Play back apparatus Number:7,043,440 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent When the quick traverse play back command (or, quick returning play back command) of the audio information by the compression audio information is given to the play back apparatus, by the control of the control section, the special audio according to the temporarily stored data stored in the first storage means is repeatedly played back, instead of the play back of the audio by the ordinary play back operation.<H apparatus, back, Play, back, appar, 7043440.html, Patent, pto, 7043440

Title: Play back apparatus

Abstract: When the quick traverse play back command (or, quick returning play back command) of the audio information by the compression audio information is given to the play back apparatus, by the control of the control section, the special audio according to the temporarily stored data stored in the first storage means is repeatedly played back, instead of the play back of the audio by the ordinary play back operation.

Patent Number: 7,043,440 Issued on 05/09/2006 to Shioda, et al.

Inventors: Shioda; Takehiko (Saitama, JP); Suzuki; Masami (Saitama, JP); Odagawa; Satoshi (Saitama, JP); Akimoto; Takayuki (Saitama, JP); Okamura; Masahiro (Saitama, JP); Kodama; Yasuteru (Saitama, JP); Nohara; Manabu (Saitama, JP); Arakawa; Katsunori (Saitama, JP); Yamazaki; Osamu (Saitama, JP); Inoue; Hiroto (Saitama, JP)
Assignee: Pioneer Corporation (Tokyo, JP)

Appl. No.: 829988

Filed: April 11, 2001

Foreign Application Priority Data


Apr 11, 2000 [JP]			2000-108764

Current U.S. Class: 704/500 ; 369/47.23; 704/503; 704/504

Current International Class: G10L 19/00 (20060101)

Field of Search: 369/47.23,44.28,48 386/98 704/500-504,214-215,208

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5477487	December 1995	Greenberg
5748585	May 1998	Tsukamoto et al.
5774863	June 1998	Okano et al.
5809454	September 1998	Okada et al.
5970031	October 1999	Huang et al.
6061496	May 2000	Nakamura et al.

Foreign Patent Documents


0 597 483	May., 1994	EP

Primary Examiner: McFadden; Susan
Assistant Examiner: Vo; Huyen X.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A play back apparatus in which, according to a play back command from an operation section, the PCM audio data is generated from compression data in which the audio information is coded, and an audio is played back according to the PCM audio data, said play back apparatus comprising: a control section for conducting the control of each section of said apparatus according to each kind of commands from an operation section; a compression decoder for decode processing the compression data, generating the PCM audio data, and successively outputting thereof; a first storage section for successively renewing the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data and temporality storing thereof, and appropriately repeatedly reading out the temporarily stored data which is temporarily stored, and successively outputting thereof; and a switching section for selecting either one of the PCM audio data successively outputted from said compression decoder or the temporarily stored data stored in said first storage section, and outputting thereof, wherein when a quick traverse play back command or quick returning play back command is given by said operation section, (1) said control section controls said switching section and selectively outputs the temporarily stored data stored in said first storage section and (2) said switch section outputs a special audio data, wherein the special audio data is an imitation sound into which the quick traverse play-back of the audio information is converted.

2. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temporarily stored data includes the PCM audio data to play back the special audio data in which the quick traverse play-back audio, or the quick returning play-back audio of the audio information is converted into an imitation sound.

3. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temporarily stored data includes the data obtained by extracting the PCM audio data outputted from said compression decoder at a predetermined interval.

4. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first storage section includes a predetermined number of storage addresses, and successively reads in the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data successively outputted from said compression decoder, and successively stores in the address specified by said control section.

5. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the quick traverse play back command is given by said operation section, the temporarily stored data stored in said first storage section is repeatedly read out in the stored order and successively outputted as the output data.

6. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the quick returning play back command is given by said operation section, the storing temporarily stored data is repeatedly read out in the order reversed to the stored order, and successively outputted as the output data.

7. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control section controls in such a manner that, before the each kind of command is given from said operation section, said control section judges whether the temporarily stored data is already stored in said first storage section, and when it is judged that the temporarily stored data is not yet stored in said first storage section, said control section makes the decode processing of the compression data by said compression decoder start, and generates the PCM audio data, and makes the PCM audio data successively output from said compression decoder, and makes the temporarily stored data generated according to the PCM audio data, temporarily stored in said first storage section.

8. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second storage section for storing the default data including the PCM audio data having a predetermined data amount, wherein said control section controls in such a manner that, before each kind of command is given from said operation section, said control section judges whether the temporarily stored data is already stored in said first storage section, and when it is judged that the temporarily stored data is not yet stored in said first storage section, the temporarily stored data according to the default data stored in said second storage section is read in said first storage section, and temporarily stored.

9. The play back apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the default data includes the PCM audio data to play back the special audio data in which the quick traverse play back audio, or the quick returning play back audio of the audio information is converted into an imitation sound.

10. The play back apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a special audio data generating section for generating the special audio data from the temporarily stored data repeatedly supplied from the first storage section and supplying thereof to the switching section.

