JP2003522967A - Flash memory card adapter for stereo system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: The present invention provides an adapter (10) for playing back or recording recorded music or other audio programs recorded on a digital medium such as a flash memory card (18) using a standard stereo system. In particular, the present invention relates to an adapter (10) that uses a cassette mechanism of a stereo system as an interface for digital media.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flash memory card using a standard stereo system.
Music or other audio programs recorded on digital media
Relates to adapters for recording, and in particular,
Related to an adapter used as an interface for a portable medium. Description of the Prior Art As a result of rapid advances in computer technology and related fields, flash
Data storage media such as memory cards have become extremely compact,
Have improved and prices have fallen. Originally, these were
Record digital data in computers, digital cameras and other similar applications.
It is designed as a memory for recording music,
It can also be used to record gram digitally. For example, MPEG2 and its
Using other data compression techniques, approximately 4 minutes of songs can now be converted to 2 megabytes of digital data.
It can be recorded in a file memory and played back in an acceptable way. Also, the flash menu
In the near future, Molly Cards will have a capacity of 16 megabytes or more.
Is expected. In this way, using these flash memory cards, record shops and
Using standard means such as catalog sales or the latest means such as the Internet
, Music can be distributed to the general consumer. A major problem in introducing new media such as flash memory cards is that
It cannot respond to the stereo system being used. Generally listen to music
Are standard stereo systems such as AM radio, FM radio, TV, etc.
Live broadcast, record, CD, digital cassette, analog cassette, etc.
Listen to music using a system that enjoys music using any of the recorded media
I'm used to things. Given a typical audiophile, one of the above
Because we have a large number of media pre-recorded in form or in multiple forms,
Not surprisingly, rejection of new types of pre-recorded media that cannot be addressed
Tend to show. OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide for existing cassettes and similar magnetic recording media interfaces.
For a replaceable flash memory card that can be used with any stereo system
Is to provide an adapter. Another purpose is to eliminate power without the need for special training or additional expensive equipment.
It is to provide a cassette adapter that can be easily used by consumers. Yet another purpose is to be able to accommodate traditional stereo systems and therefore adapt the adapter.
Even if used, the functions of the installed cassette player
To provide an adapter that is configured to be maintained. Another further purpose is to use a cassette adapter with a battery and a charging device.
To provide. [0005] Other objects, functions and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.
It is. In summary, an adapter constructed in accordance with the present invention is a standard cassette.
The housing has a housing similar to that of the housing. Digitally inside this housing
Either a flash card with recorded data or a solid state memory
Be prepared. [0006] Audio data is removed from the card, restored, and converted to a corresponding analog signal.
And send it to the playback head of a standard cassette player. Fast forward and rewind
And means for maintaining almost all of the functions of the cassette player, including: It is also preferable to provide a current generating means to charge a battery that supplies power to the adapter.
. Also, using the same means to load the cassette player motor
, The end of the tape may be simulated. Although not required, the output of the adapter
The module is constructed in a modular fashion, supporting output signals to other devices such as earphones.
You may be able to. A recording head for recording data to flash memory is also provided.
Can be opened. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring first to FIG. 1, a cassette adapter 1 constructed in accordance with the present invention
0 indicates the microprocessor 12 used to control the operation of the adapter.
Have. The microprocessor can have one or two microprocessors, as described in more detail below.
Information from the reel sensor 14 used to monitor the operation of the dummy reel
Receive. This adapter 10 is also a replaceable flash memory car
Address port used to control the flow of information to and from
It has an inter 16. As shown in detail in FIG. 1 a, the card 18 is divided into several sections. this
Sections hold the actual data for audio programs, e.g. multiple songs
A plurality of data sections 20. In addition, the card 18 stores the digitized recorded songs.
