JP3319607B2 - Playback device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[Table of Contents] The present invention will be described in the following order. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention Means for Solving the Problem (FIG. 1) Function (FIG. 1) Embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 9) Effects of the Invention

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus, and is applicable to a reproducing apparatus for connecting a plurality of compact disc players, for example.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a compact disc player, a TO disposed at an innermost periphery of the compact disc is used.
Along with C (table of contents) information, reproduction program information set by the user and character information such as a compact disk name and a player name are registered as information unique to the compact disk, so-called custom file, and stored in a nonvolatile memory means. Some are made to be memorable (Japanese Patent Application No. 1-210404).

In practice, some of such compact disk players store custom files of a plurality of compact disks in a memory means, and use the TOC information of the mounted compact disk at the timing when the compact disk is mounted. , To access custom files.

That is, if a custom file having TOC information similar to the TOC information of the mounted compact disc is present in the memory means, the user waits for designation of whether or not to change the custom file.

In this state, if the user specifies not to change the custom file, the character information in the custom file is displayed on, for example, a display unit, and a reproduction process according to the reproduction program information is executed.

Conversely, if the user specifies to change the custom file, the character information and the reproduction program information in the custom file are changed by the user's operation in an interactive manner and then registered.

If the memory means does not include the same TOC information as that of the mounted compact disk, the system waits for a user's designation as to whether to create and register a new custom file.

In this state, when the user designates the creation of a custom file, character information and reproduction program information created by the user's operation are registered as a custom file together with the TOC information of the mounted compact disk.

Further, in such a compact disc player, a custom file can be searched or erased using, for example, character information as a keyword.

In this way, a custom file consisting of information unique to each compact disk is stored in the memory means, and is read out and used at the timing when the compact disk is mounted, so that an optimum reproducing operation is performed for each compact disk. It is possible to improve the usability of the user.

[0012]

By the way, a plurality of compact disk players configured to store the custom file in the memory means as described above are connected, and a plurality of compact disks are alternately reproduced or sequentially and continuously. There are compact disc player systems that can be played.

However, in the case of such a compact disc player system, since the custom files are individually created and stored in the respective memory means, when reproducing the compact disc by a player other than the compact disc player in which the custom files are registered. However, it was necessary to create a new custom file and register it again, which was insufficient in terms of user convenience.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and proposes a reproducing apparatus which can greatly improve the user's convenience when a plurality of reproducing means capable of storing identification information of a recording medium are connected. It is assumed that.

[0015]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a plurality of reproduction means 4 to 7 capable of mounting one or a plurality of recording media are connected to each other, and the recording media are mutually connected. In a reproducing apparatus capable of communicating identification information, identification information storage means 10 capable of storing identification information of a plurality of recording media in reproduction means 4 to 7 respectively.
And communication means capable of mutually communicating between the recording information recorded on the recording medium and the other reproduction means 4 to 7, and the other reproduction means 4 to 7 via the communication means. And a control unit for searching, registering, or deleting the identification information stored in the identification information storage units 10 to 12 of the reproduction units 4 to 7.

[0016]

The identification information storage means for storing the identification information of a plurality of recording media respectively in the reproduction means and the recording information recorded on the recording medium in the other reproduction means. And communication means for communicating with the other reproducing means 4 to 7 via the communication means and storing the information in the identification information storage means 10 to 12 of the reproducing means 4 to 7. And a control unit for searching, registering or deleting the identified identification information.
0 to 12 can be commonly managed as a whole, and thus the usability of the user can be improved.

[0017]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a compact disk (CD) player system according to the present invention as a whole, and a system controller 3 through a bus line 2;
Fourth compact disk player (CD1 to CD4)
4 to 7 and the selector device 8 are connected.

In practice, the compact disc player system 1 is used, for example, as a car audio system. A system controller 3 and a first compact disc player 4 are arranged in a console box in a car, and a selector device 8 is provided. Is placed under the seat,
Furthermore, the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7
Are located in the trunk.

In the case of this embodiment, the first compact disk player 4 is designed so that one compact disk can be mounted and reproduced, and the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 have a plurality of, for example, 10 each
One, six, or ten compact discs are mounted on a case device called a magazine. By loading the magazine, a plurality of compact discs can be reproduced.

