JP2000243017A - Disk management method for disk changer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform disk management as a user desires by enabling the user to optionally set a disk specifying number irrespective of a tray identification number, and shortening a standby time during loading. SOLUTION: This disk management method is constructed in such a manner that plural (e.g. 5) disks are inserted one by one into 5 trays T1 to T5 having tray identification numbers 1 to 5 added thereto, and one disk is housed in one tray, a means is provided for enabling a user to optionally set the disk specification number (e.g. No.2) of a disk (e.g. Dc) housed in an optional empty tray (e.g. T3) before or after disk loading irrespective of the tray identification number, and control is made by a CPU 8 to play a selected disk Dc housed in the tray T3 corresponding to a disk specification number (No.2) by an operation such as the pressing of one button (e.g. B2) among the plural disk selecting buttons Bx (x=1 to 5) of a user operation panel screen 11 from the housed disks.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention mainly belongs to the audio field, and includes a compact disk for music (abbreviated to music CD) and a digital video disk (abbreviated to DV).
D), a disc changer (generally a CD changer) in which a plurality of discs as information recording media such as minidiscs (abbreviated MD) and CD-ROMs are stored and one of them is selected and reproduced according to a user's specification. ,
MD changer).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional disk changer, a plurality of disks are stacked in a box-shaped magazine at predetermined intervals, and stored in a cassette type in a changer body incorporating a reproducing apparatus (referred to as a magazine type). ) Or a plurality of trays built into the disc changer (equipped with a tray moving mechanism such as an elevator driven by a motor so that each tray can be moved to the insertion slot) one by one from the insertion slot. Then, there is a disc changer of a type mounted on each tray (referred to as a direct insertion type).

In the above-described direct insertion type disc changer, a user selects which disc to reproduce from a plurality of stored discs is determined by a preset identification number of each tray. .
That is, each tray is given a unique tray identification number, for example, 1, 2, 3,... In the arrangement order, and the disc mounted on the 1st tray has the disc designation number 1, and 3 The disk mounted on the numbered tray is set so that the disk designation number is one-to-one with number 3. Thereafter, the central processing unit (CPU) of the control microcomputer for controlling the disk of the disk changer operates according to the user's specification (such as pressing one of the disk selection buttons on the operation panel). When (for example, No. 3) is selected, the tray with the corresponding identification number (No. 3 tray) is moved to the position of the reproducing apparatus by the tray moving mechanism, and the disc mounted thereon is selected (disc designation). (No. 3).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the loading of a CD in a conventional CD changer and a disc designation number and a tray identification number as a typical example of the disc changer. In FIG. 1 to
No. 5 is fixed to each tray T1 to T5 in order,
For example, the tray identification number No. The CD (symbol Da) mounted on the first tray T1 necessarily has the disc designation number N.
o. 1 and the identification number No. Tray 2
The disc designation number of the CD (symbol Db) mounted on No. 2 is No. 2 is determined. That is, the tray identification number and the disk designation number are set in a fixed relationship corresponding to one-to-one in advance, and the user does not arbitrarily set the disk designation number. In other words, the user did not directly select the designated number assigned to the disc, but instead selected the tray on which the target disc was mounted. A separate structure was not adopted.

[0005]

However, in the disk management method in which the reproduction is controlled by selecting the tray identification number (= disc designation number) from the user side as described above, operability may be poor for the user.

For example, a user assigns a certain disk a disk designation number No. If the user wishes to store the tray identification number No. 5, It is necessary to select the tray 5 and move it to the disc insertion slot before loading the disc. This is disadvantageous in that if the tray with the identification number corresponding to the desired disc designation number is far from the insertion slot, the time required to move the tray is lengthened (the first tray is located at the insertion slot. Calling the distant fifth tray in the case of a long time increases the driving time of the tray moving mechanism, and consequently increases the waiting time required for loading).

If it is desired to change each disk designation number after loading (loading) disks on all trays (as a user side management, it is desirable to change the disk designation number after loading a large number of disks in a disk changer). It is expected that there may be some cases.) It is troublesome because it is necessary to temporarily remove the plurality of disks to be changed and then newly load them. This situation applies not only to the direct insertion type but also to a magazine type disc changer.