11. A play back apparatus in which, according to a play back command from an operation section, the PCM audio data is generated from compression data in which the audio information is coded, and an audio is played back according to the PCM audio data, said play back apparatus comprising: a control section for conducting the control of each section of said apparatus according to each kind of commands from an operation section; a compression decoder for decode processing the compression data, generating the PCM audio data, and successively outputting thereof; a first storage means for successively renewing the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data and temporality storing thereof, and appropriately repeatedly reading out the temporarily stored data which is temporarily stored, and successively outputting thereof; and a switching means for selecting either one of the PCM audio data successively outputted from said compression decoder or the temporarily stored data stored in said first storage means, and outputting thereof, wherein when a quick traverse play back command or quick returning play back command is given by said operation section, (1) said control section controls said switching means and selectively outputs the temporarily stored data stored in said first storage means and (2) said switch means outputs a special audio data, wherein the special audio data is an imitation sound into which the quick traverse play-back of the audio information is converted.

12. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the temporarily stored data includes the PCM audio data to play back the special audio data in which the quick traverse play-back audio, or the quick returning play-back audio of the audio information is converted into an imitation sound.

13. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the temporarily stored data includes the data obtained by extracting the PCM audio data outputted from said compression decoder at a predetermined interval.

14. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said first storage means includes a predetermined number of storage addresses, and successively reads in the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data successively outputted from said compression decoder, and successively stores in the address specified by said control section.

15. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the quick traverse play back command is given by said operation section, the temporarily stored data stored in said first storage means is repeatedly read out in the stored order and successively outputted as the output data.

16. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the quick returning play back command is given by said operation section, the storing temporarily stored data is repeatedly read out in the order reversed to the stored order, and successively outputted as the output data.

17. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control section controls in such a manner that, before the each kind of command is given from said operation section, said control section judges whether the temporarily stored data is already stored in said first storage means, and when it is judged that the temporarily stored data is not yet stored in said first storage means, said control section makes the decode processing of the compression data by said compression decoder start, and generates the PCM audio data, and makes the PCM audio data successively output from said compression decoder, and makes the temporarily stored data generated according to the PCM audio data, temporarily stored in said first storage means.

18. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a second storage means for storing the default data including the PCM audio data having a predetermined data amount, wherein said control section controls in such a manner that, before each kind of command is given from said operation section, said control section judges whether the temporarily stored data is already stored in said first storage means, and when it is judged that the temporarily stored data is not yet stored in said first storage means, the temporarily stored data according to the default data stored in said second storage means is read in said first storage means, and temporarily stored.

19. The play back apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the default data includes the PCM audio data to play back the special audio data in which the quick traverse play back audio, or the quick returning play back audio of the audio information is converted into an imitation sound.

20. The play back apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a special audio data generating section for generating the special audio data from the temporarily stored data repeatedly supplied from the first storage means and supplying thereof to the switching means.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a play back apparatus for conducting the play back of a sound such as the music by the compression data in which the sound information (audio information) is high efficiently coded by a coding method such as the JPEG audio.

2. Related Art

Conventionally, there is a CD (compact disk) as a representative example of a recording medium of the audio information such as music. In this disk, the audio information is held by pit rows spirally formed in high density on a single surface of the 12 cm diameter disk, and by optically reads out the information by a CD player as a play back apparatus, the binary coded digital signal is generated corresponding to the pit shape, and the play back of the audio can be conducted according to the signal. In the CD, the music of maximum 74 minutes of 2 channels per each disk can be recorded as the non-compressed digital audio data by so-called the linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), and the CD is widely used as the recording medium which is small sized and has the good portability.

Further, recently, a recording medium which has a greatly smaller size and more excellent portability, and in which a larger amount of audio information, than the above CD, can be recorded, and its play back apparatus are required, and as an example, a solid state memory as the recording medium in which the audio information is recorded as the compression data, and a play back apparatus such as so-called solid player to play back the audio information such as the music according to the compression data stored in the solid state memory, are proposed.

In the compression data, there is the compression bit stream data which is coded by, for example, MPEG audio method. FIG. 13 is a rough sketch+showing an example of a physical format of the compression bit stream data by the MPEG audio method, and herein, this drawing is shown in the data format coded by MPEG-4 Twin VQ which is one of the MPEG-4 Audio GA coding.

As shown in FIG. 13, the compression bit stream data of the method according to the conversion coding such as the MPEG-4 Twin VQ is structured by a format in such a manner that the bit rows as the result in which a predetermined number of samples of the audio information are collected and grouped to 1 frame, and are compression coded, continue for each frame. The compression bit stream data is structured by a fixed length frame in which fixed bits are allotted to each frame. Further, herein, a case is supposed in which, in a top of each frame, a header area having a frame synchronous word or the information to control the operation mode of the decoder is provided, and in the header, a frame number N (=1, 2, 3, 4, . . . N, N+1, . . . ) expressing the continued order of each frame of the compression bit stream data is included. Further, in the compression bit stream data possessed by each frame, the quantification index information for decoding the MDCT coefficient, and the window information required when the MDCT is inversely converted, and the spectrum envelope and the gain quantification parameter information are included.

Such the compression bit stream data is sent to the personal computer from, for example, the distributor of the data through the internet, and when the user down-loads this data into the fixed memory mounted in the personal computer, the data is stored in the fixed memory as the audio information.

