JPH1196049A - Recording and reproducing device, method therefor and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preferentially remain required information by continuously storing information at all times, ranking the priority of abandonment for every information based on the intention of a user and determining the retention period of the information according to the priority of abandonment. SOLUTION: The information inputted by an information input device 12 is supplied for continuously always performed recording into a mass storage device 14 in addition to recording by a VTR 28 and display by a monitor 29. The mass storage device 14 continuously records the information outputted from the information input device 12 in empty capacity for each prescribed data unit. A controller 10 for executing various programs through a CPU manages the information inputted from the information input device 12 while ranking the priority of abandonment for every prescribed data unit and performs control for securing the empty capacity by abandoning the information based on the priority of abandonment when the empty capacity is deficit for storing the information inputted by the information input device 12 in the mass storage device 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage device for storing multimedia information including video, audio, text, etc. in a large-capacity storage device such as an optical disk or a magnetic disk, and for recording and viewing and utilizing the multimedia information. Recording / reproducing apparatus, recording / reproducing method, and recording medium capable of storing, as a multimedia information source, a television broadcast or the like which is continuously supplied, and reproducing the stored multimedia information. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, continuously supplied information, for example, the latest television broadcast video and audio, is always stored for a predetermined time without using a permanent recording means. A technique relating to a video recording / reproducing method capable of immediately replaying a scene that the user wants to see again or a scene that the user missed has been developed.

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-23759, a video signal is input, the video signal is compressed, the compressed data is stored in a ring buffer, and stored in the ring buffer when a reproduction instruction is input. A technique for expanding data and outputting it as video data has been disclosed.

If there is free space, the data is stored in the ring buffer as it is, and if there is no free space, old data is erased before storing. Thus, continuously supplied information can be always recorded without using a permanent recording unit.

A method of destroying recorded data when free space is insufficient is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 12114, there is a method of performing not only based on old and new writing times but also based on information such as reading time and reading frequency.

[0006]

As described above, according to the conventional technique as well, information such as continuously supplied television broadcasts can be constantly stored, and a missed scene can be arbitrarily replayed.

[0007] However, among the above-mentioned prior arts, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-237592 discloses that the stored data is discarded in order from the one older than the ring buffer. ,
As new data is sequentially stored with the passage of time, when it becomes old, it is forcibly discarded.

Further, even if the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-212114 is combined, it is not enough to compensate for the disadvantage. Therefore, when it is desired to replay, it is sufficiently considered that the data has been erased. Further, the stored data cannot be permanently retained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is a recording / reproducing apparatus which can record continuously supplied information at all times while leaving necessary information with priority. , A recording / reproducing method, and a recording medium.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided an information input means for inputting continuously supplied information, and an information input means for continuously inputting the information supplied by the information input means for each predetermined data unit. Storage means for storing information stored in the storage means, and managing the information stored in the storage means by setting a destroying priority for each data unit, wherein the information input by the information input means is stored in the storage means. When the capacity is insufficient, control means for discarding information based on the discarding priority to secure free space, and information output means for outputting information stored in the storage means at a predetermined timing. It is characterized by having.

[0011] Thus, the input information is always recorded without the user's consciousness, and the information can be output at a predetermined timing. Easy acquisition (playback)
can do. Furthermore, by adding a destruction priority that is the basis for erasing information other than time information, whereas the oldest information was erased in the past,
Unnecessary information can be preferentially erased, so that important information can be left as a result.

[0012] The present invention is characterized in that a second recording means for reading out the information stored in the storage means at a predetermined timing and permanently recording the information is provided. Thus, not only can the recorded information be simply reproduced, but also the important information left in the recording means can be permanently left.

[0013] Further, there is provided instruction input means for inputting an instruction for changing the discarding priority, and the control means determines the discarding priority in accordance with the instruction input by the instruction inputting means. And

[0014] Thus, the user can explicitly input an instruction that the user wants to keep the information or delete it immediately, and the information intended by the user can be left in the recording means.

