Content recording device and content recording method

Abstract

This reduces the frequency of buffer overflows during the recording process while allocating memory for applications that perform other processes besides recording. [Solution] The content recording device is capable of running multiple applications in parallel, and memory areas are allocated to the processes of the applications based on a score indicating the priority of the application processes, and the processes of the multiple applications are given a higher score than processes with a lower priority for memory areas compared to recording, and comprises a receiving unit that receives a broadcast signal containing content, a recording unit that performs recording processing to save the broadcast signal to storage, and a management unit that sets at least a portion of the memory area as a recording buffer, and the management unit performs expansion processing to expand the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage of the recording buffer.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a content recording device and a content recording method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for suppressing buffer overflow in content recording have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2012 / 011235) discloses the following recording and playback control device. That is, the recording and playback control device is a recording and playback control device in a recording and playback device having a function of executing playback of recorded content and recording of new content in parallel on a recording medium on which one or more contents and management information for playing back each content are recorded, and includes a management information storage unit, a copying unit that copies the management information recorded on the recording medium to the management information storage unit, a request unit that makes an access request for playback and an access request for recording to the recording medium, and a switching unit that switches an access destination based on the access request to either the recording medium or the management information storage unit according to whether the access request by the request unit is for the management information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a content recording device and a content recording method that can reduce the frequency of buffer overflows in the recording process while reserving memory space for applications that perform processing other than the recording process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The content recording device of this disclosure is capable of running multiple applications in parallel, and memory areas are allocated to the processes of the applications based on a score indicating the priority of the processes of the applications, and the process of the application for recording among the multiple applications is given a higher score than processes with a lower priority for memory areas compared to recording, and comprises a receiving unit that receives a broadcast signal including content, a recording unit that performs recording processing to save the broadcast signal received by the receiving unit to storage, and a management unit that sets at least a portion of the memory area as a recording buffer used in the recording processing, wherein the management unit performs expansion processing to expand the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage of the recording buffer.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure can be implemented not only as a content recording device equipped with such characteristic processing, but also as a method in which such characteristic processing is performed in steps, or as a program for causing a computer to perform such steps. Furthermore, one aspect of this disclosure can be implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the content recording device, or as a system including the content recording device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce the frequency of buffer overflows in the recording process while allocating memory space for applications that perform processes other than the recording process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the software configuration of a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a recording buffer set by the management unit in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of changes in the used size of the recording buffer in the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of changes in the used size of the recording buffer in the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of changes in the used size of the recording buffer in the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the recording buffer information stored in the storage unit in the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the speed reduction information stored in the storage unit in the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart defining an example of the operation procedure when the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs a recording process. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart defining an example of the operation procedure when the content receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs an expansion process and a release process.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] First, the content of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) The content recording device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is capable of operating a plurality of applications in parallel. Based on a score indicating the priority of the processes of the applications, a memory area is allocated to the processes of the applications, and the process of the application for recording among the plurality of applications is given a score higher than that of a process with a lower priority of the memory area compared to recording. The content recording device includes a receiving unit that receives a broadcast signal including content, a recording unit that performs a recording process of storing the broadcast signal received by the receiving unit in a storage, and a management unit that sets at least a part of the memory area as a recording buffer used in the recording process. The management unit performs an expansion process of expanding the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage amount of the recording buffer.

[0011] In this way, by configuring to expand the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage amount of the recording buffer used in the recording process, the frequency of occurrence of buffer overflow in the recording buffer can be reduced. Also, compared to a configuration in which a memory area with a fixed size is set in advance as the recording buffer, the wasted memory area in the recording buffer can be reduced, so that a sufficient memory area can be allocated to other applications other than the recording application. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the frequency of occurrence of buffer overflow in the recording process while securing a memory area for an application that performs other processes other than the recording process.?

[0012] (2) In the above (1), the recording unit may store the broadcast signal in the storage connected to the content recording device via a connection interface, and the management unit may set, as the recording buffer, the memory area having a size determined according to the connection interface before the start of the recording process.

[0013] With this configuration, for example, a memory area of ​​a size corresponding to the transfer speed of the connection interface can be allocated and set as a recording buffer.

[0014] (3) In (1) or (2) above, the content recording device may further include a storage unit that stores recording buffer information indicating the correspondence between the storage identifier and the usage history of the recording buffer in the recording process, and the management unit may set the memory area of ​​a size determined based on the recording buffer information as the recording buffer before the start of the recording process.

[0015] This configuration allows for the allocation of a memory area of ​​a size determined based on the usage history of the recording buffer when broadcast signals were previously saved to storage, and to be set as the recording buffer.

[0016] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the management unit may, in the expansion process, additionally set as the recording buffer a memory area of ​​a size determined based on the length of time during which the writing speed to the storage by the recording unit decreases.

