Information processing device, video recording device, information processing method, and control method

Abstract

To transmit videos efficiently. [Solution] The information processing device includes a receiving means for receiving a plurality of second videos obtained by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos from a video recording device that records a plurality of first videos; a generating means for producing a video by editing based on the received second videos; and a transmitting means for transmitting information indicating the editing status to the video recording device. The receiving means receives the first videos transmitted from the video recording device in a transmission order determined based on the information indicating the editing status.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to processing based on data obtained by photography.

Background Art

[0002] In video production, there is a case where a source video obtained by a cameraman on site is transferred to a video editor at a broadcasting station, and the video editor edits the source video to generate a new video. As a method of transferring the source video shot by the cameraman to the video editor, a method of transmitting the video via communication means has become widespread. However, due to limitations such as communication speed, it may take time to transmit a high-quality source video.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a video camera that transmits a low-resolution video corresponding to a high-quality video, called a proxy video, to a video editing device used by a video editor. And in Patent Document 1, a request to transmit a high-quality video determined by the video editor based on the proxy video is transmitted to the video camera, and the video camera transmits the high-quality video to the video editing device in the order based on the request.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In video production, source videos intended for editing may suddenly become unavailable, or source videos not intended for editing may suddenly become available. When source videos used for editing change, it is necessary to change the transmission order of high-resolution videos so that the high-resolution videos corresponding to the source videos now being used for editing are sent to the video editing device first. However, if the transmission order of high-resolution videos is changed using the method described in Patent Document 1, the user must constantly check the editing status on the video editing device and, in response to changes in the editing status, manually cancel the generated transmission order and repeatedly instruct the device to generate a new transmission order. This would require extra effort from the user and could make it difficult to transmit videos efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of the present disclosure includes: receiving means for receiving a plurality of second videos obtained by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos from a video recording device that records a plurality of first videos; generating means for editing the received second videos to generate a video; and transmitting means for transmitting information indicating the editing status to the video recording device, wherein the receiving means receives the first videos transmitted from the video recording device in a transmission order determined based on the information indicating the editing status. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The technology disclosed herein enables efficient transmission of video. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a video editing device and a video recording device. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the correspondence between high-resolution video files and proxy video files. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a video editing device and a video recording device. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of an editing information file. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of a high-definition video transmission order list. [Figure 7] A flowchart to explain the video recording process. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the process of updating the transmission order. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating the storage status of high-resolution video files. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of a high-definition video transmission order list. [Figure 11] A diagram showing an example of an editing information file. [Figure 12] A flowchart illustrating the process of sending high-resolution video files. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the technology of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the technology of this disclosure as defined in the claims. While several features are described in the following embodiments, not all of these features are essential to the technology of this disclosure, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment> This embodiment describes the operation of an information processing system that enables data exchange between the equipment of a cameraman at a filming location and the equipment used by an editor at a broadcasting station during video production.

[0011] [System Configuration] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the information processing system of this embodiment. The information processing system of this embodiment includes a video editing device 101 and a video recording device 102.

[0012] The video editing device 101 is an information processing device such as a tablet or a PC that can perform video editing functions and data transmission / reception via a network or the like. The user of the video editing device 101 is the editor 103 who edits videos.

[0013] The video recording device 102 is an information processing device such as a camera, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC that can record videos by shooting and perform data transmission / reception via a network or the like. The user of the video recording device 102 is the cameraman 104 who is at a shooting site or the like and shoots videos. Note that in this embodiment, the video recording device 102 is assumed to be a device having a shooting function such as a camera, but the video recording device 102 may not have a shooting function. For example, it may be a PC connected to a camera. In this case, the video file shot by the camera may be recorded in the PC which is the video recording device 102.

[0014] The video editing device 101 and the video recording device 102 are communicably connected. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that they are connected via the network 105 wirelessly or by wire or the like, but the connection method is not limited.

[0015] [Hardware Configuration of Video Editing Device] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each device included in the information processing system of this embodiment.

[0016] The video editing device 101 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a communication I / F 204, a storage medium 206, an input unit 205, and a display unit 208, and each component is connected by a bus 207.

[0017] The CPU 201 is a control unit that controls the operations of each part within the video editing device 101 according to the content of the data stored in the ROM 202 or the RAM 203. Also, the CPU 201 loads the program stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executes the program.

[0018] ROM202 stores the boot program executed by CPU201 when the video editing device 101 starts up, instruction programs for executing each process, and data used by each program. The storage medium 206 stores a large amount of modifiable data such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive.

[0019] RAM203 is a work memory that temporarily stores programs and data for the CPU201 to process. Various processing programs and data are loaded into RAM203 by the CPU201. In addition, information received from the video recording device 102 via the communication interface 204 is stored in RAM203.

[0020] The input unit 205 is a device that receives input from the user, such as a mouse or keyboard, and the content of the received user input is processed by the CPU 201. The display unit 208 displays the content processed by the CPU 201 and the content recorded on the storage medium 206. The CPU 201 also operates as a display control unit that controls the display unit 208 and an input control unit that controls the input unit 205. In this embodiment, the display unit 208 and the input unit 205 have been described as being included in the video editing device 101, but at least one of the display unit 208 and the input unit 205 may exist as a separate device.

