Controller for portable electronic devices

• US 20040024931A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• 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 6,954,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3256 Power saving in optical drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A controller for use with laptop and notebook digital computers for reproducing compressed digital audio and video files. The controller includes a drive interface for traversing and accessing data stored on a drive of a computer system. Function keys or a remote controller permit users to access drives containing desired data. The selected data is read from the drive. A decoder circuit parses the data into audio data and video data and decodes each set of data to generate a decoded audio data stream or video data stream. The audio data stream can be converted to an analog signal by the controller, or sent to an external ADC of the computer system. Advantageously, the controller operates when the computer system is in an inactive state, for example in power saving mode or OFF, and operates in passthrough or bypass mode when the computer system is ON or active.

Claims

1. A computer system adapted to access data when said computer system is in an inactive state, said computer system comprising:

a computer subsystem comprising a system CPU and a drive for storing data; and

a controller comprising a drive interface configured to selectively access said data from said drive and a decoder circuit configured to decode said data and provide decoded data, wherein said controller is configured to access said drive to retrieve said data and decode said data when said computer subsystem is in said inactive state.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data comprises audio data.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data comprises video data.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said decoder circuit comprises a parser circuit configured to parse said data into audio data and video data.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein said decoder circuit further comprises an audio decoder configured to receive said audio data and provide a decompressed stream of audio data.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said decoder circuit further comprises an audio buffer coupled to said parser circuit and said audio decoder, said audio buffer configured to provide temporary storage of said audio data.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein said decoder circuit further comprises a video decoder configured to receive said video data and provide a decompressed stream of video data.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said decoder circuit further comprises an video buffer coupled to said parser circuit and said video decoder, said video buffer configured to provide temporary storage of said video data.

9. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising memory for storing said data.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said controller further comprises a memory controller and a processor, said processor controlling storage of said data in said memory utilizing said memory controller.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said memory comprises an internal memory and an external memory.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a processor configured to control a switch network.

13. The computer of claim 12, wherein said switch network comprises a video switch network having a first switch state and a second switch state, said first switch state decoupling said decoder circuit from a video output device of said computer subsystem.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein said video switch network in said second switch state couples said decoder circuit to said video output device, said second switch state occurring when said computer system is in said inactive state.

15. The computer of claim 12, wherein said switch network comprises a drive switch network having a first switch state and a second switch state, said first switch state decoupling said drive of said computer subsystem from said controller.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein said drive switch network in said second switch state couples said drive to said controller, said second switch state occurring when said computer subsystem is in said inactive state.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a processor configured to control an operation of said drive and said decoder circuit.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein said controller further comprises a non-volatile memory configured to store data and commands for use by said processor for controlling said drive and said decoder circuit.

19. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said drive is an optical drive.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said drive is a hard disk drive.

21. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a user interface configured to accept at least one signal from a plurality of function keys, said function keys generating user commands to said controller through said user interface.

22. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a user interface configured to accept at least one signal from a remote controller, said remote controller generating user commands to said controller through said user interface.

23. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises an LCD interface configured to provide signals to an associated LCD display.

24. A method for playing files in a computer system when said computer system is in an inactive state, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting data;

generating a data stream from said selected data; and

decoding said selected data and generating a decoded data stream.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said data comprises audio data.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said audio data comprises compressed audio data.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said data comprises video data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said video data comprises compressed video data.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of parsing said desired data into audio data and video data.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

storing said selected data in memory associated with said controller.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

controlling a drive of said computer system to access said data; and

controlling said drive to retrieve said data.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

traversing said drive to locate said data.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said drive is an optical drive.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said drive is a hard disk drive.