JP2009277280A - Information reproducing device and information reproducing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information reproducing device and an information reproducing method by which an optimal method for decoding coded data is selected based on consumable power according to a power supply source. <P>SOLUTION: The information reproducing device, which decodes and reproduces coded data by either one of a plurality of decoding systems, includes: a power source detecting means for detecting the type of a power source for supplying power to the information reproducing device; and a decoding system selection means for selecting a decording system of the coded data based on the kind of the power source detected by the power source detection means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus and an information reproducing method, and more particularly to an information reproducing apparatus and an information reproducing method for decoding and reproducing encoded data by any one of a plurality of decoding methods.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a compressed data decoding apparatus that reproduces content by controlling the speed of decoding processing in accordance with the remaining capacity of a battery or in accordance with normal / energy saving mode selection at the time of reproduction. Yes.

  Patent Document 2 discloses an information reproducing apparatus that detects a remaining capacity of a battery and changes a reproduction mode designated by an operator according to the remaining capacity of the battery.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a portable multimedia communication terminal device that controls a decoding mode according to the remaining battery level. In particular, the portable multimedia communication terminal device includes a battery remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining power amount of the storage battery, and a user who has received a notification of the remaining battery level from the battery remaining amount detection unit switches the switch, The encoding mode can be switched by the encoding mode switching unit. Alternatively, the encoding mode can be switched by the encoding mode automatic switching unit according to the battery remaining amount from the battery remaining amount detecting unit.

  Patent Document 4 discloses an audio signal recording / reproducing apparatus that includes a power supply detection circuit that detects whether an AC (Alternating Current) power supply or an internal power supply, and performs clock control according to the detected power supply.

  Also, Patent Document 5 discloses an example of an audio expansion / playback apparatus that can expand and reproduce one compressed audio data by using different audio expansion methods. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an audio expansion / playback apparatus according to Patent Document 5. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing of the audio expansion / playback apparatus according to Patent Document 5.

  In Patent Document 5, the servo device 502 reads an audio code signal or the like from a disk 501 that is a recording medium, and sends it to a signal demodulation device 503 and a system control device 504. Then, the signal demodulator 503 demodulates the voice code signal and the like, and sends it to the voice decompression DSP 505 and the system controller 504. Also, the voice decompression DSP 505 performs a decompression process on the demodulated voice code signal from the signal demodulator 503 by the process shown in FIG. 6 and transmits it to the DA converter 506.

  First, the system control device 504 reads selection information from the sound quality selection switch 508 (S601). When the selection information is not low sound quality (NO in S602), the system control device 504 sends a high voltage (S606) from the power supply voltage supply device 510, a high frequency clock signal (S607) from the clock supply device 509, and a program ROM 511. The first arithmetic program (S608) for performing wideband and high-accuracy decompression processing for high sound quality reproduction is supplied to the audio decompression DSP 505. In addition, when the selection information has low sound quality (YES in S602), the system control device 504 receives a low voltage (S603) from the power supply voltage supply device 510, a low frequency clock signal (S604) from the clock supply device 509, and A second arithmetic program (S605) for performing low-bandwidth and low-precision expansion processing for low-quality sound reproduction is supplied from the program ROM 511 to the audio expansion DSP 505. After that, the voice decompression DSP 505 performs decompression computation according to the supplied power supply voltage, clock signal, and computation program (S609).

Thereafter, the DA converter 506 converts the audio code signal from a digital signal to an analog signal and transmits the analog signal to the audio output device 507. The audio output device 507 amplifies and filters the analog signal and then outputs it to the outside.
JP 2001-189659 A JP 2002-170323 A Japanese Patent No. 3623967 JP 2004-171656 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-097835

  However, in the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 described above, even if the power supply source is such that power consumption does not become a problem, reproduction with inferior quality is performed. On the other hand, decoding is performed using a decoding method with high power consumption. However, there is a problem that the playback time is shortened.

  In Patent Document 1, the decoding processing speed is controlled based on the remaining capacity of the battery, but the power supply source including the external power source is not considered, and only the speed control is performed. It does not control by. In Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, a power supply source including an external power source is not considered. For this reason, when the power supply source is an external power source, the power that can be consumed is abundant, but the power consumption is low, but the decoding method has to be reproduced with low decoding accuracy.

  In Patent Document 4, clock control can be performed by a power supply source, but the remaining battery level in the case of an internal power source is not considered, and only speed control is performed. It does not control. For this reason, even if the power supply source is an internal power source and the remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, reproduction must be performed with a low-accuracy decoding method. Or, even if the power supply source is an internal power source and the remaining battery level is less than the predetermined value, the reproducible time is shortened by continuing to play with a highly accurate decoding method, that is, a decoding method with high power consumption. There is a risk that.

