line for transmitting the load value, multimedia information input / output path 125 is an electric signal line for transmitting the multimedia information, the load value output path 124 is 2 to 8 bits, and the multimedia information input / output path is Has a width of 8 to 32 bits.

The decoder B has an information dividing means 103, decoding means 104 and 105, a load value output path 124, and a multimedia information input / output path 125. Information dividing means 10
3 reads the multimedia information output from the information reading means 102 in the auxiliary storage device A for each predetermined division unit having 2324 bytes as one block, and stores in the division unit according to the information of the predetermined position in the division unit. A processing system that determines whether information is video information, audio information, or other information, and outputs the information to an output path corresponding to the determination result, and stores information in a built-in buffer similarly to the information reading means 102. The amount can be output to the load value output path 124 as the load value 194, and the multimedia information 195 to be handled can be input / output via the multimedia information input / output path 125 for each unit that can be divided.

Decoding means 104, 105 separate cosine transform (hereinafter abbreviated as DCT) algorithm and adaptive differential pulse coded modulation (hereinafter ADP) for the video information and audio information output from the above information dividing means 103, respectively.
An information processing system having a function of decoding in accordance with an algorithm (CM) and capable of decoding according to an algorithm, and capable of outputting the information storage amount of a built-in buffer as load values 134 and 144 to the load value output path 124, In addition, the multimedia information to be handled can be input / output via the input / output path 125 of the multimedia information 135, 145 for each divisible unit.

The personal computer system C comprises buffer means 106, 1
07, information output means 108, 109, load value output path 1
24, a multimedia information input / output path 125.
The buffer means 106, 107 reads the video information and the audio information output from the decoding means 104, 105 in the decoder B, writes the video information in the built-in VRAM, and writes the audio information in the built-in audio buffer. The processing system is the same as the decoding means 104 and 105, and the information storage amount of the built-in buffer is set to load values 154, 164, 174.
Can be output to the load value output path 124 as 184,
In addition, the multimedia information to be handled can be input / output through the input / output path 125 of the multimedia information 155, 165, 175, 185 for each dividable unit.

The information output means 108 and 109 are digital-to-analog converters (hereinafter abbreviated as DAC) built-in, which sequentially read desired information from the VRAM and the audio buffer built in the buffer means 106 and 107 at a predetermined speed. The buffer means 106 is an information processing system having a function of converting into an analog signal, converting the video information into an analog RGB video signal having a predetermined scanning frequency, and converting the audio information into a predetermined audio signal in the same manner and outputting the converted signals. Similarly to 107, the information storage amount of the built-in buffer can be output to the load value output path 124 as the load values 174 and 184, and the multimedia information 175 and 185 can be input / output in units of dividable multimedia information. Input / output is possible via the path 125.

The output device D is a monitor 110 and a speaker 11.
Has 1. The monitor 110 converts an analog RGB video signal of a predetermined scanning frequency output by the information output means 108 of the personal computer system C into a video and outputs it. The speaker 111 is the information output means 1 of the personal computer system C.
The audio signal output from 09 is amplified by an internal audio amplifier and output.

The information amount control device E comprises a load detecting means 112,
It has an interpolating / decimating means 113, a load value output path 124, and a multimedia information input / output path 125. The load detecting means 112 determines the load of any one of the information reading means 102, the information dividing means 103, the combining means 104 and 105, the buffer means 106 and 107, and the information outputting means 108 and 109 from the contents of the load value output path 124. Value 114,19
4,134,144,154,164,174,184
Is detected to be above or below the specified amount.

The interpolation thinning-out means 113 follows the detection result of the load detection means 112, and when the load of the detection result exceeds the specified amount upper limit, the multimedia information 115, 195, 135, 145, 165 of the corresponding means. 175
185 as one unit, multimedia information input / output path 125
When the load of the detection result is less than the lower limit of the specified amount, the multimedia information of the corresponding unit is read out through the multimedia information input / output path 125, and the above two units of multimedia information are appropriate. The intermediate information is generated and interpolated between the two units of multimedia information.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the load detecting means 112 and the interpolation thinning-out means 113 of the present invention, and the information reading means 1 are used.
A description will be given of an operation example that is caused to act on 03. An information reading means F in the figure is a host adapter which connects the information storing means 101 and the information dividing means 103 in FIG. 1, and is an instruction translator 218 which translates an instruction from the host sent from the right side of the figure.
And has a function of reading the target information from a predetermined position of the information storage means 101 on the left side of the drawing and transmitting it to the host. Although not shown, reduction or correction of errors that occur in the target information EFM decoder for the purpose of
Built-in IRC decoder and descramble circuit.

A first-in first-out memory (hereinafter abbreviated as FIFO) 2 for the purpose of speed matching between the information storage means 101 and the information division means 103.
With 02. Furthermore, the counter 205 is provided for the number of writable unit information of the FIFO. These operations will be described with reference to FIG. When there is an input request (S
31) If the FIFO has a free space (S311), the data is read (S312) and the counter 2 is read.
05 is incremented by 1 by the adder 204 provided when one unit of information is written in the FIFO (S313).

When there is an output request (S32), the FIF
When there is data in O (S321), the data is read (S322), and when one unit of information is read from the FIFO, 1 is subtracted by the subtractor 206 also provided (S323). ). The counter 205 has 1
The comparator 207 and the 0 comparator 208 periodically compare the maximum value and the minimum value of the address range assigned to the counter, and when the value of the counter 205 is equal to the maximum value, the writing to the FIFO 202 is prohibited. (S31
1) When the value of the counter 205 is equal to the minimum value, reading from the FIFO 202 is prohibited (S32)
By 1), the overflow and illegal reading of the FIFO 202 are prevented in advance.

The load detecting means 112 reads the stored value of the counter 205 in the information reading means 102, and obtains the value of 80% and the value of 20% of the maximum value of the counter 205 corresponding to the capacity of the FIFO. Two comparators to compare,
A 4/5 comparator 209 and a 1/5 comparator 210 are provided. Four
The / 5 comparator 209 and the ⅕ comparator 210 are an allowable range storage means and a load comparison means.

The interpolation thinning-out means 113 reads out the buffer memories 211 and 212 capable of storing continuous two units of information and the information stored in the buffer memories 211 and 212, and calculates the average of the corresponding values of the two units of information. The interpolation information generating means 216 for calculating and generating one unit of information that can be inserted between the two units of information is provided.

An operation procedure when the interpolation thinning-out means H carries out interpolation thinning-out will be described with reference to FIGS. The comparison result of the 4/5 comparator 209 is read out, and the comparison result indicates that the stored value of the counter 205 in the information reading means F exceeds 80% of the maximum value of the counter 205. Then, the built-in route selection means 214 is turned to the right side in the figure to discard one unit of information held in the buffer memory 212 via the discard route 215 (S).
41, S42, S43, S441, S4411, S44
12, S45, S46, S47).

