Patent Application
20060201310
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-071584, filed Mar. 14, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to a contents transfer method of transferring contents to a portable contents playback device, and more particularly a transfer method of transferring music contents and additional information simultaneously, an information processing apparatus, and information recording/playback system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable music playback device (audio player) capable of storing digital music data in a solid memory (memory card) or a hard disc, and playing music has become popular in recent years.
Music data can be obtained from a CD (Compact Disc)/DVD standard optical disc or a public broadcast supplied through a space wave, terrestrial wave or a satellite, or by downloading from a specific server (distribution site).
For example, an artist name, tune title and related image data (hereinafter called jacket data or jacket image) may be attached to music data obtainable from the Internet, or music data supplied by CD and DVD.
Jpn. Pat. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-123273 discloses an information processing apparatus, which downloads music data, artist name, tune title, album title, release date and related image data from a distribution site (server) through the Internet by using a personal computer, and sends an audio player the image data together with these music data.
In the audio player (information processing apparatus), a jacket image can be obtained and transferred only when a jacket image is attached to music data. When a user tries to get a jacket image attached to downloaded music data or to attach another image file of the same artist to music data with no jacket image attached, the above audio player cannot satisfy the user.
This may weaken the user's willingness to get music data and play (transfer) the music data in a portable music playback unit. This raises in reducing the commercial value of music data is lowered in a music data distribution system (purchase by the user) using the Internet as a supply medium.
A general architecture that implements the various feature of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.
Various embodiments according to the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general, according to one embodiment of the invention is useful when updating data of a database which is configured to take in data through a network, has a part to be updated, and takes in information of media stored in a local storage, and characterized by that a storage place assumed to have stored an image file is retrieved in a specific order, and an image file is obtained and downloaded, based on an instruction to transfer music data stored in a recorder to a player.
According to an embodiment
As shown in
As shown in the block diagram of
The audio player 5 has a system memory (ROM) 54 used for playing data stored in the HDD 52 or recording data in the HDD 52, starting the HDD 52, and controlling ON/OFF of a not-shown main power supply, a cache memory (RAM) 55 used for storing data temporarily, and an expansion circuit 56 to expand compressed data. The audio player 5 is also provided with a compression circuit 57 to compress an analog signal entered directly from a not-shown microphone or a line input terminal.
Music data 1 or image file (contents) compressed by the PC 1 is transferred to the HDD (mobile disc) 52, and recorded according to a specific rule. In the data compression, MP 3, WMA or WAV is used for the music data, and JPG, GIF or BMP is used for the image data. As the size of an image, 75 (pixels)×75 (pixels) or 200 (pixels)×200 (pixels) is set as an optimum size causing a small load in the player when paying back (displaying) the data.
Though not described in detail, data stored in the HDD 52 is encrypted to permit only direct playing with the player 5 and output to an external speaker as an analog signal, in order to prevent copying (except for the predetermined number of times) except for the private use as defined in the Copyright Act.
The operation of the player 5 can be controlled by an operation unit 58 including a multifunction button (cross-touch button) used for entering control commands such as for start/stop of playing, switching of information displayed in a display 5a, scrolling of words (letters) displayed in a display 5a.
As shown in the block diagram of
The PC 1 is also provided with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 16, and a keyboard 17 as an input unit to enter control information to execute download of music contents and transfer of music contents to the audio player 5.
The PCHDD 12 stores music contents (music data) as compressed digital data. The music contents stored in the PCHDD 12 is given an ID tag information (hereinafter called a tag information) in addition to data (music data file). The tag information includes an artist (singer name/player name), tune title, album title, jacket photo, etc.).
These information or data or files are compressed in the PC 1 according to the operation display of operations corresponding to the control commands entered from the keyboard 17 and display 16, and transferred to the audio player 5, when application software (not-explained in detail) held in the transfer controller 18 is started in the PC 1. Though not described in detail, the transfer controller 18 includes an extraction module to extract specific information from music contents (tag information), a conversion module to convert various information obtained from the server (site) 121 to specific formats, and an encryption module to encrypt music contents and obtained various information, and compresses or encrypts these music contents and obtained information to a transferable format.
Next, an explanation will be given on the data transfer between the PC and audio player, and data transfer from the PC to the player.
The PC 1 is installed with application software to form compressed data to be stored in the audio player 5, that is, a source including music data and image file represented by CD/DVD, or application for compressing contents supplied from a data supplier or a server to a specific format. When connecting (starting) the audio player 5 for the first time, it is necessary to install the application. In many cases, the application itself is stored in a specific area of the PCHDD 12, and started whenever the PC 1 is started.
When storing music contents from the PC 1 in the audio player 5, or when storing compressed music data in the HDD 52 of the player 5, there are two methods. One is to play a music CD set in the disc drive 13 and compress the played music as music data (ripping). The other is to access a distribution source (site) through the network 111 and download (compressed) music data from the site. When an optical disc set in the disc drive 13 is of a DVD standard, music played once by an application installed in the PC 1 is compressed again for an audio player.