Then, when the solid state memory in which the audio information is stored as described above, is mounted in the play back apparatus by the user, and the play back command of the audio information is given, in the play back apparatus, the control section conducts the control to successively read out the compression bit stream data stored in the solid state memory corresponding to the command, in the buffer memory, and to supply it, and a predetermined amount of data is accumulated once in the buffer memory, and after that, the data accumulated in the buffer memory is successively supplied intermittently from the buffer memory to the compression decoder for each of continued predetermined frame number units.

The compression decoder makes the data of the predetermined frame number units supplied from the buffer memory, synchronize with the header of each frame, and reads-in it for each frame and conducts the decoding conversion processing, and after that, successively generates the non-compression PCM audio data according to the decoding conversion processing. The generated PCM audio data is sent to the D/A converter, and is conversion processed into the analog audio signal and supplied to an amplifier. The amplifier amplifies the analog audio signal and supplies to a speaker. As the result, the play back sound of the music corresponding to the analog audio signal is produced from the speaker.

Further, while the play back apparatus plays back the music, when the user continues the pressing of the quick traverse command (FF command) button provided on the playback apparatus, the quick traverse play back command is given, and after that, when the user stops the pressing of the FF button, the quick traverse play back command is released, and the play back apparatus returns to the ordinary play back operation again.

When the quick traverse play back command is given while the play back apparatus plays back the music, the control section of the play back apparatus interrupts the decoding conversion processing of the compression decoder corresponding to the start of the FF command by the pressing operation of the FF command button, and stops the output from the compression decoder, thereby the control section interrupts the play back of the music, and starts the measurement of the elapsed time from the FF command start. Accordingly, while the play back apparatus conducts the quick traverse play back operation, the play back apparatus becomes a silent condition in which the sound is not played back from the speaker of the play back apparatus.

Further, when the quick traverse play back command is released by the release of the FF command, after the control section calculates the elapsed time from the start of the FF command to the release, the control is conducted in such a manner that the frame position of the data read from the solid state memory is changed to the position preceded by the frame number proportional to the elapsed time, and it is started that the data from the frame position is successively supplied to the buffer memory.

The control section causes to start again the supply of the data from the preceded frame position to the compression decoder, from the data accumulated in the buffer memory, corresponding to the release of the FF command, and the decoding conversion processing of the data from the frame position is started again also for the compression decoder, and the PCM audio data from the frame position is supplied to the D/A converter, and the analog audio signal is generated, and supplied to the amplifier. The amplifier current-amplifies the supplied analog signal, and the mute release of the play back sound is conducted, and the sound is supplied to the speaker. As the result, the play back apparatus can start again the play back of the music from the frame position of the quick traversed data.

[Problems to be Solved]

As described above, while the play back apparatus plays back the music by the compression bit stream data from the solid state memory, and during the quick traverse playback operation from the start of the FF command by the user to the command release, because the play back sound is not played back from the speaker of the playback apparatus, the user can not easily confirm successively what amount of data is quickly traversed by the play back apparatus, by the comparison of the quick traverse sound in the hearing sense. Accordingly, there is a problem that the user has the increased feeling of uneasiness regarding whether the quick traverse play back operation of the apparatus is normally conducted during the quick traverse command.

The above problem occurs also in the case where, for example, while the play back apparatus plays back the music, when the user continues pressing of the quick returning (REW) button provided on the play back apparatus, the quick returning play back command according to the quick returning command (REW command) is conducted.

For such the problem, in the case where the play back apparatus is given the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command), when N multiple speed play back (or N multiple speed reversal play back) whose speed is higher than the ordinary play back speed, is conducted, and when each portion of the play back apparatus is structured so that the play back sound (or reversal play back sound) whose speed is N times higher, is outputted from the speaker, the problem can be solved, however, in that case, it is not only necessary that the control section conducts the control to increase the complicated decoding conversion processing speed of the compression decoder, by making adjustment to increase the synchronous speed of the PCM clock so that the data processing speed in each section of the apparatus is increased, but, it is also necessary that the whole play back circuit of the apparatus is also structured so that the play back speed is stably switched without any trouble, and as the result, because the structure of each section of the apparatus becomes complicated, and the cost is greatly increased, it is not practicable.

In view of the above problems, the present invention is attained, and the object of the present invention is to provide a play back apparatus in which, in the play back apparatus which plays back the audio information by the compression audio information, when the quick traverse play back command (or the quick returning play back command) is given, by playing back the special sound in which the quick traverse play back sound (or the quick returning play back sound) is converted into an imitation sound, the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the apparatus is conducting the quick traverse processing (or the quick returning processing) of the data.

SUMARRY OF THE INVENTION

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The invention described in the first aspect is characterized in that: in a play back apparatus in which, according to a play back command from an operation section, the PCM audio data is generated from the compression data in which the audio information is coded, and the audio is played back according to the PCM audio data, the play back apparatus comprises: a control section for conducting the control of each section of the apparatus according to each kind of commands from an operation section; a compression decoder for decode processing the compression data, generating the PCM audio data, and successively outputting it; the first storage section for successively renewing the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data and temporarily storing it, and appropriately repeatedly reading out the temporarily stored data which is temporarily stored, and successively outputting it; and a switching section for selecting either one of the PCM audio data successively outputted from the compression decoder or the temporarily stored data stored in the first storage section, and outputting it, wherein, when a quick traverse play back command or quick returning play back command is given by the operation section, (1) the control section controls the switching section and selectively outputs the temporarily stored data stored in the first storage section and (2) the switch section outputs a special audio data, wherein the special audio data is an imitation sound into which the quick traverse play-back of the audio information is converted.

