JP4159957B2 - Receiving device, recording device, reservation method, information providing method, and recording method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus, a recording apparatus, and a reservation method for transferring video and audio data such as a TV program via wireless communication.

In recent years, systems for transferring video and audio data such as TV programs received by a receiving device to an external device via wireless communication have been put into practical use in various fields. However, in such a system, there is a problem that data transfer is executed regardless of the strength of wireless communication, that is, even when the radio wave strength is weak. As an apparatus for solving such a problem, for example, wireless communication is performed by switching between a high-speed communication mode and a low-speed communication mode, a communication state is calculated from the number of times of communication, and a message indicating the communication state is transmitted at predetermined time intervals. A display device has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-10-190561

  However, the conventional device displays the communication state calculated based on the number of high-speed and low-speed communication connections performed in advance, and often does not indicate the communication state at the place where data communication is actually performed, The communication state notified to the user is not necessarily accurate.

  Further, like a conventional device, in a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone, when a transmission error occurs, transmission data can be retransmitted because it is stored in a built-in memory. On the other hand, in a system that receives and transfers video / audio data such as TV broadcast, for example, if a transmission error occurs, the received data is often not stored, and retransmission is often difficult. For this reason, video / audio data of a portion where a transmission error has occurred cannot be left for viewing or data recording, and it is more necessary to indicate a communication state at a place where data communication is actually performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and by receiving a communication state in a place where data communication is actually performed, a receiving device, a recording device, and a recording device capable of suppressing the occurrence of a data recording error due to a transmission error, An object is to provide a reservation method, an information providing method, and a recording method.

To achieve the above object, the receiving apparatus of the present invention is a reception apparatus for providing information received from the outside to the recording device connected wirelessly input unit for inputting information about the reservation of recording against the recording device And a first transmission unit that transmits confirmation data for confirming a communication state to the recording device based on information related to the recording reservation input to the input unit, and the first transmission unit. Based on the first response data received by the first receiver, the first receiver that receives the first response data from the recording device indicating that the confirmation data has been transmitted, A first discriminating unit that discriminates the quality of the communication state; a registration unit that registers information relating to the recording reservation; and recording target data that is a target of recording registration registered in the registration unit. Send 2 transmission units, a second reception unit for sequentially receiving second response data from the recording apparatus indicating that the recording target data transmitted from the second transmission unit has been transmitted, and the second And a second determining unit that determines whether the communication state is good or not based on second response data sequentially received by the two receiving units .

To achieve the above object, a recording apparatus of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus for recording the information provided by the receiving apparatus connected wirelessly, an input section for inputting information about the reservation of recording against the recording device A first transmission unit that transmits information related to a recording reservation input to the input unit to the reception device, and requests transmission of confirmation data for confirming a communication state; and the requested confirmation data is received. A first determination unit that determines whether the communication state is good or not based on confirmation data received by the first reception unit, and a registration unit that registers information related to the recording reservation And based on the recording target data received by the second receiving unit, the second receiving unit that receives the recording target data that is the target of the recording reservation registered by the registration unit, and the second receiving unit, Communication Characterized by a second determination unit for determining the quality, the provided.

To achieve the above object, reservation method of the present invention, the reservation method in a receiver for providing information received from the external portion is a recording apparatus connected wirelessly, the information about the reservation of recording against the recording device A step of inputting, a step of transmitting confirmation data for confirming a communication state to the recording device based on the information relating to the input recording reservation, and the transmitted confirmation data being transmitted. Receiving the first response data from the recording device, determining the quality of the communication state based on the received first response data, and registering information related to the recording reservation A registration unit step; a step of transmitting recording target data to be registered for the registered recording to the recording device; and the transmitted recording pair Sequentially receiving second response data from the recording device indicating that data has been transmitted; and determining whether the communication state is good or not based on the second response data received sequentially. , Including .

To achieve the above object, reservation method of the present invention, the reservation method in a recording apparatus for recording information provided from the receiving apparatus connected wirelessly, enter information about reservation of recording against the recording device Transmitting information related to the input recording reservation to the receiving device, requesting transmission of confirmation data for confirming a communication state, receiving the requested confirmation data, Based on the received confirmation data, the step of determining the quality of the communication state, the step of registering information related to the recording reservation, and the recording target data that is the target of the registered recording reservation receiving from, on the basis of the received recording target data, comprising the steps of determining the quality of the communication state, to include And butterflies.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a data recording error due to a transmission error by notifying the communication state at a place where data communication is actually performed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of a system including a receiving device 1 and a recording device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a system A including a receiving apparatus 1a and a recording apparatus 2a as a first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a system B including a receiving device 1b and a storage device 2b as a second embodiment. In the systems A and B, the same parts are described using the same symbols.

  In the system A shown in FIG. 1, the receiving device 1 receives broadcast radio waves from a broadcaster via an antenna 11. Then, the TV tuner 13 selects a program designated by the user from the broadcast radio wave received by the antenna 11, demodulates the video signal, audio signal, and data signal of the selected program, and outputs the demodulated various signals. Output to the audio / video decoder 15.

  Also, for example, broadcast radio waves for billing broadcasting such as CATV (cable television) and satellite broadcasting are received by a receiving STB (Set Top Box) 14 via a dedicated antenna (not shown). Then, the reception STB 14 demodulates the received video signal, audio signal, and data signal, and further outputs various signals decoded and de-scrambled to the audio / video decoder 15.

