Sound storage and sound retrieval system having peripheral with hand operable switches
First Claim
1. A system for storing and retrieving sound data, comprising a hand holdable peripheral and a computer, said hand holdable peripheral comprising means for controlling storage of sound data to a sound data storage device and for controlling retrieval of said sound data from said sound data storage device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sound compression/decompression peripheral which operates with a host computer or other remote sound data storage device. The peripheral comprises a plurality of hand operable switches which may be dedicated to functions to which users of tape recorders are accustomed such as "RECORD" "PLAY" "STOP" "REWIND" "FAST FORWARD" and "PAUSE". The switches may also perform other functions. One possible embodiment of the peripheral comprises: a microphone; a speaker; a μLaw codec which converts the analog signals from the microphone into digital pulse code modulated signals, and which converts digital pulse code modulated signals into corresponding analog signals for driving the speaker; a digital signal processor which compresses sound information carried in the pulse code modulated signals, which outputs compressed sound data to a microcontroller, which receives compressed sound data from the microcontroller, which decompresses the compressed sound data into pulse code modulated signals, and which outputs pulse code modulated signals to the encoder/decoder; a microcontroller which buffers compressed sound data between a personal computer and the digital signal processor, which monitors the status of a plurality of hand operable switches, and which relays switch status to the personal computer; and a plurality of hand operable switches.
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Citations
32 Claims
- 1. A system for storing and retrieving sound data, comprising a hand holdable peripheral and a computer, said hand holdable peripheral comprising means for controlling storage of sound data to a sound data storage device and for controlling retrieval of said sound data from said sound data storage device.
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3. A peripheral for communicating with a computer, comprising:
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a plurality of manually operable switches; a sound input transducer having an output; a sound output transducer having an input; a data communication channel interface coupling said peripheral to a remote sound data storage device so that compressed sound data can be communicated between the remote sound data storage device and the peripheral; and a sound data compressor/decompressor having a first input, a second input, a third input, a first output, and a second output, said first input being coupled to said output of said sound input transducer, said second input being coupled to said plurality of switches, said third input being coupled to said data communication channel interface, said first output being coupled to said input of said sound output transducer, said second output being coupled to said data communication channel interface, said peripheral being a hand holdable peripheral.
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23. A sound storage and sound retrieval system, comprising:
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a hand holdable peripheral having hand operable switches, said peripheral converting and compressing sound into compressed sound data, said peripheral decompressing and converting said compressed sound data into sound; a remote compressed sound storage device which stores and retrieves compressed sound data, said remote compressed sound storage device being coupled to said peripheral such that compressed data can be transferred between said peripheral and said remote compressed sound storage device; application software operating in a computer; and a driver program operating in said computer, said driver program causing said computer to execute a keystroke handling routine in said application software when one of said hand operable switches is pressed. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A peripheral for use with a computer, said peripheral being movable with respect to said computer when said peripheral and said computer are operating, said peripheral comprising:
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a microphone; a speaker; sound compression/decompression means for receiving input electrical signals from said microphone, for compressing said input electrical signals into compressed sound data, for decompressing said compressed sound data into output electrical signals, and for supplying said output electrical signals to said speaker; a plurality of hand operable switches; and means for communicating with said computer, for detecting a status of said plurality of switches, for relaying said status of said plurality of switches to said computer, and for relaying compressed sound data between said sound compression/decompression means and said computer. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A sound storage and sound retrieval system, comprising:
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a hand holdable peripheral having hand operable switches, said peripheral converting and compressing sound into compressed sound data, said peripheral decompressing and converting said compressed sound data into sound, each switch of said switches having a function; a remote compressed sound storage device which stores and retrieves compressed sound data, said remote compressed sound storage device being coupled to said peripheral such that compressed data can be transferred between said peripheral and said remote compressed sound storage device; application software operating in a computer, said application software determining the functions of at least some of said switches; and a driver program operating in said computer, said driver program relaying switch status information to said application software. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification