JPH088864A - Program preparation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the work preparation operation of a learner and a beginner and to facilitate a cooperative operation by plural persons by converting some physical blocks to which video information or the like is allocated which are assembled by a user to a work based on the connection state. CONSTITUTION:This device is composed of an information storage means 1 and a joining means 2. The information storage means 1 is a means for holding multi-media information inside the physical block and is realized by installing a recording medium such as a video tape, an audio tape, a floppy disk and a RAM, etc., inside the physical block. The joining means 2 is the means for electrically and physically connecting the physical blocks mutually with each other. For instance, it is realized by a connector such as an RS232C connector or the like. Then, at the scene of preparing a multi-media work, by assembling the physical blocks for which the intrinsic multi-media information is stored in the inside beforehand by the user, the multi-media work is expressed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating multimedia works.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Multimedia information refers to video information, audio information, character information, symbol information, or a combination of a plurality of these information. Symbol information is a symbol representing a specific function or information. Specifically, this corresponds to a command for controlling the behavior of an information device such as a video player or a personal computer, a label attached to specific video information for identification, and the like. Conventionally, as a convenient means for arranging multimedia information temporally and spatially and creating a multimedia work, an icon to which video information, audio information, etc. are assigned is displayed on a computer screen, and the user There has been known an icon-based authoring system capable of creating a work by operating a device via a device such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example,
NEC PC-98GS Authorware St
It is a technique as described in the ar guidebook.

As a technique for supporting programming work by a plurality of people, a program can be created by assigning a command of a programming language to each of a plurality of physical blocks and connecting those blocks according to a rule. Generator (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-204
No. 620) is known.

[0004]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the case of creating a work by combining multimedia information, the conventional technique has the following problems.

The technique of creating a multimedia work by operating the icons on the screen operates the icons on the screen using a mouse or a keyboard, so that it is suitable for beginners, elderly people, etc. who are not familiar with operating input devices. It was difficult to handle. Further, according to this method, there is a drawback in that the operation feeling of directly assembling the multimedia material by hand cannot be obtained. Furthermore, there is a problem that it is difficult for a plurality of people to create a joint work because a plurality of people cannot operate the operation target at the same time.

The technique of creating a program by assembling physical blocks has the advantage that collaboration is easy, but only commands in the programming language are assigned to blocks, and multimedia information can be obtained by combining blocks. It was not possible to create a multimedia work that combined the.

The object of the present invention is to solve these problems, and by making it possible to create a multimedia work by assembling physical blocks, it is possible to create works for beginners and learners. Reduce the load,
It aims to facilitate the joint work by multiple people.

[0008]

In a scene where a multimedia work is to be created by assembling a physical block in which multimedia information is stored, the first invention is a method for physically storing multimedia information. It is characterized by having information storage means stored in the block and joining means for connecting the physical blocks to each other.

In a second aspect of the invention, information stored in each physical block is combined based on a predetermined rule from one or a plurality of the program generating apparatuses of the first aspect connected. It is characterized by further comprising program generation means for generating a multimedia work.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in the case of creating a multimedia work, the program creating apparatus according to the first invention allows the user to assemble a physical block in which unique multimedia information is stored in advance. It is possible to express multimedia works.

