Recording method, storage control device, information processing device, and video recording system

Abstract

This recording method for video data in a plurality of recording areas having mutually different performances includes: a use status acquisition step for acquiring a use status, of the video data, obtained by analyzing the video data; and a recording area determination step for determining, on the basis of the use status, which one of the plurality of recording areas the video data is to be recorded in.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording method for recording video data in a predetermined recording area, a storage control device, an information processing device, and a video recording system.

Background Art

[0002] A system is known that inputs video data output by a video output device such as a camera and records the video data in a storage. The video data recorded in the storage is used, for example, for future playback or video editing.

[0003] Also, it is known to record data such as video data in a plurality of storages or a plurality of recording areas formed in a storage. For example, a system including a plurality of storages having different performances (e.g., access speeds) is known. Since the capacity of each storage is limited, in this system, selection of data to be recorded in each storage is performed. As selection of data to be recorded in the storage, for example, when the total rate of data collected in an IoT system exceeds the throughput parameter of the network infrastructure, it is known to reduce the amount of data to be collected (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] As described above, video data recorded in a video recording system will be used for future playback and video editing. Some video data will be frequently played back and edited, while other data will not be used for playback or editing immediately but will need to be stored for a long period of time. In systems with multiple storage devices with different performance levels, it is desirable to record such video data in the appropriate storage device. Furthermore, even when multiple recording areas are formed within a single storage device, it is desirable to record video data in the appropriate recording area.

[0006] This disclosure aims to record video data in the appropriate recording area when recording video data in multiple recording areas with different performance characteristics.

[0007] The video data recording method described herein is a method for recording video data to multiple recording areas, each having different performance characteristics. The recording method comprises the following steps.

[0008] ◎ Obtaining video data usage status by analyzing video data. (Usage status acquisition step)

[0009] ◎ A recording area determination step that determines which of multiple recording areas to record the video data in, based on usage conditions.

[0010] The video data recording method disclosed herein analyzes the video data to determine its usage, and based on this determination (i.e., the video data usage), it is decided which of the multiple recording areas to record the video data in. This allows the video data to be recorded in the appropriate recording area according to its usage. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the video recording system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the information processing device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the storage control device configuration. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device in the recording operation of video data based on importance. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the storage control unit in the video data recording operation based on importance. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the transmission and reception of signals during video data recording based on the importance of the video data. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of an information processing device in another example of video data recording operation based on importance. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of a storage control device in another example of video data recording operation based on importance. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the transmission and reception of signals in another example of video data recording operation based on importance. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of a data transfer time setting table. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the video data recording operation based on data transfer time. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the video data recording process based on access frequency. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of the write state of each erase block. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing another example of video data recording behavior based on access frequency. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, detailed descriptions that are more than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. Note that the inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and do not intend to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0013] In the present disclosure, "video data" means data including video data, audio data, and metadata, data including only video data, or data including still image data.

[0014] [1. Video Recording System] Hereinafter, the video recording system 100 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The video recording system 100 is a system for recording video data input from a video output device 2 described later in any of a plurality of storages. The video data recorded in the storage is used, for example, for future playback and editing. Editing of video data includes, for example, generating new video data by inserting a specific part of other video data into the video data.

[0015] Hereinafter, the configuration of the video recording system 100 will be described using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the video recording system 100. The video recording system 100 includes an information processing device 1, a storage control device 3, and a plurality of storages 5a to 5c.

[0016] The information processing apparatus 1 is connected to the video output apparatus 2. The video output apparatus 2 is a device that acquires video and audio data, converts them into electrical signals, and outputs them externally. The video output apparatus 2 is, for example, a video shooting apparatus including a camera that shoots a predetermined video, a microphone that acquires the audio of the predetermined video, and the like. Alternatively, the video output apparatus 2 may be a media server that records a large number of videos. The video output from the video output apparatus 2 is, for example, a high-definition video such as a non-compressed 4K video. In the example shown in FIG. 1, only one video output apparatus 2 is provided, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The video recording system 100 may include a plurality of video output apparatuses 2.

[0017] The information processing apparatus 1 executes various information processes related to the video data input from the video output apparatus 2. Specifically, the information processing apparatus 1 can execute a process of converting the video data into compressed data.

[0018] The information processing apparatus 1 is connected to the operation apparatus 4. The operation apparatus 4 is a device that performs operations for editing video data. The operation apparatus 4 includes, for example, an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, an operation panel, etc.) that performs operations related to the editing of video data, and a display device (e.g., a display) that displays the video data. The information processing apparatus 1 outputs the video data to the operation apparatus 4 for display, and accepts the operations of the operation apparatus 4 to edit the video data. Specifically, the information processing apparatus 1 can generate new video data by inserting a specific part of a past video stored in the storages 5a to 5c into the video input from the video output apparatus 2, for example.

[0019] The information processing device 1 analyzes the video data to determine how the video data is being used in the video recording system 100. Specifically, the information processing device 1 analyzes the images and / or audio contained in the video data and determines the importance of the video data based on the analysis results. The importance of the video data increases when the content of the video data is important, for example, when the video data contains a climax scene. On the other hand, the importance of the video data decreases when the video data contains unimportant content. The information processing device 1 performs the above video data analysis using artificial intelligence-based image recognition and speech recognition.

[0020] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 analyzes the access status of the video data and determines the frequency of access to the video data. The frequency of access to the video data can be determined, for example, by analyzing the access log that records access to the data.

[0021] The information processing device 1 associates the importance of the video data and / or the frequency of access to the video data with the video data as metadata for the video data. Metadata is data that records various information about the video data. In addition to the importance of the video data and the frequency of access to the video data, metadata can also record information about the video data's usage process. Usage process information includes, for example, information about recording, editing, transmission, and / or reuse of the video data.

