Video processing device, video processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a video processing device, a video processing method, and a program, that prevent the size of a management file from increasing after dividing a video file.SOLUTION: A video processing device includes: recording means for recording video data from start to finish of recording; and control means for dividing the video data by using one of a plurality of division processing to generate a plurality of files, and for generating a management file containing information about the plurality of files, wherein the control means changes a recording method used to record information about the division of the plurality of files generated by the division processing in the management file, depending on which of the plurality of division processing is executed on the video data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a video processing device, a video processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a method for transferring moving image files over a network has become known in which the moving image files are periodically divided and recorded on a recording medium attached to an imaging device, and the completed moving image files are transferred sequentially.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a technology in which, in a system in which video files and the like are divided into multiple data files and recorded on a recording medium, when the data files reach an upper limit, a new management file is generated to manage the data files, and the data files are managed using multiple management files. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4751889 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, when the number of divided files is large, many management files are generated, which increases the overall size of the multiple management files.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a video processing device, a video processing method, and a program that can suppress an increase in the size of a management file after dividing a moving image file. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, for example, a video processing device of the present invention has the following configuration: a recording means for recording moving image data from the start of recording to the end of recording; a control means for dividing the video data by one of a plurality of division processes to generate a plurality of files, and for generating a management file including information about the plurality of files; Equipped with The control means Depending on which of the plurality of division processes is performed on the video data, a recording method is changed when information regarding the division of the plurality of files generated by the division process is recorded in the management file. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when a moving image file is divided, an increase in the size of the management file can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a hardware block diagram of a digital video camera according to an embodiment. [Figure 2A] 4 is a folder structure diagram of a moving image file and an additional information file according to the embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the container structure of an MXF file according to an embodiment. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of an XML file according to the embodiment. [Figure 2D] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of an MIF file according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a recording and transfer process of the digital video camera according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a folder structure diagram for dividing a chunk file according to an embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the structure of an MIF file for dividing a chunk file according to an embodiment. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing information groups of MIF files for dividing chunk files according to an embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a folder structure diagram for dividing a stream file according to an embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an information group of an MIF file for dividing a stream file according to an embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 3 is a folder structure diagram for clip division according to the embodiment. [Figure 6B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating information groups in a clip division MIF file according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claimed invention. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] (Embodiment) Fig. 1 shows a hardware configuration diagram of a video processing device according to an embodiment. The video processing device can be configured using a digital video camera 100 (camcorder) shown in Fig. 1. The term "image" may include moving images, still images, video, and data thereof.

[0012] 1, digital video camera 100 has control unit 10, image compression / decompression unit 11, imaging unit 12, image processing unit 13, wireless communication unit 14, display unit 15, operation unit 16, ROM 17, RAM 18, and recording medium I / F 19. Control unit 10, image compression / decompression unit 11, imaging unit 12, image processing unit 13, wireless communication unit 14, display unit 15, operation unit 16, ROM 17, RAM 18, and recording medium I / F 19 are connected by a bus or the like so that they can send and receive data to and from each other.

[0013] The control unit 10 is a system control unit that controls the overall system of the digital video camera 100. The control unit 10 includes, for example, a processor. Specifically, the control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Instead of or in addition to the CPU, the control unit 10 may include other processors such as an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a QPU (Quantum Processing Unit). The control unit 10 loads a program recorded on the ROM 17 or the recording medium 20 into the RAM 18 and executes it. In this way, the control unit 10 realizes various functions, controls each component, and executes the flowcharts described below. Some or all of the functions of the control unit 10 may be realized by one or more circuits, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0014] ROM 17 is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory, and is a nonvolatile recording medium that stores programs executed by control unit 10. Instead of ROM 17, or in addition to ROM 17, digital video camera 100 may have a nonvolatile storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0015] RAM 18, an abbreviation for Random Access Memory, is a volatile recording medium capable of reading and writing data at high speed and used as a work memory for control unit 10. RAM 18 stores image data captured by imaging unit 12 and processed by image processing unit 13, as well as image data read from removable recording medium 20. RAM 18 also functions as a VRAM for temporarily storing image data to be compressed or decompressed by image compression / decompression unit 11 and image data to be displayed on display unit 15. RAM 18 temporarily stores additional information files (hereinafter referred to as additional information files) that contain various information related to captured image files, in association with the captured image files. In this embodiment, the additional information files include an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file, which is a markup language containing information about the image, such as the photographer and shooting information, and INDEX.MIF, a management file for managing video files. Note that the additional information files do not have to be XML or MIF files.

[0016] The image compression / decompression unit 11 performs a compression process for compressing image data that has been image-processed by the image processing unit 13, and a decompression process for image data read from a removable recording medium 20, and the like.

[0017] The imaging unit 12 has a photographing lens (including a zoom lens and a focus lens) and an imaging element. The imaging element may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) sensor, or the like. The imaging unit 12 captures an image of a subject under the control of the control unit 10, and generates and outputs image data such as still images and videos.

