JP2008016914A - Coding parameter control apparatus and multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus for simultaneous recording of multiple videos - Google Patents

Abstract

A parameter capable of encoding video data of a plurality of programs without breaking the system in generating parameters for encoding the video data of the plurality of programs when simultaneously recording a plurality of programs in a multi-channel broadcast stream Can be generated.
A program information management unit 6 manages program information PD from a program information input unit 5, and a priority control unit 7 uses a priority α which is an index for determining parameters based on the program information PD. Is set in units of programs, and the processing amount control unit 4 performs processing amount Pi per program in a state where the assigned amount is increased or decreased in accordance with the level of the priority within the range of the system processing capability Ps based on the set priority α. The parameter control unit 3 determines the parameter PM according to the processing amount Pi per program, and the recording control unit 2 sets the parameter PM received from the parameter control unit 3 to the encoder 12.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an encoding parameter control apparatus and a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos for simultaneously recording a plurality of input video data.

  Along with the rapid development of technological innovation centered on digital technology, the multi-channel broadcasting is progressing along with the diversification and sophistication of broadcasting media. As the number of broadcast channels increases, the number of programs to be recorded in the same time zone increases, and it is required to enable simultaneous recording of a plurality of programs broadcast at the same time.

  In Patent Document 1, as a method of simultaneously recording a plurality of programs broadcast at the same time, a user's preference is extracted, a program that matches the preference is recorded at a high bit rate, and a program that does not meet the preference is a low bit. A method of recording at a rate is proposed. Thereby, it is possible to record for a long time with a relatively small storage capacity.

  A problem in simultaneous recording of a plurality of programs is that, as the number of programs to be recorded increases, the required storage capacity and system processing capacity greatly increase. To solve this problem, there is a configuration shown in FIG. 17 as a method of simultaneously recording a plurality of programs broadcast at the same time. In FIG. 17, A is an encoding parameter control device, 21 is an operation unit for receiving input from a user, 23 is a program information input unit for the user to input program information PD, and 24 is based on the input program information PD. A program information management unit that extracts and manages preferences from the user's viewing history, 25 is a parameter control unit that determines a parameter PM used when encoding a program from program information PD, 26 is a parameter table, and 22 is an operation unit 21. The recording control unit controls the program information management unit 24 and the parameter control unit 25 to notify the encoder 12 in the video data recording apparatus B of the parameter PM. Also, B is a video data recording device, 11 is a video data input unit for inputting a broadcast stream, and 12 is an encoding unit for data input from the video data input unit 11 using a parameter PM from the encoding parameter control device A. An encoder 13 is a recording medium for storing encoded data.

In this configuration, the program information management unit 24 acquires program information PD related to a program to be recorded from the program information input unit 23, and further extracts and manages palatability from the user's viewing history. In determining the parameter PM for recording a program, the parameter control unit 25 refers to the parameter table 26 and sets a program that matches the preference extracted by the program information management unit 24 to a high bit rate. Set by bit rate. The recording control unit 22 inputs the parameter PM thus determined to the encoder 12, and the encoder 12 encodes the video data according to the parameter PM and stores it in the recording medium 13. This method makes it possible to reduce the amount of memory used for recording programs that do not meet the user's preference.
JP 2004-186845 A (page 4-6, Fig. 1-3)

  However, the configuration of FIG. 17 has a function of recording at a reduced bit rate when simultaneously recording a plurality of programs, but does not have a function of reducing the processing capacity of video data. There is a problem that it is not ensured that the system will not fail in terms of processing power.

  The present invention was created in view of such circumstances, and processes video data of a plurality of programs to be recorded without breaking the system in consideration of the total processing amount for all programs to be simultaneously recorded. It is an object of the present invention to provide an encoding parameter control apparatus and a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus capable of simultaneously recording a plurality of videos.

(1) An encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to the present invention includes:
A processing amount control unit that takes in the number of programs to be simultaneously recorded input from the outside, and determines a recording mode according to the number of programs within the range of the system processing capability;
A parameter control unit for determining the parameter according to the recording mode by the throughput control unit;
A recording control unit that receives the parameter by the parameter control unit and sets the received parameter to an encoder that encodes input video data according to the parameter;

  In this configuration, the processing amount control unit determines a recording mode corresponding to the number of programs within the range of the system processing capacity in accordance with the number of programs to be simultaneously recorded, and passes the determined recording mode to the parameter control unit. This recording mode relates to recording accuracy, and includes, for example, high-definition recording, normal recording, simple recording, or “SuperFine”, “Fine”, “Normal”, and the like. The recording mode substantially corresponds to the processing amount per program. If the number of programs is small, a finer recording mode is allowed to be selected, and the recording mode is determined under such a condition that the recording accuracy decreases as the number of programs increases. Since this is performed within the range of the system processing capability, the determined recording mode does not cause system failure. The parameter control unit receives the recording mode determined by the processing amount control unit, determines a parameter for encoding according to the recording mode, and passes the determined parameter to the recording control unit. Here, the encoding parameters include, for example, the resolution of the encoded data, the frame rate, the motion compensation mode, the audio codec, and the sampling frequency. As a result, the individual numerical values of this parameter are adjusted according to the number of programs. The recording control unit receives a parameter from the parameter control unit and sets the parameter in the encoder. The encoder encodes input video data using the parameters determined as described above, and stores the encoded data in a recording medium.

