Title: File management method, content recording/playback apparatus and content recording program
Abstract: A package management information recording section 131 creates and records on a recording medium 120 package management information for managing packages recorded on the recording medium 120. A content file recording section 132 records on the recording medium 120 content files of content file groups included in packages, and also creates and records on the recording medium 120 content file group management information for managing these content file groups. A content/metadata correspondence information recording section 133 creates and records on the recording medium 120 information on correspondence between content files and metadata files within a package or correspondence between a package itself and metadata files. By this means, the correspondence between content files and metadata files can always be maintained correctly when they are recorded separately.
Patent Number: 7,003,533 Issued on 02/21/2006 to Noguchi, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Noguchi; Naohiko (Yokohama, JP);
Suzuki; Hiroyuki (Kawasaki, JP);
Sato; Mitsuhiro (Atsugi, JP);
Shimojima; Takashi (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Osaka, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
004813 |
| Filed:
|
December 7, 2001 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Dec 12, 2000[JP] | 2000-377605 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
707/203; 707/2 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
G06F 12/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
707/200,201,202,203,1,2,10
709/217,219
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
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| 5765165 | Jun., 1998 | Harper.
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| 5793966 | Aug., 1998 | Amstein et al.
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| 5991798 | Nov., 1999 | Ozaki et al.
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| 6049799 | Apr., 2000 | Mangat et al.
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| 6151624 | Nov., 2000 | Teare et al.
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| 6182158 | Jan., 2001 | Kougiouris et al.
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| 6401097 | Jun., 2002 | McCotter et al.
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| 6442573 | Aug., 2002 | Schiller et al.
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| 6493804 | Dec., 2002 | Soltis et al.
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| 6567811 | May., 2003 | Edwards et al.
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| 6578078 | Jun., 2003 | Smith et al.
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| 6611862 | Aug., 2003 | Reisman.
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| 6662188 | Dec., 2003 | Rasmussen et al.
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| 6684387 | Jan., 2004 | Acker et al.
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| 6714949 | Mar., 2004 | Frey, Jr.
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| 2003/0028686 | Feb., 2003 | Schwabe et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 88100793 | Oct., 1988 | CN.
| |
| 1230063 | Sep., 1999 | CN.
| |
| 1243291 | Feb., 2000 | CN.
| |
| 10-143422 | May., 1998 | JP.
| |
| 10143422 | May., 1998 | JP.
| |
| 1999-38731 | Jun., 1999 | KR.
| |
Other References
English Language Abstract of KR 1999-38731.
English Language Abstract of CN 1230063.
Z. Zhixiong, "Metadata: Data Organizing and Finding the Internet Resource", pp.
21-25, 1999, with an English language Abstract of the same.
|
Primary Examiner: Metjahic; Safet
Assistant Examiner: Goddard; Brian
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A file management method, comprising:
recording on a recording medium and managing a distributed object and a metadata
file, the metadata file being an individual file comprising information related
to the object and used to retrieve, categorize, and organize the object,
wherein correspondence between an identifier of the metadata file and an identifier
of the object corresponding to the metadata file is managed by a metadata correspondence
management file;
creating a directory for a package when the object is a package file:
recording, on the basis of the directory, a content file contained in the corresponding
package and a metadata file corresponding to the content file;
assigning to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a package directory
number assigned uniquely to the package;
managing, with a package management file, correspondence between the package
directory number and a package identifier assigned to the package;
assigning to the content file and to the metadata file a name that corresponds
to a content number assigned in package units when the content file and the metadata
file are recorded on the recording medium;
managing, with a content file group management file, correspondence between the
content number and an identifier of the content file or correspondence between
the content number and an identifier of the metadata file; and
managing correspondence between an identifier of a content file contained the
package and a corresponding identifier of a metadata file, using the metadata correspondence
management file.
2. A content recording apparatus, comprising:
a data recorder that records a distributed object and a metadata file on a recording
medium, the metadata file being an individual file comprising information related
to the object and used to retrieve, categorize, and organize the object; and
a metadata correspondence information recorder that creates and records, on the
recording medium, a metadata correspondence management file according to a correspondence
between the object and the metadata file;
a service management information recorder that creates a directory corresponding
to a service, assigns to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a service
directory number uniquely assigned to said service, and creates and records, on
the recording medium, a service management file indicating correspondence between
the service directory number and a service identifier assigned to the service; and
a package metadata file recorder that assigns a file name to and that records
on the recording medium, a metadata file corresponding to a metadata file number
uniquely assigned in each service directory, and creates and records on the recording
medium, a metadata file group management file indicating correspondence between
the metadata file number of the file and an identifier of the file.
