Patent Application
20080282010
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for audio media storage and playback and, more particularly, to an apparatus for storing and playing digital/analog audio, and for encoding and decoding audio data for playback and multi-directional transmission and storage.
2. The Related Arts
Conventional portable multimedia storage and devices, such as flash memory, CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, hard disk drive, portable memory stick, digital camera, and so on, need to connect to a personal computer (PC) or a notebook computer for data conversion or multimedia playing, such as MP3, WMA, MIDI, WAV, and so on. The conventional audio data players are also limited to the playback of a medium. For functions, such as data conversion, decoding or storing, the players need to connect to a PC or a notebook computer to perform such tasks. This further limits the popularity of portable multimedia devices.
Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 094211770 and 094213090 disclosed structures and embodiments for a storage medium for digital/analog TV and audio data, respectively.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for storing and playing back audio data, including at least a USB hub or a USB serial interface engine (SIE), and at least a storage media interface. An upstream port of the USB hub or the USB SIE is connected to an electronic device with a USB interface. The storage media interface is connected to a downstream port of the USB hub or an endpoint of a USB SIE. The storage media interface can be connected to a portable storage media, such as flash memory, CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, and hard disk drive, to enable bi-directional data transmission and storage between the electronic device with a USB interface and the portable storage media connected to the storage media interface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for storing and playing back audio data, including an audio codec player connected to the storage media interface to enable the bi-directional data format conversion and storage between the electronic device with a USB interface and the portable storage media connected to the storage media interface without the connection to a PC or a notebook computer. This improves the convenience of audio data storage and application.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for storing and playing back audio data, including an audio codec player connected to at least an audio player and an audio input device. The audio player can play back the audio data of various formats on the electronic device with a USB interface or the portable storage media connected to the storage media interface. Alternatively, the audio input device can input an external audio signal to the audio codec for encoding and decoding, and then stores into the electronic device with a USB interface or the portable storage media connected to the storage media interface.
To achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides an apparatus for storing and playing back audio data, including at least a USB hub or USB SIE, at least a storage media interface, and an audio codec. An upstream port of the USB hub or the USB SIE is connected to an electronic device with a USB interface. The storage media interface is connected to a downstream port of the USB hub or an endpoint of a USB SIE. The storage media interface can be connected to a portable storage media, such as flash memory, CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, and hard disk drive, to enable bi-directional data transmission and storage between the electronic device with a USB interface and the portable storage media connected to the storage media interface. The audio codec player forms a bi-directional data transmission connection with the storage media interface. The audio codec player is connected to at least an audio player and an audio input device. The audio data from the electronic device with a USB interface, the portable storage media connected to the storage media interface or the audio input device can be sent to the audio codec for encoding/decoding, and then stored or played back by the audio player or the electronic device with a USB interface to achieve the object of the present invention of multi-directional transmission, encoding/decoding, storage and playing back of audio data.
The advantage of the present invention is to enable the multi-directional encoding/decoding, playing back, and storing of the audio data through a simple and inexpensive structure that is easy to operate.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from a reading of the following brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and the appended claims.
The present invention can be understood in more detail by reading the subsequent detailed description in conjunction with the examples and references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference to the drawings and in particular to
The aforementioned storage media interfaces 20, 30, 40 are not limited to any specific type. In the present invention, portable storage media interfaces, such as flash memory sticks, card reader, and ATA/ATAPI CD-RW and hard disk drive, are used as embodiments for description. Other equivalent portable storage media interfaces are also within the scope of the present invention. The storage media interface 20 comprises a USB controller 21, a flash memory access controller 22, at least a flash memory 23 and a parallel/serial transmission interface 24. The USB controller 21 is connected to the downstream port 12 of USB hub 10 to form a bi-directional USB-type data connection between the storage media interface 20 and the USB hub 10. The flash memory access controller 22 is to control data access, and the flash memory 23 is connected to and controlled by the flash memory access controller 22. The flash memory 23 is not limited to any specific type. The present invention uses NAND FLASH or NOR FLASH as embodiment for explanation. The parallel/serial transmission interface 24 is connected to the flash memory access controller 22 to provide bi-directional transmission of audio data.