[0017] This configuration allows for the allocation of a memory area corresponding to the expected increase in recording buffer usage due to the decrease in writing speed, and this area can be set as an additional recording buffer.

[0018] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the management unit may, in the scaling process, additionally set a memory area of ​​a size determined based on the bitrate of the broadcast signal as the recording buffer.

[0019] This configuration allows for the allocation of a memory area corresponding to the expected increase in recording buffer usage based on the broadcast signal bitrate, and enables its additional configuration as a recording buffer.

[0020] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, the receiving unit may receive a plurality of broadcast signals in parallel, the management unit may set a plurality of recording buffers corresponding to each of the plurality of broadcast signals, and the management unit may, in the expansion process, preferentially expand the buffer size of the recording buffer with the shortest usage window among the plurality of recording buffers.

[0021] This configuration allows for prioritizing the expansion of the buffer size of the recording buffer, which is most likely to overflow, when saving multiple broadcast signals received in parallel to storage, thereby preventing overflows.

[0022] (7) In any of (1) to (6) above, the management unit may release the memory area that was additionally set as the recording buffer by the expansion process.

[0023] This configuration allows the memory area previously allocated for the recording buffer to be freed up, enabling more memory to be allocated to applications other than the recording application.

[0024] (8) In the above (7), the management unit may release the memory area upon completion of the recording process by the recording unit, or upon the use of the recording buffer falling below a predetermined threshold, or at least one of the above.

[0025] This configuration allows the memory area set as the recording buffer to be released when it is possible to reduce the recording buffer size, and more memory can be allocated to other applications besides the recording application.

[0026] (9) A content recording method according to an embodiment of the disclosure is a content recording method in a content recording device that is capable of running multiple applications in parallel, and in which a memory area is allocated to the process of an application based on a score indicating the priority of the process of the application, and the process of the application for recording among the multiple applications is given a higher score than a process with a lower priority for the memory area compared to recording, and the method includes the steps of receiving a broadcast signal containing content, performing a recording process to save the received broadcast signal to storage, setting at least a portion of the memory area as a recording buffer used in the recording process, and performing an expansion process to expand the buffer size of the recording buffer in accordance with the increase in the amount of use of the recording buffer.

[0027] In this way, by increasing the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the amount of recording buffer used in the recording process, the frequency of recording buffer overflows can be reduced. Furthermore, compared to setting a fixed-size memory area as the recording buffer in advance, this method reduces wasted memory in the recording buffer, allowing sufficient memory to be allocated to applications other than the recording application. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the frequency of buffer overflows in the recording process while securing memory for applications that perform other processing besides recording.

[0028] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0029] [Configuration and Basic Operation] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the broadcasting system 301 comprises a content receiving device 101 and a content transmitting device 201. The content receiving device 101 is an example of a content recording device. The content receiving device 101 is connected to storage 111 via a connection interface 121 such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. The storage 111 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0030] For example, the content transmission device 201 is installed in the station building of a cable television operator that distributes content such as programs. The content transmission device 201 transmits a broadcast signal Bs, which is a stream of broadcast packets in which the content is divided and stored. The content includes audio information, video information, EPG (Electronic Program Guide) information, subtitle information, and SI (Service Information), etc. The broadcast packets are IP packets, including, for example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) packets.

[0031] The content receiving device 101 receives content from digital broadcasts and IP broadcasts, and can play back the received or recorded content on a display device (not shown). The content receiving device 101 receives a broadcast signal Bs via a network. The content receiving device 101 performs recording processing to save the received broadcast signal Bs to the storage device 111.

[0032] Figure 2 shows the software configuration of a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2, the content receiving device 101 comprises application 10, applications 20A and 20B which are applications 20, and an OS (Operating System) 30. Each of applications 10, 20A, and 20B is capable of executing one or more predetermined processes. The content receiving device 101 may also be configured to have one or more applications 20.

[0033] Application 10 is a recording application that records broadcast content. More specifically, Application 10 receives a broadcast signal Bs from a content transmission device 201 via a network and performs recording processing to save the received broadcast signal Bs to storage 111.

[0034] For example, application 20A is a game application. Also, for example, application 20B is a VOD (Video On Demand) playback application that plays content provided by VOD services such as Netflix®. The processes of applications 20A and 20B have a lower priority for memory area than the recording process, which is the process of application 10. That is, the processes of applications 20A and 20B have a lower priority for using memory area compared to the recording process. The content receiving device 101 may be configured to include an application 20 capable of executing a process with the same memory area priority as the recording process, or it may be configured to include an application 20 capable of executing a process with a higher memory area priority than the recording process. Processes with a lower memory area priority than the recording process are processes that can operate slowly during recording. Processes with the same or higher memory area priority than the recording process are processes that need to operate quickly even during recording, and examples include the user interface process that maps remote control operations to screen displays, and background processes.