3. The content recording apparatus of claim 2, wherein said service management
file indicates correspondence between the service directory number and the service
identifier assigned to the service when content is distributed in package units
in which content is collected.
4. A file management method, comprising:
recording on a recording medium and managing a distributed object and a metadata
file, the metadata file being an individual file comprising information related
to the object and used to retrieve, categorize, and organize the object, wherein
correspondence between an identifier of the metadata file and an identifier of
the object corresponding to the metadata file is managed by a metadata correspondence
management file;
creating a directory for a service when content is distributed in package units
in which related content is collected;
creating, on the basis of the directory, a subdirectory for each package distributed
from a related service and recording a metadata file corresponding to the related package;
assigning to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a package directory
number uniquely assigned to the package;
managing, with a package management file, correspondence between the package
directory number and a package identifier assigned to the package;
recording, on the basis of the subdirectory, a file of content contained in the
related package, and a file of metadata corresponding to the related content;
assigning to the content file and to the metadata a file name that corresponds
to a content number assigned in package units when the content file and the metadata
file are recorded on the recording medium;
managing, with a content file group management file, correspondence between the
content number and an identifier of the content file or correspondence between
the content number and an identifier of the metadata file;
assigning to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a service directory
number uniquely assigned to the service;
managing, with a service management file, correspondence between the service
directory number and a service identifier assigned to the service;
assigning to the metadata file, a filename that corresponds to a metadata file
number uniquely assigned in each service directory, when the metadata file is recorded
on the recording medium;
managing, with a metadata file group management file, correspondence between
the metadata file number and an identifier of the metadata file, when the metadata
file is recorded on the recording medium; and
managing, with the metadata correspondence management file, correspondence between
the service identifier and an identifier of the metadata file corresponding to
the service identifier, correspondence between an identifier of the package and
an identifier of the metadata file corresponding thereto, and correspondence between
an identifier of the content file and an identifier of the metadata file corresponding thereto.
5. A content playback apparatus, comprising:
a metadata correspondence resolution device, that, when content is played back
from a recording medium on which files of content, distributed from a plurality
of services, and file management information are recorded on a directory created
for each service, uses the file management information and acquires respective
metadata files corresponding to a content file and corresponding to a service,
wherein the file management information comprises a service management file that
indicates correspondence between a service directory number uniquely corresponding
to a directory name of the directory and a service identifier assigned to the service,
a metadata file group management file indicating correspondence between a metadata
file number uniquely corresponding to a name of a metadata file corresponding to
the service and an identifier of the relevant metadata, and, a metadata correspondence
management file containing correspondence between an identifier of the service
and an identifier of a metadata file corresponding thereto and correspondence between
an identifier of a content file and an identifier of a file of metadata corresponding thereto.
6. The content playback apparatus according to claim 5 that, when content is
distributed in package units in which related content is collected, using a metadata
correspondence management file containing correspondence between an identifier
of the package and an identifier of a metadata file corresponding to the package,
acquires a metadata file corresponding to the package.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file management method for maintaining correspondence
between a content file stored on a recording medium and an associated metadata
file, a content recording/playback apparatus that implements this file management
method, and a content recording program on which this file management method is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demand continues to grow for digital content distribution services that employ
communications and broadcasting.
For example, a newspaper article distribution service has been conceived of whereby
newspaper articles are downloaded each morning to a mobile phone and recorded onto
a recording medium connected to that mobile phone, and an article can be read when
wished by connecting that recording medium to another device such as a television
set, portable display, portable personal organizer, or the like.
Also, an electronic book service has been conceived of whereby a novel is divided
into chapters, and charging/downloading is performed chapter by chapter.
(Storage Package by Package)
As a concrete example of a newspaper article distribution service, a method can
be considered whereby newspaper articles are written as HTML format files, and
one day's worth of HTML files and image files or audio files accompanying those
HTML files are distributed as a single package. With a service that distributes
related contents as a single package in this way, a directory is generally created
package by package for distributed content, and is recorded on a recording medium.
(Storage Service by Service)
Also, the capacity of recording media for downloading content is increasing
at a rapid pace, and it has become possible for a large number of distribution
services to be received on a single recording medium.
In this case, distributed content from a plurality of services coexists on a
single
recording medium, and generally a directory is created for each service on the
recording medium and distributed content is recorded under the directory for the
corresponding service.
(Provision of Metadata)
Moreover, in a content distribution service, information generally called
metadata, comprising content related bibliographic matter, management information,
attribute information, and so forth, is also distributed apart from the content,
and recorded on the recording medium. In an apparatus that actually plays back/displays
content, it is possible to perform operations other than playback/display, such
as content searching or categorizing and organizing, by using the metadata accompanying
that content.