[0018] The image processing unit 13 performs at least one of predetermined image processing such as pixel interpolation, resizing, and color conversion on the image data captured by the imaging unit 12. The image processing unit 13 also performs predetermined arithmetic processing on the captured image data and outputs the arithmetic results to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 performs various controls (exposure control, auto white balance control, etc.) related to the imaging by the imaging unit 12 based on the obtained arithmetic results.

[0019] The wireless communication unit 14 transmits and receives data to and from external devices such as an external camera and a personal computer via wireless communication under the control of the control unit 10. The wireless communication unit 14 can transfer image data and additional information files recorded on the removable recording medium 20 to an external device such as an external server via a network.

[0020] The display unit 15 is a display device capable of displaying images, such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device. The display unit 15 is a display device in a peer-type viewfinder, a vari-angle display device, etc. Based on the control of the control unit 10, the display unit 15 displays various settings of the digital video camera 100, images captured by the imaging unit 12, images read and played from the recording medium 20, etc.

[0021] The operation unit 16 receives operations from the user and includes a power switch for supplying power to the digital video camera 100, a recording start button, a mode switching button for switching between camera modes (recording modes), and a mode switching button for switching to playback mode.

[0022] If the operation unit 16 includes a touch panel, the control unit 10 detects operations on the touch panel. The touch panel may be any of a variety of touch panel types, including resistive, capacitive, surface acoustic wave, infrared, electromagnetic induction, image recognition, and optical sensor types. Operations on the touch panel include touch down, touch on, move, touch up, and touch off. Touch down refers to touching the touch panel with a finger or pen. Touch on refers to a state in which the finger or pen remains in contact with the touch panel. Move refers to moving the finger or pen while still in contact with the touch panel. Touch up refers to removing the finger or pen from the touch panel. Touch off refers to a state in which nothing is touching the touch panel. These operations and the position coordinates of the finger or pen on the touch panel are notified from the operation unit 16 to the control unit 10, and the control unit 10 determines what operations were performed on the touch panel based on the notified information.

[0023] For a move, the control unit 10 determines the direction of movement of a finger or pen moving on the touch panel for each vertical and horizontal component on the touch panel based on changes in position coordinates. The control unit 10 determines that a stroke has been drawn when a finger or the like touches down on the touch panel, moves a certain distance, and then touches up. The operation of quickly drawing a stroke is called a flick. A flick is an operation in which a finger is placed on the touch panel, quickly moves it a certain distance, and then released. In other words, a flick is an operation in which a finger or the like quickly traces the touch panel as if flicking it. The control unit 10 determines that a flick has been performed when it detects that a finger or the like has moved a predetermined distance or more at a predetermined speed or more, and then immediately detects a touch up. The control unit 10 determines that a drag has been performed when it detects that a finger or the like has moved a predetermined distance or more at a speed less than the predetermined speed.

[0024] The recording medium I / F 19 functions as an interface to which a recording medium 20 for recording image data is detachably attached. The recording medium I / F 19 has a slot into which the recording medium 20 can be inserted. The recording medium 20 is, for example, a memory card such as a flash memory. Note that the digital video camera 100 may have a built-in memory capable of storing image data instead of or in addition to the recording medium I / F 19.

[0025] The folder structure of moving image files and additional information files will be described. Fig. 2A is a diagram showing the folder structure of moving image files and additional information files in this embodiment. The format of the moving image files is, for example, the XF-AVC format.

[0026] The control unit 10 generates a folder structure in the MXF (Material eXchange Format) file format shown in FIG. 2A and records it on the recording medium 20 or the like. When the user operates the digital video camera 100 via the operation unit 16, the control unit 10 initializes the recording medium 20 and generates a CONTENS folder 201, a CLIPS001 folder 202, and the like. When the user issues a command to start recording via the operation unit 16, the control unit 10 generates an INDEX.MIF file 203, which is a management file. Upon receiving the command to start recording, the control unit 10 generates an A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.MXF file 204, which is a stream file, and an A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.XML file 205, which is an additional information file. The control unit 10 generates an XMF file for each clip.

[0027] As multiple video files are recorded, the file names of the MXF and XML files change and increase. The control unit 10 generates and updates the INDEX.MIF file 203 as a management file for consolidating and managing information about the video files, such as file names. The INDEX.MIF file 203 allows the control unit 10 to analyze a single management file rather than analyzing folders for each video file, reducing analysis time when the number of video files increases. The control unit 10 records time codes and other information that must be set on a frame-by-frame basis in the A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.MXF file 204. The control unit 10 records tag information and other information in the A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.XML file 205.

[0028] The following describes the MXF container structure. Fig. 2B is a diagram of the MXF container structure. The MXF container includes a header 206 described as "Header Metadata," a frame 207 described as "Frame," and a footer 208 described as "Footer Metadata."