When the audio player 5 is connected to the PC 1 through the transmission line (USB cable) 3 by using an attached cradle 50, the PC 1 detects the connection of the audio player 5, and a specific application preinstalled in the PC 1 is started.
In this state, a menu screen (main screen) is displayed on the display 16 of the PC 1, as shown in
The menu screen includes a GUI (Graphical User, e.g., Interface) permits to instruct for operating by the user a menu bar area displaying 16-1 an operation indicating panel area displaying 16-2, a transfer operation control panel area displaying 16-3, and a device connecting indicating panel area displaying 16-4.
The menu bar area displaying 16-1 used to select an operation mode, e.g., File (F), Display (D), Play (P), Tool (T) and Help (H) each of the operation mode is described later. The operation indicating panel area displaying 16-2 to indicate an operating state, for example, play time up to now (passed time/total time (play time)), and a stored tune title. The transfer operation control panel area displaying 16-3 used to instruct a transfer (input a transfer start) to the audio player 5. The device connection indicating panel area displaying 16-4 used to switch and display a list of stored contents (music data) of the PCHDD 12 (PC main unit), optical disc (the optical disc stored in the current disc drive 13) and HDD 52 (audio player 5).
For example, the music data in the memory unit specified through the device connection indicating panel area displaying 16-4 is displayed in a tree structure, explained later with reference to
When the library view button area displaying 16-41 is clicked in this state, an optional number of folders classified based on a category, for example, “artist” area displaying, “album” area displaying and “genre” area displaying is displayed. When the folder view button area displaying 16-42 is clicked, a folder tree in each device is contained is displayed.
For example, a data storing structure corresponding to the library view is composed of folders 41-11 to 41-X specifiable by the album 1 to album X in the folders 41-1 to 41-n of the category specified by the artist A to artist n.
In the folders 41-11 to 41-1X of each album, the folders 41-21 to 41-2X of the tunes (n) (n: tune No.) contained (recorded) in that album are formed. A folder or file storing various data (hereinafter called a tag information), such as, tune-contents 41-31 to 41-3X, Tune—Titles 41-41 to 41-4X, Tune—Lyrics 41-51 to 41-5X, release dates 41-61 to 41-6X, and jacket photos (image files) 41-71 to 41-7X, is related to each folder of 41-41 to 41-41X. As for a jacket photo, when the source of an album is a CD, for example, the photo used for the jacket is made as an image file, and used for displaying on the display 5a of the player 5, while the tunes included in the album are being played back (or until the display is reset by the user).
Therefore, when an image file of a jacket photo (image) is added to the music data stored (contained) in the HDD 52 of the audio player 5, the jacket photo can be displayed in the display 5a while an optional tune of that album is being played back (or until the display is reset by the user).
When an album folder is formed for each tune and a jacket photo file is attached to each tune, namely, when music data is supplied from a one-tune supplier (source) generally called a single CD, a different jacket photo (image) is played back for each tune. As a jacket photo, data of a known file format, such as, JPG (JPEG), GIF and BMP can be used in many cases.
Next, an explanation will be given on a transfer of a jacket photo to an audio player, and a method of obtaining a jacket photo.
The tune information edit screen shown in
The other area of the tune information edit screen has a display area 601 to display a jacket photo, a reference mode instruction button area displaying 602 to transfer a jacket photo displayed in the area 601 to the player 5 (to set a jacket image displayed now as a jacket photo in the area 601 as a jacket image corresponding to the music data held in the HDD 52 of the player 5), and a delete button area displaying 603 to cancel the display of a jacket image.
A jacket photo is displayed in the display area 601 shown in
The jacket image displayed in the display area 601 is displayed in the display 5a of the audio player 5 (refer to
The tune information edit screen is started, and a jacket photo obtaining process is started (S1).
Audio data (music data) of a folder or file in the PCHDD 12 is referred to (S2).
When a jacket photo (image file) exists in the same folder as audio data in step S2 (S2—Yes), that image file is obtained as a jacket photo (S11), and transferred with audio data to the HDD 52 of the audio player 5 (S12).
When a jacket photo (image file) does not exist in the same folder as audio data in step S2 (S2—No), the tag information of a folder storing audio data is referred to (S3).
When a jacket photo (image file) exists in the tag information of a folder storing audio data in step S3 (S3—Yes), an image file is obtained as a jacket photo (S11), and transferred with audio data to the HDD 52 of the player 5 (S12).
In step S3, a package containing a jacket photo (image file) including audio data is referred to (S4).
When a file composed of a jacket photo (image file) or substitutable image information exists in a package including audio data in step S4 (S4—Yes), an image file in the package is obtained as a jacket photo (S11) and transferred with audio data to the HDD 52 of the player 5 (S12).
When a file composed of a jacket photo (image file) or substitutable image information does not exist in a package including audio data in step S4 (S4—No), a folder storing audio data is checked for the existence of an area having link information (in the PCHDD 12 of the PC 1) (S5).
When a file composed of a jacket photo (image file) or substitutable image information exists in an area showing link information (in the PCHDD 12 of the PC 1) of a folder storing audio data in step S5 (S5—Yes), an image file is obtained as a jacket photo by accessing its destination (S11) and transferred with audio data to the HDD 52 of the player 5 (S12).
When an area having link information (in the PCHDD 12 of the PC 1) does not exist in a folder storing audio data in step S5 (S5—No), it is judged to have no jacket photo (S6), and only audio data is transferred to the player 5 (S7).
When an area having link information is a web site accessed through the network 111 (refer to
When the approval for the connection to the network is obtained in step S111 (connectable, S111—Yes), the connected destination link is checked for the existence of a jacket photo (image file) (S112).
When a jacket photo (image file) exists in the connected destination link in step S112 (S112—Yes), an image file is downloaded from that destination link and stored in a specific area of the PCHDD 12 (S113). The image file downloaded and stored in the specific area is obtained as a jacket photo according to S11 in
When a jacket photo (image file) does not exist in the connected destination link in step 112 (S112—No), a message “Image file is not found”, for example, is displayed, and the connection to the Internet is reset (S114).
The size of a detected image (jacket photo) is resized from the detected size to the size displayable in the player 5, if necessary. Namely, in files other than an image file prepared previously for a jacket photo, the image size may be larger than the size of the display 5a of the player 5. Particularly, in files other than an image file prepared previously for a jacket photo, the image size may be 2048 (pixels)×1536 (pixels), 1024 (pixels)×768 (pixels), 800 (pixels)×640 (pixels) in not a few case. Therefore, when an image file (jacket photo) is transferred from the PC 1 to the player 5, the image size is converted to the size displayable easily in the player 5 (without converting the image) in the preceding stage, and a jacket photo (image file) can be played back (displayed) instantly in the player 5.
A method of resizing and a configuration of a resizing circuit (image processing circuit) used for the resizing are well known, and detailed explanation will be omitted. It is widely known to change the size of an image file downloaded and saved in the PCHDD 12, in a not-shown cache memory of the PCHDD 12 or in a not-shown RAM (work memory), under the control of the MPU 11 or the transfer controller 18, or by using firmware (an image processing application).
When a jacket photo is transferred from the PC 1 to the audio player 5, the image size is converted to be easily displayable in the player 5. This eliminates the necessity of a function for changing an image size in the player 5. Therefore, the player 5 is increased in the memory capacity to store music data and jacket photo files.
As for a file format (for an image file), a PC transfers only a file playable in a player, and it is unnecessary to prepare a decode function to interpret a file format. This increases the capacity of a player to store music data and jacket photos.
In a web site connected through the Internet, a jacket photo (image file) usable as a jacket photo may exist in more than two different sizes or images. While an image of a specific size is free of charge, a large size image may be charged (a charging system).
In such a case, identification of a downloading image file or approval for the charging may become necessary according to a menu in the web site. However, detailed explanation will be omitted.
As explained above, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the user instructs a transfer of audio data, a jacket photo (data) is retrieved in a specific order, that is, a) in the same folder as the audio data, b) in the header of the audio data itself, c) in a package provided with the audio data and jacket data in one piece (data package), and d) when a place of the jacket data (photo) is indicated as link information in the header of the audio data, retrieve or access the destination link.
Jacket data found first is transferred to a player as a jacket photo together with audio data (music). If jacket data is not found, only audio data is transferred without a jacket photo. Therefore, concerning the audio data for which jacket data is prepared, the time required by the user for retrieval can be remarkably reduced.
Further, when a jacket photo is transferred from a PC to an audio player, the image size is converted to be easily displayable in a player. This eliminates the necessity of a function for changing an image size in a player. Therefore, a player is increased in the memory capacity to store music data and jacket photo files.
As explained above, the present invention makes it possible to transfer music data containable (storable) in a portable music playback unit by attaching a jacket image or the user's favorite image file instead of a jacket image. Therefore, the user of a music playback unit can play back (display) also an image file or jacket image of a player (artist) of that music data during the playback of optional music data. This increases the user's satisfaction, and increases the user's desire to purchase charged music data supplied only from the Internet, for example.
While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Each embodiment may be appropriately combined as far as possible. In this case, the effect by combination will be obtained. For example, contents information is explained as audio information. But, the invention is not limited to this, and applicable widely to video information and others. Therefore, the invention is to be expanded over a wide range not contradictory to the disclosed principle and novel characteristics, and not to be limited to the embodiment described hereinbefore.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-071584 | Mar 2005 | JP | national |