The information processing apparatus further includes keyword input means for inputting a keyword for information stored in the storage means. The information input by the information input means includes accompanying information attached to an information body. In the means, the accompanying information is stored together with the information body, and the control means compares the keyword input by the keyword input means with the accompanying information stored in the storage means. The result is reflected in the discarding priority.

[0016] With this, if a keyword related to information (such as a program) that the user is interested in or information that the user is not interested in is input in advance, the information body (eg, video and audio of the program)
It can be determined whether the information is necessary information or unnecessary information depending on whether or not the information (information such as a program table) attached to the keyword corresponds to the keyword. Therefore, unnecessary information is preferentially discarded from the storage unit by reflecting the result of the determination in the discarding priority.

Further, reference value setting means for setting a reference value for the discarding priority, discarding priority of information to be discarded by the control means, and a reference value set by the reference value setting means. Means for comparing,
When the comparing means determines that the discarding priority is lower than the reference value, a discarding inquiring means for making an inquiry for confirming discarding of information is provided.

As a result, it is possible to prevent information that the user does not want to erase from the storage device from being unconditionally erased. Also,
When the information is output by the information output means, the output order is determined based on the discarding priority.

Thus, when outputting (reproducing or recording) a large amount of stored information, it is possible to perform the operation in the order from the most necessary or unnecessary one to the user, instead of merely the order of new one and old one. .

[0020] Further, an output inquiring means for inquiring whether or not to output information by the information output means when the discarding priority is determined to be lower than the reference value by the comparing means is provided. And

Thus, the necessary information can be output (reproduced or recorded) on the spot without the necessary information being carelessly discarded. Further, an output inquiry means for inquiring whether or not to output information by the information output means at a predetermined timing is provided. As a result, even for information having a low discarding priority, it is possible to indicate that the important information exists, thereby indicating that the user does not discard necessary information.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The recording / reproducing apparatus reads a program recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, and a magnetic disk, and is realized by a computer whose operation is controlled by the program.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording / reproducing apparatus includes a control device 10, an information input device 12, a large-capacity storage device 14, an external storage device 16, a memory device 18, a clock 20, a user input device 22, and an information output device. 24, CRT26, VTR2
8 and a monitor 29.

The control device 10 controls the entire recording / reproducing device, and is realized by executing various programs by the CPU. The control device 10 manages the information input from the information input device 12 by setting a discard priority for each predetermined data unit, and stores the information input by the information input device 12 in the mass storage device 14. When the free space to be used is insufficient, control is performed to discard the information based on the discarding priority and secure the free space.

The information input device 12 is used to supply continuously supplied information, for example, images transmitted by television broadcasting,
Receive multimedia information including voice, text, etc. The information input by the information input device 12 is VT
In addition to the recording by the R28 and the display by the monitor 29, it is supplied for the recording of the large-capacity storage device 14 which is continuously performed continuously. The detailed configuration of the information input device 12 will be described later with reference to FIG.

The mass storage device 14 includes the information input device 12
Is a device that continuously stores information output from a free space for each predetermined data unit. When free space is insufficient when information is stored, the large-capacity storage device 14 is discarded from unnecessary information by the control device 10 based on the discard priority, and the free space is secured.

The external storage device 16 is a device for permanently storing information read from the mass storage device 14 at a predetermined timing. The memory device 18 stores a program for determining the operation of the control device 10 and the control device 10.
Is used as a work area when compressing and decompressing data used for executing various processes and other information.

The clock 20 generates time information indicating the date and time. The user input device 22 includes a remote controller, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is used by the user to give a command, a keyword, a channel designation, or some other instruction to the recording / reproducing device.

The information output device 24 includes the information input device 12,
This is a device for outputting video, audio, and other information output from the large-capacity storage device 14 or the external storage device 16 in such a manner that human audio-visual perception can be recognized. The information output device 24 also outputs a message for performing interactive processing with the user. Information output device 24
If the final output device is the monitor 29, for example, it also performs a process of converting a digital signal to an analog signal and expanding compressed data. If the final output device is a CRT 26 for a computer, the processing is executed by a graphic card that converts the data into data capable of outputting information.

