JP2002203230A - Image database device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To increase the scale of a storage device with a small installation space.
Provided is an image database device capable of storing a large amount of program image data while suppressing an increase in price. Registering means for registering a plurality of image data on a storage medium, monitoring devices for monitoring elapsed time and readout status of the registered image data, and registration based on the monitoring result. A compression determining device 54 for determining whether to compress the compressed image data, a compression device 61 for reading out the image data determined to be compressed and compressing the read out image data, and re-registering the compressed image data in the storage medium. Re-registering means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image database device capable of performing processing such as registration, storage, retrieval, and reading of image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image database which stores a large amount of still images and moving images, and which can be freely searched and read, has been developed with a computer and a large-capacity storage device at the core, and some of them have been put to practical use. For example, broadcasting companies have created a database of a large number of programs broadcasted in the past, and have easily searched for and read them out, and have attempted to use them in future program production. In museums, museums, etc., display of still images and moving images on a TV monitor has resulted in more flexible, lower-cost, and lively displays than ever before.

In such an image database, the amount of stored images usually increases in response to a user's request. As a result, the amount of storage media required to store the images increases, requiring more space for storage. Specifically, the number of magnetic tapes, the number of light or magnetic disks, and the like increase as a result.

Further, the storage device of the image database must automatically select and exchange a medium containing necessary image information from a large number of magnetic tapes, disks, etc., and read out the necessary information. Therefore, if the number of storage media that can be automatically selected and replaced is not large, the usability becomes extremely poor. As a result, the size of the storage device has been increased, and an increase in price has been unavoidable.

[0005]

As described above, the conventional image database apparatus of the related art requires a large installation space in order to accumulate image data of many programs and to improve the usability. Instead, a large and expensive storage device had to be introduced.

The present invention is directed to an image database apparatus capable of storing a large amount of program image data while eliminating such a problem and requiring a small installation space and suppressing an increase in the size and cost of a storage device. The purpose is to provide.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image database apparatus comprising: a registration unit for registering a plurality of image data on a storage medium; a reading unit for reading out the registered image data; Monitoring means for monitoring at least one of the elapsed time and the reading status by the reading means, and determining means for determining whether to compress the registered image data based on the monitoring result,
The image processing apparatus further includes a compression unit that reads out the image data determined to be compressed by the reading unit and then compresses the data, and a re-registration unit that re-registers the compressed image data in the storage medium. Further, the content of the determination by the determination means may be forcibly set.

In the image database apparatus of the present invention, the lapse of time, that is, the age of the registered image data, the status of reading from the storage medium, that is, the reading frequency (frequency of use), and the like are also monitored, and the program registered long before is stored. For image data that is rarely used because of this, or image data that is relatively new but rarely used, it is determined that it should be compressed and automatically compressed, and the amount of information is reduced before re-registering .

In this re-registration, image data of the same program is rewritten to compressed data. This reduces the amount of storage media required to store the same program. When compression is performed, the image quality when decompressing and restoring the compressed image data deteriorates to some extent,
This is not a problem because it is image data of a program that has not been used much. In this manner, a large amount of program image data can be stored in a small space while suppressing an increase in the size and cost of the storage device.

The image data registered in the storage medium from the beginning may be obtained by compressing the image data of all or some programs. In this case, the image data determined to be compressed is compressed and re-registered by a compression method that takes into account the compression method of the image data that has already been compressed and registered. In this way, a larger amount of image data can be stored.

Further, if the judgment contents of the judging means for judging whether or not to compress the data can be forcibly set, for example, the work of compression and re-registration is performed in a time period such as during the day when there are many read requests to the database. Can be made.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, an embodiment according to a data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. This data transmission / reception device includes a switch (SW)
1, receiving circuit 2, memory 3, memory 4, display circuit 5, display 6, keyboard 7 as input means, input processing circuit 8, memories 9, 10, first modulation circuit 11, second modulation circuit 12, and central processing A circuit (CPU) 13 having two terminals 21 and 22 as external connection terminals;
It also has an internal data bus 23. Various memories such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk can be used as the memories 9 and 10.

A terminal 21 is a terminal for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from a broadcasting station (not shown). As will be described later, a modulation signal of data including a program list (hereinafter, referred to as program list data) transmitted from the broadcasting station is provided. A modulated signal of program specifying data, which is input as a received signal or is information for specifying a desired program desired by a viewer, is output as a transmission signal. Although not shown, a transmission medium such as an antenna, a coaxial cable, a telephone line, and an optical fiber is connected to the outside of the terminal 21. Which transmission medium is used is not a technical problem but rather a problem related to whether the facilities are in place, and it is only necessary that a connection suitable for the actual situation in the region is connected.

The switch 1 is provided for selecting whether to receive a reception signal of program list data transmitted from a broadcasting station or to transmit a transmission signal of program specifying data for specifying a desired program to the broadcasting station. Have been. The receiving circuit 2 is a circuit that demodulates a received signal and extracts data. If an optimum modulation method differs according to the type of transmission medium, a different circuit is naturally required. Many systems have been put into practical use for each transmission medium, such as phase-modulating a high-frequency signal with data and associating the presence or absence of an optical pulse with a data level, and designing and realizing an optimal receiving circuit for each system. It is possible to When an error occurring on the transmission medium is predicted, it is general that the transmission side performs error correction coding. In that case, the receiving circuit 2 includes an error correction decoding circuit.

The first modulation circuit 11 is a circuit for modulating program specific data, and employs a method suitable for a transmission medium used in the same manner as the reception circuit 2. Also,
The first modulation circuit 11 may include an error correction coding circuit.