[0021] [Hardware configuration of video recording device] The video recording device 102 includes a CPU 211, ROM 212, RAM 213, communication I / F 214, storage medium 216, display unit 218, and input unit 215, and each component is connected by a bus 217.

[0022] The CPU 211 is a control unit that controls the operation of each part of the video recording device 102 according to the contents of the data stored in the ROM 212 or RAM 213. The CPU 211 also loads the program stored in the ROM 212 into the RAM 213 and executes the program.

[0023] ROM212 stores the boot program executed by CPU211 when the video recording device 102 starts up, instruction programs for executing each process, and data used by each program.

[0024] RAM213 is a work memory that temporarily stores programs and data for processing by the CPU211. Various processing programs and data are loaded into RAM213 by the CPU211. In addition, information received from the video editing device 101 via the communication interface 214 is stored in RAM213.

[0025] The storage medium 216 is a recording unit such as a non-volatile device for storing modifiable data, for example, an internal memory or an SD card.

[0026] The display unit 218 displays the content processed by the CPU 211 and the content recorded on the storage medium 216. The input unit 215 is a device that accepts input from the user and may be a button on the video recording device 102, or it may be a device integrated with the display unit 218, such as a touch panel. The CPU 211 also operates as a display control unit that controls the display unit 218, and as an input control unit that controls the input unit 215.

[0027] The imaging unit 219 is an imaging sensor composed of a CCD or CMOS element, etc., which converts an optical image into an electrical signal.

[0028] [Regarding proxy videos and high-definition videos] The photographer at the filming location uses the video recording device 102 to shoot video. As a result, the video recording device 102 produces a high-quality video file. The video recording device 102 generates a proxy video file, which is a lower-quality (low-resolution) video file with reduced image quality than the high-quality video file, from the high-quality video file. For this reason, the video from which the proxy video is generated is referred to as the "high-quality video".

[0029] In the transfer of video files from the video recording device 102 to the video editing device 101 using a cloud server or the like, the video recording device 102 first sends all low-resolution proxy video files to the video editing device 101. Then, the video recording device 102 sends high-resolution video files to the video editing device 101. The editor at the broadcasting station imports the received proxy video files into the editing software included in the video editing device 101, performs editing using the proxy video files, and generates the edited video using the proxy video files.

[0030] High-resolution video files are large in size and therefore take time to transmit. For this reason, the video editing device 101 receives the proxy video file first, allowing the editor to begin editing sooner. After receiving the high-resolution video file, the video editing device 101 applies the edits made on the proxy video file to the high-resolution video file, ultimately obtaining a high-resolution edited video file suitable for broadcasting and other applications.

[0031] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the video files obtained by the video recording device 102. Both the proxy video file and the source high-resolution video file are assigned the same video ID value so that they can be associated with the source high-resolution video file. The video ID value is assigned to the metadata of both the proxy video file and the source high-resolution video file. Note that the method of associating the proxy video file with the source high-resolution video file is not limited to assigning them the same ID value.

[0032] [Functional Configuration of Video Editing Devices] Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the video editing device 101 and video recording device 102 included in the information processing system shown in Figure 1, as well as the connections between each functional unit.

[0033] The video editing device 101 includes a video file receiving unit 401, a video file management unit 402, an editing unit 403, an editing information file management unit 407, an editing information file generation unit 404, an editing state change detection unit 405, and an editing state change transmission unit 406.

[0034] The video file receiving unit 401 receives the proxy video file transmitted from the video recording device 102.

[0035] The video file management unit 402 saves and manages the proxy video files received from the video recording device 102 as source video files on the storage medium 206.

[0036] The editing unit 403 obtains the editor's operations via the input unit 205 and generates an edited video by combining the proxy video files selected by the editor from among the proxy video files managed by the video file management unit 402. After editing using the proxy video files, the editing unit 403 notifies the editing information file generation unit 404 of the edited content as needed. The editing unit 403 may also notify the editing content at predetermined intervals. The edited content includes, for example, which proxy video files were added to the edited video, and what kind of processing or editing was done to the proxy video files.

[0037] The editing information file generation unit 404 generates and updates an editing information file 500 (see Figure 5) that indicates the editing status of the edited video, based on the editing content received from the editing unit 403.

[0038] The editing information file management unit 407 stores and manages the editing information file 500 on the storage medium 206.

[0039] The editing state change detection unit 405 detects a change in the editing state performed by the editing unit 403 from the editing information file 500, and notifies the editing state change transmission unit 406 of the type of editing state change and the video ID value of the proxy video file that was the target of the editing state change.

[0040] The editing state change transmission unit 406 transmits the type of editing state change detected by the editing state change detection unit 405 and the video ID value to the video recording device 102.

[0041] The video file receiving unit 401 receives high-definition video files transmitted from the video recording device 102.

[0042] Each functional unit of the video editing device 101 shown in Figure 4 is realized by the CPU 201 executing a predetermined program, but is not limited to this. Other hardware, such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), may also be used to speed up calculations. Each functional unit may be realized through the cooperation of software and hardware such as dedicated ICs, or some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware alone.

