Information supplying device that can store multiple types of information and supplies composite information in response to a request

• US 6,321,383 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1996
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited), Xing, Inc. (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Kuno, Takuma, Funahashi, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/688,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.7173, 348/7, 348/13, 348/12, 725/82, 725/91, 725/92, 725/93, 725/98, 725/114, 725/115, 725/116, 725/118, 725/145, 725/144, 725/147, 725/148, 434/307.A
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/011 Lyrics displays, e.g. for karaoke applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

The first auxiliary memory 11a stores background image information in the form of digital data, and the second auxiliary memory 11b stores sound information in the form of digital data. When a request is transmitted from the terminal 36 to the information supplying device 28, a background image information of a genre, to which the requested song belongs, is retrieved from the first auxiliary memory 11a, packetized by the video packetizer 5, and outputted to the multiplexer 9. A sound information for the requested song is retrieved from the second auxiliary memory 11b, packetized by the audio packetizer 6, and outputted to the multiplexer 9. The background image information and the sound information are combined into a single packet data train and outputted to the terminal 36.

Claims

1. An information supplying device for supplying information to an information output device for outputting information, the information supplying device comprising:

an information storing unit that stores at least one set of first information and a plurality of sets of second information, each set of first and second information including a set of digital data, the plurality of sets of second information being stored separately from the at least one set of first information;

an input unit that receives a request to supply desired information from the information output device;

a read unit, in response to the received request, that reads, from the information storing unit, one set of second information that corresponds to the desired information and one set of first information that corresponds to either one of the desired information and the read set of second information;

a composing unit that composes the one set of first information and the one set of second information read out from the information storing unit, the composing unit composing the one set of first information, in the form of a packet data train, with the one set of second information in the form of another packet data train, thereby forming a single composite packet data train; and

a supplying unit that supplies the composed information in the form of the single composite packet data train to an information output device;

wherein the information storing unit stores the at least one set of first information and the plurality of sets of second information, each set of the at least one set of first information being prepared to be combined with several sets of second information, and a total number of sets of second information is greater than a total number of sets of first information,

wherein the information storing unit stores the first information and the second information in the form of digital data trains, and

wherein the composing unit includes;

a packetizing unit that converts the digital data trains of the first and second information read out from the information storing unit into packet data trains; and

a packet composite unit that composes the packet data trains into the single composite packet data train, in which data packets of the first information and data packets of the second information are mixed together, the supplying unit supplying the single composite packet data train to the information output device.

2. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storing unit includes:

a first area for storing the first information; and

a second area for storing the second information.

3. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storing means includes:

first storing unit for storing the first information; and

second storing for storing the second information.

4. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first information includes image information, and the second information includes sound information.

5. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first information includes background image information, and the second information includes accompaniment music sound information.

6. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first information includes a kind of image information, and the second information includes another kind of image information.

7. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information output device displays the composite first and second image information on a single screen, and wherein the composing unit composes the first and second image information in a manner that the information output device displays the first and second image information in predetermined different regions on the single screen.

8. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information output device displays the composite first and second image information on a single screen, and wherein the composing unit composes the first and second image information in a manner that the information output device displays the first and second image information in a manner that the first and second image information at least partly overlap on each other.

9. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the composing unit includes priority giving unit for giving priority to the second image information, the composing unit composing the first and second image information in a manner that the information output device displays the second image information over the first image information when the first and second image information overlap on each other.

10. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second image information is constructed from text code data representative of characters and symbols.

11. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first image information is constructed from an image-compressed digital code data.

12. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of sets of second image information includes a plurality of sets of lyric image information of a plurality of karaoke songs, each of which belongs to either one of several genres, and wherein the at least one set of first image information includes a plurality of sets of background image information, each set of background image information being for a corresponding one of the several genres of the plurality of karaoke songs,

wherein the input unit receives a request for a desired song,

wherein the read unit reads, from the information storing unit, one set of lyric image information that corresponds to the desired song and one set of background image information that corresponds to a genre, to which the desired song belongs.

13. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each set of the at least one set of first information includes a set of movie image data, and wherein the plurality of sets of second information includes several sets of subtitle image data in several languages in correspondence with each set of the movie image data,

wherein the input unit receives a request for a desired movie in a desired language,

wherein the read unit reads from the information storing unit, one set of movie image data that corresponds to the desired movie and one set of subtitle image data that corresponds to the desired movie and to the desired language.

15. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composing unit composes, into a packet data train, the one set of first information and the one set of second information read out from the information storing unit, the supplying means supplying the composite information in the form of the packet data train to the information output devices.

16. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storing unit stores a plurality of sets of first information and a plurality of sets of second information, the plurality of sets of second information corresponding to information to be requestable by requests inputtable to the input unit, each set of first information indicating information corresponding in common to several sets of second information,

wherein when the input unit receives a request to supply desired information, the read unit reads, from the information storing unit, one set of second information that corresponds to the desired information and one set of first information that corresponds to the read set of second information.

17. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of sets of second information include a plurality of sets of accompaniment music data of a plurality of karaoke songs, each of which belongs to either one of several genres, and wherein the plurality of sets of first information include a plurality of sets of background image data, each set of background image data being for a corresponding one of the several genres of the plurality of karaoke songs,

wherein when the input unit receives a request for a desired song, the read unit reads, from the information storing unit, one set of accompaniment music data that corresponds to the desired song and one set of background image data that corresponds to a genre, to which the desired song belongs.

18. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of first information include a plurality of sets of movie image data, and wherein the plurality of sets of second information include several sets of movie sound data in several languages in correspondence with each set of the movie image data,

wherein when the input unit receives a request for a desired movie in a desired language, the read unit reads, from the information storing unit, one set of movie image data that corresponds to the desired movie and one set of movie sound data that corresponds to the desired movie and to the desired language.

19. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the information storing unit further stores a plurality of sets of third information in one to one correspondence with the plurality of sets of second information, each set of first information indicating information corresponding in common to several sets of second information and in common to corresponding several sets of third information,

wherein when the input unit receives a request to supply desired information, the read unit reads, from the information storing unit, one set of second information and one set of third information that correspond to the desired information and one set of first information that corresponds to the read set of second information and the read set of third information.

20. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the plurality of sets of second information include a plurality of sets of accompaniment music data of a plurality of karaoke songs, each of which belongs to either one of several genres, wherein the plurality of sets of third information include a plurality of sets of lyric image data of the plurality of karaoke songs, and wherein the plurality of sets of first information include a plurality of sets of background image data, each set of background image data being for a corresponding one of the several genres of the plurality of karaoke songs,

wherein when the input unit receives a request for a desired song, the read means reads, from the information storing unit, one set of accompaniment music data that corresponds to the desired song, one set of lyric image data that corresponds to the desired song, and one set of background image data that corresponds to a genre, to which the desired song belongs.

21. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of sets of second image information includes a plurality of sets of lyric image information for a plurality of karaoke songs in several languages, each karaoke song belonging to either one of several genres, and wherein the at least one set of first image information includes a plurality of sets of background image information, each set of background image information being for a corresponding one of the several genres of the plurality of karaoke songs,

wherein the input unit receives a request for a desired song in a desired language,

wherein the read unit reads, from the information storing unit, one set of lyric image information that corresponds to the desired song of the desired language and one set of background image information that corresponds to a genre, to which the desired song belongs.

25. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packetizing unit includes:

a first packetizing unit that converts the digital data train of the first information into a first packet data train, in which data packets of the first information are arranged; and

a second packetizing unit that converts the digital data train of the second information into a second packet data train, in which data packets of the first information are arranged,

the packet composite unit composing the first and second packet data trains into the single composite packet data train.

14. An information supplying device for supplying information to an information output device for outputting information, the information supplying device comprising:

a first information storing unit that stores first information;

a second information storing unit that stores second information;

an input unit that receives a request to supply desired information from the information output device and, upon receiving the request, that reads desired second information from the second information storing unit and that reads corresponding first information from the first information storing unit;

a composing unit that composes the first information read out from the first information storing unit and the second information read out from the second information storing unit; and

a supplying unit that supplies the composed first and second information to an information output device,

wherein the second information storing unit stores a plurality of sets of second data, each set of second data including a set of digital data, and wherein the first information storing unit stores a plurality of sets of first data, each set of first data including another set of digital data, each set of first data being prepared to be combined with one or more sets of second data, the composing unit composing a certain set of first data in the form of a packet data train and one of the corresponding one or more sets of second data in the form of another packet data train, thereby producing a single packet data train, the supplying unit supplying the composite packet data train to the information output device, and a total number of sets of second information is greater than a total number of sets of first information,

wherein the first information storing unit stores the plurality of sets of first data in the form of a plurality of first digital data trains, wherein the second information storing unit stores the plurality of sets of second data in the form of a plurality of second digital data trains, and

wherein the composing unit includes;

a packetizing unit that converts a first digital data train read out from the first information storing unit into a first packet data train, in which several first data packets are arranged, and that converts a second digital data train read out from the second information storing unit into a second packet data train, in which several second data packets are arranged; and

a packet composite unit that composes the first packet data train and the second packet data train into a single packet data train, in which the first and second data packets are mixed together, the supplying unit supplying the single packet data train to the information output device.

22. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a request for desired information; and

a reading unit that reads, from the second information storing unit, one set of second data that corresponds to the desired information; and

the reading unit that reads, from the first information storing unit, one set of first data that is capable of being combined with the read set of first data,

wherein the composing unit composes the read set of first data and the read set of second data, and the supplying unit supplies the composite first and second data to the information output device.

26. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the packetizing unit includes:

a first packetizing unit that converts the first digital data train into the first packet data train; and

a second packetizing unit that converts the second digital data train into the second packet data train,

the packet composite unit composing the first and second packet data trains into the single packet data train.

23. An information supplying device for supplying information to an information output device for outputting information, the information supplying device comprising:

an information storing unit that stores at least one set of first information and a plurality of sets of second information, each set of first information including a set of digital data and each set of second information including another set of digital data, the plurality of sets of second information being stored separately from the at least one set of first information, each set of the at least one set of first information being prepared to be combined with one or more sets of second information, and a total number of sets of second information is greater than a total number of sets of first information;

an input unit that receives a request to supply desired information from the information output device;

a read unit, in response to the request, that reads, from the information storing unit, one set of second information that corresponds to the desired information and one set of first information that corresponds to the read set of second information, the reading unit reading the one set of second information in the form of a packet data train, in which several data packets of the second information are arranged and the one set of first information also in the form of another packet data train, in which several data packets of the first information are arranged;

a composing unit that composes the one set of first information in the form of the packet data train and the one set of second information in the form of the other packet data train into a single packet data train, in which the data packets of the first information and data packets of the second information are mixed together; and

a supplying unit that supplies the composite information in the form of the single packet data train to an information output device, wherein the information storing unit stores the at least one set of first information and the plurality of sets of second information in the form of digital data trains, and

wherein the read unit includes;

a packetizing unit that converts the digital data train of the second information read out from the information storing unit into the packet data train, and that converts the digital data train of the first information read out from the information storing unit into the other packet data train.

27. An information supplying device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the packetizing unit includes:

a packetizing unit that converts the digital data train of the second information into the packet data train; and

another packetizing unit that converts the digital data train of the first information into the other packet data train,

the packet composite unit composing the packet data trains into the single packet data train.

24. An information supplying device for supplying information to an information output device for outputting information, the information supplying device comprising:

a first information storing unit that stores a plurality of sets of first data, each set of first data including a set of digital data;

a second information storing unit that stores a plurality of sets of second data, each set of second data including another set of digital data, each set of first data being prepared to be combined with one or more sets of second data, and a total number of sets of second data is greater than a total number of sets of first data;

a receiving unit that recieves a request for desired information from the information output device;

a first read unit that reads, from the second information storing unit, a set of second data that corresponds to the desired information, the reading unit reads the set of second data in the form of a packet data train, in which data packets for the second data are arranged;

a second read unit that reads, from the first information storing unit, a set of first data that is prepared to be combined with the read set of second data, the reading unit reading the set of first data in the form of another packet data train, in which data packets for the first data are arranged;

a composing unit that composes the second data set read out from the second information storing unit in the form of the packet data train and the first data set read out from the first information storing unit in the form of the other packet data train into a single packet data train in which the data packets for the first data and the data packets for the second data are mixed together; and

a supplying unit that supplies the composite first and second data sets in the form of the single packet data train to an information output device,

wherein the first information storing unit stores the plurality of sets of first data in the form of a plurality of distal data trains, and the second information storing unit stores the plurality of sets of second data in the form of another plurality of digital data trains,

wherein the first read unit includes a first packetizing unit that converts a digital data train of the second data read out from the second information storing unit into the packet data train, and

wherein the second read unit includes a second packetizinz unit that converts another digital data train of the first data read out from the first information storing unit into the other packet data train.