[0035] OS30 is, for example, Android®. OS30 can run applications 10 and 20 in parallel. The processes of applications 10 and 20 are assigned a priority score Sc in advance. The recording process of application 10 is assigned a higher priority score Sc than the process of application 20, which has a lower priority for memory space compared to recording. OS30 allocates memory space to the processes of applications 10 and 20 based on this priority score Sc. In other words, OS30 preferentially allocates memory space to the process of application 10 out of applications 10 and 20. The priority score Sc is, for example, the value of oom_adj according to LINUX®.

[0036] [assignment] A technology is desired that can reduce the frequency of buffer overflows during recording while reserving memory space for applications 20 that perform other processing besides recording.

[0037] More specifically, while the broadcast signal Bs is transmitted at a generally constant transmission rate of 16 Mbps, the write speed to storage 111 can fluctuate significantly. For example, with an SSD, while the normal write speed is 25 MB / second, the write speed may drop to 3.1 MB / second for several seconds to tens of seconds. This decrease in write speed in an SSD can be caused by factors such as the depletion of the SLC (Single Level Cell) cache. Note that HDDs can also experience a decrease in write speed. A decrease in the write speed to storage 111 can cause an overflow in the buffer used in the recording process, making it impossible to record the broadcast signal Bs.

[0038] On the other hand, if a sufficiently large memory area is allocated in advance for the buffer to reduce the frequency of buffer overflows, it becomes impossible to allocate a sufficiently large memory area to the processes of other applications 20 besides the recording application, causing the operation of those other applications 20 to become slow.

[0039] Therefore, the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure solves the above problem with the following configuration.

[0040] (Configuration of the content receiving device) Figure 3 shows the configuration of a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The content receiving device 101 comprises a receiving unit 11, a recording unit 12, a management unit 13, and a storage unit 15. The receiving unit 11, the recording unit 12, and the management unit 13 are included in application 10. Some or all of the receiving unit 11, the recording unit 12, and the management unit 13 are implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including, for example, one or more processors. The storage unit 15 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0041] The management unit 13 sets at least a portion of the memory area allocated to the application 10 as a recording buffer 14 used in the recording process. More specifically, when the content receiving device 101 is started up, the management unit 13 reserves a portion of the memory area in the storage unit 15. The management unit 13 sets the reserved memory area as a recording buffer 14. For example, if the management unit 13 can save multiple broadcast signals Bs in parallel to the storage 111 during the recording process, it sets the reserved memory area as multiple recording buffers 14 corresponding to each of the multiple broadcast signals Bs.

[0042] Figure 4 shows an example of a recording buffer set by the management unit in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, the management unit 13 determines the initial buffer size Sbeg, which is the initial buffer size required for the recording buffer 14, when the content receiving device 101 is started. The management unit 13 secures a memory area corresponding to the initial buffer size Sbeg by outputting a memory request including the determined initial buffer size Sbeg to the OS 30. The management unit 13 then sets the secured memory area as the recording buffer 14. The management unit 13 may also secure a memory area larger than the initial buffer size Sbeg and set a portion of the secured memory area as a working area for each unit included in the application 10.

[0043] Referring again to Figure 3, the receiving unit 11 receives the broadcast signal Bs containing the content via the network. For example, when the receiving unit 11 receives a user command to record the content, it starts receiving the broadcast signal Bs. The receiving unit 11 outputs the received broadcast signal Bs to the recording unit 12. For example, when the receiving unit 11 receives a user command to end the recording of the content, or when the broadcast end time for the content scheduled for recording arrives, it stops receiving the broadcast signal Bs.

[0044] The recording unit 12 performs recording processing to save the broadcast signal Bs received by the receiving unit 11 to the storage 111. For example, the recording unit 12 saves the broadcast signal Bs to the storage 111 via the connection interface 121. More specifically, the recording unit 12 receives the broadcast signal Bs from the receiving unit 11, obtains broadcast packets from the received broadcast signal Bs, and encrypts and transcodes the obtained broadcast packets. The recording unit 12 stores the encrypted and transcoded broadcast packets in the recording buffer 14. The recording unit 12 retrieves broadcast packets from the recording buffer 14 and saves the obtained broadcast packets to the storage 111 via the connection interface 121.

[0045] For example, when the recording unit 12 receives a user request to end the recording of content, or when the broadcast end time for the content scheduled for recording arrives, it saves the broadcast packets remaining in the recording buffer 14 to the storage 111 and terminates the recording process.

[0046] The management unit 13 performs an expansion process to increase the buffer size of the recording buffer 14 in response to an increase in the usage size Sby [Byte] of the recording buffer 14. The usage size Sby is the amount of data of broadcast packets stored in the recording buffer 14 and is an example of usage. More specifically, the management unit 13 determines the expansion buffer size Sadd, which is the size of the additional memory area to be set as the recording buffer 14 during the expansion process. The management unit 13 allocates additional memory area to the recording process of application 10 by outputting a memory addition request including the determined expansion buffer size Sadd to the OS 30.

[0047] More specifically, when OS30 receives a memory addition request from the management unit 13, if the amount of free memory in the storage unit 15 is greater than or equal to the expansion buffer size Sadd, it allocates part or all of the free memory to the recording process of application 10. On the other hand, if the amount of free memory in the storage unit 15 is less than the expansion buffer size Sadd, OS30 expands the free memory in the storage unit 15 by releasing the memory area already allocated to the process with the lowest priority score Sc among the processes of applications 20A and 20B. Then, OS30 allocates part or all of the expanded free memory to the recording process of application 10. In this way, by securing a memory area for the recording process based on the priority score Sc, it is possible to reallocate memory areas allocated to processes that can operate slowly during recording to the recording process. Therefore, while prioritizing the allocation of memory area to the recording process, it is possible to implement various types of applications in the content recording device 101, including applications that should operate quickly and applications that operate using free time and free memory.

[0048] The management unit 13 expands the buffer size of the recording buffer 14 by setting the newly allocated memory area, which is a memory area newly allocated by the OS 30 for the recording process of application 10, as the recording buffer 14.

[0049] The management unit 13 performs a release process to free the memory area that was additionally set as the recording buffer 14 through the expansion process. For example, the management unit 13 frees the additionally allocated memory area when the recording unit 12 completes the recording process, and also frees the additionally allocated memory area when the usage size Sby of the recording buffer 14 falls below a predetermined release threshold Tr. In other words, the management unit 13 frees the additionally allocated memory area when the recording unit 12 finishes the recording process or when the usage size Sby falls below the release threshold Tr.

[0050] (Specific examples of expansion and release processes) Figures 5 to 11 show an example of the change in the size of the recording buffer used in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The hatched areas in Figures 5 to 11 indicate the region in the recording buffer 14 where broadcast packets are stored.

[0051] Referring to Figure 5, when the recording process by the recording unit 12 begins, the management unit 13 compares the size used by the recording buffer 14, Sby, with the initial additional threshold Ta, which is the additional threshold Ta1, at a monitoring timing according to a predetermined monitoring cycle. The additional threshold Ta1 is, for example, a value corresponding to 70% of the initial buffer size Sbeg. If the size used, Sby, is less than or equal to the additional threshold Ta1, the management unit 13 waits for the next monitoring timing.

[0052] Referring to Figure 6, the management unit 13 performs an expansion process to expand the buffer size of the recording buffer 14 when the usage size Sby exceeds the additional threshold Ta1. More specifically, the management unit 13 determines the expanded buffer size Sadd and outputs a memory addition request including the determined expanded buffer size Sadd to the OS 30, thereby allocating additional memory area corresponding to the expanded buffer size Sadd.

[0053] Referring to Figure 7, the management unit 13 sets the additionally allocated memory area as the recording buffer 14. For example, in conjunction with the expansion process, the management unit 13 updates the additional threshold Ta1 to the additional threshold Ta2, which is the additional threshold Ta. Then, at the monitoring timing according to the monitoring cycle, the management unit 13 compares the used size Sby of the recording buffer 14 with the additional threshold Ta2 and the release threshold Tr. The additional threshold Ta2 is, for example, a value corresponding to 70% of the buffer size after the expansion process. The release threshold Tr is, for example, a value corresponding to 20% of the initial buffer size Sbeg.

[0054] Referring to Figure 8, for example, if the usage size Sby exceeds the additional threshold Ta2, the management unit 13 performs an expansion process to further expand the buffer size of the recording buffer 14. More specifically, the management unit 13 determines the expanded buffer size Sadd and outputs a memory addition request including the determined expanded buffer size Sadd to the OS 30, thereby allocating additional memory area corresponding to the expanded buffer size Sadd.

[0055] Referring to Figure 9, the management unit 13 sets the additionally allocated memory area as the recording buffer 14. For example, in conjunction with the expansion process, the management unit 13 updates the additional threshold Ta2 to the additional threshold Ta3, which is the additional threshold Ta. Then, at the monitoring timing according to the monitoring cycle, the management unit 13 compares the used size Sby of the recording buffer 14 with the additional threshold Ta3 and the release threshold Tr. The additional threshold Ta3 is, for example, a value corresponding to 70% of the buffer size after the expansion process.

[0056] Referring to Figures 10 and 11, for example, the management unit 13 performs a release process to release the memory area corresponding to the added expanded buffer size Sadd when the used size Sby falls below the release threshold Tr. Along with the release process, the management unit 13 updates the additional threshold Ta3 to the additional threshold Ta1. Then, at the monitoring timing according to the monitoring cycle, the management unit 13 compares the used size Sby of the recording buffer 14 with the additional threshold Ta1. The management unit 13 may also use multiple release thresholds Tr to release the memory area corresponding to the expanded buffer size Sadd in stages.