It has a table of contents 22 used to specify each address
I have. Finally, the control data used by the adapter 10 for each control function is
Is also provided. As described above, the data corresponding to the recorded music is compressed at the time of recording,
It is preferable to ensure that the data storage capacity is available to the maximum. Mosquito
The data is taken out from the node 18 and is first restored by the restoring means 26.
Expand. Next, digital / analog conversion is performed by the D / A converter 28.
Do. This converter 28 accepts digital signals from the replaceable card 18
Convert to analog signal. Amplifier 30 is used to amplify the analog signal. Most
Later, the analog output stage 32 is used to convert the analog signal to a standard stereo system.
To the cassette player section of the system. The analog output stage 32 has a
In addition, it is compatible with a cassette player of a standard stereo system and
To convert these analog signals to signals that are expected to be used in
Other processing circuits that may be required may also be incorporated. As shown in FIG. 2, a standard stereo system controls the mechanical functions of a player.
A tape having a mechanical portion 36 for performing and an electrical portion 38 for performing signal processing.
The cassette player 34 is mounted. This mechanical part 36 is
Or automatically activated, usually with a cassette player
Multiple control switches and other controls to perform functions such as play, record, fast forward,
A similar control means 40 is provided. Furthermore, this part 34 is a spindle motor
42 and a capstan motor 44. The motor 42 and
44 is shown for the purpose of illustration, and depending on the player, one
The above motors can be used. In addition, usually for cassette players
Uses other mechanical and electromechanical elements, but is not relevant to the gist of the present invention.
Since they are not shown, illustration is omitted. The electrical part 38 includes a voice function control device 46, a player head 48, an amplifier 5
0, de-emphasis circuit 52, signal processing circuit 56 and one or more
Maker 58 is provided. If the player 34 is also a recorder,
A sound source 62, ie, a jack for inputting a signal to be recorded,
Equipment connected to other components of the system, such as radios and CD players
Is provided. The signal from the sound source 62 is transmitted to the emphasis circuit 64 and the signal processing device 6.
6 to a recording head 68. Again, only one circuit is shown.
However, in the case of a stereo system or a multi-channel system,
It goes without saying that two or more circuits can be used for this. Voice function
A control device 46 controls various functions of the electrical part 38. Normally, when a reproduction control device (not shown) is started, the spindle motor 42 is turned on.
The spindle in the normal cassette starts rotating, and the capstan motor starts to rotate.
The magnetic tape loaded in the cassette is replayed at a constant speed for a predetermined distance.
It travels on the raw head 48. In this case, the analog signal recorded on the magnetic tape
The signal is read and the corresponding signal is sent to the amplifier 50. Magnetic tape audio
Because the signal is very noisy, it is often unsuitable for Hi-Fi playback of recorded songs.
No. Therefore, for many years, various types of users, such as emphasizing certain frequency components,
Equations have been developed to eliminate or reduce noise. After amplification
The signals of the different frequencies are sent to the de-emphasis circuit 52 to process any signals that may have been added.
The signal is corrected for the effects of processing and noise is removed. After processing in the circuit 52,
The signals are sent to a signal processor 56, separated into appropriate channels, and the corresponding signals
To the car 58. Volume control and user control via audio function controller 46
Other adjustments required may also be performed by the processor 56. Reversing this process for elements 62-68 records audio on magnetic tape.
be able to. On the other hand, the present invention does not use a magnetic tape, so that a standard cassette player can be used.
Take steps to perform all of the standard functions performed. That is, the adapter 10
When the player is inserted into a standard cassette player, the player
The recorded music recorded is reproduced by the speaker 58,
All, or at least most, features are maintained. Next, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 20 of the adapter 10 is
, Substantially the same as the housing of the standard cassette, with two holes 72 and 74
Form. Inside the housing 70 are two concentric circles with holes 72 and 74, respectively.
Two dummy reels 76 and 78 are mounted. Reels 76 and 78 are dummy reels
That, as with standard cassettes, they do not pay out magnetic tape.
