JPH0619629A - Data storage - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a data storage which can store the necessary data in an external storage without omission and also can reduce the capacity of the external storage to a minimum. CONSTITUTION:When a necessary part is designated through a control panel 17, the storage of the continuously received input data is started in a buffer memory 15 or 16 that stores no input data yet. Meanwhile the data on the necessary part is read out of the buffer memory storing the input and then transferred to an external storage 3. Furthermore the data stored in the storage 3 are controlled with addition of the file numbers or the input data are compressed and sent to the buffer memory.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data storage device for effectively storing a large amount of continuous data such as voice data, image data, or system information trace data in an external storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional data storage device disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-55664. In the figure, 1 is a processor for controlling the entire data storage device, and 2 is a main storage device provided therein. Reference numeral 3 is a magnetic disk device as an external storage device for storing a large amount of continuous data such as voice data, 4 is also an optical disk device, and 5 and 6 are data write / read of the magnetic disk device 3 or the optical disk device 4. Is an external storage device control unit for controlling the. Reference numeral 7 denotes an input / output interface for interfacing the large amount of data stored in the magnetic disk device 3 or the optical disk device 4 with the processor 1. Reference numerals 8 and 9 denote a display and a typewriter connected to the processor 1 to interface with a man-machine, and 10 denotes a printer on which a hard copy of necessary information is printed out.

Next, the operation will be described. Voice data,
When there is an input of image data, system information trace data, etc., the input / output interface 7 sequentially transfers the sequentially input data to the processor 1, and the processor 1 sequentially stores it in the internal main storage device 2. To do. Since the audio data, the image data, the system information trace data, etc. have a huge amount of data, the processor 1 sends them to the optical disk device 4 capable of storing an extremely large capacity via the external storage device controller 6. Forward. The optical disk device 4 that has received the transfer of the data sequentially records and saves the data. Here, since the access time of the optical disk device 4 is relatively slow, which is about several tens of milliseconds on average, in order to reduce the number of times of access to the optical disk device 4 as much as possible, record ID management information, optical disk usage status information, etc. The disk management information is recorded on the magnetic disk device 3.

However, if continuous recording of a large amount of continuous data such as voice data is continued, there is a possibility that even a large-capacity optical disk device 4 may run out of capacity and fail to record important data. It is considered to select only necessary data and store it in an external storage device such as the magnetic disk device 3. Specifically, as the first method, the operator recognizes the necessary data and gives an instruction to start recording to the external storage device, and as the second method,
An interrupt signal is provided on the device side that transmits data, and recording to an external storage device is started in response to this interrupt signal.The third method is pattern matching to determine whether or not the data is necessary. Has been proposed, and recording is started in the external storage device when the two coincide with each other.

[0005]

Since the conventional data storage device is configured as described above, the optical disk device 4
When using, large-volume data such as voice data that is continuously input is recorded in real time because the access time is slow.
It becomes difficult to save, and even if the optical disc device 4 having a large capacity is used, if the recording of a large amount of continuous data is continued, there is a possibility that the capacity becomes insufficient and important data cannot be recorded. Even if only necessary data is recorded in the external storage device in order to prevent it, according to the first method, the data continuously sent by the operator to start recording is the necessary data. If you operate it after recognizing it, it will be late, the first part of the data will be lost, and human error may occur.According to the second method, the control circuit for the interrupt signal etc. Is required, and the device configuration becomes complicated.According to the third method, when the input data that is commonly used for processing image data and audio data is compressed recently, the compression ratio Determining required data whether by pattern matching from the different data I has a problem such as difficult.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and it is possible to save necessary data in an external storage device without omission and to minimize the used capacity of the external storage device. An object is to obtain a data storage device that can be suppressed.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data storage device comprising two buffer memories for storing a fixed amount of data from the latest one while sequentially updating continuous input data, and input data. An external storage device for storing a designated required portion therein, an operation panel having an operation switch for designating the required portion, and a buffer memory for storing data of the designated required portion as input data From the external storage device to the external storage device, and further includes a processor for continuing the storage of the input data in the buffer memory where the input data was not stored.

Further, in the data storage device according to the second aspect of the present invention, at the time of transferring a required portion of the input data to the external storage device, a file number is automatically assigned to the transfer data and the file number is designated. The processor is provided with a function of randomly accessing the external storage device, and an operation switch for designating the file number is provided on the operation panel.

A data storage device according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a data compression section for compressing input data,
A data decompression unit for decompressing output data is provided.

[0010]

The processor according to the invention described in claim 1 is
When the required part is specified by the operation switch on the operation panel, the buffer memory, which was not storing the input data, starts storing the input data sent continuously and stores the input data. Data storage that can store the required data in the external storage device without omission by reading the specified part of the required data from the buffer memory and transferring it to the external storage device, and minimizing its used capacity. Realize the device.

