Data Processor
First Claim
1. A data processor having an ability to write a content data stream on a medium, the data stream including a plurality of pictures and a playback unit with one or more decoding units that need to be decoded from a base picture, the data processor comprising:
- at least one of an encoder for generating the data stream and a receiving section for receiving the data stream; and
a media control section for writing the data stream on the medium, wherein if the size of a first stream file, on which the data stream is being written, has exceeded a predetermined value, the media control section goes on to write the data stream on a second stream file, which is different from the first stream file, generates a piece of information showing that the stored data of the playback unit has been split into the first and second stream files, and writes the piece of information on the medium.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
To provide means for accessing a content data stream efficiently even when the data stream is stored on multiple files. A data processor according to the present invention can write a content data stream on a medium. The data stream includes a plurality of pictures and a playback unit with one or more decoding units that need to be decoded from a base picture. The data processor includes: at least one of an encoder for generating the data stream and a receiving section for receiving the data stream; and a media control section for writing the data stream on the medium. If the size of a file, on which the data stream is being written, has exceeded a predetermined value, the media control section goes on to write the data stream on another file, generates a piece of information showing that the stored data of the playback unit has been split into these files, and writes the information on the medium.
58 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A data processor having an ability to write a content data stream on a medium, the data stream including a plurality of pictures and a playback unit with one or more decoding units that need to be decoded from a base picture,
the data processor comprising: -
at least one of an encoder for generating the data stream and a receiving section for receiving the data stream; and
a media control section for writing the data stream on the medium, wherein if the size of a first stream file, on which the data stream is being written, has exceeded a predetermined value, the media control section goes on to write the data stream on a second stream file, which is different from the first stream file, generates a piece of information showing that the stored data of the playback unit has been split into the first and second stream files, and writes the piece of information on the medium.
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2. The data processor of claim 1, wherein the media control section generates a piece of management information for each playback unit of the data stream to define a property of the playback unit, and
wherein if the stored data of the playback unit has been split into the first and second stream files, the media control section generates information about the split storage as a piece of management information for the last playback unit of the first stream file.
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3. The data processor of claim 1, wherein a file system defining a maximum size of a single file has been established on the medium, and
wherein the media control section generates a piece of information about the split storage by using a size that is equal to or smaller than the maximum size as the predetermined value.
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4. The data processor of claim 3, wherein the data stream is made up of one or more data packets, each having a fixed data size,
wherein the media control section generates the piece of information about the split storage by using a size of a stream file, including an integral number of packets, as the predetermined value, the size being equal to or smaller than the maximum size.
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5. The data processor of claim 1, further comprising a stream processing section, which counts time with respect to a predetermined reference time, generates a header that stores time information showing a time when a packet was received, and adds the header to the packet,
wherein after the data stream representing a single content started to be written and before the data stream finishes being written, at least one of the encoder and the receiving section that receives the data stream generates and/or receives the data stream including multiple packets, and the stream processing section continues to count time with respect to the reference time, thereby generating the time information.
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6. The data processor of claim 1, wherein the media control section generates a piece of management information defining in what order the data streams in the first and second stream files need to be played back and writes the piece of management information on the medium.
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7. The data processor of claim 6, wherein the media control section generates, as a piece of management information for the first data stream, a first piece of management information that identifies the second data stream to be played back after the first data stream, and also generates, as a piece of management information for the second data stream, a second piece of management information that identifies the first data stream to be played back before the second data stream.
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8. A data processor comprising:
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a stream processing section, which counts time with respect to a predetermined reference time, receives a data stream including a plurality of packets, generates a header that stores time information showing a time when each said packet was received, and adds the header to the packet; and
a media control section for writing the data stream, including the packets with the headers added, on the medium, wherein after the data stream representing a single content started to be written and before the data stream finishes being written, the stream processing section continues to count time with respect to the reference time to generate the time information, and if the size of a first stream file, on which the data stream is being written, has exceeded a predetermined value, the media control section goes on to write the data stream on a second stream file, which is different from the first stream file.
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9. The data processor of claim 8, wherein the media control section generates a piece of management information defining in what order first and second data streams in the first and second stream files need to be played back and writes the piece of management information on the medium.
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10. The data processor of claim 9, wherein the media control section generates, as a piece of management information for the first data stream, a first piece of management information that identifies the second data stream to be played back after the first data stream, and also generates, as a piece of management information for the second data stream, a second piece of management information that identifies the first data stream to be played back before the second data stream.
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11. A chip circuit to be built in a data processor in order to write a content data stream on a medium,
the data stream including a plurality of pictures and a playback unit with one or more decoding units that need to be decoded from a base picture, the data processor comprising at least one of an encoder for generating the data stream and a receiving section for receiving the data stream, the chip circuit performing the steps of: -
outputting a write instruction and the data stream;
determining whether or not the size of a first stream file being written has exceeded a predetermined value;
if it has been determined that the size has exceeded the predetermined value, going on to write the data stream on a second stream file, which is different from the first stream file;
generating a piece of information showing whether or not the stored data of the playback unit has been split into the first and second stream files; and
writing the piece of information on the medium.
