Music reproducing apparatus, mobile phone conversation apparatus, music reproducing system, and operating method thereof

• US 20060089736A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoshino, Kiyoshi, Kazuta, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US11/226,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A music reproducing apparatus has recording section configured to record in storage region plurality of files, communication section configured to make wireless communication with an external mobile phone conversation apparatus, compressor and de-compressor section configured to compress and decompress this file, reproducing section configured to reproduce the decompressed file, battery section configured to supply power supply electric potential to each section, and control section configured to control each section so as to transmit to the mobile phone conversation apparatus, operational information including folder structure of a plurality of files when authentication process with the mobile phone conversation apparatus is successful, and, when reproducing command having specified one of a plurality of files is received from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, read out and de-compress the file from recording section, and then, reproduce the read out and de-compressed file.

Claims

1. A music reproducing apparatus comprising:

a recording section configured to record in a recording region a plurality of files which conform to at least a digital voice file format;

a communication section configured to make wireless communication with an external mobile phone conversation apparatus;

a compressor and de-compressor section configured to compress and decompress the file recorded by the recording section;

a reproducing section configured to reproduce the file de-compressed by the compressor and de-compressor section;

a battery section configured to supply a power supply electric potential to at least the recording section, the communication section, the compressor and de-compressor section, and the reproducing section; and

a control section configured to control each section to carry out an authenticating process together with the mobile phone conversation apparatus by means of the communication section;

when the authentication process is successful, transmit to the mobile phone conversation apparatus via the communication section, operational information including a folder structure of the plurality of files; and

then, when a reproducing command having specified one of the plurality of files is received from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, read out the file from the recording section, decompress the file by means the compressor and de-compressor section, and reproduce the decompressed file by means of the reproducing section.

2. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication section makes communication with the mobile phone conversation apparatus in accordance with a Bluetooth specification.

3. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication section makes communication with the mobile phone conversation apparatus in accordance with at least one of a UWB specification, an infrared-ray communication specification, and a wireless LAN specification.

4. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication section transmits to the mobile phone conversation apparatus via the communication section a folder structure of a folder which stores each of the plurality of files.

5. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication section transmits to the mobile phone conversation apparatus, free space information contained in a storage region of the recording section.

6. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication section transmits to the mobile phone conversation apparatus via the communication section, image information to be displayed on an operating screen of the mobile screen of the mobile phone conversation apparatus or information required to generate the image information to be displayed on the operating screen.

7. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operating section configured to output an operating signal for reproduction of the file in response to operations of a plurality of operating switches, wherein

the communication section transmits to the mobile phone conversation apparatus, image information to be displayed on an operating screen of the mobile phone conversation apparatus which corresponds to a plurality of operating switches of the operating section.

8. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the communication section receives a call arrival signal from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, the control section controls each section so as to cancel reproduction of a file which conforms to a digital voice file format which is currently reproduced or reduce a volume in response to the call arrival signal, and then, notify to a user that a call arrival has occurred by means of a voice or in another method.

9. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the communication section receives a call arrival signal from the mobile phone conversation apparatus and a signal indicating a telephone number of the call arrival, the control section controls each section so as to cancel reproduction of a file which conforms to a digital voice file format which is currently reproduced or reduce a volume in response to the call arrival signal, and then, notify to a user that a call arrival has occurred by means of a voice or in another method.

10. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a predetermined file and a position at which the predetermined file is to be recorded in a folder structure of the plurality of files are transferred from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, the control section records the predetermined file at a specified position of a recording region of the recording section.

11. A mobile phone conversation apparatus comprising:

a phone conversation section configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal to and from a fixed station, thereby making communication with another mobile phone conversation apparatus;

a communication section configured to make communication with an external music reproducing apparatus in a smaller scale communication range than the phone conversation section by means of a wireless signal in a signal mode which is different from the wireless signal of the phone conversation section;

a display section configured to display on a screen an image according to a phone conversation process of the phone conversation section and a communication process of the communication section;

an operating section configured to make operations of the phone conversation process of the phone conversation section and the communication process of the communication section; and

a control section configured to make control so as to display at the display section a plurality of files based on a folder structure of the plurality of files which conform to at least a digital voice file format, the plurality of files being supplied from the music reproducing apparatus and recorded in the recording section of the music reproducing apparatus, and notify to the external music reproducing apparatus that a predetermined processing command of a predetermined file has been issued via the communication section if the predetermined file is specified and the predetermined processing command is issued in response to a user operation of the operating section.

12. The mobile phone conversation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication section makes communication with the external music reproducing apparatus in accordance with at least one of a Bluetooth specification, a UWB specification, an infrared-ray communication specification, and a wireless LAN specification.