  The audio / video decoder 15 performs decoding in accordance with various signals input from the TV tuner 13 or the reception STB 14, and applies a technique (for example, a technique such as HTML or BML) used in MPEG decoding or the Internet. Used. The audio / video decoder 15 outputs the decoded video signal to the video processing unit 16, outputs the decoded audio signal to the audio processing unit 18, and outputs the decoded data signal to the main control unit 22 via the bus 25. At the same time, the decrypted various signals are output to the re-encryption unit 20.

  The video processing unit 16 processes the video signal input in accordance with the display unit 17 and outputs the processed video signal to the display unit 17. The audio processing unit 18 processes an audio signal input in accordance with the speaker 19 and outputs it to the speaker 19. The re-encryption unit 20 converts various input signals into a packet format used in wireless communication, and further encrypts and outputs the signal to the wireless communication unit 21 when the signal is related to digital broadcasting.

  The wireless communication unit 21 converts the packet format signal input from the re-encryption unit 20 into a wireless state and transmits the signal to the external recording device 2a. The wireless communication unit 21 receives a wireless state signal transmitted from the outside. The wireless communication unit 21 is a wireless communication device configured to perform wireless communication in accordance with, for example, the IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11b standard.

  The main control unit 22 controls the entire receiving apparatus 1a and appropriately monitors the state of each block. Further, processing of information relating to a program such as a data signal decoded by the audio / video decoder 15, for example, EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is executed.

  The data communication monitoring unit 26 processes the signals from the re-encryption unit 25 and the wireless communication unit 21 to determine how accurately the data transmitted wirelessly from the wireless communication unit 21 is received by the recording device 2a ( That is, how much data is actually transmitted per unit time) is observed, and the observation result is output to the main control unit 22.

The data communication monitoring unit 26 is not necessarily required to constantly monitor an accurate data rate.
If it is possible to estimate the degree of communication failure that will occur when data is wirelessly transmitted to the recording device 2a in the current installation environment (device position and antenna position / angle) of the receiving device 1a and the recording device 2a. good. By observing, for example, the frequency of occurrence of data errors in the data communication monitoring unit 26, it is possible to estimate the degree of communication failure.

  Here, when the transmitted data is normally received by the receiving side (recording apparatus 2a), a confirmation signal (ACKnowledgement signal) is transmitted from the receiving side (recording apparatus 2a) to the transmitting side (receiving apparatus 1a). Consider the communication method. In this case, if the transmission fails, the ACK signal is not transmitted from the receiving side. Therefore, the frequency of occurrence of the data error can be observed by counting the reception status of the ACK signal in the wireless communication unit 21 on the transmitting side (receiving device 1a). it can.

  As another implementation method, data of a predetermined pattern set in advance is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 21 of the receiving device 1a to the recording device 2a. On the other hand, the recording device 2a sends back copy data of the received data to the receiving device 1a. As a result, the data communication monitoring unit 26 of the receiving device 1a can also observe the error occurrence state by comparing the data before transmission with the received copy data.

  Next, the recording device 2 a receives external radio waves via the wireless communication unit 31. The radio signal received by the radio communication unit 31 is output to the re-encryption unit 32. If the input signal is encrypted, the re-encryption unit 32 performs decryption, and then performs data conversion so as to match the recording format of the first recording unit 34-1. The re-encryption unit 32 further encrypts the copy-protected content.

  The recording control unit 33 controls the entire recording device 2a, and records the signal processed by the re-encryption unit 32 in the first recording unit 34-1 or the second recording unit 34-2. The first and second recording units 34-1 and 34-2 are composed of a disk-type recording medium such as an HDD or a DVD. The first recording unit 34-1 records a video signal, an audio signal, and a data signal. In the second recording unit 34-2, management information relating to various signals recorded in the first recording unit 34-1 is recorded.

  In addition, the recording control unit 33 reads the information instructed from the first and second recording units 34-1 and 3-2 according to an instruction from the outside, and if the content is copy protected by the re-encryption unit 32 After decryption, the data is further encrypted and wirelessly output to the outside by the wireless communication unit 31.

  The wireless communication unit 31 and / or the re-encryption unit 32 of the recording device 2a is set in advance when the transmitted data is normally received in accordance with an instruction from an external device such as the reception device 1a. It is also possible to transmit a confirmation signal (ACKnowledgement signal) from the wireless communication unit 31 at a predetermined timing, or to send back copy data of the received data to the receiving device 1a.

  As described above, in the system A shown in FIG. 1, the data communication monitoring unit 26 as an observation unit is provided in the receiving device 1a, and the receiving device 1a grasps the data communication state. In contrast, a configuration in which a data communication monitoring unit 36 as an observation unit is provided in the recording apparatus 2b as in the system B shown in FIG. 2 will be described below. The configuration other than the data communication monitoring units 26 and 36 is the same as that of the system A (reception device 1a and recording device 2a) shown in FIG.

  In the system B shown in FIG. 2, the data communication monitoring unit 36 of the recording device 2b processes the signals from the wireless communication unit 31 and the re-encryption unit 32, thereby transmitting data transmitted wirelessly from the receiving device 1b. Is accurately received by the recording device 2b (that is, how much data is actually transmitted per unit time). Then, the data communication support unit 36 outputs the observation result to the recording control unit 33 via the bus 35 and also wirelessly transmits to the reception device 1b via the wireless communication unit 31 as necessary.

  The data communication monitoring unit 36 is not necessarily required to constantly monitor an accurate data rate. In the current installation environment (device location, antenna position / angle) of the reception device 1b and the recording device 2b, the reception device 1b. It is only necessary to be able to estimate the degree of communication failure that will occur when data is wirelessly transmitted to the recording device 2b. By observing, for example, the frequency of occurrence of data errors in the data communication monitoring unit 36, it is possible to estimate the degree of this communication failure.