According to the invention described in the first aspect, while the play back apparatus is conducting an ordinary play back operation of the audio according to the compression data in which the audio information is coded, the control section generates each time the temporarily stored data according to the PCM audio data successively outputted from the compression decoder, and renews and stores it in the first storage section, and when the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) is given from the operation section, because the control section controls so that the switching section selects the special audio data generated according to the temporarily stored data and outputs it, and conducts the control of the play back operation of the special audio data according to the special audio data, the play back apparatus can play back the special audio according to the special audio data corresponding to the quick traverse play back command or quick returning playback command, instead of the audio at the ordinary play back time. As the result, the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the play back apparatus is quick traverse processing (or quick returning processing) the data.

Further, the invention of the second aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first aspect, the temporarily stored data includes the PCM audio data to play back the special audio data in which the quick traverse play back sound or the quick returning play back sound of the audio information is converted into an imitation sound.

According to the invention described in the second aspect, while the quick traverse play back command (or the quick returning play back command) from the operation section is conducted, because the playback apparatus plays back the special audio in which the quick traverse play back sound (or the quick returning play back sound) is converted into an imitation sound, the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the apparatus is quick traverse playing back (or quick returning playing back) the data.

Further, the invention described in the third aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first aspect, the temporarily stored data includes the data obtained by extracting the PCM audio data outputted from the compression decoder at a predetermined interval.

According to the invention described in the third aspect, while the quick traverse play back command (or the quick returning play back command) from the operation section is conducted, the special audio data is generated according to the temporarily stored data obtained by extracting the PCM audio data outputted from the compression decoder at a predetermined interval, and the special audio according to the special audio data is played back from the play back apparatus. Accordingly, because the user can hear the special audio which hears like that the play back sound according to the audio information is thinned out in the quick traverse direction (or quick returning direction) corresponding to the quick traverse play back command (or, quick returning play back command), the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the apparatus is quick traverse playing back (or quick returning playing back) the data.

Further, the invention described in the fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first to third aspects, the first storage section has a predetermined number of storage addresses, and successively reads in the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data successively generated from the compression decoder, and successively stores it in the address indicated by the control section.

According to the invention described in the fourth aspect, during the ordinary play back operation, the first storage section renews and stores the temporarily stored data successively generated according to the PCM audio data successively generated from the compression decoder in the predetermined number of storage addresses in the arrangement order of the storage addresses indicated by the control section, and when the quick traverse playback command (or quick returning play back command) is given by the operation section, because the first storage section stores and holds the temporarily stored data which is renewed and stored when the command is given, and the stored and held temporarily stored data is repeatedly read out in the arrangement order of the storage addresses indicated by the control section, and successively outputted as the output data, the play back apparatus can play back the special audio according to the audio information close to the audio played back by the ordinary play back operation just before the command, by the special audio data generated according to the output data. As the result, the user can hear the special audio played back when the command is given, without strange feeling, succeeding to the audio played back by the ordinary play back operation just before the command.

Further, the invention described in the fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first to third aspects, when the quick traverse play back command is given by the operation section, the temporarily stored data stored in the first storage section is repeatedly read out in the stored order, and successively outputted as the output data.

According to the invention described in the fifth aspect, when the play back apparatus is commanded to quick traverse play back, the special audio hearing as if the audio information is thinned out in the quick traverse direction, by the special audio data outputted from the switching section can be played back. Accordingly, when the user hears these special audio, the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the apparatus is quick traverse processing the data.

Further, the invention described in the sixth aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first to third aspects, when the quick traverse play back command is given by the operation section, the temporarily stored data which is temporarily stored, is repeatedly red out in the reversal direction to the stored direction, and successively outputted as the output data.

According to the invention described in the sixth aspect, when the play back apparatus is commanded to quick traverse play back, the apparatus can play back the special audio hearing as if the audio information is thinned out in the quick traverse direction by the special audio data outputted from the switching section. Accordingly, when the user hears the special audio, the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the apparatus is quick traverse processing the data.

Further, the invention described in the seventh aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first to sixth aspects, the control section judges whether the temporarily stored data is already stored in the first storage section, before each kind of command is given from the operation section, and when the temporarily stored data is not yet stored in the first storage section, the control section starts the decoding processing of the compression data by the compression decoder and generates the PCM audio data and successively outputs it from the compression decoder, and controls so that the temporarily stored data generated according to the PCM audio data is temporarily stored in the first storage section.

According to the invention described in the seventh aspect, when the power source of the play back apparatus is turned on in the condition that the temporarily stored data is not stored and held in the first storage section of the play back apparatus, before the control operation corresponding to the play back command, because the control section previously reads out the compression data from, for example, the fixed memory M, and controls so as to generate the temporarily stored data according to a portion of the read out compression data, and the temporarily stored data is stored and held in the first storage section, for example, when the user gives the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) by the operation section of the play back apparatus whose power source is already turned on, the playback apparatus can quickly play back the special audio by the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command), according to the temporarily stored data stored and held in the first storage section, by the control of the control section. As the result, because, even just after the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) by the user, the play back sound by the special audio is not intermitted, the user can hear the special audio without any feeling of difference.