[0022] The information processing device 1 is connected to the storage control device 3. The information processing device 1 instructs the storage control device 3 to record video data input from the video output device 2, video data converted to a compressed format, and edited video data into one of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c. The information processing device 1 also instructs the storage control device 3 to read specific video data from one of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c.

[0023] The storage control device 3 controls the reading of video data from one of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c, and controls the recording of video data to one of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c. The storage control device 3 reads the video data that the information processing device 1 has commanded to read from one of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c.

[0024] The storage control device 3 records the video data received from the information processing device 1 into one of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c, in accordance with a command from the information processing device 1. Specifically, the storage control device 3 grasps the usage status of the video data from the metadata associated with the video data, and decides which of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c to record the video data into based on the grasped usage status. The storage control device 3 records the video data into the storage device 5a to 5c that it has decided to record the video data into.

[0025] Multiple storage devices 5a to 5c read out specified video data according to commands from the storage control device 3. Furthermore, multiple storage devices 5a to 5c record video data received from the storage control device 3 according to commands from the storage control device 3. In this disclosure, the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c include a first storage device 5a, a second storage device 5b, and a third storage device 5c.

[0026] The first storage 5a, the second storage 5b, and the third storage 5c each have different performance characteristics. Specifically, the first storage 5a is the fastest storage among the above. The first storage 5a is an enterprise-grade solid-state drive, such as a triple-level cell (TLC) type solid-state drive (SSD).

[0027] The second storage 5b is slower than the first storage 5a but faster than the third storage 5c. Specifically, the second storage 5b is a relatively fast storage such as a quad-level cell (QLC) type solid-state drive or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0028] The third storage device 5c is the slowest of the above storage devices. The third storage device 5c includes, for example, an optical disc drive that writes data to and reads data from an optical disc, and a magnetic tape drive that writes data to and reads data from a magnetic tape.

[0029] By recording video data on multiple storage devices 5a to 5c with different performance characteristics as described above, it is possible to record video data according to its usage, purpose, and other factors.

[0030] Specifically, the fastest first storage 5a can record video data that is important and frequently accessed, such as video data used for real-time recording / playback or editing. The second storage 5b can record video data that is not immediately used but may be used in the future, such as for secondary use or reuse. The third storage 5c can record video data that is not immediately used but is stored for a long period of time for purposes such as archiving.

[0031] If the storage control device 3 determines that the video data is of high importance based on the metadata content of the video data, it decides to record the video data in the first storage 5a. On the other hand, if the storage control device 3 determines that the video data is of low importance, it decides whether to record the video data in the second storage 5b or the third storage 5c, according to its importance.

[0032] In Figure 1, there is only one of each of the first storage 5a, second storage 5b, and third storage 5c, but each of the first storage 5a, second storage 5b, and third storage 5c may contain multiple storage units.

[0033] [2. Information Processing Devices] The configuration of the information processing device 1 will be explained using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 includes a CPU 11, RAM 13, storage device 15, interface 17, and network interface 19.

[0034] The CPU 11 executes various processes in the information processing device 1. Specifically, the CPU 11 performs information processing such as video data compression, video data editing-related processing, and video data analysis processing. The CPU 11 executes the above processes by executing instructions indicated in the program stored in the storage device 15. Note that some of the processing in the information processing device 1 may be implemented by hardware implemented in the CPU 11. The CPU 11 generates commands for executing various processes.

[0035] RAM 13 is a memory area that temporarily stores commands, video data, etc., generated by the CPU 11. The storage device 15 consists of ROM, hard disk (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage device 15 stores programs executed by the CPU 11, settings related to information processing executed by the information processing device 1, parameters used for said information processing, etc.

[0036] Interface 17 connects the information processing device 1 to other devices. As shown in Figure 2, the video output device 2 and the operating device 4 are connected to interface 17. Interface 17 is an interface for connecting video-related equipment, such as an interface conforming to the Serial Digital Interface (SDI) standard.

[0037] The network interface 19 connects the information processing device 1 to other devices via a network such as a WAN or LAN. As shown in Figure 2, the storage control device 3 is connected to the network interface 19.

[0038] The network interface 19 enables direct transmission and reception of data between the RAM 13 of the information processing device 1 and the RAM of another device (RAM 33 of the storage control device 3) via Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA). This allows for high-speed data transmission and reception between the information processing device 1 and the other device. The network interface 19 is, for example, a Gigabit Ethernet® interface.

[0039] In addition, the video output device 2 and the operating device 4 in the information processing device 1 may be connected to the network interface 19 instead of interface 17. In this case, for example, transmission according to the ST2110 standard of the SMPTE standardization organization can be used.

[0040] In the information processing device 1, the control unit of the information processing device 1 is comprised of the CPU 11, RAM 13, interface 17, and network interface 19. Furthermore, the storage unit of the information processing device 1 is comprised of the storage device 15.

[0041] [3. Storage control device] The configuration of the storage control device 3 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the storage control device 3. The storage control device 3 includes a CPU 31, RAM 33, storage device 35, first storage interfaces 37a to third storage interfaces 37c, and a network interface 39.

[0042] The CPU 31 executes various processes in the storage control device 3. The CPU 31 grasps the usage status of the video data from its metadata, and based on the grasped usage status, decides which of the multiple storage devices 5a to 5c to record the video data in, and executes the process of recording the video data in the decided storage device. The CPU 31 executes various processes in the storage control device 3 by executing instructions shown in the program stored in the storage device 35. Note that some of the processes in the storage control device 3 may be realized by hardware implemented in the CPU 31.

[0043] RAM33 temporarily stores data, etc. RAM13 temporarily stores commands to the storage, data transmitted and received between the information processing unit 1 and the storage, etc.