The second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 are non-volatile RAs backed up by batteries.
M (random access memory) comprising custom file memories 10 to 12;
Is a capacity for registering, for example, up to 100 custom files.

Inside the first to fourth compact disk players 4 to 7, a magazine file memory for reading and storing a custom file corresponding to a compact disk actually mounted at the time of operation directly or through a magazine is provided. It is formed of RAM.

The magazine file in the magazine file memory has a format as shown in FIG. 2A, and the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 in which the custom file read as the magazine file is registered. , The file number nnn of the custom file, and the content (XXXXXXXXXXXX) read from the custom file.

In practice, the custom file is shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), the T of the corresponding compact disc is
The OC information and custom file information such as reproduction program information set by a user and character information including a compact disk name and a player name are stored as data.

Here, the system controller 3 has four compact disc players 4 to 7 connected as a whole system through the bus line 2 when the system is constructed, and has a custom file memory 10 to 12 among them. Check that there are three.

Thereafter, the system controller 3 has four compact disk players 4 to 7 connected to all the compact disk players 4 to 7, and three of them have custom file memories 10 to 12. Is notified through the bus line 2.

Each of the compact disk players 4 to 7
Has a control circuit which includes a microcomputer therein and has a built-in communication procedure which enables communication between the system control device 3 and the other compact disk players 4 to 7.

As a result, the control circuit of the first compact disk player 4 has the custom file memories 10-1.
It is known that there are three compact disk players 5 to 7 each having 2 and the control circuits of the second to third compact disk players 5 to 7 have the compact disk players 5 to 7 having the custom file memories 10 to 12 in addition to themselves. 7 knows that there are three.

In the above configuration, the magazine files having the contents shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D are stored in the magazine file memories of the first to fourth compact disk players 4 to 7, respectively. The custom file memories 10-12 of the compact disk players 5-7 of FIG.
It is assumed that custom files having the contents shown in (E) to (G) are stored.

In this state, the first to fourth compact disk players 4 to 7 communicate with each other as required, and each of the custom file memories communicates with each other by a communication procedure as shown in FIGS. The user can access 10 to 12 custom files.

That is, first, the first compact disk player 4 having no custom file memory itself.
In the case of (1), processing for searching, registering, changing, and deleting a custom file for the mounted compact disk all accesses the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 through the bus line 2.

In practice, when searching for a custom file of a compact disc on which the first compact disc player 4 is mounted, the control circuit of the first compact disc player 4 is, as shown in FIG. Request for TOC search using the TOC information of the second
To the fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 to instruct search for a custom file.

The control circuits of the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 search the respective custom file memories 10 to 12 using the TOC information received from the first compact disk player 4 and search results. To the first compact disk player 4.

In this embodiment, the TOC is stored in the custom file memory 12 of the fourth compact disc player 7.
Indicates that a custom file according to the information exists,
The control circuits of the second and third compact disk players 5 and 6 send a response without a custom file to the first compact disk player 4.

In addition, the fourth compact disk player 7 sends the file number of the custom file and the custom file data to the first compact disk player 4 together with the response indicating that the custom file exists.

Thus, the control circuit of the first compact disc player 4 stores the custom file received from the fourth compact disc player 7 in the magazine file memory and uses it.

On the other hand, when the control circuit of the first compact disk player 4 receives a response without a custom file from all of the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7, the custom file is registered. It is determined that there is no custom file, and the user waits for designation of whether to register the custom file.

When the user specifies to register a custom file for the compact disc mounted on the first compact disc player 4, the first
The control circuit of the compact disk player 4 transmits an empty search request to the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 as shown in FIG.
A search for a free space of 0 to 12 is instructed.

The control circuits of the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 respond to the received empty search request by
An empty space in each of the custom file memories 10 to 12 is searched, and the search result is returned to the first compact disk player 4.

In this embodiment, the custom file memories 1 of the second and third compact disk players 5 and 6 are used.
This shows a state where there is an empty space in 0 and 11 and no empty space exists in the custom file memory 12 of the fourth compact disk player 7.

