Patent Application
20050020245
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for wireless data transmission and storage, and more particularly, to a wireless audio recorder and related method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As business develops, inter-corporate meetings become important affairs of businessmen. During a meeting, the lights might be turned off due to usage of projectors, and moreover, the trips are rushed so that the content of issues of the meeting cannot be recorded in detail. Therefore, audio recording becomes a practical way to record.
Conventional audio recording devices are not handy. Even the smallest Walkman can be put into a pocket, and then the pocket is fully occupied. A recording pen (a pen-like digital recorder with storage media such as semiconductor memory chips) is indeed handy, but the price of the recording pen is proportional to the storage volume of the memory so that the recording time corresponding to a reasonable price of the recording pen is limited. As a result, a computer system is needed as a final storage device, and this leads to inconvenience. Firstly the user have to electrically connect the recording pen to the computer system (such as a laptop) with a transmission cable. Secondly data corresponding to recorded audio information should be transmitted to the computer system through the transmission cable and then the old data in the recording pen should be deleted to make room for further use. Some better version of the recording pen transmits and deletes the data automatically while the electric connection between the recording pen and the computer system is established. However, waiting for the abovementioned data processing of the recording pen might interrupt the meeting so that the above-mentioned data processing is not allowed while there is no room for further recording. Furthermore, if a laptop with audio recording functionality is provided, a microphone installed in the laptop is not handy while an external microphone (having a cable connecting to the laptop) limits the movement of the user during the meeting.
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem with computer system related apparatuses, and some audio processing apparatuses installed in computer systems according to the prior art will be described in the following paragraphs. As the calculation speed of computer systems increases, audio-video processing using the computer systems become popular. However, complex operations of user interfaces of computer systems hinder the enjoyment provided by the audio-video processing ability of the computer systems. Therefore, some producers provide simplified systems with apparatuses similar to well-known computer systems and with user-friendly interfaces while the audio-video processing ability, which is not available in conventional audio-video systems, is preserved. Of concern, the definition of the computer system in the present invention not only includes the well-known computer systems, but also includes the simplified systems with apparatuses similar to the well-known computer systems.
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For a businessman, although the aforementioned recording pen is handy enough to provide the convenient audio recording during a meeting, the recording time is limited so that connecting the recording pen to a computer system for data storage with a transmission cable and deleting the old data stored in the recording pen for further use are required. Usually, waiting for the abovementioned data processing of the recording pen might interrupt the meeting so that the above-mentioned data processing is not allowed while there is no room for further recording. Furthermore, a computer system (such as a laptop) cannot provide the audio recording functionality wirelessly. To summarize, the audio recording tools for the businessman should be improved to meet the detailed recording requirement of a meeting.
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a method and a device for wireless data transmission and storage to solve the above-mentioned problem.
According to the claimed invention, a remote wireless data storage system for wireless data transmission and storage is provided. The remote wireless data storage system comprises a remote data processing subsystem for receiving an audio signal. The remote data processing subsystem comprises an audio signal input module for receiving the audio signal, a first processor electrically connected to the audio signal input module for processing the audio signal received by the audio signal input module to generate transmission data, and a first wireless transmission module electrically connected to the first processor for wireless transmission of the transmission data. The remote wireless data storage system further comprises a central data processing subsystem for data storage. The central data processing subsystem comprises a second wireless transmission module for receiving the transmission data from the first wireless transmission module, a second processor electrically connected to the second wireless transmission module for processing the transmission data received by the second wireless transmission module to generate storage data, and a storage device electrically connected to the second processor for storing the storage data generated by the second processor.
According to the claimed invention, further provided is a remote wireless data storage system for wireless data transmission and storage. The remote wireless data storage system comprises a remote data processing subsystem for receiving an audio signal. The remote data processing subsystem comprises an audio signal input module for receiving the audio signal, a first processor electrically connected to the audio signal input module for processing the audio signal received by the audio signal input module to generate transmission data, and a first wireless transmission module electrically connected to the first processor for wireless transmission of the transmission data. The remote wireless data storage system further comprises a central data processing subsystem for data storage. The central data processing subsystem installed in a computer system comprises a second wireless transmission module for receiving the transmission data from the first wireless transmission module, a second processor electrically connected to the second wireless transmission module for processing the transmission data received by the second wireless transmission module to generate digital data, a third processor electrically connected to the second processor for processing the digital data received from the second processor to generate storage data, and a storage device electrically connected to the third processor for storing the storage data generated by the third processor.
The claimed invention also provides a data storage method using a remote wireless data storage system, wherein the remote wireless data storage system comprises a remote data processing subsystem and a central data processing subsystem, the remote data processing subsystem comprises an audio signal input module, a first processor, and a first wireless transmission module, and the central data processing subsystem comprises a second wireless transmission module, a second processor, and a storage device. The method comprises processing an audio signal received by the audio signal input module with the first processor to generate transmission data, receiving the transmission data generated by the first processor with the first wireless transmission module and transmitting the transmission data with the first wireless transmission module to the second wireless transmission module using wireless transmission, receiving the transmission data with the second wireless transmission module from the first wireless transmission module using wireless transmission, processing the transmission data received by the second wireless transmission module with the second processor to generate storage data, and storing the storage data generated by the second processor with the storage device. The method further comprises when the central data processing subsystem (which is usually a computer system) is in a power-off state, the remote wireless data storage system operates as usual.
It is an advantage that the remote data processing subsystem is small enough to compete with the handy characteristic of the recording pen.
It is another advantage that the central data processing subsystem provides sufficient storage volume for long audio recording, wherein the central data processing subsystem can be implemented with a computer system (such as a laptop) so that only a few additional cost is need to enjoy the advantage provided by the present invention.
It is also an advantage that the above-mentioned central data processing subsystem implemented with a computer system has power-off processing functionality. When the computer system is in a power-off state, the remote wireless data storage system operates as usual, and transmits real time audio recording information wirelessly from the remote data processing subsystem to the central data processing subsystem.
It is also an advantage that the remote data processing subsystem utilizes the sufficient storage volume provided by the central data processing subsystem and transmits real time audio recording information wirelessly to the central data processing subsystem. Therefore, the cable connection such as that between the recording pen and the computer system for data storage is not needed anymore. As a result, the remote wireless data storage system can perform continuous audio recording while the user activity (such as a meeting) will not be interrupted.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various FIGURES and drawings.
Please refer to
The remote wireless data storage system 400 further comprises a central data processing subsystem 430 for data storage. The central data processing subsystem 430 comprises a second wireless transmission module 432 for receiving the transmission data from the first wireless transmission module 416, a second processor 434 electrically connected to the second wireless transmission module 432 for processing the transmission data received by the second wireless transmission module 432 to generate storage data (the second processor 434 can control the related processing according to the control signals such as ID, recording, playing, etc. received from the second wireless transmission module 432), and a storage device 436 electrically connected to the second processor 434 for storing the storage data generated by the second processor 434.
The storage device 436 shown in
As shown in
In the above-mentioned remote wireless data storage system 400, the antennas of the first wireless transmission module 416 and the second wireless transmission module 432 can be external antennas outside the wireless transmission modules 416, 432 or internal antennas included in the wireless transmission modules 416, 432 respectively. Similarly, the speaker 428 can be an external component outside the audio signal output module 418 or an internal component included in the audio signal output module 418. Then again, the microphone 422 can be an external component outside the audio signal input module 412 or an internal component included in the audio signal input module 412. The speaker 428 can be replaced with an earphone 428. While the implementation of the present invention is not hindered, the data transmission between any two components of the system 400 can be digital transmission or analog transmission. For example, the first processor 414 converts the audio signal to the transmission data of a specific digital format, and then the related wireless transmission modules 416, 432 perform wireless transmission using the specific digital format. The system 400 can do the same during the playing back procedure. As preferred, the implementation of the system 400 can be a Blue-tooth wireless transmission apparatus, whose typical working distance ranges from ten meters to fifteen meters, or an 802.11b wireless transmission apparatus, whose typical working distance is around a hundred meters. Furthermore, the first processor 414 can be implemented with a plurality of processors performing the same functionality of the processor 414. The functionality of the processor 414 includes additional encoding/decoding to enhance the transmission efficiency and the storage efficiency. The second processor 434 can be implemented with a single chip of full functionality or with a plurality of processors performing the same functionality of the processor 434. The functionality of the processor 434 includes data processing such as data comparing/altering, the aforementioned data converting, the data reading/writing (that is, the audio recording and playing back mentioned above), the overall control, and the aforementioned encoding/decoding for enhancement of the transmission efficiency and the storage efficiency. To clearly differentiate between the present invention and the prior art, the descriptions of such equivalent variations will not be repeated in the following.
In the remote wireless data storage system 400 of
As mentioned, the second processor 434 can be implemented with a single chip or a plurality of processors. This is described in the viewpoint of system structures. From another viewpoint, as computer system technology is well developed, those skilled in the art can implement the remote wireless data storage system of the present invention with various kinds of chipsets on hand and the hardware architecture of common computer systems. It is obvious that the implementation of the present invention using a common computer system includes the following. Firstly add the second wireless transmission module 432 and the processor (such as the processor 734 illustrated in
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in the following. Please refer to
The remote wireless data storage system 700 further comprises a central data processing subsystem 730 for data storage. The central data processing subsystem 730 installed in a computer system comprises a second wireless transmission module 732 for receiving the transmission data from the first wireless transmission module 716, a second processor 734 electrically connected to the second wireless transmission module 732 for processing the transmission data received by the second wireless transmission module 732 to generate digital data, a third processor 738 (which is a digital signal processor including the functionality such as I/O and storage control, MP3 playback, verbal signal compression/playback, noise-reduction, i.e. the specialized chipset 314 named as “Blue Bird VL+”) electrically connected to the second processor 734 for processing the digital data received from the second processor 734 to generate storage data, which can be played back by the computer system (the third processor 738 can play back the digital data, and the functionality will be described later), and a storage device 740 electrically connected to the third processor 738 for storing the storage data generated by the third processor 738.
The remote data processing subsystem 710 further comprises an audio signal output module 718 electrically connected to the first processor 714 for outputting a reconstructed audio signal. The third processor 738 processes the storage data retrieved from the storage device 740 to generate reconstructed digital data. The second processor 734 processes the reconstructed digital data received from the third processor 738 to generate reconstructed transmission data. The second wireless transmission module 732 receives the reconstructed transmission data and outputs the reconstructed transmission data to the first wireless transmission module 716 using wireless transmission. The first wireless transmission module 716 receives the reconstructed transmission data from the second wireless transmission module 732. The first processor 714 processes the reconstructed transmission data received by the first wireless transmission module 716 to generate the reconstructed audio signal. The storage data retrieved from the storage device 740 can be the storage data generated during the audio recording procedure of the present invention or similar storage data recorded in advance with audio recording procedures known in the art.
As shown in
In the central data processing subsystem 730 shown in
Furthermore, the remote data processing subsystem 710 in
Please refer to
Step 10: Process an audio signal received by the audio signal input module 412 with the first processor 414 to generate transmission data;
As mentioned, the present invention provides the playing back functionality with the data flow reversed. Of concern, the storage data of the following steps can be the storage data generated during the audio recording procedure of the present invention or similar storage data recorded in advance with audio recording procedures known in the art. Please refer to
Step 38: Output the reconstructed audio signal with the audio signal output module 418.
The following paragraphs relate to the operation procedures of the embodiment of
As mentioned, the present invention provides the playing back functionality with the data flow reversed. Of concern, the storage data of the following steps can be the storage data generated during the audio recording procedure of the present invention or similar storage data recorded in advance with audio recording procedures known in the art. Please refer to
As mentioned, the remote wireless data storage system 700 (or the computer system, in which the central data processing subsystem 730 is installed) includes the Audio CODEC 736. Corresponding to the system 700 provided by the present invention, the method of the present invention further comprises processing the storage data retrieved from the storage device 740 with the third processor 738 to generate reconstructed digital data, and processing the reconstructed digital data generated by the third processor 738 with the Audio CODEC 736 to generate a reconstructed audio signal. Therefore, the paths of playing back the reconstructed audio signal includes not only the path through the wireless transmission modules 716, 732, the processor 714, and the audio signal output module 718, but also the path through the Audio CODEC 736.
As mentioned, the remote wireless data storage system 700 (or the computer system, in which the central data processing subsystem 730 is installed) includes the CPU 750 for maintaining the operation of the computer system. Corresponding to the system 700 provided by the present invention, the method of the present invention further comprises when the computer system is in a power-off state, the second wireless transmission module 732, the second processor 734, the third processor 738, and the storage device 740 operate as usual to maintain the operation of the central data processing subsystem 730.
To summarize, the present invention provides a method and a device for wireless data transmission and storage. The device is a remote wireless data storage system comprising a remote data processing subsystem and a central data processing subsystem. The central data processing subsystem can be implemented in a computer system. In a variation of the embodiment, the central data processing subsystem consists of a computer and a central data processing subsystem component set.
In contrast to the prior art, the remote data processing subsystem is small enough to compete with the handy characteristic of the recording pen. The remote data processing subsystem also provides the wireless verbal control functionality (such as verbal controlled power-on/off, playing back, opening/closing window, etc.).
It is another advantage that the central data processing subsystem provides sufficient storage volume for long audio recording, wherein the central data processing subsystem can be implemented with a computer system (such as a laptop) so that only a few additional cost is need to enjoy the advantage provided by the present invention.
It is also an advantage that the above-mentioned central data processing subsystem implemented with a computer system has power-off processing functionality. When the computer system is in a power-off state, the remote wireless data storage system operates as usual.
It is also an advantage that the remote data processing subsystem utilizes the sufficient storage volume provided by the central data processing subsystem and transmits real time audio recording information wirelessly to the central data processing subsystem. Therefore, the cable connection such as that between the recording pen and the computer system for data storage is not needed anymore. As a result, the remote wireless data storage system can perform continuous audio recording while the user activity (such as a meeting) will not be interrupted.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 092119875 | Jul 2003 | TW | national |
