Audio transmission, recording and reproducing system

Abstract

An audio recording and reproducing apparatus includes a controller for controlling the entire behaviors, hard disc for write and read of audio data, audio compression/expansion circuit for expanding compressed audio data, and external I/O port. The audio recording and reproducing apparatus is connected to a network service center to obtain desired music data from storage of the network service center and to store it in the hard disc.

Description

71 74 to add various functions. An input key 51 (corresponding to direction key 12, input keys 13A, 13B and operation key 14) and a driver 55 for driving a liquid display 11 are further connected to the bus 42.

The bus 42 is a PC standard bus typically used in the field of personal computers, such as ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus widely uses as an AT compatible external bus (also called extensive slot bus or system bus) and PCI (Peripheral Computer Interconnect) bus widely used as a local bus (also called processor direct bus). By employing a circuit arrangement of a compatible architecture that uses such a common bus in the field of personal computers, the invention not only decreases the manufacturing cost of the entire digital portable headphone stereo 1 but also realizes widest use and extensive use of the headphone stereo.

The base station 2 has DSU 61 and a power supply circuit 62. When the digital portable headphone stereo 1 is set on the base station 2, DSU 61 of the base station 2 is connected to the bus 42 of the portable headphone stereo 1 through the I/O port 47. Simultaneously, power is supplied to the battery 53 of the portable headphone stereo 1 to electrically charge the battery 53.

In order to store music data from the network service center 21 in the hard disc 45, the digital portable headphone stereo 1 is set on the base station 2. Thereafter, a command for connection to the network service center 21 is given through the input key 51, and DSU 61 connects the digital portable headphone stereo 1 to the network service center 21. The network service center 21 transmits data in packets by an original protocol or a common protocol like TCP/IP, for example. The packet data is decomposed to extract necessary compressed audio data. The compressed audio data is delivered to and stored in the hard disc 45.

To reproduce data stored in the hard disc 45, a reproduction command is given through the input key 51. In response to the reproduction command, compressed audio data is read out from the hard disc 45, and delivered to the audio compression/expansion circuit 46. The circuit 46 expands the audio data that has been compressed by ATRAC, for example. The expanded audio data is supplied to the headphone 17 through the D/A converter 52.

To store an audio signal from the microphone 54, a record command is given through the input key 51. In response to the record command, the audio signal from the microphone 54 is supplied to the A/D converter 56, and converted into a digital form. The audio data is then supplied to and compressed by the audio compression/expansion circuit 46. The compressed audio data is delivered to the hard disc 45 through the bus 42, and stored there.

In order to minimize the dimension and weight of the digital portable headphone stereo 1, a main circuit board incorporating major parts and a card-type hard disc are used. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the interior structure of the digital portable headphone stereo 1. Shells 70A and 70B of the digital portable headphone stereo 1 contain the main circuit board 71, card-type hard disc 72, and a battery 73. Additionally, an extensive function card 74 can be set.

All major circuit parts including CPU 41, ROM 43 and RAM 44 are arranged on the main circuit board 71. Already developed are main circuit boards as small as PCMCIA cards using a CPU of the grade around 80386. Small-sized main circuit boards using a faster CPU will be developed in a near future.

The hard disc 72 may be one using a 1.8-inch disc and having approximately the same dimension as that of a PCMCIA card and the thickness of 5 mm. The digital portable headphone stereo 1 uses the card-type hard disc 72 to minimize the dimension of the device. Currently available is a card-type hard disc of 121 MB. In a near future, those of the capacity around 1 GB will be developed.

If the sampling frequency is 30 kHz, and the quantized bits are 16 bits, then a user can enjoy reproduction of music over approximately 33 minutes by using a 20 MB hard disc. If the compression rate is doubled, the user will be able to enjoy reproduced music over 30 minutes approximately by using a 50 MB hard disc. Since the duration around 30 minutes of reproduced music is considered sufficient in most cases, the use of a double compression rate and a 50 MB hard disc will be satisfactory for the time being. If a card-type hard disc of the capacity around 1 GB is developed in the near future, longer reproduction with a higher quality of sound will be realized.

Although the above example uses the card-type hard disc, a phase-change optical disc or optical magnetic disc may be used. If a card-type optical disc or magnetic disc is developed, it may be used in the same manner as a card-type hard disc.