[0043] [About edited videos and editing information files] The video editing device 101 receives multiple proxy video files from the video recording device 102 via the communication interface 204. The editor uses editing software included in the video editing device 101 to extract a portion of the video from a selected proxy video file from the multiple received proxy video files, and then combines the extracted video portions to generate an edited video.

[0044] Figure 5 shows an example of an editing information file 500 for managing the editing status of a target video. For example, when a new video is created, such as when a new project is created, an editing information file 500 is generated in the video editing device 101. In other words, an editing information file 500 is generated for each video being edited. Then, when the target video is edited in the video recording device 102, the editing information file 500 is updated. When the target video is completed, the editing information file 500 is deleted.

[0045] The editing information file 500 contains columns that hold the values ​​for each item: "Timeline," "Proxy video ID," and "Editing Information." For each section on the timeline of the video being edited, the editing information file 500 stores the value of the video ID, which is an identifier indicating the proxy video file being used, along with the editing information.

[0046] In the editing information file 500 shown in Figure 5, the "Proxy Video ID" column holds the video ID value indicating the proxy video file used for the target edited video. In the example in Figure 5, the "Proxy Video ID" column holds "AA", "BB", and "CC". Therefore, it can be confirmed that the target edited video is generated by combining at least a portion of the videos indicated by the proxy video file with video ID "AA", the proxy video file with video ID "BB", and the proxy video file with video ID "CC".

[0047] For example, in the editing information file 500 in Figure 5, row 511 contains information about the section of the edited video from the start point "00:00:00" to the end point "00:10:00". Looking at row 511, it can be seen that the section of the edited video uses a proxy video file with video ID "AA". The "Editing Information" column contains information about the background music and subtitles used in that section.

[0048] In the "Editing Information" column in row 511, the [BGM] column retains that audio file a1 is used for the section from 00:00 to 01:00, and audio file a2 is used for the section from 08:00 to 09:20. The audio files are stored on the storage medium 206 as separate files from the editing information file 500, in a known file format such as WAVE. Any number of audio files may be added.

[0049] In the "Editing Information" column in row 511, the [Subtitles] column retains that subtitle file a3 is used for the section from 00:00 to 00:30, and subtitle file a4 is used for the section from 05:00 to 06:00. The subtitle files are stored in a known file format such as SRT format, and are stored on the storage medium 206 as separate files from the editing information file 500. Any number of subtitle files may be added. Audio and background music are just examples of information retained in "Editing Information," and information regarding sound effects and other effects may also be retained in "Editing Information."

[0050] Note that the format of the editing information file 500 is not limited to the format shown in Figure 5. It may be written in a publicly known format such as XML, or in any other format.

[0051] The types of editing state changes detected by the editing state change detection unit 405 include, for example, "addition of video ID," "deletion of video ID," and "addition of editing information."

[0052] "Addition of video ID" indicates that the corresponding proxy video file has been added to the edited video. When a new video ID value is stored in the "Proxy video's video ID" column in the editing information file 500, the editing state change detection unit 405 detects "Addition of video ID".

[0053] "Deletion of video ID" indicates that the corresponding proxy video file used in the edited video has been deleted. If the video ID value held in the "Proxy video's video ID" column in the editing information file 500 is deleted, the editing state change detection unit 405 detects "Addition of video ID".

[0054] "Addition of editing information" indicates that information has been added to the "editing information" of the proxy video file used for editing. If, as a result of editing the proxy video, the number of characters listed in the "editing information" column of the editing information file 500 in Figure 5 exceeds a certain value, the editing state change detection unit 405 detects "addition of editing information". For example, "addition of editing information" is detected when a new audio file is added along with the addition of background music, or when a new subtitle file is added along with the addition of subtitles.

[0055] [Functional Configuration of Video Recording Devices] As shown in Figure 4, the video recording device 102 includes a proxy video generation unit 411, a video file management unit 412, a video file transmission unit 413, an editing state change reception unit 414, a transmission order determination unit 415, a transmission order list management unit 416, and a shooting control unit 410.

[0056] The proxy video generation unit 411 generates a proxy video file from a high-quality video file.

[0057] The video file management unit 412 stores and manages the high-resolution video files and proxy video files obtained by the shooting unit 219 of the video recording device 102 on the storage medium 216.

[0058] The video file transmission unit 413 transmits the proxy video file to the video editing device 101 via the network 105.

[0059] The editing status change receiving unit 414 receives information about changes in the editing status from the video editing device 101 via the network 105 and notifies the transmission order determination unit 415.

[0060] The transmission order determination unit 415 determines the transmission order of high-quality video files based on the information on the change in editing status in the video editing device 101 received by the editing status change receiving unit 414, and updates the high-quality video transmission order list 600 (see Figure 6).

[0061] The transmission order list management unit 416 stores and manages the high-definition video transmission order list 600 in the storage medium 216.

[0062] The video file transmission unit 413 refers to the high-quality video transmission order list 600 and transmits high-quality video files to the video editing device 101 in the order of their transmission priority numbers.

[0063] The shooting control unit 410 controls the shooting unit 219 to take pictures in order to obtain a high-quality video file.