[0029] The header 206 indicates the start of the file and includes metadata information related to the file. The header 206 also records clip identification information that can identify the MXF file. The same identification information may be assigned to MXF files divided into stream files and chunk files, as described below, and different identification information may be assigned to clips divided into clips. This makes it possible to determine the division type. When recording image data, the control unit 10 records information such as the recording resolution and frame rate in the area of ​​this header 206.

[0030] The frame 207 represents the data of each frame, and includes frame metadata 209, image data 210, and audio data 211.

[0031] The footer 208 is information indicating the end of the file. The frame number is recorded in the frame metadata 209 area, with the start frame being numbered 0.

[0032] The structure of an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file, which is a markup language, will now be described with reference to Fig. 2C, which shows the structure of an XML file.

[0033] The A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.XML file 205 is an XML file written in markup language. The file contents 212 indicate the metadata content when the XML file is recorded in NewsMetadata, a standard format standardized for news reporting. An example of a standard format standardized for news reporting is NewsML-G2, standardized by the IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council). The file contents 212 include the title, photographer, shooting information, keywords, category, genre, date and time information, language information, contributors, rights information, and information about the video file (file name, recording time, identification information, file format, audio information), etc.

[0034] The following describes the structure of the INDEX.MIF file 203. Fig. 2D shows the file contents of the INDEX.MIF file 203. The INDEX.MIF file 203 is recorded in the RAM 18 or the recording medium 20 in response to an instruction from the control unit 10.

[0035] The file contents 220 of the INDEX.MIF file 203 indicate the contents of the metadata in the INDEX.MIF file 203, which are stored as a management file. When the control unit 10 divides a video file and stores it as multiple files, it adjusts the write area in the management file and selects a different recording method depending on which division process is performed. This allows the management file to accommodate an increased number of divided files or clips, and can record up to 999 clips, for example. That is, the management file has an area where information groups related to multiple clips can be stored in the MIF file. For example, the management file shown in FIG. 2D includes information group 230 for the entire MIF file, information group 240 for the first clip, ..., information group 250 for the 999th clip, and reserved area 256. The control unit 10 treats multiple files divided from a video file created between receiving a recording start request and a recording stop request from the user as one clip or multiple clips depending on the division method.

[0036] Information about the entire MIF file is stored in the information group 230 about the entire MIF file, which includes information such as version information, recording media identification information, and the total number of clips.

[0037] The information group 240 for the first clip includes an information group 241 for the entire clip, a stream file division information group 242, a clip division information group 245, and a reserved area 246.

[0038] The information group 241 for the entire clip includes information such as version information, resolution information of the video file, frame rate, total number of frames, and total number of stream files.

[0039] The stream file division information group 242 includes division information 243 for one stream file. The division information 243 for one stream file includes information such as the stream file name, the number of stream frames, and the start frame number. Stream file division is performed by dividing a moving image file depending on the file system, and up to 99 stream files (the maximum number of files that can be divided) can be divided and recorded. If the file system is FAT32, the control unit 10 divides the moving image file into, for example, 4 GBytes each, so that the file size is less than a predetermined size. Even if a stream file is divided between receiving a recording start request from the user and receiving a recording stop request, the control unit 10 still treats the file as one clip without making the user aware of the division. Therefore, information regarding division, etc. is stored in the stream file division information group 242 in the information group 240 for the first clip. In this way, information regarding division, etc. for each clip (each of multiple files) is stored in the stream file division information group 242.

[0040] The clip division information group 245 includes identification information of the recording medium, and information about the state of the clip before and after clip division. Clip division involves dividing a video file into multiple files based on the upper limit of the recording time handled within the video file. For example, if the recording time of a video file exceeds the upper limit (e.g., approximately six hours), the control unit 10 divides the video file into multiple files. When clip division is performed in this manner, the clip division information group 245 is an area for storing information about the video files divided into clips, and can store information about up to 999 clips. If clip division occurs between receiving a recording start request from the user and receiving a recording stop request, the control unit 10 treats the clip as multiple clips to alert the user that clip division has occurred. Therefore, the control unit 10 stores information about the first clip in the clip division information group 245 in the information group 240, and stores information about the next clip or the previous clip in the clip division information group 245.

[0041] The reserved area 246 is an expansion area that allows for future addition of data.

[0042] In the information group 250 of the 999th clip, information similar to the information group 240 of the first clip is recorded as information of the 999th clip.

[0043] Chunk file division is a division method different from stream file division and clip division. In chunk file division, the control unit 10 periodically divides a video file into multiple files and records them at a set time (also called an upper limit time) set by a user via the operation unit 16. The user's set time is assumed to be, for example, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes. Therefore, if six hours of recording is performed, the video file will be divided into a maximum of 720 files. Therefore, video files recorded using chunk file division have a smaller file size and a larger number of divided files than those recorded using stream file division and clip division. Information about the chunk file division must also be stored in the INDEX.MIF file 203, but it is stored in a separate area from the stream file division and clip division. If chunk file division occurs between receiving a user request to start recording and receiving a user request to stop recording, the control unit 10 treats the file as a single clip without making the user aware of the division. Therefore, chunk file division information is stored in the stream file division information group 242 in the first clip information group 240.