The second modulation circuit 12 is a circuit for generating a transmission signal output via the terminal 22. Terminal 2
2 is input to the VTR in this embodiment. Terminal 2
As a method of transmitting the output signal from the second device, radio waves, light, electric signals through signal lines, and the like can be used. Central processing circuit (C
The PU 13 controls processing in each circuit of the present embodiment, data display on the display 6, data input from the keyboard 7, and the like. It should be noted that such services are usually charged. To do this, pay a basic fee when purchasing this data transceiver,
It is conceivable to perform tiered charging depending on the usage status of the device. For this purpose, an identification number unique to the data transmitting / receiving device may be automatically transmitted at the time of an information request.

Next, an example of a control panel of the present apparatus is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the display 6, the menu button 30, the stop button 31, the cursor key 3
2, a selection button 33, a confirmation button 34, a search end button 35, a transmission button 36, a recording reservation button 37, a reservation release button 38, a status end button 39, a YES button 40, and a NO button 41. Menu button 3
The portion including 0 to NO button 41 is included in keyboard 7 in FIG.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First,
The flow of processing in this data transmitting / receiving device will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 3, in an initial state (START state) in which the power is turned on, a menu is displayed on the display 6 (S1). FIG. 4 shows an example of the screen configuration of the menu screen. In FIG. 4, a rectangular frame surrounding the character "search mode" indicates that the cursor is set at this position. Here, the cursor is moved by the cursor key 32 to match the position of the desired mode,
When the selection button 33 is pressed, the mode is selected (S2),
The selected mode is executed. Menu button 3
0 has an interrupt function for returning to the menu display from any process, and the stop button 31 has an interrupt function for returning to the initial state of the mode. The outline of each mode is as follows.

(1) In the search mode, the cursor key 32
And the selection button 33 to search the program list. If the search is completed, the search end button 35 is pressed to return to the menu display (S3 to S5).

(2) In the demand mode, a search is performed using the cursor key 32 and the selection button 33, and when the search is completed, the search end button 35 is pressed (S6 to S8). As a result, a set of programs obtained by the search is displayed, and the set obtained by the search is narrowed down by the cursor key 32 and the confirmation button 34. This narrowing is not necessarily performed. Then, when the transmission button 36 is pressed (S9), the desired data is transmitted via the first modulation circuit 11, SW1 and the terminal 21, and the display returns to the menu.

(3) In the recording reservation mode, a search is performed using the cursor key 32 and the selection button 33, and when the search is completed, the search end button 35 is pressed (S10 to S12). As a result, a set of programs obtained by the search is displayed. In addition, the cursor key 32 and the confirmation button 34
The set obtained by the search is narrowed down. This narrowing is not necessarily performed. Then, when the recording reservation button 37 is pressed (S13), the desired data is transmitted to the VTR via the second modulation circuit 12 and the terminal 22, and the display returns to the menu.

(4) In the recording reservation release mode, the contents of the recording reservation currently set (program name, scheduled broadcast date and time, etc.) are displayed (S14). To cancel the reservation, the user presses the reservation cancel button 38 to cancel the reservation (S1).
5). If the reservation is not canceled, the menu button 30 is pressed (S16). In both cases of S15 and S16,
Return to menu display.

(5) In the status display mode, the status of the settings made for the apparatus, that is, the status, is displayed (S17). If the confirmation is completed, the status end button 39 is pressed to return to the menu display (S18 to S18).
S19).

(6) The termination mode is selected when the use of the apparatus is terminated once. Thereafter, the power is automatically or manually turned off.

Next, important operations of this embodiment will be described in more detail by classifying them into the following five types. Note that these modes need not necessarily be mutually exclusive. (1) Search mode (2) Demand mode (3) Recording reservation mode (reservation status monitoring function) (4) Recording reservation release mode (5) Status display mode (1) Search mode This mode is for browsing the program list. The transmission function via the terminal 21 or 22 is not used. However, search is a function that is always used in other modes.

In this mode, the reception signal input from the terminal 21 is input to the reception circuit 2 via the switch 1. The receiving circuit 2 demodulates the input received signal to obtain program list data and the like. The obtained data is input to the memory 3 via the data bus 23 and stored.
A program list that can be broadcast or a program list that indicates a broadcast schedule and attribute data (keywords and the like) necessary for searching them are read out from the memory 3 and are once stored in the memory 4. The contents of the memory 4 are converted into a signal for displaying on the display 6 via the display circuit 5.

On the other hand, information output from the CPU 13 is also displayed on the display 6 to urge the user to perform necessary input using the keyboard 7. Input information from the keyboard 7 is converted into a command by an input processing circuit 8,
The data is stored in a memory 9 serving as a buffer. The CPU 13 recognizes the input command by reading the data stored in the memory 9 and performs necessary processing such as updating the contents of the memory 4 in order to display desired information on the display 6.
In this manner, a search using the attribute data as a parameter can be performed on the program list stored in the memory 3.

Here, a list of programs that can be broadcast, a program list representing a broadcast schedule, and attribute data necessary for searching for them will be described.
If one program is sports, the sport is baseball, the teams that competed are Teams A and B, the competition date was August 1, 1980, and the team that won won was <Sports>,<Baseball>,<AB>,<
Information such as 1990-8-1> and <B> is called attribute data. If these attribute data are defined for each program, a program to be viewed can be selected from a very large set of programs. A set of program names that are stored by a broadcasting station and that do not hinder broadcasting from various viewpoints are a broadcastable program list. Further, the program list representing the broadcast schedule is a set of broadcast-scheduled program names for which the scheduled broadcast date and time are determined. In the case of the latter program list, the scheduled broadcast date and time is registered as a part of the attribute data.

A specific example of the search will be described. In search mode,
For example, the result of classifying the attributes of each program is represented by a tree structure as shown in FIG. Currently the cursor is the third tree with the word "Netherlands"
It is located in the layer (attribute 3). In this state, "Art"
The number of programs having the attributes of "painting" and "Netherlands" is shown as 20 in the lower right part of the screen. The user presses the selection button 33 to set the attributes 1, 2, 3, etc. while moving the position of the cursor with the cursor keys 32.