Further, in the processor according to the second aspect of the present invention, when a necessary portion of the input data is transferred to the external storage device, a file number is automatically assigned to the transfer data, and the external storage is performed by designating the file number. By allowing the device to be accessed randomly, the desired data can be searched and played only by specifying this file number.

Further, the data compression section in the third aspect of the invention compresses the input data and sends it to the buffer memory, thereby reducing the storage capacity in the buffer memory and the external storage device or extending the recordable time. It is possible.

[0013]

【Example】

Example 1. Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the invention described in claims 1 and 2. In the figure, reference numeral 3 is a magnetic disk device as an external storage device, and 5 is an external storage device control unit, which is the same part as those of the related art denoted by the same reference numeral in FIG. Reference numeral 11 is an audio data input device represented by a microphone, and 12 is an audio data output device represented by a speaker.
Reference numeral 3 is a data input unit for taking in audio data from the input device 11 and converting it into a digital signal, and 14 is a data output unit for converting the data read from the magnetic disk device 3 into an analog signal and outputting it to the output device 12. is there.

Reference numeral 15 is a first ring buffer as a buffer memory for sequentially updating the input data continuously sent from the data input unit 13 and storing a fixed amount from the latest one, and 16 is also a second ring buffer. It is a ring buffer, which is composed of random access memory etc. each having a logical ring shape, and when the amount of data to be recorded exceeds the storage capacity, it automatically stores the pointer by pointing the recording position back to the beginning. The capacity data is always stored continuously, and when one of them is transferring recorded data, the other is switched to record input data. 17 is the first of these
And an operation panel having operation switches for designating necessary parts in the input data stored in the second ring buffers 15 and 16.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a processor corresponding to the one in FIG. 7 designated by the same reference numeral, and when a necessary portion in the input data is designated by the operation switch of the operation panel 17,
A buffer memory that records input data by switching between the first ring buffer 15 and the second ring buffer 16 (for example, the first ring buffer 15).
In this way, the control for transferring the designated necessary portion of data to the magnetic disk device 3 is executed, and the input data is stored in the buffer memory (for example, the second ring buffer 16) where the input data was not recorded. Further, at the time of transferring a required portion of the input data to the magnetic disk device 3, a file number is automatically assigned to the transfer data, and the magnetic disk device 3 is randomly accessed by designating the file number. It has a function.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation panel 17. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a necessary portion of the input data recorded in the first or second ring buffers 15 and 16 which is desired to be recorded in the magnetic disk device 3, 5 minutes, 10 minutes,
.. and its storage time, and is an operation switch for instructing transfer of data for the corresponding time to the magnetic disk device 3. Reference numeral 22 is an operation switch for designating a file number when reproducing and outputting the audio data stored in the magnetic disk device 3, and 23 is an operation switch for instructing to stop the reproduction of the audio data.

Next, the operation will be described. The voice data input from the input device 11 such as a microphone is input to the data input unit 1
No. 3, and is digitized by the A / D conversion process and sent to one of the ring buffers, for example, the first ring buffer 15, and continuously recorded. The first ring buffer 15 has a logical ring shape, and when the data to be recorded exceeds its storage capacity, a pointer for automatically recording is returned to the head so that the data of the storage capacity is continuously recorded. It is possible to do.

Here, in FIG. 3, the operator operates the operation panel 1
7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing from pressing a desired one of the operation switches 21 on the device 7 until data is stored in the magnetic disk device 3. First, when the operator recognizes the voice data to be stored, the operator pushes the button corresponding to the duration of the voice in the operation switch 21 (step ST1). When the operation switch 21 is pressed, the processor 1 switches the ring buffer for recording the input audio data from the first ring buffer 15 to the second ring buffer 16 (step ST2), and further the first ring buffer. The required data amount is obtained from the current pointer of 15 and the operation switch 21 pushed by the operator, and the leading address of the data to be transferred is obtained (step ST3). The file number No. is added to the data to be transferred. 1 is added, the address of the magnetic disk device 3 and its data length are registered in the file management table shown in FIG. 4 (step ST4), and the external storage device controller 5 is also added.
On the other hand, the start address and transfer data length of the data on the first ring buffer 15 and the transfer destination address of the magnetic disk device 3 are set to start transfer (step ST5). The transfer-started external storage device controller 5 writes data to the magnetic disk device 3 (step ST6).

Further, FIG. 5 shows a timing chart showing the access timing of the first ring buffer 15 and the second ring buffer 16. Here, the step ST
By the switching process by the processor 1 in 2,
The first ring buffer 15 is dedicated to the transfer to the magnetic disk device 3, but since the buffer for recording the data input from the data input unit 13 is switched to the second ring buffer 16, it is continuously input. There is no interruption in the storage of audio data in the ring buffer. Therefore,
When the operator again requests the storage of the voice data, the processor 1 repeats the processing from step ST2 onward with respect to the second ring buffer 16 and repeats step ST4.
The file number N of the file management table shown in FIG.
o. The data transfer destination address and the data length of the magnetic disk device 3 are registered in the area No. 2.

