Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

• US 20050166000A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device

Abstract

A data processing apparatus stores continuous area management information which associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium with a continuous size thereof. The data processing apparatus specifies position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to the continuous area management information in response to a data read request from the specific position in information data, and reads out some or all of the information data from a read position on the storage medium corresponding to the specified position information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for processing a series of information data divisionally recorded on a plurality of continuous areas on a storage medium, comprising:

a storage unit for storing continuous area management information that associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium and a size thereof;

a position information specifying unit for specifying position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to the continuous area management information stored in said storage unit in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data; and

a data read unit for reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium in accordance with the position information specified by said position information specifying unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising, an update unit for, when said storage unit stores the continuous area management information for some of the information data, updating the continuous area management information to include position information according to the specific position of the data read request.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is formed of a plurality of clusters, the continuous area management information includes information of a head cluster of each continuous area, and information of the number of clusters contiguous from the head cluster in each continuous area.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a type checking unit for checking whether or not the information data is a predetermined type of data, wherein said data read unit executes one of a process for moving to a read position corresponding to the specific position by seeking in turn from a current position on the storage medium, and reading out some or all of the information data, and a process for reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium corresponding to the position information specified by said position information specifying unit, in accordance with the checking result of said type checking unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined type of data includes at least one of a motion image or audio.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a process checking unit for checking a process type of the information data,

wherein said data read unit executes one of a process for moving to a read position corresponding to the specific position by seeking in turn from a current position on the storage medium, and reading out some or all of the information data, and a process for reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium corresponding to the position information specified by said position information specifying unit, in accordance with the read request associated with the predetermined process for the information data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined process includes a special process for playing back the information data at a speed different from a normal playback process.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reception unit for receiving a playback request for specific information data in accordance with a user operation,

wherein said position information specifying unit specifies read position information on the storage medium in response to the playback request received by said reception unit.

4. An information processing apparatus for processing a series of information data divisionally recorded on a plurality of continuous areas on a storage medium, comprising:

an acquisition unit for acquiring division information associated with a division state of the recorded information data by the plurality of continuous areas on the storage medium;

a generation unit for generating one of first management information that associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium a size thereof, and second management information that associates access start position information which defines a plurality of predetermined access start positions on the storage medium, with position information corresponding to the access start positions, in accordance with the division information acquired by said acquisition unit;

a storage unit for storing the first management information or the second management information generated by said generation unit;

a position information specifying unit for, when said storage unit stores the first management information, specifying position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to the first management information in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data, and for, when said storage unit stores the second management information, specifying the access start position which is located before a specific position and is closest to the specific position with reference to the second management information, seeking a read position on the storage medium from the specified access start position, and specifying position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data; and

a data read unit for reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium in accordance with the position information specified by said position information specifying unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a playback data processing unit for processing data read out by said data read unit,

wherein when said generation unit generates the continuous area management information or the management information for some of the information data, said generation unit generates the continuous area management information or the management information for some of the information data to be used by said data read unit during a playback process of said playback data processing unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a information data generation unit for generating the information data; and

a recording unit for recording the information data generated by said information data generation unit on the storage medium,

wherein said generation unit generates the first management information or the second management information for the information data recorded on the storage medium by said recording unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the storage medium is exchangeable from said information processing apparatus via a mount mechanism,

said apparatus further comprises detection unit for detecting whether or not the storage medium is exchanged from when said recording unit records the information data on the storage medium until the read request is issued, and

when said detection unit detects that the storage medium is not exchanged, said data read unit reads out data from the storage medium using the first management information or the second management information generated by said generation unit for the information data recorded on the storage medium by said recording unit.

13. An information processing method using an information processing apparatus which can access a storage medium that divisionally records a series of information data on a plurality of continuous areas, comprising:

a position information specifying step of specifying position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to continuous area management information that associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium with a size thereof, in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data; and

a data read step of reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium in accordance with the position information specified in the position information specifying step.

14. An information processing method using an information processing apparatus which can access a storage medium that divisionally records a series of information data on a plurality of continuous areas, comprising:

an acquisition step of acquiring division information associated with a division state of the recorded information data by the plurality of continuous areas on the storage medium;

a generation step of generating one of first management information that associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium with a size thereof, and second management information that associates access start position information which defines a plurality of predetermined access start positions on the storage medium, with position information corresponding to the access start positions, in accordance with the division information acquired in the acquisition step;

a position information specifying step of specifying, when the first management information is generated in the generation step, position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to the first management information in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data, and of specifying, when the second management information is generated in the generation step, the access start position which is located before a specific position and is closest to the specific position with reference to the second management information, seeking a read position from the specified access start position, and specifying position information, in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data; and

a data read step of reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium in accordance with the position information specified in the position information specifying step.

15. A program for an information processing apparatus which can access a storage medium that divisionally records a series of information data on a plurality of continuous areas, said program making the information processing apparatus execute:

a position information specifying step of specifying position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to continuous area management information that associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium with a size thereof, in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data; and

a data read step of reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium in accordance with the position information specified in the position information specifying step.

16. A program for making a computer execute as an information processing apparatus which can access a storage medium that divisionally records a series of information data on a plurality of continuous areas:

an acquisition step of acquiring division information associated with a division state of the recorded information data by the plurality of continuous areas on the storage medium;

a generation step of generating one of first management information that associates head position information of each continuous area on the storage medium with a size thereof, and second management information that associates access start position information which defines a plurality of predetermined access start positions on the storage medium, with position information corresponding to the access start positions, in accordance with the division information acquired in the acquisition step;

a position information specifying step of specifying, when the first management information is generated in the generation step, position information of a data read position corresponding to a specific position with reference to the first management information in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data, and of specifying, when the second management information is generated in the generation step, the access start position which is located before a specific position and is closest to the specific position with reference to the second management information, seeking a read position from the specified access start position, and specifying position information, in response to a data read request from the specific position in the information data; and

a data read step of reading out some or all of the information data from the read position on the storage medium in accordance with the position information specified in the position information specifying step.