[0044] The following describes the recording and transfer processing of a video file by the control unit 10. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the recording and transfer processing of a video file by the control unit 10. The flowchart shown in Fig. 3 shows the processing from when the control unit 10 receives a recording start request from the user via the operation unit 16, starts recording the video file on the recording medium 20, and records and transfers the video file while taking into account stream file division, clip division, and chunk file division.

[0045] In step S301, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a recording start request has been issued by the user via the operation unit 16. If the control unit 10 determines that a recording start request has been issued, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S302. If the control unit 10 determines that a recording start request has not been issued, the control unit 10 returns to step S301.

[0046] In step S302, the control unit 10 determines whether or not chunk file division has been set in response to an instruction from the user via the operation unit 16. The chunk file division setting refers to a set time for dividing a file (for example, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, etc.) and a request to divide the file. If the control unit 10 determines that chunk file division has been set, the process proceeds to step S303. If the control unit 10 determines that chunk file division has not been set, the process proceeds to step S315.

[0047] In step S303, the control unit 10 determines file names for dividing the chunk files to be recorded on the removable recording medium 20, and stores the file names in the RAM 18.

[0048] FIG. 4A shows the folder structure when chunk file division is performed. Here, it is assumed that chunk file division is performed every 30 seconds. The INDEX.MIF file 401, which is a management file, stores information about the video file as well as information for managing chunk file division. The detailed structure will be described later. When chunk file division recording is performed, the video file is divided into a maximum of 720 files, as described above. The control unit 10 generates file names taking into account the number of files to be divided, such as the A001C001_150501XX_CANB001.MXF file 402, the A001C001_150501XX_CAND002.MXF file 403, and the A001C001_150501XX_CANE003.MXF file 404. The control unit 10 also shares at least some of the divided file names. In the above example, the control unit 10 shares the same file name, "A001C001_150501XX_CAN." Furthermore, the control unit 10 assigns the last few characters (here, three characters) excluding the extension and the period before the extension to the file name as a consecutive number. This consecutive number indicates the order in which the files were divided, i.e., the order of the video files, and is also called a stream number. The control unit 10 also generates a file name for the A001C001_150501XX_CANE003.XML file 405 with the same file name as the video file. The files generated from files 402 to 405 are treated as one clip, and one XML file 405 is generated for each of the MXF files 402 to 404. Note that files 402 to 405 of one clip are stored in one folder.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 10 includes B as part of the file name the first time the chunk file division recording is performed, includes D as part of the file name from the second time onwards when the chunk file division recording is performed, and includes E as part of the file name at the end of the chunk file division recording. By generating file names in this way, the control unit 10 makes it possible to distinguish the start, middle and end of files recorded by chunk file division. The file name naming rule is an example, and there is no problem with other naming rules. Therefore, B, D and E may be omitted.

[0050] In step S304, the control unit 10 issues an instruction to the recording medium I / F 19 to record the moving image file and the additional information file on the removable recording medium 20.

[0051] In step S305, the control unit 10 determines whether or not this is the first recording of the chunk file division since a request to start recording has been received from the user via the operation unit 16. If the control unit 10 determines that this is the first recording, the process proceeds to step S306. If the control unit 10 determines that this is not the first recording, the process proceeds to step S307.

[0052] In step S306, the control unit 10 stores the file name for the first chunk file division to be recorded on the recording medium 20 in the chunk file division information group of the INDEX.MIF file 401, which is a management file.

[0053] 4B is a diagram showing the structure of INDEX.MIF file 401, which is a management file recorded on recording medium 20 in response to an instruction from control unit 10. The same numbers are used for the portions already described in FIG. 2D, and their explanations will be omitted.

[0054] The metadata contents 410 are the contents of the metadata in the INDEX.MIF file 401, and are stored as a management file. The management file includes an information group 230 for the entire MIF file, an information group 420 for the first clip, an information group 430 for the 999th clip, and a reserved area 256. As a video file is divided and multiple files are recorded, the number of files increases, but it is possible to record up to 999 clips. The metadata contents 410 have an area in which information groups related to the divided files and clips can be stored in the MIF file.

[0055] The information group 420 for the first clip includes information groups 241 to 245, a chunk file division information group 421, and a reserved area 246. The chunk file division information group 421 stores information on chunk file division. The chunk file division information group 421 includes information on the chunk file division start file name, which is the file name of the first (first file) when the chunk file is divided, the total number of chunk file division files, which is the total number of files divided into chunk files, and the total number of chunk file division frames.