[0044] The storage device 35 consists of ROM, hard disk (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage device 35 stores programs executed by the CPU 31, settings related to information processing in the storage control device 3, parameters used for said information processing, etc.

[0045] The first storage interface 37a connects the storage control device 3 and the first storage device 5a. The first storage interface 37a is, for example, a PCIe interface compliant with the PCI-SIG PCI express standard. This allows the storage control device 3 and the first storage device 5a to send and receive data at high speed using a protocol dedicated to non-volatile memory (NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express)) that uses the PCI-Express bus. In NVMe, the controller acquires data from the NAND memory using the NAND protocol, converts it to the PCIe protocol, and then transfers it to the host. In contrast, with conventional SATA (Serial-ATA), the DMA controller that directly transfers data to the host converts data from the NAND memory to the SATA protocol, acquires it, and then converts that data to the PCIe protocol before transferring it to the host. In other words, NVMe processing directly converts from the NAND protocol to the PCIe protocol, resulting in faster data transfer speeds.

[0046] The second storage interface 37b connects the storage control device 3 and the second storage device 5b. The second storage interface 37b is, for example, the PCIe interface or SATA (Serial-ATA) interface described above.

[0047] The third storage interface 37c connects the storage control device 3 and the third storage device 5c. The third storage interface 37c is, for example, a SATA (Serial-ATA) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface.

[0048] The network interface 39 connects the storage control device 3 to other devices via a network such as a WAN or LAN. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 1 is connected to the network interface 39. The network interface 39 uses RDMA to directly transmit and receive data between the RAM 33 of the storage control device 3 and the RAM of other devices (RAM 13 of the information processing device 1). Furthermore, the network interface 39 enables high-speed data transmission and reception with other devices using a protocol for communication over a network dedicated to solid-state drives (NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabric)). The network interface 39 is, for example, a Gigabit Ethernet® interface.

[0049] In the storage control device 3, the control unit of the storage control device 3 is comprised of a CPU 31, RAM 33, first storage interfaces 37a to third storage interfaces 37c, and a network interface 39. The storage unit of the storage control device 3 is comprised of a storage device 35.

[0050] [4. Operation of the video recording system] [4-1. Overview] The operation of the video recording system 100 is described below. The video recording system 100 determines which of several recording areas to record the video data input from the video output device 2 based on its usage status. The "usage status" that serves as the basis for determining the recording area of ​​the video data includes the importance of the video data, the time of data transfer of the video data, and the frequency of access.

[0051] In this disclosure, "recording area" means the first storage 5a to the third storage 5c, or the data recording area formed on the recording medium on which data is written by these storages.

[0052] [4-2. Video data recording operation based on importance (Part 1)] First, Figures 4 to 6 will be used to explain the video data recording operation based on importance. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device 1 in the video data recording operation based on importance. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the storage control device 3 in the video data recording operation based on importance. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the transmission and reception of signals in the video data recording operation based on the importance of the video data.

[0053] When video data is output from the video output device 2, the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 receives the video data and records it in the RAM 13 or storage device 15 of the information processing device 1 (step S11 in Figure 4, steps S101 and S104 in Figure 6).

[0054] Next, the CPU 11 analyzes the content of the received video data and determines its importance (step S12 in Figure 1). The CPU 11 determines the importance of the video data's content by, for example, using artificial intelligence for image analysis (e.g., image recognition) and / or audio analysis (e.g., speech recognition). For example, if the image analysis and / or audio analysis determine that the video data contains a climactic scene, the CPU 11 determines that the video data is highly important. On the other hand, if the image analysis and / or audio analysis determine that the video data does not contain any scenes that are of significant content, the CPU 11 determines that the video data is less important.

[0055] The CPU 11 generates importance parameters that represent the determined importance. These importance parameters may, for example, represent the degree of importance numerically (e.g., a larger number indicates higher importance), or they may simply indicate the level of importance of the content. The CPU 11 then associates the importance with the video data as metadata by recording the importance parameters in the video data metadata.

[0056] After recording the importance parameter in the metadata of the video data, the CPU 11 transmits the video data to the storage control device 3 (step S13 in Figure 4, steps S102 and S105 in Figure 6).

[0057] When the storage control device 3 receives video data (step S21 in Figure 5, "Yes"), the CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 extracts importance parameters from the metadata of the received video data. Then, the CPU 31 determines the importance of the received video data from the extracted importance parameters (step S22 in Figure 5). If the storage control device 3 has not received video data (step S21 in Figure 5, "No"), it waits until it receives video data, such as by performing other processing.

[0058] If the importance of the received video data is high (high in step S22 of Figure 5), the CPU 31 decides to record the received video data in the high-performance first storage 5a (first recording area) and records the video data in the first storage 5a (step S23 of Figure 5, step S103 of Figure 6).

[0059] On the other hand, if the importance of the received video data is low (low in step S22 of Figure 5), the CPU 31 decides to record the received video data in the second storage 5b or third storage 5c (second recording area), which have lower performance than the first storage 5a, and records the video data in the selected storage (step S24 of Figure 5, step S106 of Figure 6).

[0060] Whether to record low-priority video data in the second storage 5b or the third storage 5c can be determined, for example, by the degree of importance and the intended use of the video data to be recorded (e.g., whether it may be used for secondary purposes or for archiving).

[0061] As described above, by determining which of the multiple storage devices (first storage 5a to third storage 5c) to record the video data on based on the importance of the video data's content, the video data can be recorded on the appropriate storage device according to its importance.

[0062] For example, high importance in video data indicates that the video data is frequently used for playback and editing. By recording such video data in the high-performance (high-speed) first storage 5a, the video data can be used efficiently. For example, the video data can be played back smoothly without delay. In addition, the video data to be edited can be read at high speed, and the edited video data can be recorded at high speed, improving the efficiency of video data editing work.