The CRT 26 is a CRT device for a computer, and is output from the information output device 24. VTR28
Stores information output from the information input device 12 and information read from the mass storage device 14 and the external storage device 16.

The monitor 29 is a monitor device for a TV, and includes the information input device 12, the information output device 24, and the VTR 28.
The information (video, audio, etc.) is output according to the signal output from. Also, in this figure, those drawn with thick lines represent the flow of signals of video, audio, and other information input from the information input device, and those drawn with thin lines are control signals for controlling each device. It represents the flow.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the information input device 12. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the information input device 12 includes an information selection unit 121, an A / D conversion unit 122, and compression units 123 and 124.

The information selection section 121 receives a television broadcast signal from a television antenna or the like. For example, the information selection section 121 plays a role of a channel for selecting a specific signal from many signals, selection of an analog signal and a digital signal, and selection of an image and a video signal. Other than voice, for example, text broadcasting and HTML (Hypertext markup)
language).

The information selection section 121 selects and outputs signals to divide the information into predetermined data units when the information is stored in the mass storage device 14. As specific data unit breaks, various methods such as switching of channels, commercials in a program, switching between stereo and monaural audio, switching at regular intervals, and the like can be used. Further, the information input device 12
By providing an image processing function to detect switching of image scenes and the like, each scene can be set to a predetermined data unit. In the following description, it is assumed that data units are separated by switching channels.

The A / D conversion section 122 has an information selection section 1 so that information can be stored by a digital signal.
The analog signal selected by 21 is converted into a digital signal.

The compression section 123 compresses the digital signal obtained by the conversion by the A / D conversion section 122 to reduce the data amount. In particular, in the case of a video signal, since the amount of information is extremely large, the compression capacity is applied to effectively use the storage capacity.

When the signal selected by the information selection unit 121 is a digital signal, the compression unit 124 does not need to perform analog-to-digital conversion, so the digital signal is directly input from the information selection unit 121 and compressed. .

The compression processing in the compression units 123 and 124 can use various methods.
PEG2 (moving picture coding experts group 2)
(Audio / videointerleaved) or MJPE, which is often used in MPEG1, MPEG1, personal computers, etc.
G (motion joint photographic coding experts grou
p) may be used, but this is not specified here.

In FIG. 2, the compression unit 123 and the compression unit 1
24 are provided separately, but they may be common if they can be shared. If data other than video and audio data does not require compression processing, the data is output without performing compression processing. In addition, a video signal, an audio signal, and the like can be sent from the information selection unit 121 to the monitor 29 or the VTR 28.

Next, the operation of the recording / reproducing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. First, a basic operation for storing information input by the information input device 12 in the mass storage device 14 will be described.

Here, a television broadcast is received by the information input device 12, and continuously supplied program data (video / audio, etc.) is continuously vacated for each predetermined data unit by the mass storage device 14. Store in capacity. The program data recorded in the large-capacity storage device 14 is converted and compressed by the information input device 12 as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 3, the management information 30 is stored in the large-capacity storage device 14 in association with the information body (program data 32) for each data unit. Therefore, information is stored in the mass storage device 14 conceptually as shown in FIG.

It is assumed that the management information 30 includes information such as channel information, time information, discard priority information, and program information (keyword, genre, etc.).
Channel information is information indicating a channel switched to select a program. In this embodiment, since the data unit is divided by switching the channel, the data unit is stored together with the program data 32.

The time information is information indicating the start time when the information is stored in the mass storage device 14. Control device 10
Acquires the time information generated by the clock 20 when the information output from the information input device 12 is stored in the mass storage device 14, and obtains the program data 3 as one of the management information 30.
Add to 2.

The discard priority information is stored in the mass storage device 14.
It is an index for selecting information to be discarded when discarding information from, and is represented by, for example, a score (discard priority score). The larger the score value, the higher the priority is discarded from the mass storage device 14. The discarding priority information is managed by the control device 10 and the user input device 2
The information is updated based on information (explicit instructions, keywords, etc.) input from step 2, elapsed time since storage, contents of program data, and the like. Details will be described later.

