JPH1049994A - Information reproducer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the degree of freedom of the reproducing of data by controlling the reading of data from an information recording medium according a stored data quantity. SOLUTION: The area of a buffer memory 15 is divided into two areas and respective areas are respectively assigned to two kinds of data recorded on a minidisk 4 and musical data and file data read out from the minidisk 4 are respective separately stored temporarily. Then, when a request for reproducing the file data is present in reproducing the musical data from a host computer 2, the file data are read out from the minidisk 4 to be buffered while securing the data quantity of buffered musical data to be the quantity of not less than a prescribed quantity. Thus, the reproducing of the file data on the host computer 2 is made possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus for reproducing data recorded on an information recording medium such as a mini disk, and more particularly, to an external apparatus such as a host computer in addition to directly reproducing data. The present invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus capable of reproducing data through the information reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional technique will be described by taking a mini disc reproducing apparatus for reproducing data recorded on a mini disc as an example of an information reproducing apparatus. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a mini-disc reproducing apparatus, which is connected to a host computer 2 via a SCSI bus 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a mini-disc having a diameter of 64 mm, which is set in the mini-disc reproducing apparatus 1 and is stored in a cartridge (not shown), and records two types of data, music data and file data.

[0003] The mini disk reproducing apparatus 1 comprises an optical pickup 11, an RF amplifier 12, and a decoder / decoder 13.
Signal processing / error detection and correction circuit, 14 is a memory controller, 15 is a buffer memory, 16 is a music decompression LSI,
7, a SCSI bus control unit for controlling the SCSI bus 3;
8 is a servo control circuit, 19 is a driver circuit, 20 is a spindle motor, 21 is a feed motor, and 22 is a system controller.

[0004] The operation of these components will be described. The optical pickup 11 magneto-optically reads an RF signal (modulated data) recorded on the mini disk 4. After amplifying the RF signal output from the optical pickup 11, the RF amplifier 12 extracts a focus error signal and a tracking error signal from the RF signal,
And the RF signal is binarized and output to the decoder / signal processing / error detection / correction circuit 13.

Decoder / signal processing / error detection and correction circuit 1
Reference numeral 3 demodulates the signal from the RF amplifier 12 and converts it into original data, and performs error detection and correction processing on the data by using the CRC and ECC included therein. The data passed through the decoder / signal processing / error detection and correction circuit 13 is R
It is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 15 using AM.
The address at that time is given from an address counter built in the memory controller 14.

When the reproduced data is music data, the data once stored in the buffer memory 15 is
Since the data amount is compressed, after being expanded to the original data amount by the music expansion LSI 16, although not shown,
After being converted from digital to analog and output from a speaker or the like, if the reproduction data is file data, it is transferred to the host computer 2 via the SCSI bus 3 controlled by the SCSI bus control unit 17.

In addition, a spindle motor 20 is a motor for rotating the mini-disc 4, a feed motor 21 is a motor for moving the optical pickup 11 in the radial direction of the mini-disc 4, and a driver circuit 19 is a spindle motor 20, a feed motor 21, This is a circuit for driving each of the objective lens actuators (not shown) in the optical pickup 11.

The servo control circuit 18 includes the optical pickup 1
This is a circuit that performs feedback control of the above-described units driven by the driver circuit 19 so that an operation such as tracking the target track on the mini disc 4 (tracking) is performed accurately. After that, the control amount is determined based on the outputs of the RF amplifier 12 and the decoder / signal processing / error detection / correction circuit 13, and the control amount is output to the driver circuit 19 as a control signal.

The system controller 22 includes a decoder / signal processing / error detection / correction circuit 13, a memory controller 1
4. A microcomputer for centrally managing the music decompression LSI 16 and the servo control circuit 18, and the mini disk reproducing device 1
When various control signals are received via the I bus 3, those signals are input from the SCSI bus control unit 17, and the respective units are controlled accordingly.

With the above-described configuration, when the mini-disc reproducing apparatus 1 directly receives a data reproduction request, the mini-disc reproducing apparatus 1 reads out music data from the mini-disc 1 and reproduces the music data on the mini-disc reproducing apparatus 1. When various control signals for a data reproduction request are sent from the host computer 2 via the bus 3, file data is read from the mini disk 4 and transferred to the host computer 2 via the SCSI bus 3. Plays the file data.

[0011]

However, in the above-mentioned mini-disc reproducing apparatus, music data cannot be reproduced while receiving a data reproduction request from the host computer and reading file data from the mini-disc. Conversely, while music data is being read, file data cannot be read from the mini-disc even if a data reproduction request is received from the host computer. In other words, music data playback on the mini-disc playback device and file data playback on the host computer cannot be performed at the same time, and the degree of freedom in data playback is low. It is very inconvenient when you do.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an information reproducing apparatus that reproduces one of two types of data recorded on an information recording medium on an information reproducing apparatus and reproduces the other on an external device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information reproducing apparatus with an increased degree of freedom.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, an information reproducing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first data and a second data which are two kinds of data recorded on an information recording medium. 1 data is read from the information recording medium and reproduced on the device, and 2nd data is read from the information recording medium and transferred to an external device, and is reproduced on the external device. Data having holding means for temporarily storing the read first data and second data separately, and controlling reading of data from an information recording medium in accordance with the amount of data stored in the holding means It has read control means.

As a specific example, a buffer memory for temporarily storing data read from the information recording medium is provided, the buffer memory is divided into two areas, and these areas are divided into the first data and the first data. When the data amount of the first data allocated to each of the two data and stored in the buffer memory becomes equal to or more than a predetermined amount X, the reading of the first data is temporarily stopped, and when the data amount becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount Y. , Restarting the reading of the first data,
When the data reproduction request and the second data reproduction request overlap, the first data is read preferentially, and the reading of the second data is stopped while the reading of the first data is stopped. Do.

