Contents data reproducing apparatus

• US 6,754,150 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: D&M Holdings Incorporated (DEI Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Denon Electronics (DEI Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Usui, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Huber, Paul W.
• Application Number:
  US09/649,965
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 369/30.01, 369/32.01, 369/47.28, 369/47.3, 369/47.31, 369/47.32, 369/47.33, 369/47.34, 369/53.31, 369/53.34, 369/124.08
• US Class Current: 369/47.33
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/22 Means responsive to presence or absence of recorded information signals

Abstract

A contents data reproducing apparatus that continuously reproduces pieces of music without producing a soundless state between music pieces is provided. When a pickup 2 finishes reading of reproducing object piece of audio data, a microcomputer 10 stops writing of the audio data into a storage unit 4 and makes the pickup move to a front of the next reproducing object piece of audio data to start reading of the next reproducing piece of audio data. Then, when a result in a level detection unit 7 shows that the level of the next reproducing object piece of audio data is higher than the reference level, then, writing of the next reproducing object piece of audio data, which is read by the pickup 2, into the storage unit 4 is started. An audio data conversion unit 8 reads the audio data stored in the storage unit 4 and reproduces it.

Claims

1. A contents data reproducing apparatus for reproducing plural pieces of contents data stored in a storage medium, comprising:

a pickup for reading the contents data from the storage medium;

a level comparison means for comparing between a level of the contents data read by said pickup and a predetermined reference level;

a buffer for storing the contents data read by said pickup;

a reproducing means for reproducing the contents data stored in said buffer; and

a control means for writing the contents data read by said pickup into said buffer and for reading the contents data stored in said buffer to send said contents data to said reproducing means;

wherein;

when said pickup finishes reading of a reproducing object piece of contents data, said control means stops writing of the contents data into said buffer and makes said pickup move to a front of a next reproducing object piece of contents data to start reading of said next reproducing object piece of contents data; and

when, a result of comparison by said level comparison means shows that a level of said next reproducing object piece of contents data becomes higher than said predetermined reference level, then, said control means stars writing of the next reproducing object piece of contents data, which is read by said pickup, into said buffer means.

2. A contents data reproducing apparatus for reproducing plural pieces of contents data stored in a storage medium, comprising:

a pickup for reading the contents data from the storage medium;

a level comparison means for comparing between a level of the contents data read by said pickup and a predetermined reference level;

a buffer for storing the contents data read by said pickup;

a reproducing means for reproducing the contents data stored in said buffer;

a reproducing object designation receiving means for receiving designation of a next piece of contents data to be reproduced out of the plural pieces of contents data stored in said storage medium;

a display means for displaying that a piece of contents data whose designation is received by said reproducing object designation receiving means can be immediately reproduced;

a reproduction start instruction receiving means for receiving an instruction of starting reproduction of the piece of contents data whose designation is received by said reproducing object designation receiving means; and

a control means for wiring the contents data read by said pickup into said buffer and for reading the contents data stored in said buffer to send said contents data to said reproducing means;

wherein;

when, in the course of reading a reproducing object piece of contents data by said pickup, said reproducing object designation receiving means receives designation, said control means stops writing of contents data into said buffer, and makes said pickup move to a front of the designated piece of contents data to start reading of said designated piece of contents data;

when the pickup that has started reading said designated piece of contents data moves to a position at which a result of comparison by said level comparison means shows that a level of said designated contents data becomes higher than the predetermined reference level, then, said control means makes said pickup wait at said position and makes display means display that said designated piece of contents data can be immediately reproduced; and

when said reproduction start instruction receiving means receives an instruction of starting reproduction in a state that said display means displays that immediate reproduction is possible, then, said control means cancels waiting of said pickup to make the pickup start reading said designated piece of contents data, and starts writing of said designated piece of contents data, which is read by said pickup, into said buffer.