[0063] [4-3. Recording of video data based on importance (Part 2)] Next, Figures 7 to 9 will be used to explain another example of video data recording operation based on importance. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device 1 in another example of video data recording operation based on importance. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the storage control device 3 in another example of video data recording operation based on importance. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the transmission and reception of signals in another example of video data recording operation based on importance. In this example, video data output from the video output device 2 is recorded sequentially, and after generating video files from the multiple recorded video data, it is decided which storage to move the video files to based on their importance.

[0064] When video data is output from the video output device 2, the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 receives the video data and records it in the RAM 13 or storage device 15 of the information processing device 1 (step S31 in Figure 7, step S201 in Figure 9).

[0065] Next, the CPU 11 analyzes the content of the received video data and determines its importance (step S32 in Figure 7). Subsequently, the CPU 11 generates an importance parameter representing the determined importance and records the importance parameter in the video data's metadata, thereby associating the importance with the video data as metadata.

[0066] Subsequently, the CPU 11 transmits the video data to the storage control device 3 (step S33 in Figure 7, step S202 in Figure 9). Steps S31 to S33 and S201 to S202 described above are executed each time video data is output from the video output device 2 until the video file generation operation described later is performed (while "No" is selected in step S34).

[0067] When the storage control device 3 receives video data (step S41 in Figure 8, "Yes"), the CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 records the received video data in the first storage 5a (step S42 in Figure 8, step S203 in Figure 9). Steps S41 to S42 and step S203 described above are executed each time video data is received from the information processing device 1 until a command to read the previously recorded video data is received from the information processing device 1 (while step S43 in Figure 8, "No").

[0068] While sequentially recording video data, the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 determines whether or not to generate a video file using the multiple video data recorded in the first storage 5a (step S34 in Figure 7). The CPU 11 determines to generate a video file, for example, when an operation to stop recording video data is performed on the information processing device 1 or the operating device 4. The CPU 11 also determines to generate a video file, for example, when a specified time has elapsed since the start of recording video data.

[0069] If it is determined to generate a video file (Yes in step S34 of Figure 7), the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 generates the video file (step S35 of Figure 7). Specifically, the following steps are executed to generate the video file. First, the CPU 11 sends a command (read command) to the storage control device 3 to read multiple video data that have been recorded so far from the first storage 5a (step S204 of Figure 9). This command includes, for example, information about the video data that has been recorded so far (for example, the file name).

[0070] Upon receiving a read command ("Yes" in step S43 of Figure 8), the CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 reads out multiple video data that have been recorded so far from the first storage 5a (step S44 in Figure 8, step S205 in Figure 9). The CPU 31 then transmits the read video data to the information processing device 1 (step S206 in Figure 9).

[0071] When the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 receives multiple video data to generate a video file, it uses the received video data to generate a video file (step S35 in Figure 7). Specifically, the CPU 11 combines the received video data, adds predetermined information (header, footer, metadata, etc.) to the combined video data, and generates a video file.

[0072] After generating the video file, the CPU 11 determines the importance of the video file. The importance of the video file can be determined, for example, by analyzing the contents of the video file. Alternatively, the importance of the video file may be determined if, for example, any of the video data that make up the video file have a high importance. Or, the importance of the video file may be determined based on the number of importance levels of the video data that make up the video file.

[0073] After determining the importance of the video file, CPU11 generates an importance parameter representing the importance and records it in the video file's metadata. This associates the video file's importance with the video file as metadata.

[0074] After generating the video file, the CPU 11 sends the video file, with the importance parameter recorded in the metadata, to the storage control device 3 (step S36 in Figure 7, step S207 in Figure 9). At this time, the CPU 11 instructs the storage control device 3 to record the generated video file into the first storage 5a.

[0075] When a video file is received (step S45 in Figure 8, "Yes"), the CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 records the received video file in the first storage 5a (step S46 in Figure 8, step S208 in Figure 9). After sending multiple video data to the information processing device 1, the storage control device 3 waits by performing other processes until it receives a video file (while step S45 in Figure 8, "No").

[0076] After recording the video file to the first storage 5a, the CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 reads the video file recorded to the first storage 5a in order to determine the importance of the video file (step S47 in Figure 8, step S209 in Figure 9).

[0077] Subsequently, the CPU 31 extracts importance parameters from the metadata of the read video file. Then, the CPU 31 determines the importance of the video file from the extracted importance parameters (step S48 in Figure 8).

[0078] If the video file is of high importance (high in step S48 of Figure 8), the CPU 31 decides to keep the video file recorded in the high-performance first storage 5a (first recording area) (step S49 of Figure 8).

[0079] On the other hand, if the importance of the video file is low (low in step S48 of Figure 8), the CPU 31 decides to move the video file from the first storage 5a to the second storage 5b or the third storage 5c (second recording area), and moves the video file from the first storage 5a to the determined storage (step S50 in Figure 8, steps S210-S211 in Figure 9). Whether to record a low-importance video file to the second storage 5b or the third storage 5c can be determined, for example, by the degree of importance, the intended use of the video file to be recorded, etc.

[0080] As described above, by generating a video file from multiple video data and determining which of the multiple storage devices (first storage 5a to third storage 5c) to record the video file on based on the importance of the video file, multiple video data can be recorded together in the appropriate storage device according to their importance. For the sake of explanation, Figure 8 shows the processes of steps S41 to S44 and the processes from step S45 onwards in series, but in actual operation, reading and receiving video data will operate in parallel.