  The sum of the processing amount per program for each of the simultaneously recorded plural programs is the sum of the processing amounts for all the programs to be simultaneously recorded. Since the parameters for encoding are adjusted according to the number of programs as described above, as a result, the total processing amount for all the programs to be recorded simultaneously does not exceed the system processing capacity. Therefore, in the simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos for recording a plurality of programs at the same time, it is possible to process the video data of the program to be recorded without breaking the system.

(2) Further, the encoding parameter control apparatus in the simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to the present invention includes:
A program information input unit for inputting program information which is information relating to a program to be recorded;
A program information management unit for managing the program information from the program information input unit;
A priority control unit that sets priority, which is an index for determining the parameter, on a program basis based on the program information from the program information management unit;
A processing amount control unit that determines a processing amount per program in a state in which the amount of allocation is increased or decreased in accordance with the level of the priority within the range of the system processing capacity based on the priority set in the priority control unit; ,
A parameter control unit for determining the parameter according to the processing amount per program by the processing amount control unit;
A recording control unit that receives the parameter by the parameter control unit and sets the received parameter to an encoder that encodes input video data according to the parameter; Here, “setting priority in units of programs” is a keyword.

  In this configuration, the program information management unit takes in and manages program information related to the program to be recorded from the program information input unit, and passes it to the priority control unit. Here, the program information is, for example, information related to contents such as the genre of the program, information related to the data structure such as the video format of the program, information related to the user such as palatability. The priority control unit sets a priority, which is an index for determining parameters for encoding, on a program basis based on the program information received from the program information management unit, and sets the set priority to a processing amount. Pass to control. For example, the priority of sports programs is higher than that of news programs, the priority of HD (high definition image quality) is higher than SD (standard image quality) of the video format, and the higher the preference is, the higher the priority is. Condition. Based on the received priority, the processing amount control unit determines the processing amount per program in a state where the allocation amount is increased or decreased according to the priority level within the range of the system processing capability. Since this is performed within the range of the system processing capability, the determined recording mode does not cause system failure. The processing amount control unit passes the determined processing amount per program to the parameter control unit. The parameter control unit determines a parameter for encoding according to the processing amount per program received from the processing amount control unit. As a result, this parameter is adjusted according to program information (contents, video format, user preference, etc.). The recording control unit receives a parameter from the parameter control unit and sets the parameter in the encoder. The encoder encodes input video data using the parameters determined as described above, and stores the encoded data in a recording medium.

  As described above, the amount of processing per program that is the basis for determining the parameters for encoding is adjusted according to the program information (contents, video format, user preference, etc.). The total amount of processing for all programs in the system does not exceed the system processing capacity. Therefore, in the simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos for recording a plurality of programs at the same time, it is possible to process the video data of the program to be recorded without breaking the system. Further, unlike the above (1), since the number of programs is not defined, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of simultaneously recorded programs.

(3) In addition, the encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to the present invention includes:
A program information input unit for inputting program information which is information relating to a program to be recorded;
A program information management unit for managing the program information from the program information input unit;
A priority control unit for setting a priority, which is an index for determining the parameter, in units of parameters based on the program information from the program information management unit;
Based on the priority set in the priority control unit, a parameter control unit that determines the parameter in a state where the recording accuracy is increased or decreased according to the level of the priority within the range of the system processing capability;
A processing amount sum that is the sum of the processing amount per program for all programs to be recorded that is necessary when recording with the parameter by the parameter control unit is calculated, and the processing amount sum is compared with the system processing capacity. A processing amount control unit for notifying the parameter control unit of the comparison result;
A recording control unit that receives the parameter by the parameter control unit and sets the received parameter to an encoder that encodes input video data according to the parameter; Here, “set priority in parameter units” is a keyword.

  In the above (2), the priority control unit sets the priority in units of programs based on the program information, whereas in (3), the priority control unit sets the priority in parameter units based on the program information. The setting point is different.