  Here, when the transmitted data is normally received on the receiving side (recording device 2b), a wireless signal that transmits a confirmation signal (ACK signal) from the receiving side (recording device 2b) to the transmitting side (receiving device 1b). Considering the communication method, since the ACK signal is not transmitted from the receiving side when transmission fails, the frequency of occurrence of data errors can be observed by counting the transmission status of this ACK signal.

  As another realization method, when data of a predetermined pattern set in advance is transmitted from the receiving device 1b to the recording device 2b, the data of the predetermined pattern is previously stored in the second recording unit 34-2 of the recording device 2b. In the recording apparatus 2b, it is possible to observe an error occurrence state by comparing the received data with data of a predetermined pattern stored in advance.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the data communication monitoring unit 36 of the recording apparatus 2b in the system B and its peripheral configuration. As shown in FIG. 3, in order to make the output signal level constant in the wireless communication unit 31, based on the AGC control voltage from the AGC control unit 303, an RF AGC (Radio Frequency Automatic Gain Control) amplifier 302, an RF equivalent unit 304. The IF AGC amplifier 305 sequentially amplifies and smoothes the signal at the input terminal 301 and outputs it to the subsequent re-encryption unit 32.

  The re-encryption unit 32 includes a decryption unit 308 including an error correction circuit and a packet processing unit 309. The error correction circuit detects whether an error is included. When the error is detected, the counter unit 311 generates an error. Outputs a notification signal. The packet processing unit 309 performs packet processing on the signal from the decoding unit 308 and outputs the processing result from the output terminal 310 to the recording control unit 33.

  The data communication monitoring unit 36 includes a first comparison unit 306 that outputs a communication state based on an output from the AGC control unit 303, and a second comparison unit 312 that outputs an error situation based on an output from the decoding unit 308. It consists of.

  The first comparison unit 306 has a filter that absorbs fine fluctuations in the AGC control voltage. The first comparison part 306 outputs an AGC control voltage that is output from the AGC control part 303 and has fine fluctuations removed by the filtering process. (Amplification). As a result of this comparison, when it is determined that the AGC control voltage fluctuates beyond the fluctuation range, the communication state of the first comparison unit 306 from the output terminal 307 to the recording control unit 33 is not stable (not preferable). ) Is output.

  The second comparison unit 312 compares the count value counted by the counter unit 311 based on the error signal from the decoding unit 308 with a preset set value. As a result, when the count value is larger than the set value, a signal indicating whether the communication state is good or bad (or a signal indicating the error count value in stages) may be output from the output terminal 303 to the recording control unit 33. To do.

  Next, a flow of a series of processing for program recording reservation performed by the user in the systems A and B described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing related to program recording reservation performed by the user in the systems A and B described above. Hereinafter, the contents that can be commonly described in the systems A and B will be collectively referred to as the receiving apparatus 1, and the recording apparatuses 2 a and 2 b will be collectively referred to as the recording apparatus 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the systems A and B, a recording reservation is made by the user by using a remote control device (not shown), for example, using an EPG function as shown in FIG. 5 or a display unit of the recording device 2 (not shown). Various information related to the program to be input is input. In response to this, the systems A and B display a window for confirming whether to make a recording reservation, as shown in FIG.

  Here, for example, when the user selects the [Yes] button and receives an input for recording reservation in the systems A and B (step ST11), wireless communication is performed between the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 next. The communication status is confirmed (step ST12). If the receiving device 1 is in an environment capable of wireless communication with a plurality of recording devices 2, in ST12, wireless communication is performed with all the recording devices 2 capable of communication, and the communication state is confirmed.

  When the communication status is confirmed in ST12, the systems A and B use the screen display shown in FIG. 7 to notify the user of the communication status between the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 confirmed. (Step ST13).

  In the notification screen shown in FIG. 7, identification information (for example, a model number) indicating the recording device wirelessly communicated with the receiving device, so that the user can understand which recording device the receiving device indicates the communication state with, Information indicating the communication status (for example, information indicating whether the communication status is “good” or “bad”, information indicating the radio wave intensity, information indicating the frequency of occurrence of communication errors, etc.) is displayed.

  When the user selects the [Yes] button on the notification screen shown in FIG. 7 notified in ST13, the systems A and B determine that “recording reservation” registration has been selected (Y / in step ST14). N key, ST15 Yes), reservation information (information such as recording start time / end time, channel, recording device model number to be recorded, etc.) is stored in one or both of the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2, and is in a standby state. (Step ST16).

  Further, in the notification screen shown in FIG. 7 notified by ST13, if the [No] button is selected by the user, it is determined that cancellation of recording reservation (unregistered) has been selected (Y / N key in step ST14, No in ST15), a series of recording reservation processing ends.

  Further, when the [Again] button is selected by the user on the notification screen shown in FIG. 7 notified by ST13, it is determined that the reconfirmation of the communication state has been instructed (Again key in step ST14), and the process proceeds to ST12. The wireless communication is executed again between the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2, the communication state is confirmed, and the notification screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed (ST12, 13).

  Further, when the user selects the [Next] button on the notification screen shown in FIG. 7 notified by ST13, it is determined that the display of the notification screen of another recording apparatus has been instructed (Next key of step ST14). The reception device 1 switches to a screen showing a communication state with another recording device capable of wireless communication, and proceeds to the process of ST13 (step ST17).