[0064] Each functional unit of the video recording device 102 shown in Figure 4 is realized by the CPU 211 executing a predetermined program, but is not limited to this. Other hardware, such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), may also be used to speed up calculations. Each functional unit may be realized through the cooperation of software and hardware such as dedicated ICs, or some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware alone.

[0065] [Regarding the high-quality video transmission order list] Figure 6 shows an example of a high-resolution video transmission order list. The high-resolution video transmission order list 600 is a list in which the video ID, transmission priority, and transmission priority factor flag values ​​of the high-resolution video files to be sent to the video editing device 101 are registered.

[0066] Each time the video file management unit 412 saves a high-resolution video file, a video ID indicating the saved high-resolution video file is registered in the high-resolution video transmission order list 600, and a transmission priority corresponding to the video ID is determined. The transmission priority is a number that indicates the order in which the high-resolution video file is transmitted, with a transmission priority of "1" indicating that it is the first to be transmitted. In other words, the smaller the transmission priority value, the higher the transmission priority.

[0067] Figure 6 shows that the transmission priority for high-quality video files with video ID "XX" is "1," indicating that high-quality video files with video ID "XX" are the first to be sent to the video editing device 101.

[0068] Once the transmission of a high-resolution video file is complete, the video ID indicating the transmitted high-resolution video file is removed from the high-resolution video transmission order list 600, and the transmission priority of the other video IDs is increased by one. In Figure 6, the transmission priority of the high-resolution video file with video ID "YY" is "2". Therefore, once the transmission of the high-resolution video file with video ID "XX", which has a transmission priority of "1", is complete, the transmission priority of the next high-resolution video file with video ID "YY" is updated to "1". Similarly, in Figure 6, the transmission order is such that the high-resolution video file with video ID "ZZ", which has a transmission priority of "3", is transmitted after the high-resolution video file with video ID "YY".

[0069] The "Transmission Priority Factor Flag" column in Figure 6 holds a value indicating the cause for determining the "Transmission Priority." For example, the value of the "Transmission Priority Factor Flag" is "0" when saving a high-resolution video file. When a change in editing status is received from the video editing device 101, the transmission order determination unit 415 changes the value of the "Transmission Priority Factor Flag" to "1."

[0070] [Method for determining transmission priority] The transmission priority, which indicates the order in which high-resolution video files are sent, is determined by referring to the "transmission priority factor flag." Specifically, the transmission priority is set so that high-resolution video files with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "1" are sent before high-resolution video files with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "0." For high-resolution video files with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "1," the transmission priority is set to be sent using the FIFO (First In First Out) method. The FIFO method is a method in which files are sent in the order they were saved first. Similarly, the transmission priority for high-resolution video files with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "0" is also set to be sent using the FIFO method. As a result, the "transmission priority" of the video file that was saved earliest among those with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "1" will be set to "1."

[0071] The editor wants to obtain the high-quality video files associated with the proxy video files used in the edited video as quickly as possible. Therefore, for video files whose status change type is "Add video ID" or "Add editing information," indicating that they were used in the edited video, the value of the "Transmission Priority Factor Flag" will be set to "1". If the editing status change type is "Delete video ID," the transmission priority will be changed so that it is sent at the bottom of the transmission order.

[0072] The transmission order of high-definition videos indicated by the high-definition video transmission order list 600 may be displayed on the display unit 218 of the video recording device 102. Furthermore, a user may want to send a specific high-definition video file to the video editing device 101 quickly. For this reason, the system may accept input of the transmission order from the user via the input unit 215. In this case, for example, the value of the "transmission priority factor flag" associated with the video ID of the video file specified by the user input will be changed to "1". Alternatively, the "transmission priority" associated with the video ID of the video file specified by the user input may be changed to "1".

[0073] [Regarding operation during video recording] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the actions taken by the photographer 104 after taking a picture. The processes S701 to S707 in Figure 7 are performed by the CPU 211 of the video recording device 102 loading the program code stored in the ROM 212 into the RAM 213 and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in Figure 7 may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the description of each process means that it is a step in that flowchart, and the same applies to subsequent flowcharts.

[0074] In S701, the video file management unit 412 of the video recording device 102 saves (records) the video file obtained by the shooting unit 219 as a high-quality video file.

[0075] In S702, the proxy video generation unit 411 generates a proxy video file from the high-resolution video file saved in S701.

[0076] In S703, the proxy video generation unit 411 adds a video ID value to the metadata of the proxy video file.

[0077] In S704, the video file management unit 412 assigns the same video ID value as the video ID value assigned in S703 to the metadata of the high-resolution video file saved in S701.

[0078] In S705, the video file transmission unit 413 transmits the proxy video file to the video editing device 101.

[0079] In S706, the transmission order determination unit 415 determines the transmission order of high-definition videos and generates a high-definition video transmission order list 600.

[0080] In S707, the video file transmission unit 413 performs high-quality video file transmission processing. Details will be described later.

[0081] The processes S711 to S714 in Figure 7 are performed by the CPU 201 of the video editing device 101 loading the program code stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of each step may be implemented in hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit.