(Metadata Recording Methods)
There are two methods for recording this kind of metadata on a recording medium:
the case where the interior of a content file is constructed and metadata is also
recorded by being stored in the same file as a part thereof, and the case where
a metadata file is created separately from the content file, and metadata is recorded
in individual files.
In an apparatus that receives content distribution, there are cases where original
file names are assigned to a distributed content file and metadata file in order
to enable efficient content recording and playback by means of simple processing.
For this reason, with the method, of the conventional metadata recording methods,
whereby content and metadata are recorded in separate files, if, when a distributed
content file and its metadata file are recorded on a recording medium of a receiving
apparatus, original file names are assigned to these files on the receiving side,
it becomes impossible to interpret the correspondence between them by means of
the distribution-time file names.
On the other hand, with the method whereby metadata is recorded as part of a
content
file, the above problem does not occur, but metadata corresponds only to an individual
content file, and it is difficult to write various kinds of metadata—such
as metadata relating to a collection of a plurality of content files, metadata
relating to an entire package, and metadata relating to an entire service—in
a flexible manner.
Also, when performing processing using only metadata, such as searching, categorizing,
listing, and so forth, it is necessary to acquire the contents of each content
file, leading to problems in terms of processing efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a file management method
that
enables the relevant correspondence to be maintained when an object such as a content
file and a metadata file are recorded separately, and also to provide a content
recording/playback apparatus for implementing this method and a content recording
program on which this file management method is recorded.
The present invention achieves the above object by managing the correspondence
between a metadata file identifier and an object identifier with a metadata correspondence
management file when managing a distributed object and metadata file recorded on
a recording medium.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully
hereinafter from a consideration of the following description taken in connection
with the accompanying drawing wherein one example is illustrated by way of example,
in which;
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a content recording/playback
apparatus in Embodiment 1;
FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a package that contains content files and metadata files;
FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of the contents of metadata contained
in a package;
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing directory and file configuration on a recording
medium of Embodiment 1;
FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a package management file of Embodiment 1;
FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a content file group management file of Embodiment 1;
FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a content data correspondence management file of
Embodiment 1;
FIG. 8 is a drawing showing examples of description contents of metadata files
of Embodiment 1;
FIG. 9 is a drawing showing an example of a list display screen of Embodiment 1;
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of a metadata correspondence
resolution section of Embodiment 1;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a content recording/playback
apparatus in Embodiment 2;
FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of packages and metadata files in Embodiment 2;
FIG. 13 is a drawing showing directory and file configuration on a recording
medium of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 14 is a drawing showing a service management file of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a metadata file group management file of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 16 is a drawing showing an example of contents of metadata corresponding
to a service of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 17 is a drawing showing contents of various metadata of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 18 is a sample description of contents of a metadata file of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 19 is a drawing showing a package/metadata correspondence management file
of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 20 is a drawing showing a package management file of Embodiment 2;
FIG. 21 is a drawing showing an example of the contents of a metadata correspondence
management file of Embodiment 2; and
FIG. 22 is a drawing showing examples of record type values and their meanings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference now to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present
invention will be explained in detail below. It should be understood that the present
invention is in no way limited to these embodiments and may be implemented in a
variety of modes without departing from the spirit and/or scope of the present invention.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a content recording/playback
apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This apparatus chiefly comprises
an input apparatus
110, recording medium
120, content recording apparatus
130, content playback apparatus
140, and display apparatus
150.
The input apparatus
110 inputs a content recording request from a user to
the content recording apparatus
130, and inputs a content playback request
or content search request from a user to the content playback apparatus
140.
The content recording apparatus
130 records package-unit content, metadata,
and file management information on the recording medium
120. Using content
and metadata recorded on the recording medium
120, the content playback
apparatus
140 plays back contents and displays them on the display apparatus
150, and performs content searching and categorizing.
The content recording apparatus
130 comprises a package management information
recording section
131, content file recording section
132, and content/metadata
correspondence information recording section
133. The package management
information recording section
131 creates package management information
for managing packages recorded on the recording medium
120 and records it
on the recording medium
120. The content file recording section
132
records each content file of a content file group included in a package on the
recording medium
120, and also creates content file group management information
for managing these content file groups and records it on the recording medium
120.
The content/metadata correspondence information recording section
133 creates
information on correspondence between a content file and metadata file in a package,
or correspondence between a package itself and a metadata file, and records it
on the recording medium
120.
The content playback apparatus
140 comprises a content file acquisition
section
141, metadata file acquisition section
142, and metadata
correspondence resolution section
143. The content file acquisition section
141 receives a content playback command from the input apparatus
110,
and acquires the specified file from the recording medium
120. The metadata
file acquisition section
142 acquires a metadata file necessary for search
processing from the recording medium
120. The metadata correspondence resolution
section
143 performs acquisition of a metadata file corresponding to a specified
content file and acquisition of a content file corresponding to a specified metadata file.