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the information regarding the recording reservation is input by the user in the systems A and B, the wireless communication state between the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 is confirmed before the reservation registration. Have noticed. Accordingly, in the installation environment of the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 at the time of the recording reservation process, it is possible to record the program reserved for recording without any transmission error by confirming and notifying whether the wireless communication state is good. The user can grasp whether or not the recording reservation process is in progress.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the flow of the program recording reservation process in the receiving apparatus 1 and the recording apparatus 2 will be described along the flow of the process shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing when a recording reservation is made using the EPG function. The alternate long and short dash line indicates the correspondence with the step number of the process shown in FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8, the main control unit 22 of the reception device 1 has received from the antenna 11 or the reception STB 14 based on a user instruction received via the wireless communication unit 21 (or another reception unit (not illustrated)). The EPG screen information is controlled to be displayed on the display unit 17 as shown in FIG. 5 (step ST21).

 When the user inputs various types of information about a program to be reserved for recording from a remote controller (not shown) using the EPG screen via the wireless communication unit 21, the main control unit 22 receives the information and displays the recording shown in FIG. A window for confirming whether or not to make a reservation is displayed, and an instruction waiting state from the user is set (step ST22). Here, for example, when the user selects the [Yes] button and receives an input to register the recording reservation, the main control unit 22 then communicates with the recording device 2 to the data communication monitoring unit 26. Instructs to perform the confirmation.

  That is, in the system A shown in FIG. 1, the main control unit 22 transmits confirmation data for confirming the communication state with the recording device 2a via the re-encryption unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 21 (step ST23), the data communication monitoring unit 26 observes the response status from the recording device 2a (step ST24).

  In the recording apparatus 2a, when the confirmation data is received by the wireless communication unit 31 in ST24 (step ST41), the recording control unit 33 receives information on the reception status of the confirmation data (for example, a confirmation signal such as an ACK signal or the like) Response data including data copy data) is transmitted to the receiving device 1a via the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST42).

  When the receiving device 1a receives the response data from the recording device 2a via the wireless communication unit 21 (step ST24), the data communication monitoring unit 26 determines a data error with the recording device 2a based on the response data. The frequency is determined and the observation result is output to the main control unit 22. The main control unit 22 displays the observation result of the data communication monitoring unit 26 as the communication state on the display unit 17 using the notification screen shown in FIG. 7 (step ST25).

  In the system B shown in FIG. 2, the main control unit 22 of the reception device 1b receives confirmation data for confirming the communication state with the recording device 2a via the re-encryption unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 21. Transmit (step ST23).

In the recording device 2b, when the confirmation data is received by the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST41), the data communication monitoring unit 36 determines, for example, the frequency of data error with the receiving device 1b and outputs it to the recording control unit 33. . The recording control unit 33 transmits response data including information (for example, data error frequency) regarding the reception (communication) state input from the data communication monitoring unit 36 via the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST42).

  In the receiving device 1b, when receiving the response data from the recording device 2b via the wireless communication unit 21 (step ST24), the main control unit 22 receives the notification using the notification screen shown in FIG. Information on the communication state such as data error frequency is displayed (step ST25). In ST56, the communication state is displayed on the display unit 17 of the receiving device 1b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the system B, the data communication monitoring unit 36 is mounted on the recording device 2b. The communication state may be displayed on a display unit (not shown).

  Here, when the main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1 (1a, 1b) determines that the data error frequency is higher than a preset setting value and the communication state is “good” (No in step ST26). The process proceeds to ST28. If it is lower than the set value and the communication state is determined to be “bad” (Yes in step ST26), a notification is made to improve the reception state (step ST27).

  As a specific notification method in ST27, for example, an announcement for prompting the user to change the installation method of the receiving apparatus 1 or the recording apparatus 2 or the angle of the antenna is notified. Further, at this time, an error rate meter (not shown) may be displayed on the display unit 17 to notify the user of the state of the error rate that changes in accordance with the adjustment of the installation environment by the user. .

  When the key information selected by the user is received while the notification screen is displayed (step ST28), the main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1 controls to execute the instruction indicated by the received key information.

  That is, when the user selects the [Yes] button while the notification screen is displayed, the main control unit 22 of the receiving apparatus 1 determines that registration of “recording reservation” has been selected (No in step ST29). ST30 No, ST32 Yes) and reservation information (recording start / end time, channel, model number of recording device to be recorded, etc.) are stored in the memory 23 of the receiving device 1 and a timer (not shown) is set. The process shifts to a standby state (step ST33). The reservation information may be further stored in the second recording unit 34-2 of the recording device 2.

  When the user selects the [No] button while the notification screen is displayed, the main control unit 22 determines that the recording reservation cancellation has been selected (No in step S29, No in ST30, and T32). No), a series of recording reservation processing ends.

  When the [Again] button is selected by the user while the notification screen is displayed, the main control unit 22 determines that the reconfirmation of the communication state is instructed (No in step ST29, Yes in ST30), Proceeding to the process of ST23, a confirmation process of the state of wireless communication between the receiving apparatus 1 and the recording apparatus 2 is executed.

  When the user selects the [Next] button while the notification screen is displayed, the main control unit 22 determines that display of the notification screen of another recording apparatus has been instructed (Yes in step ST29), The receiving apparatus 1 controls to switch to a screen showing a communication state with another recording apparatus capable of wireless communication (step ST31), and proceeds to the process of ST25.

