Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-07
2001-11-20
Neyzari, Ali (Department: 2651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
C434S30700R, C084S609000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320823
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for processing communication data, particularly to a method of and an apparatus for processing communication data transmitted via a data communication line.
There have been known various data communication systems capable of transmitting a data file via a data communication line such as a telephone line. One kind of data communication system includes a communication type sing-along apparatus.
A communication type sing-along apparatus is usually adapted to down-load various music data and background picture data via a telephone line from a host computer in a sing-along data center. With the use of such a communication type sing along apparatus, it is allowed to obtain a large amount of music data and background picture data continuously accumulated in the sing-along data center, thereby making it possible to easily meet with customer's requests for singing new songs.
In practice, the music data transmitted from the sing-along data center is stored in a hard disc drive contained in the communication type sing-along apparatus. Meanwhile, a large amount of music data that fail to be stored in the hard disc drive are stored in CD-ROMs stocked in the same sing along apparatus so that said music data may be properly managed.
In fact, the CD-ROMs storing the music data are stocked together with DVDs storing the background picture data. In detail, both the CD-ROMs and the DVDs are stocked in a disc changer which is one part of the communication type sing-along apparatus.
In more detail, the disc changer of the communication type sing-along apparatus is adapted to pickup, from the stocked CD-ROMs and DVDs, a desired CD-ROM storing music data required by a specific request and a desired DVD storing corresponding background picture data to be displayed on a monitor, so as to meet a customer's request for singing a song corresponding to the requested music data. Meanwhile, such disc changer is capable of reading the music data and the corresponding background picture data from the selected CD-ROM and DVD so as to effect a predetermined data reproduction.
Generally, said disc changer of the communication type sing-along apparatus requires the use of an application software in order to perform the desired operation thereof. Further, such application software is often needed to be renewed in order to incorporate some new improvements or some newly developed functions, thereby requiring a version-up treatment. For this reason, a data file for version-up is transmitted via a telephone line from the sing-along data center, while an old application software stored in the disc changer is replaced by the new version of the application soft wear.
However, there is a problem with a communication type sing-along apparatus formed according to a prior art. Namely, if a data file for version-up is transmitted to the sing-along apparatus from a sing-along data center when the disc changer is in an electrically OFF state, it is impossible for the transmitted data file to be downloaded into the disc changer.
For example, with a communication type sing-along apparatus for business use, a disc changer is usually disconnected from an electric power source when not in business time. Further, since a data file for version-up is often transmitted from the sing-along data center during a time period when the sing-along apparatus is not in business use, it is required that the disc changer be constantly in an electrically ON state, thereby ensuring that a transmitted data file can be downloaded into the disc changer at any time.
In addition, a disc changer of a communication type sing-along apparatus might have to be replaced by a new one for the purpose of maintenance. Accordingly, an application software of the new disc changer will also have to be replaced by a new version. If such a replacement of application software fails to be completed in time, the communication type sing-along apparatus will fail to provide desired operations obtainable by the new version of an application software, hence bringing about a deterioration in the quality of a sing-along service.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for processing communication data, which is capable of exactly renewing a data file stored in a communication type sing-along apparatus by receiving a new data file from a sing-along data center via a communication line.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for processing communication data, which is capable of exactly renewing a data file stored in a communication type sing-along apparatus, also capable of exactly transmitting information on the quality of the operation of the sing-along apparatus to a sing-along data center.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of processing communication data transmitted from a data center such as a sing-along data center to a terminal communication apparatus such as a communication type sing-along apparatus via a communication line, said method comprising: storing a data file in a first memory means provided in the terminal communication apparatus when said data file has been transmitted from the data center while the terminal communication apparatus itself is not in operation; comparing a version of the data file stored in the first memory means with a version of an existing data file formerly recorded in a second memory means provided in the terminal communication apparatus when said terminal communication apparatus is in operation and said second memory means is in ON state; replacing the data file formerly recorded in the second memory means with the data file recorded in the first memory means if it is determined that the version of the data file recorded in the second memory means is older than the version of the data file recorded in the first memory means.
In one aspect of the present invention, the data file recorded in the first memory means is not erased even after the data file formerly recorded in the second memory means is replaced by the data file recorded in the first memory means.
In another aspect of the present invention, quality data indicating an operation quality of the terminal communication apparatus is recorded on a third memory means which is in OFF state when said terminal communication apparatus is not in operation, the quality data recorded on the third memory means is then stored in a fourth memory means before the third memory means is turned OFF.
In a further aspect of the present invention, when a data file is transmitted from the data center to the terminal communication apparatus, the quality data stored in the fourth memory means is transmitted to the data center via the communication line.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, said terminal communication apparatus includes a controller having said first memory means and a disc changer having said second memory means. When the disc changer is in OFF state and a data file for use in the disc changer is transmitted from the data center to the terminal communication apparatus, the transmitted data file is at first stored in the first memory means provided within the controller.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus such as a communication type sing-along apparatus capable of processing communication data transmitted from a data center such as a sing-along data center via a communication line, said apparatus comprising: a first memory means for storing a data file transmitted from the data center when said apparatus is not in its operation; a second memory means which is turned OFF when said apparatus is not in its operation; a comparator means for comparing a version of the data file stored in the first memory means with a version of an existing data file formerly recorded in the second memory means when the second memory means is in ON state; a controller means for replacing the data file formerl
Asai Sanpei
Kamei Kazuo
Miyashita Masahiko
Takanashi Makoto
Yamada Takao
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Neyzari Ali
Pioneer Electronic Corporation
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