Resource management system and digital video reproducing/recording apparatus

• US 6,704,489 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Motoshi, Kajimoto, Kazuo, Ageishi, Narutoshi, Kurauchi, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US09/558,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.593, 386/52, 386/55, 386/46, 386/109, 386/112, 386/125-126
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction

Abstract

A resource management system is composed of a plurality of application programs, a resource management information database, and a resource manager. Each application program executes data transfer using resources. The resource management database stores resource management information and key information for each resource. Upon receipt of a resource use request from an application program, the resource manager judges whether the requested resource can be allocated to the application program by referring to the resource capacity and the currently-allocated volume of the resource that are included in the information database. If judging that the requested resource can be allocated, the resource manager gives authorization to the application program to use the resource. The resource manager also controls resource allocation by restricting a data transfer bandwidth used by an application program and requesting a resource release on expiration of the valid time period.

Claims

1. A digital video reproducing/recording apparatus that is capable of executing a digital video reproducing process and a digital video recording process, the digital video reproducing/recording apparatus comprising:

a storing means for storing encoded digital video data;

a first CODEC for performing one of (1) encoding digital video data and storing the encoded digital video data into the storing means and (2) reading the encoded digital video data from the storing means and decoding the read encoded digital video data;

a second CODEC for reading the encoded digital video data from the storing means and decoding the read encoded digital video data;

a retaining means for retaining information that specifies a process that is currently being executed;

a request receiving means for receiving a request for an execution of a process from a user;

a judging means for judging whether the first and second CODECs are available to both the process requested by the user and the process currently being executed, by referring to the information retained in the retaining means; and

an execution controlling means for controlling, if the judging means has judged that the first and second CODECs are available to both of the processes, the execution of the process requested by the user.

2. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 1,

wherein, in the digital video reproducing process, the encoded video data stored in the storing means is decoded either by the first and second CODECs or only by the second CODEC, the decoded video data is mixed by a mixing circuit, and the mixed data is converted into analog video by a D/A converter,

wherein, in the digital video recording process, analog video is converted into digital video data by an A/D converter, the digital video data is encoded by the first CODEC, and the encoded digital video is stored in the storing means,

wherein the retaining means retains information showing a current use state for each CODEC, each current use state showing whether the corresponding CODEC is being used, and

wherein the judging means includes:

a selecting unit for selecting at least one CODEC from the first and second CODECs in accordance with the process requested by the user; and

an allocation judging unit for judging whether each CODEC selected by the selecting unit is available to the requested process, by referring to the information retained in the retaining means.

3. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the retaining means retains a process name of either the digital video reproducing process or the digital video recording process, for each CODEC that is currently being used,

wherein the request receiving means further receives maximum and minimum numbers of CODECs to be used in the requested process, the maximum number indicating a preferred number of CODECs required for the requested process and the minimum number indicating a lowest number of CODECs required for the requested process, and

wherein the allocation judging unit includes:

a first notifying unit for notifying, when a number of CODECs equal to the maximum are indicates as being “

unallocated”

by the retaining means, the execution controlling means that the maximum number of CODECs are available for allocation to the requested process; and

a second notifying unit for notifying, when the number of CODECs indicated as being “

unallocated”

is below the maximum number but at least equal to the minimum number, the execution controlling means that the minimum number of CODECs are available for allocation to the requested process.

4. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the allocation judging unit includes:

a release requesting unit for requesting the execution controlling means, when a number of CODECs equal to the minimum are indicated as being “

allocated” and

this minimum number of CODECs are judged to be available to the requested process if a number of CODECs used in a currently-executed process is changed to the minimum number for the currently-executed process, to release the minimum number of CODECs for the requested process; and

a third notifying unit for notifying, when the execution controlling means has released the minimum number of CODECs for the requested process, the execution controlling means that the minimum number of CODECs for the requested process is available for allocation to the requested process.

5. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the retaining means includes:

an unallocated hardware resource retaining unit for retaining information about each CODEC that is currently unallocated;

an allocated hardware resource retaining unit for retaining information about each CODEC that is currently allocated;

a first moving unit for moving the information about each CODEC that is judged by the allocation judging unit to be allocated to the requested process, from the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit into the allocated hardware resource retaining unit; and

a second moving unit for moving, when receiving a notification that at least one of the first and second CODECs has been released, the CODEC from the allocated hardware resource retaining unit into the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit,

wherein the allocation judging unit authorizes allocation of each CODEC selected by the selecting unit when the information about the CODEC is retained in the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit.

6. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the request receiving means further receives maximum and minimum numbers of CODECs to be used in the requested process, the maximum number indicating a preferred number of CODECs required for the requested process and the minimum number indicating a lowest number of CODECs required for the requested process, and

wherein the allocation judging unit includes:

a first notifying unit for notifying, when a number of CODECs equal to the maximum are retained in the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit, the execution controlling means that the maximum number of CODECs are available for allocation to the requested process; and

a second notifying unit for notifying, when the number of CODECs retained in the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit is below the maximum number but a number of CODECs retained in the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit is at least equal to the minimum number, the execution controlling means that the minimum number of CODECs for the requested process are available for allocation.

7. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the first moving unit writes a name of the requested process into the allocated hardware resource retaining unit when moving each CODEC allocated to the requested process from the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit into the allocated hardware resource retaining unit,

wherein the allocation judging unit includes:

a release requesting unit for requesting the execution controlling means, when a number of CODECs equal to the minimum required for the requested process is retained in the allocated hardware resource retaining unit and this minimum number of CODECs are judged to be available for allocation to the requested process if a number of CODECs used in a currently-executed process is changed to the minimum number for the currently-executed process, to release the minimum number for the requested process; and

a third notifying unit for notifying, when the execution controlling means has released the minimum number of CODECs for the requested process and the second moving unit moves each released CODEC from the allocated hardware resource retaining unit into the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit, the execution controlling means that the minimum number of CODECs for the requested process are available for allocation to the requested process.

8. The digital video reproducing/recording apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the retaining means includes:

an unallocated hardware resource retaining unit for retaining information for each CODEC that is currently unallocated;

a deleting unit for deleting the information about each CODEC that is judged by the allocation judging unit to be available to the requested process, from the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit;

a writing unit for writing, when receiving a notification that each allocated CODEC has been released, the CODEC into the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit,

wherein the allocation judging unit authorizes allocation of each CODEC to the requested process when the CODEC is retained in the unallocated hardware resource retaining unit.

9. A digital video reproducing/recording apparatus that is capable of executing a digital video reproducing process and a digital video recording process, the digital video reproducing/recording apparatus comprising:

a storing means for storing encoded digital video data;

a plurality of first CODECs that each perform one of (1) encoding digital video data and storing the encoded digital video data into the storing means and (2) reading the encoded digital video data from the storing means and decoding the read encoded digital video data;

a plurality of second CODECs that each read the encoded digital video data from the storing means and decode the read encoded digital video data;

a retaining means for retaining information that specifies a process that is currently being executed;

a request receiving means for receiving a request for an execution of a process from a user;

a judging means for judging whether the first and second CODECs are available to both the process requested by the user and the process currently being executed, by referring to the information retained in the retaining means; and

an execution controlling means for controlling, if the judging means has judged that the first and second CODECs are available to both of the processes, the execution of the process requested by the user.

10. A computer readable record medium used in a digital video reproducing/recording apparatus that comprises:

a storing means for storing encoded digital video data;

a first CODEC for performing one of (1) encoding digital video data and storing the encoded digital video data into the storing means and (2) reading the encoded digital video data from the storing means and decoding the read encoded digital video data; and

a second CODEC for reading the encoded digital video data from the storing means and decoding the read encoded digital video data, the computer readable record medium including a program that has a computer perform functions of the following means;

a retaining means for retaining information that specifies a process that is currently being executed;

a request receiving means for receiving a request for an execution of a process from a user;

a judging means for judging whether the first and second CODECs are available to both the process requested by the user and the process currently being executed, by referring to the information retained in the retaining means; and

an execution controlling means for controlling, if the judging means has judged that the first and second CODECs are available to both of the processes, the execution of the process requested by the user.