  Furthermore, in patent document 5, the electric power supply source including an external power supply and a battery remaining charge is not considered. For this reason, even if the power supply source is an external power source, reproduction must be performed by a decoding method with low decoding accuracy. Also, even if the power supply source is an internal power source and the remaining battery level is less than a predetermined value, playback must continue with a highly accurate decoding method, that is, a decoding method with high power consumption, and the reproducible time is short. There is a risk of becoming.

  An information reproducing apparatus according to the present invention decodes and reproduces encoded data by one of a plurality of decoding methods. A power source detecting means for detecting a power source type for supplying power to the information reproducing apparatus; and a decoding method selection for selecting a decoding method for the encoded data based on the power source type detected by the power source detecting means. Means.

  An information reproduction method according to the present invention is an information reproduction apparatus that decodes and reproduces encoded data by any one of a plurality of decoding methods, and includes a type of power supply that supplies power to the information reproduction apparatus. A power detection step for detecting; and a decoding method selection step for selecting a decoding method for the encoded data based on the type of power detected by the power detection step.

  According to the information reproducing apparatus and the information reproducing method of the present invention described above, for example, when the power supply source is an external power source, the power that can be consumed is abundant. It is possible to select a method and continue playing.

  In addition, when the power supply source is an internal power supply and the remaining battery level is less than a predetermined value, the power that can be consumed is limited. By selecting, the power consumption rate can be kept low and the reproduction time can be made as long as possible.

  In addition, when the power supply source is an internal power source and the remaining battery level is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a decoding method with relatively medium accuracy is selected to ensure a certain level of power consumption rate and playback time. It can be played back with optimal decoding accuracy.

  For the information reproducing apparatus, the decoding method affects the power consumption. Therefore, by selecting a decoding method in consideration of consumable power, it is possible to perform optimal reproduction according to the power supply status to the information reproducing apparatus, that is, the usage form of the information reproducing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information reproducing apparatus and an information reproducing method for selecting an optimal encoded data decoding method based on power that can be consumed according to a power supply source.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as necessary for the sake of clarity.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a music playback device 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The music playback device 10 is an information playback device capable of decoding one audio encoded data by a plurality of decoding methods with different power consumptions and playing back with sound quality corresponding to each decoding method. Here, the audio encoded data is an audio data signal subjected to compression processing, and examples of the encoding and decoding method include MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer-3).

  The music playback device 10 includes an encoded data input unit 101, a decoding unit 102, a decoded data output unit 103, a system control unit 104, a power supply source determination unit 105, a setting input unit 106, and a display unit 107. Is provided.

  The encoded data input unit 101 reads audio encoded data stored in a recording medium (not shown) and outputs it to the decoding unit 102. The decoding unit 102 receives input of encoded speech data from the encoded data input unit 101, decodes the encoded speech data based on a decoding method specified by the system control unit 104, and outputs the decoded encoded data to the decoded data output unit 103. Output. Here, as a decoding method, a low sound quality mode capable of processing with low power consumption but low accuracy decoding, a high sound quality mode capable of high accuracy decoding but requiring high power consumption, and a low sound quality mode. In addition, there is a normal sound quality mode that can be decoded with an intermediate degree of accuracy with an intermediate power consumption of the high sound quality mode. There may be three or more decoding methods.

  The decoded data output unit 103 outputs the data decoded by the decoding unit 102 to an audio output device (not shown).

  The power supply source determination unit 105 determines whether the power supply source that is the power supply source for operating the music playback device 10 is an internal power supply or an external power supply, and performs system control on information regarding the determined power supply source Notification to the unit 104. In addition, when the power supply source is an internal power supply, the power supply source determination unit 105 notifies the system control unit 104 of information regarding the consumption amount of the internal power supply. The internal power source may be, for example, a battery (not shown) or the like built in the music playback device 10, and in this case, the information regarding consumption may be the remaining battery level. The external power source may be, for example, an AC power source, and in that case, it may be supplied via an AC adapter.