[0056] Here, chunk file division can also store information using the area of ​​the existing stream file division information group 242. However, in that case, the area of ​​the division information group 244 is insufficient because it can accommodate up to 99 stream files. Therefore, it becomes necessary to expand the area to at least the division information group for 720 stream files, which is the upper limit of the number of chunk file divisions possible, and the overall size of the INDEX.MIF file 401 increases. This increases the file size of the INDEX.MIF file 401, increases the time required to write the INDEX.MIF file 401 to the recording medium 20, and increases the processing load on the entire digital video camera 100. As a result, it may become impossible to realize all of the functions of the digital video camera 100.

[0057] To solve this problem, a new area for the chunk file split information group 421 is created and the reserved area 246 is reduced, so that the total size of the INDEX.MIF file 401 remains unchanged, or the increase in size of the INDEX.MIF file 401 can be minimized compared to when the area for the stream file split information group is expanded.

[0058] The control unit 10 may store only the chunk file division start file name when dividing a chunk file, and generate subsequent file names from the chunk file division start file name and the total number of chunk file division files. It is also possible to store chunk file division information using the area of ​​the clip division information group 245, but in that case, the clip division information group only has enough area for 999 clips. Therefore, if the current MIF file structure is left unchanged, one medium will only be able to store chunk file division information for 999 clips, which will make it difficult for users to use.

[0059] The contents of the information group 430 of the 999th clip are the same as the information group 420 of the first clip.

[0060] In step S307, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a user has issued a request to stop recording via the operation unit 16. If the control unit 10 determines that a request to stop recording has been issued, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S313. If the control unit 10 determines that a request to stop recording has not been issued, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S308.

[0061] In step S308, the control unit 10 determines whether the recording time of the video file has exceeded the set time (30 seconds in this example) set by the user for dividing the video file into chunks. If the control unit 10 determines that the set time has passed, the process proceeds to step S309. If the control unit 10 determines that the set time has not passed, the process proceeds to step S304.

[0062] In step S309, the control unit 10 performs file division processing, in this case chunk file division, on the recorded moving image file to generate multiple files as one clip. In chunk file division, the moving image file is divided into multiple moving image files so that the moving image data has a set length.

[0063] In step S310, the control unit 10 writes information about the division process performed in step S309 into the chunk file division information group 421 of the INDEX.MIF file 401.

[0064] FIG. 4C is a diagram of an information group in a MIF file for chunk file division. Specifically, FIG. 4C shows information group 450 in INDEX.MIF file 401 when chunk file division recording is performed three times every 30 seconds. The total number of clips in information group 230 for the entire MIF file is 1. The total number of stream files in information group 241 for the entire clip for the first clip is 0, and the total number of frames is 1,800. Because chunk file division has been performed, the total number of stream files is 0, and the fact that this part is 0 makes it possible to determine that chunk file division recording has been performed. The chunk file division start file name in chunk file division information group 421 for the first clip is A001C001_150501XX_CANB001, the total number of chunk file division files is 3, and the total number of chunk file division frames is 1,800. The chunk file division start file name is written when recording starts, and other information is written when the video file is closed after division or recording has stopped.

[0065] In step S311, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a file transfer request has been issued by the user via the operation unit 16. If the control unit 10 determines that a file transfer request has been issued, the process proceeds to step S312. If the control unit 10 determines that a file transfer request has not been issued, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0066] In step S312, the control unit 10 instructs the wireless communication unit 14 to transfer the files, and transfers the divided video files to the external device.

[0067] Thereafter, the control unit 10 executes step S303 and subsequent steps, and if it is determined in step S307 that a request to stop recording has been made, the process proceeds to step S313.

[0068] In step S313, the control unit 10 performs a recording end process on the recorded moving image file. For example, the control unit 10 writes the files into which the moving image file is divided and the additional information file onto the recording medium 20.

[0069] In step S314, the control unit 10 writes information about the moving image file at the time of stopping recording into the chunk file division information group 421 of the INDEX.MIF file 401, which is a management file.

[0070] Thereafter, the control unit 10 executes steps S311 and S312, and ends the recording and transfer process.

[0071] In step S315, the control unit 10 determines whether the file system of the recording medium 20 is FAT32. If the control unit 10 determines that the file system is FAT32, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S316. If the control unit 10 determines that the file system is not FAT32, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S321.

[0072] In step S316, the control unit 10 determines file names for dividing the stream files to be recorded on the recording medium 20, and stores them in the RAM 18.

[0073] FIG. 5A shows the folder structure for splitting a stream file. Here, it is assumed that the stream file is split at 4 GByte, which is the upper limit for file sizes when using a FAT32 file system. The INDEX.MIF file 501, which stores information about the video file, also stores information about the stream file split. When splitting and recording a stream file, as described above, the file is split into a maximum of 99 files. Therefore, file names must be generated taking into account the number of files split, such as A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.MXF file 502 and A001C001_150501XX_CAN_02.MXF file 503. A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01.XML file 504 is also generated with the same file name as the video file. The files generated for files 502 to 504 are treated as one clip. Therefore, one XML file 504 is generated for files 502 and 503.