[0057] Figures 12 and 13 show other examples of changes in the size used by the recording buffer in a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The hatched areas in Figures 12 to 13 indicate the region in the recording buffer 14 where broadcast packets are stored.

[0058] Referring to Figure 12, for example, the receiving unit 11 receives broadcast signals Bs1 and Bs2 in parallel and outputs the received broadcast signals Bs1 and Bs2 to the recording unit 12. The recording unit 12 receives broadcast signals Bs1 and Bs2 from the receiving unit 11, acquires broadcast packets from the received broadcast signals Bs1 and Bs2, and encrypts and transcodes the acquired broadcast packets. The recording unit 12 stores the encrypted and transcoded broadcast packets, which were acquired from broadcast signals Bs1 and Bs2, in recording buffers 14A and 14B, respectively, which are recording buffers 14.

[0059] Referring to Figure 13, if, at the monitoring timing, the management unit 13 finds that the usage size Sby of recording buffer 14A exceeds the additional threshold Ta1 and the usage size Sby of recording buffer 14B also exceeds the additional threshold Ta1, then in the expansion process, it prioritizes expanding the buffer size of the recording buffer 14, which has a smaller usage margin among the recording buffers 14A and 14B.

[0060] More specifically, the management unit 13 calculates a value Vg as a grace period for the use of the recording buffer 14. This value is obtained by subtracting the usage size Sby from the current buffer size of the recording buffer 14 and dividing the difference by the bitrate Rb of the broadcast signal Bs stored in the recording buffer 14. The management unit 13 calculates a value Vg for each recording buffer 14 and prioritizes expanding the buffer size of the recording buffer 14 with the smallest value Vg among the recording buffers 14A and 14B.

[0061] (Saving recording buffer information) Figure 14 shows an example of recording buffer information stored in the storage unit of a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 14, the storage unit 15 stores recording buffer information that shows the correspondence between the storage ID, which is the identifier of the storage 111, the connection standard of the connection interface 121, the maximum buffer size Smax [MB], and the maximum usage rate Rmax [%]. The maximum buffer size Smax is the maximum buffer size of the recording buffer 14 during the period from the start to the end of the recording process. The maximum usage rate Rmax is the maximum usage rate [%] of the recording buffer 14 during the period from the start to the end of the recording process. The maximum buffer size Smax and the maximum usage rate Rmax are an example of the usage history of the recording buffer 14.

[0062] In the recording buffer information shown in Figure 14, storage 111 with storage ID "CMR01" is a CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording) HDD. Storage 111 with storage ID "SMR02" is an SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) HDD. Storage 111 with storage ID "SSD03" is an SSD.

[0063] For example, when the recording unit 12 finishes recording, the management unit 13 generates recording buffer information that shows the correspondence between the storage ID of the storage 111 where the broadcast packets are saved during the recording process, the connection standard of the connection interface 121, and the maximum buffer size Smax and maximum usage rate Rmax during the recording process. The management unit 13 then saves the generated recording buffer information to the storage unit 15.

[0064] (Example of determining the initial buffer size) For example, before the recording process starts, the management unit 13 sets a memory area of ​​a size determined according to the type of connection interface 121 as the recording buffer 14. Alternatively, before the recording process starts, the management unit 13 sets a memory area of ​​a size determined based on the recording buffer information in the storage unit 15 as the recording buffer 14.

[0065] More specifically, when the content receiving device 101 is started up, the management unit 13 obtains device information from the storage 111 connected to the content receiving device 101, including the storage ID and the writing method of the storage 111. The management unit 13 also obtains the connection standard of the connection interface 121 used to connect to the storage 111. Based on the obtained device information and connection standard, as well as the recording buffer information in the memory unit 15, the management unit 13 determines the initial buffer size Sbeg.

[0066] Specifically, for example, the management unit 13 obtains device information including the storage ID of "CMR01" and the "USB2.0" connection standard. The management unit 13 refers to the recording buffer information and recognizes that the maximum buffer size Smax when a broadcast signal is saved to the storage 111 of "CMR01" connected via a "USB2.0" USB cable was "2MB". In this case, the management unit 13 determines the initial buffer size Sbeg to be "1.5MB", which is the maximum buffer size Smax multiplied by, for example, "0.75".

[0067] Furthermore, for example, the management unit 13 obtains device information including the storage ID of "CMR01" and the "USB3.0" connection standard. The management unit 13 refers to the recording buffer information and recognizes that the maximum buffer size Smax when a broadcast signal is saved to the storage 111 of "CMR01" connected via a "USB3.0" USB cable was "2MB". The management unit 13 confirms that the "USB3.0" USB cable has a faster transfer speed than the "USB2.0" USB cable and determines the initial buffer size Sbeg to "1MB", which is the maximum buffer size Smax multiplied by, for example, "0.5".