[0082] In S711, the video file receiving unit 401 receives the proxy video file transmitted from the video recording device 102 in S705. In S712, the editing unit 403 executes a process to edit the proxy video file and generate an edited video based on the editor's instructions, and the editing information file generation unit 404 updates the editing information file 500. In S713, a process is executed to transmit the status of the editing process in S712 to the video recording device 102. Details will be described later. In S714, the video file receiving unit 401 receives the high-resolution video file transmitted from the video recording device 102 in S707.

[0083] [Regarding the process of updating the transmission order of high-definition videos] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the video editing device 101 when editing videos using proxy video files, and the process of updating the high-quality video transmission order list in conjunction with video editing.

[0084] The processes S801 to S804 in Figure 8 are steps that show the details of the process S713 executed in the video editing device 101.

[0085] In S801, the editing state change detection unit 405 of the video editing device 101 monitors whether there has been a change in the editing state indicated by the editing information file 500.

[0086] In S802, the editing state change detection unit 405 determines whether the editor has finished editing the video. One way to determine whether video editing has finished is to detect, for example, that the editing information file 500 has been deleted, or that the proxy video file has been replaced with a high-quality video file.

[0087] If the editing state change detection unit 405 determines that video editing is complete (S802 is YES), the flowchart in Figure 8 is terminated; otherwise (S802 is NO), the process proceeds to S803.

[0088] In S803, the editing state change detection unit 405 determines whether or not it has detected a change in the editing state from the editing information file 500. If the editing state change detection unit 405 determines that it has detected a change in the editing state (S803 is YES), it proceeds to S804; otherwise (S803 is NO), it returns to S801.

[0089] In S804, the editing state change transmission unit 406 transmits to the video recording device 102 the type of editing state change detected in S803 and a video ID indicating the proxy video file in which the editing state change occurred.

[0090] S811 to S812 are steps that show the details of S706, which is performed in the video recording device 102.

[0091] In S811, the editing state change receiving unit 414 receives the type of editing state change and the video ID transmitted from the video editing device 101 in S804.

[0092] In S812, the transmission order determination unit 415 changes the value of the "transmission priority factor flag" associated with the video ID obtained in S811 in the high-definition video transmission order list 600. Then, the transmission order determination unit 415 changes the transmission priority based on the changed value of the "transmission priority factor flag" and updates the high-definition video transmission order list 600.

[0093] Here, we will explain a specific example of the process for updating the high-definition video transmission order list 600.

[0094] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the state of high-resolution video files recorded in the video recording device 102. As shown in Figure 9, the video recording device 102 is assumed to have six untransmitted high-resolution video files recorded, each with a video ID of "AA," "BB," "CC," "DD," "EE," and "FF." Furthermore, the proxy video files corresponding to these high-resolution video files are assumed to have been transmitted to the video editing device 101.

[0095] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the high-resolution video transmission order list 600 stored in the video recording device 102. Immediately after a proxy video file is transmitted, no editing is performed by the video editing device 101. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10(a), the value of the "transmission priority factor flag" for all high-resolution video files is "0," indicating that no editing has been performed. The transmission priority is determined using the FIFO method. Therefore, the high-resolution video transmission order list 600 shown in Figure 10(a) is generated so that high-resolution video files are transmitted in order from the oldest saved time.

[0096] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the editing information file 500 stored in the video editing device 101. Assume that an editor operates the video editing device 101 and proxy video files with video IDs "CC", "EE", and "FF" are used for editing in the video editing device 101, resulting in the generation of an editing information file 500 as shown in Figure 11(a). In this case, in S803, the editing state change detection unit 405 in the video editing device 101 detects a change in the editing state. In S804, the editing state change transmission unit 406 transmits to the video recording device 102 the video IDs "EE", "CC", and "FF" of the proxy video files that were edited, and "Addition of video ID" as the type of change in the editing state of each proxy video file.

[0097] In the video recording device 102, at S811, the editing state change receiving unit 414 receives the video IDs "EE", "CC", and "FF", and the type of editing state change, "Addition of video ID". At S812, the transmission order determination unit 415 changes the value of the "transmission priority factor flag" for the video IDs "EE", "CC", and "FF" received at S811 in the high-quality video transmission order list 600 from "0" to "1". The transmission order determination unit 415 then prioritizes transmission priorities with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "1" over transmission priorities with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "0", and rearranges the transmission priorities with a "transmission priority factor flag" value of "1" in a FIFO (First-In, First-Out) order. As a result, the high-quality video transmission order list 600 is updated as shown in Figure 10(b).

[0098] Suppose the editor then operates the video editing device 101 to perform an edit that adds information to the "editing information" in "FF," which already has a video ID added. Furthermore, suppose the editor operates the video editing device 101 to stop using the proxy video file of "EE" and instead uses the proxy video file of "BB" to generate the edited video. As a result, the editing information file 500 is updated as shown in Figure 11(b).

[0099] In this case, at S804, the editing status change transmission unit 406 transmits "FF," which is the video ID of the proxy video file to which information has been added to the "editing information," and the type of editing status change, "addition of editing information," to the video recording device 102. The editing status change transmission unit 406 also transmits "CC," which is the video ID of the proxy video file that is no longer used in the edited video, and the type of editing status change, "deletion of video ID," to the video recording device 102. The editing status change transmission unit 406 also transmits "BB," which is the video ID of the proxy video file that is newly used in the edited video, and the type of editing status change, "addition of video ID," to the video recording device 102.

[0100] In the video recording device 102, at S811, the editing state change receiving unit 414 receives the video ID and the type of editing state change, respectively. Then, at S812, the transmission order determination unit 415 changes the "transmission priority factor flag" from "1" to "-" for video ID "CC", whose editing state change type is "deletion of video ID". For the received video ID "BB", since the editing state change type is "addition of video ID", the transmission priority factor flag for video ID "BB" is changed from "0" to "1".

[0101] The transmission order determination unit 415 then prioritizes transmission priorities with a transmission priority factor flag of "1" over transmission priorities with a transmission priority factor flag of "0," and rearranges video files with a transmission priority factor flag of "1" in a FIFO (First-In, First-Out) format. Furthermore, if a video ID is deleted, the transmission priority is set to the lowest level, specifically the transmission priority with a transmission priority factor flag of "-" at the bottom. As a result, the high-quality video transmission order list 600 is updated as shown in Figure 10(c).

[0102] Furthermore, if subtitles or background music are added to the timeline and "addition of editing information" is detected as a type of change in the editing state, it can be assumed that the editing of the proxy video file corresponding to that timeline is relatively nearing completion. In other words, if "addition of editing information" is detected, it can be assumed that the proxy video file is unlikely to be deleted from the edited video. Therefore, in S812, the transmission order determination unit 415 may determine the transmission order so that the transmission order of the high-quality video file indicated by the video ID corresponding to "addition of editing information" is higher than the transmission order of the high-quality video file corresponding to "addition of video ID". For example, if the editing information file 500 is updated as shown in Figure 11(b), the high-quality video transmission order list 600 may be updated so that the transmission priority of the high-quality video file for the video ID "FF" to which information has been added in "editing information" becomes "1".

[0103] Furthermore, for high-resolution video files currently being transmitted to the video editing device 101, transmission may be prevented even if the transmission order determination unit 415 changes the transmission priority in S812. The decision of whether or not to cancel transmission may also be determined based on the high-resolution video file being transmitted. For example, if the "transmission priority" value of the high-resolution video file being transmitted is "1", it may be decided not to cancel transmission. Alternatively, if the high-resolution video file being transmitted is a video file based on a manual transmission instruction from the photographer, it may be decided not to cancel transmission.

[0104] Whether or not to cancel the transmission may be decided based on the photographer's instructions. For example, the transmission order shown in the high-quality video transmission order list 600 and a message screen such as "Do you want to cancel the transmission of video AA, which is currently being transmitted, and send video CC instead?" may be displayed on the display unit 218 of the video recording device 102. If the photographer performs an operation to instruct the device to cancel the transmission, the transmission may be canceled.

[0105] [High-resolution video file transmission process] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the details of the process for sending high-resolution video files.

[0106] In S1201, the video file transmission unit 413 obtains the high-quality video transmission order list 600. As mentioned above, the high-quality video transmission order list 600 is updated as needed, so in S1201, the updated high-quality video transmission order list 600 is obtained.

[0107] In S1202, the video file transmission unit 413 determines whether at least one video ID is stored in the high-resolution video transmission order list 600 obtained in S1201. If the video file transmission unit 413 determines that a video ID is stored (S1202 is YES), it proceeds to S1203; otherwise (S1202 is NO), it proceeds to S1206.

[0108] In S1203, the video file transmission unit 413 searches the video file management unit 412 for a high-quality video file corresponding to the video ID with a transmission priority of "1" in the high-quality video transmission order list 600. The video file transmission unit 413 then transmits the high-quality video file corresponding to the video ID with a transmission priority of "1" to the video editing device 101.

[0109] In S1204, the video file transmission unit 413 determines whether the transmission of the high-resolution video file has been completed. If the video file transmission unit 413 determines that the transmission is complete (S1204 is YES), the process proceeds to S1205; otherwise (S1204 is NO), S1204 is repeated.

[0110] In S1205, the video file transmission unit 413 removes the video ID indicating the high-quality video file that has been transmitted from the high-quality video transmission order list 600, and raises the transmission priority of the other video IDs by one.

[0111] For example, if the high-resolution video transmission order list obtained in S1201 is as shown in Figure 10(c), then in S1203, a high-resolution video file with a transmission priority of "1" and a video ID of "BB" is sent to the video editing device 101. Once the transmission is complete, in S1205, the high-resolution video transmission order list 600 is updated as shown in Figure 10(d).

[0112] In S1206, the video file transmission unit 413 determines whether the power to the video recording device 102 has been turned off. If the video file transmission unit 413 determines that the power is off (S1206 is YES), the flowchart in Figure 12 ends; otherwise (S1206 is NO), the process returns to S1201.

[0113] When the video editing device 101 receives a high-resolution video file, the high-resolution video file is saved to a storage medium 206 or the like. Once editing is complete in the video editing device 101, a process is performed to replace the proxy video in the edited video with the high-resolution video, generating a high-resolution edited video for use in broadcasting, etc.