In that sense. Sensors 80 and 82 are set in conjunction with the reels 76 and 78.
The operation of each of the reels 76 and 78 is monitored as described below. On one side of the housing 70, for example, on the upper side 84, two removable panels 8
6, 88 are provided. With these panels, the interior space of the housing 70 can be reached.
You. To reach the flash memory card 18, use the panel 88,
Panel 8 is needed to replace read / write head 90, which is described in detail below.
Use 6. Further, the housing 70 includes a battery 100, a battery charger 102, a digital circuit 10
6 and an analog circuit 108. The battery 100 is located inside the housing 70.
To the various electrical components provided in the. The operation of the adapter will be described below with reference to the flowcharts in FIG. First, the adapter 10 is inserted into the cassette player 34, and the spindle (shown in FIG.
No.) are passed through holes 72 and 74 and engage reels 76 and 78. sensor
The functions requested by the user are determined by using 80 and 82. First, the spindle
Is idling and there is no function request from the adapter. In response
Finally, the adapter 10 is also in the idling state. At regular intervals, the microprocessor 12 interrogates the sensor and
It is checked whether or not is operating (step 200). Activated in step 202
Is detected, it is determined that the user has pressed the playback control device. Alternatively, FIG.
Using another sensor, or by activating the play button, as shown in
It is also possible to detect the reproducing head 48 moving toward the housing 70 in accordance with the movement.
is there. Next, in step 204, the rotational speed of the operating reel is measured. Already stated
As you can see, the card 18 is information about the start and end of each song.
Not only that, but also the total duration or duration of the audio program on the card 18 is recorded.
. In step 206, the whole time is searched, and the speed of the reel operating this is
Used together (step 208), the index number is determined. As explained below
Use this index number for fast forward and fast reverse functions. Next, as defined in the table of contents (step 210),
The address pointer 16 is set to the address of the start of the first music piece of the track 18. S
In step 212, as described above in connection with FIG.
The first byte of the recorded music is extracted and reproduced (step 214). As a result, the output stage
32 emits an electromagnetic signal similar to the signal generated by the standard cassette. In the cassette player, the head 46 detects a signal from the output stage 32 and passes the signal.
It operates in the same manner as a normal cassette, and starts reproducing the tape. The first data byte is
Once processed and played, the next group of bytes is added in step 216.
Fetched by the pointer 16 and immediately converted and played back as described above.
Is done. In step 218, the content table is checked, and the current byte is
Detects if the byte is later. In the case of the last byte, these last
After the byte has been reproduced (step 220), the reproducing process is terminated, and the stop subroutine is opened.
Start. If not, the regeneration process continues. Each time between tracks (note that the car
It is assumed that the track 18 contains at least two songs.)
In the case of tape, insert an artificial interval of 1 to 3 seconds as usual
can do. Volume control and frequency control are controlled by the user according to the standard operating functions described above.
Performed using a set player control. The adapter of the present invention can perform other standard functions. As an example, FIG.
4 shows a flowchart of a fast forward function and a fast reverse function. If playback is normal (s
Step 214), monitor the reels using the sensors 80 and 82, and rotate the reels.
Detect direction and rotation speed. (Most cassette players have one of the reels
Only the one rotates for playback and fast forward, and the other rotates in the opposite direction for fast rewind.
Turn over). If the reel is rotating at normal speed (step 232),
Playback continues. In this step 232, if a fast rotation of the reel is detected
, Step 234, the fast forward or fast reverse function has already been requested
Determine whether or not. If fast-forward is detected, the reproduction is interrupted at step 236 and
Proceed to step 16. In other words, at a speed proportional to the rotation speed of the rotating reel
Proceed. For example, in step 204 (FIG. 5), the
In step 206, and in step 206 card 18 plays a 1000 second song.
If it is determined that the data is recorded, in step 208, 1000/4 =
A maximum index of 250 is set. .. 250 correspond in time.
Group of bytes. If playback is normal, it synchronizes with the address pointer.