  In this configuration, the program information management unit captures and manages program information (contents, video format, user preference, etc.) related to the program to be recorded from the program information input unit, and passes it to the priority control unit. The priority control unit sets the priority, which is an index for determining the parameters for encoding, based on the program information received from the program information management unit in parameter units, and controls the set priority by parameter control Pass to the department. For example, in the case of a sports program, the parameter resolution and the frame rate priority are set higher from the viewpoint that the video is intensely moving. In the case of music programs, the priority of the parameter audio codec and sampling frequency is set higher from the viewpoint of emphasizing sound quality. This is to set the priority in parameter units. Based on the priority received from the priority control unit, the parameter control unit specifically determines the parameter in a state where the recording accuracy is increased or decreased according to the level of the priority within the range of the system processing capability, and the determined parameter To the throughput control unit. The processing amount control unit receives a parameter that takes into account the priority for each program as described above, and is the sum of the processing amount per program for all programs to be recorded that are required when recording by that parameter. The total processing amount is calculated, the total processing amount is compared with the system processing capacity, and the comparison result is notified to the parameter control unit. The parameter control unit that has received the comparison result confirms whether it is within the range of the system processing capability as described above. If not, the recording accuracy is lowered from the low priority parameter and the parameter is updated. That is, when the total processing amount exceeds the system processing capacity, the parameter control unit adjusts the parameters for changing the processing amount necessary for video encoding such as the resolution and frame rate of the program to be recorded, and Alternatively, the processing amount required for recording is reduced by reducing the recording accuracy of audio. If this process is repeated several times, the finally determined parameter is such that the total processing amount corresponding to the parameter falls within the range of the system processing capacity. The parameters thus determined do not cause system failure. As a result, this parameter is adjusted according to the program information. The recording control unit receives a parameter from the parameter control unit and sets the parameter in the encoder. The encoder encodes input video data using the parameters determined as described above, and stores the encoded data in a recording medium.

  As described above, the priority that is the basis for determining the parameters for encoding is set in units of parameters, and the parameters are determined while checking the total amount of processing required when recording with those parameters. In simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos for recording a program at the same time, video data of the program to be recorded can be processed without breaking the system. Further, as in the above (2), since the number of programs is not defined, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of simultaneously recorded programs.

  In the above-described configurations (1) to (3), the priority control unit may set the priority using information related to the contents of a program such as a genre as the program information. In addition, the priority control unit may set the priority using information relating to a data structure of a program such as a video format as the program information. In addition, the priority control unit may set the priority using information related to a user of a program such as user preference as the program information.

(4) Further, the encoding parameter control apparatus in the simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to the present invention includes:
An operation unit for user input of parameters used when encoding each program to be recorded simultaneously;
A parameter control unit that manages the parameters received from the operation unit and determines the parameters in a state where the recording accuracy is increased or decreased within a system processing capability;
A processing amount sum that is the sum of the processing amount per program for all programs to be recorded that is necessary when recording with the parameters received from the parameter control unit is calculated, and the processing amount sum is calculated as the system processing capacity. A processing amount control unit for comparing and notifying the comparison result to the parameter control unit;
A recording control unit that receives the parameter by the parameter control unit and sets the received parameter to an encoder that encodes input video data according to the parameter;

  The feature of this encoding parameter control device is that it is configured to input parameters for encoding given to the encoder from the operation unit. According to this, it is possible for the user to arbitrarily set parameters to be used for encoding each program to be recorded simultaneously, and even for users who are not satisfied with the method of automatically determining the parameters, Improvement is expected.

  Further, in the above configurations (2) to (4), the processing amount per program calculated by the processing amount control unit, the parameters of each program determined by the parameter control unit, and the current setting There is an aspect in which a display unit that displays at least one piece of information among the relationship between the total processing amount and the system processing capacity with the parameters being performed is provided.

  Furthermore, there is an aspect in which the display unit further displays the priority of each program calculated in the priority control unit.

  Further, when the total processing amount necessary for recording with the parameters set by the user through the operation unit exceeds the system processing capacity, the display unit displays that fact on the screen. There is.

  Furthermore, there is a mode in which a sample video control unit that generates and outputs sample video data when recorded with currently set parameters is provided, and the display unit displays the sample video by the sample video control unit.

  By displaying the various types of information as described above, the user can easily set the parameters of each program while keeping the total processing amount of all the programs to be simultaneously recorded within the range of the system processing capability. Improvement of user satisfaction is expected through prior confirmation of sample video when recorded with the currently set parameters. And even when the number of programs to be recorded simultaneously increases, a flexible response is possible.

  A multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to the present invention includes any one of the above-described encoding parameter control apparatuses and an encoder that encodes input video data according to a given parameter and transfers the encoded video data to a recording medium for storage It is equipped with.

  According to the present invention, in simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos for recording a plurality of programs at the same time, the parameters for resolution (resolution, frame, Rate, motion compensation mode, etc.) can be adjusted, so that video data of a program to be recorded can be processed without breaking the system. Adjustment of parameters such as resolution and frame rate has an advantageous effect on reducing the storage capacity.