[0081] [4-4. Video data recording operation based on data transfer time] The following describes the video data recording operation based on the data transfer time. In the video data recording operation based on the data transfer time, when the current time becomes the data transfer time, the video data to be moved is moved from the source storage (i.e., the storage where the video data is currently recorded) to the destination storage.

[0082] The data transfer time is determined based on the usage status of the video data to be transferred. For example, the data transfer time can be determined based on the period of use of the video data, the date and time when the use of the video data will be stopped, and the date and time when the video data will be reused.

[0083] The recording operation of video data based on the data transfer time is performed by the storage control device 3. For this reason, the data transfer time is stored in the storage device 35 of the storage control device 3. Specifically, the data transfer time is stored in the storage device 35 in association with other information necessary for moving video data in the data transfer time setting table T1 as shown in Figure 10. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data transfer time setting table T1. The data transfer time setting table T1 has a data transfer time setting column C1, a data name setting column C2, a source storage setting column C3, and a destination storage setting column C4.

[0084] The data transfer time setting column C1 stores the data transfer time at which the video data will be transferred. The data name to be transferred column C2 stores the name of the video data to be transferred at the data transfer time set in the data transfer time setting column C1 (for example, the file name).

[0085] The source storage setting column C3 stores the identification information of the source storage that is currently recording the video data to be moved. The destination storage setting column C4 stores the identification information of the destination storage to which the video data to be moved will be moved. For example, in the source storage setting column C3 and destination storage setting column C4 shown in Figure 10, "0" indicates the first storage 5a, "1" indicates the second storage 5b, and "2" indicates the third storage 5c.

[0086] The data transfer time setting table T1 in Figure 10 shows that the video data named "A" recorded in the first storage 5a will be moved from the first storage 5a to the second storage 5b at 10:00 on January 31, 2023; the video data named "B" recorded in the second storage 5b will be moved from the second storage 5b to the third storage 5c at 0:00 on February 2, 2023; and the video data named "C" recorded in the second storage 5b will be moved from the second storage 5b to the first storage 5a at 1:00 on March 10, 2023.

[0087] In the above, video data named "A" is moved from the first storage 5a to the second storage 5b because, for example, the likelihood of frequent playback or editing has decreased. Video data named "B" is moved from the second storage 5b to the third storage 5c for, for example, archiving and long-term storage. Video data named "C" is moved from the second storage 5b to the first storage 5a for, for example, reuse for playback or editing.

[0088] The data transfer time setting table T1 shown in Figure 10 is generated, for example, as follows. First, when the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 records video data to one of the storage devices, it records information in the metadata of the video data to determine the data transfer time, such as the usage period of the video data, the date and time when the use of the video data will be stopped, and the date and time when the video data will be reused.

[0089] Upon receiving video data, the CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 extracts information from the metadata of the received video data to determine the data transfer time, and based on this information, determines the data transfer time and the destination storage. Subsequently, the CPU 31 records the received video data to one of the storage devices. The choice of which storage device to record to can be determined, for example, based on the importance of the video data, as described above.

[0090] Subsequently, the CPU 31 stores the determined data transfer time in the data transfer time setting column C1, stores the name of the video data recorded in the storage in the data name to be moved setting column C2, stores the identification information of the storage on which the video data was recorded in the source storage setting column C3, and stores the identification information of the determined destination storage in the destination storage setting column C4, thereby generating the data transfer time setting table T1. After that, the CPU 31 stores the generated data transfer time setting table T1 in the storage device 35.

[0091] After generating the data transfer time setting table T1 as described above and storing it in the storage device 35, the video data recording operation based on the data transfer time is executed according to the flow shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the video data recording operation based on the data transfer time. The video data recording operation based on the data transfer time is executed by the storage control device 3.

[0092] The CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 determines whether the current time matches any of the data transfer times stored in the data transfer time setting column C1 of the data transfer time setting table T1 (step S61). If the current time does not match any of the data transfer times (No in step S61), the CPU 31 waits while performing other processes.

[0093] If the current time matches any of the data movement times (Yes in step S61), the CPU 31 identifies the video data to be moved from the video data name associated with the data movement time that matches the current time in the data name setting column C2. It also identifies the source storage from the storage identification information associated with the data movement time that matches the current time in the source storage setting column C3. Furthermore, it identifies the destination storage from the storage identification information associated with the data movement time that matches the current time in the destination storage setting column C4.

[0094] Subsequently, the CPU 31 reads the video data of the identified target for movement from the identified source storage (step S62), and records the read video data to the identified destination storage (step S63).

[0095] As described above, by moving video data from the source storage to the destination storage based on the data transfer time, video data can be recorded in the appropriate storage according to its usage. For example, video data that is less likely to be played back or edited (or is played back or edited infrequently) can be stored in storage suitable for long-term data recording (i.e., second storage 5b, third storage 5c) for secondary use or archiving.

[0096] On the other hand, for example, by recording video data that is frequently played back or edited on high-performance (high-speed) storage (i.e., the first storage 5a), it becomes possible to efficiently play back or edit the video data. In addition, the storage capacity used can be saved.

[0097] [4-5. Video data recording operation based on access frequency (Part 1)] The following describes the video data recording operation based on access frequency. This recording operation is performed when the first storage 5a is a solid-state drive (SSD). A solid-state drive uses semiconductor memory (flash memory) as a data recording medium. The data recording area of ​​a solid-state drive consists of multiple erase blocks. Each erase block consists of multiple pages. An erase block is a unit of data erasure. A page is a unit of data writing.

[0098] In solid-state drives, the number of data writes can vary across different erase blocks. This occurs when data writes are concentrated on a particular erase block. When data writes are concentrated on a specific erase block and the number of data writes to that erase block increases, that erase block will reach the end of its lifespan sooner. When one erase block reaches the end of its lifespan, the entire storage system becomes unusable.