Further, the comparison result of the 1/5 comparator 210 is read, and the comparison result indicates that the stored value of the counter 205 in the information reading means F is lower than 20% of the minimum value of the counter 205. If so (S41,
S42, S43, S441, S442), and the built-in route selection means 214 is turned to the left side in the figure (S442).
1), the two units of information held in the buffer memories 211 and 212 are read into the interpolation information generating means 216 (S4421, S4422) and one unit of interpolation information is generated (S4424). Next, the path selecting means 213 is switched to the upper side shown in the figure (S4425), and when the contents of the buffer memories 212 and 211 are sequentially output to the information reading means F, the buffer is transferred after the contents of the buffer memory 212 are transferred. Before transferring the contents of the memory 211, the path selecting means 213 is temporarily switched to the lower side as shown in the figure, and the interpolation information of one unit is inserted between the two contents of the buffer memory and output (S4426, S44).
27, S4428, S4429, S45, S46, S4
7).

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. The load detecting means 112 is similar to the information reading means 102 in the information dividing means 103 and the decoding means 104, 1.
05, the buffer means 106, 107, the information output means 108, 109 and other information processing means can detect the load state, and the interpolation thinning means 113 can generate and interpolate or thin appropriate multimedia information according to the detection result. Therefore, it is possible to effectively use the surplus processing capacity of the information processing means while suppressing an excessive increase in the amount of information that needs to be processed, and improve image quality deterioration due to sampling and quantization.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a multimedia device using the present invention, FIG. 6 is an operation diagram showing a replacement operation of a decoding algorithm of multimedia information by a load detecting means and an algorithm replacing means, and FIG. 7 is a decoding means 504.
6 is a flowchart showing an outline up to activation of an algorithm replacement operation by an input FIFO 603, an output FIFO 611 of 506, and counters 601 and 612. As shown in FIG. 5, the multimedia device using the present invention comprises an auxiliary storage device I, a decoder J, a personal computer system K, an output device L, and a processing control device M.

The auxiliary storage device I comprises an information storage means 501 and an information reading means 502 which is a receiving means. The information storage means 501 is an information storage medium capable of storing multimedia information, and is an optical disk device having an information storage capacity of several hundred MB or more and a read speed of one hundred tens of KB / sec or more. The information reading means 502 is the information storage means 501.
It is a host adapter that sequentially reads out multimedia information stored in a storage medium according to a request and outputs it as a predetermined electric signal sequence having a transfer rate of about 1.5 MB / sec at the maximum, and is adopted in accordance with the information storage characteristics of the information storage medium. Eight-to-forty modulation (8 to 14 modulation, hereinafter abbreviated as EFM) demodulator, cross-interleaved Reed-Solomon code (hereinafter abbreviated as CIRC) error correction function, and a predetermined descrambler corresponding to the recorded code.

The decoder J has information dividing means 505, decoding means 504, 506, load value transfer paths 507, 511, and transfer paths 522, 523 for algorithms 503, 506. The information dividing unit 505 reads the multimedia information output from the information reading unit 502 in the auxiliary storage unit I for each predetermined division unit having 2324 bytes as one block, and divides the information according to the information of the predetermined position in the division unit. It is a processing system that determines whether the information in the unit is video information, audio information, or other information, and outputs the information to the transfer path corresponding to the determination result.

Decoding means 504 and 506 respectively perform a high-speed algorithm for separating cosine transform (hereinafter abbreviated as DCT) and adaptive differential pulse coded modulation (hereinafter A) for the video information and the audio information output from the information dividing means 505.
The load value transfer path 5 is an information processing system having a function of decoding according to an algorithm (abbreviated as DPCM) and sets the information storage amount of the built-in input / output buffer as load values 507 and 511.
23, and the decoding algorithm to be used can be replaced via the algorithm transfer path 522.

The personal computer system K includes buffer means 510, 5
13 and information output means 514 and 515. The buffering means 510 and 513 are the decoding means 50 in the decoder J.
Read the video and audio information output by 4,506,
The video information is a processing system which writes the video information in a built-in VRAM and the audio information in a built-in audio buffer. The information output means 514 and 515 are the buffer means 51.
Target information is sequentially read at a predetermined speed from the built-in VRAM and audio buffer of 0,513 and converted into an analog signal by a built-in digital-to-analog converter (hereinafter abbreviated as DAC), and the video information has a predetermined scanning frequency. Is an information processing system having a function of converting the analog RGB video signal into audio information into a predetermined audio signal and outputting the same.

The output device L is a monitor 518 and a speaker 51.
It consists of 9. The monitor 518 is the personal computer system K
The information output means 514 converts the analog RGB video signal having a predetermined scanning frequency into a video and outputs the video. The speaker 519 amplifies the audio signal output from the information output means 515 of the personal computer system K with an audio amplifier incorporated therein and outputs it.

The processing control unit M comprises a load detecting means 509, an algorithm replacing means 517, a load value transfer path 523, and transfer paths 522 for the algorithms 503 and 512. The load detection unit 509 detects from the contents of the load values 511 and 507 that the load value of any of the decoding units 504 and 506 is equal to or greater than a specified amount or equal to or less than a specified amount.

The algorithm replacing means 517 follows the detection result of the load detecting means 509, and if the load of the detection result exceeds a prescribed amount, the decoding algorithm program of the corresponding decoding means is included in the algorithm program. Replace with an algorithm program that is one step less expensive than the one you are using.

When the load of the detection result is less than the specified amount, the decryption algorithm program of the corresponding decryption means is replaced with an algorithm program which has a heavier load than the currently used one of the provided algorithm programs. ..

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the load detecting means 509 and the algorithm replacing means 517 of the present invention are combined with the decoding means 50.
An example of the operation applied to 4,506 will be described. Decoding means 504 and 506 in the figure are information dividing means 505 in FIG.
The unit located between the buffer means 510 and 513 receives the video or audio information divided by the information dividing means 505 on the left side of the drawing. Then, after performing a predetermined process in the decoding unit 608, the data is output to the buffer units 510 and 513. The predetermined processing is VLD (variable length decoder, abbreviated name of Huffman decoder using Huffman table 605, hereinafter abbreviated as (VLD) is used) 604 and inverse quantization table 607 shown in FIG. Quantization 606 and IDCT (Inverted Discrete Cosine Transform, Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform, hereinafter abbreviated as (IDCT) is used) 609.

Further, the information dividing means 505 and the decoding means 504, 506 or the decoding means 504, 50.
6 and the buffer means 510, 513 for inputting / outputting first-in-first-out memory (hereinafter abbreviated as FIFO) 603, 611 for the purpose of speed matching, and for the number of writable unit information of the FIFO. A counter, an input FIFO counter 601, and an output FIFO counter 612 are provided, and the counters 601 and 612 are the FIs.
When 1 unit of information is written to the FO, 1 is added by the adder provided, and when 1 unit of information is read from the FIFO, 1 is subtracted by the similarly provided subtractor. The counters 601 and 612 are provided with comparators that periodically compare a maximum value and a minimum value, and
If the value of 2 is equal to the maximum value, the FIFOs 603, 61
1 is prohibited and the counters 601 and 612 are
Of the FIFOs 603 and 611
By prohibiting reading from the FIFO,
611 overflow and illegal reading are prohibited.

The load detecting means 509 is the decoding means 50.
A comparator 602 for reading the values of the counters 601 and 612 in 4, 506 and comparing the values of the counters 601 and 612 is provided.