In a car audio disc changer, the loading operation time is strongly required to be short from the viewpoint of safety, but in this respect, the conventional disc changer also has a problem in that the loading time is long. That is, from the viewpoint of ensuring safety during traveling, especially in a vehicle-mounted disc changer that requires simplicity of operation and shortening of operation time, the loading time is as short as possible, and as a management side on the user side. It is desired to set a disk designation number desired by the user.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the above-described conventional disk changer disk management method.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, (1) a disk in which audio data or video data is recorded is stored one by one in a plurality of trays assigned identification numbers. The central processing unit (CP) reproduces the corresponding selected disk according to the user's selection of the disk designation number from the plurality of stored disks.
U) A method of managing a disk of a disk changer controlled by U), wherein a user can arbitrarily set a disk designation number of a disk stored in any empty tray irrespective of the tray identification number before or after disk loading. A disk management method for a disk changer, comprising:

(2) In the disk changer disk management method described in (1), the central processing unit (C) moves the empty tray closest to the disk insertion slot to the insertion slot position when loading the disk.
PU) controls a tray moving mechanism.

(3) In the disk management method for a disk changer according to the above (1) or (2), each disk designation number of a plurality of disks stored in a plurality of trays is assigned to a central processing unit (CPU). Is provided with a disk designation number setting change means for changing the disk in accordance with the change specification of the user.

After all, the disk designation number is separated from the tray identification number, and the user can freely set the disk designation number before and after disk loading, so that disk management is user-oriented. Further, with this configuration, when loading a disc for which an arbitrary disc designation number is to be set, an empty tray having the shortest distance to the insertion slot can always be called.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a disk management method for a disk changer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between disc loading and a disc designation number and a tray identification number by a disc changer disc management method according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a disc changer disc management method according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a simple flowchart for explaining a loading procedure in the disk changer disk management method according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, a disc changer 30 stores five discs Da, Db, Dc, Dd, and De on which audio data or video data are recorded in tray identification numbers No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4,
No. 5 trays T1, T2, and T, each of which is marked with 5
3, T4, and T5 are inserted one by one from the insertion slot 6 to accommodate one disc in one tray, and the identification numbers No. of the trays T1 to T5. 1 to No. Any empty tray irrespective of No. 5 (for example, tray with identification number No. 3)
The disc designation number No. of the disc (for example, Dc) stored in the X is arbitrarily set by the user before or after disc loading (for example, No. 2).
Means for pressing one button (for example, B2) of a plurality of disk selection buttons Bx (x = 1 to 5) on the operation panel surface 11 of the user from among the five stored disks. Is controlled by the central processing unit (CPU) 8 to reproduce the corresponding selected disk (for example, Dc) in accordance with the selection of the disk designation number (disk No. x; x = 1 to 5) by the operation of The second feature is that the CPU 8 controls the tray moving mechanism 9 so that the CPU 8 moves the empty tray closest to the insertion slot 6 to the position of the insertion slot 6 during disc loading. I do.

That is, the central processing unit (CPU) 8
As shown in the flow of FIG. 4, (a): when the user sets the loading mode by a predetermined mode select button, the loading mode is set; (b): the tray moving mechanism 9 (the tray is controlled by controlling the rotation of the servomotor 10). A drive for controlling the entire apparatus as shown by an arrow) is driven to move an empty tray (for example, T3) closest to the insertion slot 6 to the position of the insertion slot 6. Next, (c) the user loads a disc (for example, Dc) into the empty tray, and (d) the user enters an arbitrary disc designation number (for example, No. 2) into one of the disc select buttons Bx (for example, No. 2). B2) is specified by pressing and inputting. Next, (e)... The CPU 8 inputs the disc designation number (N
o. 2), the memory device 7 (DRAM or SRA
The disc designation number (No. 2) is written and recorded in correspondence with the currently loaded tray (the tray T3 in the above example) recorded in the M or a rewritable memory circuit such as a flash PROM.

After the loading operation, if the user selects a desired disc designation number with the disc select button Bx, the CPU 8 reproduces the tray of the tray identification number corresponding to the selected disc designation number recorded in the memory device 7. It is controlled so as to be moved to a device (not shown).