  The setting input unit 106 receives inputs such as playback mode automatic switching information, a battery remaining amount threshold value, and a decoding method designation value set by the user of the music playback device 10 and outputs them to the system control unit 104. Here, the reproduction mode automatic switching information is information expressed by “ON” or “OFF”. When “ON” is set in the playback mode automatic switching information, the music playback device 10 selects a decoding method for speech encoded data based on information notified from the power supply source determination unit 105. In addition, when “OFF” is set in the playback mode automatic switching information, the music playback device 10 selects a decoding method of speech encoded data based on a specified value or initial value from the user. Note that the playback mode automatic switching information and the remaining battery level threshold value may be stored in a memory (not shown) in the music playback device 10 or may be changed by the setting input unit 106.

  The display unit 107 displays the information input by the setting input unit 106, the playback status of speech encoded data by the music playback device 10, and the like.

  The system control unit 104 controls the encoded data input unit 101, the decoding unit 102, the decoded data output unit 103, the power supply source determination unit 105, the setting input unit 106, and the display unit 107 described above. In particular, the system control unit 104 selects a decoding method based on the input value from the setting input unit 106, information on the power supply source from the power supply source determination unit 105, and the remaining battery level, and selects the decoding method. Notify the decoding unit 102.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing decoding method selection processing by the system control unit 104 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. First, the system control unit 104 determines whether or not the playback mode automatic switching information received from the setting input unit 106 is “ON” (S201).

  Here, when it is determined that the playback mode automatic switching information is not “ON”, that is, “OFF”, the system control unit 104 notifies the decoding unit 102 of the designated mode as a decoding method and executes the decoding. (S207). The designated mode is, for example, a designated value of a decoding method input from the user via the setting input unit 106 or an initial value of a preset decoding method.

  When it is determined that the regeneration mode automatic switching information is “ON”, the system control unit 104 determines whether the information regarding the power supply source received from the power supply source determination unit 105 is an internal power source. (S202).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is not the internal power source, that is, the external power source, the system control unit 104 notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the high sound quality mode and executes the decoding (S206).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is the internal power supply, the system control unit 104 determines whether the remaining battery level received from the power supply source determination unit 105 is smaller than the threshold value of the remaining battery level received from the setting input unit 106. Is determined (S203).

  When it is determined that the remaining battery level is smaller than the threshold, the system control unit 104 notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the low sound quality mode, and executes decoding (S204). On the other hand, if it is determined that the battery remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the system control unit 104 notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the normal sound quality mode, and executes decoding (S205).

  As described above, the music playback device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention can select an optimal encoded data decoding method based on the power that can be consumed according to the power supply source. Therefore, when the power supply source is an external power source and power that can be consumed is abundant, music can be played with the highest sound quality in the music playback device 10. Further, when the power supply source is an internal power source, but there is a sufficient remaining battery power, that is, when there is a certain amount of power that can be consumed, music can be played with a medium sound quality in the music playback device 10. Can prevent unnecessary power consumption and sound quality degradation. Furthermore, when the power supply source is an internal power source and the remaining battery level is not sufficient, music can be played with the minimum sound quality in the music playback device 10, and longer playback while suppressing power consumption as much as possible. Can provide time.

Embodiment 2 of the Invention
The second embodiment of the present invention shows a modification of the music playback device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The music playback device 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can perform optimal playback in consideration of the sound quality desired by the user and the power supply status by controlling the power supply status and the sound quality selection switch. Is. In the following, differences from the first embodiment of the present invention will be mainly described, and description of the same configuration and processing as those of the first embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the music playback device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 3 differs from FIG. 1 in that the system control unit 104 and the power supply source determination unit 105 are replaced with the system control unit 104a and the power supply source determination unit 105a, the setting input unit 106 is removed, and the sound quality selection switch 108 is used. Has been added.

  The sound quality selection switch 108 receives an input of an output quality level (hereinafter referred to as an input level) set by the user of the music playback device 10 and outputs it to the system control unit 104. Here, the output quality level may be information indicating, for example, the high sound quality mode, the normal sound quality mode, and the low sound quality mode, which are the decoding methods described in the first embodiment of the present invention. The input level may be stored in an initial value in a memory (not shown) in the music playback device 11 or may be changed by the sound quality selection switch 108.

  The power supply source determination unit 105 a may have a function equivalent to that of the power supply source determination unit 105. Alternatively, the power supply source determination unit 105a may not have a function of notifying the system control unit 104a of information related to the consumption amount of the internal power supply.

  The system control unit 104a selects a decoding method based on the input level from the sound quality selection switch 108 and information on the power supply source from the power supply source determination unit 105a, and notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method. .

