Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Control of storage or retrieval operation by a control... – Control of information signal processing channel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-08
2003-08-19
Hindi, Nabil (Department: 2651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Control of storage or retrieval operation by a control...
Control of information signal processing channel
Reexamination Certificate
active
06608803
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to recording medium reproduction apparatuses, and, more particularly, to a recording medium reproduction apparatus that has a special reproduction function for remixing music recorded on a recording medium, such as a CD player.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, record players have been used in places like discotheques, where people enjoy dancing to music. Normally, two record players are used at the same time so as not to allow any intermission between tunes. However, in a case where two tunes having different numbers of beats are to be played, there will be an unnatural intermission between the tunes, casting a damper on the pleasure of dancing.
To avoid such a problem, those who handle sound equipment, i.e., disk jockeys, memorize the number of beats of each tune in advance, and then select records in such a replay order that natural reproduction of tunes can be achieved. In order to count the number of beats of a tune, it is necessary to detect a BPM (beat per minute). A disk jockey replays each tune in advance, so as to count the number of beats by tapping in time with the beats.
A natural transition from one tune to another can be achieved by matching the beat timing of the two tunes. Therefore, a disk jockey listens to each tune carefully so as to start replaying the tune at the same beat timing as the previous tune.
However, the above operations, such as the beat detection and beat matching, require a great power of attention and patience, as well as a talent as a disk jockey. As a result, it has been extremely difficult for a general user to perform continuous replay of tunes having different beat timings.
Furthermore, the beat timing matching operation described above is conventionally performed with record players, not with compact disk players and other recording medium reproduction apparatuses. Except for record players, there has been no recording medium reproduction apparatuses that are provided with a beat timing matching function for continuous reproduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is to provide recording medium reproduction apparatuses in which the above disadvantages are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium reproduction apparatus that can continuously replay tunes having different beat numbers and beat timings reproduced from recording media.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a recording medium reproduction apparatus, comprising: a first recording medium reproduction unit; a second recording medium reproduction unit; and a control unit that compares the number of beats per unit time of a tune reproduced from a first recording medium with the number of beats per unit time of a tune reproduced from a second recording medium, and adjusts the reproduction rate of the second recording medium reproduction unit so that the number of beats per unit time of the second recording medium reproduction unit becomes equal to the number of beats per unit time of the first recording medium reproduction unit.
With this recording medium reproduction apparatus, the reproduction rate of the second recording medium reproduction unit is adjusted so that the number of beats at the second recording medium reproduction unit becomes equal to the number of beats at the first recording medium reproduction unit, as described above. Thus, any two tunes having different numbers of beats can be continuously reproduced from recording media.
In the above recording medium reproduction apparatus:
the first recording medium reproduction unit includes a first beat detector that detects beats of a tune being reproduced from the first recording medium;
the second recording medium reproduction unit includes a second beat detector that detects beats of a tune being reproduced from the second recording medium; and
the control unit adjusts the reproduction rate of the second recording medium reproduction unit so that a beat detecting timing of the second beat detector becomes equal to a beat detecting timing of the first beat detector.
As described above, the reproduction rate of the second recording medium reproduction unit is adjusted so that the beat detecting timing of the second beat detector becomes equal to the beat detecting timing of the first beat detector. Thus, any two different tunes can be continuously reproduced from recording media at the same beat timing.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6343055 (2002-01-01), Ishii et al.
Inoue Hideo
Oniki Kenji
Shimizu Yasunobu
Tutiya Saiji
Anderson Kill & Olick P.C.
Hindi Nabil
Lieberstein Eugene
Meller Michael N.
Teac Corporation
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