Next, content recording processing, content search processing, and content
playback processing performed by this apparatus in this embodiment based on the
file management method of this embodiment will be described using actual examples.
<Content Recording Processing>
First, a content recording command is received from the user via the input
apparatus
110. Here, the case where a recording command for the package
shown in FIG. 2 is issued will be considered as an example.
The package shown in FIG. 2 is composed of HTML files
201 and
202,
metadata files
203 and
204 assigned to these, and a metadata file
205 relating to this entire package. FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating part
of a package, and many other such files exist within that package.
Distribution-time HTML files
201 and
202 have the
file names "12240025.htm" and "12240026.htm" respectively, and metadata files
203,
204, and
205 have the file names "12240025.mdt", "12240026.mdt",
and "12240000.mdt" so that their correspondence to the HTML files is clear. These
file names are assigned based on distributing-side file management rules, and their
uniqueness is subsequently maintained in the package distribution service.
In this case, these file names can be used as file identifiers.
FIG. 3 shows an example of the description contents of metadata files "12240025.mdt",
"12240026.mdt", and "12240000.mdt" in FIG. 2. Files "12240025.mdt" and "12240026.mdt"
contain information such as "Date", "Keywords", "Category", and "Title" for corresponding
newspaper article content files "12240025.htm" and "12240026.htm" as metadata.
"12240000.mdt" contains copyright related information indicating the author, possibility
or otherwise of reproduction and printing, and so forth, as metadata relating to
this entire package. Items written as metadata are not limited to these items,
and many other items may be included.
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of the directory and file configuration
on the recording medium
120 when the package shown in FIG. 2 is recorded
by the content recording apparatus
130.
A directory is created and recorded on the recording medium
120 for each
package, and package management information is managed by a package management
file
301. A directory
302 called "PKG00001" is created at the same
level as the package management file
301, and below this directory
302
are stored a content file group management file
303 containing content file
group and metadata file group management information, a content/metadata correspondence
management file
304, and HTML files
201 and
202 and metadata
files
203,
204, and
205 included in the package shown in FIG. 2.
HTML files
201 and
202 and metadata files
203,
204,
and
205 included in the package shown in FIG. 2 are assumed to have been
recorded under the file names "00001.htm", "00002.htm", "00003.mdt", "00004.mdt",
and "00005.mdt" respectively, set originally by the content recording apparatus
130.
When the content recording apparatus
130 receives a content recording
command from the input apparatus
110, it first creates or updates the package
management file
301 by means of the package management information recording
section
131.
FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of the package management file
301
at the stage at which the package shown in FIG. 2 is recorded on the recording
medium
120. The package management file
301 manages the correspondence
between a package directory number corresponding to the package directory name
and a package identifier for uniquely identifying that directory.
In this embodiment, the description is based on a naming rule whereby the directory
name of a package directory corresponding to a package directory number is designated
"PKGXXXXX (XXXXX=package directory number)", as shown in FIG. 4. It should be understood
that any naming rule may be used as long as it derives the directory name of a
package directory uniquely from the package directory number.
Also, in FIG. 5, the string "ARTICLE001224" is used as a package identifier,
but as long as this package identifier can uniquely identify a package directory
existing on the recording medium
120, any kind of string, numerals, or symbols
may be used.
Next, content file and metadata file recording and content file group management
file creation are performed by the content file recording section
132.
FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an example of a content file group management file
303 at the stage at which the package shown in FIG. 2 is recorded on the
recording medium
120. A content file group management file manages the correspondence
between a file number corresponding to a file name when recorded on the recording
medium
120 and a file identifier for uniquely identifying the relevant content
file or metadata file, and one content file group management file is created for
each package directory. File numbers are assigned on a package-by-package basis.
In this embodiment, the description is based on a naming rule whereby the file
name corresponding to a file number is designated "XXXXX.EXT (XXXXX=file number,
EXT=original file extension)", as shown in FIG. 4. It should be understood that
any naming rule may be used as long as it derives the file name on the recording
medium
120 uniquely from the file number.
Also, in FIG. 6, the distribution source file name string is used as a file
identifier, but as long as this file identifier can uniquely identify a file existing
under the relevant package directory "PKG00001" on the recording medium
120,
any kind of string, numerals, or symbols may be used.
Lastly, the content/metadata correspondence information recording section
133 creates a content/metadata correspondence management file indicating
the correspondence between a content file and metadata file or the correspondence
between a package itself and a metadata file.
FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an example of a content/metadata correspondence
management file
304 at the stage at which the package shown in FIG. 2 is
recorded on the recording medium
120. A content/metadata correspondence
management file manages the correspondence between a content file identifier and
a metadata file identifier, or the correspondence between a package identifier
and a metadata file identifier, and one content/metadata correspondence management
file is created for each package directory.
This content/metadata correspondence management file records one-to-one relationships
relating one content file identifier to metadata file identifiers "12240025.mdt"
and "12240026.mdt", respectively, but it is also possible to record and manage
a one-to-multiple relationship between one metadata file identifier and a plurality
of content identifiers, a multiple-to-one relationship between a plurality of metadata
file identifiers and one content identifier, or a multiple-to-multiple relationship
between a plurality of metadata file identifiers and a plurality of content identifiers.
<Content Search and Playback Processing>
The case will be considered where there is a search request for the package shown
in FIG. 2 via the input apparatus
110. Two cases are considered here: the
case where a content list is displayed and the user then makes a selection therefrom
as a search request, and the case where the user inputs a keyword and content matching
that keyword is searched for.
First, processing will be described for the case where a content list is displayed
and the user then makes a selection therefrom as a search request.
FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of description contents of metadata files
"00003.mdt" and "00004.mdt". These files contain information such as "Date", "Keywords",
"Category", and "Title" for the corresponding newspaper article content files as metadata.
The content playback apparatus
140 and metadata file acquisition section
142 acquire all metadata files recorded on the recording medium
120,
and display "Title information" written in the metadata files as a list on the
display apparatus
150. An example of the display contents of the display
apparatus
150 at this time is shown in FIG. 9.
The user looks at the list in FIG. 9 and specifies the desired article. The content
playback apparatus
140 holds the correspondence between listed article title
information and the file number of the metadata file from which that information
was acquired, and passes that file number to the metadata correspondence resolution
section
143.
Processing in the metadata correspondence resolution section
143
will be described below for the case where the user selects the title display "Year-end
business competition in full swing" from the list shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 shows
the processing flow in the metadata correspondence resolution section
143.
Step
901: First, the file identifier corresponding to file number "00003"
of the metadata file corresponding to the title "Year-end business competition
in full swing" is acquired from the content file group management file
303.
As shown in FIG. 6, identifier "12240025.mdt" is obtained as a result.
Step
902: Next, the identifier corresponding to metadata file identifier
"12240025.mdt" is obtained from the content/metadata correspondence management
file
304. As shown in FIG. 7, identifier "12240025.htm" is obtained as a result.
Step
903: Lastly, the content file number corresponding to file identifier
"12240025.htm" is obtained from the content file group management file
303.
As shown in FIG. 6, "00001" is obtained as a result.
Thus, file number "00001"—that is, file "0 001.htm" in FIG.
4—is
obtained as the final result for the content file corresponding to the title "Year-end
business competition in full swing".
The content file acquisition section
141 then acquires the contents of
file "00001.htm" and outputs then to the display apparatus
150.
It is also possible for all the processing from Step
901 to Step
903
to be performed on metadata files before listing of title information, listing
to be performed while the relationship between the corresponding metadata file
and content file is being confirmed in main memory, and acquisition of the corresponding
content file to be carried out using that correspondence in main memory after the
user has made a selection.
The above is the series of search processing steps up to display of the desired
article contents when the user makes a selection after content is listed.
Next, processing will be described for the case where the user inputs a keyword
and content matching that keyword is searched for and displayed. In the example
considered here, the user inputs the keyword "Christmas".
The metadata file acquisition section
142 acquires all metadata files
recorded on the recording medium
120, and extracts all "Keywords" written
in the metadata files. At this time, the correspondence between an extracted keyword
and the file number of the metadata file in which it is written is maintained,
and a metadata file that has a "Keyword" item matching the keyword input by the
user is determined. As shown in FIG. 8, the metadata file with file number "00003"
matches this condition.
From this point on, the metadata correspondence resolution section
143
performs processing to obtain from the metadata file with file number "00003" the
content file number "00001" corresponding thereto, in exactly the same way as in
the processing in Steps
901 to
903 shown in FIG. 10. The content
file acquisition section
141 then finally acquires the contents of file
"00001.htm" in FIG. 4 comprising an article that matches the user's search condition,
and outputs it to the display apparatus
150.
In Steps
901 to
903, processing has been described whereby the
file
number of a corresponding content file is obtained from the file number of a metadata
file, but, conversely, processing whereby the file number of a metadata file is
obtained from the file number of a content file can also be implemented in virtually
the same way.
