Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Combined independent audio systems – Changeover between audio systems
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-07
2004-02-17
Neyzari, Ali (Department: 2655)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Combined independent audio systems
Changeover between audio systems
C369S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06693853
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improvement of a reproducing unit having recording medium readers.
2. Background Art
Some reproducing units are capable of reproducing recorded contents of a plurality of recording mediums (of any kind including a magnetic tape, an MD, a CD, a memory card, and so on). For example, in case of a reproducing unit for reproducing music, a magnetic tape, an MD, a CD, a memory card, and so on are used as recording mediums for music, which are chosen according to their advantages and disadvantages and mounted on the reproducing unit. The foregoing reproducing unit for reproducing a plurality of recording mediums includes a reproducing unit installed with a plurality of readers of same kind such as a plurality of magnetic tape readers.
A radio is also a recording medium reader in a broad sense in consideration of the fact that radio stations often reproduce recording mediums and broadcast them.
FIG. 10
shows external appearance of a reproducing unit capable of reproducing a plurality of recording mediums as mentioned above.
In the drawing, reference numeral
1
is a cabinet of the reproducing unit. Numeral
3
is a magnetic tape reader mounted on a front face of the cabinet
1
, and a magnetic tape (a cassette tape) not shown in the drawing is inserted in the magnetic tape reader. Numeral
4
is an MD reader, numeral
5
is a CD reader, numeral
6
is a memory card reader, and numeral
7
is a radio. For convenience of explanation, it is supposed herein that only one recording medium can be inserted in each reader, however, readers in which a plurality of, for example, MDs and CDs can be inserted at the same time have been also put into practical use as a matter of course.
Detailed explanation of the principles and constructions of a magnetic tape, an MD, a CD, a memory card, a radio, and so on and readers for them is omitted because they are already publicly known. These recording mediums are collectively referred to as media in some cases.
Numeral
8
is a control panel where push buttons and so on are arranged, and the control panel is used to operate each reader to play or reproduce music data recorded in each medium. Music is reproduced from a separately arranged speaker not shown or a built-in speaker not shown.
Numeral
9
is a display for indicating information recorded in a recording medium inserted in the reader under the playback operation by manipulating the control panel
8
(the recorded information described herein is information such as number of tunes (or track) of the recorded music, time for reproducing the remaining part). In case of radio
7
, information necessary for reproduction of tune such as a frequency, a channel number or a set volume is indicated.
FIG. 11
shows a system structure of the reproducing unit in FIG.
10
. In the drawing, numeral
21
is a central processing unit for controlling each of the connected components and processing signals. Numeral
22
is a D/A converter for converting digital data outputted by each reader into analog signals, and amplifying and outputting the analog signals.
Next, operation of the reproducing unit in
FIGS. 10 and 11
is described below taking two examples, a first example and a second example.
FIRST EXAMPLE
Supposing that the radio
7
is being used and any medium is not inserted in other readers, the display
9
indicates information of the radio
7
. Under this condition, when inserting, for example, a CD in the CD reader
5
, reproduction of the radio is stopped and information of the radio indicated on the display
9
disappears, the CD reader
5
is automatically read, and its information (for example, number of tune or track) is indicated on the display. A user either pushes a play button for playback of the tunes in order from the first tune or (if the titles and order of the recorded tunes are already known,) looks the indicated information and designates the number of tune that the user wants to listen to.
For better understanding, FIG.
12
(
a
) shows an example of the display
9
indicating the radio information, and FIG.
12
(
b
) shows an example of indication of the display
9
when a CD is being reproduced.
In the drawings, numeral
10
is an indication of received wave type showing whether the received broadcast is AM or FM, numeral
11
is a frequency indication showing the received frequency, numeral
12
is a channel number indication, numeral
13
is a set volume indication, and numeral
14
is a mark indicating whether the received broadcast wave is stereo or monaural. Functions that can be chosen but not chosen now are indicated dotted lines.
Numeral
15
is a number that represent the tunes(or track) of music data recorded in the inserted CD and is indicated in the form of channel number, and in which numbers 1 to 7 indicate that seven tunes are recorded, and the dotted lines surrounding the numbers 1 and 2 indicate that the first and the second tunes have been played up to now. Numeral
16
is a time elapsed since playback of the second tune started. It is possible to switch this elapsed time to a time for the remaining part of the second tune. Numeral
17
is a reproduction mode in which user can choose and set reproduction in order of tune numbers, repeated reproduction of the same tune, repeated reproduction of only several designated tunes, or the like (this is called program playback in some cases).
SECOND EXAMPLE
Let us suppose a condition in which a medium has been reproduced, and now a built-in radio is used by switching to the radio without pulling out the medium. At this moment, the radio
7
is operated, and the medium (for example, a CD) is already inserted in other reader. The display
9
indicates information of the radio
7
only. Under such a condition, if the user wants to listen to the CD and pushes the play button of CD, the radio stops the reproduction, the CD reader
5
reads information of the CD (for example, number of tunes is read, and it takes normally takes one to several seconds for such reading), and the read content is indicated on the display
9
. The user either pushes the play button for reproduction of the tunes in order from the first tune or watches the indicated information and designates number of the tune that the user wants to listen to if the user already knows titles and order of the recorded tunes.
As described above, the display
9
indicates at all times information of the medium being reproduced now, which makes it possible for the user to operate the medium that the user is listening to now while watching the content indicated on the display. However, consequently, in order to reproduce any other medium, the user has to wait for some seconds before the reader reads out the information of the inserted medium and indicates the information on the display
9
.
In the conventional reproducing unit of recording medium of above construction, among the plurality of recording medium readers installed in the reproducing unit, information only about the recording medium being operated now is indicated on the display.
As a result, in order to play any recording medium other than the recording medium being indicated now, even if those recording mediums are inserted in the readers beforehand, the content of each recording medium is read only after performing the reproducing operation of each recording medium. In this manner, the user has to wait for some seconds from the reproducing operation until the indication of information thereof in order to perform the following operation, and this brings about a problem that it is not possible to quickly perform the operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made to solve the above-discussed problem and has an object of obtaining a reproducing unit of recording medium capable of switching reproduction quickly among a plurality of recording mediums.
A reproducing unit according to the invention comprises:
reading means for reading information of a recording medium in which visual information or audio information, t
Miyasita Kenji
Nagano Soichi
LandOfFree
Reproducing unit for recording medium does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Reproducing unit for recording medium, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Reproducing unit for recording medium will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3285871