Method and apparatus for the distribution of audio data

• US 6,563,770 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Juliette Kokhab
• Original Assignee: Juliette Kokhab
• Inventors: Kokhab, Juliette
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US09/467,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 369/30.04, 369/30.08, 369/30.09, 369/30.07, 369/30.12, 369/275.3, 369/27.01, 369/30.05, 369/30.19, 386/125, 386/126, 386/55
• US Class Current: 369/30.08
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/012 Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic disks G11B17/00, G11B19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06

Abstract

An audio data distribution apparatus includes a central computer that disseminates specially formatted audio data to a local computer for transfer to and use on an audio data player. The invention includes a method for distributing audio data including a data collection process, a data distribution process, and a data selection and playing process. In the data collection process, a plurality of text articles are converted into audio data and formatted for storage on a plurality of additional data storage tracks. From this data, an audio table of contents is generated which describes the information within the audio data, the audio table of contents being formatted for storage on a first data storage track. In the data distribution process, the audio data and the audio table of contents are then downloaded to a digital storage disk. The user then plays the digital storage disk in an audio data player to listen first to the audio table of contents and then to selected audio data.

Claims

1. A method for distributing audio data, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a digital storage disk having a first data storage track and a plurality of additional data storage tracks;

b) recording a plurality of segments of audio data on the plurality of additional data storage tracks, each segment of audio data being stored on a different one of the additional data storage tracks;

c) recording an audio table of contents on the first data storage track, the audio table of contents describing each of the segments of audio data, and describing which of the additional data storage track contains each of the segments of audio data;

d) providing a audio data player for playing the contents of the digital storage disk;

e) playing the audio table of contents to determine which of the segments of audio data are of interest and which of the plurality of additional data storage tracks contains the segments of audio data of interest; and

f) selecting at least one of the plurality of additional data storage tracks and playing the segment of audio data of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

a) producing a plurality of segments of audio data;

b) formatting the plurality of segments of audio data so that each segment of audio data is assigned to one of a plurality of additional data storage tracks;

c) producing an audio table of contents describing each of the plurality of segments of audio data and to which of the plurality of additional data storage tracks that segment of audio data has been assigned;

d) providing a local computer and a local data storage;

e) transmitting the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents to the local computer for storage in the local data storage;

f) providing a digital storage disk having a first data storage track and the plurality of additional data storage tracks;

g) providing a means for writing the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents from the local computer onto the digital storage disk;

h) writing the audio table of contents onto the first data storage track;

i) writing each of the plurality of segments of audio data onto one of the plurality of additional data storage tracks;

j) providing an audio data player;

k) playing the audio table of contents on the audio data player to determine which of the plurality of additional data storage tracks contain the segments of audio data that are of interest; and

l) selecting at least one of the plurality of additional data storage tracks and playing at least one of the plurality of segments of audio data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of producing a plurality of segments of audio data further comprises the steps of:

providing a means for collecting audio data including an artificial intelligence and a means for converting text-to-audio;

using the artificial intelligence to search a global computer network to find a plurality of text articles; and

converting the plurality of text articles, using the text-to-audio converting means, into the audio data.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

m) providing a central computer having a central data storage;

n) storing the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents on the central data storage; and

o) periodically connecting the local computer to the central computer, transferring the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents from the central data storage to the local data storage, the storing the audio table of contents onto the first data storage track, and storing the plurality of segments of audio data onto the plurality of additional data storage tracks.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio data includes audio advertising data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of text articles are scanned into a local computer and translated into the plurality of segments of audio data.

5. A method for distributing audio data, the method comprising the steps of:

a) producing a plurality of segments of audio data;

b) formatting the plurality of segments of audio data so that each segment of audio data is assigned to one of a plurality of additional data storage tracks;

c) producing an audio table of contents describing each of the plurality of segments of audio data and to which of the plurality of additional data storage tracks that segment of audio data has been assigned;

d) providing a local computer and a local data storage;

e) transmitting the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents to the local computer for storage in the local data storage;

f) providing an audio data player having a mobile data storage, the mobile data storage having a first data storage track and a plurality of additional data storage tracks;

g) transmitting the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents from the local computer onto the audio data player;

h) storing the audio table of contents onto the first data storage track;

i) storing each of the plurality of segments of audio data onto one of the plurality of additional data storage tracks;

j) providing a speaker for playing the audio data stored on the digital storage disk;

k) playing the audio table of contents to determine which of the plurality of additional data storage tracks contain audio data of interest; and

l) selecting at least one of the plurality of additional data storage tracks and playing one of the plurality of segments of audio data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of producing a plurality of segments of audio data further comprises the steps of:

providing a means for collecting audio data including an artificial intelligence and a means for converting text-to-audio;

using the artificial intelligence to search a global computer network to find a plurality of text articles; and

converting the plurality of text articles, using the text-to-audio converting means, into the audio data.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

m) providing a central computer having a central data storage;

n) storing the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents on the central data storage; and

o) periodically connecting the local computer to the central computer, transferring the plurality of segments of audio data and the audio table of contents from the central data storage to the local data storage.