In this case, the control circuits of the second and third compact disk players 5 and 6 send a response indicating that there is an empty space to the first.
And the control circuit of the fourth compact disk player 7 transmits a response indicating that there is no available space to the first compact disk player 4.

The control circuit of the first compact disk player 4 creates a custom file in accordance with the user's specification and, together with the TOC information of the mounted compact disk, as a custom file registration request, for example, a second file.
Is transmitted to the compact disk player 5.

The control circuit of the second compact disc player 5 registers the custom file in an empty area of the custom file memory 10 based on the received custom file registration request, and thereafter, a registration number consisting of the registered file number. Is transmitted to the first compact disk player 4.

The first compact disk player 4
When the control circuit receives responses indicating that there is no free space from all of the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7, the control circuit detects that the custom file is full and stops the custom file registration process.

The first compact disk player 4
When the control circuit performs update processing such as change or deletion of a custom file, as shown in FIG. 6, a compact disk player in which a custom file to be updated is registered (in this case, a third compact disk). A custom file update request is transmitted to the player 6) using the file number nnn.

When the control circuit of the third compact disk player 6 receives the custom file update request, the control file of the custom file of the file number nnn in the custom file memory 10 is changed or deleted according to the type of the custom file update request. Execute the process.

Here, the custom file memory 10 is internally provided.
In the case of the second to fourth compact disk players 5 to 7 having the files No. to No. 12, processing such as search, registration, change, and deletion of a custom file is performed through the bus line 2 in the following cases.

That is, own custom file memory 1
If 0 to 12 are searched, but there is no custom file of the corresponding TOC information, or if registration is attempted but there is no free space in the custom file memories 10 to 12, further change is made. There is a case where data is to be deleted but the data is in the custom file memories 10 to 12 of the other compact disk players 5 to 7.

In practice, for example, when the control circuit of the fourth compact disk player 7 searches for a custom file, if the custom file exists in its own custom file memory 12, the search processing ends at this point. I do.

On the other hand, if there is no custom file in its own custom file memory 12, the fourth
As shown in FIG. 7, the control circuit of the compact disk player 7 transmits a TOC search request using the TOC information, transmits the request to the first to third compact disk players 4 to 6, and instructs to search for a custom file. I do.

Since the control circuit of the first compact disc player 4 does not have the custom file memory itself, it does not respond to this TOC search request, and the control circuits of the second and third compact disc players 5 and 6 4th
Using the TOC information received from the compact disk player 7, the respective custom file memories 10 and 11 are searched, and the search results are returned to the fourth compact disk player 4.

This embodiment shows a case where TOC information to be searched exists in the custom file memory 11 of the third compact disk player 6, and the control circuit of the second compact disk player 5 has no custom file. The response is transmitted to the fourth compact disk player 7.

The third compact disk player 6
Transmits the file number of the custom file and the custom file data to the fourth compact disc player 7 together with the response indicating that the custom file exists.

Thus, the control circuit of the fourth compact disc player 7 stores the custom file received from the third compact disc player 6 in the magazine file memory and uses it.

On the other hand, when the control circuit of the fourth compact disk player 7 receives a response without a custom file from all of the second and third compact disk players 5 and 6, the custom file is registered. It is determined that there is no custom file, and the user waits for designation of whether to register the custom file.

When the user specifies to register a custom file, the control circuit of the fourth compact disc player 4 searches for a free space in its own custom file memory 12, and if there is a free space, the control circuit of the fourth compact disk player 4 checks the free space. And register the custom file, and terminate the registration process.

The fourth compact disk player 4
When there is no free space in the custom file memory 12, the control circuit transmits a free space search request to the first to third compact disk players 4 to 6, as shown in FIG. An instruction to search for 11 empty spaces is issued.

The control circuit of the first compact disk player 4 does not have a custom file memory itself and therefore does not respond to the received empty search request, and the control circuits of the second and third compact disk players 5 and 6 In response to the received empty search request, each of the custom file memories 10 and 11 is searched, and the search result is returned to the fourth compact disk player 4.

In this embodiment, there is shown a state in which a free space exists in the custom file memory 10 of the second compact disk player 5 and no free space exists in the custom file memory 11 of the third compact disk player 6.