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a decoding method selection process performed by the system control unit 104a according to the second embodiment of the present invention. First, the system control unit 104a determines whether or not the information regarding the power supply source received from the power supply source determination unit 105a is an internal power supply, as in step S202 of FIG. 2 (S401).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is the internal power supply, the system control unit 104a determines whether or not the input level received from the sound quality selection switch 108 is the low sound quality mode (S402).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is the internal power supply and the input level is the low sound quality mode, the system control unit 104a notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the low sound quality mode, and executes the decoding (S404).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is the internal power supply and the input level is not the low sound quality mode, the system control unit 104a notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the normal sound quality mode, and executes the decoding (S405).

  In step S401, if the information regarding the power supply source is not the internal power supply, that is, the external power supply, the system control unit 104a determines whether the input level received from the sound quality selection switch 108 is the high sound quality mode. (S403).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is the external power source and the input level is not the high sound quality mode, the system control unit 104a notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the normal sound quality mode, and executes the decoding (S405).

  When the information regarding the power supply source is the external power source and the input level is the high sound quality mode, the system control unit 104a notifies the decoding unit 102 of the decoding method as the high sound quality mode, and executes the decoding (S406).

  As described above, the music playback device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention selects the optimum encoded data decoding method based on the sound quality desired by the user in addition to the power that can be consumed according to the power supply source. can do. Therefore, it is possible to reproduce the optimum information in consideration of the power supply source and the output quality desired by the user or the level of product power.

  In addition, with the music playback device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, even if the power supply source is an internal power source, if the user permits, it can be played back with higher accuracy while limiting power consumption. On the other hand, even if the power supply source is an external power source, if the user requests it, it can be regenerated with lower power consumption.

  The input level is not limited to the output quality. For example, the input level may be a power consumption level such as a power saving mode and a power mode with no power consumption limitation.

Other Embodiments of the Invention
The information reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the music reproducing apparatus as in the first and second embodiments of the present invention. For example, it may be a video playback device. That is, any information reproducing apparatus that can reproduce different information for a single encoded data by a plurality of decoding methods may be used.

  Note that the playback mode automatic switching information in the first embodiment of the present invention may be realized by arbitrary processing. For example, step S207 in FIG. 2 may be the processing flow in FIG.

  Note that the determination by the power supply source determination unit 105 is not limited to an external power source or an internal power source. For example, the determination may be based on an internal power source and an external battery.

  The present invention can also be applied to the following situations and have an effect. For example, when the information playback apparatus is a portable music playback apparatus, when using the music playback apparatus at home or the like, power can be supplied from an AC power source, so there are few power consumption restrictions. Music can be played back with the highest sound quality that makes the most of the decoding function. On the other hand, when the music playback device is carried away, the highest sound quality in the music playback device is not realized, but the sound quality can be sacrificed to some extent to reduce power consumption and to play for a long time. In particular, although it takes another hour to go home, in a situation where the battery level of the music playback device is about 30 minutes, the playback time can be extended by further reducing the sound quality.

  As another solution in the above situation, it is conceivable to store a plurality of encoded data with different bit rates in the portable music player for the same music data. However, since the portable music player has a large internal memory capacity limitation, it can be said to be a solution with low practicality. Therefore, as in the present invention, it can be said that the solution by selecting the decoding method by the reproduction processing program of the music reproducing apparatus is more effective.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, a decoding method can be automatically selected according to the usage status of the apparatus, that is, the power supply status. Therefore, judgment and operation by the user can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the sound quality and power consumption can be changed according to the power supply status, there is no need to use a plurality of information playback devices for each usage status, that is, one information playback device is used in various situations. There is an effect that can be.

  For example, when listening to music on the go, use a portable music player, use an audio set at home, and a car stereo device in a car. It refers to using a playback device. In this case, an operation for transferring the music data to each music playback device is required, which is complicated.

  However, due to the recent development of audio equipment, the power to the portable music player via the AC adapter is connected to the above-described fixed music player via the AC adapter via the connection mechanism between the portable music player, for example, a docking station. Can be supplied. Therefore, when the music playback apparatus according to the present invention is connected to the above-described docking station or the like, it is determined that the power supply source is an external power source, and high-quality playback can be performed. In particular, by being connected to the docking station, it is possible to output via an amplifier, 7.1ch speaker, etc., so that it is possible to provide high-quality sound reproduction.

