Apparatus and method for recording and reproducing digital data

• US 7,206,502 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Hiroaki, Murakami, Masahiro, Sugita, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody; James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fletcher; James A.
• Application Number:
  US09/961,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/82, 386/92, 386/109, 386/122, 386/124, 386/125, 386/126, 386/131, 386/68, 386/70, 386/129
• US Class Current: 386/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An apparatus for recording and reproducing digital data, which is capable of recording digital broadcast data while reproducing previously-recorded digital broadcast data is provided. An apparatus 10 for recording and reproducing digital data, which is capable of recording MPEG2-PES data 42 generated from record control means 16 in recording means 20 by controlling the record control means 16 and reproduction control means 22 by time division control means 18 while reading the MPEG2-PES data 42 recorded in the recording means 20 by reproduction control means 22.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording and reproducing digital data, comprising:

receiving means for receiving first compressed data composed of a plurality of packets, said first compressed data including a plurality of programs multiplexed in a time division manner;

data separating means for extracting specific compressed audio/video data corresponding to a desired program from the first compressed data received by the receiving means;

record control means for generating second compressed data including the compressed audio/video data extracted by the data separating means;

recording means for recording the second compressed data generated by the record control means in a same order in which the first compressed data is received by the receiving means;

data reproducing means for decoding the compressed audio/video data included in the second compressed data simultaneous with additional second compressed data being recorded in the recording means;

reproduction control means for reading the second compressed data from the recording means and transmitting the second compressed data to the data reproducing means in a same order in which the second compressed data is recorded in the recording means;

time division control means for controlling the transmitting and reading of the second compressed data to and from the recording means in a time division manner and for controlling the record control means and the reproduction control means in a time division manner;

switching means for switching between transmitting the compressed audio/video data extracted by the data separating means to the data reproducing means and transmitting the second compressed data from the reproduction control means to the data reproducing means, said switching means being disposed between the data separating means and the data reproducing means, said switching means being disposed between the reproduction control means and the data reproducing means,

wherein the time division control means is disposed between the record control means and the recording means with respect to the second compressed data being transmitted to the recording means such that the time division control means is directly connected to both the record control means and the recording means,

wherein the time division control means is disposed between the recording means and the reproduction control means with respect to the second compressed data being transmitted from the recording means such that the time division control means is directly connected to both the recording means and the reproduction control means,

wherein an output of the data separating means is directly connected to an input of the switching means, and

wherein an output of the switching means is directly connected to an input of the data reproducing means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first compressed data is MPEG2-TS data and said second compressed data is MPEG2-PES data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring means for monitoring the amount of data transmitted from the reproduction control means to the data reproducing means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising video data decoding section and audio data decoding section for decoding the compressed video data and compressed audio data, respectively, in the data reproducing means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means is a hard disk.

6. A method for recording and reproducing digital data, comprising the steps of:

receiving first compressed data by receiving means, said first compressed data including a plurality of programs multiplexed in a time division manner;

extracting, by data separation means, specific compressed audio/video data corresponding to a desired program from the received first compressed data, said extracting being performed by data separating means;

generating, by record control means, second compressed data including the compressed audio/video data extracted in the extracting step;

recording the second compressed data in recording means in a same order in which the first compressed data is received in the receiving step by the receiving means;

reading, by reproduction control means, the second compressed data from the recording means, and subsequently transmitting the second compressed data to data reproducing means in a same order in which the second compressed data is recorded in the recording means;

decoding and reproducing the second compressed data by the data reproducing means simultaneous with additional second compressed data being recorded in the recording means;

controlling the transmitting and reading of the second compressed data to and from the recording means in a time division manner by time division control means;

controlling the record control means and the reproduction control means in a time division manner by the time division control means; and

either

transmitting, by a switching means, the compressed audio/video data extracted in the extracting step by the data separation means to the data reproducing means, while simultaneously blocking transmission of the second compressed data from the reproduction control means to the data reproducing means, said switching means being disposed between the data separating means and the data reproducing means;

or

transmitting, by the switching means, the second compressed data from the reproduction control means to the data reproducing means, while simultaneously blocking transmission of the compressed audio/video data extracted in the extracting step to the data reproducing means, said switching means being disposed between the reproduction control means and the data reproducing means,

wherein the time division control means is disposed between the record control means and the recording means with respect to the second compressed data being transmitted to the recording means such that the time division control means is directly connected to both the record control means and the recording means,

wherein the time division control means is disposed between the recording means and the reproduction control means with respect to the second compressed data being transmitted from the recording means such that the time division control means is directly connected to both the recording means and the reproduction control means,

wherein an output of the data separating means is directly connected to an input of the switching means, and

wherein an output of the switching means is directly connected to an input of the data reproducing means.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said first compressed data is MPEG2-TS data and said second compressed data is MPEG2-PES data.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said controlling is performed after said generating and before said recording, and wherein said controlling is performed after said reading and before said decoding.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the compressed audio/video data extracted in the extracting step to the data reproducing means, while simultaneously blocking transmission of the second compressed data from the reproduction control means to the data reproducing means;

or

transmitting the second compressed data from the reproduction control means to the data reproducing means, while simultaneously blocking transmission of the compressed audio/video data extracted in the extracting step to the data reproducing means.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of monitoring the amount of said second compressed data decoded and reproduced by the data reproducing means.

11. An apparatus for recording and reproducing digital data, comprising:

a receiver for receiving first compressed data composed of MPEG2-TS data, said first compressed data including a plurality of programs multiplexed in a time division manner;

a filter for extracting specific compressed audio/video data corresponding to a desired program from the first compressed data received by the receiver;

a data unloader for generating second compressed data composed of MPEG2-PES data, including the compressed audio/video data extracted by the filter;

record control means for generating second compressed data including the compressed audio/video data extracted by the data separating means;

a recorder for recording the second compressed data generated by the data unloader in a same order in which the first compressed data is received by the receiver;

reproduction control means for reading the second compressed data from the recorder and transmitting the second compressed data to the decoder in a same order in which the second compressed data is recorded in the recorder;

a decoder for decoding the compressed audio/video data included in the second compressed data simultaneous with additional second compressed data being recorded in the recorder;

a time division controller for controlling the transmitting and reading of the second compressed data to and from the recorder in a time division manner and for controlling the data unloader and the reproduction control means in a time division manner;

switching means for switching between transmitting the compressed audio/video data extracted by the filter to the decoder and transmitting the second compressed data from the reproduction control means to the decoder, said switching means being disposed between the filter and the decoder, said switching means being disposed between the reproduction control means and the decoder,

wherein the time division controller is disposed between the data unloader and the recorder with respect to the second compressed data being transmitted to the recorder such that the time division controller is directly connected to both the data unloader and the recorder,

wherein the time division controller is disposed between the recorder and the reproduction control means with respect to the second compressed data being transmitted from the recorder such that the time division controller is directly connected to both the recorder and the reproduction control means,

wherein an output of the filter is directly connected to an input of the switching means, and

wherein an output of the switching means is directly connected to an input of the decoder.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising monitoring means for monitoring the amount of data transmitted from the reproduction control means to the decoder.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said recorder is a hard disk.