Recording device

Abstract

The present invention prevents a recording failure that may arise out of insufficient free disk space in a hard disk based video recorder. If disk space insufficiency occurs in a redundant recording device or video recorder that is equipped with a redundant hard disk array to provide against failure, the nonredundant mode is temporarily selected to obtain a necessary disk space. Further, the file loss caused by a hard disk failure is minimized by providing redundancy on an individual file basis and not on an individual hard disk basis.

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . A recording device comprising: 
 a first writing unit, which writes the same information onto a first recording medium and a second recording medium in file form; and    a second writing unit, which does not write information onto said first recording medium but writes information onto said second recording medium;    wherein:    at least files recorded on the second recording medium are provided with attribute information for indicating whether or not the recorded files are redundant; and    said first writing unit and said second writing unit use different attribute information during a write operation, and exercise control to determine, in accordance with the free space on said second recording medium, whether said first writing unit or said second writing unit should be used for writing information.    
   
   
       13 . A recording device comprising: 
 a first writing unit, which writes the same information onto a first recording medium and a second recording medium in file form; and    a second writing unit, which does not write information onto said first recording medium but writes information onto said second recording medium;    wherein:    at least files written on the second recording medium are provided with a redundancy flag as an attribute for indicating whether the written files are redundant;    said first writing unit sets a true-valued redundancy flag during a write operation to indicate redundancy;    said second writing unit sets a false-valued redundancy flag during a write operation to indicate nonredundancy;    if the free space on said second recording medium is larger than a specified value, said first writing unit writes information; and    if the free space on said second recording medium is not larger than the specified value, said second writing unit records information onto the second recording medium.    
   
   
       14 . A recording device comprising: 
 a first recording medium and a second recording medium, which manage information in file form;    a first writing unit, which writes the same information onto said first recording medium and said second recording medium;    a second writing unit, which does not write information onto said first recording medium but writes information onto said second recording medium;    a switching unit which switches between said first writing unit and said second writing unit; and    a control unit which controls said switching unit;    wherein:    at least files managed by the second recording medium are provided with a redundancy flag as an attribute for indicating whether the files are redundant;    said first writing unit sets a true-valued redundancy flag during a write operation to indicate redundancy;    said second writing unit sets a false-valued redundancy flag during a write operation to indicate nonredundancy;    if the free space on said second recording medium is larger than a specified value, said control unit sets said switching unit to the first writing unit; and    if the free space on said second recording medium is not larger than the specified value, said control unit sets said switching unit to the second writing unit.    
   
   
       15 . The recording device according to  claim 14 , wherein, if the free space on said second recording medium is not larger than the specified value, said control unit deletes one or more files that is recorded on said second recording medium, provided with a true-valued redundancy flag.  
   
   
       16 . The recording device according to  claim 15 , wherein, when said second writing unit writes information, said control unit deletes one or more files recorded on said second recording medium until the free space on the second recording medium is larger than the size of the information.  
   
   
       17 . The recording device according to  claim 15 , wherein said control unit estimates the size of a new file before the new file is to be written, and deletes one or more files recorded on said second recording medium until the free space on the second recording medium is larger than said estimated size.  
   
   
       18 . The recording device according to  claim 16 , wherein said control unit preferentially deletes the largest file that is recorded on said second recording medium and provided with a true-valued redundancy flag.  
   
   
       19 . The recording device according to  claim 16 , wherein said control unit preferentially deletes a file that is recorded on said second recording medium, provided with a true-valued redundancy flag, and marked with the most recent timestamp.  
   
   
       20 . The recording device according to  claim 16 , wherein said control unit preferentially deletes a previously read file that is recorded on said second recording medium and provided with a true-valued redundancy flag.  
   
   
       21 . The recording device according to  claim 16 , further comprising a notification unit which notifies the user that the nonredundant mode is selected, wherein said notification unit sends a notification to a user when said control unit sets said switching unit to the second writing unit.  
   
   
       22 . The recording device according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a deletion unit which deletes files recorded on said first recording medium and said second recording medium;    a redundancy unit which copies files recorded on said first recording medium and said second recording medium between said first recording medium and said second recording medium; and    a user interface;    wherein:    said deletion unit deletes a file that is specified by the user via the user interface; and    said redundancy unit copies files missing in the second recording medium from the first recording medium to the second recording medium, copies files missing in the first recording medium from the second recording medium to the first recording medium, and sets a true-valued redundancy flag for all the files to place the first recording medium and the second recording medium in the redundant mode.    
   
   
       23 . The recording device according to  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a receiving unit having a programmed recording function; and    an encoding unit which encodes a video signal that is output from said receiving unit;    wherein the size of the file to be written is estimated from the programmed recording time setting for said receiving unit and the encoding bit rate setting for said encoding unit.