JPH0927189A - Voice information reproducing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make reproduction from a panctuated position possible by making on the panctuated position with an optional value when the voice data are recorded beforehand. SOLUTION: A microcomputer 3 reads out the voice data, etc., through a data read-out control part 2, and performs the processing for outputting a voice based on an incorporated program. At this time, when the optional value used for marking is detected, an absolute lapse time and the relative position that the optional value is recorded are stored in a memory, etc., temporarily. In such a manner, the sound data that the processing is performed while repeating the procedure related to the marked optional value are outputted from a speaker, an earphone 6, etc., as the sound through a D/A conversion part 5. When a signal is inputted from an external input means 7 while outputting the sound, and a marker function is used, the microcomputer 3 interrupts the output of the sound and the processing of the voice data, and continues to keep the information showing the recorded relative position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice information recording / reproducing system for recording / reproducing voice information by a digital signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Presently, in a digital data recording medium (compact disc or the like), voice data converted into a digital signal by PCM or the like is recorded in a program area. The reproduction is performed by performing some processing on the audio data read from the program area. In the process of playing,
Various functions are used and PAUSE is one of them. However, the current PAUSE is the storage of the information that is the absolute elapsed time that distinguishes the program areas, and even if it is released, it is only a return based on the stored information. Generally, in the case of a paperback book or the like, when reading is interrupted, a book break is found and the book is closed with a bookmark, but PAUSE does not consider such a case. Therefore, it is too insufficient to use the PAUSE as a substitute for the bookmark, and it is necessary to realize the function of the bookmark by some method.

[0003]

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and when audio data is recorded in advance, marking is made at an arbitrary value at a delimited place. When playback is resumed by external input after being paused by external input etc., it is possible to play back audio with good breaks by moving to the nearest marking and playing instead of playing from the stopped part. Becomes The well-separated place indicates, for example, a chapter or a section that is traced back from the time when the input for the purpose of bookmark is made. In addition, data compression and substantial silence removal processing are performed to record audio information for a long time of 6 hours or more, and a single small recording medium containing a long story or a textbook in units of one as audio information is reproduced. When using a portable voice output device, etc., on a fully occupied commuter train that does not have the degree of freedom of operation, the bookmark function that can be operated with the push of a button is simple and convenient for reading. It has a better effect than bookmarks. In addition, by external input,
The start of the reproduction after the temporary stop may be automatically performed after a predetermined time has elapsed, in addition to the case where the external input is made again.

[0004]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a digital data recording medium 1
In this case, the voice data marked with an arbitrary value is recorded in a good place as a voice. The digital recording medium 1 shown here is a CD, a CD-ROM, an MD, or the like,
When configuring a small portable type long time audio output device, M
D (mini disk), 3.5-inch CD, CD-ROM
Is preferred. Incidentally, even such a small recording medium is disclosed in
By using the silence deleting means shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 308992 or a sound reproducing output means in which a general sampling frequency is suppressed, it is possible to continuously output sound for 6 hours or more. An example of the data area of the audio digital information recorded on the digital recording medium 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the audio digital information data area has a table of contents area (200) at the beginning, and then an audio data area (201) of chapter 1, a table area (202), and an audio data area of chapter 2. (2
03), after the table area (204), the data area and the table area are repeated, and then the background sound data area (205) (20
It is recorded to be linked with 6) ... The specific structure of the table of contents area (200) is shown in FIG. The table-of-contents area (200) has an area at the position of 0 minutes, 2 seconds, and 0 frames in absolute elapsed time, and distinguishes main voice, background sound, chapter number, section number, spare area, and absolute course starting with these chapters and sections. The time is recorded.
This table-of-contents area can be formed up to 341 as shown in FIG. 8 if one table-of-contents area 6 bytes shown in FIG. 7 is limited to one frame. With this table of contents, the bookmark function can be effectively executed. The voice data areas (201) and (203) shown in FIG. 6 are classified into voiced data and silence data, and the voiced data is divided into a header and compressed data as shown in FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 9 (b), the header stores preset attribute data in the voiced data. For example, in the leading 8-bit area (300), is the following voiced data the beginning of one sentence? It shows the character such as intermediate or what language it was created in. The next 8-bit area (301) is an area for connection with the background sound, which is used when it is desired to create and output mixed data with the background sound. This is data indicating the entire position of the sound data, and the subsequent 16-bit area (303) is the number of data of the subsequent sound data.
When using the bookmark function, one bit is allocated from the top area (300). This part is a part indicating whether the following voiced data is the beginning or the middle of the sentence. It should be noted that the silent data is only the data indicating that there is no sound, its position, etc. and the silent time. Thus, by making the silent data a small amount of information, it is possible to record audio for a long time as a whole. Has been realized. The background sound data (2
05) and (206) are areas for recording general digital music data, and are to be combined with the audio data based on the instructions of the header part of the audio data areas (201) (203) in the preceding stage. . The tables (202) and (204) are parts to be used as markers when skipping a sentence and reproducing the next sentence.