[0114] As described above, according to this embodiment, even in situations where the proxy video files to be edited on the video editing device 101 are dynamically changed, the order in which the video recording device 102 transmits high-quality video files can be appropriately changed. Once the editor has finished generating the edited video using the proxy video files, they may want to quickly obtain the high-quality video corresponding to the proxy video used in the edited video so that they can proceed with subsequent work. In this case, according to this embodiment, the high-quality video files required by the editor are transmitted preferentially without the need for communication between the editor and the cameraman by telephone or other means. Therefore, video transmission between the video editing device at the broadcasting station and the video recording device at the filming site can be performed efficiently.

[0115] In the above explanation, it was assumed that the video recording device 102 includes a transmission order determination unit 415, and that the transmission order of high-quality video files is determined in the video recording device 102. However, the determination of the transmission order may also be performed in the video editing device 101. For example, the transmission order list management unit 416 and the transmission order determination unit 415 in Figure 4 may be included in the video editing device 101. The video editing device 101 may then determine the transmission order of the high-quality video files and transmit the determined transmission order to the video recording device 102, and the video recording device 102 may transmit the high-quality video files to the video editing device 101 according to the received transmission order. In this case, the processes S811 and S812 in Figure 8 would be performed in the video editing device 101.

[0116] Furthermore, the frequency of detection of changes in the editing state by the editing state change detection unit 405 may be reduced. For example, if a value is added to the "proxy video ID" column of the editing information file 500 and that value is not deleted for a predetermined time, it is considered highly likely that the proxy video file indicated by that video ID will be used for editing. Also, if a value is deleted from the "proxy video ID" column of the editing information file and the value of the deleted video ID is not added again even after a predetermined time has elapsed, it is considered highly likely that the proxy video file will not be used for editing. For this reason, when the editing state change detection unit 405 of the video editing device 101 detects a change in the editing state in S803, the editing state change detection unit 405 may determine that a change in the editing state has been detected if the updated editing state is maintained for a predetermined time. For example, if a deleted video ID is not added again even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the editing state change detection unit 405 may detect "deletion of video ID". By performing this processing, it is possible to reduce the frequency of changes in the notification to the video recording device 102 and the transmission order of high-quality video files.

[0117] Furthermore, the information processing system described above includes a video editing device 101 and a video recording device 102, and the functions of the video editing device 101 shown in Figure 4 were described as operating within the video editing device 101. However, the system is not limited to this configuration; the video editing device 101 and the video recording device 102 may be connected to an external server, and some or all of the functions of the video editing device 101 shown in Figure 4 may be included in the external server. For example, the information processing system shown in Figure 1 may include multiple servers instead of the video editing device 101. The functions included in the video editing device 101 shown in Figure 4 may then be realized by these multiple servers sharing the workload.

[0118] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0119] The above-described embodiments include the following configurations.

[0120] (Composition 1) A receiving means for receiving a plurality of second videos obtained by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos from a video recording device that records a plurality of first videos, A generation means that generates a video by editing based on the received second video, It has a transmission means for transmitting information indicating the editing status to the video recording device, The receiving means receives the first video transmitted from the video recording device in a transmission order determined based on the information indicating the editing status. An information processing device characterized by the following:

[0121] (Configuration 2) The generation means generates the video using the second video selected from the received second videos. The information indicating the editing status includes information indicating the second video used in the aforementioned video. The information processing device according to configuration 1, characterized by the above.

[0122] (Composition 3) The information indicating the editing status includes information indicating the second video which is no longer used in the aforementioned video. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0123] (Composition 4) The system further includes detection means for detecting changes in the editing state, When the change is detected, the transmission means transmits information indicating the editing status. An information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3.

[0124] (Composition 5) The system further includes a generation means for generating editing information for managing the state of the aforementioned editing, The detection means detects the change when characters indicating the edited content are added to the edited information. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 4, characterized by the features described above.

[0125] (Composition 6) The detection means detects the change if the updated state in the editing information is maintained for a predetermined period of time. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 5, characterized by the features described herein.

[0126] (Composition 7) The system further includes a determination means for determining the transmission order of the first video based on information indicating the editing status, The transmission means transmits the transmission order to the video recording device in order for the video recording device to transmit the first video according to the determined transmission order. An information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6.

[0127] (Composition 8) A recording means for recording multiple first videos, A generation means for generating a plurality of second videos by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos, A transmission means for transmitting the second video to an information processing device that generates a video by editing based on the second video, Receiving means for receiving information indicating the editing status from the information processing device, The system includes a determination means for determining the transmission order of the first video based on information indicating the editing status, The transmission means transmits the first video to the information processing device in accordance with the determined transmission order. A video recording device characterized by the following features.

[0128] (Composition 9) The aforementioned determination means is The transmission order is determined such that the first video corresponding to the second video used to generate the aforementioned video is transmitted before the first video corresponding to the second video not used to generate the aforementioned video. A video recording device according to configuration 8, characterized in that it is a video recording device.

[0129] (Composition 10) The aforementioned determination means is The transmission order is changed so that the transmission of the first video corresponding to the second video that is no longer used to generate the aforementioned video occurs after the transmission of the first video corresponding to the second video that is being used to generate the aforementioned video. The video recording device according to configuration 9, characterized in that...