[0074] After executing step S304, the control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S317.

[0075] In step S317, the control unit 10 stores information for dividing the stream files at the start of recording of the moving image file in the stream file division information group 242 of the INDEX.MIF file 501, which is a management file recorded on the recording medium 20.

[0076] The structure of the INDEX.MIF file 501 recorded by the control unit 10 on the recording medium 20 is the same as that shown in FIG. 4B, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] In step S307, if the control unit 10 determines that a recording stop request has been issued by the user, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S313. If the control unit 10 determines that a recording stop request has not been issued by the user, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S318.

[0078] In step S318, the control unit 10 determines whether the file size of the video file has reached 4 GB. If the control unit 10 determines that the file size has reached 4 GB, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S309. If the control unit 10 determines that the file size has not reached 4 GB, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S304.

[0079] In step S309, the control unit 10 performs a file division process, in this case, stream file division, and then proceeds to step S319. In the stream file division, the moving image data is divided into a plurality of moving image files so that the file size is 4 GB or less.

[0080] In step S319, the control unit 10 writes the file division information relating to the division process performed in step S309 into the stream file division information group 242 of the INDEX.MIF file 501, which is a management file.

[0081] 5B shows information groups in the INDEX.MIF file for stream file division. Information group 505 indicates, for example, the setting values ​​stored in INDEX.MIF file 501 when stream file division into 4 GBytes is performed once. The total number of clips in information group 230 for the entire MIF file is 1. The total number of stream files in information group 241 for the entire clip for the first clip is 2, and the total number of frames is 28,800. The first stream file name in stream file division information group 242 for the first clip is A001C001_150501XX_CAN_01, the number of stream frames for the first clip is 18,000, and the first starting frame number is 1. The second stream file name is A001C001_150501XX_CAN_02, the number of stream frames for the second clip is 10,800, and the second starting frame number is 1. The last two digits of the stream file are the stream number. The control unit 10 writes the stream file name and the starting frame number at the start of recording, and writes other information when the moving image file is closed after division or recording has stopped.

[0082] After completing step S319, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S316.

[0083] If it is determined in step S307 that a request to stop recording has been made, the control unit 10 executes a recording end process in step S313, and then proceeds to step S320.

[0084] In step S320, the control unit 10 writes information about the time when recording of the moving image file was stopped into the stream file division information group 242 of the management file, INDEX.MIF file 501. After this, the control unit 10 ends the recording and transfer process.

[0085] In step S321, the control unit 10 determines the file names for dividing the clips to be recorded on the recording medium 20, and stores them in the RAM 18.

[0086] FIG. 6A shows the folder structure for clip division. Here, we assume that the file system is exFAT, and that the control unit 10 divides clips approximately every six hours. The INDEX.MIF file 601, which stores information about video files, also stores clip division information. When clip division is performed, the video file is divided into clips. Therefore, the control unit 10 must generate file names taking into account the number of files to be divided, such as the A001C001_150501XX_CAN.MXF file 602 and the A001C002_150501XX_CAN.MXF file 604. The three-digit number following the C in the A001C001... prefix of the file name indicates the clip number. The A001C001_150501XX_CAN.XML file 603 and the A001C002_150501XX_CAN.XML file 605 are also generated with the same file names as the video files. The files 602 and 603 and the files 604 and 605 are each treated as one clip.

[0087] After executing step S304, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S322.

[0088] In step S322, the control unit 10 stores the clip division information at the start of recording in the clip division information group 245 of the INDEX.MIF file 601, which is a management file recorded on the recording medium 20.

[0089] The structure of the INDEX.MIF file 601 recorded by the control unit 10 on the recording medium 20 is the same as that shown in FIG. 4B, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] If the control unit 10 determines in step S307 that there is no request to stop recording, the process proceeds to step S323.

[0091] In step S323, the control unit 10 determines whether the recording time has reached approximately six hours, which is the upper limit of the video file recording time standard. If the control unit 10 determines that the recording time has reached the upper limit of approximately six hours, the process proceeds to step S309. If the control unit 10 determines that the recording time has not reached the upper limit of approximately six hours, the process proceeds to step S304.

[0092] In step S309, the control unit 10 performs file division processing, in this case clip division, and then proceeds to step S324. In clip division, video data is divided and recorded into multiple video files so as not to exceed the upper limit of the video standard.

[0093] In step S324, the control unit 10 writes file division information relating to the file division process into the clip division information group 245 of the INDEX.MIF file 601, which is a management file.