The program information is information accompanying the program data 32, and includes a keyword related to the program data 32, information indicating a genre of the program, and the like.
In a television broadcast, information such as text and HTML is transmitted as information other than video and audio, or transmitted prior to the broadcast of a program. The information is extracted based on the signal identified by the information selection unit 121 of the information input device 12 and stored as the management information 30.

Here, the discard priority information stored in the management information 30 for each data unit will be described. First,
When storing the information output from the information input device 12 in the mass storage device 14, the control device 10 sets the number of discarding priority points of the discarding priority information to 500. Thereafter, the control device 10 updates the discard priority information in accordance with the conditions (contents) as shown in FIG. 5, for example.

Basically, the number of discarding priority points is increased by +25 each time data becomes old so that the oldest information is discarded from the mass storage device 14 in order. For example, every time new information (data unit) is stored, the value of the discard priority information of each of the previously stored information is updated.

For example, when the user explicitly inputs an instruction to keep the currently received program from the user input device 22, the control device 10 lowers the discarding priority of the information. (-300)
Even if the recorded time is old, other information can be discarded first. Conversely, when an instruction indicating that the information is unnecessary is input from the user input device 22, the control device 10 sets the discarding priority of the information to be higher (+300).
By doing so, it is preferentially discarded.

The user input device 22 is provided by the user.
If a keyword related to a program of interest is input in advance (stored in the memory device 18), the control device 10 acquires program information for the program from the information input device 12 and compares it with the keyword. I do. As a result, when the keyword matches the keyword, the control device 10
Lower the discarding priority (-100). Similarly, when an uninteresting keyword is input and the keyword matches the program information acquired from the information input device 12, the control device 10 increases the discarding priority of the information. (+100). It should be noted that the discard priority information is updated not only for new information obtained from the information input device 12 but also for the information already stored in the mass storage device 14 by specifying a keyword. You may do it.

Further, when the channel is switched at short intervals, since the data is often unnecessary for the user, it is possible to increase the discarding priority of such information. That is, when the channel is switched and information of a new data unit is output from the large-capacity storage device 14, the control device 10 sets the time of the data unit (the duration of the information) up to that time as the time of the management information 30. The discrimination is made based on the information. If the time is shorter than a predetermined time, the discarding priority information is increased (+50), and if the time is longer than the predetermined time, the discarding priority information is lowered (+50). -50).

Although FIG. 5 shows only the above-described conditions, various other conditions can be set. The control device 10 updates the discard priority information of the management information 30 for each data unit according to each condition.

Next, a process performed when the free space is insufficient when the information output from the information input device 12 is stored in the large-capacity storage device 14 will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. I do.

Although the mass storage device 14 has a large capacity, its capacity is limited. When trying to store the information output from the information input device 12, if there is no free space, it is necessary to discard the already recorded information and secure the free space before recording.

First, the control device 10 controls the information input device 12
When storing the information output from the
Then, the free space of No. 4 is checked (step A1). As a result, if there is not enough free space to store the information, the control device 10 checks the discarding priority information of the management information 30 added to the program data 32 of each data unit, and In order to secure the free space, it is determined which program data stored in the large-capacity storage device 14 is to be discarded (step A3).

That is, the control device 10 checks the information having the highest discarding priority, and stores this information in the mass storage device 14.
(Step A4). The control device 10 records the new information in the storage capacity secured by discarding the information (step A5).

At this time, the control device 10 updates each information already stored in the large-capacity storage device 14, that is, old data discarding priority information to increase the value (step A6).

As described above, since the information having the higher priority is deleted based on the information on the priority of destruction, the information is basically discarded first with the oldest information. (Explicit instructions, keyword specification, etc.), unnecessary information is assigned a high discarding priority, and necessary information is assigned a low discarding priority. New information can be recorded while being discarded from the capacity storage device 14.

Next, the operation for setting the reference value (reference value 1) for the discarding priority will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The user can specify a reference value (reference value 1) for the discarding priority in advance from the user input device 22. Control device 10
Is stored in the memory device 18 when the reference value 1 is input. The reference value 1 specified here specifies the level of information that the user does not want to discard from the mass storage device 14.