[0130] (Composition 11) The aforementioned determination means is If the information indicating the editing status includes information indicating that a predetermined edit has been performed on the second video used to generate the video, the transmission order will be changed so that the first video corresponding to the second video is transmitted before any other first videos. A video recording device according to configuration 9 or 10, characterized by the above.

[0131] (Composition 12) The aforementioned editing is either adding subtitles or adding background music. A video recording device according to configuration 11, characterized by the features described above.

[0132] (Composition 13) The video recording device further includes a shooting means for taking pictures to obtain the first video. A video recording device according to any one of the configurations 8 to 12, characterized by the above.

[0133] (Composition 14) A first receiving step of receiving a plurality of second videos obtained by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos from a video recording device that records a plurality of first videos, A generation step of editing the received second video to generate a video, A transmission step of transmitting information indicating the editing status to the video recording device, A second receiving step of receiving the first video transmitted from the video recording device in accordance with the transmission order determined based on the information indicating the editing status, An information processing method characterized by having the following features.

[0134] (Composition 15) A recording step that records multiple first videos, A generation step of generating multiple second videos by reducing the image quality of the multiple first videos, A first transmission step of transmitting the second video to an information processing device that generates a video by editing based on the second video, A receiving step of receiving information indicating the editing status from the information processing device, A decision step in which the transmission order of the first video is determined based on the information indicating the editing status, A second transmission step of transmitting the first video to the information processing device in accordance with the determined transmission order, A control method for a video recording device, characterized by having the following features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0135] 101 Video Editing Equipment 401 Video file receiving unit 403 Editorial Department 406 Editing Status Change Transmission Unit

Claims

1. A receiving means for receiving a plurality of second videos obtained by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos from a video recording device that records a plurality of first videos, A generation means that generates a video by editing based on the received second video, It has a transmission means for transmitting information indicating the editing status to the video recording device, The receiving means receives the first video transmitted from the video recording device in a transmission order determined based on the information indicating the editing status. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The generation means generates the video using the second video selected from the received second videos. The information indicating the editing status includes information indicating the second video used in the video. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The information indicating the editing status includes information indicating the second video which is no longer used in the aforementioned video. The information processing apparatus according to feature 2.

4. The system further includes detection means for detecting changes in the editing state, When the change is detected, the transmission means transmits information indicating the editing status. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The system further includes a generation means for generating editing information for managing the state of the aforementioned editing, The detection means detects the change when characters indicating the edited content are added to the edited information. The information processing apparatus according to feature 4.

6. The detection means detects the change if the updated state in the editing information is maintained for a predetermined period of time. The information processing apparatus according to feature 5.

7. The system further includes a determination means for determining the transmission order of the first video based on information indicating the editing status, The transmission means transmits the transmission order to the video recording device in order for the video recording device to transmit the first video according to the determined transmission order. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

8. A recording means for recording multiple first videos, A generation means for generating a plurality of second videos by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos, A transmission means for transmitting the second video to an information processing device that generates a video by editing based on the second video, Receiving means for receiving information indicating the editing status from the information processing device, The system includes a determination means for determining the transmission order of the first video based on information indicating the editing status, The transmission means transmits the first video to the information processing device in accordance with the determined transmission order. A video recording device characterized by the following features.

9. The aforementioned determination means is The transmission order is determined such that the first video corresponding to the second video used to generate the aforementioned video is transmitted before the first video corresponding to the second video not used to generate the aforementioned video. The video recording device according to feature 8.

10. The aforementioned determination means is The transmission order is changed so that the transmission of the first video corresponding to the second video that is no longer used to generate the aforementioned video occurs after the transmission of the first video corresponding to the second video that is being used to generate the aforementioned video. The video recording device according to feature 9.

11. The aforementioned determination means is If the information indicating the editing status includes information indicating that a predetermined edit has been performed on the second video used to generate the video, the transmission order will be changed so that the first video corresponding to the second video is transmitted before any other first videos. The video recording device according to feature 9.

12. The aforementioned editing is either adding subtitles or adding background music. The video recording device according to feature 11.

13. The video recording device further includes a shooting means for taking pictures to obtain the first video. The video recording device according to feature 8.

14. A first receiving step of receiving a plurality of second videos obtained by reducing the image quality of the plurality of first videos from a video recording device that records a plurality of first videos, A generation step of generating a video by editing based on the received second video, A transmission step of transmitting information indicating the editing status to the video recording device, A second receiving step of receiving the first video transmitted from the video recording device in accordance with the transmission order determined based on the information indicating the editing status, An information processing method characterized by having the following features.

15. A recording step that records multiple first videos, A generation step of generating multiple second videos by reducing the image quality of the multiple first videos, A first transmission step involves transmitting the second video to an information processing device that generates a video by editing based on the second video, A receiving step of receiving information indicating the editing status from the information processing device, A decision step in which the transmission order of the first video is determined based on the information indicating the editing status, A second transmission step of transmitting the first video to the information processing device in accordance with the determined transmission order, A control method for a video recording device, characterized by having the following features.

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