Because the index number gradually increases, the recorded song is recorded for 4 seconds for each pulse from the sensor.
Will be played. During fast traverse, index increases faster with pulse from sensor
And the pointer moves faster from one group of bytes to the next.
, For each pulse, bytes corresponding to 4 seconds are skipped (step 236).
At regular intervals, the speed of the reel is sampled (step 238). Reel speed
If the speed drops to normal speed, normal playback resumes at the last position of the pointer.
Begins. If the reel is spinning at a high speed, position the pointer
Refer to the table of contents for confirmation, and reach the end of the recorded program.
Make sure you haven't. If confirmed, stop at step 242
Start a subroutine. If not, the pointer continues to advance. In step 234, if fast rewind is detected, step 236 is executed.
Moves the pointer back, or decrements, just as it has increased. Steps
At 246, the speed of the reel is checked. Reel speed returns to normal speed
If so, normal reproduction is started again (step 214). Still fast
If so, in step 248 the position of the pointer is determined and the first byte
To determine if you have reached If not, continue with step 244.
I can. If so, a stop subroutine is started in step 250.
You. The power supply to each component of the adapter 10 is mainly performed by the battery 100. A
Since substantially no mechanical operation is performed inside the adapter 10,
Although the service life is quite long, the battery charging system 102 is installed inside the adapter,
Therefore, it is advantageous to make the life of the battery almost infinite. As shown in more detail in FIG. 7, for this purpose, the battery charger 102
One of the power generation coils 104, that is, the power generation coil 104 interlocked with the reel 176 is provided. In addition,
The reel 76 has a plurality of permanent magnets 110 and the reel 76 has a power generation coil.
And the reel is rotated by the spindle motor 42.
During raw or rapid traverse, a current is generated in the coil 104. This current is converted to a full wave rectifier
And rectifies the rectified current to a DC / DC converter 122,
To a voltage level corresponding to the battery 100. Finally, the converter 122
Send the output to the voltage regulator 124, adjust the voltage from the converter 122,
This is used in the rechargeable battery 100. In most cases, tape in a standard cassette
Only one coil 104 is sufficient because only the reels linked to
But if desired, a second coil, rectifier and
It is also possible to provide a DC / DC converter (not shown). In this case,
Charge current generated by the pressure regulator 124 by either the reel 76 or the reel 78
Is supplied to the battery 100. As already mentioned, one of the functions that needs to be performed is the stop function. Stop machine
The function is required either when the user presses the corresponding push button or when the flash
Either when the card program ends. In the first case the run is a comparison
Is simple. This is because in the case of a standard cassette player,
When the button is pressed, the spindle motor and capstan motor stop.
This is because that. Therefore, in this first case, the operation of the reels 76 and 78 is monitored.
And can be easily confirmed by the sensor that performs the processing as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
Should be performed. In step 214, the normal playback sequence is
Do. In step 400, a test is performed, and the
Stop command is detected. If neither of the reels is operating, stop
The adapter 10 by the processor 12 as described below.
Enter low power suspend mode. First, preferably,
The current position of pointer address 16 indicating the next byte is determined by the microprocessor.
12 (step 402). That way, when you start playing again
Then, the adapter will continue playing the current song. Next, step 40
At 4, the microprocessor commands a power down sequence and the energy
Save. In step 406, the rotation of the reel is monitored, and a reproduction command is detected.
I do. If this instruction is detected, as indicated by address pointer 16
Then, the reproduction mode is resumed at the interrupted position (step 214). The end of recorded music on a given flash card is a little more difficult to handle.
This is because the adapter 10 (or cassette) and the cassette player 39
There is no direct contact between them. The "end" referred to here is the fast-return operation
Return to the beginning of the recorded program in response to, or normal playback or fast-forward operation
Indicates the last part of the recorded content that has advanced. Low price cassette
In the case of a layer, there is no means to detect the end of the tape. Instead, if the user is late
It is assumed that the user notices that the reproduction has ended sooner and presses the stop button.