First, the control device 10 controls the information input device 12
When storing the information output from the
4 is checked (step B1). As a result, when there is sufficient free space for storing information, the control device 10 stores new information in the free space.

On the other hand, if there is not enough free space to store information, the control device 10 checks the discarding priority information of the management information 30 added to the program data 32 of each data unit, and In order to secure the free space of 14, the program data stored in the large-capacity storage device 14 is discarded, and a discard candidate is determined (step B3).

The control device 10 compares the discard priority of the program data to be discarded with a preset reference value 1 to determine whether or not the discard priority is lower than the reference value 1. (Step B4). Here, if the discard priority is not lower than the reference value 1, this information is discarded from the mass storage device 14 (step B8).

On the other hand, if the discarding priority is lower than the reference value 1, the control device 10 displays a message asking the user whether the discarding candidates can be discarded through the information output device 24 (step B5).

For example, by reproducing a part of the program data 32 (video / audio) which is a candidate for discarding, the user is confirmed, and an instruction to discard or not to discard is input. When it is necessary to discard a plurality of pieces of program data in order to secure free space, the video of each piece of program data 32 is divided into a plurality of screens, displayed simultaneously, and discarded arbitrarily for each. It may be possible to input an instruction to permit or not to discard.

Further, instead of making an inquiry about discarding for each data unit, an inquiry about discarding may be made for each block other than the data unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a data unit is a management unit block, and a block including a plurality of management unit blocks is handled as a block to be inquired about data discard. Also. As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of discontinuous management blocks may be set as the inquiry target block instead of the continuous management blocks.

In this case, the control device 10 reproduces a representative portion (for example, a leading portion) of the block to be queried, prompts the user to confirm, and inputs an instruction indicating whether discarding is possible or not.

For example, in the case where the data unit is not divided by the switching of the channel but is divided by the switching of the scene in the continuous program on the same channel by the inquiry as shown in FIG. Instead of making an inquiry for each scene, the inquiry can be made as a program.

In this way, when the information destruction is instructed in response to the information destruction inquiry (step B6), the control device 10 leaves the corresponding information in the large-capacity storage device 14 as it is, and explicitly discards it from the user. The discarding priority information is set to a low value (-300)
Update to

On the other hand, if the discard permission is instructed in response to the information discard inquiry (step B6), the control device 10
Discards the corresponding information from the large-capacity storage device 14 to secure a free space (step B8). The control device 10
The new information is recorded in the storage capacity secured by discarding the information (step B9).

At this time, the control device 10 updates each information already stored in the large-capacity storage device 14, that is, the discard priority information of the old data to increase the value (step B10).

By setting the reference value 1 for the discarding priority in advance in this way, the mass storage device 14
Is compared with the discarding priority of the information to be discarded, and if the value is lower than the reference value 1, it can be regarded as information not to be discarded as much as possible. You can make an inquiry as to whether you can do so. Therefore, it is possible to prevent information from being discarded from the mass storage device 14 unconditionally.

Next, a description will be given of an operation to cope with a case where there is no instruction from the user in response to the information discard inquiry to the user, with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. The processing of steps C1 to C5 and steps C8 to C12 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 is performed in steps B1 to B5 and B6 to B6 in the flowchart of FIG.
10 and the same processing is performed, and the description is omitted.

If it is determined in step C4 that the discarding priority is lower than the reference value 1, the control device 10
A message asking the user whether to discard the discard candidate is displayed through the information output device 24 (step C5).

Further, the control device 10 acquires time information from the clock 20 and starts counting time in order to determine whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the inquiry was started (step C7). ).

Here, if the user's instruction to discard or not to be discarded is input from the user input device 22 before the fixed period elapses (step C6), the control device 10 proceeds as described above. Then, a process of discarding or not discarding information is executed according to the instruction.

On the other hand, if a certain period elapses before the user's instruction for the inquiry is input (step C7), the control device 10 automatically discards the corresponding information from the mass storage device 14 and clears the available information. The capacity is secured (step C10).