[0068] Furthermore, for example, the management unit 13 obtains device information including the storage ID of "SSD03" and the "USB3.0" connection standard. The management unit 13 refers to the recording buffer information and recognizes that the maximum buffer size Smax when a broadcast signal is saved to the storage 111 of "SSD03" connected via a "USB3.0" USB cable was "40MB". The management unit 13 confirms that the "USB3.0" USB cable has a faster transfer speed than the "USB2.0" USB cable and that the SSD has a faster write speed than the HDD, and determines the initial buffer size Sbeg to "0.5MB", which is the maximum buffer size Smax multiplied by, for example, "0.0125".

[0069] (Example of determining the expansion buffer size) In the expansion process, the management unit 13 additionally sets up a memory area as a recording buffer 14, the size of which is determined based on the duration of time during which the writing speed to the storage 111 by the recording unit 12 decreases, and the bitrate Rb of the broadcast signal. More specifically, the management unit 13 determines the expansion buffer size Sadd based on the duration of time and the bitrate Rb.

[0070] Figure 15 shows an example of speed reduction information stored in the storage unit of a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 15, the storage unit 15 stores speed reduction information that shows the correspondence between the writing method of the storage 111, the connection standard of the connection interface 121, and the speed reduction time Dt. The speed reduction time Dt is an estimated value for the duration during which the reduction in writing speed to the storage 111 continues. For example, the speed reduction information is generated by the manufacturer of the content receiving device 101 and stored in the storage unit 15.

[0071] The management unit 13 uses the current buffer size Spre, which is the buffer size of the recording buffer 14 at the time the usage size Sby exceeds the additional threshold Ta, to determine the expanded buffer size Sadd according to the following equation (1). Sadd=Dt×(Rb / 8)-Spre ···(1)

[0072] For example, if the speed reduction time Dt is 3 seconds, the bitrate Rb of the broadcast signal is 16 Mbps, and the current buffer size Spre is 1 MB, the management unit 13 determines the expanded buffer size Sadd to be "5 MB" according to equation (1).

[0073] Furthermore, for example, if the speed reduction time Dt is 20 seconds, the broadcast signal bitrate Rb is 16 Mbps, and the current buffer size Spre is 0.5 MB, the management unit 13 determines the expanded buffer size Sadd to be "39.5 MB" according to equation (1). Note that the management unit 13 may also determine the expanded buffer size Sadd according to a calculation formula different from equation (1).

[0074] [Operation Flow] Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when a content receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs recording processing.

[0075] Referring to Figure 16, first, upon startup, the content receiving device 101 obtains the device information of the storage 111 and the connection standard of the connection interface 121 (step S11).

[0076] Next, the content receiving device 101 determines the initial buffer size Sbeg based on the acquired device information and connection standard, as well as the recording buffer information in the storage unit 15 (step S12).

[0077] Next, the content receiving device 101 allocates a memory area corresponding to the determined initial buffer size Sbeg and sets it as the recording buffer 14 (step S13).

[0078] Next, the content receiving device 101 waits for a trigger to start recording, such as a user operation to record the content (NO in step S14), and when a trigger to start recording arrives (YES in step S14), it starts receiving the broadcast signal Bs (step S15).

[0079] Next, the content receiving device 101 starts recording processing to save the broadcast signal Bs to the storage 111. More specifically, the content receiving device 101 accumulates broadcast packets acquired from the broadcast signal Bs in the recording buffer 14, and then retrieves the accumulated broadcast packets from the recording buffer 14 and saves them to the storage 111 (step S16).

[0080] Next, the content receiving device 101 waits for a trigger to end recording, such as a user operation to end recording of the content (NO in step S17), and when a trigger to end recording arrives (YES in step S17), it stops receiving the broadcast signal Bs (step S18).

[0081] Next, the content receiving device 101 saves the broadcast packets remaining in the recording buffer 14 to the storage 111 and terminates the recording process (step S19), and waits for a trigger to start a new recording (NO in step S14).

[0082] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when the content receiving device according to the embodiment of this disclosure performs expansion processing and release processing.

[0083] Referring to Figure 17, first, the content receiving device 101 waits for a monitoring timing according to the monitoring cycle (NO in step S21), and when the monitoring timing arrives (YES in step S21), it compares the used size Sby of the recording buffer 14 with the additional threshold Ta and the release threshold Tr (step S22).

[0084] Next, the content receiving device 101 waits for a new monitoring timing if the usage size Sby is less than or equal to the additional threshold Ta and greater than the release threshold Tr (NO in step S23 and NO in step S24).