By the way, the disc changer 30
In the disk management method of the above, since the disk designation number and the tray identification number are set separately, the plurality of disks Da to D respectively stored in the plurality of trays T1 to T5.
De each disk designation number No. 1 to No. 5 for CPU
It can be seen that the setting change unit 8 can be easily realized in accordance with the user's recombination designation.

That is, the correspondence between the tray identification number recorded in the memory device 7 and the disk designation number is changed in a disk designation number change mode by a mode select button or the like. Specifically, the user presses the disk selection button Bx once to specify the disk specification number to be changed,
Next, a new disk designation number is input and rewritten by pressing the disk selection button Bx once (the original disk designation number is erased by being overwritten). In this way, the disc designation number can be changed while the disc is stored without a troublesome operation of once taking out the disc and loading it again to another tray.

The central processing unit (CPU) 8
Is controlled by the memory (RO) of the control microcomputer.
M) is performed by software control in accordance with a program pre-recorded in the central processing unit (CP).
U) 8 and the memory device 7 (memory LSI such as DRAM or SRAM or flash PROM) are often integrated in a one-chip microcomputer.

The disc selection button Bx and the like on the operation panel surface 11 are merely examples, and it goes without saying that the input may be performed by a dial type, a touch sensor type, or another type.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the number of stored disks is five disk changers. However, it is needless to say that the number of stored disks may be two or more, and two to 300 disks may be used. It may be arranged in a system or a donut shape. Further, the structure of the tray is typically a simple dish type, but it is only necessary to hold the discs one by one, and a support member using a simple locking tool may be used.

It should be noted that, in the disk management method of the disk changer according to the present invention, the user may not arbitrarily set the disk designation number by himself or herself. It is desirable to make it possible to select the management in which the identification number and the disk designation number are matched. That is, the present disk management method can be additionally employed.

It should be noted that the software-controlled program by the CPU 8 basically only needs to add the program of the present management method, and can be immediately applied to a current disk changer.

As described in detail above, according to the disk management method of the disk changer of the present invention, the user can freely set the disk designation number at the time of loading, so that the disk management on the user side becomes easy and the loading can be performed. In this case, the waiting time at the time of loading can be shortened, and the designated number of the disc after loading can be freely changed. It is obvious that this is a truly user-oriented invention.

[0027]

The disk management method of the disk changer according to the present invention has the following advantages. (1) A user can freely set a disk designation number irrespective of a tray at the time of loading a disk, thereby facilitating disk management on the user side. There is an excellent effect.

(2) There is an excellent effect that the waiting time during disc loading can be shortened.

(3) Since the user can freely change the disk designation number while the disk is stored in the disk changer, there is an excellent effect that the disk management after loading becomes easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between disc loading, a disc designation number, and a tray identification number according to a disc management method of a disc changer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a disk management method of a disk changer according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a simple flowchart illustrating a loading procedure in the disk management method of the disk changer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the loading of a CD in a conventional CD changer, a disc designation number, and a tray identification number.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 6 insertion slot 7 memory device 8 central processing unit (CPU) 9 tray moving mechanism 11 operation panel surface 30 disk changer Da-De disk (CD) T1-T5 tray

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5D066 BA03 BA05 5D072 AB36 BE03 BH05 CA11 CA17 CB04 EB12

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A disc on which audio data or video data is recorded is stored one by one in a plurality of trays with identification numbers, and a user can select a disc designation number from the plurality of stored discs. Therefore, in the disk management method of the disk changer controlled by the central processing unit (CPU) so as to play the corresponding selected disk, the disk designation number of the disk stored in any empty tray regardless of the identification number of the tray. A disk management method for a disk changer, comprising means for a user to arbitrarily set before or after disk loading. 2. The disk management method according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit (CPU) moves the empty tray closest to the disk insertion slot to the position of the insertion slot when loading the disk. A disk management method for a disk changer, comprising controlling a moving mechanism. 3. The disk management method for a disk changer according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit (CPU) assigns each disk designation number of the plurality of disks respectively stored in the plurality of trays to the user. A disk changer disk management method comprising: a disk specification number setting change means for changing the disk according to the change specification.