In this manner, if no instruction is input in response to the inquiry for discarding confirmation and it is ignored, the information is automatically discarded and the information input device 12 The outputted new information can be stored in the mass storage device 14.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, it is described that the information is automatically discarded if there is no instruction from the user within a certain period. If there is no such information, new information may not be newly recorded without being discarded.

Next, a case where another reference value 2 is set in addition to the reference value 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. The reference value 2 is set to a value smaller than the reference value 1, and specifies the level of information that the user does not want to discard from the mass storage device 14. The reference value 2 is also assumed to be input in advance by the user from the user input device 22 in the same manner as the reference value 1.

The processing of steps D1 to D4 and steps D11 to D13 in the flowchart of FIG.
Steps C1 to C4, C in the flowchart of FIG.
Corresponding to 10 to C12, respectively, and the same processing is performed, and the description is omitted.

If it is determined in step D4 that the discarding priority is lower than the reference value 1, the control device 10
Similarly, the discard priority is compared with a preset reference value 2 to determine whether the discard priority is lower than the reference value 2 (step D5).

If the discarding priority is lower than the reference value 2, the control device 10 leaves the corresponding information in the mass storage device 14 as it is, and receives an explicit instruction from the user not to discard it. Therefore, the discard priority information is updated to a lower value (step D9).

On the other hand, when the discarding priority is not lower than the reference value 2, that is, when the discarding priorities are the reference value 1 and the reference value 2
If so, the control device 10 displays a message asking the user whether to discard the discard candidate (step D6), and starts time counting to determine whether a certain period has elapsed. I do.

Here, if an instruction from the user in response to the inquiry to permit or discard is input from the user input device 22 (step D7) before the predetermined period has elapsed, the control device 10 responds to the instruction. Execute the processing that was performed.

That is, when it is instructed that the information cannot be discarded (step D10), the control device 10 leaves the corresponding information in the mass storage device 14 as it is, and there is an explicit instruction from the user not to discard it. Therefore, the discard priority information is updated to a low value (-300) (step D9).

When the discard permission is instructed in response to the information discard inquiry (step D10), the control device 10
Discards the corresponding information from the large-capacity storage device 14 to secure free space (step D11).

FIG. 11 shows whether the information stored in the mass storage device 14 is to be discarded by setting a plurality of reference values 1 and 2 for the discarding priority as described above. Represents the situation in which is classified.

By providing a plurality of reference values for the discarding priority in this manner, discarding from the mass storage device 14 can be performed more accurately from information intended by the user.

The above-described flowcharts (FIG. 6, FIG. 6)
7, 9, and 10), it is assumed that when the information output from the information input device 12 is stored in the large-capacity storage device 14, it is determined whether or not there is free space. However, the information is not always stored such that there is no free space in the mass storage device 14.

For example, while an inquiry to a user for discarding information and an operation for the inquiry are being performed, there is an extra free space for recording information continuously output from the information input device 12. , At least. Therefore, in FIGS. 9 and 10, a certain time (steps C7 and D8) measured at the time of inquiry is set such that the extra free space does not become insufficient.

In the above description, information to be discarded is obtained based on discarding priority information of each program data.
The corresponding information is discarded to secure the free space in the mass storage device 14 (steps A4, B8, C10,
D11) At the time of discarding, it is possible to ask the user whether to permanently record information to be discarded.

When the user instructs execution of recording from the user input device 22 in response to the inquiry, the control device 10 stores the information to be discarded in the external storage device 1.
6 (or the VTR 28 through the information output device 24). After that, the control device 10 discards the corresponding information from the large-capacity storage device 14 to secure a free space.

Thus, the information recorded in the mass storage device 14 can be permanently recorded according to the user's intention. Next, an operation in a case where information stored in the mass storage device 14 is reproduced or permanently recorded at an arbitrary timing will be described.

The data stored in the large-capacity storage device 14 can be reproduced at an arbitrary timing,
6 and VTR 28 can be permanently recorded. Playback and recording on the external storage device 16 and VTR 28 are performed when the user gives an instruction from the user input device 22.