  Next, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing in the case where a recording reservation is made using a recording reservation function using a display device (not shown) of the recording device 2. The alternate long and short dash line indicates the correspondence with the step number of the process shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the recording control unit 33 of the recording apparatus 2 relates to a preset recording reservation screen based on a user instruction received via the wireless communication unit 21 (or another receiving unit (not shown)). Information is transmitted to the receiving apparatus 1 via the wireless communication part 21 (step ST51).

  Further, when the user inputs various information related to a program to be reserved for recording from a remote control device (not shown) via the wireless communication unit 21 (or another receiving unit (not shown)), the recording control unit 33 inputs the input information. Is recorded and repeatedly transmitted to the receiving apparatus 1 via the wireless communication unit 21 (step ST51).

  The main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1 controls to display on the display unit 17 based on the information related to the recording reservation screen received via the wireless communication unit 21 (step ST52). Here, when the user inputs an instruction to make a recording reservation, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2 instructs the data communication monitoring unit 36 to execute confirmation of the communication state with the receiving device 1. .

  That is, in the system A shown in FIG. 1, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2a requests the receiving device 1a to transmit confirmation data for confirming the communication state via the wireless communication unit 21. (Step ST53).

  When the main control unit 22 of the reception device 1a receives a confirmation data transmission request from the recording device 2a via the wireless communication unit 21, the confirmation for confirming the communication state with the recording device 2a via the wireless communication unit 21. While transmitting data (step ST72), the data communication monitoring unit 26 observes the response status from the recording device 2a (step ST73).

  When the wireless communication unit 31 receives this confirmation data (step ST54), the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2a receives information on the reception status of the confirmation data (for example, a confirmation signal such as an ACK signal or a copy of the received data). Response data including data etc. is transmitted via the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST55).

  In the receiving device 1a, when the response data from the recording device 2a is received via the wireless communication unit 21, the data communication monitoring unit 26 determines the data error frequency with the recording device 2a based on the response data. Then, the data error frequency is transmitted to the recording device 2a via the wireless communication unit 21 (step ST73). The recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2a notifies the data error frequency received via the wireless communication unit 31 as a communication state using a display unit (not shown) (step ST56).

  In FIG. 9, the communication status is displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the recording device 2a in ST56. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the system A, the data communication monitoring unit 26 is mounted on the receiving device 1a. Therefore, the communication state may be displayed on the display unit 17 of the receiving device 1.

  In the system B illustrated in FIG. 2, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2 b requests the receiving device 1 b to transmit confirmation data for confirming the communication state via the wireless communication unit 21. (Step ST53).

  When the main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1b receives the confirmation data transmission request from the recording device 2b via the wireless communication unit 21, the confirmation for confirming the communication state with the recording device 2b via the wireless communication unit 21. Data is transmitted (step ST72).

  When the wireless communication unit 31 receives this confirmation data (step ST54), the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2b transmits response data including information regarding the reception status of the confirmation data via the wireless communication unit 31. (Step ST55) The data communication monitoring unit 36 determines, for example, the data error frequency with the receiving device 1b based on the confirmation data, and displays a display unit (not shown) on the communication state such as the determined data error frequency. (Step ST56).

  Here, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2 (2a, 2b) determines that the data error frequency is higher than the preset value and the communication state is “good” (No in step ST58). ), The process proceeds to ST59. If it is lower than the set value and the communication state is determined to be “bad” (Yes in step ST57), a notification is made to improve the reception state (step ST58).

  As a specific notification method in ST58, for example, the display unit of the recording device 2 (2a, 2b) is used to notify an announcement that prompts the user to change the installation method of the receiving device 1 or the recording device 2, the angle of the antenna, or the like. At this time, an error rate meter may be further displayed, and the user may be notified of the state of the error rate that changes in accordance with the installation environment adjustment by the user.

  When the instruction information selected by the user is received in the state where the notification is displayed (step ST59), the recording control unit 33 of the recording apparatus 2 controls to execute the received instruction.

  That is, when registration of “recording reservation” is selected by the user in the notification state (No in step ST60, No in ST61, Yes in ST63), the recording control unit 33 of the recording apparatus 2 records the reservation information (recording start time). / End time, channel, information of recording device model number, etc.) stored in the second recording unit 34-2 of the recording device 2, sets a timer (not shown), and instructs to end the display of the reservation screen Is transmitted to the receiving apparatus 1 and the process shifts to a standby state (step ST64).

  When receiving the display end instruction via the wireless communication unit 21, the main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1 stops displaying the reservation screen on the display unit 17 and ends a series of operations (step ST74). The reservation information may be further stored in the memory 23 of the receiving device 1.

  In the notification state, when the user selects cancellation of the recording reservation (No in step S60, No in ST61, No in T63), the recording control unit 33 ends the series of recording reservation processing. In the notification state, when a reconfirmation of the communication state is instructed by the user (No in step ST60, Yes in ST61), the recording control unit 33 proceeds to the process of ST53, and the receiving apparatus 1 and the recording apparatus 2 The process of confirming the status of wireless communication is executed.

  In the notification state, when the user instructs display of the notification screen of another recording device (Yes in step ST60), the recording control unit 33 communicates with the other receiving devices with which the recording device 2 can perform wireless communication. Is switched to a screen showing the communication state (step ST62), and the process proceeds to ST56.

