Audio signal saving operation controlling method, program thereof, record medium thereof, audio signal reproducing operation controlling method, program thereof, record medium thereof, audio signal inputting operation controlling method, program thereof, and record medium thereof

• US 7,346,513 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Azuma, Takafumi, Fujiyama, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Albertalli; Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US10/114,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270.1, 709/204, 381/77, 710/20
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs

Abstract

A method that allows two or more APs (application programs) to use a sound card and an AP to select an input device of the sound card regardless of a mixer device of the sound card is disclosed.

A connecting module 31 is disposed among a sound card 17, a HDD 13, and an NIC 19. Switches 32 and 33 are disposed in parallel to the connecting module 31. In other words, an audio signal that is input form the sound card 17 is supplied to the NIC 19 through the switch 32. In addition, the audio signal is supplied to the HDD 13 through the switch 33. The switch 32 is equivalent to a concept of an application interface for starting and stopping a sending operation for an audio signal supplied from the sound card 17 to the network 111. The switch 33 is equivalent to a concept of an application interface for starting and stopping a saving operation for an audio signal supplied from the sound card 17 to the HDD 13.

Claims

1. An audio signal saving operation controlling method for causing an application program to simultaneously control a sending operation and a saving operation for an audio signal between a teacher computer and at least one student computer connected to a network, the application program being installed on the teacher computer and the student computer which are both equipped with a sound card, a record medium, and a network interface card, the method comprising the steps of:

starting the sending operation for sending the audio signal from said student computer to the teacher computer via the network, when a send start method for starting the sending operation for said audio signal is called from the application program;

stopping the sending operation for said audio signal from said student computer to the teacher computer, when a send stop method for stopping the sending operation for said audio signal is called from the application program;

starting the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save start method for starting the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program; and

stopping the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save stop method for stopping the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program,

wherein said audio signal is saved to the record medium in the student computer without need to interrupt the sending operation for said audio signal from the student computer to the teacher computer,

wherein said audio signal is sent from the student computer to the teacher computer without need to interrupt the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer,

wherein an information file for a mixer device is automatically generated, and after it is generated, a user can customize the information file, and

wherein the sending operation uses hybrid audio coding including a bark level calculating and quantizing circuit operable on a modified discrete transform of pitch from said audio signal to output a coefficient of a time axis that is obtained by a speech process and a coefficient of a frequency axis that is obtained by an audio process.

2. The audio signal saving operation controlling method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the application program that calls the send start method and the send stop method is installed on a different computer from the application program that calls the save start method and the save stop method.

3. An audio signal reproducing operation controlling method for causing an application program to simultaneously control a receiving operation, a reproducing operation, and a saving operation for an audio signal between a teacher computer and at least one student computer connected to a network, the application program being installed on the teacher computer and the student computer which are both equipped with a sound card, a record medium, and a network interface card, the method comprising the steps of:

starting the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer, when a receive and reproduction start method for starting the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal is called from the application program;

stopping the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer, when a receive and reproduction stop method for stopping the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal is called from the application program;

starting the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save start method for starting the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program; and

stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save stop method for stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program,

saving the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer without need to interrupt the receiving operation and the reproducing operation in the student computer for the audio signal,

receiving and reproducing the audio signal without need to interrupt the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer,

generating an information file that is customizable after it is generated, and

wherein the audio signal was encoded using a hybrid audio coding including bark level calculating and quantizing of a modified discrete transform of pitch from said audio signal to encode a coefficient of a time axis that was obtained by a speech process and a coefficient of a frequency axis that was obtained by an audio process.

4. The audio signal reproducing operation controlling method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the application program that calls the receive and reproduction start method and the receive and reproduction stop method is installed on a different computer from the application program that calls the save start method and the save stop method.

5. The audio signal reproducing operation controlling method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the save start method starts the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer and starts the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer.

6. An audio signal saving operation controlling program for causing an application program to simultaneously control a sending operation and a saving operation for an audio signal between a teacher computer and at least one student computer connected to a network, the application program being installed on the teacher computer and the student computer which are both equipped with a sound card, a record medium, and a network interface card, the controlling program comprising:

means for starting the sending operation for sending the audio signal from said student computer to the teacher computer via the network, when a send start method for starting the sending operation for said audio signal is called from the application program;

means for stopping the sending operation for said audio signal from said student computer to the teacher computer, when a send stop method for stopping the sending operation for said audio signal is called from the application program;

means for starting the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save start method for starting the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program; and

means for stopping the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save stop method for stopping the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program,

wherein said audio signal is saved to the record medium in the student computer without need to interrupt the sending operation for said audio signal from the student computer to the teacher computer,

wherein said audio signal is sent from the student computer to the teacher computer without need to interrupt the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer,

wherein an information file for a mixer device is automatically generated, and after it is generated, a user can customize the information file, and

wherein the sending operation uses hybrid audio coding including a bark level calculating and quantizing circuit operable on a modified discrete transform of pitch from said audio signal to output a coefficient of a time axis that is obtained by a speech process and a coefficient of a frequency axis that is obtained by an audio process.