It goes without saying that various methods can be designed for the search method, and there is no reason to be limited to the above method. For example, when the input of free alphanumeric characters, hiragana, kanji, etc. is permitted, a more direct search can be performed.

(2) Demand Mode This mode is a mode that is executed after a desired program is selected from a list of broadcastable programs in advance in the search mode. That is, the search for the broadcastable program list is performed as described in the search mode (1). As a result, the viewer determines one or more desired programs. Specifically, the user moves the cursor to a desired program position among a plurality of programs displayed on the display 6 and presses the confirmation button 34. By this operation, the current position information of the desired program on the display 6 is stored in the memory 9 via the input processing circuit 8. At the same time, a command indicating that the confirmation button 34 has been pressed is similarly stored in the memory 9. CPU 13
When these two types of information are read, the display circuit 5
The content of the information displayed on the display 6 is checked via the PC, and the information (program) displayed at a predetermined position is specified.

The CPU 13 accesses the memory 3 to extract, for example, a program identification code number that can identify the programs from each other as program identification data that is information for identifying the program thus selected and determined, and inputs it to the memory 10. And memorize it. After the transmission button 36 is pressed, the program specifying data (program identification code number) stored in the memory 10 is broadcasted through the first modulation circuit 11, the switch 1, and the terminal 21 at an appropriate timing according to an instruction from the CPU 13. Sent to the station.

By receiving the program specifying data transmitted from the viewer in this way, the broadcasting station evaluates the contents requested by the viewer for the program. As a result, for example, a broadcast program can be organized and broadcast in the order of the number of programs specified by the program specifying data, that is, in the order of the number of requests. In this case, rather than mechanically ignoring programs with low demands, broadcasting them regularly in a fixed broadcasting time frame improves the viewer's evaluation of the broadcasting station, resulting in an increase in the number of transmission and reception contracts To contribute.

Further, utilizing the demand mode, the data transmitting / receiving apparatus of the present embodiment can provide the following services. That is, it is assumed that the YES button 40 and the NO button 41 provided on the control panel as shown in FIG. 2 can simultaneously perform data input and transmission, respectively. Here, for example, when a discussion or the like is being broadcast, a subtitle “Do you agree with the solution—?” Is displayed on the TV screen, and the viewers are asked for their opinions. On the other hand, the viewer selects YES button 40 or N
Press the O button 41. The result is sent to the broadcasting station through the above-described processing, and the processing is totaled. The totaling result is immediately displayed on the TV screen.

In this way, an opinion poll can be conducted through the TV, and the result can be immediately fed back to the viewer. Conversely, a person who appears in a TV program and expresses an opinion will immediately know the reaction to the opinion, and it will be difficult to make irresponsible opinions and falsehoods. as a result,
It will contribute to the improvement of social morals.

Further, according to the transmitting / receiving apparatus, the following services are possible. That is, when the program identification code number is transmitted as the program specifying data in the demand mode, an area code indicating which area the user wants to broadcast is transmitted at the same time. By doing so, it is also possible to give a broadcast program to friends, family and the like who are far away.

(3) Recording Reservation Mode / Reservation Status Monitoring Function The recording reservation mode is a mode that is executed after a desired program is previously selected from a program list representing a broadcast schedule in the search mode. That is, as described in the search mode (1), the search for the program list representing the broadcast schedule is performed. As a result, the viewer determines one or more desired programs.

More specifically, the cursor is moved to a desired program position among a plurality of program lists displayed on the display 6, and the confirmation button 34 is pressed.
Then, the current position information of the desired program on the display 6 is stored in the memory 9 via the input processing circuit 8. At the same time, a command indicating that the confirmation button 34 has been pressed is similarly stored in the memory 9.

When reading these two kinds of information, the CPU 13 checks the information contents displayed on the display 6 from the memory 4 via the display circuit 5, and specifies the information (program) displayed at a predetermined position. I do. The CPU 13
As program specifying data for specifying the program selected and determined in this way, for example, the program identification code number and time information on a broadcast schedule of the program are accessed and extracted from the memory 3 and input to the memory 10 for storage.

The program specifying data (program identification code number, time information) stored in the memory 10 after the recording reservation button 37 is pressed is transmitted to the second modulation circuit 12 and the terminal 2 at an appropriate timing according to an instruction from the CPU 13.
2 to a VTR (not shown). Where V
Several cases can be selected as the transmission timing of the program specific data to the TR. For example, the necessary data may be transmitted to the VTR immediately after the recording reservation button 37 is pressed, and the recording reservation processing circuit inside the VTR may be operated, or the recording start or end may be actually started or stopped at the recording start or end time. An instruction to stop recording may be given to the VTR.

One of the problems encountered when making a recording reservation for a VTR is that recording fails due to a sudden change in broadcast time. The device provides the following solution to this problem.

That is, at the time when the recording reservation is made, the present apparatus is enabled to operate the reservation state monitoring function.
The program list indicating the broadcast schedule stored in the program is monitored, and it is checked whether at least the attribute data (time information about the broadcast schedule) of the program for which the recording reservation has been made does not change. When a change is recognized, the mode automatically shifts to the recording reservation mode, and necessary settings are reset using time information on a new broadcast schedule. As a result, recording of an important program does not fail.

(4) Recording reservation release mode This is a mode in which all the processing described in the recording reservation mode / reservation state monitoring function of (3) is released.

(5) Status display mode In this mode, the reception state of data such as the quality deterioration of the reception signal obtained by the reception circuit 2, the recording reservation state, the reception time of the latest program list data, and the like are displayed.