The algorithm replacing means 517 is a memory 613 capable of holding a plurality of decoding algorithm programs.
And an algorithm register 614 for storing the version number of the decoding algorithm program being used in the IDCT 610 of the decoding means 504, 506.

The operation procedure when the algorithm replacement unit 517 performs the algorithm replacement is as follows:
The comparison result of No. 2 is read out, and the comparison result is the input FIFO.
If O counter 601 × 0.8> the output FIFO counter 612, the decoding algorithm whose processing amount is one step smaller than the version number (n) of the decoding algorithm program stored in the built-in algorithm register 614. The program (m) is transferred via the transfer paths 522, 523, and the decoding means 50
4. Rewrite the decoding algorithm program of 4,506.

Further, the comparison result of the comparator 602 is read out and the comparison result is input to the input FIFO counter 60.
If 1 <the output FIFO counter 612 × 0.8, the decoding algorithm program having one step more processing than the version number (n) of the decoding algorithm program stored in the built-in algorithm register 614. (O) is the decoding algorithm
The program is transferred via the program transfer paths 503, 512, 516 to rewrite the decoding algorithm program of the decoding means 504, 506.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, the decoding means 504, 5
06 input FIFO 603, output FIFO 61
The outline of the operation up to the start of the algorithm replacement operation by 1 and the counters 601 and 612 will be described. The operation starts from START at the top of the flowchart shown, and after initialization (S71), the value of the counter 601 of the input FIFO 603 is less than the threshold th (S72), and the value of the counter 612 of the output FIFO 611 is If the threshold value th is exceeded (S73), wait for a time when interruption is possible (S7).
4) A one-step heavier algorithm is loaded (S75) and the algorithm register 614 is incremented (S7).
6). When the value of the counter 601 of the input FIFO 603 exceeds the threshold th (S72) and the value of the counter 612 of the output FIFO 611 is less than the threshold th (S7).
8) Wait for an interruptable time (S79), load a one-step lighter algorithm (S80), and decrement the algorithm register 614 (S81). In the cases other than the above states, no processing is performed.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

The load detecting means 509 can detect the load states of the decrypting means 504 and 506, and the algorithm replacing means 517 can replace the decoding algorithm with an appropriate decoding algorithm program according to the detection result. It is possible to effectively use the surplus processing capacity of the information processing means while suppressing an excessive increase in the amount of information, and improve image quality deterioration due to sampling and quantization.

Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a multimedia device using the present invention, FIG. 9 is an operation diagram showing an operation of converting multimedia information by a load detecting means and an information converting means, and FIG. 10 is an information converting operation of the information converting means 832. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the above. As shown in FIG. 8, the multimedia device using the present invention has an auxiliary storage device Q, a decoder R, a personal computer system S, an output device T, and an information conversion device U.

The auxiliary storage device Q has an information storage means 801, an information reading means 802 which is a receiving means, a load value transfer path 842 for transferring the load value 804, and a transfer path 841 for the multimedia information 803. The information storage unit 801 is an information storage medium capable of storing multimedia information, and is an optical disk device having an information storage capacity of several hundred MB or more and a reading speed of one hundred tens of KB / sec or more.

The information reading means 802 is a host adapter which sequentially reads out the multimedia information stored in the information storage means 801 according to a request and outputs it as a predetermined electric signal train having a transfer rate of up to about 1.5 MB / sec. Eight-to-forty modulation (8 to 14 modulation, abbreviated as EFM below) demodulator and cross-interleaved Reed-Solomon code (hereinafter abbreviated as CIRC) error corresponding to the recording code adopted corresponding to the information storage characteristics of the information storage medium It has a built-in correction function and a predetermined descrambler, can output the information storage amount of the built-in buffer as a load value to the load value transfer path 842, and transfers the multimedia information in units that can divide the multimedia information to be handled. Input / output is possible via the path 841. The load value transfer path 842 is an electric signal line for transmitting the load value, the multimedia information transfer path is an electric signal line for transmitting the multimedia information, and the load value transfer path 842 is 2 to 8 bits. The media information output path 841 has a width of 8 to 32 bits.

The decoder R includes information dividing means 806, decoding means 809, 813, load value transfer path 842 for load values 807, 811, 814, multimedia information 805, 80.
It has 8,812 transfer paths 841. Information dividing means 8
Reference numeral 06 denotes information reading means 802 in the auxiliary storage device Q.
The multimedia information output by the unit is read for each predetermined division unit having 2324 bytes as one block, and the information in the division unit is selected from video information, audio information and other information according to information of a predetermined position in the division unit. It is a processing system that determines whether or not it is, and outputs it to the output path corresponding to the determination result, and outputs the information storage amount of the built-in buffer as the load value 807 to the load value transfer path 842 similarly to the information reading unit 802. It is possible and input / output is possible through the transfer path 841 of the multimedia information 805 for each unit that can divide the handled multimedia information.

Decoding means 809, 813 respectively separate the cosine transform (hereinafter abbreviated as DCT) algorithm and the adaptive differential pulse coded modulation (hereinafter ADP) for the video information and audio information output from the information dividing means 806.
An information processing system having a function of decoding in accordance with an algorithm (CM) and capable of decoding according to an algorithm, and capable of outputting the information storage amount of a built-in buffer as load values 811 and 814 to the load value transfer path 842, Moreover, the multimedia information to be handled can be input / output through the transfer path 841 of the multimedia information 808 and 812 for each divisible unit.

The personal computer system S has buffer means 816, 8
19, information output means 822, 825, load values 817, 8
It has load value transfer paths 842 of 20,823,826 and transfer paths 841 of multimedia information 815,818,821,824. The buffer means 816 and 819 read the video information and audio information output from the decoding means 809 and 813 in the decoder R, and the video information is incorporated in the VRA.
On M, the audio information is a processing system for writing the audio information into an audio buffer also incorporated therein, and the decoding means 809, 813.
Similarly, the amount of information stored in the built-in buffer is set to the load value 81.
7, 820 can be output to the load value transfer path 842, and input / output can be performed via the transfer path 841 of the multimedia information 815, 818 for each unit that can divide the multimedia information to be handled.

The information output means 822 and 825 sequentially read desired information from the VRAM and the audio buffer built in the buffer means 816 and 819 at a predetermined speed and convert it into an analog signal by the built-in DAC, and the video information is predetermined. An information processing system having a function of converting analog RGB video signals having a scanning frequency of 4 to audio information into predetermined audio signals in the same manner, and outputting the converted audio signals. Load value 817,82
0 can be output to the load value transfer path 842, and input / output can be performed via the transfer path 841 of the multimedia information 815, 818 for each unit in which the multimedia information to be handled can be divided.

The output device T includes a monitor 827 and a speaker 82.
Have eight. The monitor 827 converts an analog RGB video signal of a predetermined scanning frequency output by the information output means 822 of the personal computer system S into a video and outputs it. The speaker 828 is the information output means 8 of the personal computer system S.
The audio signal output by 25 is amplified by an internal audio amplifier and output.