  From the above, the information reproducing apparatus according to the present invention can be used in various situations with sound quality and power consumption suitable for the situation, and the movement of encoded data between information reproducing apparatuses, etc. You can save time and effort.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention described above.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the music reproducing apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the selection process of the decoding system concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the music reproduction apparatus concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the selection process of the decoding system concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the audio | voice expansion | extension reproduction | regeneration apparatus concerning a related technique. It is a flowchart figure which shows the process of the audio | voice expansion | extension reproduction | regeneration apparatus concerning a related technique.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Music reproducing apparatus 11 Music reproducing apparatus 101 Encoded data input part 102 Decoding part 103 Decoded data output part 104 System control part 104a System control part 105 Power supply source determination part 105a Power supply source determination part 106 Setting input part 107 Display part 108 Sound quality selection switch 501 Disc 502 Servo device 503 Signal demodulation device 504 System control device 505 Audio decompression DSP
506 DA converter 507 Audio output device 508 Sound quality selection switch 509 Clock supply device 510 Power supply voltage supply device 511 Program ROM

Claims (15)

An information reproducing apparatus for decoding and reproducing encoded data by any of a plurality of decoding methods,
Power supply detection means for detecting the type of power supply for supplying power to the information reproducing apparatus;
An information reproducing apparatus comprising: a decoding method selection unit that selects a decoding method of the encoded data based on the type of power detected by the power detection unit. The information reproducing apparatus is supplied with power from either a first power source or a second power source having a larger capacity than the first power source,
The decoding method selection means selects a decoding method with a lower accuracy when the power source type is the first power source than when the power source type is the second power source. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1. The first power source is an internal power source;
The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second power source is an external power source. The information reproducing apparatus includes:
Power is supplied by either an internal power supply or an external power supply having a larger capacity than the internal power supply,
When the power source detected by the power source detection unit is the internal power source, further comprising a remaining amount detection unit for detecting the remaining amount of the internal power source,
The decoding method selection unit selects a decoding method of the encoded data based on a remaining amount of the internal power source detected by the remaining amount detection unit and a type of the power source. The information reproducing apparatus according to 1.   The decoding method selecting means, when the remaining amount of the internal power source is less than a predetermined value, selects a decoding method with lower accuracy than when the remaining amount of the internal power source is larger than a predetermined value. 4. The information reproducing apparatus according to 4. It further comprises input receiving means for receiving an input of output quality or power consumption level,
2. The decoding method selecting unit according to claim 1, wherein the decoding method selecting unit selects a decoding method for the encoded data based on the input level received by the input receiving unit and the type of the power source. Information playback device. The information reproducing apparatus is supplied with power by either an internal power source or an external power source having a larger capacity than the internal power source,
The decoding method selection means is less accurate when the power supply type is an internal power supply and the input level is higher than when the power supply type is an external power supply and the input level is high. 7. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a medium precision decoding method is selected.   8. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the decoding method selection unit selects the medium-accuracy decoding method when the type of power source is an external power source and the input level is low. An information reproducing method in an information reproducing apparatus for decoding and reproducing encoded data by any of a plurality of decoding methods,
A power source detection step for detecting a type of power source for supplying power to the information reproducing device;
An information reproduction method comprising: a decoding method selection step of selecting a decoding method of the encoded data based on the type of power detected by the power detection step.   In the decoding method selection step, when the power source type is the first power source that supplies power to the information reproducing apparatus, the power source type is a second power source having a larger capacity than the first power source. 10. The information reproducing method according to claim 9, wherein a decoding method having a lower accuracy than that of a certain case is selected. When the power source detected in the power source detection step is an internal power source that supplies power to the information reproducing device, further comprising a remaining amount detection step of detecting a remaining amount of the internal power source,
The decoding method selection step selects a decoding method of the encoded data based on a remaining amount of the internal power source detected by the remaining amount detection step and a type of the power source. 9. The information reproduction method according to 9.   The decoding method selection step, when the remaining amount of the internal power source is less than a predetermined value, selects a decoding method with lower accuracy than when the remaining amount of the internal power source is larger than a predetermined value. 11. The information reproducing method according to 11. An input receiving step for receiving an input of output quality or power consumption level;
10. The decoding method selecting step according to claim 9, wherein the decoding method selection step selects a decoding method of the encoded data based on the input level received by the input receiving step and the type of the power source. Information reproduction method.   In the decoding method selection step, when the type of power supply is an internal power supply that supplies power to the information reproducing apparatus and indicates that the input level is high, the power supply type is an external power supply having a larger capacity than the internal power supply. 14. The information reproducing method according to claim 13, wherein a medium-accuracy decoding method having a lower accuracy than that in the case where the input level is high is selected.   15. The information reproducing method according to claim 14, wherein the decoding method selection step selects the medium-accuracy decoding method when the type of power supply is an external power supply and the input level is low.

Images