JPH1079155A - Video server apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a video server apparatus whose access time is shortened by a method wherein the waiting time, the operating time and the extra portion of a robot hand are stored, the robot hand is operated according to a request from a user and a video medium is inserted into a reproducing device so as to be repoduced. SOLUTION: The waiting time, the operating time and the extra portion of a robot hand 10 are digital-coded in advance by an MPEG or the like from the start of respective pieces of video information so as to be stored on a hard disk 3A and a had disk 3B. When a request from a user is received, the respective pieces of video information which are stored on the hard disks 3A, 3B are sent out so as to start a watching and listening operation. At the same time, the hard disks on which the pieces of requested video information are stored are inserted into video players 6A, 6B, 6C, by the robot hand 10, and the pieces of video information which are sent out to the user at a point of time in which the pieces of information can be reproduced are controlled so as to be changed over to the players 6A, 6B, 6C. Thereby, it is possible to obtain a video server apparatus whose operability is ensured with reference to the pieces of video information, whose access time is short and whose costs are reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video server device, and more particularly to a shelf containing a large number of video media, a plurality of video playback devices, and a video media desired by a user from a shelf containing video media. A robot hand that automatically takes out and inserts it into the playback device, a device consisting of a device that sends output video information from the playback device to the user (hereinafter referred to as a cart machine), and video information digitally encoded by MPEG or the like And a video server device capable of storing video information in a digital information storage device such as a hard disk and reading and transmitting video information requested by a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a video server device is constructed, it is roughly divided into (1) a method of constructing a cart machine using a video medium (video tape, video disk, or the like) in which video information is recorded as a video signal. And (2)
There has been a method in which video information digitally encoded by MPEG or the like is stored in a digital information storage device such as a magnetic disk device and transmitted.

[0003]

The present invention has found the following problems as a result of studying the above-mentioned prior art.

The method (1) is characterized in that the cost of the digital information storage device is lower than that of the method (2), so that the video server device can be constructed at low cost. There has been a problem that an access time including several tens of seconds (because a small number of robot hands are allocated to a plurality of users).

According to the method (2), there is an advantage that the access time can be shortened to several seconds or less. However, as described above, the construction cost of the video server device is lower than that of the method (1). There was a problem that it became very expensive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a video server device which has a short access time and a low cost while ensuring the same operability of video information as in the conventional method.

[0007] The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0008]

The outline of a typical invention among the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

A shelf containing a large number of video media, a plurality of video playback devices, a robot hand for automatically taking out a user's desired video medium from the shelf containing the video media and inserting the video media into the playback device, and a playback device. It is possible to store a digitally encoded video information in a digital information storage device, read out and transmit the video information requested by the user, and a cart machine comprising a device for transmitting video information output from a user to a user. In a video server device having a device, only a portion of a video medium stored in a video software medium storage shelf of the cart machine after a predetermined time has elapsed is digitally encoded in advance and stored in a digital information storage device, When there is a reproduction request from the user, the data is read from the digital information storage device and An operation command is issued to the robot hand of the user, the robot hand inserts the video medium requested by the user into the video playback device, and when the playback becomes possible, the video information to be sent to the user is continuously transmitted from the digital information storage device to the cart. After switching to the video playback device of the machine, the video playback device of the cart machine sends video information to the user until the user's playback action ends.

That is, the present invention combines the above-described methods (1) and (2) of the conventional video server apparatus, and sets the waiting time + operation time + alpha of the robot hand from the start of each video information in advance. The digital information is digitally encoded by MPEG or the like and stored in the digital information storage device, and when a request from the user is accepted, the video information stored in the digital information storage device is first sent out to start viewing, and at the same time, the robot By operating the hand, the robot hand inserts the video medium storing the requested video information into the video playback device, and when the playback becomes possible, the video information sent to the user from the video playback device. Operability, the operability is the same as that of the conventional construction method (1) or (2). Flip access time is conventional (2)
This is the same as the construction method of (1), and the system can be constructed at a lower cost than the construction method of the conventional (2).

Thus, it is possible to construct a video server device having a short access time and a low cost while securing the same operability as the conventional method for video information.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments (examples) of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In all the drawings for describing the embodiments (examples), those having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their repeated description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video server device according to an embodiment (example) of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart for explaining the operation of each unit.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a video medium (video software) storing video information, and 2 denotes a video medium.
Encoding devices for encoding a part of the video information stored in the hard disk (digital information storage device), 4: a hard disk reading / control unit, 5: a central control unit, 6A, 6B, 6C is a video player (video playback device), 7A, 7B, and 7C are encoding units, 8A, 8B, and 8C are switching control units, 9 is a robot hand control unit, 10 is a robot hand, and 11 stores the video medium 1. It is a video software shelf. FIG. 1 shows hard disks 3A and 3B as an example of a digital information storage device.

Next, the operation of the video server device according to the present embodiment (example) will be described with reference to FIGS.

(1) In the hard disks 3A and 3B, for all types of video software stored in the video software shelf 11, the expected waiting time of the robot hand 10 and the robot hand 10 are removed from the video software shelf 11. Take out the video medium 1 and take out the video player 6A, 6
The digitally encoded data is accumulated from the beginning only for the operation time until insertion into B, 6C and the sum of the time from insertion into video player 6A, 6B, 6C until reproduction becomes possible. .