However, in the case of the present invention, waiting for the stop command wastes energy,
Extremely undesirable. Therefore, as in step 408, ie, in FIG.
As shown in the figure, if the end is detected before the stop command is received, the
In other words, after a certain period of time, the address pointer changes to the recorded program.
If it turns to the head or the last part, the adapter 10 turns off the power (step
404). In more advanced systems, the load applied to the spindle motor is
The tape ends when a sudden increase in load is detected by monitoring by the
Alternatively, it is determined that the tape has been clogged, and the automatic stop function is executed. Of the present invention
In another embodiment, the appropriate reel is loaded or braked as follows:
By doing this, you can take over this function. Returning to FIG. 7, the electronic switching switch
A switch 130 is provided, which is switched to a closed state to cut off the coil 104. This sui
Switching of the switch 130 is performed by the microprocessor 12. Recording professional
If the end of the gram is detected in step 408, the microprocessor
-12 issues a command and switches switch 130 to close. Then switch
130 cuts off coil 104, similar to the load caused by the end of the standard tape
Suddenly apply a relatively large load to the spindle motor. On a cassette player
This is called the tape end state, and the automatic stop command is output as described above. FIG. 7 shows another means for providing a braking mechanism. This braking mechanism includes a solenoid 14
0, a brake shoe 142, and a solenoid drive circuit 144. This fruit
In the embodiment, when the end of the recording program is detected, the microprocessor 12
The driving circuit 144 outputs a command to the driving circuit 144, and in response, the driving circuit 144
Start 40. When the solenoid 140 is activated, the brake shoe 142
Makes frictional contact with the screw 76. In this way, the brake shoe 142 acts to
The rotation of 76 is decelerated or stopped in some cases. This allows the tape to
As when the end is reached, the load on the spindle motor suddenly increases. The functions described above replace the standard functions provided in the cassette player.
In the case of the adapter 10, the amount of recorded information is stored in a standard cassette.
Use this information and operate more efficiently because it is more than a simple magnetic tape
So that the behavior of the adapter can be changed. For example, users often
You can skip a certain track or replay a previously played track.
You may want. For most cassette players, to do this,
Fast forward or rewind the tape by any amount, then play the tape at a new position
According to this method, the tape stops just before the target track, and the
If you hit the part, you can not hear anything or listen to the previously played song
The result can be the result, or the overrun, the result of listening to the middle of the song you want. this
As described above, it is necessary to repeat the trial several times until cueing. [0031] A more sensible, capable of detecting the beginning and end of a target song from a silent gap between the songs.
There are high-performance cassette players. In the case of these players, the user
For example, if you press the fast forward button, the playback head will wait until a gap is detected.
When the cassette player stops, the next song is found.
Become. Needless to say, this function is still a time-consuming function. In particular
This is the case when the playing time of the song is considerably long. In addition, extremely low volume,
Quiet passages are often mistaken for gaps. The present invention solves this problem as follows. As already mentioned,
The beginning and end of each song on Scard 18 can be found from the table of contents.
(Action 24). Therefore, adapt the adapter to take advantage of this information.
Gram can be set. Referring to FIG. 9, during normal reproduction (section 214)
, And monitor the reels as described above. In step 500, the fast-forward command is detected.
If issued, search the address of the beginning of the next song in the content table
. In step 504, this address is loaded into the address pointer 16.
Then you can start playing this song. Using the same method, if rewind is detected
In that case, you can return to the previous song. This operation mode can be set in advance by a program. Or c
The manual selection switch 150 is provided on the housing 70 (FIG. 6), and the flowchart of FIG.
Mode or the mode described in the flowchart of FIG.
You can choose. Alternatively, the operation mode is the control data of the card 18.