[0099] Solid-state drives perform a process called "wear leveling" to prevent significant differences in the number of writes between multiple erase blocks. Wear leveling smooths out the number of writes between multiple erase blocks by moving data from one erase block to another. When wear leveling is performed during data writing / reading, it slows down the process. Therefore, it is preferable to suppress the occurrence of wear leveling.

[0100] To suppress wear leveling, when recording video data to the first storage 5a, which is a solid-state drive, the frequency of access to the video data is taken into consideration when deciding which erase block of the first storage 5a to record the video data to.

[0101] The following describes the video data recording operation based on access frequency. In the following description, it is assumed that the first storage 5a has N erase blocks (N: a positive number greater than or equal to 2). It is also assumed that each erase block has 100 pages, which are the units of data writing. Each page is assigned an address (for example, an LBA (Logical Block Address)) for accessing the page.

[0102] First, upon receiving video data from the video output device 2, the CPU 11 of the information processing device 1 analyzes the received video data and estimates the frequency of access to the video data. For example, if the video data contains important content and is determined to be frequently played back or edited, the CPU estimates that the video data will be accessed frequently.

[0103] After estimating the access frequency, the CPU 11 generates access parameters that represent the estimated access frequency. These access parameters may, for example, be numerical representations of the access frequency, or they may simply indicate whether the access frequency is high or low. The CPU 11 associates the access frequency with the video data by recording the access parameters in the video data's metadata. Subsequently, the CPU 11 transmits the video data associated with the access frequency to the storage control device 3.

[0104] Upon receiving video data, the storage control device 3 determines which erase block of the first storage 5a to record the video data in, based on the video data access frequency, and records the video data in the determined erase block. Specifically, the storage control device 3 records the video data in the first storage 5a according to the flowchart shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the video data recording operation based on access frequency.

[0105] In the following explanation, we assume that the number of writes to each erase block of the first storage 5a is as shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the write state of each erase block. We assume that the storage control device 3 knows in advance the number of writes to each erase block of the first storage 5a before writing video data. This can be achieved, for example, by the storage control device 3 acquiring the state of the first storage 5a at a predetermined period.

[0106] Furthermore, it is assumed that the video data is recorded at page addresses 60-249 of the first storage 5a. That is, it is assumed that the video data has a size equivalent to 190 pages. The information processing device 1 determines which address the video data is recorded at. The address to which the video data is recorded is recorded, for example, in the metadata.

[0107] The CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 first determines whether or not to record the video data to an empty erase block where no data has been written (step S71). As described above, the beginning of the video data is written to page address 60, so at the start of recording the video data, the CPU 31 determines to record the video data to an erase block where other data has already been recorded and pages from the 60th page onward are empty.

[0108] If it is determined not to record video data to an empty erase block (No in step S71), the CPU 31 records the video data to an erase block where other data has already been recorded (step S72). At the start of recording the video data, the CPU 31 records the portion of the video data from the beginning up to address 100 to an erase block where pages 60 and beyond are empty.

[0109] On the other hand, if it is decided to record the video data to an empty erase block (Yes in step S71), it is determined which of the empty erase blocks the video data will be recorded in. In the above video data, the empty erase block is determined at the start of recording the portion corresponding to addresses 101 to 200 and the portion corresponding to addresses 201 to 249 of the video data.

[0110] As described above, the empty erase block for recording video data is determined based on the access frequency of the video data. Therefore, the CPU 31 extracts access parameters from the metadata of the video data and determines whether the video data to be recorded is accessed frequently or not (step S73).

[0111] If the video data is accessed infrequently (low in step S73), the CPU 31 decides to record the video data in an erase block (third recording area) with a low number of writes, and records the video data in that erase block (step S74). If the number of writes is as shown in Figure 13, the CPU 31 decides to record the video data in erase block "1", which has the fewest number of writes.

[0112] On the other hand, if the video data is accessed frequently (high in step S73), the CPU 31 decides to record the video data in the erase block (fourth recording area) with the most writes, and records the video data in that erase block (step S75). If the number of writes is as shown in Figure 13, the CPU 31 decides to record the video data in erase block "4", which has the most writes.

[0113] If video data is recorded in an empty erase block, the CPU 31 registers the access frequency of the video data on each page of the erase block where the video data is recorded (step S76).

[0114] If you want to continue recording video data after performing steps S71 to S76 above (select "No" in step S77), then steps S71 to S76 will be repeated. On the other hand, if you want to stop recording video data (select "Yes" in step S77), then the video data recording operation based on access frequency will be terminated.

[0115] As described above, by recording video data with low access frequency in erase blocks with low write counts and video data with high access frequency in erase blocks with high write counts, the rate at which the write count increases in erase blocks with high write counts becomes slower than the rate at which the write count increases in erase blocks with low write counts, and the difference in write counts between these erase blocks decreases over time. As a result, the difference in write counts between multiple erase blocks contained in the first storage 5a becomes smaller, and the occurrence of wear leveling in the first storage 5a is suppressed.

[0116] [4-6. Video data recording operation based on access frequency (Part 2)] The following describes other examples of video data recording operations based on access frequency. As described above, by recording video data with low access frequency in erase blocks with few writes and video data with high access frequency in erase blocks with many writes, wear leveling in the first storage 5a can be suppressed. However, for example, due to a misestimation of access frequency, video data that is estimated to have low access frequency but actually has high access frequency may be recorded in erase blocks with few writes. As a result, the rate at which the write count of that erase block increases is slow, the difference with the write count of other erase blocks becomes large, and wear leveling may occur.