The information converting device U includes a load detecting means 830, an information converting means 832, and load values 804, 807, 811, 8
14, 817, 820, 823, 826 load value input path 842, multimedia information 803, 805, 80
It has transfer paths 841 of 8,812,815,818,821,824. The load detecting means 830 detects the information reading means 80 based on the contents of the load value transfer path 842.
2. It is detected that the load value of any one of the units of the information dividing unit 806, the decoding units 809 and 813, the buffering units 816 and 819, and the information output units 822 and 825 is equal to or greater than the specified amount or equal to or less than the specified amount.

The information converting means 832 is the load detecting means 8
According to the detection result of No. 30, when the load of the detection result exceeds the specified amount upper limit, one unit of the multimedia information of the corresponding unit is read through the multimedia information transfer path 831, the frame rate, or the sampling frequency, or Reduce the number of quantization bits.

When the load of the detection result is less than the lower limit of the specified amount, one unit of multimedia information of the corresponding unit,
Multimedia information 803, 805, 808, 812
The data is read through the transfer paths 841 of 815, 818, 821, and 824, and the frame rate, the sampling frequency, or the number of quantization bits is increased.

Subsequently, the load detecting means 830 and the information converting means 832 of the present invention are connected to the information reading means 80 with reference to FIG.
An example of the operation applied to No. 2 will be described. An information reading unit 802 in the figure is a host adapter that connects the information storage unit 801 and the information dividing unit 806 in FIG. 8, and is an instruction translator 90 that translates an instruction from the host sent from the right side of the drawing.
7 has a function of reading the target information from a predetermined position of the information storage means 801 on the left side of the drawing and transmitting it to the host, and although not shown, reduction of errors occurring in the target information or Said EFM decoder for the purpose of correction, C
Built-in IRC decoder and descramble circuit.

A first-in first-out memory (hereinafter abbreviated as FIFO) 9 for the purpose of speed matching between the information storage means 801 and the information dividing means 806.
09, a counter 905 for the number of writable unit information of the FIFO is provided, and the counter 905 is incremented by 1 by an adder 902 provided when one unit of information is written to the FIFO, and is incremented by 1 from the FIFO. When the unit information is read, 1 is subtracted by the subtracter 910 which is also provided. The counter 905 includes a comparator 90.
In 3,911, the maximum value and the minimum value are periodically compared,
When the value of the counter 905 is equal to the maximum value, the FI
Writing to the FO 904 is prohibited, and the counter 905
When the value of is equal to the minimum value, reading from the FIFO 904 is prohibited, thereby prohibiting overflow and illegal reading of the FIFO 904.

The load detecting means 830 reads the stored value of the counter 905 in the information reading means V, and the FI
The maximum value of the counter 905 corresponding to the FO capacity is 8
Two comparators comparing 0% and 20% values, 4 /
5 comparators 906 and 1/5 comparators 908 are provided. 4/5
The comparators 906 and ⅕ comparator 908 are an allowable range storage means and a load comparison means.

The information converting means 832 is a digitizing adjusting means 9 capable of converting the frame rate of one unit of multimedia information, the sampling frequency, or the number of quantization bits.
13 and operation control means 914 for controlling the digitizing adjustment means 913 by designating the frame rate of the multimedia information, the sampling frequency, or whether the quantization bit number is to be increased or decreased.

The operation procedure when the information converting means 832 performs information conversion is to read the comparison result of the comparators 906 and 908, and the comparison result is the information reading means 80.
2 indicates that the stored value of the counter 905 in 2 exceeds 80% of the maximum value of the counter 905,
The built-in path selecting means 909 is switched to the lower side in the figure, and one unit of the multimedia information held in the buffer memory 904 is transferred to the information converting means to change the frame rate, the sampling frequency, or the number of quantization bits. Lower and output.

The comparison results of the comparators 906 and 908 are read out, and the comparison result is stored in the counter 905 in the information reading means 802 as the counter 90.
If it shows less than 20% of the minimum of 5, then
The built-in path selecting means 909 is switched to the lower side in the figure, and one unit of the multimedia information held in the buffer memory 904 is transferred to the information converting means to change the frame rate, the sampling frequency, or the number of quantization bits. Increase and output.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, an outline of the operations of the FIFO 904 of the information reading means 802, the counter 905, and the comparators 906 and 908 until the multimedia information conversion operation is started will be described. The operation starts from START at the top of the flow chart shown, and after initialization (S101), there is a request for input of the multimedia information (S102), and when the FIFO 904 has free space (S103), the information storage One unit of multimedia information is read from the means 801 (S104), and the F
After storing in the IFO, the counter 905 is incremented (S105). If there is a request to output the multimedia information, and it is in the FIFO 904 (S106),
The value of the counter 905 is 80, which is the maximum value of the counter.
% (S107), the FIFO 904
From one unit of multimedia information to the information conversion means 9
13 to reduce the frame rate, the sampling frequency, or the number of quantization bits (S109), and after outputting (S109).
110), decrement the counter 905 (S
111). If there is a request to output the multimedia information and it is in the FIFO 904 (S107), and the value of the counter 905 is less than 20% of the maximum value of the counter (S112), one unit of multimedia information is output from the FIFO 904. The frame rate, the sampling frequency, or the number of quantization bits is increased to the information conversion unit 913 (S113), and after the output (S110), the counter 905 is decremented (S111).

In the cases other than the above states, no processing is performed.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

The load detecting means 830 can detect the load states of the information reading means 802, the information dividing means 806, the decoding means 809, 813, the buffer means 816, 819, and the information output means 822, 825. so,
Since the information converting unit 914 can convert the multimedia information into an appropriate amount of information according to the detection result,
It is possible to effectively use the surplus processing capacity of each processing unit while suppressing an excessive increase of the multimedia information that needs to be processed, and improve image quality deterioration due to sampling and quantization.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
2 and FIG. 13 will be described. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a multimedia device using the present invention, FIG. 12 is an operation diagram showing an interpolating and thinning operation of multimedia information by a load detecting means and an interpolating and thinning means, and FIG. 13 is a load detecting means 1136.
12 is a flowchart showing an outline of the registration area 1217 of f and the offsetting search means 1218 up to the start of the interpolation thinning operation of multimedia information. As shown in FIG. 11, the multimedia device using the present invention comprises an auxiliary storage device a, a decoder b, a personal computer system c, an output device d, and an information amount control device e.

The auxiliary storage device a is the information storage means 1101,
Information reading means 1103, which is a receiving means, load value 11
The load value transfer path 1141 and the multimedia information transfer path 11401102. The information storage means 1101 is an information storage medium capable of storing multimedia information and is an optical disk device having an information storage capacity of several hundred MB or more and a read speed of one hundred tens of KB / sec or more.

The information reading means 1104 is a host adapter which sequentially reads out the multimedia information stored in the information storage means 1101 in accordance with a request and outputs it as a predetermined electric signal train having a transfer rate of about 1.5 MB / sec. Eight-to-forty modulation (8 to 14 modulation, hereinafter referred to as E, corresponding to the recording code adopted corresponding to the information storage characteristics of the information storage medium.
FM (abbreviated as FM), cross-interleaved Reed-Solomon code (abbreviated as CIRC hereinafter) error correction function and a predetermined descrambler are built in, and the load value transfer path 1141 of the load value 1104 with the information storage amount of the built-in buffer as the load value Multimedia information for each unit that can be output to the
Input / output is possible via the transfer path 1140 of 102. Here, the load value transfer path 1141 of the load value 1104 is an electric signal line for transmitting the load value, the multimedia information 110.
The second transfer path 1140 is an electric signal line for transmitting the multimedia information, the load value transfer path 1104 has a width of 2 to 8 bits, and the transfer path 1140 of the multimedia information 1102 has a width of 8 to 32 bits.

