Method and device for controlling the transmission and playback of digital signals

• US 8,078,745 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Audiantis GmbH
• Original Assignee: Audiantis GmbH
• Inventors: Horn, Raymond, Korpas, Andreas, Grünenberg, Reginald
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEA, PHILIP J
• Application Number:
  US10/433,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/231, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

The transmission and playback of digitally coded signals is done by storing files of the digitally coded signals in a data source and sending profiles of the files from the data source to an interface at a remote user. The user interface sends to the data source a control command for preparing the signals and requesting at least one of the files. In response to the control command, the data source prepares the signals in the source by sequentially selecting the requested file, decomposing the selected file into individual data packets, digitally mixing the individual data packets into at least one new data packet, and coding the new data packet in a fixed time grid and transmitting it to the user interface in real time. Finally the received new data packet with is received and played back by the interface at the user.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the transmission and playback of digitally coded signals, the method comprising the steps of:

storing files of the digitally coded signals in a data source;

sending profiles of the files from the data source to an interface at a remote user;

sending from the user interface to the data source a control command for preparing the signals and requesting at least one of the files;

in response to the control command at the data source preparing the signals in the source by sequentially

selecting the requested file,

decomposing the selected file into individual data packets,

digitally mixing the individual data packets into at least one new data packet, and

coding the new data packet in a fixed time grid and transmitting it to the user interface in real time; and

decoding and playing back the received new data packet with the interface at the user.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the new data packet is encoded in accordance with an available transmission band.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the data is played back at the user by switching over to a data stream of a third source.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the selected files are decomposed into packets and decoded before being mixed.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the control command is triggered and transferred for calling up the stored files in the data source by the user.

6. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of

transmitting decoding software to the user.

7. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of

buffering the data packets.

8. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of

reproducing the digital signals of the files in a representation format for the user.

9. An apparatus for controlling the transmission and playback of digitally coded signals, the apparatus comprising:

a data source holding files of the digitally coded signals;

a remote user having an interface;

means in the data source for sending profiles of the files to the remote interface;

means in the interface for sending to the data source a control command requesting at least one of the files;

means in the user for responding to the control command at the data source and sequentially

selecting the requested file,

decomposing the selected file into individual data packets,

digitally mixing the individual data packets into at least one new data packet, and

coding the new data packet in a fixed time grid and transmitting it to the user interface in real time; and

means in the user decoding and playing back the received new data packet with the interface at the user.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein the data source is a server.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein the means in the user for decoding and playing back includes a sound card.