Further, the invention described in the eighth aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the first aspect to the seventh aspect, the second storage section for storing the default data including the PCM audio data having a predetermined data amount, is further provided, and the control section judges whether the temporarily stored data is already stored in the first storage section before each kind of command is given from the operation section, and when the control section judges that the temporarily stored data is not yet stored in the first storage section, the control section controls so that the temporarily stored data according to the default data stored in the second storage section is read in the first storage section, and temporarily stored.

According to the invention described in the eighth aspect, because, when the power source of the play back apparatus is turned on under the condition that the temporarily stored data is not stored and held in the first storage section of the play back apparatus, the control section quickly reads out the default data from the second storage section before the control operation corresponding to the play back command, and stores and holds the temporarily stored data according to the read-out default data in the first storage section, for example, even when the user conducts the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) just after the power source of the play back apparatus is turned on, the play back apparatus can quickly play back the special audio by the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) according to the temporarily stored data stored and held in the first storage section by the control of the control section. As the result, because even just after the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) by the user, the play back sound by the special audio is not intermitted, the user can hear the special audio without any feeling of difference.

Further, the invention described in the ninth aspect is characterized in that, in the play back apparatus described in the eighth aspect, the default data includes the PCM audio data to play back the special audio in which the quick traverse play back sound and the quick returning play back sound of the audio information are converted into an imitation sound.

According to the invention described in the ninth aspect, because while the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) is conducted when the play back apparatus is ordinarily play back-operated, the play back apparatus plays back the special audio in which the quick traverse play back sound (or the quick returning play back sound) of the audio information is converted into an imitation sound by the temporarily stored data generated according to the default data, the user can easily confirm in the hearing sense that the apparatus is quick traverse processing (or quick returning processing).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an outline block diagram of a play back apparatus D1 in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an outline block diagram of a compression decoder.

FIG. 3 is a typical view expressing a RAM address space of a RAM.

FIG. 4 is a view expressing each of control signals outputted from an address signal generator to the RAM.

FIG. 5 is a wave form view in which, in the data writing operation of the RAM, each of wave forms of the bit number conversion data, WE signal, and ADR signal inputted into the RAM, is made to be in timed relationship with a PCM clock wave form of a control section, and shown.

FIG. 6 is a wave form view in which, when the quick traverse play back command is given, each of wave forms of the RE signal and ADR signal outputted from the address control signal generator, and the output data outputted from the RAM, is made to be in timed relationship with a PCM clock wave form of a control section, and shown.

FIG. 7 is a wave form view in which, when the quick returning play back command is given, each of wave forms of the RE signal and ADR signal outputted from the address control signal generator, and the output data outputted from the RAM, is made to be in timed relationship with the PCM clock wave form of the control section 2, and shown.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a flow chart of the play back control operation of the control section according to each kind of command from an operation section of a play back apparatus D1.

FIG. 9 is a view showing an operation flow chart of the control section in an FF processing routine.

FIG. 10 is a view showing an operation flow chart of the control section in a REW processing routine.

FIG. 11 is an outline block diagram of a playback apparatus D2 in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a flow chart of a play back control operation of the control section according to a command from the control operation of the play back apparatus D2.

FIG. 13 is a view showing an example of the physical format of a compression bit stream data by an MPEG audio system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

Next, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below on the basis of drawings.

FIG. 1 is an outline block diagram of a playback apparatus D1 in the first embodiment of the present invention, and herein, the block diagram of the play back apparatus D1 when a solid state memory M as a storage medium is mounted, is shown. In FIG. 1, the play back apparatus D1 comprises an operation section 1, control section 2, buffer memory 3, compression decoder 4, data extraction circuit 5, RAM 6 as the first storage section, data correction circuit 7, switching SW 8, D/A converter 9, amplifier (AMP) 10, and speaker (SP) 11.

Further, in the solid state memory M, herein, the music information for the monaural play back is previously stored and held by the compression bit stream data coded by the MPEG-4 Twin VQ shown in FIG. 4. The solid state memory M is electrically connected to the control section 2 and buffer memory 3 under the condition mounted in the play back apparatus D1, and can successively send the compression bit stream data from the frame position corresponding to the reading-out start position specified by the control section 2 to the buffer memory 3 according to the control command of the control section 2.

The operation section 1 has operation buttons for conducting each kind of commands such as a play back command, stop command, quick traverse (FF) command, quick returning (REW) command, quick traverse play back command, and quick returning play back command, of the play back apparatus D1. When the user operates the operation button of the operation section 1 and its command is appropriately conducted, the operation section 1 sends the command of the effect to the control section 2. The control section 2 controls each portion of the play back apparatus D1 according to these commands from the operation section 1.