The decoder b includes information dividing means 1106, decoding means 1109 and 1112, load values 1107 and 1110,
It is composed of a load value transfer path 1141 of 1113 and a transfer path 1140 of multimedia information 1105, 1108, 1111. The information dividing unit 1106 reads the multimedia information output from the information reading unit 1103 in the auxiliary storage unit a for each predetermined division unit having 2324 bytes as one block, and according to the information of the predetermined position in the division unit. This is a processing system that determines whether the information in the division unit is video information, audio information, or other information, and outputs the information to an output path corresponding to the determination result, and is built in like the information reading unit 1103. Load value transfer path 1 of load value 1107 with the information storage amount of the buffer as the load value
The multimedia information 1105 can be output to and output via the transfer path 1140 of the multimedia information 1105 for each dividable unit.

Decoding means 1109 and 1112 respectively apply the separate cosine transform (hereinafter abbreviated as DCT) algorithm and the adaptive differential pulse coded modulation (hereinafter abbreviated as ADPCM) algorithm to the video information and audio information output from the information dividing means 1106. This is an information processing system having a decoding function and can output the information storage amount of the built-in buffer as a load value to the load value transfer path 1141 of the load values 1110 and 1113 as in the case of the information dividing means 1106, and handles it. It is possible to input / output media information in units of dividable units via a transfer path 1140 of multimedia information 1108 and 1111.

The personal computer system c has buffer means 1115.
1118, information output means 1121, 1124, load value transfer paths 114111116, 1119, 112 for load values
2, 1125, transfer path 1140 for multimedia information
1114, 1117, 1120, 1123.
The buffer means 1115 and 1118 read the video information and the audio information output from the decoding means 1109 and 1112 in the decoder b, and write the video information in the built-in VRAM and the audio information in the built-in audio buffer. A load value 1 which is a processing system and uses the information storage amount of a built-in buffer like the decoding means 1109 and 1112 as a load value.
It is possible to output to the load value transfer path 1141 of 116 and 1119, and input / output via the transfer path 1140 of the multimedia information 1114 and 1117 for each unit that can divide the multimedia information to be handled.

The information output means 1121 and 1124 sequentially read desired information from the VRAM and the audio buffer built in the buffer means 1115 and 1118 at a predetermined speed,
A built-in digital-to-analog converter (hereinafter abbreviated as DAC) converts the signal into an analog signal, the video information is converted into an analog RGB video signal with a predetermined scanning frequency, and the audio information is converted into a predetermined audio signal in the same manner, and output respectively. A multimedia which is an information processing system having a function to perform and which can output the information storage amount of the built-in buffer as the load value to the load value transfer path 1141 of the load values 1122 and 1125 and handles the multimedia. It is possible to input / output the multimedia information 1120 and 1123 via the transfer path 1140 for each unit capable of dividing the information.

The output device d is a monitor 1126 and a speaker 1.
It is composed of 127. The monitor 1126 converts an analog RGB video signal of a predetermined scanning frequency output by the information output means 1121 of the personal computer system c into a video and outputs it. The speaker 1127 amplifies the audio signal output from the information output means 1124 of the personal computer system c by a built-in audio amplifier and outputs it.

The information amount control device e is a load detecting means 113.
6, interpolation thinning means 1138, load values 1104, 110
7, 1110, 1113, 1116, 1119, 112
2, 1125 load value transfer paths 1141, multimedia information 1102, 1105, 1108, 1111 and 11
Transfer route 114 of 14, 1117, 1120, 1123
It consists of 0. The load detection means 1136 uses the load value 11
04, 1107, 1110, 1113, 1116, 11
From the contents of the load value transfer path 1141 of 19, 1122, 1125, the information reading means 1103, the information dividing means 1106, the decoding means 1109, 1112, the buffer means 1
It is detected that the load value of one of the units 115, 1118 and the information output means 1121, 1124 is equal to or greater than a specified amount or equal to or less than a specified amount.

According to the detection result of the load detecting unit 1136, the interpolation thinning-out unit 1138 sets one unit of multimedia information of the corresponding unit when the load of the detection result exceeds the specified amount upper limit, and the multimedia information 1102, 1
105,1108,1111,1114,1117,1
When the load of the detection result is less than the specified amount lower limit, two units of multimedia information of the corresponding unit are read out via the transfer route 1140 of the multimedia information by thinning out through the transfer route 1140 of 120, 1123. Proper intermediate information of the unit of multimedia information is generated and interpolated between the two units of multimedia information. The load detecting means 1136 and the interpolation thinning-out means 1138 form an interpolation thinning-out canceling means.

Next, an operation example in which the load detection means 1136 and the interpolation thinning means 1138 of the present invention are operated will be described with reference to FIG.

The load detecting means 1136 is the information reading means 1103, the information dividing means 1106, and the decoding means 110.
9, 1112, buffer means 1115, 1118, information output means 1121, 1124 read the value of the counter of the FIFO provided, and the value of 80% and the value of 20% of the maximum value of the counter corresponding to the capacity of the FIFO. 2 to compare
Each of the comparators 1201 to 1216 is provided. The comparators 1201 to 1216 are an allowable range storage unit and a load storage unit. Further, the three states of the comparison results of the comparators 1201 to 1216, that is, 4/5 or more and less than 4/5 1 /
A registration area 1217 of the memory space for registering any one of 5 or more and less than 1/5 is provided, and in the three vertically continuous rectangles shown in the figure, the above 4/5 or more and less than 4/5 are 1/5 or more, 1/5.
The following three states are associated with each other, and the image stored at the position of the circle shown in the figure is made to function. In the case of the default intermediate position shown in the figure, that is, less than 4/5 and 1/5 or more, as it is,
In the case of 4/5 or more, the image is moved to the lower position, and in the case of 1/5 or less, the image is moved to the upper position.

The offsetting search means 1218 sequentially reads the registration statuses in the adjacent registration areas 1217, compares the registration statuses internally, and determines the non-uniform state before and after, that is, the registration of the adjacent registration area is 4/5 or more, Registration in the registration area is 1 above
In the case of the state of / 5 or less, or in the case of the opposite of the above state, the two adjacent ones are offset and both are registered and corrected to the state of less than 4/5 and more than 1/5.

The interpolation thinning-out means 1138 is a buffer memory 1219, 122 capable of storing continuous two-unit information.
0 and the information stored in the buffer memories 1219, 1220 are read out, the average of the corresponding values of the two units of information is calculated, and one unit of information that can be inserted between the two units of information is generated. The generating means 1224 is provided.