At this time, any information recorded in the mass storage device 14 is reproduced, the external storage device 16 or the VTR 28
One of the means for deciding whether to record the information is a method of automatically deciding according to the discarding priority added to each information.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a method for automatically determining information according to the discard priority. First,
When a command indicating reproduction of information stored in the mass storage device 14 or execution of permanent recording is input from the user input device 22, the control device 10 With reference to the information discarding priority information, the one having the highest discarding priority is searched (step E2).

In this case, since the user does not always reproduce or record all the information determined by the discarding priority, the control device 10 inquires of the user which information is to be targeted and gives an instruction to select the information. Is input (step E3).

For example, the control device 10 displays an inquiry screen as shown in FIG. 13A, and displays, for each data unit, for example, a head of a video for a certain period of time, or a partial still image. Let the user choose whether to play or record.

The displayed video (or still image)
By arbitrarily designating the front button or the rear button by moving a cursor or the like, an image having a discarding priority of a value before and after the currently displayed image is read out from the mass storage device 14 and switched ( Step E5).

With the target video displayed,
When the recording button is instructed (step E4), the control device 10 sets the CRT2 on the corresponding video (information).
6 or the monitor 29, or permanent recording in the external storage device 16 or VTR 28 (step E6).

As shown in FIG. 13A, in addition to inquiring whether to reproduce or record each piece of information for each data unit, as shown in FIG. The screen may be divided into a plurality of pieces of information, and a plurality of pieces of information may be presented to the user at one time according to the order of the discarding priorities, and the target information may be arbitrarily selected from among them.

In this way, information can be arbitrarily selected from a large number of pieces of information recorded in the mass storage device 14 and reproduced or permanently recorded. In the above description, it is assumed that the user is presented with the highest priority of discarding, but it is of course possible to present the user with the lowest priority of discarding.

Further, information can be selected using the program information of the management information 30. For example, when information is recorded in the large-capacity storage device 14, if information such as a genre is also recorded as program information in addition to the discarding priority, the user can specify a certain genre and obtain information corresponding to the genre. Is retrieved from the mass storage device 14, and FIG.
3, the information to be reproduced or recorded can be selected.

Further, according to the above-described method, when the user actively instructs reproduction or recording from the user input device 22, for example, when an attempt is made to discard a disc having a discard priority lower than the reference value 1, After the data is automatically reproduced or recorded in the external storage device 16 or the VTR 28, the data stored in the mass storage device 14 can be discarded.

Further, those having a very low discarding priority can be reproduced or recorded in the external storage device 16 or the VTR 28 at a certain timing (for example, when a certain period of time has elapsed since the recording was performed). A message prompting the user can be made to be selected by the user.

When a program table is displayed and the contents of the information recorded in the mass storage device 14 are presented, the fact that the information is recorded is indicated on the program table. It is also possible to display it and reproduce it by specifying it, or to record it in the external storage device 16 or VTR 28.

Note that the method described in the above-described embodiment includes, as programs that can be executed by a computer, for example, a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM,
It is also possible to write the data on a recording medium such as a DVD or a semiconductor memory and apply it to various devices, or to transmit it via a communication medium and apply it to various devices. A computer that realizes the present apparatus reads the program recorded on the recording medium, and executes the above-described processing by controlling the operation of the program.

[0108]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, information such as television broadcast supplied continuously (video and audio, information related to the broadcast, etc.) is always stored continuously,
A prioritization of destruction based on the user's will is performed for each information, and the storage period of the information is determined based on the destruction priority, so that continuously supplied information is constantly recorded.
Necessary information can be preferentially left.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of an information input device 12 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary view for explaining a form of information stored in a mass storage device 14 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a concept of information stored in a mass storage device 14;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of conditions (contents) for updating discard priority information.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a process when the free space is insufficient when the information output from the information input device 12 is stored in the large-capacity storage device 14;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when setting a reference value (reference value 1) for the discard priority;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a case where a discard inquiry is made in a block unit different from a data unit.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an operation to cope with a case where there is no instruction from the user in response to an information discarding inquiry to the user.