By the control of the control section 2 corresponding to the play back command of the operation section 1, the buffer memory 3 temporarily stores the compression bit stream data successively sent from the solid state memory, and then, successively and intermittently supplies the accumulated data to the compression decoder 4 in the continuous predetermined frame number unit. Further, when the control section 2 indicates the read-out start position of the data, the buffer memory 3 successively reads out the data from the frame corresponds to the read-out start position, and successively and intermittently supplies to the compression decoder 4 as described above.

FIG. 2 is an outline block diagram of the compression decoder 4. The compression decoder 4 reads in the successively supplied data from the buffer memory 3 under the control of the control section 2 corresponding to the play back command of the operation section 1, and by the bit stream analyzer 21, calculates the quantization index information of the MDCT coefficient, gain quantization index information, spectrum envelope and gain quantization parameter information, and window information, and respectively supplies to the MDCT coefficient inverse quantization section 22, gain decode section 23, spectrum envelope play back section 24, and inverse MDCT section 25. As the result, in the compression decoder 4, the MDCT coefficient inverse quantization section 22 conducts the inverse quantization processing of the MDCT coefficient by using the quantization index information of the MDCT coefficient on the read-in data for each conversion block, next, the gain decode section 23 conducts the decode processing of the gain by using the gain quantization index information, and next, the spectrum envelope play back section 24 conducts spectrum envelope play back processing by using the spectrum envelope and gain quantization parameter information, and next, after the MDCT coefficient inverse normalization section 26 conducts the inverse normalization of the MDCT coefficient, when the inverse MDCT section 25 conducts inverse MDCT conversion processing by using the window information, the compression bit stream data is decode conversion processed. According to this, the compression decoder 4 generates the non-compressed monaural PCM audio data (PCM audio data) synchronized with the PCM clock of a predetermined frequency generated by the control section 2. The compression decoder 4 successively outputs the generated PCM audio data and supplies to the data extraction circuit 5 and the switching SW 8. In this connection, herein, the PCM audio data outputted from the compression decoder 4 is the digital data including 16 bits.

The data extraction circuit 5 successively extracts the higher rank 8 bits data from the 16 bits PCM audio data successively outputted from the compression decoder 4, and successively supplies this to the RAM 6 as the bit number conversion data. The fact that the data extraction circuit 5 extracts the higher rank 8 bit data from the 16 bit PCM audio data, is for the reason that the RAM address capacity of the RAM 6, which will be described later, that is, the storable data bit number is saved and made to correspond to the 8 bits data.

The RAM 6 as the first storage section has a predetermined number (herein, m) of storing addresses (RAM address).

FIG. 3 is a typical view expressing the RAM address space of the RAM 6. It is supposed that, as shown in the drawing, in the RAM 6, m RAM addresses (A0 Am-1) in which 8 bit data can be respectively stored, are provided in the arrangement order as shown in FIG. 3.

The RAM 6 extracts the data of a predetermined frame unit by successively thinning out it at a predetermined synchronous interval from the bit number conversion data successively supplied from the data extraction circuit 5, by the control of the control section 2 corresponding to the play back command of the operation section 1, and by successively renewing it in the arrangement order of A0 Am-1 in the m RAM addresses shown in FIG. 3, and by repeatedly overwriting it, the temporarily stored data always including m partitioned data of 8 bits is renewed and stored. The temporarily stored data is the data to generate the special audio, which will be described later, which is played back corresponding to respective of the quick reverse play back command and quick returning play back command, for example, for 5 seconds.

Further, the RAM 6 can repeatedly readout the temporarily stored data in the order of RAM address indicated by the control section 2 and successively supply to the data correction circuit 7 as the output data, by the control of the control section 2 corresponding to the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) from the operation section 1.

By the control of the control section 2 corresponding to the quick traverse play back command (or quick returning play back command) from the operation section 1, the data correction circuit 7 successively generates the special audio data including 16 bit configuration continuous PCM audio data, by respectively adding the lower 8 bits 0 data to the data for each RAM address of the temporarily stored data of 8 bit configuration continuously and repeatedly supplied from the RAM 6, and supplies it to the switching SW 8.

The data writing operation by which the temporarily stored data is generated according to the bit conversion data outputted from the data extraction circuit 5 and renewed and stored in the RAM 6, and the data reading out operation by which the temporarily stored data stored and held by the RAM 6 is supplied to the data correction circuit 7, are conducted according to each control signal outputted from an address control signal generator 12 possessed by the control section 2.

FIG. 4 is a view showing each control signal outputted from the address signal generator 12 to the RAM 6. From the address signal generator 12, the address signal (ADR signal), write enable signal (WE signal) and read enable signal (RE signal) are outputted as the control signal.

The ADR signal is a control signal to indicate the RAM address of the RAM 6. The WE signal is the control signal to write the temporarily stored data in the RAM address indicated by the ADR signal. The RE signal is the control signal to output the temporarily stored data already written in the RAM address indicated by the ADR signal from the RAM 6, and to supply it to the data correction circuit 7.

Each of these control signals is outputted in timed relationship with the PCM clock of a predetermined frequency generated by the control section 2. In this connection, the ADR signal is, as will be described later, outputted so as to indicate each of RAM addresses of the RAM 6 at the timing corresponding to respective cases at the time of the data writing-in operation and data reading-out operation.