[0094] 6B is a diagram showing information groups in an INDEX.MIF file for clip division. Information group 606 is stored in INDEX.MIF file 601 when, for example, clip division is performed once every approximately six hours. The total number of clips in information group 230 for the entire MIF file is 2. The total number of stream files in information group 241 for the entire clip of the first clip is 1, and the total number of frames is 1,296,000. Unique identification information (also called ID) is set in the recording media identification information in clip division information group 245 for the first clip. Since this is the first clip, invalid values ​​are set for the information before clip division in clip division information group 245 for the first clip. Information about the second clip is recorded in the information after clip division. The information for the second clip includes "0006C30...", which is the media identification information for the second clip after the clip has been divided, A001C002_150501XX_CAN, which is the file name for the second clip after the clip has been divided, and "060A2B...", which is the clip identification information for the second clip after the clip has been divided. The control unit 10 writes the file name and identification information when recording of the target clip starts, and writes other information when the video file has been closed after division or recording has stopped.

[0095] Similarly, the second clip also has information about the first clip before clip division and information about the first clip after clip division recorded. The total number of stream files in the group of overall clip information for the second clip is 1, and the total number of frames is 216,000. The information about the first clip before clip division in the clip division information group for the second clip is set. Therefore, the media identification information, file name, and clip identification information of the information about the second clip before clip division are the same as those of the first clip. The information about the second clip after clip division records information about the third clip. In this case, since there is no third clip, the media identification information, file name, and clip identification information after clip division are invalid. The control unit 10 writes the file name and identification information when recording of the target clip starts, and writes other information when the video file is closed after division or recording is stopped.

[0096] After step S324 is completed, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S321. If the control unit 10 determines in step S307 that a recording stop request has been made, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S313. After executing step S313, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S325.

[0097] In step S325, the control unit 10 writes the information at the time when recording of the moving image file was stopped into the clip division information group 245 of the management file, INDEX.MIF file 601. After this, the control unit 10 ends the recording and transfer process.

[0098] As described above, when the control unit 10 of the digital video camera 100 of this embodiment divides a video file into chunk files based on a user-set time, the control unit 10 changes the area in the management file that stores information about chunk file division to an area different from that used for stream file division and clip division files, and records the information about the video file division. This allows the control unit 10 to record information about division in the management file in a format different from that used for stream file division and clip division files, thereby preventing an increase in the size of the management file. This embodiment is particularly effective when the user-set time is significantly shorter than the file size of stream file division and the upper limit time used for clip division.

[0099] When dividing a chunk file according to a set time, the control unit 10 treats the divided file as one clip and generates one XML file for the clip, which contains information about the video file. As a result, in this embodiment, when a chunk file is divided, the XML file can be shared among multiple divided files, making it possible to reduce the file size after division.

[0100] When dividing a chunk file, the control unit 10 makes at least a part of the file names of the divided files common, and records the starting file name of the chunk file division and the total number of files in a management file. This allows the control unit 10 to recognize the file names of the other divided files from the starting file name. As a result, the control unit 10 can realize processes such as playback of the video file after dividing the chunk file with small-sized information.

[0101] When dividing a chunk file, the control unit 10 does not record the file name in the management file from the second division onwards, so that the size of the management file can be reduced.

[0102] Even when a video file is divided, the control unit 10 keeps the management file to one, which reduces the increase in the time it takes to read the management file when processing the divided file compared to when multiple management files are generated, simplifies processing, reduces the increase in processing load, and reduces the impact on other processes of the digital video camera 100.

[0103] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Parts of the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0104] The present invention also includes cases where a software program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device having a computer that can execute the program directly from a recording medium or via wired / wireless communication, and the program is executed.

[0105] Therefore, the program code itself that is supplied to and installed on a computer to realize the functional processing of the embodiments by the computer also realizes the present invention. In other words, the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention is also included in the present invention.

[0106] In this case, as long as it has the functionality of a program, the form of the program does not matter, such as object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to an OS.

[0107] The recording medium for supplying the program may be, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical storage medium, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory.

[0108] Another method of supplying the program is to store the computer program forming the present invention in a server on a computer network, and have connected client computers download the computer program.

[0109] In the above-described embodiments, the present invention has been described with reference to a digital camera as an example, but is not limited to this example. That is, the present invention may be applied to any device equipped with an image sensor. That is, the present invention is applicable to any device capable of capturing images, such as a mobile phone terminal, a portable image viewer, a television equipped with a camera, a digital photo frame, a music player, a game console, or an e-book reader. Furthermore, the inventions relating to the configuration for playing video in the above-described embodiments can also be applied to image processing devices that do not have the function of capturing images.