The data transmission / reception device of the present invention does not need to be a physically independent device, and may be a device incorporated in another device such as a TV receiver, a VTR, and a telephone. Further, the display 6 may be used in combination with the display of the TV receiver. That is, the output of the display circuit 5 may be superimposed on a normal TV video, or the TV may be set via the video input terminal of the TV receiver.
Information may be displayed on the screen. In addition, keyboard 7
A remote control transmission / reception circuit may be provided between the keyboard 7 and the input processing circuit 8 in order to make the remote control independent.

Next, an embodiment relating to the image database device of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the image database device according to the present invention. The image database device includes a storage device 51, a time elapse monitoring device 52, a reading status monitoring device 53, a compression determining device 54, a control device 55, a switch 56, an encoding device 57, a decoding device 58, a decompression device 59, and a switch 60.
And a compression device 61.

In FIG. 6, a storage device 51 stores image data of a plurality of programs, and includes a storage medium such as a magnetic tape, a disk, and a semiconductor memory, and a write / read circuit therefor. If the storage capacity required for the storage device 51 exceeds one unit of storage medium (one disk, one magnetic tape, etc.), the storage device 51 incorporates a plurality of storage media and uses those storage media. It is configured to include an autochanger for switching.

The storage device 51 stores (registers) image data input from the encoding device 57 via the signal line 70, and stores data read from the storage medium on the signal line 71.
To the decoding device 58 via On the other hand, the storage device 5
1 receives via the bus 72 a registration command, a read command, and data instruction information which are outputs of the control device 55. Further, a registration end signal and a read end signal indicating that necessary processing for the registration instruction and the read instruction have been completed are transmitted and received between the storage device 51 and the control device 55 via the bus 72. The storage position of the image data of each program in the storage device 51 is managed by the storage device 51 itself based on the data instruction information.

The time elapse monitoring device 52 receives the registration date / time information or the re-registration date / time information and the data instruction information indicating the registered image data from the control device 55 via the signal line 73, and stores a table indicating the relationship between them. Possess. The time elapse monitoring device 52 responds to the data instruction information input via the signal line 73 and indicating the image data as a candidate to be subjected to the compression processing, and outputs the current date and time and the registration date and time information of the image data. The elapsed time is calculated from the above, and this is sent to the compression determination device 4 via the signal line 74 as elapsed time information. Furthermore, if the re-registration date and time information already exists,
The time elapse monitoring device 52 similarly transmits elapsed time information necessary for the compression determination device 4 to determine that compression is not performed to the compression determination device 4.

The reading status monitor 53 is connected to a signal line 76
Via the control device 55, and the data instruction information indicating the image data to be read are received from the control device 55, and the number of times of the read command received by each image data is stored. In addition, the readout status monitoring device 53 responds to data instruction information that is input via the signal line 76 and that indicates image data as a candidate to be subjected to compression processing,
The number of read commands received by the image data is sent to the compression determination device 4 via the signal line 77 as read status information.

The compression judging device 54 receives the elapsed time information input via the signal line 74 and the readout status information input via the signal line 77, and converts the information into image data as candidates for compression processing. On the other hand, it is determined whether or not compression should be performed, and the result of the determination is sent to the control device 55 via the signal line 75.

Further, a setting signal for forcibly setting the determination result of the compression determining device 54 is input via a signal line 78 from a terminal 62 to which a switch or the like provided outside the image database device is connected. You. When the setting signal is active, the compression determining device 54 gives the control device 55 a determination result that compression is not always performed regardless of the elapsed time information and the readout status information. The setting signal may be given from the control device 55 instead of via the terminal 62 to which a switch or the like provided outside the image database device is connected.

The determination in the compression determination device 54 is performed, for example, as follows. The parameters used in the determination are three types: (1) elapsed time since registration, (2) number of readings, and (3) reading frequency, which is the number of readings per unit time. Appropriate threshold values are set for these three types of parameters. Then, three parameters obtained for certain image data are compared with a threshold value, and based on a result of the comparison, it is determined whether or not to perform compression processing according to a certain criterion. This determination criterion is defined as, for example, "Image data of a program whose elapsed time is M hours or more, the number of read times is N times or less, and the read frequency is Y times / hour or less is compressed and re-registered." Can be

In this determination, it is not always necessary to use all the comparison results for the three parameters. In some cases, it is difficult to apply the above criteria mechanically. In such a case, the determination result may be reevaluated in consideration of the social importance of the image data, difficulty in collecting the data again, and the like. Further, values such as M, N, and Y that define the threshold value can be changed in a timely manner.

The encoding device 57 is provided for converting image data input via the terminal 63 and the switch 56 into a signal format suitable for being stored in a storage medium used in the storage device 51. I have. That is, the encoding device 57 automatically detects and corrects a data error occurring on a modulation circuit or a storage medium for obtaining a signal format suitable for the frequency characteristics of the storage medium or in a writing / reading process. Error correction coding circuit, synchronization information insertion circuit that inserts necessary synchronization information to clarify the division of data on the storage medium and the unit of the above-mentioned modulation and error correction coding, and to restore the original at the time of reading It consists of.

It should be noted that statistical characteristics such as the power spectrum of the data series generally differ between the uncompressed image data and the compressed image data. As a result, the optimum conversion method may differ for each.
In this case, the configuration of the encoding device 57 can be adaptively changed depending on which of the two image data is encoded. At this time, it is necessary to change the configuration of the decoding device 58 at the same time.

The decoding device 58 performs a conversion process which is the reverse of the conversion of the signal format performed by the encoding device 57 when reading out the image data, and normally outputs the resulting image data via the switch 60 and the terminal 14. This is a device for outputting. That is, the decoding device 58
Is a demodulation circuit that detects the inserted synchronization information, a demodulation circuit that performs demodulation that is a reverse process of the modulation circuit based on the synchronization information obtained by the synchronization detection circuit, and similarly performs a reverse process of the error correction coding. It is composed of an error correction decoding circuit for detecting and correcting an error occurring in data by performing a certain decoding.