[0085] On the other hand, if the content receiving device 101 determines the expanded buffer size Sadd (step S25) if the usage size Sby is greater than the additional threshold Ta (YES in step S23).

[0086] Next, the content receiving device 101 performs an expansion process to allocate additional memory area corresponding to the determined expanded buffer size Sadd and set it as the recording buffer 14 (step S26).

[0087] Next, the content receiving device 101 updates the additional threshold Ta (step S27) and waits for a new monitoring timing (NO in step S21).

[0088] On the other hand, if the used size Sby is less than or equal to the release threshold Tr (YES in step S24), the content receiving device 101 performs a release process to release the memory area that has been added during the expansion process (step S28).

[0089] Next, the content receiving device 101 updates the additional threshold Ta (step S29) and waits for a new monitoring timing (NO in step S21).

[0090] Furthermore, if the used size Sby is less than or equal to the release threshold Tr (YES in step S24), and there are no additional memory areas added during the expansion process, the content receiving device 101 will wait for a new monitoring timing without performing the processes in steps S28 and S29 (NO in step S21).

[0091] Furthermore, while the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure is configured such that the recording unit 12 stores the broadcast signal Bs in the storage 111 via the connection interface 121, it is not limited to this configuration. The broadcast signal Bs may also be stored in the storage 111 via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0092] Furthermore, while the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure is configured such that the recording unit 12 stores encrypted and transcoded broadcast packets in the recording buffer 14, it is not limited to this configuration. The recording unit 12 may also be configured to store unencrypted and untranscoded broadcast packets in the recording buffer 14. In this case, the recording unit 12 acquires broadcast packets from the recording buffer 14, encrypts and transcodes the acquired broadcast packets, and stores the encrypted and transcoded broadcast packets in the storage 111.

[0093] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 is configured to set a portion of the memory area in the storage unit 15 as a recording buffer 14 when the content receiving device 101 is started up, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the management unit 13 may be configured to receive a user operation to record content from the user and set a portion of the memory area in the storage unit 15 as a recording buffer 14.

[0094] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 compares the usage size Sby with an additional threshold Ta, and performs scaling processing if the usage size Sby exceeds the additional threshold Ta, but the device is not limited to this configuration. For example, the management unit 13 may compare the usage rate [%] of the recording buffer 14 with a predetermined additional threshold [%], and perform scaling processing if the usage rate exceeds the additional threshold.

[0095] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 is configured to compare the usage size Sby with an additional threshold Ta1 corresponding to 70% of the initial buffer size Sbeg, and to compare the usage size Sby with additional thresholds Ta2 and Ta3 corresponding to 70% of the buffer size after expansion processing, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the management unit 13 may be configured to compare the usage size Sby with an additional threshold Ta set based on the speed reduction time Dt and the bit rate Rb.

[0096] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 compares the usage size Sby with a release threshold Tr and performs a release process when the usage size Sby becomes less than or equal to the release threshold Tr, but the device is not limited to this configuration. For example, the management unit 13 may compare the usage rate [%] of the recording buffer 14 with a predetermined release threshold [%] and perform a release process when the usage rate becomes less than or equal to the release threshold.

[0097] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 determines the initial buffer size Sbeg based on device information, connection standard, and recording buffer information, and sets the memory area corresponding to the determined initial buffer size Sbeg as the recording buffer 14, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. The management unit 13 may determine the initial buffer size Sbeg regardless of the connection standard, or may determine the initial buffer size Sbeg without using recording buffer information.

[0098] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 determines the expanded buffer size Sadd based on the speed reduction time Dt and the bitrate Rb of the broadcast signal, and sets a memory area corresponding to the determined expanded buffer size Sadd as the recording buffer 14, but the invention is not limited to this. The management unit 13 may determine the expanded buffer size Sadd regardless of the speed reduction time Dt, or regardless of the bitrate Rb of the broadcast signal.

[0099] Furthermore, while the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure is configured such that the receiving unit 11 receives broadcast signals Bs1 and Bs2 in parallel, it is not limited to this configuration. The receiving unit 11 may be configured to receive one broadcast signal Bs while being unable to receive multiple broadcast signals Bs in parallel.

[0100] Furthermore, although the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure is configured such that the management unit 13 performs release processing, it is not limited to this configuration. The management unit 13 may be configured not to perform release processing.

[0101] Furthermore, in the content receiving device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the management unit 13 is configured to release the additionally allocated memory area when the recording unit 12 finishes recording or when the used size Sby falls below the release threshold Tr, but it is not limited to this. The management unit 13 may be configured to perform the release process when other conditions other than the completion of recording and the used size Sby falling below the release threshold Tr are met.