  As described above, in the systems A and B, when information related to the recording reservation is input by the user, the wireless communication state between the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 is confirmed before the reservation registration, and the user is notified. Notify. Accordingly, in the installation environment of the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 at the time of the recording reservation process, it is possible to record the program reserved for recording without any transmission error by confirming and notifying whether the wireless communication state is good. The user can grasp whether or not the recording reservation process is in progress. In addition, when the wireless communication status is poor, it is possible to prompt the user to change the installation location of the receiving device or recording device, the angle of the antenna, or the surrounding environment by notifying that fact, and recording reservation failure due to a transmission error Can be prevented in advance.

  Next, a program recording process flow in the system A will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing processing for recording a reserved program in the receiving device 1a and the recording device 2a. In the following description, the recording reservation information is held by the receiving device 1a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and even when the recording reservation information is held by the recording device 2a, ST102 of the receiving device 1a. The same applies to the subsequent steps and the subsequent steps ST202 of the recording apparatus 2a.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when it is determined that the reservation time is reached by a timer (not shown) based on the reservation information stored in the memory 23, the main control unit 22 of the reception device 1 a Then, a command for instructing recording is transmitted to the recording device 2a (step ST101). When the recording control unit 33 of the recording apparatus 2a receives a recording instruction via the wireless communication unit 31, the recording control unit 33 enters a recording standby state (ST201).

  In the receiving device 1a, based on the reservation information stored in the memory 23, the channel of the reserved program is selected by the antenna 11 and the TV tuner 13 or the reception STB 14, and various signals are received by the audio / video decoder 15. Is re-encrypted, converted into a packet format by the re-encryption unit 20, encrypted if necessary, and at least information about the reserved program (data to be recorded) is recorded via the wireless communication unit 21 It transmits to 2a (step ST102).

  In the recording device 2a, the recording control unit 33 performs data conversion after decrypting the information related to the program received via the wireless communication unit 31 as necessary, and is copy protected. The content that is present is further encrypted and recorded in the first recording unit 34-1. The management information is recorded in the second recording unit 34-2 (step ST202).

In the receiving device 1a, the main control unit 22 observes the communication state with the recording device 2a by the data communication monitoring unit 26 at every predetermined time of data transmission by ST102 (step ST103). When the observation result is higher than the preset value, the main control unit 22 determines that the communication state is “good” (No in step ST104), proceeds to the process in ST106, and determines that the recording is finished. Until it is done, the processing from ST102 to 106 is repeatedly executed (No in step ST106).

  Further, when the observation result in ST103 is lower than the set value, main controller 22 determines that the communication state is “bad” (Yes in step ST104), and the data rate of data transmitted from wireless communication unit 21 ( (Transfer amount) is decreased (step ST105), and the recording target data is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 21 in accordance with the data rate (No in step ST106). Specific methods for reducing the data rate in ST105 include, for example, reducing high resolution components or reducing the frame rate.

  In the recording device 2a, the recording control unit 33 performs data conversion after decrypting the information related to the program received via the wireless communication unit 31 as necessary, and is copy protected. The content that is present is further encrypted and recorded in the first recording unit 34-1. At this time, since the data to be received has a low data rate (transfer amount), the recording of the reception data in the first recording unit 34-1 may be performed by changing the recording method (step ST202). ).

  In the recording device 2a, the recording control unit 33 performs data conversion after decrypting the information related to the program received via the wireless communication unit 31 as necessary, and is copy protected. The content that is present is further encrypted and recorded in the first recording unit 34-1. The management information is recorded in the second recording unit 34-2 (step ST202).

When the reservation end time of the reservation information stored in the memory 23 is reached, the main control unit 22 determines that the recording is ended (Yes in step ST106), and the TV tuner 13 or the reception STB 14, the audio / video decoder 15, and the re-encryption unit. 20 and the wireless communication unit 21 stop recording data transmission, and store in the memory 23 information related to the communication state that was regularly observed in ST103 (step ST107).

  In the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2a, when it is determined that the recording is finished (step ST203), the recording operation to the first recording unit 34-1 is stopped and the recording to the second recording unit 34-2 is performed. The management information related to the recorded information is recorded in association with the recording information recorded in the first recording unit 34-1 (step ST204).

  In addition, although the information regarding the communication state is stored in the memory 23 of the receiving device 1a in ST107, the periodic observation result of ST103 is transmitted not only to the receiving device 1a but also to the recording device 2a. It is also possible to record in correspondence with the management information of the second recording unit 34-2.

  Furthermore, the communication state recorded in the second recording unit 34-2 in the memory 23 of the receiving device 1a or the recording device 2a is, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, information relating to the general communication state of the recorded program. It may be. In this case, the information related to the summary may be classified into “good”, “error present”, and “failure” depending on the number of communication failures that occurred during recording and the time during which communication was bad. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the occurrence rate of data errors and the recording format (HD / SD) may be recorded over time.

  Next, the flow of processing relating to the reproduction of a recorded program in the system A will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing processing for reproducing a program recorded in the receiving device 1a and the recording device 2a.

  As illustrated in FIG. 13, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2 a performs first and second recording units 34-1 based on a user reproduction instruction received from the outside via the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST211). 2 is read, and the read recording data is transmitted to the receiving device 1a via the re-encryption unit 32 and the wireless communication unit 31. At this time, information regarding the communication state may be read out from the second recording unit 34-2 together with the management information, and transmitted to the receiving device 1a together with the recording data (step ST212).

  The main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1a displays the data received via the wireless communication unit 21 on the display unit 17 via the re-encryption unit 20 and the audio / video decoder 15, and also received and displayed from the memory 23. The communication state corresponding to the data is read or information on the communication state received together with the data is displayed on the display unit 17 (step ST111).