The operation procedure when the interpolation thinning unit 1138 performs the interpolation thinning is to read the contents of the registration area 1217, and the contents are 4/5 or more, that is, the FI.
If it indicates that it exceeds 80% of the maximum value of the FO counter, the built-in route selecting means 1222 is turned to the right side in the figure, and one unit of information held in the buffer memory 1220 is discarded route 1223. Discard via. Further, the content is 4/5 or more, that is, the FIF.
If it indicates that the value is lower than 20% of the minimum value of the O counter, the built-in route selecting means 1222 is turned to the left side in the drawing, and the buffer memories 1219 and 1220.
2 units of information held in the interpolation information generating means 12
24 to generate one unit of interpolation information, and then switch the route selecting means 1221 to the upper side in the figure to sequentially output the contents of the buffer memories 1220 and 1219. After transferring the contents of the buffer memory 1220, Before the transfer of the contents of the buffer memory 1219, the path selecting means 1221 is temporarily switched to the lower side in the figure to insert the one unit of interpolation information between the two contents of the buffer memory and output it.

Next, the load detection means 113 will be described with reference to FIG.
The outline of the operations up to the interpolation thinning operation of multimedia information by the registration areas 1217 of 6 and f and the offsetting search means 1218 will be described. The operation starts from START at the top of the flowchart shown, and after initial setting (S1
31), the value of the counter of the FIFO is read (S132), the comparison result by the comparators 1201 to 1216, that is, the load state of each unit is registered in the registration area 1217 (S133), and then the offset search means 12 is executed.
The combination which can be offset in 18 is searched and offset is performed (S13).
4), thinning-out interpolation of multimedia information handled according to the load state of each unit after the offset is performed (S135).
The above processing is continued until there is a request for termination (S13).
6) When the load value of each unit changes, the appropriate thinning interpolation is again performed.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

The offset retrieval means 1217 is the information reading means 1103, the information dividing means 1106, the decoding means 1109 and 1112, and the buffer means 111.
5, 1118 and the information output means 1121, 1124 and other information processing means, it is possible to reduce unnecessary interpolation thinning in the entire system from the context of the load state, so that image quality deterioration due to sampling and quantization can be improved.

Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
5, and FIG. 16 will be described. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a multimedia device using the present invention, FIG. 15 is an operation diagram showing an operation of interpolation or decimation of multimedia information by a load detection means and an interpolation decimation means, and FIG. 16 is an interpolation decimation means o.
5 is a flowchart showing an outline of the interpolation thinning operation of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 14, the multimedia device using the present invention comprises an auxiliary storage device h, a decoder i, a personal computer system j, an output device k, and an information amount control device l.

The auxiliary storage device h is the information storage means 1401,
Information reading means 1402, which is a receiving means, load value 14
04 load value transfer path 1441, multimedia information 1
The transfer path 1440 of 403 is used. The information storage means 1401 is an information storage medium capable of storing multimedia information, and is an optical disk device having an information storage capacity of several hundred MB or more and a read speed of one hundred tens of KB / sec or more.

The information reading means 1402 is a host adapter which sequentially reads out the multimedia information stored in the information storage means 1401 in accordance with a request and outputs it as a predetermined electric signal train having a transfer rate of up to about 1.5 MB / sec. Eight-to-forty modulation (8 to 14 modulation, hereinafter referred to as E, corresponding to the recording code adopted corresponding to the information storage characteristics of the information storage medium.
An FM (abbreviated as FM) demodulator, a cross interleaved Reed-Solomon code (abbreviated as CIRC hereinafter) error correction function, and a predetermined descrambler are built-in, and a load value transfer path 1441 of a load value 1404 with an information storage amount of a built-in buffer as a load value Multimedia information for each unit that can be output to the
Input / output is possible via the transfer path 1440 of 403. Here, the load value transfer path 1441 of the load value 1404 is an electric signal line for transmitting the load value, the multimedia information transfer path 1440 is an electric signal line for transmitting the multimedia information, and the load value transfer path of the load value 1404 is 1441
2 to 8 bits, and the multimedia information transfer path 1440 has a width of 8 to 32 bits.

The decoder i includes information dividing means 1406, decoding means 1409 and 1412, load values 1407 and 1410,
A load value transfer path 1441 of 1413 and a transfer path 1440 of multimedia information 1405, 1408, and 1411. The information dividing unit 1406 is the auxiliary storage device h.
The multimedia information output by the information reading means 1402 is read for each predetermined division unit having 2324 bytes as one block, and the information in the division unit is converted into video information and audio information according to information at a predetermined position in the division unit. Is a processing system that determines which of the information and other information is output to the output path corresponding to the determination result, and uses the information storage amount of the built-in buffer as the load value as the load value, like the information reading unit 1402. Of the multimedia information 1405 that can be output to the load value transfer path 1441 of each of the multimedia information 1405 and can be divided into units that can divide the multimedia information to be handled.
Input / output is possible via 0.

Decoding means 1409 and 1412 respectively separate the cosine transform (hereinafter abbreviated as DCT) algorithm and the adaptive differential pulse coded modulation (hereinafter abbreviated as ADPCM) algorithm for the video information and audio information output from the information dividing means 1406. It is an information processing system having a function of decoding in accordance with the above, and like the information dividing means 1406, the information storage amount of a built-in buffer can be output as a load value to the load value transfer path 1441 of the load values 1410 and 1413, and handled. It is possible to input / output the multimedia information for each divisible unit via the transfer path 1440 of the multimedia information 1408, 1411.

The personal computer system j has a buffer means 1415,
1418, information output means 1421, 1424, load value 1
416, 1419, 1422, 1425 load value transfer path 1441, multimedia information 1414, 1417,
The transfer route 1440 of 1420 and 1423 is used. The buffer means 1415, 1418 read the video information and audio information output from the decoding means 1409, 1412 in the decoder i, write the video information in the built-in VRAM, and write the audio information in the built-in audio buffer. A load value 1 which is a processing system and uses the information storage amount of a built-in buffer as a load value as in the case of the decoding means 1409 and 1412.
It is possible to output to the load value transfer path 1441 of 416 and 1419 and input / output via the transfer path 1440 of the multimedia information 1414 and 1417 for each unit that can divide the multimedia information to be handled.

The information output means 1421 and 1424 sequentially read out desired information from the VRAM and the audio buffer built in the buffer means 1415 and 1418 at a predetermined speed,
A built-in digital-to-analog converter (hereinafter abbreviated as DAC) converts the signal into an analog signal, the video information is converted into an analog RGB video signal with a predetermined scanning frequency, and the audio information is converted into a predetermined audio signal in the same manner, and output respectively. An information processing system having a function of controlling the amount of information stored in the built-in buffer similarly to the buffer means 1415 and 1418.
2, 1425 can be output to the load value transfer path 1441 of the load value, and the multimedia information handled can be input / output via the transfer path 1440 of the multimedia information 1420, 1423 for each unit that can be divided.

The output device k is the monitor 1426, the speaker 1
427. The monitor 146 converts an analog RGB video signal of a predetermined scanning frequency output from the information output means 1421 of the personal computer system j into a video and outputs the video. The speaker 1427 amplifies and outputs the audio signal output from the information output means 1424 of the personal computer system j by a built-in audio amplifier.