The compression device 61 is constituted by a compression circuit for reducing the amount of data when the read image data is subjected to compression processing and re-registered. That is, the decryption device 5
8 is input to a compression device 61, and the output of the compression device 61 is supplied to an encoding device 57 via a switch 56. In this embodiment, a plurality of types of compression methods for reducing the data amount can be applied. In particular,
The following compression methods can be used.

(A) An encoding method based on DPCM (Differential Pulse Code Modulation) or a method based on a combination of orthogonal transform coding such as DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) and variable length coding such as Huffman coding. A method in which the original image hardly degrades or only the data amount is reduced by minimizing the deterioration by the high-efficiency encoding. (b) A method in which a moving image is thinned out in units of frames or the like at an appropriate cycle or aperiodically, and only a representative frame that can best represent the content of the image is left. (c) A method in which, when the resolution of each frame of a moving image can be tolerated, pixel-by-pixel thinning is performed at an appropriate cycle so that, for example, the remaining pixels form a checkered pattern. (d) A method of thinning out pixels in other parts, especially when certain parts in the frame have important information. (e) Depending on the content of the image data and how to use it, it may not be necessary to save it again in the form of an image at the time of re-registration.
The data amount is reduced by a method such as conversion into a still image or the like, conversion of a still image into voice or text, or conversion of a three-dimensional image into a two-dimensional moving image, still image, voice or text. (f) Depending on the contents of the image, the methods (a) to (e) are appropriately combined and used.

The decompression device 59 is a device for performing the reverse process of the process performed by the compression device 61 and outputting the obtained image data via the switch 60 and the terminal 14. In this case, depending on which of the above-described compression methods is used for storage in the storage device 51,
What extension processing should be performed by the extension device 59 is automatically determined. Information indicating the compression method used in the compression device 61 is registered on the storage medium of the storage device 51, or the data instruction information and the compression method are stored in the control device 55 in the form of a table. For example, it is possible to perform appropriate decompression processing at the time of reading. In the above methods (b) to (e), there is a possibility that the decompression process is not substantially required. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the output of the decoding device 58 is also guided from the switch 60 to the terminal 14 via the decompression device 59 in such a case. However, the decompression device 59 is considered as a simple signal line.

The image data output from the terminal 14 is generally sent to a display device. This display device is usually a device for displaying an image, and a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, a projection screen, a facsimile, a copying machine, an image printer, and the like can be connected to each other via an appropriate interface. However,
As in the case of the method (e), the output form may no longer be an image, so a speaker or the like is required at this time.

The switch 56 is provided so that image data to be input to the encoding device 57 can be selected. That is, at the time of normal registration, the switch 56 guides the image data input from the terminal 63 to the encoding device 57. When re-registering the compressed image data,
The output of the compression device 61 is guided to an encoding device 57. These two
Which of the types is selected is determined by a selection command sent from the control device 55 via the signal line 79.

The switch 60 is provided so that image data output to the terminal 64 can be selected. That is, when reading out the image data which has not been subjected to the processing of being compressed and re-registered, the switch 60 leads the output of the decoding device 58 to the terminal 64. When reading image data that has already been compressed and re-registered, the switch 60 guides the output of the decompression device 59 to the terminal 64.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the following operation modes are important. A mode = registration mode B mode = read mode 1 (mode for reading image data that has not been compressed / reregistered) C mode = compression / reregistration mode D mode = read mode 2 (for image data that has been compressed / reregistered) (A read mode) <A mode=registration mode> In this mode, the terminal 63
Is input to an encoding device 57 via a switch 56 and is encoded. The encoded data is registered in the storage device 51 via the signal line 70. The control device 55 is connected to the switch 56 via a signal line 79.
Of the storage device 51 and the bus 72
, A registration command / data instruction information is given at the start of registration, and a registration end signal is given at the end of input of image data to be registered from the terminal 63. On the other hand, the control device 55 gives the data instruction information and the registration date / time information to the time elapse monitoring device 52 via the signal line 73, and causes the time progress monitoring device 52 to perform registration in a predetermined table. In addition, the control device 55 supplies the data instruction information to the readout status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76 to register the information in the predetermined table.

<B mode = read mode 1> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decoded image data is transmitted to the switch 60
Output via terminal 64. The control device 55 controls the switch 60 via the signal line 80, and gives a read command / data instruction information to the storage device 51 via the bus 72 at the start of reading. Storage device 51
Similarly outputs a read end signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72 when reading of image data is completed.

On the other hand, the control device 55 gives a read command and data instruction information to the read status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76. The reading status monitoring device 53 writes in a predetermined table the fact that the number of times of reading performed on the image data specified by the data specifying information is increased by one.

<C Mode = Compression / Re-Registration Mode> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decoded image data is input from the decoding device 58 to the compression device 61 and subjected to compression processing. The compressed image data is input to an encoding device 57 via a switch 56, and is subjected to an encoding process. The encoded data generated as a result is re-registered in the storage device 51 via the signal line 70. In this mode, reading and registering operations are performed on the storage medium included in the storage device 51. These two operations can be performed at the same time, or performed at different times by using a buffer memory or the like. Can also.

The new registration position of the image data to be re-registered may be the original position or a completely different new position. In the case of a new position, the association between the data instruction information and the position on the storage medium is changed inside the storage device 51. The control device 55 controls the switch 56 via a signal line 79 and gives a read command / registration command / data instruction information to the storage device 51 via a bus 72. Signal line 80 for switch 60
Although the control by the control unit 55 via the control unit 55 is not always necessary, when confirming the image data which is currently compressed and being re-registered, the output of the decoding unit 58 may be led to the terminal 64. The storage device 51 outputs a read end signal and a registration end signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72.