For example, a robot hand 1 expected in advance
If the sum of the waiting time of 0, the operating time of the robot hand 10, and the time from when the robot hand 10 is inserted into the video player 6A, 6B, 6C until it becomes reproducible is at most 1 minute, it is stored in advance in the video software shelf 11. For each type of video medium 1, only one minute from the beginning is digitally encoded by the encoding device 2 and stored in the hard disks 3A and 3B. After digital encoding, the video medium 1 is moved to the video software shelf 11.

(2) The central control unit 5 controls the video software shelf 1
1 stores the storage positions and states of all the video media 1 stored in the storage medium 1. When a viewing request is issued from the user, first, the requested video medium 1 is compared with the information and the other video media 1 Judge whether or not it is used by the user. When used by another user, a message to the effect that viewing is not possible is returned, and when viewing is possible, the switching control units 8A, 8B, and 8C prompt the user to play from the hard disks 3A and 3B first. To send the read video information, and instructs the hard disk read / control unit 4 to start reading. At this point, the viewing of the user is started.

(3) At the same time, the robot hand controller 9 is instructed to take out the video medium 1 requested by the user and insert it into the corresponding video players 6A, 6B, 6C. However, since a small number of robot hands 10 usually correspond to a large number of users, the instruction is linked to a queue of the robot hand 10 and the robot hand 10 waits for a turn.

(4) When the turn of the robot hand 10 turns, the robot hand 10 immediately sends the specified video medium 1 to the specified video player 6A, 6B, 6C.
Start the operation of inserting into. Upon completion, the central control unit 5
The central control unit 5 receives the notification and releases the robot hand 10.

(5) The central control unit 5 includes the hard disk 3
The playback time code from A, 3B is monitored, and an appropriate time code T (video player 6A, 6B,
If 6C is a video tape player, video medium 1
Is a video tape, and instructs the video players 6A, 6B, and 6C to search for a time code (a time code obtained by subtracting a pre-roll Tp time from the time code T). The video players 6A, 6B, and 6C enter a standby state after searching for the time code.

(6) The central control unit 5 controls the hard disk 3
When the playback time code from A, 3B reaches T-Tp, the video player 6A, 6B, 6C is instructed to start, and when the playback time code from the hard disks 3A, 3B becomes time code T, switching control is performed. Part 8
A, 8B and 8C are instructed to switch the video information to be sent to the user from the video players 6A, 6B and 6C.

(7) Hereinafter, all operations performed by the user on the video medium 1 are performed by the video players 6A, 6B,
6C, and the information stored in the hard disks 3A and 3B is irrelevant. After the user's viewing is completed, the video player 6A, 6A
An instruction is given to take out the video software medium 1 from B and 6C and return it to a predetermined position on the video software shelf 11.

The video server device shown in FIG. 3 performs switching with the encoded video information shown in FIG.
This is a practical variation device that specifies video information as a video signal, and 12A, 12B, and 12C are decoding units.

As can be seen from the above description, according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned conventional video server apparatus construction method (1) and the construction method (2) are combined, and the robot is started from the start of each video information in advance. The hand 10 wait time + operating time + alpha is digitally encoded by MPEG or the like and stored in the hard disks 3A and 3B (digital information storage devices). When a request from a user is received, the hard disk 3A, 3A The video information stored in the video software medium 1 in which the video information requested by the robot hand 10 is stored by transmitting the video information stored in the 3B and starting the viewing, and simultaneously operating the robot hand 10
Is inserted into the video players 6A, 6B, and 6C (video playback devices) and the video information sent to the user when playback becomes possible is switched to information from the video players 6A, 6B, and 6C. As a result, the operability is the same as the above-described conventional construction method (1) or (2), the access time is the same as the conventional construction method (2), and the system is changed to the conventional construction method (2). It can be built at a lower cost.

Thus, a video server device having a short access time and a low cost can be constructed while ensuring the same operability as the conventional method for video information.

As described above, the invention made by the present inventor is:
Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0029]

The effects obtained by typical aspects of the invention disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

A video server device having a short access time and a low cost can be obtained while securing the same operability as the conventional method for video information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video server device according to an embodiment (example) of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart for explaining the operation of each unit of the video server device of the present embodiment (example).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a variation that embodies the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Video medium, 2 ... Encoding device, 3A, 3B ... Hard disk (digital information storage device), 4 ... Hard disk read / control part, 5 ... Central control part, 6A, 6B,
6C: Video player (video playback device), 7A, 7
B, 7C: coding unit, 8A, 8B, 8C: switching control unit, 9: robot hand control unit, 10: robot hand, 11: video software shelf, 12A, 12B, 12C ...
Decryption unit.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Agency reference number FI Technical indication location H04N 7/16 H04N 5/93 E

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A shelf containing a large number of video media, a plurality of video playback devices, a robot hand for automatically taking out a user's desired video media from the shelf containing the video media and inserting the video media into a playback device; A cart machine comprising a device for sending output video information from a playback device to a user;
An apparatus capable of storing digitally encoded video information in a digital information storage device, and reading and transmitting video information requested by a user. Only the portion of the video medium which has been stored for a predetermined time after the start has been digitally encoded and stored in the digital information storage device, and when there is a playback request from the user, the data is read out from the digital information storage device. At the same time, an operation command is issued to the robot hand of the cart machine, and the robot hand inserts the video medium requested by the user into the video playback device, and when the playback becomes possible, the video information to be sent to the user is seamlessly converted to the digital information Switch from the storage device to the video playback device of the cart machine, and then play back the user Since the video server device, characterized in that the transmitted from the video playback device of the cart machine video information to the user until the end.