Of the position of the marking in the audio information recording medium
As an example, when a voice is marked at a delimited place with an arbitrary value, the specific marking value is made to correspond to "FFH" or the like that will not be recorded as voice data.
In addition, if the program area (area in which audio data is recorded) is arbitrarily formatted (for example,
A control code is added by compressing voiced data and encoding a silent section. ), By providing an area in the control code for identifying whether or not there is a good break as a voice, it can be handled with 1 bit, and efficient discrimination can be performed. It is also possible to provide a table in the program area, which shows a good place as a voice. The microcomputer 3 reads the voice data and the like via the data read control unit 2 and performs a process for outputting voice based on a built-in program. The performance of the microcomputer 3 depends on the information charge of the recorded audio information, but when the processing such as voice compression or silence coding is performed, the sampling frequency 1
When sampling is performed at about 1 kHz and the resolution is about 16 bits, the clock frequency (CPU internal operation) is 8 to 10.
A general purpose microcomputer of MHz is sufficient. Here, when the arbitrary value used for marking is detected, the absolute elapsed time and the relative position where the arbitrary value is recorded are temporarily stored in a memory or the like. The temporarily stored information is not updated until the next time any value used for marking is detected. While the procedure for any value marked in this way is repeated, the processed audio data is D
Through the / A converter 5, the sound is output from the speaker, earphone, etc. 6 as sound. When a signal is input from the external input means 7 composed of an on / off switch or the like while outputting a sound and the bookmark function is exercised, the microcomputer 3 stops the sound output and the processing of the audio data, and temporarily stores the sound. The information indicating the relative position where the absolute elapsed time and the arbitrary value are recorded is continuously stored. And again, the external input means 7
When the bookmark function is canceled when the signal is input from the The generated voice data is output as sound from the speaker 6 or the like through the D / A conversion unit 5. From the above operation, by marking, it becomes possible to use a bookmark function which is clearly different from the conventional PAUSE.

Next, the specific operation of the microcomputer having the above configuration will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 2, the peripheral device is initialized (21), and after confirming this (22), it is confirmed whether the flag is set by an external input for bookmarking (23). If the bookmark flag is not set (NO), read the table of contents area,
It is temporarily stored in the memory (24). The absolute elapsed time of one chapter or one section is set from the table of contents area (25), the voice data is read out, and this is temporarily stored in the memory M2. Further, the absolute elapsed time recorded in the header area is temporarily stored in the memory (27). After enabling the audio output timing (28), the process proceeds to (29) in FIG. (2
In 9), it is confirmed whether the number of data recorded in the header has been expanded (29), and if not (NO), the remaining data of the memory M2 is confirmed by expansion reproduction (30), and any number If it has decreased, the audio data is read again from the recording medium, temporarily stored in the memory M2, and the process returns to the first part A in FIG. In (30), if the number of data in the memory M2 has not been reduced to an arbitrary number (NO), in (36) it is confirmed whether the bookmark key has been pressed. If not, (NO) again,
In (29), it is confirmed whether the audio data has been reproduced by the number of headers, and if it has been reproduced (YES), it is confirmed whether the remaining amount of the memory M2 has decreased by an arbitrary number. (YES), the voice data is stored in the memory M2, and it is confirmed whether it is the beginning of the sentence or not based on the header information of the voice data (3
4). If it has not decreased (NO), the header information is confirmed as it is (34). If it is confirmed at (34) that the sentence is at the beginning of the sentence (YES), the header information is temporarily stored in the memory M1, and the process returns to A of FIG. 3 again. If it is confirmed in (34) that it is not the beginning of the sentence, the process returns to A in FIG. 3 again.