FIG. 10: Another reference value 2 in addition to the reference value 1
9 is a flowchart for describing an operation when “” is set.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which a plurality of reference values 1 and 2 are set for discarding priorities to classify whether or not information stored in the mass storage device 14 is discarded.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for automatically determining information according to a discard priority.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a form in which information stored in the mass storage device 14 is presented to the user.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 control device 12 information input device 14 large-capacity storage device 16 external storage device 18 memory device 20 clock 22 user input device 24 information output device 26 CRT 28 VTR 29 monitor 30 management information 32 program data 121 information selection unit 122 A / D conversion unit 123, 124 compression unit

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. An information input means for inputting continuously supplied information; a storage means for continuously storing information input by the information input means in a free space for each predetermined data unit; The information stored in the storage means is managed by providing a discard priority for each data unit, and the information input by the information input means is stored in the storage means when there is not enough free space. Recording means for discarding information based on the discarding priority order to secure free space; and information output means for outputting information stored in the storage means at a predetermined timing. Playback device. 2. A recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a second recording unit for reading information stored in the storage unit at a predetermined timing and recording the information permanently. 3. An instruction input means for inputting an instruction to change the discarding priority, wherein said control means determines said discarding priority according to an instruction input by said instruction inputting means. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 4. An information processing apparatus comprising: a keyword input unit for inputting a keyword for information stored in the storage unit; the information input by the information input unit includes accompanying information attached to an information body; The means stores the accompanying information together with the information body, and the control means compares the keyword input by the keyword input means with the accompanying information stored in the storage means. 2. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a result is reflected on the discarding priority. 5. A reference value setting means for setting a reference value for the discard priority, a discard priority of information to be discarded by the control means, and a reference value set by the reference value setting means. Comparison means for comparing, and discard inquiring means for making an inquiry for confirming discarding of information when the discard priority is determined to be lower than the reference value by the comparing means. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1. 6. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the information is output by the information output means, an output order is determined based on the discarding priority. 7. An output inquiring means for inquiring whether or not to output information by said information output means when said comparing means determines that the discarding priority is lower than said reference value. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein 8. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising output inquiry means for inquiring whether or not to output information by said information output means at a predetermined timing. 9. Information that is continuously supplied is input, and the input information is continuously stored in a free space secured in a storage device for each predetermined data unit. The information is output at a predetermined timing, and the information stored in the storage device is managed by providing a discard priority for each data unit, and there is not enough free space to store the input information in the storage device. A recording / reproducing method, wherein information is discarded based on the discarding priority to secure free space. 10. The recording / reproducing method according to claim 9, wherein an instruction to change the discarding priority is input, and the discarding priority is determined according to the input instruction. 11. The information stored in the storage device includes:
Inputting a keyword for information stored in the storage device, including the additional information attached to the information body, comparing the input keyword with the additional information stored in the storage device, and comparing the result 10. The recording / reproducing method according to claim 9, wherein the information is reflected in the discarding priority. 12. A reference value for the discarding priority is set, and when discarding information to secure free space from the storage device, the discarding priority of the information to be discarded is set. 10. A reference value is compared, and if it is determined that the discard priority is lower than the reference value, an inquiry for confirming discarding of information is performed. Recording and playback method. 13. The recording / reproducing method according to claim 9, wherein when information is output from the storage device, an output order is determined based on the discarding priority. 14. A reference value for the discarding priority is set, and when discarding information to secure free space from the storage device, the discarding priority of the information to be discarded is set. 10. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a comparison is made with a reference value, and if it is determined that the discarding priority is lower than the reference value, an inquiry is made as to whether or not to output information. Method. 15. An information input means for inputting continuously supplied information, and a storage means for continuously storing information input by the information input means in a free space for each predetermined data unit. And managing the information stored in the storage means by setting a discard priority for each data unit, and there is not enough free space to store the information input by the information input means in the storage means. A program for causing the control unit to discard information based on the discarding priority order to secure free space, and the information output unit to output the information stored in the storage unit at a predetermined timing. Computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded.