AV server system and AV server

• US 10,887,636 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 01/05/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Urata, Kaoru, Mizukami, Mamoru, Ichinaka, Yasuhiro, Itou, Akira, Abe, Kenta, Fujimoto, Yoshihide, Hoshi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, An Son P
• Application Number:
  US15/741,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20180192100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25 Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

To increase the number of IO ports and to increase the storage amount easily. An AV server system includes: a plurality of AV servers including internet protocol (IP) input-output ports for connecting to other AV servers, the IP input-output ports being independent from input-output ports to an outside of the system; a client controller configured to control the plurality of AV servers; a manager storing information relevant to AV clip data recorded in the plurality of AV servers and AV clip data input into the plurality of AV servers; and a frame synchronization unit configured to perform frame synchronization between the plurality of AV servers.

Claims

1. An AV server system, comprising:

a plurality of AV servers, wherein

each of the plurality of AV servers includes an internet protocol (IP) input-output port,

a first AV server of the plurality of AV servers is configured to;

connect to a second AV server of the plurality of AV servers via the IP input-output port of the first AV server;

receive first AV clip data that corresponds to raw data, wherein

a first frame rate of the raw data is higher than a second frame rate of normal video data;

convert the first AV clip data having the first frame rate to second AV clip data having the second frame rate, wherein the second AV clip data corresponds to the normal video data;

transmit the second AV clip data to the second AV server;

compress the first AV clip data;

record the compressed first AV clip data; and

output the recorded first AV clip data to the IP input-output port of the first AV server,

the second AV server is configured to;

compress the second AV clip data;

record the compressed second AV clip data; and

output the recorded second AV clip data to the IP input-output port of the second AV server,

the plurality of AV servers is further configured to switch the output of the first AV clip data having the first frame rate to the output of the second AV clip data having the second frame rate,

the output of the first AV clip data is switched to the output of the second AV clip data after a fixed time period, and

the IP input-output port of each of the plurality of AV servers is independent from external input-output ports corresponding to the plurality of AV servers;

a client controller configured to control the plurality of AV servers;

a manager configured to store information associated with the recorded first AV clip data and the recorded second AV clip data; and

a frame synchronization unit configured to execute frame synchronization between each of the plurality of AV servers.

2. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the first AV server is further configured to output the compressed first AV clip data of a specific number of frames at a specific number of frame cycles, from the IP input-output port of the first AV server.

3. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the second AV server is further configured to output the compressed second AV clip data of one frame at one frame cycle, from the IP input-output port of the second AV server.

4. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the first AV server is further configured to process the compressed first AV clip data, input into the IP input-output port of the first AV server at a specific number of frame cycles, as the compressed first AV clip data of a specific number of frames.

5. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the second AV server is further configured to process the compressed second AV clip data, input into the IP input-output port of the second AV server at one frame cycle, as the compressed second AV clip data of one frame.

6. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the second AV server is further configured to process the compressed second AV clip data, input into the IP input-output port of the second AV server in a period of one of one frame or less than one frame from a frame start time, as the compressed second AV clip data of one frame.

7. The AV server system according to claim 6, wherein the second AV server is further configured to reproduce deficient compressed AV clip data from the input compressed first AV clip data by forward error correction.

8. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the first AV server is further configured to append metadata for a demosaic process to the compressed first AV clip data.

9. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein

the first AV server includes a decoding unit,

the decoding unit is configured to decode the compressed first AV clip data to obtain uncompressed AV clip data, and

a delay time in the decoding unit is constant, regardless of a compressed data format of the compressed first AV clip data.

10. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein

the first AV server includes a first record unit configured to record, in a storage, the first AV clip data, and

the first AV server is further configured to:

compress the first AV clip data based on an encoding process on the raw data of the first frame rate; and

append metadata for a demosaic process to the compressed first AV clip data.

11. The AV server system according to claim 10, wherein

the second AV server further includes a second record unit configured to record, in the storage, the second AV clip data, and

the first AV server is further configured to

convert the raw data of the first frame rate input from a single-chip camera to raw data of the second frame rate;

apply the demosaic process on the raw data of the second frame rate to obtain the normal video data of the second frame rate; and

compress the normal video data.

12. The AV server system according to claim 1, wherein the first AV server is further configured to apply a demosaic process on the raw data to obtain the normal video data.

13. A first AV server, comprising:

an internet protocol (IP) input-output port, wherein the first AV server is configured to;

connect to a second AV server via the IP input-output port;

receive first AV clip data that corresponds to raw data, wherein

a first frame rate of the raw data is higher than a second frame rate of normal video data;

convert the first AV clip data having the first frame rate to second AV clip data having the second frame rate, wherein the second AV clip data corresponds to the normal video data;

transmit the second AV clip data to the second AV server;

compress the first AV clip data;

record the compressed first AV clip data; and

output the recorded first AV clip data to the IP input-output port of the first AV server, wherein

the second AV server;

compresses the second AV clip data;

records the compressed second AV clip data; and

outputs the recorded second AV clip data to an IP input-output port of the second AV server,

a plurality of AV servers switches the output of the first AV clip data having the first frame rate to the output of the second AV clip data having the second frame rate,

the output of the first AV clip data is switched to the output of the second AV clip data after a fixed time period, and

the plurality of AV servers includes the first AV server and the second AV server.

14. The first AV server according to claim 13, wherein the first AV server is further configured to output the compressed first AV clip data of a specific number of frames at a specific number of frame cycles, from the IP input-output port of the first AV server.

15. The first AV server according to claim 13, wherein the first AV server is further configured to process the compressed first AV clip data, input into the IP input-output port of the first AV server at a specific number of frame cycles, as the compressed first AV clip data of a specific number of frames.

16. The first AV server according to claim 13, further comprising a decoding unit configured to decode the compressed first AV clip data to obtain uncompressed AV clip data, wherein a delay time in the decoding unit is constant, regardless of a compressed data format of the compressed first AV clip data.

17. An AV server system, comprising:

a plurality of AV servers, wherein

each of the plurality of AV servers includes an internet protocol (IP) input-output port,

a first AV server of the plurality of AV servers is configured to;

connect to a second AV server of the plurality of AV servers via the IP input-output port of the first AV server;

receive first AV clip data that corresponds to raw data, wherein

a first frame rate of the raw data is higher than a second frame rate of normal video data;

convert the first AV clip data having the first frame rate to second AV clip data having the second frame rate, wherein the second AV clip data corresponds to the normal video data;

transmit the second AV clip data to the second AV server;

compress the first AV clip data;

record the compressed first AV clip data; and

output the recorded first AV clip data of a first number of frames at a first number of frame cycles, from the IP input-output port of the first AV server,

the second AV server is configured to;

compress the second AV clip data;

record the compressed second AV clip data; and

output the recorded second AV clip data of a second number of frames at a second number of frame cycles, from the IP input-output port of the second AV server,

the plurality of AV servers is further configured to switch the output of the first AV clip data having the first frame rate to the output of the second AV clip data having the second frame rate,

the output of the first AV clip data is switched to the output of the second AV clip data after a fixed time period, and

the IP input-output port of each of the plurality of AV servers is independent from external input-output ports corresponding to the plurality of AV servers;

a client controller configured to control the plurality of AV servers; and

a manager configured to store information associated with the recorded first AV clip data and the recorded second AV clip data.