Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Digital audio data processing system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-12
2004-06-22
Nguyen, Duc (Department: 2709)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Digital audio data processing system
C379S088220, C379S088280
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754547
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
1. Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data reproduction circuit for use with a recording medium having a plurality of folders prepared thereon for reproducing a series of data recorded in desired one of the folders, and a voice recording-reproduction apparatus having the circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Voice recording-reproduction apparatus are known in recent years which have a microphone and a speaker and which are adapted to prepare a plurality of folders on a smart medium or like recording medium, record the voice input from the microphone in desired one of the folders as digital voice data and read the voice data from the desired folder to output the data as voice from the speaker.
FIG. 3
shows the construction of an example of voice recording-reproduction apparatus having the functions described above.
The apparatus has a microphone
1
and a speaker
6
which are connected to a voice recording-reproduction circuit
3
via respective amplifiers
2
,
5
. Also connected to the circuit
3
is a recording medium
4
for recording voice signals input from the microphone
1
in the form of digital voice data.
The series of voice signals input from the microphone
1
is fed to and amplified by the amplifier
2
, and then fed to the circuit
3
, in which the signals are converted to digital voice data. The voice data is written to the medium
4
.
On the other hand, the voice data recorded on the recording medium
4
is read by the circuit
3
and converted to analog voice signals, which are fed to and amplified by the amplifier
5
and thereafter delivered from the speaker
6
as voice.
Connected to the voice recording-reproduction circuit
3
is a control circuit
70
for controlling the operation of the circuit
3
. The control circuit
70
has incorporated therein a memory (not shown) for storing mode specifying data for specifying the mode of the circuit
3
to be described later. Power is supplied to the circuit
70
at all times regardless of whether the power source of the apparatus main body is on or off.
A key input device
8
and an information display
9
are further connected to the control circuit
70
.
The voice recording-reproduction circuit
3
is adapted to prepare four folders, e.g., folder
1
, folder
2
, folder
3
and folder
4
, on the recording medium
4
. The circuit
3
is selectively settable by a change-over in one of four modes, i.e., folder
1
mode wherein data is written to and read from folder
1
, folder
2
mode wherein data is written to and read from folder
2
, folder
3
mode wherein data is written to and read from folder
3
, and folder
4
mode wherein data is written to and read from folder
4
.
To operate the voice recording-reproduction apparatus, the user turns on the power source of the apparatus main body, then sets an unused new recording medium
4
in the apparatus main body, and thereafter manipulates a mode select key (not shown) on the key input device
8
to select, for example, the folder
1
mode, whereupon the control circuit
70
sets the voice recording-reproduction circuit
3
in the folder
1
mode, writes mode specifying data representing the folder
1
mode to the memory in the circuit
70
and thereafter gives a preparation command to the circuit
3
. In response to the command, the circuit
3
prepares folder
1
on the medium
4
. Similarly when the user selects the folder
2
mode, folder
3
mode and folder
4
mode, the circuit
3
prepares folder
2
, folder
3
and folder
4
on the medium
4
.
Subsequently when the user is to record a sequence of voice data, for example, in folder
1
, the user selects the folder
1
mode by manipulating the mode select key on the key input device
8
and then depresses a recording start key (not shown) on the key input device
8
. When this procedure is performed, the control circuit
70
sets the voice recording-reproduction circuit
3
in the folder
1
mode, rewrites the mode specifying data in the memory in the circuit
70
to mode specifying data representing the folder
1
mode, and thereafter gives a recording command to the circuit
3
. In response to the command, the circuit
3
converts the voice signals delivered from the amplifier
2
to digital voice data and thereafter records the data in folder
1
on the recording medium
4
.
In this way, the user can record the series of voice signals input from the microphone
1
in the desired folder among folders
1
to
4
as digital voice data.
The voice recording-reproduction apparatus is further adapted to perform a preferential reading procedure. When the user depresses a reproduction key (not shown) with the power source of the apparatus main body turned off, the control circuit
70
turns on the power source of the main body, thereafter recognizes the mode of the voice recording-reproduction circuit
3
currently set, namely, the mode set immediately before the power source is turned off, with reference to the mode specifying data written to the circuit memory and checks whether voice data is recorded in the folder which is to be used for writing and reading in this mode (hereinafter referred to as the “folder to be used”). When the check result indicates the presence of voice data, the control circuit
70
gives a reproduction command to the circuit
3
. In response to the command, the circuit
3
reads the voice data from the folder to be used on the recording medium
4
, converts the data to analog voice signals and then feeds the signals to the amplifier
5
. Consequently the voice data is read from the folder to be used in the mode immediately before the turning off of the power source, and the speaker
6
outputs the voice data as voice.
For example, when the mode immediately before the power source of the apparatus main body is turned off is the folder
1
mode, and if a recording medium having voice data recorded in folder
1
is set in the apparatus, the voice data recorded in folder
1
is output from the speaker
6
.
The holder to be used in the mode immediately before the power source of the apparatus main body is turned off has high possibility of being the folder intended to be used for reproduction, and if the voice data the reproduction of which is started as stated above is the voice data recorded in the folder intended by the user, the user need not perform a mode changing procedure subsequently.
The preferential reading procedure thus realized simplifies the procedure to be performed by the user for reproducing the voice data recorded in the desired folder.
On the other hand, when recognizing that no voice data is recorded in the folder to be used in the mode at the time when the reproduction key is depressed, the control circuit
70
sends an alarm display signal to the information display
9
. As a result, the display
9
shows that no voice data is recorded in the folder to be used, for example, by displaying an alarm, “NO DATA,” for 2 seconds. The control circuit
70
thereafter turns off the power source of the apparatus main body.
For example, if the mode immediately before the power source is turned off is the folder
1
mode and when the recording medium set in the apparatus has no voice data recorded in folder
1
, the above alarm is shown on the display
9
, and the power source of the apparatus main body is thereafter turned off.
In this way, power consumption is reduced by turning off the power source of the apparatus main body in the case where no voice data is recorded in the folder which is very likely to be used by the user for reproduction.
However, in the case where the recording medium set in the conventional voice recording-reproduction apparatus has no voice data recorded in the folder to be used in the mode at the time when the reproduction key is depressed in the preferential reading procedure, and when the user is to check whether voice data is recorded in one of the folders on the medium, it is necessary to repeatedly perform a sequence of manipulations including turning on the power source of the apparat
Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP
Lao Lun-See
Nguyen Duc
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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