  Further, the processing amount per program can be efficiently reduced according to the characteristics of the program, and the influence of the processing amount reduction on the user satisfaction with respect to the recorded video data can be minimized. Moreover, it becomes possible to reflect a user's palatability more by providing a display part.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus is roughly divided into two parts, that is, an encoding parameter control apparatus A that determines parameters used when encoding a program to be recorded, and video data using the determined parameters. Is composed of a video data recording apparatus B that records

  The video data recording device B includes a video data input unit 11 that inputs a broadcast stream, an encoder 12 that encodes data input from the video data input unit 11 using a parameter PM from the encoding parameter control device A, and And a recording medium 13 for storing the encoded data.

  The encoding parameter control device A takes into account the operation unit 1 that receives input from the user, the number N of programs recorded and set by the user, and the system processing capability Ps owned by the video data recording device B. A processing amount control unit 4 for determining a processing amount (processing amount per program) Pi to be allocated to the hit recording, and a parameter PM used for encoding the program from the processing amount Pi per program determined by the processing amount control unit 4 A parameter control unit 3 to be determined, and a recording control unit 2 that controls the operation unit 1 and the parameter control unit 3 and notifies the parameter PM to the encoder 12 in the video data recording apparatus B are provided.

  The processing amount control unit 4 selects a recording mode M corresponding to the given program number N using the recording mode table T2, and determines a processing amount Pi per program corresponding to the selected recording mode M (N → M → Pi). The determination of the processing amount Pi per program is performed under the condition that the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded does not exceed the system processing capacity Ps.

  Next, the operation of the encoding parameter control apparatus in the multiple video simultaneous recording of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S1, recording information is input from the operation unit 1, and the number N of programs to be recorded included in the recording information is input to the recording control unit 2.

  Next, in step S <b> 2, the recording control unit 2 passes the program number N to the processing amount control unit 4 via the parameter control unit 3.

  Next, in step S3, the processing amount control unit 4 selects a recording mode M corresponding to the number N of programs using the recording mode table T2. This corresponds to determining the processing amount Pi per program. In this case, a recording mode M is selected in which the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs is not excessive with respect to the system processing capacity Ps.

  Next, in step S4, the parameter control unit 3 selects a parameter PM corresponding to the recording mode M (processing amount Pi per program) using the parameter table T1, and passes the parameter PM to the recording control unit 2.

  Next, in step S5, the recording control unit 2 sends the received parameter PM to the encoder 12 in the video data recording apparatus B.

  Next, in step S <b> 6, the encoder 12 encodes the input video data according to the received parameter PM and stores it in the recording medium 13.

  FIG. 3A illustrates the relationship between the processing amount Pi per program and the recording mode M. The processing amount Pi per program corresponds to the recording mode M. The recording mode M includes, for example, “ExtraFine”, “SuperFine”, “Fine”, “Normal”, and “Economy”. The closer to “ExtraFine”, the larger the processing amount Pi per program and the closer to “Economy”. The processing amount Pi per program is small.

  FIG. 3B shows an example of the recording mode table T2 in which the number of programs N and the recording mode M are associated with each other. When the number of programs N = 1, “ExtraFine” with the largest processing amount Pi per program corresponds, and when the number of programs N = 2, “SuperFine” with the next largest processing amount Pi per program corresponds with the number of programs N = 3, 4 corresponds to “Fine”, the number of programs N = 5, 6 corresponds to “Normal”, and the number of programs N = 7, 8 corresponds to the minimum processing amount Pi per program “ "Economy" corresponds.

  The processing amount control unit 4 determines a recording mode M suitable for the processing amount Pi per program corresponding to the number N of programs, and passes the determined recording mode M to the parameter control unit 3.

  The configuration of the parameter table T1 used by the parameter control unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). The elements of the parameter PM include resolution, frame rate, audio codec, and sampling frequency. As shown in FIG. 4A, the recording modes M are “ExtraFine”, “SuperFine”, “Fine”, “Normal”, “Economy”, respectively. Rank values are determined according to the difference in "". As shown in FIG. 4B, specific contents are defined in each rank of resolution, frame rate, audio codec, and sampling frequency.

  For example, when the recording mode M is “Normal”, the resolution = 3, the frame rate = 4, the audio codec = 5, and the sampling frequency = 2. Specifically, the determined parameter PM has the resolution: VGA. , Frame rate: 50, audio codec: AAC, sampling frequency: 24 kHz.

  The parameter control unit 3 refers to the parameter table T1, determines the parameter PM based on the recording mode M (processing amount Pi per program) received from the processing amount control unit 4, and uses the determined parameter PM as the recording control unit 2 To pass. The recording control unit 2 inputs the received parameter PM to the encoder 12 in the video data recording apparatus B.

