Hierarchical storage scheme and data playback scheme for enabling random access to realtime stream data

• US 6,721,490 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yano, Hirokuni, Yao, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/409,424
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.576, H04/N.5781, H04/N.591, H04/N.592, H04/N.979, 386/4, 386/6-8, 386/45, 386/52, 386/55, 386/64, 386/69-70, 386/125-126, 345/328, 360/72.1, 360/72.2, 369/30-41, 369/44.28, 348/700, 348/701, 348/702
• US Class Current: 386/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90

Abstract

A hierarchical memory scheme capable of improving a hit rate for the segment containing the random access point rather than improving the overall hit rate of the cache, and a data playback scheme capable of automatically detecting positions that are potentially used as playback start indexes by the user and attaching indexes, are disclosed. The hierarchical storage device stores random access point segment information from which a possibility for each segment to contain a point that can potentially be random accessed in future can be estimated, and controls a selection of the selected segments to be stored in the cache storage device according to the random access point segment information. The data playback device records a plurality of playback start indexes, each playback start index being information regarding a playback position that is determined according to the user input which is recorded when the user input is in a prescribed pattern, and presents the plurality of playback start indexes to a user so as to urge the user to select a desired playback position.

Claims

1. A data playback device, comprising:

an output unit configured to playback and output either one or both of input audio data and input video data;

a command unit configured to command play, stop, or shifting of a playback position forwards/backwards, to the output unit according to a user input for directly controlling play, stop, or shifting of a playback position forwards/backwards in outputted audio/video data of the output unit;

a memory unit configured to store a plurality of playback start indexes; and

a control unit configured to automatically record information during playback regarding a playback position that is determined according to the user input during playback as a playback start index in the memory unit when the user input received by the command unit during playback is in a prescribed pattern for directly controlling the outputted audio/video data of the output unit, and to present the plurality of playback start indexes recorded in the memory unit to a user so as to urge the user to select a desired playback position.

2. The data playback device of claim 1, wherein the control unit records information indicating a position from which playback is started as the playback start index, when the user input selects play continuously over a prescribed period of time.

3. The data playback device of claim 1, further comprising:

an index fast playback unit configured to select selected playback start indexes from the plurality of playback start indexes recorded in the memory unit and to supply the selected playback start indexes to the output unit in a prescribed order, such that the output unit automatically playbacks and outputs either one or both of the input audio data and the input video data in units of a prescribed period of time starting from a seek point contained in the playback start indexes.

4. The data playback device of claim 1, further comprising:

a selection unit configured to enable the user to select deletion target playback start indexes by presenting the plurality of playback start indexes recorded in the memory unit; and

a deletion unit configured to delete the deletion target playback start indexes selected at the selection unit from the memory unit.

5. The data playback device of claim 1, wherein either one or both of the input audio data and the input video data are inputted from a removable external memory medium, and the data playback device further comprises:

a writing unit configured to write the plurality of playback start indexes recorded in the memory unit into the removable external memory medium at a time of ejecting the removable external memory medium.

6. A method for controlling playback and output of either one or both of input audio data and input video data according to a user input for directly controlling play, stop, or shifting of a playback position forwards/backwards in outputted audio/video data, the method comprising the steps of:

recording a plurality of playback start indexes during playback, each playback start index being information regarding a playback position that is determined according to the user input during playback, the information being automatically recorded when the user input during playback is in a prescribed pattern for directly controlling the outputted audio/video data;

presenting the plurality of playback start indexes recorded by the recording step to a user so as to urge the user to select a desired playback position; and

starting playback from the desired playback start position selected by the user using the plurality of playback start indexes presented by the presenting step.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the recording step records information indicating a position from which playback is started as the playback start index, when the user input selects play continuously over a prescribed period of time.