The aforementioned flash memory access controller 22 is connected to the USB controller 21 to form, through the USB hub 10, a bi-directional data transmission and storage connection with the electronic device 200. The audio data on electronic device 200 can be transmitted to the flash memory 23 for storage, or the audio data in flash memory 23 can be transmitted to the electronic device 200 for storage.
The aforementioned storage media interface 30 comprises a USB controller 31, a card reader controller 32, a memory connector 33 and a parallel/serial transmission interface 34. The USB controller 31 is connected to the downstream port 13 of the USB hub 10 to form a bi-directional USB-type data connection between the storage media interface 30 and the USB hub 10. The card reader controller 32 is to control data access, and the memory connector 33 is to provide external connection to at least a memory card 300. The memory card 300 can be any know flash memory, such as CF, SD, MMC, XD, SM, MS, MSPRO, and MS DUO. The memory connector 33 is connected to the card reader controller 32 so that the memory card 300 is controlled by the card reader controller 32. The parallel/serial transmission interface 34 is connected to the card reader controller 32 to provide bi-directional data transmission of audio data.
The aforementioned card reader controller 32 is connected to the USB controller 31 to form, through the USB hub 10, a bi-directional data transmission and storage connection with the electronic device 200. The audio data on electronic device 200 can be transmitted to the memory card 300 for storage, or audio data in the memory card 300 can be transmitted to the electronic device 200 for storage.
The aforementioned storage media interface 40 comprises a USB controller 41, an ATA/ATAPI interface controller 42, at least a interface connector 43, and a parallel/serial transmission interface 44. The USB controller 41 is connected to the downstream port 14 of USB hub 10 to form a bi-directional USB-type data connection between the storage media interface 40 and the USB hub 10. The ATA/ATAPI controller 42 is to control data access, and the interface connector 43 is to provide external connection to a CD-R/W 400, a hard disk drive 500, or a DVD-R/W 600, respectively. The CD-R/W 400, hard disk drive 500, and DVD-R/W 600 have an ATA/ATAPI type interface. The interface connector 43 is connected to the ATA/ATAPI controller 42 so that the CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 are controlled by the ATA/ATAPI controller 42. The parallel/serial transmission interface 44 is connected to the ATA/ATAPI interface controller 42 to provide bi-directional data transmission of audio data.
The aforementioned ATA/ATAPI controller 42 is connected to the USB controller 41 to form, through the USB hub 10, a bi-directional data transmission and storage connection with the electronic device 200. The audio data in the electronic device 200 can be transmitted to the CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 for storage, or the audio data in the CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 can be transmitted to the electronic device 200 for storage.
The aforementioned storage media interfaces 20, 30, 40 are not limited to the individual circuit elements shown in
An audio codec player 50 provides the functions of encoding/decoding and playback of various audio data formats, such as MP3, WMA, MIDI, WAV, and so on. The audio codec player 50 comprises a parallel/serial transmission interface 51. The parallel/serial transmission interface 51 is connected to the parallel/serial transmission interface 24 of the media storage interface 20, the parallel/serial transmission interface 34 of the media storage interface 30, the parallel/serial transmission interface 44 of the media storage interface 40, respectively to form bi-directional data transmission between the audio codec 50 and the storage media interfaces 20, 30, 40. The audio codec player 50 is externally connected to an audio player 700 and an audio input device 800. The audio player 700 is not limited to any specific type. The present invention uses a loudspeaker as an embodiment for description, but other equivalent audio players, such as earphones, are also within the scope of the present invention. The audio input device 800 is not limited to any specific type. The present invention uses a microphone as an embodiment for description, but other equivalent audio input devices, such as CD line-in or broadcast audio input device, are also within the scope of the present invention. The user's voice can be input from a microphone, sent to the audio codec player 50 for recording using ADPCM. The audio codec player 50 uses the audio player 700 and the audio input device 800 for audio data playback and input.
The aforementioned audio codec player 50 forms, through the parallel/serial transmission interface 51, bi-directional data transmission among the electronic device 200, the flash memory 23, the memory card 300, the CD-R/W 400, the hard dish drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 so that audio data can be encoded/decoded for storage or playback on the electronic device 200 or the audio player 700; alternatively, the audio input device 800 inputs audio signal for the audio codec player 50 to encode/decode and stored in the electronic device 200, the flash memory 23, the memory card 300, the CD-R/W 400, the hard dish drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600, in a way similar to digital audio recording.
The aforementioned endpoints 1012, 1013, 1014, 1015, 1016 of the USB SIE 1010 provide connections to aforementioned storage media interface 20, 30, 40, digital/analog interface converter 60 to provide achieve the objects of bi-directional data transmission, storage, encoding/decoding and playback of audio data.
The card reader controller 74 is connected to the USB controller 74, and is to control data access. The memory connector 75 is to provide external connection to at least a memory card 300. The memory card 300 can be any known flash memory card, such as CF, SD, MMC, XD, SM, MS, MSPRO, MS DUO. The memory connector 75 is connected to the card reader controller 74 so that the memory card 300 is controlled by the card reader controller 74. The audio data on electronic device 200 can be transmitted to the memory card 300 for storage, or the audio data in the memory card 300 can be transmitted to the electronic device 200 for storage.
The ATA/ATAPI controller 76 is connected to the USB controller 71, and is to control data access. The interface connector 77 is to provide external connection to a CD-R/W 400, a hard disk drive 500, or a DVD-R/W 600, respectively. The CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 have an ATA/ATAPI type interface. The interface connector 77 is connected to the ATA/ATAPI controller 76 so that the CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 are controlled by the ATA/ATAPI controller 76. The audio data on the electronic device 200 can be transmitted to the CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 for storage, or the audio data in the CD-R/W 400, the hard disk drive 500, and the DVD-R/W 600 can be transmitted to the electronic device 200 for storage.
The parallel/serial transmission interface 78 is connected to the flash memory access controller 72, the card reader controller 74, the ATA/ATAPI interface controller 76 and the parallel/serial transmission interface 51 of the audio codec player 50, respectively, to provide bi-directional data transmission of audio data to achieve the object of storage, encoding/decoding, and playback of audio data as shown in
(910) the user determining whether encoding/decoding is required; and if so, proceeding to step (920); and otherwise, proceeding to step (930);
(920) storing audio data through storage media interface of hub or SIE to portable storage media;
(921) portable storage media transmitting audio data, through the parallel/serial transmission interface, to audio codec player for encoding/decoding;
(922) determining whether the operation being for encoding and storage, or decoding and playback; and if encoding and storage, proceeding to step (922A); otherwise, proceeding to step (922B);
(922A) the audio codec player transmitting encoded audio data, through the parallel/serial transmission interface, to the portable storage media for storage or, through the hub or SIE, to the electronic device;
(922B) the audio player playing back the decoded audio data;
(930) determining whether the operation is for playback or recording; and if for playback, proceeding to step (940); otherwise, proceeding to step (950);
(940) the portable storage media transmitting audio data, through the storage media interface and the parallel/serial transmission interface, to audio codec player;
(941) the audio codec player decoding audio data and outputting audio data to audio player for playback;
(950) the audio signal being input from audio input device and transmitted to audio codec player for encoding;
(951) the audio codec player encoding audio signal and transmitting encoded audio data, through storage media interface and the parallel/serial transmission interface, to portable storage media for storage; and
(952) audio data being stored in portable storage media or electronic device through hub or SIE.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangement included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