  In the video data recording apparatus B, the video data is encoded by the encoder 12 based on the parameter PM passed from the recording control unit 2 with respect to the broadcast stream input from the video data input unit 11, and the recording is performed on the recording medium 13. Store.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of programs are recorded simultaneously, the recording amount control unit 4 determines the recording mode M (processing amount Pi per program) according to the number N of programs simultaneously recorded. Therefore, the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be recorded simultaneously can be kept within the range of the system processing capability Ps. That is, it is possible to record a plurality of programs simultaneously as expected without causing a failure due to a shortage of the system processing capability Ps. In addition, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of programs to be recorded simultaneously.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment indicate the same components. The configuration specific to the present embodiment is as follows. Furthermore, the program information input unit 5 for inputting the program information PD, the program information management unit 6 for managing the program information PD input from the program information input unit 5, the recording image quality of the program from the program information PD to each program, and And a priority control unit 7 for setting a priority α indicating the sound quality. Here, the program information PD includes information related to the content such as the genre of the program, information related to the data structure such as the video format of the program, information related to the user such as palatability. In the present embodiment, the processing amount control unit 4 is configured to calculate the processing amount Pi per program based on the program priority α set by the priority control unit 7. In addition, the parameter control unit 3 is configured to control the priority control unit 7 and the processing amount control unit 4 to determine a parameter PM to be used when encoding a program based on the processing amount Pi per program. . The recording control unit 2 is configured to control the program information management unit 6 and the parameter control unit 3 to notify the encoder 12 of the parameter PM. There is no recording mode table T2. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the encoding parameter control apparatus in the multiple video simultaneous recording of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S11, program information PD (genre, video format, preference, etc.) regarding a program to be recorded is input from the program information input unit 5, and the program information PD is input to the program information management unit 6.

  Next, in step S <b> 12, the recording control unit 2 acquires the program information PD from the program information management unit 6 and passes it to the priority control unit 7 via the parameter control unit 3.

  Next, in step S <b> 13, the priority control unit 7 determines the priority α for each program to be recorded based on the received program information PD, and passes the determined priority α to the parameter control unit 3.

  Next, in step S <b> 14, the parameter control unit 3 inputs the received priority α to the processing amount control unit 4.

  Next, in step S15, the processing amount control unit 4 determines the processing amount Pi per program based on the input priority α, and compares the processing amount total ΣPi and the system processing capability Ps for all programs to be recorded simultaneously. Do. As a result of the comparison, when the total processing amount ΣPi does not fall within the range of the system processing capability Ps, the process proceeds to step S16, and when it falls, the process proceeds to step S18.

  When the processing proceeds to step S16, the processing amount control unit 4 performs processing per program assigned to the program having the lowest priority α among the plurality of programs because the total processing amount ΣPi indicates an excess with respect to the system processing capacity Ps. The amount Pi is reduced (the rank of the recording mode M is lowered).

  Next, in step S17, the priority α is updated, and the process returns to step S15 to again compare the total processing amount ΣPi with the system processing capacity Ps.

  As a method for reducing the processing amount Pi per program, a recording mode M corresponding to the processing amount Pi per program is prepared, and the rank of the recording mode M is lowered by one rank. As a method of not making the same program selected as a program whose rank is lowered after the second operation by this operation, there is a method of updating the priority α every time.

  The processing amount control unit 4 repeats this until the processing amount sum ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded falls within the range of the system processing capability Ps, and determines the recording mode M of each program.

  If the determination in step S15 is affirmative and the process proceeds to step S18, the parameter control unit 3 selects the parameter PM corresponding to the recording mode M (processing amount Pi per program) using the parameter table T1, and the parameter PM is passed to the recording control unit 2.

  Next, in step S19, the recording control unit 2 sends the received parameter PM to the encoder 12 in the video data recording apparatus B.

  Next, in step S <b> 20, the encoder 12 encodes the input video data according to the received parameter PM and stores it in the recording medium 13.

  FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C each show an example in which the priority α is set for the content information, configuration information, and user information of the program.

  In FIG. 7 (a), as an example of setting the priority α based on information related to the content such as the genre of a program, priority is given on the assumption that high-precision recording is not required when the program genre is news. The degree α is set low. In FIG. 7B, as an example of setting the priority α based on information related to the data structure such as the video format, when the video format is HD, the amount of data to be processed is large. It is set high. In FIG. 7C, as an example of setting the priority α based on information related to the user such as preference, the higher the priority α is set for a program having a higher user preference. Note that the priority α may be set by evaluating a plurality of program information PD in a composite manner.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the parameter table T1 in the present embodiment. The parameter PM for each program is determined in the parameter table T1 in which parameters PM (resolution, frame rate, audio codec, sampling frequency) corresponding to the recording mode M such as “Fine”, “Normal”, and the like are stored. The parameter table T1 may store more detailed parameters PM in consideration of not only the recording mode M but also the program genre.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of programs are simultaneously recorded, the program information input unit 5, the program information management unit 6, and the priority control unit 7 are provided, and information on the contents such as the genre of the program is provided. Priority information α based on program information PD such as information about the data structure such as the video format of the program, information about the user such as palatability is set, and processing per program according to the priority α reflecting the characteristics of this program Since the amount Pi is allocated, the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded can be kept within the range of the system processing capability Ps, and deterioration of image quality and sound quality due to simultaneous recording of a plurality of programs can be suppressed.

