MPEG portable sound reproducing system and a reproducing method thereof

• US 6,629,000 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MPMan.com, Inc
• Original Assignee: MPMan.com, Inc
• Inventors: Hwang, Jung-ha, Moon, Kwang-su
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US09/061,647
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 704/270, 704/272, 704/278, 704/500, 369/31, 369/63, 360/32, 360/55, 381/61, 381/124, 846/01, 846/02, 846/04, 710/305, 710/306, 710/308, 710/22, 710/27
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/007 Transform coding, e.g. discrete cosine transform
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00014 the compressed signal being an audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00057 MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 audio layer III [MP3]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/141 Battery and back-up supplies
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1006 Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/16 Storage of analogue signals in digital stores using an arrangement comprising analogue/digital [A/D] converters, digital memories and digital/analogue [D/A] converters

Abstract

Disclosed is an MPEG portable sound reproducing system and a method for reproducing sound data compressed using the MPEG method. The inventive system includes power supply means for supplying operational power to the system, the power supply means being realized through a secondary battery; power processing means for rectifying power supplied from the power supply means to stable voltage and current; information display means for displaying numbers and combinations of letters related to operational states of the system; control means for controlling all operations of converting and reproducing sound data compressed using the MPEG method; data storage means for storing MPEG-compressed sound data in a designated address according to signals output from the control means; information selecting means for selecting general operations to reproduce, download, and apply selected sound data stored in the data storage means; sound reproducing means for converting sound data stored in the data storage means into a format audible to users according to signals output from the control means; and transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving sound data and program data from external devices.

Claims

1. A portable sound reproducing system for reproducing compressed digital sound data into an audible audio signal, comprising:

a Direct Memory Access (DMA) Bus across which a received compressed digital sound data is stored and across which the stored sound data is accessed to be reproduced;

a MEM/IO Bus across which a control data signal is provided to control operations on said DMA Bus;

a Bus Bridge Access Controller interposed between said DMA Bus and said MEM/IO Bus that selectively controls operations on said DMA Bus to selectively store the received compressed digital sound data and to selectively resume an operation to reproduce the stored sound data in accordance with the control signal from said MEM/IO Bus;

a CPU connected to said MEM/IO Bus that controls operations related to conversion of the stored sound data into an audible format;

an interrupter controller connected to said MEM/IO Bus that outputs a further control signal to control the CPU when an input/output operation is ended or an error occurs in the CPU;

a power controller connected to said MEM/IO Bus to stably supply power from a power processor as operational power to the CPU, and for cutting off the power when an error occurs;

a keyboard interface connected to said MEM/IO Bus that interfaces key select signals applied from an information selecting means;

an LCD controller connected to said MEM/IO Bus that controls electric current supplied to a matrix of an information display means to control a display during operation of the sound reproducing system;

an extended ROM interface connected to said MEM/IO Bus that interfaces a connection with an extended ROM that can be added to extend a scope of programs or memory; and

a timer connected to said MEM/IO Bus that counts time information needed for receiving a data download and for reproducing the downloaded data, and data interrupting required to operate the system.

2. The sound reproducing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter/receiver whereby the system is adapted to be connected to an external source of the compressed digital sound data;

a controller connected between said transmitter/receiver and said DMA Bus that controls input/output of transmitted and received compressed digital data;

a flash ROM controller connected to said DMA Bus that activates a flash ROM according to interrupter control signals applied from a CPU; and

a DSP interface connected to said DMA Bus that outputs control signals that control the input/output of compressed digital sound data that has been compressed by a data compression method.

3. The sound reproducing system of claim 2 wherein said data compression method is an MPEG compression method.

4. The sound reproducing system of claim 2, further comprising:

a DSP portion connected to said DSP interface that processes the compressed digital sound data to a predetermined state; and

an audio portion connected to said DSP portion which converts audio signals input from the DSP portion into an audible format.

5. The sound reproducing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a RAM, which is a volatile memory element that loses data when power is cut off, for loading application software and temporarily storing the same while a reproducing operation is being executed after power is supplied to the system; and

a flash ROM, which is a volatile memory element that does not lose data when the power is cut off, for storing and erasing sound data, and data related to application software and other digital data.

6. The sound reproducing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply that supplies operational power to the system, the power supply being realized through a secondary battery;

a power processor that rectifies power supplied from the power supply to stabilize voltage and current;

an information display that displays numbers and combinations of letters related to operational states of the system;

control means for controlling all operations of converting and reproducing the compressed sound data;

data storage means for storing the compressed sound data in a designated address according to signals output from the control means;

an information selector for selecting general operations to reproduce, download, and apply a selected sound data stored in the data storage means;

a sound reproducing means for converting the selected sound data into a format audible to users according to signals output from the control means; and

a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving compressed digital sound data and program data to and from external devices.

7. The sound reproducing system of claim 6, wherein the power processor supplies charging current to the secondary battery of the power supply when the power processor receives external power through an adapter.

8. The sound reproducing system of claim 6, wherein the information selector comprises:

a forward switch for advancing to a subsequent selection when pressed for under second, and which quickly plays a present selection when continually pressed for over one second;

a reverse switch for returning to a beginning of the present selection if the selection is in mid-play or reversing to the previous selection if between selections when pressed for under one second, and which quickly plays data in reverse when continually pressed for a predetermined amount of time of over one second;

a play/stop switch reproducing data when pressed one time, and in a play mode, discontinuing a play mode when pressed then cutting off the power;

a repeat switch for replaying the present selection when pressed one time, repeating all selections when pressed two times, and canceling all repeat commands when continually pressed; and

a random switch for randomly reproducing the selections in a random order when pressed.

9. A portable sound reproducing system for reproducing compressed digital sound data into an audible audio signal, comprising:

a Direct Memory Access (DMA) Bus across which a received compressed digital sound data is stored and across which the stored sound data is accessed to be reproduced;

a MEM/IO Bus across which a control data signal is provided to control operations on said DMA Bus;

a Bus Bridge Access Controller interposed between said DMA Bus and said MEM/IO Bus that selectively controls operations on said DMA Bus to selectively store the received input sound data and to selectively resume an operation to reproduce the stored sound data in accordance with the control signal from said MEM/IO Bus;

a transmitter/receiver whereby the system is adapted to be connected to an external source of the compressed digital sound data;

a controller connected between said transmitter/receiver and said DMA Bus that controls input/output of transmitted and received digital sound data;

a DSP interface connected to said DMA Bus that outputs control signals that control the input/output of compressed digital sound data that has been compressed by a data compression method;

a CPU connected to said MEM/IO Bus that controls operations related to conversion of the stored sound data into an audible format;

a flash ROM controller connected to said DMA Bus that activates a flash ROM according to interrupter control signals applied from the CPU;

an interrupter controller connected to said MEM/IO Bus that outputs a further control signal to control the CPU when an input/output operation is ended or an error occurs in the CPU;

a power controller connected to said MEM/IO Bus to stably supply power from a power processor as operational power to the CPU, and for cutting off the power when an error occurs;

a keyboard interface connected to said MEM/IO Bus that interfaces key select signals applied from an information selecting means;

an LCD controller connected to said MEM/IO Bus that controls electric current supplied to a matrix of an information display means to control a display during operation of the sound reproducing system;

an extended ROM interface connected to said MEM/IO Bus that interfaces a connection with an extended ROM that can be added to extend a scope of programs or memory; and

a timer connected to said MEM/IO Bus that counts time information needed for receiving a data download and for reproducing the downloaded data, and data interrupting required to operate the system.