3. A contents data reproducing apparatus for reproducing plural pieces of contents data stored in a storage medium, comprising:

a pickup for reading the contents data from the storage medium;

a buffer for storing the contents data read by said pickup;

a reproducing means for reproducing the contents data stored in said buffer;

an addressing receiving means for receiving designation of a reproduction stop address at which reproduction of a piece of contents data under reproduction out of said plural pieces of contents data stored in said storage medium is stopped, and designation of a reproduction start address at which reproduction of a next piece of contents data to be reproduced is started; and

a control means for writing the contents data read by said pickup into said buffer and for reading the contents data stored in said buffer to send said contents data to said reproducing means;

wherein;

when a position at which said pickup reads said piece of contents data under reproduction arrives at a position corresponding to the reproduction stop address received by said addressing receiving means, then, said control means stops writing of the contents data into said buffer and makes said pickup move to a position corresponding to the reproduction start address received by said addressing receiving means; and

when said pickup arrives at the position corresponding to said reproduction start address, said control means makes said pickup wait at said position corresponding to said reproduction start address;

when data corresponding to said reproduction stop address is read from said buffer to said reproducing means in a state that said pickup waits, then said control means cancels waiting of said pickup to make the pickup start reading of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced, and starts writing of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced, which is read by said pickup, into said buffer.

4. A contents data reproducing apparatus for reproducing plural pieces of contents data stored in a storage medium, comprising:

a pickup for reading the contents data from the storage medium;

a buffer for storing the contents data read by said pickup;

a reproducing means for reproducing the contents data stored in said buffer;

an addressing receiving means for receiving designation of a reproduction stop address at which reproduction of a piece of contents data under reproduction out of said plural pieces of contents data stored in said storage medium is stopped, and designation of a reproduction start address at which reproduction of a next piece of contents data to be reproduced is started;

a reproduction start instruction receiving means for receiving an instruction of starting reproduction of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced whose reproduction start address is received by said addressing receiving means;

a display means for displaying that said next piece of contents data to be reproduced for which the instruction of starting reproduction is received by said reproduction start instruction receiving means can be immediately reproduced; and

a control means for writing the contents data read by said pickup into said buffer and for reading the contents data stored in said buffer to send said contents data to said reproducing means;

wherein;

when a position at which said pickup reads said piece of contents data under reproduction arrives at a position corresponding to the reproduction stop address received by said addressing receiving means, then, said control means stops writing of the contents data into said buffer and makes said pickup move to a position corresponding to the reproduction start address received by said addressing receiving means;

when said pickup arrives at the position corresponding to said reproduction start address, said control means makes said pickup wait at said position corresponding to said reproduction start address and makes said display means display that the next piece of contents data to be reproduced can be immediately reproduced; and

when said reproduction start instruction receiving means receives an instruction of starting reproduction in a state that said display means displays that immediate reproduction is possible, then said control means cancels waiting of said pickup to make the pickup start reading of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced, and, after clearing said buffer, starts writing of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced, which is read by said pickup, into said buffer.

5. A contents data reproducing apparatus for reproducing plural pieces of contents data stored in a storage medium, comprising:

a pickup for reading the contents data from the storage medium;

a buffer for storing the contents data read by said pickup;

a reproducing means for reproducing the contents data stored in said buffer;

an addressing receiving means for receiving designation of a reproduction stop address at which reproduction of a piece of contents data under reproduction out of said plural pieces of contents data stored in said storage medium is stopped, and designation of a reproduction start address at which reproduction of a next piece of contents data to be reproduced is started;

a reproduction start instruction receiving means for receiving an instruction of starting reproduction of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced whose reproduction start address is received by said addressing receiving means;

a display means for displaying that said next piece of contents data to be reproduced for which the instruction of starting reproduction is received by said reproduction start instruction receiving means can be immediately reproduced; and

a control means for writing the contents data read by said pickup into said buffer and for reading the contents data stored in said buffer to send said contents data to said reproducing means;

wherein;

when said reproduction start instruction receiving means receives an instruction of starting reproduction, then, said control means stops writing of the contents data into said buffer and makes said pickup move to a position corresponding to the reproduction start address received by said addressing receiving means;

when said pickup arrives at the position corresponding to said reproduction start address, said control means makes said pickup wait at said position corresponding to said reproduction start address and makes said display means display that the next piece of contents data to be reproduced can be immediately reproduced; and

when said reproduction start instruction receiving means receives an instruction of starting reproduction in a state that said display means displays that immediate reproduction is possible, then said control means cancels waiting of said pickup to make the pickup start reading of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced, and, after clearing said buffer, starts writing of said next piece of contents data to be reproduced, which is read by said pickup, into said buffer.