  Further, unlike the first embodiment, since the number of programs is not defined, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of simultaneously recorded programs.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 5 of the second embodiment indicate the same components. The configuration specific to the present embodiment is as follows. The priority control unit 7 is configured to set, for each parameter PM from the program information PD by the program information management unit 6, a priority β indicating the recording image quality and sound quality due to the parameter PM. That is, the priority β is set for each parameter. The parameter control unit 3 is configured to control the priority control unit 7 and the processing amount control unit 4 to determine each parameter PM based on the set priority β. Further, the processing amount control unit 4 is configured to calculate a processing amount Pi per program required when recording is performed with the determined parameter PM. The parameter table T1 is not used. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the encoding parameter control apparatus in the multiple video simultaneous recording of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S21, program information PD (genre, video format, palatability, etc.) for a program to be recorded is input from the program information input unit 5, and the program information PD is input to the program information management unit 6.

  Next, in step S <b> 22, the recording control unit 2 acquires the program information PD from the program information management unit 6 and passes it to the priority control unit 7 via the parameter control unit 3.

  Next, in step S23, the priority control unit 7 determines the priority β for each parameter PM of all programs to be recorded based on the received program information PD, and passes the determined priority β to the parameter control unit 3. .

  Next, in step S <b> 24, the parameter control unit 3 inputs the received priority β for each parameter PM to the processing amount control unit 4. The throughput control unit 4 determines a parameter PM to be recorded based on the input priority β.

  Next, in step S25, the processing amount control unit 4 calculates the processing amount Pi per program required when recording with the input parameter PM, and the processing amount total ΣPi and the system processing capability for all programs to be simultaneously recorded. Ps is compared. As a result of the comparison, when the total processing amount ΣPi does not fall within the range of the system processing capability Ps, the process proceeds to step S26, and when it falls, the process proceeds to step S28.

  When the processing proceeds to step S26, the processing amount control unit 4 reduces the parameter PM having the lowest priority β among a plurality of programs because the total processing amount ΣPi indicates an excess with respect to the system processing capacity Ps ( Decrease the rank of recording mode M).

  Next, in step S27, the priority β is updated, the processing amount Pi per program required when recording is performed with the updated parameter PM returning to step S25, and the total processing amount ΣPi and the system processing capacity Ps are calculated again. Make a comparison.

  As a method for reducing the parameter PM, a method is adopted in which a rank is provided for the parameter PM and the rank is lowered by one rank. A method of updating the priority β every time as a method of not making the same parameter selected as a parameter for lowering the rank after the second operation by this operation.

  The processing amount control unit 4 repeats this until the processing amount sum ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded falls within the range of the system processing capability Ps, and determines the parameter PM of each program.

  If the determination in step S25 is affirmative and the process proceeds to step S28, the parameter control unit 3 passes the determined parameter PM to the recording control unit 2. The recording control unit 2 sends the received parameter PM to the encoder 12 in the video data recording apparatus B.

  Next, in step S29, the encoder 12 encodes the input video data according to the received parameter PM and stores the encoded video data in the recording medium 13.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of setting the priority β based on information on the content such as the genre of the program. When the program genre is sports, the frame rate priority β is set high under the premise that the video is intensely moving. The priority β may be set by evaluating a plurality of program information PD in a complex manner.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of programs are recorded simultaneously, the priority β based on the program information PD is set for each parameter PM of each program to be recorded simultaneously, and the priority β By determining the parameter PM based on the above, it is possible to assign the processing amount Pi per program in a finer unit considering the characteristics of the program. As a result, the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded can be kept within the range of the system processing capability Ps, and deterioration in image quality and sound quality due to simultaneous recording of a plurality of programs can be suppressed.

  Further, unlike the first embodiment, since the number of programs is not defined, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of simultaneously recorded programs.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In FIG. 12, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment indicate the same components. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 1 is configured to accept a user's input of a parameter PM to be used when encoding each program to be recorded simultaneously and to pass it to the recording control unit 2. The recording mode table T2 and the parameter table T1 are not used. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the encoding parameter control apparatus in the multiple video simultaneous recording of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  The operation unit 1 receives, as an input from the user, a parameter PM used when encoding each program to be recorded simultaneously and inputs the parameter PM to the recording control unit 2. The recording control unit 2 passes the parameter PM input from the operation unit 1 to the processing amount control unit 4 via the parameter control unit 3. The processing amount control unit 4 calculates a processing amount Pi per program necessary for recording with the parameter PM set by the parameter control unit 3 and compares it with the system processing capacity Ps. The recording control unit 2 acquires the comparison result, and when the total processing amount ΣPi indicates an excess with respect to the system processing capacity Ps, notifies the message for prompting resetting.