When the control section 2 outputs the ADR signal at the time of the data writing-in operation and the WE signal from the address control signal generator 12 corresponding to the playback command from the operation section 1, the temporarily stored data according to the bit number conversion data outputted from the data extraction circuit 5 is generated, and can be renewed and stored in the RAM 6.

FIG. 5 is a waveform view, in which each of waveforms of the bit number conversion data, WE signal and ADR signal, inputted into the RAM 6 at the time of the data writing-in operation of the RAM 6, is made to be in timed relationship with the PCM clock waveform of the control section 2, and shown.

As shown in FIG. 5, the PCM clock includes continuous rectangular pulses of a predetermined frequency (for example, 48 kHz). Further, the bit conversion data is a 8-bit continuous data generated according to the 16-bit PCM audio data successively outputted from the compression decoder 4 as described above, and the partitioned data Dn (=D0, D1, D2, D3, . . . )in timed relationship with a predetermined clock period of the PCM clock is generated continuously in the time direction.

The WE signal is a pulse signal to thin out and extract the partitioned data of the bit number conversion data at a predetermined interval, and in the present embodiment, the WE signal, as shown in FIG. 5, thins out and extracts the partitioned data at a ratio of 4 to 1 from the bit number conversion data, when the gate pulse having the width corresponding to the 1 partitioned data interval is generated at the ratio of 1 time to the 4 continuous partitioned data.

The ADR signal at the time of data writing-in operation is the control signal to successively indicate the RAM address of the RAM 6 in timed relationship with each gate pulse of the WE signal, in the order of the arrangement from A0 to Am-1.

When the play back command is given from the operation section 1, the control section 2 outputs the WE signal and ADR signal, which are in timed relationship with the PCM clock, from the address control signal generator 12 to the RAM 6 at the timing shown in FIG. 5, and the partitioned data is successively thinned out and extracted from the bit number conversion data for each predetermined time, at the ratio of 1 to 4.

Further, the extracted each partitioned data is respectively written in the RAM address indicated by the ADR signal. As the result, in m RAM addresses (A0, A1, A2, . . . Am-1) of the RAM 6, the respectively corresponding m partitioned data (D0, D1, D2, . . . , Dm-1) are successively written, and succeeding to that, the partitioned data Dm is overwritten in the RAM address AO, and next, the partitioned data Dm+1 is overwritten in the EAM address A1, and hereinafter, in the same manner, the newly extracted partitioned data is successively overwritten in each RAM address. By repeating this, the RAM 6 always renews and holds the temporarily stored data including m 8-bit partitioned data.

Further, when the control section 2 outputs the RE signal from the address control signal generator 12 corresponding to any of the commands of the quick traverse play back command or quick returning play back command from the operation section 1, and the ADR signal corresponding to the command to the RAM 6, the control section 2 repeatedly reads out the temporarily stored data stored and held by the RAM 6 at the time, and can makes the RAM 6 output the output data corresponding to the command, and continuously supply it to the data correction circuit 7.

FIG. 6 is a wave form view shown in the condition in which each of wave forms of the RE signal outputted from the address control signal generator 12 when the quick traverse play back command is given from the operation section 1, and the ADR signal at the time of the data read out operation when the quick traverse play back command is given, and the output data outputted from the RAM 6 by the data read out operation corresponding to the quick traverse play back command, is made to be in timed relationship with the PCM clock wave form of the control section 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ADR signal at the time of the data read out operation outputted from the operation section 1 is a control signal for successively indicating the RAM address, corresponding to each of partitioned data of the temporarily stored data including m partitioned data being stored and held in each of RAM addresses of the RAM 6 in timed relationship with the clock period of the PCM clock, in the arrangement order from A0 to Am-1.

Further, the RE signal is a control signal given for the purpose in which the RAM 6 reads out the temporarily stored data being stored and held in the RAM 6 from the leading position of the partitioned data.

When the quick traverse play back command is given by the operation section 1, the control section 2 stores and holds the temporarily stored data including m 8-bit partitioned data which is renewed and stored in the RAM address (A0.about.Am-1) of the RAM 6 at the time, and outputs the ADR signal at the time of the data reading out when the RE signal and the quick traverse play back command are given from the address control signal generator 12 at the timing shown in FIG. 6 to the RAM 6, and conducts the control to successively read out the partitioned data from the RAM address successively indicated by the ADR signal.

Thereby, m partitioned data (D0, D4, D8, . . . , D4m-4) stored and held in each of RAM addresses of the RAM 6 are successively outputted as the repeating output data in the order of the RAM address indicated by the ADR signal.

Further, FIG. 7 is a wave form view shown in the condition in which each of wave forms of the RE signal outputted from the address control signal generator 12 when the quick returning play back command is given from the operation section 1, and the ADR signal at the time of the data read out operation when the quick returning play back command is given, and the output data outputted from the RAM 6 by the data read out operation corresponding to the quick returning play back command, is made to be in timed relationship with the PCM clock wave form of the control section 2.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ADR signal when the quick returning play back command is given from the operation section 1, is a control signal to successively indicate the RAM address in the reversal order of RAM address to the each of RAM address order indicated by the ADR signal when the quick traverse play back command is given, shown in FIG. 6, that is, in the arrangement order from Am-1 to AO.