The information amount control device 1 includes the load detecting means 142.
9, interpolation thinning-out means 1432, key frame determining means 1430 as reference determining means, load value 1404,
1407, 1410, 1413, 1416, 1419,
1422, 1425 load value transfer path 1441, multimedia information 1403, 1405, 1408, 141
1, 1414, 1417, 1420, 1423 are configured as transfer paths 1440. The load detecting means 1429 uses the load values 1404, 1407, 1410, 1413, 141.
6, 1419, 1422, 1425 load value transfer path 1
From the contents of 441, the information reading means 1402, the information dividing means 1406, the decoding means 1409, 1412, the buffer means 1415, 1418, the information output means 1421, 1
It is detected that the load value of any of the 424 units is greater than or equal to a specified amount or less than or equal to a specified amount.

The interpolation thinning-out means 1432 follows the detection result of the load detecting means 1429, and if the load of the detection result exceeds the upper limit of the specified amount, one unit of the multimedia information of the corresponding unit, and the key frame determining means 143.
After confirming that it is not a key frame in 1, the multimedia information 1403, 1405, 1408, 1411, 141
4, 1417, 1420, 1423 transfer path 1440
If the load of the detection result is less than the specified amount lower limit, 2 units of multimedia information of the corresponding unit, multimedia information 1403, 1405, 140
8, 1411, 1414, 1417, 1420, 142
3 through the transfer path 1440 to generate appropriate intermediate information of the two units of multimedia information,
Interpolate between units of multimedia information.

Next, an operation example in which the load detecting means 1429, the interpolation thinning-out means 1432 and the key frame discriminating means 1431 of the present invention are applied to the information reading means 1402 will be described with reference to FIG. Information reading means 140 in the figure
Reference numeral 2 denotes a host adapter that connects the information storage means 1401 and the information division means 1406 in FIG. 14, and is an instruction translator 150 that translates an instruction from the host sent from the right side in the figure.
7 has a function of reading the target information from a predetermined position of the information storage means 1401 on the left side of the drawing and transmitting it to the host, and although not shown, reduction of errors occurring in the target information or The EFM decoder for correction purposes,
It contains a CIRC decoder and a descramble circuit.

Further, a first-in first-out memory (hereinafter abbreviated as FIFO) 1504 for the purpose of speed matching between the information storage means 1401 and the information division means 1406 is provided, and the number of writable unit information of the FIFO is provided. Minute counter 1505, which is provided when 1 unit of information is written to the FIFO and is incremented by 1 by a +1 adder 1502, and similarly when 1 unit of information is read from the FIFO − 1 is subtracted by the 1-subtractor 1520. The counter 1505 includes a 1 comparator 1503, a 0 comparator 1521
When the value of the counter 1505 is equal to the maximum value, the FIFO 15 is compared.
By prohibiting writing to 04 and prohibiting reading from the FIFO 1504 when the value of the counter 1505 is equal to the minimum value, overflow and illegal reading of the FIFO 1505 are prevented in advance.

The load detecting means 1429 reads the stored value of the counter 1505 in the information reading means 1402, and the counter 150 corresponding to the capacity of the FIFO.
Two comparators for comparing the value of 80% and the value of 20% of the maximum value of 5, 4/5 comparator 1503, 1/5 comparator 152
1 is provided. 4/5 comparator 1503, 1/5 comparator 15
Reference numeral 21 is an allowable range storage means and a load comparison means.

The interpolation decimation unit 1432 determines whether the multimedia information transferred via the multimedia information transfer path 1440 is a key frame containing reference information for temporally adjacent multimedia information. Key frame determination means 14 for determination
31 and buffer memories 1514 and 1515 capable of storing continuous two-unit information and the buffer memory 151.
An interpolation information generating means 1519 for reading the information stored in Nos. 4, 1515, calculating the average of corresponding values of the two units of information, and generating one unit of information insertable between the two units of information is provided. ..

The operation procedure when the interpolation thinning-out means 1432 performs the interpolation thinning-out is to read the comparison result of the comparator 1506, and the comparison result is the information reading-out means 140.
The stored value of the counter 1505 in 2 is the counter 150.
5 shows that it exceeds 80% of the maximum value, and if the discrimination result of the key frame discriminating means 1431 indicates that it is not a key frame, the built-in route selecting means 1
517 is turned to the right side in the figure to discard one unit of information via the discard route 1518.

Further, the comparison result of the comparator 1508 is read out, and the comparison result is read out by the information reading means 140.
The stored value of the counter 1505 in 2 is the counter 150.
If it shows less than 20% of the minimum of 5, then
The built-in route selecting means 1517 is turned to the left side in the figure, and the two units of information held in the buffer memories 1514 and 1515 are read into the interpolation information generating means 1519 to generate one unit of interpolation information, and then the route selecting means. 15
When the contents of the buffer memories 1514 and 1515 are sequentially output to the information reading means 1402 by switching 16 to the upper side in the drawing, the buffer memory 1504
After the transfer of the contents of the buffer memory 1515 and before the transfer of the contents of the buffer memory 1515, the path selecting means 1516 is temporarily switched to the lower side in the drawing, and the interpolation information of one unit is inserted between the two contents of the buffer memory and output. To do.

Next, the outline of the operation of the information reading means 1402 up to the algorithm replacement operation activation by the FIFO 1504 and the counter 1505 will be described with reference to FIG. The above operation is performed at the top of the flowchart.
Starting from the first and after initial setting (S161), the FIFO
When there is an input request for the multimedia information in 1504 (S162) and the FIFO 1504 has a free space (S163), the multimedia information is read by one unit (S164) and the counter 1505 is incremented (S165).

There is a request to output the multimedia information to the FIFO 1504 (S166).
04 is entered (S167), the comparison result of the comparator 1506 is 4/5 or more (S168), and the multimedia information assigned to the output in the FIFO is a key frame (S169). One unit of information is output as it is (S173), and next multimedia information is thinned out (S173, S174, S170,
S171) The counter 1505 is decremented by 2 (S171)
172).

There is a request to output the multimedia information to the FIFO 1504 (S166).
04 is included (S167) and the comparison result of the comparator 1506 is 4/5 or more (S168), and the multimedia information assigned to the output in the FIFO is not a key frame (S169), the multimedia information. Is thinned out by one unit (S170) and the counter 1505 is decremented (S172).

There is a request to output the multimedia information to the FIFO 1504 (S166).
If 04 is included (S167) and the comparison result of the comparator 1508 is ⅕ or less (S175), the multimedia information is interpolated by one unit (S176), and the multimedia information is output (S171). Counter 1505 Is decremented (S172).

No processing is performed in any state other than the above.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

Since it is possible to generate and interpolate or thin out appropriate multimedia information according to the discrimination result of the key frame discrimination means 1522, it is possible to thin out a key frame which has information close to the original and can be used as a reference for an adjacent frame. This can be avoided, and the image quality deterioration due to the conventional indiscriminate thinning can be improved.

[0104]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multimedia device which can effectively utilize the surplus processing capacity.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an operation diagram showing an operation of interpolation or decimation of multimedia information by a load detection means and an interpolation decimation means.

