Storing apparatus and storing method for music data

• US 7,141,732 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsuboi, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warren, David S.
• Application Number:
  US10/725,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-608, 707/3, 700/3, 700/94
• US Class Current: 84/601
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/155 Library update, i.e. making or modifying a musical database using musical parameters as indices data structures involving musical parameters G10H2240/005

Abstract

Music information about songs recorded on multiple CD'"'"'s is stored in a first storing means 21, and when music data of the individual songs of the CD 12 is stored on the hard disk drive 22, music information about the individual songs is read from the first storing means 21, is added to the music data, and the information and the data are stored. If the music information is not stored in the first storing means, the music data is stored without adding the music information, and contemporaneously, CD identification information and stored locations of the music data of the individual songs on the hard disk drive 22 are stored in second storing means 23. When the version of the first storing means 21 is updated, if music information about a CD indicated by CD identification information stored in the second storing means 23 is stored in the updated first storing means 21, the music information about a song read from the first storing means is added to music data at a stored location read from the second storing means.

Claims

1. A music data storing apparatus for adding music information about a song to music data of the song read from a storage medium, comprising:

a first storing unit operable to store music data comprising music information;

a second storing unit operable to store music information about individual songs recorded on a plurality of storage media;

a third storing unit operable to store identification information about songs recorded on a storage medium and store locations of music data of individual songs stored in said first storing unit when music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is not stored in said second storing unit; and

a control unit operable to obtain music information about a song from said second storing unit, and if the music information about the song recorded on a storage medium indicated by identification information stored in said third storing unit is stored in said second unit and the version of music information about songs recorded on the storage medium stored at the second storing unit is updated, the control unit is further operable to;

obtain a stored location of the song from said third storing unit,

add the obtained music information about a song to the music data stored at the obtained stored location, and

store the music data comprising the added music information in said first storing unit.

2. The music data storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein when said control unit stores music data from a storage medium in said first storing unit, said control unit determines whether music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is stored in said second storing unit, obtains the music information, adds the music information to the music data read from the storage medium, and stores the music data comprising the obtained music information in said first storing unit if the music information is stored in said second storing unit.

3. The music data storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit stores music data of individual songs in the first storing unit without adding music information to the music data or with adding substitute music information to the music data if the music information is not stored in said second storing unit.

4. The music data storing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a music data encoding unit for encoding the music data of the individual songs recorded on said storage medium, wherein said control unit stores encoded music data in said first storing unit.

5. The music data storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein storage areas on a hard disk comprise said first, second and third storing units.

6. The music data storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage medium is a compact disc (CD), and the identification information about said storage medium is TOC information about the CD.

7. The music data storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said music information includes an album name, an artist name and titles of the individual songs.

8. A music data storing apparatus for adding music information about a song to music data of the song read from a storage medium comprising:

a first storing unit operable to store music data comprising music information;

a second storing unit operable to store music information about individual songs recorded on a plurality of storage media;

a music information obtaining unit operable to obtain music information about individual songs recorded on a storage medium from an external apparatus through the Internet;

a third storing unit operable to store identification information about songs recorded on the storage medium and store locations of music data of individual songs stored in said first storing unit when music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is not stored in said second storing unit and music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is not available from said external apparatus; and

a control unit operable to determine whether music information about songs recorded on the storage medium indicated by identification information stored in said third storing unit can be obtained from said external apparatus through the Internet, and if the music information can be obtained from said external apparatus, the control unit is further operable to;

obtain the music information about a song on the storage medium from said external apparatus,

obtain a stored location of the song from said third storing unit,

add the obtained music information to the music data at the obtained stored location, and

store the music data comprising the added music information in said first storing unit.

9. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said control unit is operable to store music data stored on a storage medium in said first storing unit, determine whether music information about the songs recorded on the storage medium is stored in said second storing unit, and determine if the music information about the songs recorded on the storage medium can be obtained from said external apparatus through the Internet if the music information about the songs recorded on the storage medium is not stored in said second storing unit, and wherein said control unit is operable to add the music information about a song to the music data of the song read from the storage medium, and store the music data comprising the obtained music information in said first storing unit if the music information about the songs recorded on the storage medium is stored in said second storing unit or can be obtained from said external apparatus through the Internet.

10. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said control unit stores music data of individual songs in said first storing unit without adding music information to the music data or with adding substitute music information to the music data if the music information is not stored in said second storing unit.

11. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said control unit monitors at system start-up whether music information about a song recorded on a storage medium indicated by identification information stored in said third storing unit can be obtained from said external apparatus through the Internet.

12. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a music data encoding unit operable to encode music data of individual songs recorded on said storage medium, wherein said control unit stores encoded music data in said first storing unit.

13. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, wherein storage areas on a hard disk comprise said first, second and third storing units.

14. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said storage medium is a compact disc (CD), and the identification information about said storage medium is TOC information of the CD.

15. The music data storing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said music information includes an album name, an artist name and titles of the individual songs.

16. A music data storing method for adding music information about a song to music data of the song read from a storage medium and then storing the music data comprising the added music information, the method comprising the acts of:

providing first, second and third storing units;

determining whether music information about songs recorded on a storage medium is stored in said second storing unit when storing music data from the storage medium in said first storing unit;

storing the music data of individual songs in said first storing unit without adding music information to the music data or with adding substitute music information to the music data;

storing identification information about songs recorded on said storage medium and stored locations of the music data of the individual songs in said third storing unit when the music information is not stored in said second storing unit;

determining whether music information indicated by identification information stored in said third storing unit is stored in said second storing unit when the version of music information stored in said second storing unit is updated; and

storing music information about a song read from said second storing unit in said first storing unit such that the music information is added to music data at a stored location read from said third storing unit if the music information is stored in said second storing unit.

17. The music data storing method of claim 16, wherein when music data from a storage medium is stored in said first storing unit, if music information about the storage medium is stored in said second storing unit, the music information is added to the music data of a song read from said storage medium, and the music data comprising the added music information is stored in said first storing unit.

18. A music data storing method for adding music information about a song to music data of the song read from a storage medium, and then, storing the music data comprising the added music information in a storing unit, the method comprising the acts of:

providing first, second and third storing units;

determining whether music information about songs recorded on a storage medium is stored in said second storing unit, and determining whether music information about individual songs recorded on the storage medium can be obtained from an external apparatus through the Internet if the music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is not stored in said second storing unit when storing the music data from the storage medium in said first storing unit;

storing the music data of individual songs in said first storing unit without adding music information to the music data or with adding substitute music information to the music data;

storing identification information about songs recorded on said storage medium and stored locations of the music data of the individual songs in said third storing unit if the music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is not stored in said second storing unit and cannot be obtained from said external apparatus;

checking whether music information about songs recorded on a storage medium indicated by identification information stored in said third storing unit can be obtained from said external apparatus through the Internet; and

storing the music information about a song stored in said first storing unit such that the music information is added to the music data at said stored location read from said third storing unit if the music information can be obtained.

19. The music data storing method of claim 18, wherein when music data from the storage medium is stored in said first storing unit, if music information about songs recorded on the storage medium is stored in said second storing unit or can be obtained from said external apparatus through the Internet, the music information is added to the music data of a song read from the storage medium, and the music data comprising the added music information is stored in said first storing unit.

20. The music data storing method of claim 18, wherein said control unit monitors at system start-up whether it is possible to obtain music information about a storage medium indicated by identification information stored in said third storing unit from said external apparatus through the Internet.