13. The mobile phone conversation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication section receives from the music reproducing apparatus at least one of a folder structure of a folder containing the plurality of files;

free space information contained in a recording region of a recording section which the music reproducing apparatus has;

image information to be displayed on a screen of the display section or information required to generate the image information to be displayed; and

image information to be displayed on a screen of the display section, the image information corresponding to a plurality of operating switches which the music reproducing apparatus has.

14. The mobile phone conversation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, if a call arrival occurs in the phone conversation section, the control section notifies to the external music reproducing apparatus via the communication section a signal indicating that the call arrival has occurred.

15. The mobile phone conversation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control section makes control so as to display on the display section a folder structure of a plurality of files recorded in a recording section of the music reproducing apparatus and free space information contained in a recording region of the recording section, the files and information being supplied from the music reproducing apparatus, and transmit to the music reproducing apparatus via the communication section at least one of items of information such as E-mail information telephone directory information, voice information, image information, mobile image information, and a folder structure contained in a storage region which the mobile phone conversation apparatus incorporates to be moved in response to a user operation of the operating section together with positional information which is a move destination in the recording section of the music reproducing apparatus.

16. An information reproducing system having a music reproducing apparatus, a mobile phone conversation apparatus, and a server device, the music reproducing apparatus and the mobile phone conversation apparatus being configured to communicate with each other via a first wireless communication, the mobile phone conversation apparatus and the server device being configured to communicate with each other via a second wireless communication and the Internet, the second wireless communication being different from the first wireless communication in signal mode,

the music reproducing apparatus, the mobile phone conversation apparatus, and the server device each comprising a control section configured to control the mobile phone conversation apparatus so as to:

make a display on a display screen based on a folder structure of a plurality of files in the mobile phone conversation apparatus when the folder structure of the plurality of files which conform to a digital voice file format recorded in a recording section of the music reproducing apparatus is supplied to the mobile phone conversation apparatus via the first wireless communication;

in response to the display, acquire from the server device via the second wireless communication and the Internet, lyrics information according to a predetermined file when a user instructs a command for reproducing the predetermined file via an operating section of the mobile phone conversation apparatus;

transmit the predetermined file and the reproducing command to the music reproducing apparatus via the first wireless communication;

display the acquired lyrics information in the mobile phone conversation apparatus, and

reproduce the predetermined file contained in the music reproducing apparatus.

17. A method for operating a music reproducing apparatus using a mobile phone conversation apparatus of the music reproducing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

the music reproducing apparatus carrying out an authenticating process with respect to the mobile phone conversation apparatus;

when the authentication process is successful, transmitting to the mobile phone conversation apparatus, operating information including a folder structure of a plurality of files which conforms to at least a digital voice file format which the music reproducing apparatus records; and

upon receipt of a reproducing command having specified one of the plurality of files from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, reading out, decompressing, and reproducing the file.

18. The operating method according to claim 17, wherein, upon receipt of a call arrival signal from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, in response to the call arrival signal, each section is controlled so as to cancel reproduction of a file which conforms to a digital voice file format which is currently reproduced or reduce a volume, and then, to notify to a user that the call arrival has occurred by means of a voice or another method.

19. The operating method according to claim 17, wherein, upon receipt of a call arrival signal and a signal indicating a telephone number of the call arrival from the mobile phone conversation apparatus, in response to these signals, each section is controlled so as to cancel reproduction of a file which conforms to a digital voice file format which is currently reproduced or reduce a volume, and then, reproduce the file which conforms to the digital voice file format according to the telephone number, thereby notifying to a user that the call arrival has occurred.

20. A method for operating an information reproducing system having a music reproducing apparatus, a mobile phone conversation apparatus, and a server device, the music reproducing apparatus and the mobile phone conversation apparatus being configured to communicate with each other via a first wireless communication, the mobile phone conversation apparatus and the server device being configured to communicate to each other via a second wireless communication and the Internet, the second wireless communication being different from the first wireless communication in signal mode, the method comprising:

making a display on a display screen based on a folder structure of a plurality of files in the mobile phone conversation apparatus when the folder structure of the plurality of files which conform to a digital voice file format recorded in a recording section of the music reproducing apparatus is supplied to the mobile phone conversation apparatus via the first wireless communication;

in respect to the display, acquiring from the server device via the second wireless communication and the Internet, lyrics information according to a predetermined file when a user instructs a command for reproducing the predetermined file via an operating section of the mobile phone conversation apparatus;

displaying the acquired lyrics information on a display screen, and then, transmitting the predetermined file and the reproducing command to the music reproducing apparatus via the first wireless communication in the mobile phone conversation apparatus, thereby reproducing the predetermined file contained in the music reproducing apparatus.