Low power digital audio decoding/playing system for computing devices

• US 20040006690A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maishi Electronic (Shanghai) Limited
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Du, Sterling, Lam, James, Denning, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

A computer system includes a system CPU responsive to a control signal to load a first operating system or a second operating system. The first operating system is run by the computer system in a first operation mode and the second operating system is run by the computer system in a second entertainment mode. A PC operating in an entertainment mode may operate a variety of entertainment software applications. A quick boot process is also provided. The quick boot process may include an accelerated BIOS boot process that defers and delays appropriate tasks. The quick boot process may also include: detecting a condition; performing a BIOS boot process; loading an image file associated with the condition; and executing the image file associated with the condition. The condition may be that associated hardware is unchanged from a previous boot. A parental control system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a system CPU responsive to a control signal to load a first operating system or a second operating system, wherein said first operating system is run by said computer system in a first operation mode and said second operating system is run by said computer system in a second entertainment mode.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said computer system operating in said entertainment mode operates entertainment software applications selected from the group consisting of DVD playback applications, TV applications, digital device applications, remote control application, voice recording applications, and audio playback applications.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said second operating system is a subset of said first operating system.

4. A method of quickly booting a PC, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a condition;

performing a BIOS boot process;

loading an image file associated with said condition; and

executing said image file associated with said condition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said condition is a hardware condition of a previous boot.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said image file comprises a supported hardware configuration.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said BIOS boot process comprises the steps of:

identifying a task that may be skipped; and

skipping said task.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said task is a hardware check.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said BIOS boot process further comprises the steps of:

identifying a deferrable task that may be deferred; and

deferring said deferrable task to a later time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said deferrable task is reading data from a disk after said disk is spun up.

11. A method of quickly booting a mini-OS configured to run a PC in an entertainment mode, said method comprising the steps of:

determining said entertainment mode is desired;

detecting a condition;

performing a BIOS boot process;

loading an image file associated with said condition; and

executing said image file associated with said condition to thereby load said mini-OS to enable operation of said PC in said entertainment mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said condition is a hardware condition of a previous boot.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said image file comprises a supported hardware configuration.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said BIOS boot process comprises the steps of:

identifying a task that may be skipped; and

skipping said task.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said task is a hardware check for a piece of hardware not necessary for operation of said PC in said entertainment mode.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said task is a memory test.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said BIOS boot process further comprises the steps of:

identifying a deferrable task that may be deferred;

deferring said deferrable task to a later time.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said PC in said entertainment mode operates software applications selected from the group consisting of DVD playback applications, TV applications, digital device applications, remote control application, voice recording applications, and audio playback applications.

19. An accelerated BIOS boot process comprises the steps of:

identifying a task that may be skipped;

skipping said task;

identifying a deferrable task that may be deferred; and

deferring said deferrable task to a later time.

20. A parental control circuit comprising:

a host interface configured to communicate with a host computer system;

a storage device interface configured to communicate with an associated external storage device; and

an engine configured to provide for secure communication between said host interface and said storage interface.

21. The parental control circuit of claim 20, wherein said storage device interface is configured to receive a first coded signal from said external storage device representative of instructional data on said external storage device, and wherein said engine is configured to receive an input coded signal representative of said first coded signal and is configured to provide an output decoded signal, and wherein said host interface is configured to receive said output decoded signal from said engine and provide a second decoded signal to said host computer system representative of said instructional data on said external storage device.

22. The parental control circuit of claim 21, wherein said engine is further configured to accept a decoded input signal from said host interface representative of a command from said host computer system and to provide a coded output signal to said storage device interface representative of said command from said operating system.

23. A computer system enabling parental control of access to data, said computer system comprising:

a computer host subsystem comprising a system CPU, an operating system, and a slot; and

a parental control system comprising;

a storage device comprising instructional data, said storage device configured to fit into said slot of said computer host subsystem;

a parental control circuit configured to accept a first coded signal representative of said instructional data on said storage device and provide a second decoded signal to said operating system representative of said instructional data, wherein said operating system is responsive to said second decoded signal to control access to applications of said computer host subsystem based on said second decoded signal.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said operating system comprises a mini-OS and said applications are entertainment applications.

25. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said instructional data comprises time limit data including a predetermined time limit over a predetermined time interval, said operating system responsive to said time limit data to terminate operation of said computer system if said predetermined time limit is exceeded over said predetermined time interval.

26. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said instructional data comprises content restriction data including a prohibited content rating for an associated set of files, said operating system responsive to said content restriction data to prohibit operation of said associated set of files having said prohibited content rating.

27. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said instructional data comprises time-of-day restriction data including a prohibited time-of-day interval, said operating system responsive to said time-of-day restriction data to prohibit operation of said computer system during said prohibited time-of-day time interval.

28. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said parental control circuit comprises:

a host interface configured to provide said second decoded signal to said operating system representative of said instructional data;

a storage device interface configured to accept said first coded signal representative of said instructional data on said storage device; and

an engine configured to accept a coded input signal from said storage device interface representative of said first coded signal and provide a decoded output signal to said host interface representative of said second decoded signal.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein said engine is further configured to accept a decoded input signal from said host interface representative of a command from said operating system and provide a coded output signal to said storage device interface representative of said command from said operating system.

30. A computer system comprising:

a system CPU responsive to a control signal to load a first operating system or a second operating system, wherein said first operating system is run by said computer system in a first operation mode and said second operating system is run by said computer system in a second entertainment mode; and

and a parental control circuit configured to provide secure communication between an external storage device and said second operating system, said external storage device comprising instructional data for an associated user regarding limits to operation of said computer system in said entertainment mode.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein said parental control circuit comprises:

a host interface configured to provide a second decoded signal to said operating system representative of said instructional data;

a storage device interface configured to accept a first coded signal representative of said instructional data on said storage device; and

an engine configured to accept a coded input signal from said storage device interface representative of said first coded signal and provide a decoded output signal to said host interface representative of said second decoded signal.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein said engine is further configured to accept a decoded input signal from said host interface representative of a command from said second operating system and provide a coded output signal to said storage device interface representative of said command from said operating system.

33. The computer system of claim 31, wherein said instructional data comprises time limit data including a predetermined time limit over a predetermined time interval, said second operating system responsive to said time limit data to terminate operation of said computer system in said entertainment mode if said predetermined time limit is exceeded over said predetermined time interval.

34. The computer system of claim 31, wherein said instructional data comprises content restriction data including a prohibited content rating for an associated set of files, said second operating system responsive to said content restriction data to prohibit operation of said associated set of files having said prohibited content rating.

35. The computer system of claim 31, wherein said instructional data comprises time-of-day restriction data including a prohibited time-of-day interval, said second operating system responsive to said time-of-day restriction data to prohibit operation of said computer system in said entertainment mode during said prohibited time-of-day time interval.

36. A method of accessing data on a computer system, said method comprising:

selecting compressed data from a drive of a computer system having at least said drive, a CPU, and a memory;

reading said compressed data;

providing said compressed data to said CPU for decompressing said compressed data, thereby providing decompressed data; and

storing said decompressed data in said memory.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said compressed data comprises compressed audio data.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said compressed data comprises compressed video data.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said selecting step is performed by activation of at least one function key.

40. A computer system adapted to access data, said computer system comprising:

compressed data residing in one or more files;

at least one selection key configured to enable a user to select at least one of said files;

a system CPU;

a controller; and

an operating system comprising file management software, said file management software configured to manage said files and to permit said user to access said files via said at least one selection key, said operating system also configured to control said controller and said CPU to cause said CPU to decompress said at least one file selected by said user.

41. The computer system of claim 40, wherein said file comprises an audio file.

42. The computer system of claim 40, wherein said file comprises a video file.

43. A computer system adapted to access compressed data, said computer system comprising:

a system CPU;

memory;

at least one drive comprising compressed data;

a first operating system configured to control at least said system CPU and said memory; and

a second operating system configured to cause said system CPU to decompress said compressed data into decompressed data and store said decompressed data in said memory.

44. The computer system of claim 43, wherein said compressed data comprises compressed audio data.

45. The computer system of claim 44, wherein said compressed data comprises compressed video data.

46. The computer system of claim 43, wherein said second operating system is run by said computer system in a second entertainment mode.

47. The computer system of claim 46, wherein said computer system operating in said entertainment mode operates entertainment software applications selected from the group consisting of DVD playback applications, TV applications, digital device applications, remote control application, voice recording applications, and audio playback applications.

48. The computer system of claim 43, wherein said second operating system is a subset of said first operating system.