Portable CD-ROM/ISO to HDD/MP3 recorder with simultaneous CD-Read/MP3-Encode/HDD-Write, or HDD-Read/MP3-Decode, to play, power saving buffer, and enhanced sound output

• US 6,791,481 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anton Handal, Tom Toler
• Original Assignee: Echo Mobile Music LLC
• Inventors: Altare, William Christopher, Handal, Anton N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lauture, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/860,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 341/55, 369/1, 369/2, 369/6, 369/9-10, 369/7-8, 369/11-12, 704/500
• US Class Current: 341/55
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• 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 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/60 Solid state media details of solid state memory devices G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player playing a CD-ROM decodes 16-bit ISO standard code words into an audio wave form converts this wave form to sound while encoding and digitizing the wave form into 24-bit MP3 format digital data. To conserve power the MP3 data is buffered in a solid state memory, preferably of the FLASH or DRAM type, before being written to a hard disk. Both reading of the CD/ROM and encoding the read contents as MP3 data, and interchange of MP3 data with other recorder/players, can be accomplished at greater than real-time play rates, permitting that, most typically, some 1200+ musical works can transferred expediently.

Claims

1. A method, performed in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player, of recording sound comprising:

playing a CD-ROM by

first-decoding first digital words of n bits each first digital word, which said first digital words are encoded a CD-ROM ISO standard, into a first analog audio wave form, and

converting the first analog audio wave form to sound;

while

storing the contents of the same CD-ROM by

encoding and digitizing the first analog audio wave form into MP3-format second digital words, which said second digital words are of m bits each word, m>

n, and

storing the second digital words in a memory.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein m=16 and n=24.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

playing back the stored contents of the CD-ROM, after the storing of the second digital words by

reading the second digital words from the memory,

second-decoding the second digital words into a second analog audio wave form, and

converting the second analog audio wave form to sound.

4. A combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player comprising:

a reader of ISO standard first digital code words of n bits each word from a CD-ROM;

a first decoder first-decoding the first digital code words of n bits each word into a first analog audio wave form;

an audio transducer converting the first analog audio wave form to sound;

an encoder and digitalizer decoding and digitalizing the first analog audio wave form into MP3 format second digital words of m bits each word, m>

n; and

a memory storing the second digital words.

5. The combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player according to claim 4 further comprising:

a reader of the second digital code words from the memory; and

a second decoder second-decoding of the second digital words into a second analog audio wave form;

wherein the audio transducer also converts the second analog audio wave form to sound.

6. A method of conserving power in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player, the method comprising:

playing a rotating CD-ROM containing a plurality of musical works by

first-decoding first-format first digital words encoded in the CD-ROM into a first audio wave form, and

converting the first audio wave form to sound;

while

encoding and digitizing the first audio wave form into second-format second digital words;

storing so many of the second digital words as represent at least a complete one of the plurality of musical works into a semiconductor memory; and

then, when and only when at least one complete musical work is stored in the semiconductor memory,

powering up a rotating disk to spin up to recording speed, and recording the at least one complete musical work from the semiconductor memory to the rotating disk, whereupon the rotating disk is powered down;

wherein the disk is not rotating during a portion of the playing, the encoding and digitalizing, and the storing, and thus saves power over a constant rotation.

7. The method of conserving power according to claim 6 further comprising:

powering up the rotating disk to spin up to reading speed, and transferring at least one complete musical work from the rotating disk to the semiconductor memory to the rotating disk, whereupon rotating disk is powered down;

reading the second digital words from the semiconductor memory;

second-decoding the second digital words into a second audio wave form;

converting the second audio wave form to sound; and

continuing with powering up the rotating disk and the transferring, followed by the reading and the second-decoding and the converting, as becomes periodically required to play successive musical works from the rotating disk;

wherein, nonetheless to storing so many second digital words as represent at least a complete one of the plurality of musical works, the rotating disk is not continuously rotating during playing of the at least one musical work, and to that extent saves power.