3 is a flowchart showing a buffering operation by a FIFO 202 and a counter 205 of an information reading / reading means F. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an interpolation thinning operation of the interpolation thinning means H.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment of a multimedia device using the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of replacing a decryption algorithm / program by a load detecting means and an algorithm replacing means.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the replacement operation of the decryption algorithm / program of the algorithm replacement unit 517.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment of a multimedia device using the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an operation diagram showing an operation of converting multimedia information by a load detecting means and an information converting means.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an information conversion operation of information conversion means 832.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a fourth embodiment of a multimedia device using the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an operation diagram showing an operation of interpolating or thinning out multimedia information by the load detecting means and the interpolating and thinning means.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the interpolation thinning operations of the load detecting means f and the interpolation thinning means H.

FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of a fifth embodiment of a multimedia device using the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an operation diagram showing an operation of interpolation or thinning of multimedia information by a load detection means, an interpolation thinning means, and a key frame determination means.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the interpolation thinning operation of the interpolation thinning means o.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 ... Information storage means, 102 ... Information reading means, 103 ... Information dividing means, 104, 105 ...
.Decoding means 106, 107 ... Buffer means 108,
109 ... Information output means, 110 ... Monitor, 11
1 ... Speaker, 112 ... Load detection means, 113
... Interpolation thinning means, 124 ... Load value output path,
125 ... I / O path, 201 ... Information transfer path,
202 ... First-in first-out memory (FIFO), 203 ... Function selecting means, 204 ...
-Adder, 205 ... Counter, 206 ... Subtractor, 207 ... 1 Comparator, 208 ... 0 Comparator, 2
09 ... 4/5 comparator, 210 ... 1/5 comparator,
211, 212 ... Buffer memory, 213, 21
4 ... Route selection means, 215 ... Information discard route, 2
16 ... Interpolation information generating means, 501 ... Information storage means, 502 ... Information reading means, 522 ... Transfer path, 523 ... Load value transfer path, 504, 506 ...
..Decoding means, 505 ... Information dividing means, 507, 5
11 ... Load value, 509 ... Load detection means, 51
0, 513 ... Buffer means, 514, 515 ... Information output means, 517 ... Algorithm replacement means, 518
... Monitor, 519 ... Speaker, 601 ... Input FIFO counter, 602 ... Comparator, 603 ...
・ Input FIFO, 604 ... Variable length
Decoder (Huffman decoder), 605 ... Huffman table, 606 ... Inverse quantizer, 607 ... Inverse quantization table, 608 ... Decoding unit, 609 ... Inverse discrete cosine converter, 610 ... ..Algorithm transfer routes, 6
11 ... Output FIFO, 612 ... Output FIFO counter, 613 ... Memory, 614 ... Algorithm register, 801, ... Information storage means, 802 ...
Information reading means, 803, 805, 808, 812
815, 818, 821, 824, 831 ... Multimedia information, 841 ... Transfer path, 804, 80
7,811,814,817,820,823,82
6, 829 ... Load value, 842 ... Load value transfer path, 806 ... Information dividing means, 809, 813 ...
Decoding means, 816, 819 ... Buffer means, 822, 8
25 ... Information output means, 827 ... Monitor, 828
... Speaker, 830 ... Load detection means, 832
..Information conversion means, 901, 912 ... Instruction transfer path, 902 ... Adder, 903 ... 1 comparator, 90
4 ... FIFO, 905 ... Counter, 906 ...
・ 4/5 comparator, 907 ... Instruction translator, 908 ...
.1 / 5 comparator, 909 ... Route selection means, 910.
..Subtractors, 911 ... 0 comparators, 913 ... Digitizing adjustment means, 914 ... Operation control means, 110
1 ... Information storage means, 1102, 1105, 110
8,1111,1114,1117,1120,112
3 ... multimedia information, 1103 ... information reading means, 1104, 1107, 1110, 1113
1116, 1119, 1122, 1125, ... Load value, 1106 ... Information dividing means, 1109, 1112
... Decoding means, 1115, 1118 ... Buffer means,
1121, 1124 ... Information output means, 1126 ...
-Monitor, 1127 ... Speaker, 1136 ... Load detection means, 1138 ... Interpolation thinning-out means, 1140
... Transfer path, 1141 ... Load value transfer path, 12
01-1216 ... Comparator, 1217 ... Registration area, 1218 ... Offset search means, 1219, 1220
... buffer memory, 1221, 1222 ... route selection means, 1223 ... information discard route, 1224 ...
.... Interpolation information generation means, 1401 ... Information storage means,
1402 ... Information reading means, 1403, 140
5,1408, 1411, 1414, 1417, 142
0, 1423, 1430 ... multimedia information, 1
404, 1407, 1410, 1413, 1416, 1
419, 1422, 1425 ... Load value, 1406
..Information division means, 1409, 1412 ... Decoding means, 1415, 1418 ... Buffer means, 1421, 1
424 ... Information output means, 1426 ... Monitor, 1
427 ... speaker, 1429 ... load detection means,
1431 ... Key frame discrimination means, 1432 ...
Interpolation thinning means, 1440 ... Transfer path, 1441.
..Load value transfer path, 1501, 1509 ... Information transfer path, 1502 ... Adder, 1503 ... 1 comparator, 1504 ... First-in first-out memory (FIFO), 1505 ... Counter , 1506
... 4/5 comparator, 1507 ... command translator, 15
08 ... 1/5 comparator, 1510 ... Path selection means, 1511 ... Subtractor, 1512 ... 0 comparator,
1513 ... Key frame discrimination means, 1514, 15
15 ... Buffer memory, 1516, 1517 ...
.Route selection means, 1518 ... Information discarding path, 151
9 ... Interpolation information generating means.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Hiroyuki Sakai, Hiroyuki Sakai, 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Hitachi, Ltd. Microelectronics Equipment Development Laboratory (72) Yuji Kimura Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 292 Yoshidacho, Hitachi, Ltd. Microelectronics Equipment Development Laboratory

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A reception unit for receiving multimedia information from one or more information sources, at least one information processing unit for processing the multimedia information, and an information output unit for outputting the multimedia information. In a multimedia device, a load detection unit that detects a load state of at least one of the receiving unit, the information processing unit, and the information output unit; and an interpolation thinning unit that interpolates or thins out multimedia information according to the load state. A multimedia device comprising: 2. The multimedia device according to claim 1, further comprising: allowable range storage means for storing the allowable range of the load, and load comparison means capable of comparing the load with the allowable range and outputting a comparison result. Multimedia device characterized by. 3. A multimedia device according to claim 1, wherein said information processing means decodes the multimedia information by an information dividing means for deinterleaving the multimedia information at a predetermined interleaving ratio as necessary. A multimedia device, comprising: a decoding unit that performs the above-described decoding, and a buffering unit that temporarily holds multimedia information. 4. The multimedia device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the interpolation thinning-out unit includes an algorithm replacement unit that replaces the decoding algorithm according to a load amount. 5. The multimedia device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the interpolation thinning-out means selects at least one of a number of quantization bits, a sampling frequency and a frame rate of the multimedia information. A multimedia device comprising digitizing adjustment means for changing. 6. The multimedia apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising: interpolation thinning canceling means for canceling interpolation and thinning in each information processing means at a predetermined ratio. 7. The multimedia device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 6, further comprising a reference determination means for distinguishing reference information, prohibiting thinning of reference information and substituting by thinning other information. Multimedia device characterized by.