When the quick returning play back command is given from the operation section 1, the control section 2 outputs the same RE signal as in the case where the quick returning play back command is given from the address control signal generator 12 corresponding to the command, and outputs the ADR signal at the time of the data read out operation when the quick returning play back command is given at the timing shown in FIG. 7 to the RAM 6, and conducts the control to successively read out the partitioned data from the RAM address successively indicated by the ADR signal.

Thereby, m partitioned data (D4m-4, D4m-8, D4m-12, . . . D0) stored and held in each of RAM addresses of the RAM 6 are successively outputted as the repeating output data in the order of the RAM address indicated by the ADR signal, that is, in the order from Am-1 toward A0.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the switching SW8 appropriately switches in an alternative way, the PCM audio data supplied from the compression decoder 4 and the special audio data supplied from the data correction circuit 7 by the control of the control section 2, and supplies it to the D/A converter 9. When the PCM audio data is selected and supplied by the switching SW 8, the D/A converter 9 D/A converts the PCM audio data, and generates the analog audio signal by the PCM audio data, and supplies it to the amplifier 10. Further, when the special audio data is selected and supplied by the switching SW 8, the special audio data is D/A converted, and the analog audio signal by the special audio data is generated and supplied to the amplifier 10.

The amplifier 10 amplifies these analog audio signal supplied from the D/A converter 9 and supplies to a speaker 11 as a sound releasing section. As the result, the music or special sound corresponding to the analog audio signal is played back from the speaker 11.

The play back apparatus D1 is generally structured as described above, and when the play back command is given from the operation section 1 equipped with the solid state memory, the control section 2 supplies the compression bit stream data from the solid state memory M corresponding to the command successively from the frame of the leading position to the buffer memory 3. The buffer memory 3 successively supplies the supplied data to the compression decoder 4 in a predetermined frame unit.

As the result, the PCM audio data is successively outputted respectively from the compression decoder 4 to the switching SW 8 and the data extraction circuit 5 simultaneously. Then, because the control section 2 switches the input of the switching SW 8 corresponding to the play back command from the operation section 1 to the output side of the compression decoder 4 and selects it, and conducts the control to output the PCM audio data outputted from the compression decoder 4 to the D/A converter 9, the music according to the PCM audio data is successively played back from the speaker 11.

In this connection, because the data extraction circuit 5 generates the bit number conversion data according to the supplied PCM audio data, and successively supplies it to the RAM 6, when the control section 2 outputs the WE signal and ADR signal at the time of the data writing operation, from the address control signal generator 12 to the RAM 6 corresponding to the play back command, in addition to the control operation, the control section 2 renews and stores the temporarily stored data into the RAM 6.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a flow chart of the play back control operation of the control section 2 according to each kind of commands from the operation section 1 of the play back apparatus D1.

In FIG. 8, initially, when the power source of the play back apparatus D1 is turned ON, the control section 2 starts (START) the control of each section, and advances to step S1, and judges whether the temporarily stored data exists in RAM 6, that is, the temporarily stored data is stored and held in the RAM 6. The control section 2 advances to step S2 when the temporarily stored data does not exist in the RAM 6 in step S1.

The case where the temporarily stored data does not exist in the RAM 6 in the play back apparatus D1, means a case where the compression bit stream data from the solid state memory M is not supplied to the display apparatus D1 once, and accordingly, because the bit number conversion data is not yet supplied from the data extraction circuit 5 to the RAM 6, the temporarily stored data is not renewed and stored in the RAM 6, or the temporarily stored data is not stored and held in the RAM 6, and for example, the case where the play back apparatus D1 is delivered as a product and the power source is not yet turned ON, corresponds to it.

In step S2, the control section 2 conducts the control operation to read out the compression bit stream data from the solid state memory M equipped in the play back apparatus D1, and successively supplies the read out data in the buffer memory 3 and accumulates it in the buffer memory 3 once, and then supplies a portion of the accumulated data to the compression decoder 4 in a continuous predetermined frame unit, and conducts the decode conversion processing by the compression decoder 4, and successively outputs the PCM audio data from the compression decoder 4. The PCM audio data is supplied to the data extraction circuit 5 and the bit number conversion data according to the data extraction circuit 5 is generated by the data extraction circuit 5. Then, the bit number conversion data is supplied to the RAM 6.

Then, when the control section 2 supplies the WE signal and the ADR signal at the time of the data writing in operation from the address control signal generator 12 to the RAM 6, the control section 2 generates the temporarily stored data according to the bit number conversion data successively sent from the data extraction circuit 5 to the RAM 6, and after the control section 2 stores and holds it in the RAM 6, the control section 2 stops the WE signal and the ADR signal from the address control signal generator 12, and advances to step S3.

This is for the reason that, when the power source of the apparatus is turned ON under the condition that the temporarily stored data is not stored and held in the RAM 6, and after a while, for example, the play back command and the FF command are given at almost the same time, and thereby, the quick traverse play back is conducted, the control section 2 previously stores and holds the temporarily stored data in the RAM 6 before these commands so that the control section 2 can play back the special audio by the FF command at once.

Further, when the temporarily stored data exists in the RAM 6 in step S1, the control section