8. A power-conserving combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player comprising:

a CD-ROM containing a plurality of musical works;

a first decoder first-decoding first digital words encoded in the CD-ROM into a first audio wave form;

a converter converting the first audio wave form to sound;

an encoder/digitalizer digitalizing and encoding the first audio wave form into second digital words;

a solid state memory storing so many of the second digital words as represent at least a complete one of the plurality of musical works;

a rotating disk controllable to record at least one complete musical work from the semiconductor memory; and

a disk power controller for spinning up the disk to recording speed for purpose of recording from the memory second digital code words representing the at least one musical work, and for thereafter powering down the rotating disk;

wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during the converting of the first audio wave form to sound, and the digitalizing and the encoding, and thus saves power.

9. A method of conserving power in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player, the method comprising:

performing MP3 encoding in an MP3 encoder without reference to any instructions or microcode stored in any memory;

storing in a solid state buffer memory so many MP3 codes, as and when produced by the MP3 encoder, as represent a complete musical work; and

spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the MP3 codes from the solid state buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk memory;

wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during the MP3 encoding and thus saves power.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the MP3 encoder chip is also a decoder chip, the method further comprising:

spinning up the read-writable disk memory, writing the MP3 codes from the disk memory to the solid state buffer memory, and powering down the disk memory;

storing in the solid state buffer memory so many MP3 codes, as and when read from the disk memory, as represent a complete musical work; and

performing MP3 decoding in the MP3 encoder-decoder on the MP3 codes stored in the buffer memory without reference to any instructions or microcode stored in any memory;

wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during the MP3 decoding and thus saves power.

11. In a combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player

playing a CD-ROM by

reading first digital code words from a CD-ROM,

first-decoding the first digital words into a first audio wave form, and

converting the first audio wave form to sound;

while

encoding and digitizing the first audio wave form into second digital words, and, ultimately,

storing the second digital words in a disk memory,

a method of conserving power comprising;

performing the first-decoding, and the encoding and digitalizing, entirely within one or more chips without reference to any memory to retrieve any instructions or microcode,

neither the first-decoding nor the encoding being performed by a microprocessor,

the one or more chips being encoders, decoders or encoder/decoders,

moving encoded and digitalized second digital words from the one or more chips to the disk memory without use of any device making reference to any memory for any instructions or microcode as to how to effectuate this moving,

wherein the moving is not performed by a microprocessor, but by a state machine or file transfer device.

12. A method of recording in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player, the method comprising:

reading at a first time successive first-encoded first digital words from a CD-ROM;

decoding at the first time the successive first-encoded first digital words into a first analog signal;

transducing at the first time this first analog signal into audible sound;

encoding and digitizing at the first time the first analog signal into a successive second-encoded second digital words;

storing these second digital words in a solid state memory until at least one entire musical work is stored in the solid state memory;

presenting to a user of the combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player an opportunity to save or reject saving the at least one entire musical work; and

IF the user rejects any saving of the at least one entire musical work THEN returning immediately to the reading, the decoding, the encoding and digitalizing, and the storing or if the user selects saving of the at least one entire musical work THEN moving second digital code words associated with the musical work to a writable disk and thereafter returning immediately to the reading, the decoding, the encoding and digitalizing;

wherein the user is able to select saying of the at least one musical work on the writable disk at a time following the transducing of the work into audible sound.

13. A method of extracting digital files upon a CD/ROM into MP3 format files stored on a hard disk drive, the method comprising:

reading digital data from a CD-ROM at greater than normal CD/ROM play speed;

first-buffering the read digital data in a first buffer memory;

encoding in an MP3 encoder chip at greater than real-time play rates information from or derived from the digital data of the first buffer memory into MP3 files;

second-buffering the encoded MP3 files in a second buffer memory; and

writing in batches, at combined rates greater than real-time play rates, the encoded buffered MP3 files from the second buffer memory onto a hard disk drive;

wherein the transfer from the CD-ROM to, ultimately, the disk drive is at rates, in aggregate and on average, greater than the real-time play rate.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the first-buffering and the second-buffering are into a same buffer memory.

15. A method of transferring MP3 files directly between MP3 player-recorders comprising:

reading MP3 data from a hard disk drive of a first MP3 player-recorder into a buffer memory of a first player-recorder;

transferring MP3 data from the first player-recorder'"'"'s buffer memory across a communications channel to a like buffer memory of a second MP3 player-recorder; and

writing MP3 data from the second player-recorder'"'"'s buffer memory to a hard disk drive of the second MP3 player-recorder;

wherein no computer processor is anywhere involved to manage, perform or in any way contribute to any of the reading and the transferring and the writing.