Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-06
2004-06-22
Gossage, Glenn (Department: 2187)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C711S200000, C711S220000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754649
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a technique for recording data that is associated to other data held in a storage medium. More particularly the present invention relates to a technique for reducing the volume of data in the storage medium.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, to edit video or audio recorded by, for example, a video tape recorder VTR camera, video and audio data must first be recorded from the original video tape to a randomly accessible medium in a computer, such as a hard disk or DVD, and editing performed on this data using various applications.
The following is an explanation of the conventional editing methods for video data and audio data, with editing on a personal computer as an example.
Seen from the standpoint of data editing, the personal computer uses a) an interface unit, for receiving video data and audio data from outside, b) a storage unit, comprising a hard disk or the like for holding video data and audio data, c) a data holding unit, for holding video data and audio data received from the interface unit in the storage unit, d) a data obtaining unit, for obtaining data to be reproduced from the storage unit, e) a cathode ray table (CRT) for displaying video data obtained by the data obtaining unit, and f) a speaker for outputting audio data obtained by the data obtaining unit.
(1) Operation of each unit involved in recording video data and audio data.
The interface unit receives video data and audio data from outside and outputs them to the data holding unit.
The data holding unit, upon receiving video data and audio data, performs analog to digital conversion and assigns a unique pathname to each data. Each path name comprises a file name (e.g., “MOV0002” and “AUD0002”), which includes two codes, (a) a four-digit number associating the video and audio data as a set (e.g., “0002”), and (b) letters classifying the data as video or audio (e.g., “MOV” for video and “AUD” for audio). The path names are stored in the storage unit and mapped in the management file “LIST_MGR” in the “MGR_INFO” directory of the storage unit.
The management file “LIST_MGR” holds index data, which shows association of the data held in the storage unit to data generated by editing.
(2) Operation of each unit involved in normal reproduction.
The data obtaining unit obtains the path name, e.g., a path name including “MOV0002” or “AUD0002”, of data to be reproduced from the management file “LIST_MGR,” obtains the video data and audio data associated with the path name, performs digital to analog conversion, and outputs the video data and audio data to the CRT and speaker, respectively, in parallel.
The CRT and speaker output, respectively, the video and audio represented by the data received from the data obtaining unit.
(3) Operation of each unit involved in data editing.
The following explanation uses an example of data editing involving after-recording, wherein music, narration or other audio is substituted for the audio data which was recorded and is held together with the video data in the storage unit.
When after-recording editing is performed, the data holding unit receives the music, narration or other audio data from the interface unit, converts the data from analog to digital form, and designates a path name (hereinafter “after-recording path name”), including a file name (e.g., “AUD0006”, wherein “AUD” indicates audio data). The data holding unit then stores the after-recording path name in the storage unit, and maps the after-recording path name to the to-be-edited video data and audio data in the “LIST_MGR” management file.
When data is to be reproduced, the data obtaining unit refers to the index data in the “LIST_MGR” management file to determine if the data to be reproduced has been after-edited. When association to an after-recording path name is found, the data obtaining unit obtains (a) the video data, and (b) the audio data which is associated with the video data and has an after-recording pathname. The data obtaining unit converts these data from digital to analog, and sends them to the CRT and speaker.
The CRT and speaker receive, respectively, the video data and audio data from the data obtaining unit and output video and audio.
FIG. 1
shows the logical structure of the data in the storage unit, in a case where conventional after-recording editing has been performed.
Data files holding video data and audio data are stored under a directory that has “PRG” followed by a four-digit number in its name (for example, “PRG0001” in the path name “D:¥PRG0001¥MOV001.MOD” in FIG.
1
).
Recently, VTR cameras, mobile telephones, mobile music players and other portable devices use as a storage unit next-generation memory cards, such as SD (secure digital) cards, which are lightweight and removable/exchangeable.
These next-generation memory cards use the same storage configuration, i.e., a hierarchy of directories and files, as computer operating systems. Although their data capacity (around 64 megabytes) is small compared with a personal computer's hard disk, the easy exchange of data among these portable devices and with personal computers accounts for the high interest shown in the cards.
By connecting a memory card to the above computer interface unit, data editing is easily accomplished. In addition, some types of portable devices are equipped with functional units similar to a computer, including a storage unit, a data holding unit, and a data obtaining unit, allowing data editing on the portable device.
However, this conventional technology is accompanied by the following problem. As data editing, such as after-recording, is performed on the portable device, the volume of the management file in the memory card swells, creating stress on the limited memory capacity of the card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide, for a device with limited memory, (1) a data obtaining apparatus and a data holding apparatus, which limit the increase in data volume due to data editing, (2) a storage medium, which can store the same data as the prior art but more compactly, (3) a data obtaining method, for retrieving data from the storage medium, and (4) a data holding method, for storing data in the storage medium.
In order to achieve the stated objective, the present invention includes a storage medium storing one or more data files and address information showing a path of each data file, characterized in that the address information is denoted as a numerical value, which is derived from a given partial notation of a name of the path, and a data size of the numerical value is smaller than a data size of a character string denoting the same address information.
By using short numerical notations, the size of the data is reduced, saving storage capacity in the memory card.
Further, when the storage medium may store a plurality of data files, which are assigned to a plurality of groups, the path name may include a type 1 notation identifying a group and a type 2 notation identifying a data file within the group, the partial notation may include the type 1 notation, and the path name may be derived from the numerical value by a given reversible operation.
With this arrangement, the original path name can be found from the partial notation, by reversing the operation.
Additionally, when a group includes a plurality of data files that hold different kinds of data, the type 2 notation may indicate which kind of data.
With this construction, even data of different kinds can be converted into the same notation, in the case where both path names include the same type 1 notation, i.e., both sets of data belong to the same group.
Additionally, the kinds of data may be video and audio.
With this construction, video data and audio data belonging to the same group can be converted into the same notation.
Additionally, the storage medium, when a group includes a first audio data file and a first video data file, and a second audio data file is associated to the group, may store a first numerical value, derived fro
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