  The setting by the user described here may be used for readjustment of the parameter PM determined in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user simultaneously records in the operation unit 1 while having the function of keeping the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded within the range of the system processing capability Ps. Since the parameter PM used for encoding each program can be freely set, satisfaction can be improved even for users who are not satisfied with the above-described method of automatically determining the parameter PM.

  Further, unlike the first embodiment, since the number of programs is not defined, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of simultaneously recorded programs.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In FIG. 13, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 12 of the fourth embodiment indicate the same components. In the present embodiment, a display unit 8 is provided for displaying a recording setting status such as a parameter PM used for encoding a program to be recorded to the user. The recording control unit 2 is configured to control the operation unit 1, the parameter control unit 3, and the display unit 8 and notify the encoder 12 of the parameter PM. Other configurations are the same as those in the fourth embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the encoding parameter control apparatus in the multiple video simultaneous recording of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  The recording control unit 2 inputs the parameter PM input from the operation unit 1 to the parameter control unit 3 and calculates the processing amount Pi per program for each program with the parameter PM set in the processing amount control unit 4. The recording control unit 2 acquires the calculated throughput per program Pi and inputs it to the display unit 8.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the display unit 8 includes a parameter PM used when encoding a currently set program to be recorded, and a per-program processing for each program required when recording is performed with the current parameter PM. The amount Pi, the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded for all programs, and the system processing capability Ps are displayed. When the total processing amount ΣPi for all the programs to be simultaneously recorded is larger than the system processing capacity Ps, the display unit 8 displays a message 8a for prompting resetting. The user refers to this information and operates the parameter PM of each program from the operation unit 1.

  The setting by the user described here may be used for readjustment of the parameter PM determined in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the display unit 8, the currently set parameter PM, the processing amount Pi of each program with the parameter PM, the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded, and the system Since the processing capacity Ps is displayed, setting of the parameter PM of each program by the user can be facilitated when the total processing amount ΣPi falls within the range of the system processing capacity Ps. Even when the number of programs to be recorded simultaneously increases, it is possible to flexibly cope with it.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. In FIG. 15, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 13 of the fifth embodiment indicate the same components. In the present embodiment, there is provided a sample video control unit 9 for inputting a sample video when recorded with the currently set parameter PM to the display unit 8. The recording control unit 2 is configured to control the operation unit 1, the parameter control unit 3, the sample video control unit 9, and the display unit 8 and notify the encoder 12 of the parameter PM. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the encoding parameter control apparatus in the multiple video simultaneous recording of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  The recording control unit 2 inputs the parameter PM input from the operation unit 1 to the parameter control unit 3 and calculates the processing amount Pi per program for each program with the parameter PM set in the processing amount control unit 4. The recording control unit 2 acquires the calculated throughput per program Pi and inputs it to the display unit 8. In addition, the recording control unit 2 inputs the parameter PM input from the operation unit 1 to the sample video control unit 9. The sample video control unit 9 inputs a sample video 9 a when recording with the parameter PM input from the recording control unit 2 to the display unit 8.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the display unit 8 is necessary when recording is performed with the parameter PM used when encoding the currently set program to be recorded input from the recording control unit 2 and the current parameter PM. The processing amount Pi per program for each program, the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded, and the system processing capability Ps are displayed. Further, the display unit 8 also displays a sample video 9a input from the sample video control unit 9.

  The user refers to this information and operates the parameter PM of each program from the operation unit 1. When the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded exceeds the system processing capacity Ps, the display unit 8 may display a message 8a that prompts resetting.

  The setting by the user described here may be used for readjustment of the parameter PM determined in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the display unit 8 displays the sample video 9a when recorded with the currently set parameter PM, so that the total processing amount ΣPi for all programs to be simultaneously recorded is displayed. In the range of the system processing capability Ps, it is possible for the user to confirm the recorded video in advance, and the satisfaction of the user can be improved. Even when the number of programs to be recorded simultaneously increases, it is possible to flexibly cope with it.