This mode is realized only when the compression judging device 54 gives a judgment signal to the control device 55 via the signal line 75 that the compression may be performed. For this purpose, the time elapse monitoring device 52 and the reading status monitoring device 53 are connected via signal lines 73 and 76, respectively.
, And the outputs of both the time elapse monitoring device 52 and the readout status monitoring device 53 are output from the compression determination device 54 via signal lines 74 and 77, respectively.
And the above-described determination condition must be satisfied. Further, the setting signal provided from the terminal 62 to the compression determining device 54 via the signal line 78 must be inactive.

<D mode = read mode 2> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decrypted image data is subjected to reverse processing of the processing performed by the compression device 61 by the decompression device 59, and is output via the switch 60 and the terminal 64. The control device 55 controls the switch 60 via the signal line 80, and gives a read command / data instruction information to the storage device 51 via the bus 72 at the start of reading. The storage device 51 similarly outputs a read completion signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72 when the reading of the image data is completed.

In the B mode = read mode 1 described above, the control device 55 transmits the read command and the data instruction information via the signal line 76 to the read status monitoring device 53.
Had to give. Then, the reading status monitoring device 53
The fact that the number of times of reading performed on the image data specified by the data specifying information is increased by one is written in a predetermined table. However, in this mode, the read image data is the image data that has been subjected to the compression / re-registration processing, so that there is no need to perform the processing related to the read state monitoring device 53.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the image database device according to the present invention. This image database device includes a storage device 51, a time elapse monitoring device 5,
2. Read status monitoring device 53, compression determination device 54, control device 55, switch 56, encoding device 57, decoding device 58, first decompression device 59, switch 60, first compression device 61, second It comprises a compression device 65 and a second decompression device 66. In FIG. 7, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 6 have the same functions, and thus detailed description will be omitted, and differences from the embodiment in FIG. 6 will be described.

The second compression device 6 newly added in FIG.
5 is the same as (a) to (f) described above as in the first compression device 61.
Compression is performed by the following method. A feature of the present embodiment is that some compression is already performed by the compression device 65 even during normal registration. Therefore, compared to the case of the first embodiment, the storage device 51 having the same data capacity can store image data for a longer time. However, image quality may be degraded substantially in relation to the compression method and the degree of compression in the compression device 65.

Another feature of this embodiment is that, as described later, the original image data is compressed by the compression device 65 at the time of re-registration.
And the compression device 61 respectively perform compression on the series, further perform encoding, and perform re-registration. Therefore, the processing contents of the compression devices 61 and 65 are naturally restricted. For example,
In principle, the method based on the combination of the discrete cosine transform and the Huffman code shown in (a) cannot be applied in common to the compression devices 61 and 65 for image data of the same program. Therefore, for the two compression devices 61 and 65,
Of the methods described in (a) to (f), it is necessary to select a combination of two methods that can be applied to image data of the same program in a series and allocate them to the compression devices 61 and 65. .

Further, the newly added second decompression device 6
Reference numeral 6 denotes a device for performing a reverse process of the process performed by the compression device 65 and outputting the obtained image data via a terminal 64. Therefore, depending on which of the above-described compression methods is used for storage in the storage device 51, what decompression process should be performed is automatically determined. The information indicating the compression method used in the compression device 65 is registered in the storage medium of the storage device 51, or the data instruction information and the compression method are stored in the control device 55 in the form of a table. For example, it is possible to perform appropriate decompression processing at the time of reading. Also, in the above methods (b) to (e), there is a possibility that the decompression process is not substantially required. For convenience of explanation, the output of the switch 60 is also supplied to the terminal 6 via the decompression device 66 in such a case.
I think it is led to 4. However, the decompression device 66 is considered as a simple signal line.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the following operation modes are important. A mode = registration mode B mode = read mode 1 (mode for reading unregistered image data) C mode = compression / reregistration mode D mode = read mode 2 (mode for reading reregistered image data) < A mode = registration mode> In this mode, terminal 63
Are subjected to compression processing in a compression device 65 and input to the switch 56. Thereafter, the data is input to the encoding device 57 via the switch 56, and encoding is performed. The encoded data is registered in the storage device 51 via the signal line 70. The control device 55 controls the switch 56 via a signal line 79, and controls the storage device 5
1 via the bus 72 at the start of registration.
The data instruction information is given, and a registration end signal is given when the input of the image data to be registered from the terminal 63 is completed. On the other hand, the control device 55 gives the data instruction information and the registration date / time information to the time elapse monitoring device 52 via the signal line 73, and causes the time progress monitoring device 52 to perform registration in a predetermined table. In addition, the control device 55 supplies the data instruction information to the readout status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76 to register the information in the predetermined table.

<B mode = reading mode 1> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decoded image data is sent to the decompression device 66 via the switch 60, and decompression processing is performed. The decompressed image data is output via a terminal 64. The control device 55 controls the switch 6 via the signal line 80.
0, and the bus 7
2, a read command / data instruction information is given at the start of reading. The storage device 51 similarly outputs a read completion signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72 when the reading of the image data is completed.

On the other hand, the control device 55 gives a read command and data instruction information to the read status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76. The reading status monitoring device 53 writes in a predetermined table the fact that the number of times of reading performed on the image data specified by the data specifying information is increased by one.

<C mode = compression / re-registration mode> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decoded image data is sent to the decoding device 5
8 and input to the compression device 61 for compression processing. The compressed image data is input to the encoding device 57 via the switch 56 and undergoes encoding processing. The encoded data generated as a result is re-registered in the storage device 51 via the signal line 70.

In this mode, reading and registering operations are performed on the storage medium included in the storage device 51. These two operations can be performed simultaneously, or they can be temporally shifted by a buffer memory or the like. You can also do it. The new registration position of the image data to be re-registered may be the original position or a completely different new position. In the case of a new position, the association between the data instruction information and the position on the storage medium is changed inside the storage device 51.

The control device 55 controls the switch 56 via a signal line 79 and gives a read command / registration command / data instruction information to the storage device 51 via a bus 72. The control of the switch 60 by the control unit 55 via the signal line 80 is not always necessary, but when confirming the image data that is currently compressed and being re-registered, the output of the decoding unit 58 is expanded by the expansion unit 66. What is necessary is just to guide to the terminal 64 through a process. Storage device 5
1 outputs a read end signal / registration end signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72.

This mode is realized only when the compression judging device 54 gives the control device 55 a judgment signal indicating that compression may be performed via the signal line 75. For this purpose, the time elapse monitoring device 52 and the reading status monitoring device 53 are connected via signal lines 73 and 76, respectively.
Is provided with data instruction information, and the outputs of both the time lapse monitoring device 52 and the reading status monitoring device 53 are
Compression determination device 5 via signal lines 74 and 77 respectively
4 and the above-described determination condition must be satisfied. In addition, the setting signal provided from the terminal 62 to the compression determining device 54 via the signal line 78 must be inactive.

<D mode = read mode 2> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71, and decoding is performed. The decrypted image data is subjected to reverse processing of the processing performed by the compression device 61 by the decompression device 59 and is input to the switch 60. The output of the switch 60 is input to a decompression device 66, subjected to a process reverse to the process performed by the compression device 65, and output via a terminal 64. The control device 55 controls the switch 60 via the signal line 80, and gives a read command / data instruction information to the storage device 51 via the bus 72 at the start of reading. The storage device 51 similarly outputs a read completion signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72 when the reading of the image data is completed.

In the B mode = read mode 1 described above, the control device 55 gives a read command and data instruction information to the read status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76. Then, the reading situation monitoring device 53 has written in a predetermined table the fact that the number of readings performed on the image data specified by the data specifying information has increased by one. However, in this mode, since the read data is image data that has been subjected to compression / re-registration processing, there is no need to perform processing related to the read state monitoring device 53.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the image database device according to the present invention. This image database device includes a storage device 51, a time elapse monitoring device 5,
2. It is composed of a reading status monitoring device 53, a compression judging device 54, a control device 55, a switch 56, an encoding device 57, a decoding device 58, a compression device 67 and a decompression device 68. 8, the components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 6 have the same functions.

The compression device 67 reduces the amount of data when registering or re-registering image data input via the switch 56 by performing compression processing according to the above-described methods (a) to (f). It is composed of a compression circuit. The compression device 67 controls parameters related to compression by a signal output from the control device 55 and supplied through a signal line 82. The output of the compression device 67 is supplied to the encoding device 57.

The feature of this embodiment is that, in addition to the fact that some compression is already performed at the time of normal registration by the compression device 67 as in the second embodiment, the operation of the compression device 67 is
2 can be changed by a signal input from the control device 55 via the control unit 2. This compression device 6
The seven compression methods can be roughly divided into the following two. That is,
[1] A method of performing compression by any one of the above methods (a) to (e), [2] From (a) to (b) or from (a) to (d)
, And two methods for shifting to another compression method. An example in the case of [1] will be described.

In the case of the DPCM in the method (a), the number of bits expressing the dynamic range of the difference data is changed, and a frame for performing intra-frame quantization in DCT and a frame for performing inter-frame quantization using prediction or the like. And can coexist. If the ratio between intra-frame quantization and inter-frame quantization is changed, inter-frame quantization can generally reduce the amount of generated data for the same image quality, so that the total amount of generated data can be reduced.
In addition, it is of course possible to further reduce the data amount by permitting image quality deterioration. In the methods (b) to (d), thinning may be further advanced.

An example in the case of [2] will be described. In the registration, thin out in units of frames etc. in (b),
When re-registering, there is a method such as applying (d) to the remaining frames. As described above, the most appropriate method can be selected in consideration of the contents and usage of the image data to be registered and the image data to be re-registered.

The decompression device 68 is a device for performing the reverse process of the process performed by the compression device 67 and outputting the obtained image data via the terminal 64. In response to the compression device 67 being able to change its operation by a signal provided from the control device 55 via the signal line 82, the expansion device 68 is also controlled by a signal provided from the control device 55 via the signal line 81. Behavior can be changed. Depending on which of the above-mentioned compression methods has been used for storage in the storage device 51, what kind of decompression processing should be performed is automatically determined. Compression device 67
Is registered in the storage medium of the storage device 51 or information indicating the compression method used in
By storing the data instruction information and the compression method in the form of a table, it is possible to perform an appropriate decompression process upon reading.

Further, with respect to the compression methods (b) to (e), there is a possibility that the decompression process is not substantially required. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the read image data is also guided to the terminal 64 via the decompression device 68 in such a case. However, the decompression device 68 is considered as a simple signal line.

Next, the operation of the third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the following operation modes are important. A mode = registration mode B mode = read mode 1 (mode for reading unregistered image data) C mode = compression / reregistration mode D mode = read mode 2 (mode for reading reregistered image data) < A mode = registration mode> In this mode, terminal 63
Is input to the compression device 67 via the switch 56 and subjected to a compression process, and further input to the encoding device 57 for encoding. The encoded image data is registered in the storage device 51 via the signal line 70. The control device 55 controls the switch 56 and the compression device 67 via signal lines 79 and 82, respectively.
A registration command / data instruction information is given to the storage device 51 via the bus 72 at the start of registration, and a registration end signal is given at the end of input of image data to be registered from the terminal 63.

On the other hand, the control device 55 supplies the data instruction information and the registration date / time information to the time elapse monitoring device 52 via the signal line 73, and causes the time progress monitoring device 52 to perform registration in a predetermined table. Further, the control device 55 supplies the data instruction information to the readout status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76, and causes the data status information to be registered in a predetermined table.

