Apparatus for skipping and/or playing tracks on a cd or a dvd

• US 6,067,279 A
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Fleming, Hoyt A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US08/989,756
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 369/33, 369/32, 369/14, 369/54, 369/58, 369/47, 369/48
• US Class Current: 369/30.06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/22 from random access magazine of disc records
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/228 Control systems for magazines G11B17/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/36 Signals on record carriers or on containers and recorded by the same method as the main recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/40 Identifying or analogous means applied to or incorporated in the record carrier and not intended for visual display simultaneously with the playing-back of the record carrier, e.g. label, leader, photograph
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for skipping a track on a disc in a disc player. Unlike current systems, this system does not rely on identifying tracks to be skipped based upon which slot a disc is located in. Instead, one embodiment of the present invention identifies discs based upon identification data read from discs in the disc player. Thus, one embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for playing discs that skips a track on a disc. The apparatus includes a disc player including a sequencing mechanism that generates a sequence of tracks from discs in the disc player. The disc player also includes an identification mechanism within the disc player that reads identification information from discs in the disc player and determines from the identification information if a specific disc is in the disc player. The disc player additionally includes a skipping mechanism within the disc player that skips a specific track if the specific track occurs in the sequence of tracks.

Claims

1. A disc player that accommodates a plurality of discs, comprising:

a disc player;

a sequencing mechanism within the disc player that generates a sequence of tracks to be played by the disc player;

an input mechanism that receives an identifier for a track to be skipped from a user, the identifier specifying a disc from the plurality of discs and a track to be skipped from the disc;

a disc identification mechanism within the disc player that reads identification information from the plurality of discs in the disc player and determines from the identification information if the disc is contained in the disc player; and

a skipping mechanism within the disc player that compares the identifier for the track to be skipped with the sequence of tracks generated by the sequencing mechanism and skips the track to be skipped if the track to be skipped occurs in the sequence of tracks.

2. The disc player of claim 1, including a memory storage device that stores the identifier for the track to be skipped.

3. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the disc player includes an audio compact disc player.

4. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the disc player includes a digital video disc player.

5. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the disc player includes an audio tape player.

6. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the disc identification mechanism includes a mechanism that reads disc identification data from a memory storage device, the disc identification data identifying the plurality of discs contained in the disc player.

7. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the disc identification mechanism includes:

a sampling mechanism that reads audio data from a sampled disc from the plurality of discs; and

an identifier construction mechanism that uses the audio data to construct an identifier for the sampled disc.

8. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the identification mechanism includes a mechanism that reads identification labels from the plurality of discs.

9. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the sequencing mechanism includes a mechanism that plays a random sequence of tracks from the plurality of discs.

10. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the sequencing mechanism includes a mechanism that plays a pre-specified sequence of tracks from the plurality of discs.

11. The disc player of claim 1, wherein the sequencing mechanism includes a mechanism that plays tracks in sequential order from the plurality of discs.

12. The disc player of claim 1, further comprising a labeling mechanism within the disc player that assigns a label to a disc from the plurality of discs, comprising:

a sampling mechanism in communication with the disc that reads audio data from the disc;

an identifier construction mechanism in communication with the sampling mechanism that uses the audio data to construct an identifier for the disc;

a label input device that receives a label for the disc from a user; and

an associating mechanism that associates the label with the identifier for the disc.

13. The disc player of claim 1, including a mechanism within the disc player that prompts a user to insert a disc in the disc player if the sequence of tracks includes a track from the disc and the disc is missing from the disc player.

14. A disc player that accommodates a plurality of discs, comprising:

a disc player for audio compact discs;

an input mechanism that receives an identifier for a track to be skipped from a user, the identifier specifying a disc from the plurality of discs and a track to be skipped from the disc;

a memory storage device within the disc player that stores the identifier for the track to be skipped;

a sampling mechanism within the disc player that reads audio data from the plurality if discs;

an identifier construction mechanism within the disc player that uses the audio data to construct an identifier for the plurality of discs;

an identification mechanism within the disc player that determines from the identifier if the disc containing the track to be skipped is in the disc player;

a sequencing mechanism within the disc player that plays a sequence of tracks from the plurality of disks; and

a skipping mechanism within the disc player that compares the identifier for the track to be skipped with the sequence of tracks generated by the sequencing mechanism and skips the track to be skipped if the track to be skipped occurs in the sequence of tracks.

15. A system that plays discs, comprising:

a disc player that accommodates a plurality of discs;

a sequencing mechanism within the disc player that generates a sequence of tracks to be played by the disc player;

an input mechanism that receives an identifier for a track to be skipped from a user, the identifier specifying a disc from the plurality of discs and a track to be skipped from the disc;

a disc identification mechanism within the disc player that reads identification information from the plurality of disks in the disc player and determines from the identification information if the disc is contained in the disc player; and

a skipping mechanism within the disc player that compares the identifier forthe track to be skipped with the sequence of tracks generated by the sequencingmechanism and skips the track to be skipped if the track to be skipped occurs in the sequence of tracks.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system includes a computer system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system includes an audio system.