The extensive function card 74 is used to add a further function to the digital portable headphone stereo 1. The extensive function card 74 has approximately the same dimension as a PCMCIA card. FIGS. 9A to 9F show proposed extensive function cards, namely, a video record/reproduce card for compression and expansion of MPEG or other moving images (FIG. 9A), facsimile transmission card enabling facsimile transmission (FIG. 9B), wireless transmission card enabling wireless transmission of data (FIG. 9C), pager card giving a pager function (FIG. 9D), navigation card for enabling navigation using GPS, for example (FIG. 9E), and wire transmission card for wire transmission of data (FIG. 9F). By connecting the extensive function card 74, the digital portable headphone stereo 1 is equipped with an additional function, and various modes of use of the digital portable headphone stereo 1 can be expected.

According to the invention, a network service center for supplying numerous pieces of music data and digital portable stereo headphone players are connected by ISDN lines so that desired music data is obtained from the network service center and recorded in a hard disc for later reproduction. Audio data is recorded in a digital form to improve the quality of sound. By using a card-type hard disc, the invention can increase the access speed and can reduce the dimension and weight of the player. Since a user can choose desired music from the storage of the network service center, he can use his player conveniently by obtaining any desired music any time from a large storage in the service center. Therefore, the system can satisfy various users tastes for music and can follow the latest fashion of music. When a digital portable stereo headphone player is fixed on a base station, then a communication function is added to the player, and the battery of the player can be electrically charged simultaneously. Any new additional function can be added to a digital portable stereo headphone player by mounting an extensive function card, and this promises further developments of such players.

That is, used as the bus for connecting respective parts is a PC standard bus (for example, ISA bus or PCI bus) which is most standard in the field of personal computers. By employing a circuit arrangement of a compatible architecture that uses such a common bus in the field of personal computers, the invention not only decreases the manufacturing cost of the entire digital portable headphone stereo but also realizes widest use and extensive use of the headphone stereo.

Claims

1. An audio reproducing apparatus, comprising:

control means for controlling entire behaviors;

storage means for writing and reading data;

audio expanding means for expanding compressed audio data;

external I/O means for transferring incoming and outgoing data, the transferring of incoming and outgoing data operative to charge an account associated with the transfer of such incoming and outgoing data; and

a personal computer standard bus for transmitting data among said control means, said storage means, said audio expanding means and said external I/O means, so that compressed audio data is stored in said storage means, and said compressed audio data is transferred to and expanded by said audio expanding means to be audibly reproduced.

2. The audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is a card-shaped recording medium.

3. The audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is a card-shaped hard disc.

4. The audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said personal computer standard bus is one of external buses including an ISA bus used in AT compatible machines and local buses including a PCI bus.

5. An audio recording apparatus, comprising:

control means for controlling entire behaviors;

storage means for writing and reading data;

audio compressing means for compressing audio data;

external I/O means for transferring incoming and outgoing data; and

a personal computer standard bus for transmitting data among said control means, said storage means, said audio compressing means and said external I/O means, wherein incoming data sent in a predetermined format is transferred through said external I/O means, and compressed audio data is generated from the transferred incoming data and stored in said storage means, the transferring of incoming and outgoing data operative to charge an account associated with the transfer of such incoming and outgoing data.

6. The audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said storage means is a card-shaped recording medium.

7. The audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said storage means is a card-shaped hard disc.

8. The audio recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said personal computer standard bus is one of external buses including an ISA bus used in AT compatible machines and local buses including a PCI bus.

9. An audio recording and reproducing system, comprising:

an audio recording and reproducing apparatus incorporating control means for controlling entire behaviors;

storage means for writing and reading data;

audio expanding means for expanding compressed audio data;

external I/O means for transferring incoming and outgoing data, the transferring of incoming and outgoing data operative to charge an account associated with the transfer of such incoming and outgoing data;

first functional means removably attached to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus to add a supplementary function to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus; and

second functional means removably attached to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus to add a new function to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus.

10. The audio recording and reproducing system according to claim 9, wherein said first functional means has a structure that can contain the entirety of said audio recording and reproducing apparatus.

11. The audio recording and reproducing system according to claim 9, wherein said first functional means has a communication function and/or a power supply function.

12. The audio recording and reproducing system according to claim 9, wherein said second functional means is in form of a card that can be held within said audio recording and reproducing apparatus.

13. An audio recording and reproducing system comprising:

an audio recording and reproducing apparatus incorporating control means for controlling entire behaviors, storage means for writing and reading data, audio expanding means for expanding compressed audio data, and external I/O means for exchanging incoming data;

first functional means removably attached to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus to add a supplementary function to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus; and

second functional means removably attached to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus to add a new function to said audio recording and reproducing apparatus,

14. The audio recording and reproducing system according to claim 13, wherein said first functional means has a structure that can contain the entirety of said audio recording and reproducing apparatus.

15. The audio recording and reproducing system according to claim 13, wherein said first functional means has a communication function and/or a power supply function.

16. The audio recording and reproducing system according to claim 13, wherein said second functional means is in form of a card that can be held within said audio recording and reproducing apparatus.

17. An audio data transmission method, comprising the steps of:

receiving desired audio data through a communication line from an audio data base storing a plurality of pieces of audio data;

storing said audio data in a receiver to thereafter reproduce the audio data within the receiver, wherein

said audio data base is configured to send out to said receiver data in a predetermined transmission format for and to charge the service to an account of said receiver, the data in a predetermined transmission format including the audio data.

18. The audio data transmission method according to claim 17, wherein said receiver obtains audio data by decomposing the data in said predetermined transmission format.

19. The audio data transmission method according to claim 17, wherein said audio data base and said receiver are connected via public telephone line.

20. An information receiving apparatus, comprising:

means for choosing desired audio data from an audio data base storing a plurality of pieces of audio data;

means for receiving desired audio data through a communication line and for storing the chosen audio data; and

means for reproducing the stored audio data, wherein in response to receipt of the desired audio data an account associated with the receipt of desired audio data is charged.

21. A portable audio reproducing and location providing apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to receive compressed digital audio data from an external device;

a storage unit configured to store the compressed digital audio data;

an expander configured to expand compressed digital audio data and output digital audio data;

a processor configured to control upload of compressed digital content data to an external apparatus; and

a facsimile transmission unit configured to transmit facsimile data to another apparatus.

22. A portable audio reproducing apparatus comprising:

communication means for connecting by a wire to an external device configured to communicate with a network service center, the communication means sending audio data created by a user to the external device for upload to the network service center by the external device and receiving data from the external device downloaded from the network service center by the external device;

wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with another device;

audio acquiring means for acquiring another audio data;

compression means for compressing the another audio data that the audio acquiring means acquired;

storage means for storing the downloaded audio data and the another audio data;

expanding means configured to expand the downloaded audio data; and

control means for controlling the communication means to upload the another audio data stored in the storage means to the network service center, and to download audio data from the network service center via the external device in a state where the external device and the communication means are connected by the wire, and for controlling the wireless communication means.

23. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a GPS unit.

24. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the storage means is a hard disc.

25. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an installation unit in which a card is installed,

wherein the wireless communication means is activated when a wireless communication card is installed into the installation unit.

26. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the communication means is connected to a keyboard, and the control means executes control processing based on input operation to the keyboard when the keyboard is connected.

27. A portable audio reproducing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to connect by a wire to an external device configured to communicate with a network service center, the communication unit configured to send audio data created by a user to the external device for upload to the network service center by the external device and to receive data from the external device downloaded from the network service center by the external device;

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with another device;

an audio acquiring unit configured to acquire another audio data;

a compressor configured to compress the another audio data acquired by the audio acquiring unit;

a storage unit configured to store the downloaded audio data and the another audio data;

an expander configured to expand the downloaded audio data; and

a controller configured to control the communication unit to upload the another audio data stored in the storage unit to the network service center, and to download audio data from the network service center via the external device in a state where the external device and the communication unit are connected by the wire, and to control the wireless communication unit.

28. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a GPS unit.

29. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the storage unit is a hard disc.

30. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising an installation unit in which a card is installed,

wherein the wireless communication unit is activated when a wireless communication card is installed into the installation unit.

31. The portable audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the communication unit is connected to a keyboard, and the controller executes control processing based on input operation to the keyboard when the keyboard is connected.