As described above, in this embodiment, a package management file for managing
correspondence between a package directory number and a package identifier that
uniquely identifies that directory, a content file group management file for managing
correspondence between the file number of a file name when recorded and a file
identifier that uniquely identifies a content file or metadata file, and a content/metadata
correspondence management file for managing correspondence between the file identifier
of a content file and the file identifier of a metadata file, are created. By using
these management files, it is possible always to obtain the correspondence between
a content file and metadata file, and to execute accurately and efficiently processing
for searching for, categorizing, and organizing content using metadata.
Moreover, not only a one-to-one relationship between content and metadata,
but also one-to-multiple, multiple-to-one, and multiple-to-multiple relationships,
can be handled, making it possible always to use metadata with a relationship assigned
correctly with respect to a set of content.
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a content recording/playback
apparatus in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This apparatus chiefly comprises
an input apparatus
1010, recording medium
1020, content recording
apparatus
1030, content playback apparatus
1040, and display apparatus
1050. The input apparatus
1010 inputs a content recording request
from a user to the content recording apparatus
1030, and inputs a content
playback request, content search request, or the like, from a user to the content
playback apparatus
1040. The content recording apparatus
1030 records
package-unit content, metadata, and file management information on the recording
medium
1020. Using content and metadata recorded on the recording medium
1020, the content playback apparatus
1040 plays back contents and
displays them on the display apparatus
1050, and performs content searching
and categorizing.
The content recording apparatus
1030 chiefly comprises a service management
information recording section
1031, package management information recording
section
1032, package metadata file recording section
1033, package/metadata
correspondence information recording section
1034, content file recording
section
1035, and content/metadata correspondence information recording
section
1036.
The service management information recording section
1031 creates service
management information for managing services recorded on the recording medium
1020
and records it on the recording medium
1020. The package management information
recording section
1032 creates package management information for managing
packages recorded on the recording medium
1020 and records it on the recording
medium
1020. The package metadata file recording section
1033 records
on the recording medium
1020 a group of metadata files relating to packages
contained in individual services or a service itself, and also creates metadata
file group management information for managing these file groups and records it
on the recording medium
1020. The package/metadata correspondence information
recording section
1034 creates information on correspondence between a package
within a service and a metadata file, or correspondence between a service itself
and a metadata file, and records it on the recording medium
1020. The content
file recording section
1035 records on the recording medium
1020
files of a content file group or metadata file group contained in individual packages,
and also creates content file group management information for managing these file
groups and records it on the recording medium
1020. The content/metadata
correspondence information recording section
1036 creates information on
correspondence between a content file metadata file within a package, or correspondence
between a package itself and a metadata file, and records it on the recording medium
1020.
The content playback apparatus
1040 chiefly comprises a content file acquisition
section
1041, metadata file acquisition section
1042, and metadata
correspondence resolution section
1043. The content file acquisition section
1041 receives a content playback command, search command, or the like, from
the input apparatus
1010, and acquires the specified content file from the
recording medium
1020. The metadata file acquisition section
1042
acquires a metadata file necessary for search processing from the recording medium
1020. The metadata correspondence resolution section
1043 performs
acquisition of a metadata file corresponding to a specified content file and acquisition
of a content file corresponding to a specified metadata file.
Next, content recording processing, content search processing, and content
playback processing performed by this apparatus based on the file management method
of this embodiment will be described using actual examples.
<Content Recording Processing>
First, a content recording command is received from the user via the input
apparatus
1010. Here, the case where a recording command for metadata
1100
shown in FIG. 12 is issued will be considered as an example. Metadata
1100
has been distributed in advance, prior to the start of the service.
Metadata
1100 in FIG. 12 comprises packages
1121 to
1130
comprising reports each corresponding to a single company, and corresponding metadata
files
1101 to
1110. For example, file
1101 is a metadata file
corresponding to package
1121, and package
1121, as a report package
for Company A, contains files "ACOMP01.htm" and "ACOMP02.htm". A case will be considered
in which a total of ten such reports are distributed in succession.
FIG. 13 is a drawing showing an example of the directory and file configuration
on the recording medium
1020 after all the packages shown in FIG. 12 have
been recorded by the content recording apparatus
1030.
A service directory
1202 called "SVC00001" indicating a service unit is
created at the same level as the service management file
1201, and below
this directory
1202 are recorded a package management file
1203,
metadata file group management file
1204, package/metadata correspondence
management file
1025, and metadata files
1101 to
1110 corresponding
to the packages shown in FIG. 12. These are recorded under the file names "00002.mdt",
"00003.mdt", "00004.mdt", . . . "00011.mdt", respectively. Similarly, metadata
1100 corresponding to the entire service is recorded under the file name "00001.mdt".
Also, metadata
1206,
1207, and
1208 corresponding to a
plurality of packages are created and recorded under the file names "00012.mdt",
"00013.mdt", and "00014.mdt". The method of creating these files will be described
later herein.