In this case, the control circuit of the second compact disk player 5 sends a response indicating that there is a free space to the fourth compact disk player 7, and the control circuit of the third compact disk player 6 transmits a response indicating that there is no free space to the fourth compact disk player 6. Is transmitted to the compact disk player 7.

The control circuit of the fourth compact disc player 7 creates a custom file in accordance with the user's specification and sends it to the second compact disc player 5 as a custom file registration request together with the TOC information of the compact disc. Send.

The control circuit of the second compact disk player 5 registers the custom file in the free area of the custom file memory 10 based on the received custom file registration request, and then registers the registration number consisting of the registered file number. Is transmitted to the fourth compact disk player 7.

The fourth compact disk player 7
When the control circuit receives the full response from all of the second and third compact disk players 5 and 6,
It detects that the custom file is full and interrupts the registration process.

The fourth compact disk player 7
When the control circuit performs update processing such as changing or deleting a custom file, as shown in FIG. 9, the compact disk player (in this case, the second compact disk) in which the custom file to be updated is registered A custom file update request is transmitted to the player 5) using the file number nnn.

Upon receiving the custom file update request, the control circuit of the second compact disk player 5 receives the custom file update request, and changes the type of the custom file with the file number nnn in the custom file memory 10 by changing or deleting the custom file. Execute the processing according to.

According to the above configuration, a plurality of compact disk players 5 to 7 and a normal compact disk player 4 adapted to store a custom file corresponding to a compact disk in the custom file memories 10 to 12 are connected. At this time, the control circuit of each of the compact disk players 4 to 7 communicates with the other compact disk players 4 to 7 so that the own custom file memories 10 to 12 and the other compact disk players 4 to 7 communicate with each other. The custom file memories 10 to 12 are accessed, so that the custom file memories 10 to 12 can be accessed from all the compact disc players 4 to 7.
12 can be managed in common as a whole, and thus a compact disk player system 1 that can improve the usability of the user can be realized.

In the above embodiment, a case was described in which four compact disc players were connected to the bus line, and three of the compact disc players were connected to a custom file memory. The connection configuration is not limited to this, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be realized even if the connection configuration is arbitrary.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a compact disc player system in which a plurality of compact disc players are connected has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of reproducing means are connected. It is suitable for wide application to playback devices.

[0069]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of reproducing means capable of mounting one or a plurality of recording media are connected to each other so as to be capable of mutually communicating the identification information of the recording media. In the device, the reproducing means mutually exchanges the identification information storing means configured to be able to respectively store the identification information of the plurality of recording media, and the recording information recorded on the recording medium with another reproducing means. A communication means capable of communication and a control means for communicating with another reproduction means via the communication means and performing search, registration or deletion of identification information stored in the identification information storage means of the reproduction means are provided. By doing so, it is possible to realize a playback apparatus that can manage the identification information storage means as a whole as a whole and thus can improve the usability of the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a compact disc player system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a format of a magazine file and a custom file.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a magazine file and a custom file of the entire system.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing a procedure for searching for a custom file between compact disc players.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing a procedure for registering a custom file between compact disc players.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing a procedure for updating a custom file between compact disc players.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing a procedure for searching for a custom file between compact disc players.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing a procedure for registering a custom file between compact disc players.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing a procedure for updating a custom file between compact disc players.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Compact disk player system, 2 ... Bus line, 3 ... System control device, 4-7 ... Compact disk player, 8 ... Selector device, 10-1
2 ... Custom file memory.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Rikizo Tabe 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (56) References JP-A-3-76082 (JP, A) JP-A Hei 2-82311 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for mounting one or a plurality of recording media.
Multiple playback means are connected, The recording medium
Can communicate body identification informationIn the reproducing apparatus, the reproducing means includes a plurality of the recording media.the aboveIdentification informationRespectivelyCan remember
Identification information storage means configured toThe recorded information recorded on the recording medium is transferred to another reproducing
Communication means capable of communicating with each other; Communicate with other reproduction means via the communication means
And stored in the identification information storage means of the reproduction means.
Control means for searching, registering or deleting the identification information; To
A playback device, comprising: (2) The identification information is The content information recorded on the recording medium and the user
Playback program information, disk name and
Or include textual information representing the player's name A contract characterized by that
The playback device according to claim 1 .