[0110] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0111] The disclosure of this specification includes the following video processing device, video processing method, and program. (Item 1) a recording means for recording moving image data from the start of recording to the end of recording; a control means for dividing the video data by one of a plurality of division processes to generate a plurality of files, and for generating a management file including information about the plurality of files; Equipped with The control means Depending on which of the plurality of division processes is executed on the video data, a recording method is changed when information regarding division of the plurality of files generated by the division process is recorded in the management file. 1. A video processing device comprising: (Item 2) The video processing device described in item 1, characterized in that when recording information regarding the division of the multiple files generated by the division process in the management file, the control means switches between recording a group of division information for each of the multiple files or recording one group of division information for all of the multiple files depending on which of the multiple division processes is executed. (Item 3) The video processing device described in item 2 is characterized in that the control means records the division information group in a different area within the management file when recording a division information group for each of the multiple files and when recording one division information group for all of the multiple files. (Item 4) The video processing device according to item 2 or 3, characterized in that the control means controls to record a group of division information for each of the plurality of files when executing a first division process, and controls to record one group of division information for all of the plurality of files when executing a second division process. (Item 5) 5. The video processing device according to item 4, wherein the first division process has a smaller upper limit number of divisions into which video data can be divided than the second division process. (Item 6) 6. The video processing device according to item 4 or 5, wherein the first division process is a division process that divides video data into a plurality of files so that the size of each video file is less than a predetermined size. (Item 7) 7. The video processing device according to item 6, wherein the predetermined size is 4 GB. (Item 8) 8. The video processing device according to any one of items 4 to 7, wherein the second division process is a division process that divides the video data at predetermined lengths. (Item 9) Item 9. The video processing device according to item 8, further comprising a setting means for setting the predetermined length in response to a user operation. (Item 10) 10. The video processing device according to item 8 or 9, further comprising a transfer unit that transfers the video data file of the predetermined length generated by the second division process to an external device. (Item 11) Item 11. The video processing device according to item 10, characterized in that the transfer means starts transferring the file in response to the generation of a file of video data of the predetermined length by the second division process, regardless of the end of the recording. (Item 12) Item 12. The video processing device according to any one of items 4 to 11, wherein the control means controls, in the case of the first splitting process, to record in the management file a split information group including the file names of the split files for each of the plurality of files, and in the case of the second splitting process, to record in the management file a split information group including the file name of a first file of the plurality of files and the number of the plurality of files. (Item 13) a recording step of recording moving image data from the start of recording to the end of recording; a control step of dividing the video data by one of a plurality of division processes to generate a plurality of files, and generating a management file including information about the plurality of files; Equipped with The control step includes: Depending on which of the plurality of division processes is executed on the video data, a recording method is changed when information regarding division of the plurality of files generated by the division process is recorded in the management file. A video processing method comprising: (Item 14) A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the video processing device according to any one of items 1 to 12.

[0112] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 100···Digital video camera, 10···Control unit, 18···RAM, 20···Recording medium, 203, 501, 601···INDEX.MIF file, 242···Stream file division information group, 245···Clip division information group, 421···Chunk file division information group.

Claims

1. a recording means for recording moving image data from the start of recording to the end of recording; a control means for dividing the video data by one of a plurality of division processes to generate a plurality of files, and for generating a management file including information about the plurality of files; Equipped with The control means Depending on which of the plurality of division processes is executed on the video data, a recording method is changed when information regarding division of the plurality of files generated by the division process is recorded in the management file.

1. A video processing device comprising:

2. The video processing device of claim 1, characterized in that when recording information regarding the division of multiple files generated by the division process in the management file, the control means switches between recording a group of division information for each of the multiple files or recording one group of division information for all of the multiple files, depending on which of the multiple division processes is executed.

3. The video processing device described in claim 2, characterized in that the control means records a different area within the management file in which the division information group is recorded when recording a division information group for each of the multiple files and when recording one division information group for all of the multiple files.

4. 3. The video processing device according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the recording of a group of division information for each of the plurality of files when a first division process is performed, and controls the recording of a single group of division information for all of the plurality of files when a second division process is performed.

5. 5. The video processing device according to claim 4, wherein the first division process has a smaller upper limit number of divisions into which the video data can be divided than the second division process.

6. 5. The video processing device according to claim 4, wherein the first division process is a process of dividing the video data into a plurality of files so that the size of each video file is less than a predetermined size.

7. 7. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined size is 4 GB.

8. 5. The video processing device according to claim 4, wherein the second division process is a division process for dividing the video data into pieces of a predetermined length.

9. 9. The video processing device according to claim 8, further comprising: a setting unit for setting the predetermined length in response to a user operation.

10. 9. The video processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a transfer unit for transferring the video data file of the predetermined length generated by the second division process to an external device.

11. The video processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that the transfer means starts transferring the file in response to the generation of a file of video data of the predetermined length by the second division process, regardless of the end of the recording.

12. The video processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the case of the first splitting process, the control means controls to record in the management file a group of split information including the file names of the split files for each of the plurality of files, and in the case of the second splitting process, controls to record in the management file a group of split information including the file name of the first file of the plurality of files and the number of the plurality of files.

13. a recording step of recording moving image data from the start of recording to the end of recording; a control step of dividing the video data by one of a plurality of division processes to generate a plurality of files, and generating a management file including information about the plurality of files; Equipped with The control step includes: Depending on which of the plurality of division processes is executed on the video data, a recording method is changed when information regarding division of the plurality of files generated by the division process is recorded in the management file. A video processing method comprising:

14. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the video processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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