Audio playback/recording apparatus

• US 20010005828A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamaji, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/16 Storage of analogue signals in digital stores using an arrangement comprising analogue/digital [A/D] converters, digital memories and digital/analogue [D/A] converters

Abstract

An audio playback/recording apparatus comprising: an audio input processing section 11, which receives analog audio data, and converts the analog audio data to digital audio data; a playback/recording processing section 12, which compresses digital audio data output from the audio input processing section 11 and stores the compressed digital audio data into a RAM 16, and which decompresses compressed digital audio data stored in the RAM 16; an audio output processing section 13, which receives decompressed digital audio data output from the playback/recording processing section 12, converts the decompressed digital audio data to analog audio data, and outputs the analog audio data to an output apparatus; an external recording circuit section 18, which records compressed digital audio data stored in the RAM 16 into an external recording medium 18A, reads out compressed digital audio data output from the external recording medium 18A, and stores the data into the RAM 16.

Claims

1. An audio playback/recording apparatus comprising:

an audio input processing section, which receives analog audio data, and converts said analog audio data to digital audio data;

a playback/recording processing section having a compression section which compresses said digital audio data output from said audio input processing section and stores said compressed digital audio data and attribution data indicating a type of a compression of said compressed digital audio data into a RAM, and an expansion section which decompresses compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM based on attribution data indicating a type of a compression of said compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM;

an audio output processing section, which receives decompressed digital audio data output from said playback/recording processing section, converts said decompressed digital audio data to analog audio data, and outputs said analog audio data to an output apparatus;

an external recording circuit section, which records compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM into an external recording medium, and reads out compressed digital audio data from said external recording medium, and stores said readout data into said RAM.

2. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising a general-purpose interface circuit section, which transfers digital audio data and attribution data indicating a type of a compression of said compressed digital audio data to an external apparatus connected thereto from said external recording medium, and receives digital audio data from said external apparatus and transfers digital audio data and attribution data indicating a type of a compression of said compressed digital audio data to said external recording medium.

3. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising a protection processing section for performing protection processing of said digital audio data.

4. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein said protection processing section comprising an encryption section which encrypts said digital audio data, a decryption section which decrypts encrypted digital audio data, an authorization data generation section, which generates authorization data sent to said external apparatus connected to said general-purpose interface circuit section, and an authorization data verification section, which verifies authorization data sent from said external apparatus connected to said general-purpose interface circuit section.

5. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein said protection processing section comprising an encryption section which encrypts digital audio data, a decryption section which decrypts encrypted digital audio data, an authorization data writing section which writes authorization data into digital audio data transferred to said external apparatus connected to said general-purpose interface circuit section, and an authorization data extraction section which extracts authorization data from digital audio data received from said external apparatus connected to said general-purpose interface circuit section.

6. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to

claim 5

, wherein said authorization data writing section writes said authorization data within a header information section of said digital audio data.