  The present invention provides parameters that do not break down the system as parameters (resolution, frame rate, motion compensation mode, etc.) for encoding video data of a plurality of programs when simultaneously recording a plurality of programs in a multi-channel broadcast stream. This is useful as an efficient generation technique.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the several video simultaneous recording apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure which shows the example of the recording mode definition in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and the example of a recording mode table The figure which shows the example of the parameter table in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and the example of a parameter rank The block diagram which shows the structure of the several video simultaneous recording apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the several video simultaneous recording apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The figure which shows the example of the priority set from the genre information of the program in Embodiment 2 of this invention, the example of the priority set from the video format information of a program, and the example of the priority set from the user's preference information of a program The figure which shows the example of the parameter table in Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the several video simultaneous recording apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. The figure which shows the example of the setting of the priority of the parameter in Embodiment 3 of this invention FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus in Embodiment 5 of the present invention. The figure which shows the example of the screen displayed on the display part in Embodiment 5 of this invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. The figure which shows the example of the screen displayed on the display part in Embodiment 6 of this invention. A block diagram showing a configuration of a multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus in the prior art

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part 2 Recording control part 3 Parameter control part 4 Processing amount control part 5 Program information input part 6 Program information management part 7 Priority control part 8 Display part 8a Message which prompts reset 9 Sample video control part 9a Sample video 11 Video Data input unit 12 Encoder 13 Recording medium A Parameter control device for encoding B Video data recording device M Recording mode N Number of programs PD Program information Pi Processing amount per program ΣPi Total processing amount for all programs to be simultaneously recorded PM parameter Ps system Processing capacity T1 Parameter table T2 Recording mode table α Priority in program units β Priority in parameter units

Claims (12)

A processing amount control unit that takes in the number of programs to be simultaneously recorded input from the outside, and determines a recording mode according to the number of programs within the range of the system processing capability;
A parameter control unit for determining the parameter according to the recording mode by the throughput control unit;
An encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos, comprising: a recording control unit that sets the received parameters for an encoder that receives the parameters by the parameter control unit and encodes input video data according to the parameters. A program information input unit for inputting program information which is information relating to a program to be recorded;
A program information management unit for managing the program information from the program information input unit;
A priority control unit that sets priority, which is an index for determining the parameter, on a program basis based on the program information from the program information management unit;
A processing amount control unit that determines a processing amount per program in a state in which the amount of allocation is increased or decreased in accordance with the level of the priority within the range of the system processing capacity based on the priority set in the priority control unit; ,
A parameter control unit for determining the parameter according to the processing amount per program by the processing amount control unit;
An encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos, comprising: a recording control unit that sets the received parameters for an encoder that receives the parameters by the parameter control unit and encodes input video data according to the parameters. A program information input unit for inputting program information which is information relating to a program to be recorded;
A program information management unit for managing the program information from the program information input unit;
A priority control unit for setting a priority, which is an index for determining the parameter, in units of parameters based on the program information from the program information management unit;
Based on the priority set in the priority control unit, a parameter control unit that determines the parameter in a state where the recording accuracy is increased or decreased according to the level of the priority within the range of the system processing capability;
A processing amount sum that is the sum of the processing amount per program for all programs to be recorded that is necessary when recording with the parameter by the parameter control unit is calculated, and the processing amount sum is compared with the system processing capacity. A processing amount control unit for notifying the parameter control unit of the comparison result;
An encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos, comprising: a recording control unit that sets the received parameters for an encoder that receives the parameters by the parameter control unit and encodes input video data according to the parameters.   4. The encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to claim 2, wherein the priority control unit sets the priority using information relating to program contents such as a genre as the program information.   5. The code for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to claim 2, wherein the priority control unit sets the priority using information relating to a data structure of a program such as a video format as the program information. Parameter control device.   6. The simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to claim 2, wherein the priority control unit sets the priority using information related to a user of a program such as user preference as the program information. Encoding parameter control device. An operation unit for user input of parameters used when encoding each program to be recorded simultaneously;
A parameter control unit that manages the parameters received from the operation unit and determines the parameters in a state where the recording accuracy is increased or decreased within a system processing capability;
A processing amount sum that is the sum of the processing amount per program for all programs to be recorded that is necessary when recording with the parameters received from the parameter control unit is calculated, and the processing amount sum is calculated as the system processing capacity. A processing amount control unit for comparing and notifying the comparison result to the parameter control unit;
An encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos, comprising: a recording control unit that sets the received parameters for an encoder that receives the parameters by the parameter control unit and encodes input video data according to the parameters.   Further, the processing amount per program calculated by the processing amount control unit, the parameters of each program determined by the parameter control unit, the total processing amount with the currently set parameters, and the system processing The encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to any one of claims 2 to 7, further comprising a display unit that displays at least one piece of information among the relationships of capabilities.   The encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to claim 8, wherein the display unit further displays the priority of each program calculated by the priority control unit.   The display unit displays, when the total processing amount necessary for recording with the parameters set by the user through the operation unit exceeds the system processing capability, to that effect on the screen. The encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to claim 9. In addition, a sample video control unit that generates and outputs sample video data when recorded with the currently set parameters,
11. The encoding parameter control apparatus for simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to claim 8, wherein the display unit displays the sample video by the sample video control unit. A parameter control apparatus for encoding in simultaneous recording of a plurality of videos according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
A multiple video simultaneous recording apparatus comprising: an encoder that encodes input video data according to given parameters and transfers the encoded video data to a recording medium for storage.

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