A program creating device according to a second aspect of the present invention stores each physical block in accordance with a predetermined rule from a pattern of one or a plurality of combinations of the program creating device according to the first aspect of the invention. It is possible to generate a multimedia work that combines the created information.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the first invention. This embodiment comprises an information storage means 1 and a joining means 2. The information storage means 1 is a means for holding multimedia information in a physical block, and is realized by installing a storage medium such as a video tape, an audio tape, a floppy disk, a RAM in the physical block. The joining means 2 electrically connects the physical blocks to each other,
It is a means for physically connecting. For example, RS23
It is realized by a connector such as a 2C connector. Figure 2
FIG. 4 schematically shows an example of connection of the program creation device of the first invention. 21, 22A, 22B, 23, 24, 2
The physical blocks 5 are connected to each other by the joining means 2. In this embodiment, the joining means are provided at two or four locations on each physical block, but the number and positions of the joining means are not limited to this. Each physical block has a built-in RAM as the information storage means 1 and stores unique symbol information. The block 21 includes symbol information Sym corresponding to the video information A.
A, block 22A has symbol information SymE corresponding to a fade-out start command, block 22B has symbol information SymF corresponding to a fade-out end command,
The block 23 includes the symbol information S corresponding to the video information B.
ymB, the block 24 stores symbol information SymD corresponding to the acoustic information D, and the block 25 stores symbol information SymC corresponding to the video information C.
The cable 26 connecting the block 22A and the block 22B is installed to visually indicate that both blocks are a pair. In this embodiment, the following multimedia work is represented by the physical block arrangement shown in FIG. That is, first, the video information A is presented. After the presentation of the video information A, the video information B and the audio information D are presented at the same time, but these pieces of information gradually fade out. After the fade-out, the video information C is presented. Here, for vertically connected blocks, the information assigned to each block is presented in order from top to bottom, and for horizontally connected blocks, the information is presented at the same time. It is adopted. The rules for expressing works are not limited to this.

FIG. 3 is a simple functional block diagram of an embodiment of the second invention. The present embodiment comprises at least one of the program creating apparatus of the first invention and the program creating means 3.
The program generation means 3 is one of the program creation devices of the first invention,
Alternatively, it is a means for referring to a plurality of connected pieces and generating a multimedia work from the connection pattern based on a certain rule, and is realized by a personal computer or the like. The program generation means 3 includes a scanning unit 31, a conversion unit 32, an information allocation table 321, and a conversion rule table 322. The scanning unit 31 scans the internal state and connection relationship of one or more of the program creating apparatuses of the first invention connected, and outputs the result to the conversion unit in, for example, a matrix representation. FIG. 4 is an example of a matrix expression generated from the block connection example of FIG. In this example, a matrix with 8 columns and 3 columns is used. On the matrix, 0 indicates that there is no block at that position. Symbols such as SymA and SymB are symbol information stored in each physical block, and indicate that a block storing such information exists at that position on the matrix. In practice, the size of the matrix is arbitrary. The work conversion section 32 refers to the information allocation table 321 and the conversion rule table 322 to generate a work expression executable on an information device such as a personal computer from the scanning result sent from the scanning section 31, and outputs it. To do. In the information allocation table 321, what kind of information the symbol information stored in each physical block corresponds to is recorded. FIG. 5 is an example of the information allocation table 321. In the conversion rule table 322, rules for converting the connection pattern of physical blocks into multimedia works are recorded. This rule is optional. The output destination of the generated work expression is not limited to the personal computer. For example, a system in which a television and a speaker are combined, a robot controlled by a signal from the outside, or the like can be the output destination. Furthermore, if a display, a speaker, and the like for reproducing images and sounds are installed on the program creation device of the first invention, a method of presenting works in which sounds and images are reproduced directly from physical blocks is also possible. Becomes

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a multimedia work is created by combining images and sounds, some physical blocks to which image information and the like are assigned are assembled by the user. Since it is converted into a work based on the connection state, especially a learner or a beginner can easily make a work, and a plurality of people can easily work together.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simple functional block diagram of the first invention,

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a connection example of the program creation device of the first invention,

FIG. 3 is a simple functional block diagram of the second invention,

FIG. 4 is an example of data output from a scanning unit,

FIG. 5 is an example of an information allocation table.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information storage means 2 Joining means 3 Program generating means 21 Program creating apparatus of the first invention having joining means at 4 locations 22A Program creating apparatus of 1st invention having joining means at 2 locations 22B Joining means at 2 locations 1st invention program preparation apparatus having 23 23 1st invention program preparation apparatus having 4 joining means 4 4 1st invention program creating apparatus having 4 joining means 25 4 joining means 1 program creation apparatus 31 scanning unit 32 conversion unit 321 information allocation table 322 conversion rule table

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A program creating apparatus comprising: an information storage means for storing multimedia information in a physical block; and a joining means for connecting the physical blocks to each other. 2. A program generation means for generating a multimedia work in which information stored in each physical block is combined from one or more of the program creation devices connected to each other. The program creation device according to claim 1.