[0117] Therefore, in order to suppress further wear leveling, when wear leveling is performed, video data that was actually accessed frequently but recorded in erase blocks with fewer writes is moved to erase blocks with more writes. Specifically, this recording operation is performed according to the flowchart shown in Figure 14. This recording operation is performed by the storage control device 3. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing another example of video data recording operation based on access frequency.

[0118] The CPU 31 of the storage control device 3 determines whether or not to perform wear leveling (step S81). It decides to perform wear leveling if the difference in the number of writes between multiple erase blocks of the first storage 5a exceeds a predetermined threshold. If it decides not to perform wear leveling (No in step S81), the CPU 31 waits while performing other processes.

[0119] On the other hand, if it is determined that wear leveling should be performed (Yes in step S81), the CPU 31 selects the erase blocks to be subjected to wear leveling. Specifically, the CPU 31 selects erase blocks that have a low number of writes (for example, the fewest number of writes) and that record video data that is considered to have a low access frequency but is actually accessed frequently, as the targets for wear leveling (step S82).

[0120] Next, the CPU 31 changes the access frequency of the video data recorded in the erase block selected in step S82 from "low" to "high" (step S83). This corrects the misestimation of the access frequency and enables more appropriate management of the video data.

[0121] Subsequently, the CPU 31 moves the video data recorded in the erase block selected in step S82 to an erase block (fifth recording area) with a higher number of writes than the selected erase block (step S84). As the destination erase block for the video data, an erase block with a relatively high number of writes is selected from among the multiple erase blocks included in the first storage 5a. For example, the erase block with the highest number of writes (eraser block "4" in the example shown in Figure 13) can be selected as the destination erase block.

[0122] As described above, by moving video data recorded in erase blocks that are mistakenly estimated to have low access frequency and therefore have a low number of writes to erase blocks with a high number of writes, it is possible to suppress the large difference in the number of writes between multiple erase blocks included in the first storage 5a, thereby suppressing the occurrence of further wear leveling.

[0123] [5. Other Embodiments] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. In particular, the multiple embodiments and modifications described herein can be arbitrarily combined as needed.

[0124] (A) The order and content of each process in the flowchart described above can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the entities that execute each process (information processing device 1, storage control device 3, first storage 5a to third storage 5c) can also be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0125] (B) For example, the video recording system 100 may be configured to perform some of the video data recording operations described above, but not the rest, based on user input.

[0126] (C) The configuration and / or functions of the storage control device 3 described above may be included in the information processing device 1. That is, the information processing device 1 may have a storage interface for connecting multiple storage devices (first storage 5a to third storage 5c). Also, the control unit of the information processing device 1 may perform each function of the storage control device 3 (i.e., the video data recording operation described above).

[0127] (D) The first storage interface 37a, the second storage interface 37b, and the third storage interface 37c may be formed by logically separating a single physical interface. Furthermore, the connection between these storage interfaces and the storage may not be one-to-one, but may be connected via a switch using a network such as Ethernet® or FiberChannel.

[0128] (E) In the above embodiment, the information processing device 1 analyzed the video data to determine its usage status (importance, access frequency, data movement time). However, it is not limited to this, and the storage control device 3 may also analyze the video data to determine its usage status.

[0129] [6. Features of this disclosure] (1) The video data recording method of this disclosure is a method for recording video data to multiple recording areas, each having different performance characteristics. The recording method comprises the following steps:

[0130] ◎ Obtaining video data usage status by analyzing video data. (Usage status acquisition step)

[0131] ◎ A recording area determination step that determines which of multiple recording areas to record the video data in, based on usage conditions.

[0132] In the video data recording method described above, the video data is analyzed to determine its usage, and based on this determination (i.e., the video data usage), it is decided which of the multiple recording areas the video data should be recorded in. This allows the video data to be recorded in the appropriate recording area according to its usage.

[0133] (2) In the recording method described in (1) above, the multiple recording areas may include a first recording area and a second recording area having lower performance than the first recording area. In this case, the usage status acquisition step may include a step of analyzing the content of the video data and acquiring the importance of the video data as usage status. The recording area determination step may also include a step of deciding to record video data with high importance in the first recording area and video data with low importance in the second recording area. This makes it possible to record video data in appropriate storage according to its importance.

[0134] (3) In the recording method of (1) or (2) above, the usage status acquisition step may include a step of acquiring the data transfer time as the usage status. The data transfer time is the time when the video data is moved from the recording area where it is currently recorded to another recording area. In this case, the recording area determination step may include a step of moving the video data from the recording area where it is currently recorded to another recording area when the current time matches the data transfer time. This makes it possible to record the video data in appropriate storage according to the usage status of the video data.

[0135] (4) In any of the recording methods described in (1) to (3) above, the multiple recording areas may include a first recording area and a second recording area having lower performance than the first recording area. In this case, the usage status acquisition step may generate a video file from multiple video data and acquire the importance of the video file as the usage status of the video data. The recording area determination step may also include a step of recording the video file in the first recording area and a step of deciding whether or not to move the video file recorded in the first recording area to the second recording area based on the importance of the video file. This allows multiple video data to be recorded together in appropriate storage according to their importance.

[0136] (5) In any of the recording methods described in (1) to (4) above, the multiple recording areas may include a third recording area with a low number of writes and a fourth recording area with a high number of writes. In this case, the usage status acquisition step may include a step of determining the usage status based on the frequency of access to the video data. The recording area determination step may also include a step of deciding to record video data with a low access frequency in the third recording area and video data with a high access frequency in the fourth recording area. This reduces the difference in the number of writes between the multiple recording areas, thereby suppressing wear leveling.