May be stored in the data section 24 as selectable parameters. Returning to FIG. 1, in the illustrated main embodiment of the present invention, a D / A converter
Cassette playback that can be used as a substitute for magnetic analog tape
The input to the coil module 170 is performed. As shown in FIG.
170 includes an amplifier 30, an emphasis circuit 31, a coil drive circuit 33, and a core
It has a file 35. The emphasis circuit 31 operates according to a standard noise reduction method.
This is a circuit that emphasizes certain frequency components of the signal. The purpose of this circuit 31 is to
Sound from player 34 is distorted due to operation of de-emphasis circuit 52
Is to prevent that. The signal from the circuit 31 is applied by the drive circuit 33
Input to the coil 35. However, the adapter 10 may be used alone or in combination with other systems.
It may be used for For this purpose, the module 1 via the panel 86 (FIG. 4)
70 can be removed and replaced with another module
I have. Some such modules are shown in FIG. In one example, module 172 is a headphone module. this is,
It comprises an amplifier 180 and a headphone jack 182. This module 17
2, the adapter 10 is connected to a pair of earphones connected to the jack 176.
(Not shown) can be used to directly play the recorded program on the card 18
Become a self-sustaining music player. Module 178 is a stereo output module. This is the amplifier 184
And a standard stereo jack 186. When equipped with this module,
By connecting jack 182 to one of the external input ports of the system,
The recorded program of C18 can be reproduced by a standard stereo system. Module 187 comprises an RF module comprising an amplifier 188 and an RF transmitter 190.
It is a tool. In this configuration, the adapter outputs the analog output from the card 18.
Stereo receiver that synchronizes the analog signal to a specific frequency via a high-frequency link
Used as a self-contained transmitter for transmission to Finally, the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 preferably converts audio information to digital data.
The recording module 190 is configured to receive the data as data. Digital interface
After storing the data received from the interface 192 in the buffer 194,
It is loaded on the card 18 to be produced. Digital data is stored in standard system stereo
It can be received from a digital output or a CD player. Or
, Analog data may be received. Collect analog data even in cassettes
And the corresponding digital data can be stored in the flash memory. All of these models are shown in particular as read / write head 90 in FIG.
The model is inserted into the housing 70 via the panel 184 and a suitable
It is preferable to connect to a suitable connector. Equipped with module of Fig. 10 or Fig. 11
In this configuration, the adapter 10 is not connected to the motor, so the battery 100 is charged.
It may be used as a stand-alone unit that does not need to be powered. While the invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments,
The embodiment is not more than an example, and the same purpose can be realized by other means.
Needless to say. Therefore, the above embodiments are illustrative of the following claims.
This is not a limitation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing main elements in the present invention. FIG. 1a shows how information on a typical flash memory card is formatted.
It is a figure which shows the detail of what to mat. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a typical cassette reproducing / recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cassette adapter configured according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an internal plan view somewhat schematically showing a cassette adapter according to the present invention.
. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a basic operation of the adapter shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a fast forward / fast reverse function. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a battery charging and braking device for the adapter shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a stop / power-off subroutine. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another fast forward / fast reverse function. FIG. 10 shows another embodiment with a replaceable output module. FIG. 11 shows another embodiment with a digital recording module.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (81) Designated countries AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, C U, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GE , GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, L S, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW , MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, T T, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZW (72) Inventor McPherson Eye             United States 91311 California             Chateaulands Hiawatha Aveni             New 19834 (72) Inventor Tagard Gregory             United States 90049 California             Los Angeles Granville 1120             # 302 F term (reference) 5D045 DB01

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A digital adapter inserted into an analog cassette player as an alternative to a standard analog cassette, comprising: an exchangeable digital data recording medium for recording a digital signal represented by an audible sound; A digital adapter having a control device for extracting a signal from the recording medium, a converter for converting the digital signal to an analog signal, and an interface for transmitting the analog signal to an external head of the cassette player in a standard analog cassette format.