Audio controller for portable electronic devices

• US 6,675,233 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maishi Electronic (Shanghai) Limited
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Du, Sterling, Chan, Reginia
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Ilwoo
• Application Number:
  US09/650,515
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/14, 710/62, 710/72, 710/74, 710/10, 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 700/94
• US Class Current: 710/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3256 Power saving in optical drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An audio controller for use with laptop and notebook digital computers for reproducing compressed digital audio recordings. The controller includes a drive interface for traversing and accessing audio data files stored on a drive of a computer system. Function keys coupled to the controller permit users to access drives containing desired audio data. The selected audio data is read from the drive into the controller. Decoding circuitry decodes the audio data and generates a decoded audio data stream. The data stream can be converted to an analog signal by the controller, or sent to the audio subsystem of the computer system. Advantageously, the controller operates when the computer system is in an inactive state, for example in power saving mode or OFF, and operates in passthrough mode when the computer system is ON or active.

Claims

1. A computer system adapted to play audio files, said computer system comprising:

a computer subsystem comprising a system CPU and a drive for storing audio data; and

an audio controller comprising a drive interface for selectively accessing said audio data from said drive and memory for storing said audio data, said controller being adapted to access, store and play said audio data when said computer subsystem is in an inactive state;

said controller further comprising a switch for switching said controller to an inactive state when said power is supplied to said computer subsystem, and for switching said controller to an active state when said power is not being supplied to said computer subsystem.

2. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said audio controller further comprising decoder circuitry receiving said audio data and outputting a decompressed stream of audio data.

3. A computer system as claimed in claim 2, said decoder circuitry further comprising a digital to analog circuit receiving said decompressed audio data stream and generating an analog audio signal.

4. A computer system as claimed in claim 2, said decoder circuitry further comprising a buffer memory for temporary storage of said decompressed audio data stream.

5. A computer system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said buffer memory comprises a first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory.

6. A computer system as claimed in claim 2, said controller further comprising interface circuitry to interface said stream of audio data with an external digital-to-analog converter circuit, and said computer subsystem further comprises said external digital-to-analog converter circuit for receiving said decompressed data stream from said interface.

7. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said controller further comprising an LCD interface for generating signals to an LCD display for displaying directory and file information data associated with said drive.

8. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said controller further comprising a function key interface operable with a plurality of function keys, said function keys generating user commands to said controller through said function key interface.

9. A computer system as claimed in claim 2, said controller further comprising a processor for controlling the operation said drive and said decoder circuitry.

10. A computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said controller further comprises a flash memory for storing data and commands for use by said processor for controlling said drive and said decoder circuitry.

11. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said controller further comprising an SMBus interface to exchange commands and data along an SMBus.

12. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said audio data on said drive being stored as a file in a directory, said controller being further adapted to permit users to traverse said drive and select desired directory and file.

13. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said audio data further comprising tag data indicative of a title, and said controller further comprising a display interface for displaying said tag data upon access of said audio data by said controller.

14. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said drive comprising a hard disk drive or a CD-ROM drive being adapted to operate of an IDE bus.

15. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, said drive comprising an IDE drive and said drive interface comprising an IDE drive interface for exchanging commands and data between said controller and said drive.

16. A computer system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said audio data comprising MP3 audio data, and said decoder circuitry comprising an MP3 audio data decoder.

17. A computer system adapted to play audio data when said computer system is in an inactive state, comprising:

a computer subsystem comprising a system CPU and a drive for storing audio data; and

an audio controller comprising a drive interface for selectively accessing said audio data from said drive and decoder circuitry for decoding said audio data and generating decoded audio data, said controller being adapted to access said drive to retrieve said audio data and decode said audio data when said computer subsystem is in an inactive state;

said controller further comprising a switch for switching said controller to an inactive state when said power is supplied to said computer subsystem, and for switching said controller to an active state when said power is not being supplied to said computer subsystem.

18. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said decoder circuitry further comprising a digital to analog circuit receiving said decoded audio data and generating an analog audio signal.

19. A computer system as claimed in claim 18, said decoder circuitry further comprising a buffer memory for temporary storage of said decoded audio data.

20. A computer system as claimed in claim 19, said controller further comprising a digital-to-analog interface to interface said decoded audio data with an external digital-to-analog converter circuit, and said computer subsystem further comprises said external digital-to-analog converter circuit for receiving said decoded data from said interface.

21. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said controller further comprising an LCD interface for generating signals to an LCD display for displaying directory and file information data associated with said drive.

22. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said controller further comprising a function key interface operable with a plurality of function keys, said function keys generating user commands to said controller through said function key interface.

23. A computer system as claimed in claim 22, said controller further comprising a processor for controlling the operation said drive and said decoder circuitry.

24. A computer system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said controller further comprises a flash memory for storing data and commands for use by said processor for controlling said drive and said decoder circuitry, and wherein said commands and data being supplied to said processor upon activation of one of said function keys.

25. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said controller further comprising an SMBus interface to exchange commands and data along an SMBus.

26. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said audio data on said drive being stored as a file in a directory, said controller being further adapted to permit users to traverse said drive and select desired directory and file.

27. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said audio data further comprising tag data indicative of a title, and said controller further comprising a display interface for displaying said tag data upon access of said audio data by said controller.

28. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said drive comprising a hard disk drive or a CD-ROM drive being adapted to operate of an IDE bus.

29. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, said drive comprising an IDE drive and said drive interface comprising an IDE drive interface for exchanging commands and data between said controller and said drive.

30. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said audio data comprising MP3 audio data files, and said decoder circuitry comprising an MP3 audio data decoder.

31. A computer system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising memory for storing said audio data.