Furthermore, a subdirectory corresponding to each package is created
under the service directory
1202, and files contained in each package are
recorded under each subdirectory. For example, a directory
1209 called "PKG00001"
is created for package
1121 in FIG. 12, and under this directory
1209
are created a content file group management file
1210 and content/metadata
correspondence management file
1211, and the files of package
1121.
When the content recording apparatus
1030 receives a content recording
command from the input apparatus
1010, it first creates or updates the service
management file
1201 by means of the service management information recording
section
1031.
In this embodiment, the description is based on a naming rule whereby the directory
name of a service directory corresponding to a service directory number is designated
"SVCXXXXX (XXXXX=service directory number)", as shown in FIG. 13. It should be
understood that any naming rule may be used as long as it derives the directory
name of a service directory uniquely from the service directory number.
FIG. 14 is a drawing showing an example of the service management file
1201
at the stage at which the service shown in FIG. 12 is recorded on the recording
medium
1020. The service management file
1201 manages the correspondence
between a service directory number corresponding to the service directory name
and a service identifier for uniquely identifying that directory.
In FIG. 14, the string "COMPREPORT" is used as a service identifier, but as long
as this service identifier can uniquely identify a service directory existing on
the recording medium
1020, any kind of string, numerals, or symbols may
be used.
Package management file
1203 is then created or updated by the package
management information recording section
1032. These operations are similar
to the operations described in Embodiment 1, and therefore a description is omitted here.
Next, package related metadata file recording and metadata file group management
file
1204 creation are performed by the package metadata file recording
section
1033.
FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an example of a metadata file group management
file
1204 at the stage at which the package shown in FIG. 12 is recorded
on the recording medium
1020. A metadata file group management file manages
the correspondence between a file number corresponding to a metadata file name
when recorded on the recording medium
1020 and a metadata file identifier
for uniquely identifying the relevant metadata file, and one metadata file group
management file is created for each service directory. Metadata file numbers are
assigned on a service-by-service basis.
In this embodiment, the description is based on a naming rule whereby the file
name corresponding to a metadata file number is designated "XXXXX.EXT (XXXXX=file
number, EXT=original file extension)", as shown in FIG. 13. It should be understood
that any naming rule may be used as long as it derives the file name on the recording
medium
1020 uniquely from the metadata file number.
Also, in FIG. 13, the distribution source file name string is used as a metadata
file identifier, but as long as this file identifier can uniquely identify a file
existing under service directory "SVC00001" on the recording medium
1020,
any kind of string, numerals, or symbols may be used.
Packages are then recorded on the recording medium
1020. The operations
for creation of a content file group management file and content/metadata correspondence
management file under a package directory, and content file recording, are similar
to the operations described in Embodiment 1, and therefore a description is omitted here.
At this point, metadata files corresponding to metadata file numbers "00012"
to
"00014" are newly created from distributed metadata. This creation operation is
described below.
FIG. 16 is a drawing showing an example of metadata
1100 "CATEGORY.mdt"
for the entire distributed service. The contents comprise category information
of companies for which reporting is to be performed by a service, within which
company category names from main categories Manufacturing/Services/Financial/Construction
to base categories Computer/Heavy Electrical/Consumer Electronics are recorded.
FIG. 17 shows an example of the contents of metadata
1101 to
1110
corresponding to the distributed packages. Here, the company name, categories,
report date, business results trend (+/-), and so forth, of each package are given.
After recording metadata corresponding to each package, the package metadata
file recording section
1033 creates new metadata
1206,
1207,
and
1208 by combining these metadata. As an example, the case is shown here
where a business results summary for companies belonging to each category is created
as metadata.
FIG. 18 is a sample description of contents of metadata
1206,
1207,
and
1208. Here, for metadata
1206 a summary for a group of companies
categorized as Consumer Electronics is extracted and recorded. Here, for example,
the latest business results for companies categorized as Consumer Electronics show
four as + and one as -. Similarly, for metadata
1207 a summary for a group
of companies categorized as Heavy Electrical is extracted and recorded, and for
metadata
1208 a summary for a group of companies categorized as Computer
is extracted and recorded.
<Content Search and Playback Processing>
The case will be considered where there is a display request for a report on
companies shown in FIG. 2 via the input apparatus
1010. The user can display
a report by directly specifying a company name, etc., but here the case of step-by-step
display will be considered, in which a selection menu is first displayed from the
apparatus side, and then the user selects an item from that menu to display a detailed report.
The metadata file acquisition section
1042 first acquires a metadata file
for the entire relevant service. This is done by means of the following procedure.