When reproducing the audio data stored as a file in the magnetic disk device 3 in this way, the button corresponding to the file number of the desired data in the operation switch 22 for data reproduction on the operation panel 17 is pressed. Push. As a result, the processor 1 obtains the data address in the magnetic disk device 3 from the file management table shown in FIG. 4 and makes a transfer request to the external storage device controller 5. The data read by the external storage device control unit 5 is converted into analog by the D / A conversion processing of the data output unit 14, and is output from the output device 12 such as a speaker. If the operator wants to interrupt the output process while the audio data is being reproduced and output, the operator presses the operation switch 23 on the operation panel 17, and the processor 1 causes the external storage device controller 5 to operate. Performs transfer interruption processing.

Example 2. In the first embodiment, the case where the input voice data is stored as it is in the buffer memory and the external storage device has been described, but it may be stored after performing the data compression. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of such an invention described in claim 3, and the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In the figure, 18 is a data compression unit for compressing the input data from the data input unit 13 and sending it to the first or second ring buffers 15 and 16, and 19 is a magnetic disk device via the external storage device control unit 5. 3 is a data decompression unit that decompresses the data read from No. 3 and sends it to the data output unit 14.

Next, the operation will be described. The voice data input from the input device 11 such as a microphone is digitized by the data input unit 13 and then sent to the data compression unit 18. The data compression unit 18 compresses the received voice data using, for example, the well-known adaptive differential pulse code modulation (hereinafter referred to as ADPCM), and sequentially records it in the first or second ring buffers 15 and 16. Thereafter, as in the case of the first embodiment, the necessary portion of the compressed audio data is recorded / stored in the magnetic disk device 3. When reproducing the audio data stored in this way, the compressed audio data read from the magnetic disk device 3 is expanded by the data expansion unit 19 into the original audio data and sent to the data output unit 14. As a result, the amount of data stored in the buffer memory and the external storage device can be reduced. As a result, the storage capacities of the buffer memory and the external storage device can be reduced, and when the storage capacities of the same storage capacity are used, it is possible to record data for a longer time. If the ADPCM is used, the data amount can be compressed in half with almost no deterioration in sound quality.

Example 3. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the input data is audio data has been described, but it may be continuous and large-capacity data such as image data or trace data of a computer system, and the same effect as the above-described embodiment Play.

[0024]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the two buffer memories for constantly recording data and the buffer memory for transferring data to the external storage device are provided, and they can be switched freely. Since it is possible to transfer data to the external storage device at any timing regardless of recording to the buffer memory, it is possible to record necessary data in the external storage device without any loss. Not only can unnecessary data to be recorded in the storage device be minimized, but the operator can also give a sufficient margin to recognize the necessary data from the continuously input data. Even if the start request is forgotten and delayed, the buffer memory still stores the data during that time, so a data storage device that can reduce human error There is an effect obtained.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the data recorded and stored in the external storage device is configured to be managed by assigning a file number, the operator designates the file number. Only by doing so, it is possible to randomly search and reproduce desired data.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the input data is compressed and sent to the buffer memory, the amount of data to be recorded is greatly reduced, and the buffer memory and the external storage device are reduced. The storage capacity can be reduced, and when the same capacity is used, the recordable time can be lengthened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an operation panel in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing up to storage of data in an external storage device in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a file management table of data in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the timing of buffer memory access in the above embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional data storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Processor 3 External Storage Device (Magnetic Disk Device) 15 Buffer Memory (First Ring Buffer) 16 Buffer Memory (Second Ring Buffer) 17 Operation Panel 18 Data Compression Section 19 Data Expansion Section 21 Operation Switch 22 Operation Switch

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Two buffer memories which are switched from each other, and on the other hand, sequentially update input data sent continuously and store only a fixed amount from the latest one, and An external storage device in which the designated required portion is stored, an operation panel having an operation switch for designating the required portion in the input data stored in the buffer memory, and the required portion by the operation switch Is specified, the buffer memory is switched so that the input data is started to be stored in the storage device which has not stored the input data, and the input data is stored from the storage device which has stored the input data. A data storage device comprising: a processor that controls transfer of data to the external storage device. 2. The processor automatically assigns a file number to the transfer data when transferring a necessary portion of the input data to the external storage device, and randomly assigns the external storage device by designating the file number. The data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is provided with an operation switch for designating the file number while having a function of accessing. 3. A data compression unit for compressing the input data and sending it to the buffer memory, and a data decompression unit for decompressing the data read from the external storage device. Alternatively, the data storage device according to item 2.