[0137] (6) In the recording method described in (5) above, the recording area determination step may include a step of moving video data recorded in the third recording area, which is judged to have a low access frequency, from the third recording area to the fifth recording area, which has a high write count, if the video data recorded in the third recording area is judged to have a low access frequency and has a high access frequency. This makes it possible to move video data recorded in a recording area (third recording area) that is mistakenly estimated to have a high access frequency and has a low write count to a recording area (fifth recording area) that has a high write count. As a result, it is possible to suppress the large difference in the number of writes between multiple recording areas and suppress the occurrence of wear leveling.

[0138] (7) In the recording method described in (6) above, the recording area determination step may include a step of changing the access frequency of the video data moved from the third recording area to the fifth recording area to a higher value. This corrects misestimations of access frequency and enables more appropriate management of the video data.

[0139] (8) In any of the recording methods described in (1) to (7) above, the usage acquisition step may include a step of associating the usage status with the video data as metadata. This eliminates the need to manage the video data and the usage status separately, making it easier to manage the video data.

[0140] (9) The storage control device of the present disclosure comprises an interface for communicating with a plurality of recording areas, each having different performance characteristics, which are capable of recording video data, and a control unit for controlling the recording of video data to the plurality of recording areas. In this storage control device, the control unit determines which of the plurality of recording areas to record the video data in based on the usage status of the video data determined by analyzing the video data.

[0141] The storage control device described above analyzes the video data to determine its usage, and based on this determination (i.e., the video data usage), it decides which of the multiple recording areas to record the video data in. This allows the video data to be recorded in the appropriate recording area according to its usage.

[0142] (10) Other information processing devices of the present disclosure include an interface for communicating with a plurality of recording areas, each having different performance characteristics, which are capable of recording video data, and a control unit for controlling the recording of video data to the plurality of recording areas. In this information processing device, the control unit determines which of the plurality of recording areas to record the video data in based on the usage status of the video data determined by analyzing the video data.

[0143] The above-described information processing device analyzes video data to determine its usage status, and based on this determination (i.e., the usage status of the video data), it decides which of the multiple recording areas to record the video data in. This allows video data to be recorded in the appropriate recording area according to its usage status.

[0144] (11) The video recording system of this disclosure comprises an information processing device, a plurality of recording areas, and a storage control device. The information processing device performs processing related to video data. The plurality of recording areas are capable of recording video data. The plurality of recording areas each have different performance characteristics. The storage control device controls the recording of video data to the plurality of recording areas. In this system, the information processing device determines the usage status of the video data by analyzing the video data. Based on the usage status of the video data, the storage control device determines which of the plurality of recording areas to record the video data in.

[0145] The video recording system described above analyzes video data to determine its usage, and based on this determination (i.e., the usage status of the video data), it decides which of the multiple recording areas to record the video data in. This allows video data to be recorded in the appropriate recording area according to its usage. [Industrial applicability]

[0146] This disclosure is broadly applicable to video recording systems, storage control devices, information processing devices, and recording methods for recording video data in a predetermined recording area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0147] 100: Video recording system 1: Information Processing Device 11: CPU 13: RAM 15:Storage device 17: Interface 19: Network Interface 2: Video output device 3: Storage control unit 31: CPU 33: RAM 35: Storage device 37a: First storage interface 37b: Second storage interface 37c: Third storage interface 39: Network Interface 4: Operating device 5a: First Storage 5b: Second storage 5c: Third storage T1: Data transfer time setting table C1: Data transfer time setting column C2: Column for setting the name of the data to be moved. C3: Source storage setting column C4: Destination storage setting column

Claims

1. A method for recording video data to multiple recording areas, each having different performance characteristics, The plurality of recording areas include a first recording area and a second recording area having lower performance than the first recording area. A usage status acquisition step involves obtaining the usage status of the video data by analyzing the video data, The system includes a recording area determination step, which determines which of the plurality of recording areas to record the video data in based on the usage status, The usage status acquisition step includes generating a video file from multiple video data and acquiring the importance of the video file as the usage status. The recording area determination step is: The steps include recording the aforementioned video file in the first recording area, A step of determining whether or not to move the video file recorded in the first recording area to the second recording area based on the importance of the video file, A recording method that includes this.

2. The recording method according to claim 1, wherein the usage status acquisition step includes a step of associating the usage status with the video data as metadata.

3. An interface that can record video data and communicates with multiple recording areas, each having different performance characteristics, A control unit that controls the recording of the video data to the plurality of recording areas, Equipped with, The plurality of recording areas include a first recording area and a second recording area having lower performance than the first recording area. The control unit, A video file is generated from the aforementioned multiple video data, and the importance of the video file is obtained by analyzing the video data. The aforementioned video file is recorded in the first recording area. Based on the importance of the aforementioned video file, it is determined whether or not to move the video file recorded in the first recording area to the second recording area. Storage control device.

4. An interface that can record video data and communicates with multiple recording areas, each having different performance characteristics, A control unit that controls the recording of the video data to the plurality of recording areas, Equipped with, The plurality of recording areas include a first recording area and a second recording area having lower performance than the first recording area. The control unit, A video file is generated from the aforementioned multiple video data, and the importance of the video file is obtained by analyzing the video data. The aforementioned video file is recorded in the first recording area. Based on the importance of the aforementioned video file, it is determined whether or not to move the video file recorded in the first recording area to the second recording area. Information processing device.

5. An information processing device that performs processing related to video data, Multiple recording areas capable of recording the aforementioned video data, each having different performance characteristics, A storage control device that controls the recording of the video data to the plurality of recording areas, Equipped with, The plurality of recording areas include a first recording area and a second recording area having lower performance than the first recording area. The information processing device generates a video file from the aforementioned video data, analyzes the video data to obtain the importance of the video file, The storage control device records the video file in the first recording area. Based on the importance of the aforementioned video file, it is determined whether or not to move the video file recorded in the first recording area to the second recording area. Video recording system.

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