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12. A chip circuit to be built in a data processor in order to write a content data stream on a medium,
the chip circuit performing the steps of: -
writing the data stream as a first stream file on the medium;
determining whether or not the size of the first stream file being written has exceeded a predetermined value; and
if it has been determined that the size has exceeded the predetermined value, going on to write the data stream on a second stream file, which is different from the first stream file.
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13. The chip circuit of claim 12, further performing the steps of:
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counting time with respect to a predetermined reference time; and
receiving the data stream including a plurality of packets, generating a header that stores time information showing a time when each said packet was received, and adding the header to the packet, wherein the data stream with the headers added is written as the first stream file on the medium.
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14. The chip circuit of claim 13, further performing the step of receiving a video signal from the data processor and encoding the video signal, thereby generating the data stream including multiple packets.
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15. The chip circuit of claim 14, further performing the steps of:
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reading the encoded data stream from the medium; and
decoding the data stream.
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16. A data processor having the ability to read an encoded content data stream from a medium and play back the content,
the data stream including a plurality of pictures and playback unit data with one or more decoding units that need to be decoded from a base picture, time information showing presentation times being added to the pictures, at least one stream file that stores the data stream having been recorded on the medium, a piece of information for each said playback unit, showing whether or not the stored data of the playback unit has been split into multiple files, having been written on the medium, the data processor comprising: -
an instruction receiving section for receiving an instruction on a time to start playback;
a processing section for specifying a playback unit, including a start picture with which the playback should begin, in accordance with the instruction;
a media control section, which reads a piece of information for the playback unit specified, and on determining, according to that piece of information, that the stored data of the playback unit has not been split into multiple files, reads the data of the playback unit from the stream file;
a decoder for beginning decoding with the base picture of the playback unit; and
an output section for beginning outputting with the start picture.
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17. The data processor of claim 16, wherein on determining, according to the piece of information for the playback unit, that the stored data of the playback unit has been split into multiple files, the media control section reads the data of the playback unit from the multiple files.
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18. The data processor of claim 17, wherein the media control section reads the data of the playback unit from a file that stores the data of the first base picture of the playback unit.
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19. The data processor of claim 18, wherein the data stream is made up of a plurality of packets, to each of which a header that stores time information defining the output time of each packet is added,
wherein the data processor further includes a stream processing section that receives each said packet with the additional header and outputs the packet at a timing specified by the time information.
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20. A chip circuit to be built in a data processor in order to read an encoded content data stream from a medium and play back the content,
the data stream including a plurality of pictures and data of a playback unit that needs to be decoded from a base picture, time information showing presentation times being added to the pictures, at least one stream file that stores the data stream having been recorded on the medium, a piece of information for each said playback unit, showing whether or not the stored data of the playback unit has been split into multiple files, having been written on the medium, the data processor including an instruction receiving section for receiving an instruction on a time to start playback, the chip circuit performing the steps of: -
specifying a playback unit, including a start picture with which the playback should begin, in accordance with the instruction;
outputting an instruction to read a piece of information for the playback unit specified;
determining, according to that piece of information, whether or not the stored data of the playback unit has been split into multiple files, and on determining that the data has not been split, outputting an instruction to read the data of the playback unit from the stream file; and
outputting the read data of the playback unit.
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21. The chip circuit of claim 20, further performing the steps of:
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beginning decoding with the base picture of the playback unit; and
beginning outputting with the start picture after the start picture has been decoded.
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22. The chip circuit of claim 20, wherein on determining, according to the piece of information for the playback unit, that the stored data of the playback unit has been split into multiple files, the chip circuit performs the step of outputting an instruction to read the data of the playback unit from the multiple files.
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23. The chip circuit of claim 22, further performing the step of outputting an instruction to read the data of the playback unit from a file that stores the data of the base picture of the playback unit.
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24. The chip circuit of claim 23, wherein the data stream is made up of a plurality of packets, to each of which a header that stores time information defining the output time of each packet is added,
wherein the chip circuit further performs the step of receiving each said packet with the additional header and outputting the packet at a timing specified by the time information.
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25. A data processing method for writing a content data stream on a medium,
the data stream including a plurality of pictures and a playback unit with one or more decoding units that need to be decoded from a base picture, the method comprising the steps of: -
getting the data stream; and
writing the data stream on the medium, wherein if the size of a first stream file, on which the data stream is being written, has exceeded a predetermined value, the step of writing includes going on to write the data stream on a second stream file, which is different from the first stream file, generating a piece of information showing that the stored data of the playback unit has been split into the first and second stream files, and writing the piece of information on the medium.
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Specification