  Next, a flow of processing relating to recording of a reserved program in the receiving device 1b and the recording device 2b in the system B will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. In the following, the case where the recording reservation information is held by the receiving device 1b will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and even when the recording reservation information is held by the recording device 2b, ST302 of the receiving device 1b. The same applies to the subsequent steps and subsequent steps ST402 of the recording apparatus 2b.

  As shown in FIG. 14, when it is determined that the reservation time is reached by a timer (not shown) based on the reservation information stored in the memory 23, the main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1 b Then, a command for instructing recording is transmitted to the recording device 2b (step ST301). When the recording control unit 33 of the recording apparatus 2b receives a recording instruction via the wireless communication unit 31, the recording control unit 33 enters a recording standby state (ST401).

  In the receiving apparatus 1b, based on the reservation information stored in the memory 23, the channel of the reserved program is selected by the antenna 11 and the TV tuner 13 or the reception STB 14, and various signals are received by the audio / video decoder 15. Is re-encrypted, converted into a packet format by the re-encryption unit 20, encrypted if necessary, and at least information about the reserved program (data to be recorded) is recorded via the wireless communication unit 21 It transmits to 2b (step ST302).

  In the recording device 2b, the recording control unit 33 performs data conversion after decrypting the information related to the program received via the wireless communication unit 31 as necessary, and is copy protected. The content that is present is further encrypted and recorded in the first recording unit 34-1. The management information is recorded in the second recording unit 34-2 (step ST402).

  The recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2b observes the communication state with the receiving device 1b by the data communication monitoring unit 36 every predetermined time of data transmission from the receiving device 1b in ST302, and sends the observation result to the recording control unit 33. Output (step ST403). If the observation result is higher than the preset value, the recording control unit 33 determines that the communication state is “good” (No in step ST404), proceeds to the process in ST406, and determines that the recording is finished. The process from ST402 to ST407 is repeatedly executed until it is done (No in step ST406, Yes in ST407).

  Further, when the observation result in ST403 is lower than the set value, the recording control unit 33 determines that the communication state is “bad” (Yes in step ST404), and the communication state is poor via the wireless communication unit 31. It is transmitted to receiving apparatus 1b (step ST405).

  When the main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1b receives the information indicating that the communication state is defective via the wireless communication unit 21 (Yes in ST303), the data rate (transfer) of the data transmitted from the wireless communication unit 21 (Step ST304), the process proceeds to ST302, and recording target data is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 21 according to the data rate. Specific methods for reducing the data rate in ST304 include, for example, reducing high-resolution components and reducing the frame rate.

  In the recording device 2b, the recording control unit 33 performs data conversion after decrypting the information related to the program received via the wireless communication unit 31 as necessary, and is copy protected. The content that is present is further encrypted and recorded in the first recording unit 34-1. At this time, since the data to be received has a low data rate (transfer amount), the recording of the reception data in the first recording unit 34-1 may be performed by changing the recording method (step ST402). ).

  When the reservation end time is reached, the main control unit 22 of the receiving apparatus 1b determines that the recording is finished (Yes in step ST305), and the TV tuner 13 or the receiving STB 14, the audio / video decoder 15, the re-encrypting unit 20, and the wireless communication. Transmission of the recording target data by unit 21 is stopped (ST306).

  When the reservation end time is reached, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2b determines that the recording is finished (Yes in step ST406), stops the recording operation to the first recording unit 34-1, and performs the second recording. The management information related to the information recorded in the unit 34-2 is recorded in association with the recording information recorded in the first recording unit 34-1. Also, information related to the communication state regularly observed in ST403 is recorded in the second recording unit 34-2 in association with the management information (step ST408).

  In ST408, information related to the communication state is stored in the second recording unit 34-2 of the recording apparatus 2b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the periodic observation results of ST408 are not limited to the recording apparatus 2b but also the receiving apparatus 1b. Can also be recorded in the memory 23.

  Furthermore, the communication state recorded in the second recording unit 34-2 in the memory 23 of the receiving device 1b or the recording device 2b is, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, information relating to the general communication state of the recorded program. It may be. In this case, the information related to the summary may be classified into “good”, “error present”, and “failure” depending on the number of communication failures that occurred during recording and the time during which communication was bad. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the data error occurrence rate and the recording format may be recorded over time.

  Next, with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 15, the flow of processing relating to the reproduction of the recorded program of the receiving device 1b and the recording device 2b in the system B will be described.

  As illustrated in FIG. 15, the recording control unit 33 of the recording device 2b performs first and second recording units 34-1 based on a user's reproduction instruction received from the outside via the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST411). 2 is read and the communication state is read out, and the read recording data is transmitted to the receiving device 1a via the re-encryption unit 32 and the wireless communication unit 31 (step ST412).

