Data processor, data processing method, program for data processor, and program recording medium

• US 20040225863A1
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Kazuhiko
• Application Number:
  US10/836,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225863A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00079 the compression ratio or quality level being adapted to circumstances, e.g. to the available recording space
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10953 Concurrent recording or playback of different streams or files
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10962 wherein both recording and playback take place simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2541 Blu-ray discs; Blue laser DVR discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal

Abstract

A data processor and a data processing method allowing a plurality of data processes to be simultaneously performed at a high transfer rate use efficiency are provided. When a transfer rate x required for the plurality of data processes to be simultaneously performed exceeds a maximum transfer rate y of a recording medium 13, a transfer rate control section 16 selects a data process having a low priority, and changes a transfer rate assigned to the selected data process so that the required transfer rate x is within the maximum transfer rate y. The changed transfer rate is reported to the data writing section 12 for performing a writing process on the recording medium 13 or to the data reading section 14 for performing a reading process on the recording medium 13.

Claims

1. A data processor for performing a digital data recording process and/or a digital data playback process on a recoding medium, comprising:

a data accepting section for accepting a plurality of data processes;

a transfer rate control section for controlling assignment of transfer rates per unit time to the plurality of data processes accepted by the data accepting section so that a total of the transfer rates assigned to the plurality of data processes does not exceed a maximum transfer rate at which the recording medium can process data per unit time; and

a data processing section for simultaneously performing the plurality of data processes on the recording medium in accordance with the transfer rates assigned by the transfer rate control section.

2. The data processor according to claim 1, wherein

the transfer rate control section limits a transfer rate of at least one of the plurality of data processes when a new data process accepted by the data accepting section causes the total of the transfer rates for the plurality of the data processes to exceed the maximum transfer rate.

3. The data processor according to claim 2, wherein

the data process whose transfer rate is limited is a dubbing process in which digital data played back from the recording medium is recorded again on the recording medium, and

the transfer rate control section limits a transfer rate for a playback process of the dubbing process to be equal to a transfer rate for a recording process of the dubbing process.

4. The data processor according to claim 2, wherein

the data process whose transfer rate is limited is a dubbing process in which digital data played back from the recording medium is recorded again on the recording medium, and

the transfer rate control section limits a transfer rate for a playback process of the dubbing process to be different from a transfer rate for a recording process of the dubbing process.

5. The data processor according to claim 4, further comprising

a buffer for temporarily writing the digital data played back from the recording medium by the data processing section at a first transfer rate equal to a playback transfer rate, and reading the digital data at a second transfer rate different from the first transfer rate for input again to the data processing section.

6. The data processor according to claim 4, further comprising:

a decoder section for converting the digital data played back by the data processing section from the recording medium to analog data at a first transfer rate equal to a playback transfer rate; and

an encoder section for converting the analog data obtained through conversion by the decoder section to digital data at a second transfer rate different from the first transfer rate for input again to the data processing section.

7. The data processor according to claim 2, wherein

upon completion of an arbitrary data process, the transfer rate control section removes an entire or part of limitations on the data process whose transfer rate is limited.

8. The data processor according to claim 3, wherein

upon completion of an arbitrary data process, the transfer rate control section removes an entire or part of limitations on the data process whose transfer rate is limited.

9. The data processor according to claim 4, wherein

upon completion of an arbitrary data process, the transfer rate control section removes an entire or part of limitations on the data process whose transfer rate is limited.

10. The data processor according to claim 2, wherein

the data process whose transfer rate is limited is determined based on a preset priority.

11. The data processor according to claim 3, wherein

the data process whose transfer rate is limited is determined based on a preset priority.

12. The data processor according to claim 4, wherein

the data process whose transfer rate is limited is determined based on a preset priority.

13. The data processor according to claim 7, wherein

the data process whose limitations are removed is determined based on a preset priority.

14. The data processor according to claim 8, wherein

the data process whose limitations are removed is determined based on a preset priority.

15. The data processor according to claim 9, wherein

the data process whose limitations are removed is determined based on a preset priority.

16. The data processor according to claim 2, wherein

the transfer rate control section calculates a remaining time until completion of the data process whose transfer rate is limited and presents the remaining time to a user.

17. The data processor according to claim 3, wherein

the transfer rate control section calculates a remaining time until completion of the data process whose transfer rate is limited and presents the remaining time to a user.

18. The data processor according to claim 4, wherein

the transfer rate control section calculates a remaining time until completion of the data process whose transfer rate is limited and presents the remaining time to a user.

19. A data processing method for performing a digital data recording process and/or a digital data playback process on a recoding medium, comprising the steps of:

accepting a plurality of data processes;

calculating a total of transfer rates required per unit time for the plurality of data processes accepted in the accepting step;

controlling assignment of the transfer rates to the plurality of data processes so that the total of the transfer rates calculated in the calculating step does not exceed a maximum transfer rate at which the recording medium can process data per unit time; and

simultaneously performing the plurality of data processes on the recording medium in accordance with the transfer rates assigned in the controlling step.

20. A computer-readable program for causing a computer to perform a data processing method for performing a digital data recording process and/or a digital data playback process on a recoding medium, the program comprising the steps of:

accepting a plurality of data processes;

calculating a total of transfer rates required per unit time for the plurality of data processes accepted in the accepting step;

controlling assignment of the transfer rates to the plurality of data processes so that the total of the transfer rates calculated in the calculating step does not exceed a maximum transfer rate at which the recording medium can process data per unit time; and

simultaneously performing the plurality of data processes on the recording medium in accordance with the transfer rates assigned in the controlling step.

21. A recording medium having recorded therein a computer-readable program for causing a computer to perform a data processing method for performing a digital data recording process and/or a digital data playback process on a recoding medium, the program comprising the steps of:

accepting a plurality of data processes;

calculating a total of transfer rates required per unit time for the plurality of data processes accepted in the accepting step;

controlling assignment of the transfer rates to the plurality of data processes so that the total of the transfer rates calculated in the calculating step does not exceed a maximum transfer rate at which the recording medium can process data per unit time; and

simultaneously performing the plurality of data processes on the recording medium in accordance with the transfer rates assigned in the controlling step.