7. The audio signal saving operation controlling program as set forth in claim 6, wherein the application program that calls the send start method and the send stop method is installed on a different computer from the application program that calls the save start method and the save stop method.

8. An audio signal reproducing operation controlling program for causing an application program to simultaneously control a receiving operation, a reproducing operation, and a saving operation for an audio signal between a teacher computer and at least one student computer connected to a network, the application program being installed on the teacher computer and the student computer which are both equipped with a sound card, a record medium, and a network interface card, the controlling program comprising:

means for starting the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer, when a receive and reproduction start method for starting the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal is called from the application program;

means for stopping the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer, when a receive and reproduction stop method for stopping the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal is called from the application program;

means for starting the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save start method for starting the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program; and

means for stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save stop method for stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program,

wherein the audio signal is saved to the record medium in the student computer without need to interrupt the receiving operation and the reproducing operation in the student computer for the audio signal,

wherein the audio signal is received and reproduced without need to interrupt the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer,

wherein an information file for a mixer device is automatically generated, and after it is generated, a user can customize the information file, and

wherein the audio signal was encoded using a hybrid audio coding including a bark level calculating and quantizing circuit operable on a modified discrete transform of pitch from said audio signal to encode a coefficient of a time axis that was obtained by a speech process and a coefficient of a frequency axis that was obtained by an audio process.

9. The audio signal reproducing operation controlling program as set forth in claim 8, wherein the application program that calls the receive and reproduction start method and the receive and reproduction stop method is installed on a different computer from the application program that calls the save start method and the save stop method.

10. The audio signal reproducing operation controlling program as set forth in claim 8, wherein the save start method starts the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer and starts the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer.

11. A record medium on which an audio signal saving operation controlling program has been recorded, the controlling program causing an application program to simultaneously control a sending operation and a saving operation for an audio signal between a teacher computer and at least one student computer connected to a network, the application program being installed on the teacher computer and the student computer which are both equipped with a sound card, a record medium and a network interface card, the controlling program comprising:

means for starting the sending operation for sending the audio signal from said student computer to the teacher computer via the network, when a send start method for starting the sending operation for said audio signal is called from the application program;

means for stopping the sending operation for said audio signal from said student computer to the teacher computer, when a send stop method for stopping the sending operation for said audio signal is called from the application program;

means for starting the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save start method for starting the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium is said student computer is called from the application program; and

means for stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save stop method for stopping the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in said student computer is called from the application program,

wherein said audio signal is saved to the record medium in the student computer without need to interrupt the sending operation for said audio signal from the student computer to the teacher computer,

wherein said audio signal is sent from the student computer to the teacher computer without need to interrupt the saving operation for said audio signal to the record medium in the student computer,

wherein an information file for a mixer device is automatically generated, and after it is generated, a user can customize the information file, and

wherein the sending operation uses hybrid audio coding including bark level calculating and quantizing operable on a modified discrete transform of pitch from said audio signal to output a coefficient of a time axis that is obtained by a speech process and a coefficient of a frequency axis that is obtained by an audio process.

12. The record medium as set forth in claim 11, wherein the application program that calls the send start method and the send stop method is installed on a different computer from the application program that calls the save start method and the save stop method.

13. A record medium on which an audio signal reproducing operation controlling program has been saved, the controlling program causing an application program to simultaneously control a receiving operation, a reproducing operation, and a saving operation for an audio signal between a teacher computer and at least one student computer connected to a network, the application program being installed on the teacher computer and the student computer which are both equipped with a sound card, a record medium, and a network interface card, the controlling program comprising:

means for starting the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer, when a receive and reproduction start method for starting the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal is called from the application program;

means for stopping the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer, when a receive and reproduction stop method for stopping the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal is called from the application program;

means for starting the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save start method for starting the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program; and

means for stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer, when a save stop method for stopping the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium is called from the application program,

wherein the audio signal is saved to the record medium in the student computer without need to interrupt the receiving operation and the reproducing operation in the student computer for the audio signal,

wherein the audio signal is received and reproduced without need to interrupt the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer,

wherein an information file for a mixer device is automatically generated, and after it is generated, a user can customize the information file, and

wherein the audio signal was encoded using a hybrid audio coding including bark level calculating and quantizing operable on a modified discrete transform of pitch from said audio signal to encode a coefficient of a time axis that was obtained by a speech process and a coefficient of a frequency axis that was obtained by an audio process.

14. The record medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the application program that calls the receive and reproduction start method and the receive and reproduction stop method is installed on a different computer from the application program that calls the save start method and the save stop method.

15. The record medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the save start method starts the saving operation for the audio signal to the record medium in the student computer and starts the receiving operation and the reproducing operation for the audio signal in the student computer.