Audio playback/recording apparatus having multiple decoders in ROM

• US 6,904,406 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamaji, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan, Vijay B.
• Application Number:
  US09/740,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 704/201, 704/270, 704/500, 704/504, 704/273, 704/501, 704/229, 380/232, 380/228, 380/279, 369/13, 369/30.19, 709/230, 713/176, 370/356, 705/1
• US Class Current: 704/501
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• 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: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/16 Storage of analogue signals in digital stores using an arrangement comprising analogue/digital [A/D] converters, digital memories and digital/analogue [D/A] converters

Abstract

An audio playback/recording apparatus includes an audio input processing section which receives analog audio data, and converts the analog audio data to digital audio data; a playback/recording processing section which compresses digital audio data output from the audio input processing section and stores the compressed digital audio data into a RAM and which decompresses the compressed digital audio data according to attribution data indicating a type of compression; an audio output processing section which receives the decompressed digital audio data, converts the decompressed digital audio data to analog audio data, and outputs the analog audio data to an output apparatus; and an external recording circuit section which records compressed digital audio data stored in the RAM into an external recording medium, reads out the compressed digital audio data, and stores the data into the RAM.

Claims

1. A playback/recording method of digital audio data using an audio playback/recording apparatus having a playback/recording processing section, an audio output processing section, an external recording circuit section, a general-purpose interface circuit section, a protection processing section, a ROM, a RAM, and an expanded RAM, said method comprising:

A) in a case in which input data input to the audio playback/recording apparatus are played back and recorded on an external recording medium,

said audio input processing section receives analog audio data from an input apparatus connected thereto and converts said analog audio data to digital audio data and outputs said digital audio data to the audio output processing section and playback/recording processing section,

said audio output processing section converts said received digital audio data to analog audio data and plays back said converted analog audio data,

said playback/recording processing section compresses said digital audio data and stores said compressed digital audio data in said RAM, and

after said audio output processing section plays back said digital audio data, said external recording circuit section records compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM into an external recording medium;

B) in a case in which input data input to the audio playback/recording apparatus are recorded on an external recording medium,

said audio input processing section receives analog audio data from an input apparatus connected thereto and converts said analog data audio data to digital audio data and outputs said digital audio data to the playback/recording processing section,

said play back/recording processing section compresses said digital audio data and stores said compressed digital audio data in said RAM, and

said external recording circuit section records compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM on the external recording medium;

C) in a case in which recorded data on an external recording medium are played back,

said external recording circuit section reads out compressed digital audio data from the external recording medium and stores said readout data into said RAM,

said playback/recording processing section decompresses said compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM, and

said audio output processing section converts said decompressed digital audio data to analog audio data and outputs said converted analog data to an output apparatus and plays back said analog audio data;

D) in a case in which recorded data on an external recording medium are transferred to an external apparatus,

said external recording circuit section reads out compressed digital audio data from the external recording medium and stores said readout data into said RAM,

said protection processing section generates authorization data including an individual identifier and an encryption key so as to encrypt data and encrypts said compressed digital audio data stored in said RAM, said general-purpose interface circuit section outputs said authorization data to said external apparatus, after that, outputs encrypted compressed digital audio data to said external apparatus; and

E) in a case in which input data received from an external apparatus are recorded on an external recording medium,

said general-purpose interface circuit section receives authorization data including a decryption key from the external apparatus,

said protection processing section compares said individual identifier included in said authorization data from the external apparatus with an individual identifier list stored in the ROM and checks a properness of a transmitting party,

said general-purpose interface circuit section receives encrypted compressed digital audio data from the external apparatus and stores them in the RAM,

said protection processing section decrypts encrypted compressed digital audio data stored in the RAM by using the decryption key included in the authorization data, and

said external recording circuit section records the compressed digital audio data stored in the RAM into the external recording medium.

2. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an authorization data writing section which writes said authorization data within a header information section of said digital audio data.

3. An audio playback/recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said interfaces of said general-purpose interface circuit section arc selected from the group consisting of USB, IEEE1394, wireless LAN, and home RF.