  The main control unit 22 of the receiving device 1b displays the data received via the wireless communication unit 21 on the display unit 17 via the re-encryption unit 20 and the audio / video decoder 15, and relates to the communication state received together with the data. Information is displayed on the display unit 17 (step ST311).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when recording information such as a program based on pre-registered recording reservation information, the communication state between the receiving device 1 and the recording device 2 is regularly observed, The communication state can be held together with the management information of the recorded information, and the communication state can be displayed to the user during reproduction. Further, when it is determined that the communication state has deteriorated during recording, the amount of data transferred from the receiving device is reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to know what causes the recording failure has occurred in the content reserved for recording by the user during reproduction. That is, it is possible to determine at least whether it is a mistake at the time of own recording reservation or a recording error due to a transmission error.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the system A which consists of the receiver 1a and the recording device 2a in embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the system B which consists of the receiver 1b and the recording device 2b in embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the data communication monitoring part. The flowchart figure which shows the flow of the process regarding the program recording reservation performed by the user in the systems A and B. The figure which shows the EPG screen displayed on the display part. The figure which shows the window for confirming whether recording reservation is carried out. The figure which shows the notification screen of a communication state. The flowchart figure which shows the process in the case of recording reservation using an EPG function. The flowchart figure which shows a process in the case of recording reservation using the recording reservation function using the display apparatus which is not shown of the recording apparatus. The flowchart figure which shows the process which records the program reserved in the receiver 1a of system A, and the recording device 2a. The figure explaining a communication state. The figure explaining a communication state. The flowchart figure which shows the process which reproduces | regenerates the program recorded in the receiver 1a of system A, and the recording device 2a. The flowchart figure which shows the process which records the program reserved in the receiver 1b of system B, and the recording device 2b. The flowchart figure which shows the process which reproduces | regenerates the program recorded in the receiver 1b of the system B, the recording device 2b receiver 1a, and the recording device 2a.

Explanation of symbols

A, B System 1, 1a, 1b Receiving device 2, 2a, 2b Recording device 21, 31 Wireless communication unit 22 Main control unit 23 Memory 33 Recording control unit 34-1 First recording unit 34-2 Second recording unit

Claims (10)

In the receiving apparatus for providing information received from the external portion is a recording apparatus connected wirelessly,
An input unit for inputting information about the reservation of recording against the recording apparatus,
A first transmission unit for transmitting confirmation data for confirming a communication state to the recording device based on information related to a recording reservation input to the input unit;
A first receiver for receiving first response data from the recording device indicating that the confirmation data transmitted from the first transmitter can be transmitted;
A first determination unit that determines whether the communication state is good or not based on first response data received by the first reception unit;
A registration unit for registering information relating to the recording reservation;
A second transmission unit that transmits to the recording apparatus recording target data that is a target of recording registration registered in the registration unit;
A second receiving section for sequentially receiving second response data from the recording apparatus indicating that the recording target data transmitted from the second transmitting section can be transmitted;
A second determination unit that determines whether the communication state is good or not based on second response data sequentially received by the second reception unit;
A receiving apparatus comprising: The first determination unit and the second determination unit determine whether the communication state includes at least one of a radio wave intensity and a data error frequency based on the first and second response data. The receiving device according to claim 1. When the information related to the recording reservation is input to the input unit, before the registration of the information related to the recording reservation by the registration unit, the first transmission unit responds to the input of the information related to the recording reservation, Send the confirmation data,
The first reception unit receives first response data from the recording device indicating that transmission from the first transmission unit is successful,
The first determination unit determines whether the communication state of the confirmation data is good or not based on the first response data received by the first reception unit,
The receiving apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display unit that displays a communication state determined by the first determination unit . Receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recording unit further comprising recording the information on the communication state related to the transmission of recorded data from the second transmission unit. In a recording device for recording information provided from a wirelessly connected receiving device,
An input unit for inputting information about the reservation of recording against the recording apparatus,
A first transmission unit that transmits information related to the recording reservation input to the input unit to the reception device and requests transmission of confirmation data for confirming a communication state;
A first receiver for receiving the requested confirmation data;
A first determination unit that determines whether the communication state is good or not based on confirmation data received by the first reception unit;
A registration unit for registering information relating to the recording reservation;
A second receiving unit that receives, from the receiving device, recording target data that is a target of recording reservation registered in the registration unit;
A second discriminating unit for discriminating whether the communication state is good or not based on the recording target data received by the second receiving unit;
A recording apparatus comprising: The first determination unit and the second determination unit determine whether the communication state includes at least one of radio wave intensity and data error frequency based on the confirmation data and recording target data. The receiving device according to claim 5 . When information related to the recording reservation is input to the input unit, the first transmitting unit transmits the information related to the recording reservation to the receiving device before the registration unit registers the information related to the recording reservation. Request transmission of the confirmation data,
The first receiving unit receives the requested confirmation data;
The first determination unit determines the quality of the communication state based on the confirmation data received by the first reception unit,
The recording apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a display unit that displays a communication state determined by the first determination unit . The recording apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a recording unit that records information on the communication state related to transmission of data to be recorded from the first transmission unit . The reservation method in a receiver for providing information received from the external unit connected to the recording apparatus by radio,
Inputting information about reservation of recording against the recording apparatus,
Transmitting confirmation data for confirming a communication state to the recording device based on the information relating to the input recording reservation;
Receiving first response data from the recording device indicating that the transmitted confirmation data can be transmitted;
Determining the quality of the communication state based on the received first response data;
Registering information about the recording reservation;
Transmitting recording target data to be registered for the registered recording to the recording device;
Sequentially receiving second response data from the recording device indicating that the transmitted recording target data has been transmitted;
Determining the quality of the communication state based on the sequentially received second response data;
The reservation method characterized by including . In a reservation method in a recording device for recording information provided from a wirelessly connected receiving device,
Inputting information about reservation of recording against the recording apparatus,
Transmitting information on the input recording reservation to the receiving device, and requesting transmission of confirmation data for confirming a communication state;
Receiving the requested confirmation data;
Determining the quality of the communication state based on the received confirmation data;
Registering information about the recording reservation;
Receiving from the receiving device recording target data to be registered for the registered recording;
Determining the quality of the communication state based on the received recording target data;
The reservation method characterized by including .

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