When the bookmark key is pressed, it is confirmed in (36) and the process proceeds to B in FIG. In FIG. 2, a process of holding the absolute elapsed time temporarily stored in the memory M3 is performed (37). A flag based on the pressing of the bookmark key is set (38). The process waits in (39) until the bookmark key is released, confirms that the bookmark key is pressed (YES), and shifts to (23). In (23),
It is confirmed that the bookmark flag is set, and the absolute elapsed time temporarily held in the memory M3 is set (40). Based on this time, voice data is called and temporarily stored in the memory M2 (41). . The process waits until the position of the header in the memory M2 is found (42), releases the bookmark flag (43), and ends the bookmark process.

FIG. 4 shows the overall structure of a more specific embodiment. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 is a digital data recording medium, which records audio digital data, background sound data which has been subjected to compression processing as described above, and the like. A microcomputer 400 controls peripheral devices based on a program. A drive circuit 401 indicates a pickup for reading digital data, a recording medium rotating device, a pickup sliding device, and the like. Reference numeral 402 denotes a drive control unit for controlling the drive circuit 401, which operates according to a command from the microcomputer 400, but may also serve as the microcomputer 400. A memory 403 temporarily stores the data read from the recording medium 1. A memory read / write pointer setting unit 404 is provided in the memory 40 in order to prevent confusion between voice data and background sound data in advancing voice reproduction processing.
It is a circuit for switching the areas of 3. This memory read / write pointer setting unit 404 can also be replaced by a microcomputer. Reference numeral 405 denotes a data mixing circuit, which adds silence to an audio signal from which substantial silence has been deleted, and outputs mixed digital data obtained by adding restored and expanded digital data and restored background sound digital data by an adder or the like. is there. A D / A converter 406 converts the data mixed by the data mixing circuit 405 into analog data,
It is for outputting to the output circuit 406 such as a speaker or an earphone.

Next, the audio output reproduction routine based on FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation of storing data in memory is
It is handled as a main routine, and is also executed by an interrupt operation or the like when a read operation or the like for reproduction output is requested. On the contrary, the main routine may be a read operation for reproduction output and the interrupt operation may be a data storage operation. The operation is started at the timing of voice output based on the processing speed of the microcomputer 400. (51) A control signal is output to the pointer memory read / write pointer setting unit to read the audio data stored in the memory 403 (memory M2), and the memory read / write pointer establishing unit 404 outputs from the memory 403 according to the control command. Read the data (53). The read voice data is decompressed by adding a silent part. (5
4) Next, a control signal is output to the memory read / write pointer setting unit 404 to read the background sound data stored in the memory 403 (55), and the memory read / write pointer setting unit 404 outputs the control signal from the memory 403 according to the control command. The data is read (56). If the read audio data has been compressed or the like, data expansion is performed by data restoration (57). Next, the number of each data stored in the memory 403 is decremented by -1 and waits until the next timing comes. Mixing circuit 405 for each restored data
Output to The mixing circuit 405 mixes the decompressed audio data and the background sound data into a mixed digital signal, and outputs the mixed digital signal to the D / A converter 406. The D / A converter 406 converts this mixed digital signal into an analog signal, amplifies it appropriately, and then outputs it from the speaker or the earphone 6.

[0010]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to exercise the function of a bookmark in music, a novel, a reading voice information data such as a learning material, etc., and it is possible to reproduce from a place where a break is good. Become. As a result, when the bookmark is released, the playback is gentle on the ears and comfortable to the ears. On the contrary, the conventional key (PAUSE) is pressed to immediately stop the audio output. However, by adding a header, the audio output is stopped after the key is pressed and the sound is reproduced to a good break. You can also do it, and you will be able to realize a feeling closer to a paperback book.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the microcomputer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a more specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

FIG. 8

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a recording format of a digital recording medium of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Digital Data Recording Medium 2 Data Read Control Unit 3 Microcomputer 4 Memory 4 5 D / A Converter 6 Output Means 7 External Input Means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A digital audio recording medium for recording digital audio information and marking information based on the audio information, a reproducing means for reading out the digital audio medium and reproducing and outputting it as an analog sound, and stopping the reproduction by an external input signal and again. When the reproduction is restarted by the input signal of, the reproduction position at the time of input is changed to the position based on the marking information, the position information is temporarily recorded, and the reproduction is started from the position according to the recorded position information. An audio information reproducing system characterized by having a bookmark forming means.