<B mode = reading mode 1> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decoded image data is sent to a decompression device 68, which performs the decompression device. The decompressed image data is output via a terminal 64. The control device 55
The decompressing device 68 is controlled via the signal line 81, and a read command / data instruction information is given to the storage device 51 via the bus 72 at the start of reading. The storage device 51 similarly outputs a read completion signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72 when the reading of the image data is completed.

On the other hand, the control device 55 gives a read command and data instruction information to the read status monitoring device 53 via the signal line 76. The reading status monitoring device 53 writes in a predetermined table the fact that the number of times of reading performed on the image data specified by the data specifying information is increased by one.

<C Mode = Compression / Re-Registration Mode> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 71 and is decoded. The decoded image data is sent to the decoding device 5
8 to a decompression device 68 to undergo decompression processing. After being subjected to the decompression processing, the data is input to the compression device 67 via the switch 56, and is subjected to the compression device. The compressed image data is input to the encoding device 57 and undergoes encoding processing. The coded data generated as a result is re-registered in the storage device 51 via the signal line 70. In this mode, reading and registering operations are performed on the storage medium included in the storage device 51. These two operations can be performed at the same time, or performed at different times by using a buffer memory or the like. You can also.

The new registration position of the image data to be re-registered may be the original position or a completely different new position. In the case of a new position, the association between the data instruction information and the position on the storage medium is changed inside the storage device 51. The control device 55 includes signal lines 79, 81,
The switch 56, the expansion device 68, and the compression device 67 are controlled via 82, and a read command, a registration command, and data instruction information are given to the storage device 51 via the bus 72. The storage device 51 outputs a read end signal and a registration end signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72.

Note that this mode is realized only when the compression judging device 54 gives the control device 55 a judging signal indicating that compression is possible via the signal line 75. To this end, data instruction information is given to the time lapse monitoring device 52 and the reading status monitoring device 53 via signal lines 73 and 76, respectively.
2 and the output of the reading status monitoring device 53 are connected to the compression determining device 54 via signal lines 74 and 77, respectively.
And the above-described determination condition must be satisfied. In addition, the setting signal provided from the terminal 62 to the compression determining device 54 via the signal line 78 must be inactive.

<D mode = read mode 2> In this mode, the encoded data read from the storage device 51 is input to the decoding device 58 via the signal line 12 and is decoded. Image data obtained by performing the reverse process of the process performed by the compression device 67 at the time of re-registration on the decoded image data by the decompression device 68 is output from the terminal 64. The control device 55 controls the decompression device 68 via the signal line 81, and gives a read command / data instruction information to the storage device 51 via the bus 72 at the start of reading. The storage device 51 similarly outputs a read completion signal to the control device 55 via the bus 72 when the reading of the image data is completed.

In the B mode = read mode 1 described above, the control device 55 transmits the read command and the data instruction information via the signal line 76 to the read status monitoring device 53.
Had to give. Then, the reading status monitoring device 53
The fact that the number of times of reading performed on the image data specified by the data specifying information is increased by one is written in a predetermined table. However, in this mode, since the read data is image data that has been subjected to compression / re-registration processing, it is not necessary to perform the processing related to the read status monitoring device 53.

Hereinafter, the fourth and fifth embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are block diagrams showing fourth, fifth and sixth embodiments of the image database device of the present invention. 9 and FIG.
In FIGS. 0 and 11, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 have the same functions. The operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 is basically the same as the operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, respectively. And 77 and the reading status monitoring device 53 does not exist. In other words, the compression determination device 54 outputs whether the compression / re-registration is to be performed by the time elapse monitoring device 52 and determines only the elapsed time information input via the signal line 74. In other words, such simplification is possible for image data whose value decreases uniformly with time.

In the above embodiment, the audio data accompanying the image data is not described, but the audio data may be registered on the same storage medium as the image data. Also, the audio data may or may not be compressed. In addition, the present invention can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof.

[0104]

According to the image database device of the present invention, the lapse of time, that is, the age of the registered image data, the status of reading from the storage medium, that is, the reading frequency (frequency of use), etc., are monitored, For image data that is rarely used because it is a registered program, or image data that is relatively new but rarely used, it is determined that it should be compressed and automatically compressed to reduce the amount of information. By re-registering, the amount of storage media required to store the same program is reduced, and a large amount of image data of a large amount of programs can be saved in a small space while suppressing an increase in size and cost of the storage device. Can be accumulated. In this case, if the judgment content of the judgment means for judging whether or not to compress the data can be forcibly set, the work of compression and re-registration can be performed in a time zone such as during the day when read requests to the database device are large. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a data transmitting / receiving apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a control panel in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a menu screen in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a search screen in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the image database device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the image database device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the image database device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the image database device of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the image database device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a sixth embodiment of the image database device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 51 storage device 52 time monitoring device 53 reading status monitoring device 54 compression determination device 55 control device 56 switch 57 encoding device 58 decoding device 59 decompression device 60 switch 61 compression device 65 … Compression device 66… extension device 67… compression device 68… extension device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B050 BA10 CA10 EA10 GA06 GA08 5B075 KK38 ND06 NR03 NR16 PP02 PQ02 5B082 AA13 CA11 CA17 GA01

Claims (1)

[Claims] A registration unit for registering a plurality of image data on a storage medium; a reading unit for reading out the image data registered by the registration unit; a lapse of time of the image data registered by the registration unit; Monitoring means for monitoring at least one of the reading statuses by the reading means; determining means for determining whether to compress the image data registered by the registration means based on the monitoring result by the monitoring means; And a re-registering unit for re-registering the image data compressed by the compressing unit in the storage medium after reading out the image data determined to be compressed by the reading unit by the reading unit. Characteristic image database device.