Input/output device and input/output management system

• US 8,320,730 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morishima, Shinichi, Koishikawa, Yoshinori, Abiko, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADEGEYE, OLUWASEUN
• Application Number:
  US10/865,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20050018056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,092 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46
• US Class Current: 386/200
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/415 Redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to an I/O device capable of collectively managing and easily editing AV data recorded by a plurality of video cameras with transfer bit rate between devices kept constant, and an I/O management system. The I/O management system according to the present invention comprises: a storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium; a control unit for controlling output of externally supplied data with respect to the storage device, or input of data from the storage device; and one or more I/O device having a record information management unit for managing, through a file system, record information acquired at the time when data is recorded onto the recording medium, and controls input of data from the storage device on the basis of the record information managed by a file system at the time of reproduction.

Claims

1. An input/output device connected to a video camera and to a storage device, the input/output device controls only audio/video data input/output operations from or to the storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium, the input/output device comprising:

input/output control unit outputting of externally supplied audio/video data from the video camera to the storage device, and inputting of audio/video data from the storage device; and

record information management unit generating, storing and managing, through a file system provided therein, record management information related to the audio/video data acquired at the time when the audio/video data is recorded to the storage device by the input/output control unit, the file system is provided in the record information management unit independent of the storage device,

wherein the storage device only stores the audio/video data, and

wherein the input/output control unit accesses the file system of the record information management unit to acquire the record management information relating to the audio/video data to be reproduced and input/outputs the audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of the record management information managed by the file system of the record information management unit, a transfer bit rate between the storage device and the input/output control unit is constant since only the audio/video data is input/output between the storage device and the input/output control unit.

2. The input/output device according to claim 1, further comprising communication means for exchanging at least the record management information with another terminal, wherein

when the input/output control unit controls input of the audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of record management information that is not managed by the record information management unit, the communication means receives the unmanaged record management information from another terminal, and

the input/output control unit controls input of the audio/video data on the basis of the unmanaged record management information received through the communication means.

3. The input/output device according to claim 1, wherein

the input/output control unit controls input/output of only video data or audio data transmitted from the video camera from or to the storage device.

4. An input/output device connected to a video camera and to a storage device, the input/output device controls only audio/video data input/output operations from or to the storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium, the input/output device comprising:

input/output control unit outputting of externally supplied audio/video data from the video camera to the storage device, and inputting of audio/video data from the storage device; and

communication means for exchanging record management information related to the audio/video data, acquired at the time when the audio/video data is recorded onto the storage device by the input/output control unit, with a record information management device that generates, stores and manages the record information through a file system provided therein, the file system is provided in the communication means independent of the storage device,

wherein the storage device only stores the audio/video data, and

wherein the input/output control unit accesses the file system of the record information management device to acquire the record management information relating to the audio/video data to be reproduced and input/outputs inputs/outputs audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of the record management information received from the record information management device, a transfer bit rate between the storage device and the input/output control unit is constant since only the audio/video data is input/output between the storage device and the input/output control unit.

5. The input/output device according to claim 4, further comprising another communication means for exchanging at least the record management information with another terminal, wherein

when the input/output control unit controls input of audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of record management information that is not managed by the record information management device, the another communication means receives the unmanaged record management information from another terminal, and

the input/output control unit controls input of the audio/video data on the basis of the unmanaged record management information received through the another communication means.

6. The input/output device according to claim 4, wherein the input/output control unit controls input/output of only video data or audio data transmitted from the video camera from or to the storage device.

7. An input/output management system connected to at least one video camera, the input/output management system comprising:

a storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium; and

one or more input/output devices which (1) has a control unit output externally supplied audio/video data from the at least one video camera to the storage device and input audio/video data from the storage device, and (2) has record information management unit generating, storing and managing, through a file system provided therein, record management information related to the audio/video data acquired at the time when the data is recorded onto the storage device by the control unit, the file system is provided in the record information management unit independent of the storage device,

wherein the storage device only stores the audio/video data, and

wherein the control unit of the input/output device unit accesses the file system of the record information management unit to acquire the record management information relating to the audio/video data to be reproduced and inputs/outputs audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of the record management information managed by the file system of the record information management unit, a transfer bit rate between the storage device and the input/output control unit is constant since only the audio/video data is input/output between the storage device and the input/output control unit.

8. The input/output management system according to claim 7, wherein

when the input/output device controls input of audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of record management information that is not managed by the file system of the record information management unit, the input/output device acquires the unmanaged record management information through a communication path established with another input/output device.

9. The input/output management system according to claim 7, wherein the input/output device controls input/output of only video data or audio data transmitted from the at least one video camera from or to the storage device.

10. An input/output management system connected to at least one video camera, the input/output management system comprising:

a storage device having a non-linear accessible recording medium;

one or more input/output devices which outputs externally supplied audio/video data from the at least one video camera to the storage device and inputs audio/video data from the storage device; and

a record information management device which generates, stores and manages, through a file system provided therein, record management information related to the audio/video data acquired at the time when the audio/video data is recorded onto the storage device by the input/output devices, the file system is provided in the record information management device independent of the storage device,

wherein the storage device only stores the audio/video data, and

wherein the input/output device unit accesses the file system of the record information management device to acquire the record management information relating to the audio/video data to be reproduced and input/outputs audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of the record management information managed by the file system of the record information management device, a transfer bit rate between the storage device and the input/output control means is constant since only the audio/video data is input/output between the storage device and the input/output devices.

11. The input/output management system according to claim 10, wherein

when the input/output device controls input of audio/video data from the storage device on the basis of record management information that is not managed by the file system of the record information management device, the input/output device acquires the unmanaged record management information through a communication path established with another input/output device.

12. The input/output management system according to claim 10, wherein the record information management device is provided for the each one or more input/output devices.

13. The input/output management system according to claim 10, wherein the input/output device controls input/output of only video data or audio data transmitted from the at least one video camera from or to the storage device.