First, the metadata correspondence resolution section
1043 references
package/metadata correspondence management file
1205 and acquires the metadata
file identifier of the relevant service. FIG. 19 shows an example of the contents
of a package/metadata correspondence management file.
Here, metadata file identifier "CATEGORY.mdt" corresponding to service identifier
"COMREPORT" is acquired. Next, metadata file group management file
1204
is referenced, and metadata file number "00001" corresponding to "CATEGORY.mdt"
is acquired.
The metadata file acquisition section
1042 acquires the contents of metadata
file "00001.mdt", displays the company categories written therein on the display
apparatus
1050, and prompts the user to make a selection.
Assume that the user selects the company category "Computer". In this case,
the metadata file acquisition section
1042 acquires metadata files
1206,
1207, and
1208 that contain report summaries, and identifies a "Computer"
category summary therefrom. Details of this processing are omitted here. Metadata
file
1208 contains a summary of a group of companies categorized as "Computer",
and so this summary is displayed on the display apparatus
1050.
Next, assume that the user requests display of a report on a company belonging
to that category.
The content playback apparatus
1040 obtains packages corresponding to
currently displayed metadata file
1208 as follows.
First, the content playback apparatus
1040 references package/metadata
correspondence management file
1205 and finds that there are five package
identifiers—"BCOMPPACK00", "BCOMPPACK01", "ECOMPPACK00", "FCOMPPACK00", and
"GCOMPPACK00"—corresponding to the currently displayed metadata file.
The content playback apparatus
1040 then references package management
file
1203 for each package identifier. FIG. 20 shows an example of the contents
of package management file
1203.
For example, the package directory number corresponding to package identifier
"BCOMPPACK01" is "00005". The files in this package are then displayed. Display
of files in this package is performed in the same way as in Embodiment 1.
In the case of the package/metadata correspondence management file in FIG. 19,
one-to-one relationships where one metadata file identifier corresponds to one
package identifier, and one-to-multiple relationships where one metadata file identifier
corresponds to a plurality of package identifiers, are recorded, but multiple-to-one
relationships where a plurality of metadata file identifiers correspond to one
package identifier, and multiple-to-multiple relationships where a plurality of
metadata file identifiers correspond to a plurality of package identifiers, can
also be recorded and managed.
As described above, in this embodiment, in a case where an apparatus that receives
content distribution assigns original file names and directory names to distributed
content files and metadata files, a directory that records packages, and a directory
that records an entire service, the following files are created:
(1) a service management file that manages correspondence between a service
directory number corresponding to a service directory name and a service identifier
for uniquely identifying that directory,
(2) a package management file that manages correspondence between a package
directory number corresponding to a package directory name and a package identifier
for uniquely identifying that directory,
(3) a metadata file group management file that manages correspondence between
a metadata file number uniquely corresponding to a file name when a metadata file
corresponding to an individual package is recorded on the recording medium 120
and a metadata file identifier for uniquely identifying that metadata file, and
(4) a package/metadata correspondence management file that manages correspondence
between the file identifier of a metadata file and the package identifier of a
package corresponding thereto. By using these management files, it is possible
always to obtain the correspondence between various levels of metadata—comprising
service related metadata, package related metadata, and content related metadata—and
services, packages, and content, and it is possible to execute accurately and efficiently
processing for searching for, categorizing, and organizing content and packages
using metadata.
Here, the case has been described where metadata files
1206,
1207,
and
1208 corresponding to a plurality of packages are created by the content
recording apparatus, but these files may also be created on the transmitting side
and transmitted.
In above-described Embodiment 1, the case has been described where metadata files
are located directly below a package directory, and management is performed as
to what each metadata file corresponds to using a content/metadata correspondence
management file. And in above-described Embodiment 2, the case has been described
where metadata files are located directly below a service directory, and management
is performed as to what each metadata item corresponds to using a package/metadata
correspondence management file.
However, the above two kinds of correspondence management file may also
be files with the same format and the same name (hereinafter both together are
referred to as "metadata correspondence management file"). Also, as described above,
when a metadata correspondence management file is recorded on the recording medium
120 (
1020), the content/metadata correspondence information recording
section
133 and package/metadata correspondence information recording section
1034 are together called a metadata correspondence information recording section.
FIG. 21 is a drawing showing an example of the contents of a metadata correspondence
management file. A metadata correspondence management file manages correspondence
between the identifier of a metadata file and the identifier of an object (generic
term for a service, package, or content), and one metadata correspondence management
file is created for each service directory or package directory. In the record
types shown in FIG. 21, information is recorded for determining whether the relevant
metadata correspondence management file is located directly below a service directory
or a package directory, and metadata corresponding to what kind of object is comprised
by the metadata file specified by the metadata file identifier of the relevant
record. FIG. 22 is a drawing showing