[0102] The embodiments described above should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0103] Each process (each function) of the above-described embodiment is implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors. The processing circuit may consist of one or more memories, various analog circuits, various digital circuits, etc., in addition to the one or more processors, as well as an integrated circuit. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each of the above processes. The one or more processors may execute each of the above processes according to the programs read from the one or more memories, or they may execute each of the above processes according to logic circuits that have been pre-designed to execute each of the above processes. The processors may be various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the physically separated multiple processors may cooperate with each other to execute each of the above processes. For example, the processors installed in each of several physically separated computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet to perform the above processes. The program may be installed in the memory via the network from an external server device, or it may be distributed on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), and semiconductor memory, and then installed in the memory from the recording medium.

[0104] The above description includes the following features. [Note 1] A content recording device that allows multiple applications to run in parallel, allocates memory areas to the processes of the applications based on a score indicating the priority of the application processes, and assigns a higher score to the process of the application used for recording than to processes with a lower priority for memory areas compared to recording, A receiving unit that receives broadcast signals containing content, A recording unit performs recording processing to save the broadcast signal received by the receiving unit to a storage device, The system includes a management unit that sets at least a portion of the memory area as a recording buffer used in the recording process, The management unit performs an expansion process to increase the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage of the recording buffer. The management unit determines the initial buffer size based on the writing method of the storage and the connection standard of the connection interface connecting the content recording device and the storage, and sets a memory area corresponding to the determined initial buffer size as the recording buffer, in a content recording device.

[0105] [Note 2] A content recording device that allows multiple applications to run in parallel, allocates memory areas to the processes of the applications based on a score indicating the priority of the application processes, and assigns a higher score to the process of the application used for recording than to processes with a lower priority for memory areas compared to recording, Equipped with a processing circuit, The aforementioned processing circuit is Receive a broadcast signal containing content, A recording process is performed to save the received broadcast signal to storage. At least a portion of the memory area is set as a recording buffer used in the recording process, A content recording device that performs an expansion process to increase the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the amount of usage of the recording buffer. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 10, 20, 20A, 20B Application 11 Receiving unit 12 Recording Section 13 Management Department 14, 14A, 14B recording buffer 15 Storage section 30 OS 101 Content receiving device 111 Storage 121 Connection Interfaces 201 Content Transmission Device 301 Broadcasting System Sbeg initial buffer size Sadd expanded buffer size Sby usage size Ta, Ta1, Ta2, Ta3 Additional thresholds Tr release threshold

Claims

1. A content recording device that allows multiple applications to run in parallel, allocates memory areas to the processes of the applications based on a score indicating the priority of the application processes, and assigns a higher score to the process of the application used for recording than to processes with a lower priority for memory areas compared to recording, A receiving unit that receives broadcast signals containing content, A recording unit performs recording processing to save the broadcast signal received by the receiving unit to a storage device, The system includes a management unit that sets at least a portion of the memory area as a recording buffer used in the recording process, The management unit performs an expansion process to increase the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage of the recording buffer.

2. The recording unit saves the broadcast signal to the storage connected to the content recording device via a connection interface. The content recording device according to claim 1, wherein the management unit sets the memory area, which is of a size determined according to the type of connection interface, as the recording buffer before the start of the recording process.

3. The aforementioned content recording device further, The storage unit stores recording buffer information that shows the correspondence between the identifier of the storage and the usage history of the recording buffer in the recording process, The content recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management unit sets the memory area, which has a size determined based on the recording buffer information, as the recording buffer before the start of the recording process.

4. The content recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management unit, in the expansion process, additionally sets a memory area as the recording buffer, the size of which is determined based on the length of time during which the writing speed to the storage by the recording unit decreases.

5. The content recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management unit, in the scaling process, additionally sets a memory area of ​​a size determined based on the bitrate of the broadcast signal as the recording buffer.

6. The receiving unit receives multiple broadcast signals in parallel, The management unit sets up a plurality of recording buffers corresponding to each of the plurality of broadcast signals, The content recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management unit, in the expansion process, preferentially expands the buffer size of the recording buffer with the shortest available usage time among the plurality of recording buffers.

7. The content recording device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the management unit releases the memory area that was additionally set as the recording buffer by the expansion process.

8. The content recording device according to claim 7, wherein the management unit releases the memory area upon completion of the recording process by the recording unit, or upon the use of the recording buffer falling below a predetermined threshold, or at least one of the above.

9. A content recording method in a content recording device, wherein multiple applications can be run in parallel, memory areas are allocated to the processes of the applications based on a score indicating the priority of the application processes, and the process of the application for recording among the multiple applications is given a higher score than processes with a lower priority for memory areas compared to recording, The steps include receiving a broadcast signal containing content, The steps include: a recording process that saves the received broadcast signal to storage; The steps include setting at least a portion of the memory area as a recording buffer used in the recording process, A content recording method comprising the step of performing an expansion process to increase the buffer size of the recording buffer in response to an increase in the usage of the recording buffer.

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