By the way, in reproducing data recorded on the information recording medium, if the data is compressed, the time for reading the data from the information recording medium is shorter than the reproducing time. If the data amount of the data stored is appropriately managed and always secured to a predetermined amount or more, the data can be reproduced without any trouble without constantly reading the data from the information recording medium.

For data that is not temporally related, the time required to complete the reproduction may be long, but the reproduction can be performed without necessarily reading the data continuously.

Therefore, by configuring the information reproducing apparatus as described above, the first data is data that is compressed and recorded, such as music data, and the second data is temporally related data such as file data. If there is no data, the reproduction of the first data and the second data can be performed simultaneously.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mini-disc reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of FIG. 1 which is a block diagram of a conventional technique. Description of certain components will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the area of the buffer memory 15 is divided into two, and these areas are recorded on the mini disc 4.
The music data and file data read from the mini-disc 4 are assigned to the respective types of data, and are temporarily stored separately in the buffer memory 15.

Here, the mini disk 4 will be described a little. As shown in FIG. 2, the mini-disc 4 includes, in order from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, a lead-in area in which a disk control signal and the like are recorded and information on a plurality of data groups in which a user is recorded. A user TOC area for writing a plurality of data, a program area for recording a plurality of individually completed data groups, and a lead-out area for recording a disk control signal and the like. The area forms a recording area.

In the program area, a data area is formed in the format shown in FIG. 3, and a plurality of individually completed data groups are recorded. The program area is configured with data in a minimum unit called a sector, and the sector is continuously configured on a recording medium. In FIG.
They are numbered N, N + 1, N + 2. The recording area of each data is composed of an integral number of recording minimum units. The minimum unit of this recording is called a cluster, and the cluster is composed of an integer number of sectors.

Next, the buffer memory 15 will be described. FIG. 4 is an image diagram of the storage area of the buffer memory 15, and in the present embodiment, the size is 512
Area A is an area for buffering file data (temporarily storing data read from the mini-disc 4), and is allocated for 4 clusters. Is an area for buffering music data, and is assigned to four clusters.

The buffer memory 15 configured as described above
Will be described first for the case of reproducing music data. FIG. 5 is an image diagram in which the buffer memory 15 buffers music data. Music data read from the mini disk 4 is input from a music data input pointer, and is output from the music data output pointer to the music decompression LSI 16. As shown in the figure, the music data input pointer and the music data output pointer move in accordance with the input and output of the music data, respectively.

Here, since the music data is compressed to 1/5 and recorded on the mini-disc 4, the mini-disc 4
The time required to read the music data from is 1/5 of the time required to reproduce the music data. Therefore, when the buffer memory 15 is full of the buffered music data, the reading of the music data is temporarily suspended, and thereafter, when the data amount of the music data buffered by the buffer memory 15 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the music data is read. Resume data reading.

On the other hand, when the file data is reproduced on the host computer 2, the file data is not required to be immediate, unlike the music data. Output.

Assuming that the buffer memory 15 is configured as described above, the following describes a case where a request for reproducing file data is made from the host computer 2 and a case where music data is directly transmitted to the mini-disc reproducing apparatus. The processing performed by the mini-disc reproducing apparatus 1 when the reproduction request is issued will be described.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process performed by the minidisk reproducing apparatus 1 when a request for reproducing N sectors of file data is issued from the host computer 2. First, the file data buffered in the buffer memory 15 will be described. The count value M of the sector counter for counting the number of sectors is initialized to 0 (# 601).

Next, it is determined whether or not the music data is currently being reproduced (# 602). If music data is not being reproduced (N in # 602), file data for NM sectors is read and buffered (# 613), and the file data is transferred to the host computer 2 (##).
614), the process ends.

On the other hand, if the music data is being reproduced (# 6)
02, Y), it is determined whether or not the data amount of the buffered music data is equal to or less than a predetermined amount (# 60).
3). If it is equal to or less than the predetermined amount (Y of # 603), the music data is buffered until the area of the area B of the buffer memory 15 is full (# 604), and the process proceeds to # 605. If not (N in # 603),
The process proceeds to step # 605.

In step # 605, it is determined whether all the music data requested to be reproduced have been buffered. If the determination result is YES (Y of # 605), the aforementioned #
If the determination result is NO (N in 605), file data for one sector is read and buffered (# 606), and the count value M of the sector counter is incremented by 1 (# 607). , # 608.

In step # 608, it is determined whether or not the count value M of the sector counter matches the number N of sectors requested to be reproduced. If they do not match (N in # 608), the process returns to # 603 again, and if they match (# 608)
Y), the buffered file data is transferred to the host computer 2 (# 609).

Thereafter, when the data amount of the buffered music data becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, an operation of reading and buffering the music data until the area of the area B of the buffer memory 15 becomes full is requested to be reproduced. The process is performed until all the music data present are buffered, and the process is terminated (# 610, # 611, # 612).

According to the processing contents, when the host computer 2 requests the reproduction of the file data during the reproduction of the music data, the data amount of the buffered music data is secured to a predetermined amount or more while the mini disc is secured. 4, the file data is read out and buffered, so that the reproduction of the file data on the host computer 2 can be performed without any trouble in the reproduction of the music data.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of processing performed by the mini-disc reproducing apparatus 1 when a request for reproducing music data is made. First, it is determined whether or not file data is currently being read from the mini-disc 4. Judgment (# 7
01). If the reading has not been performed (N of # 701), the process proceeds to # 710 described later.

On the other hand, if reading is being performed (# 701)
Y), reading of the file data is stopped, and the number of sectors L of the file data that has not been buffered and has been requested to be reproduced is counted, and the number of sectors of the file data buffered in the buffer memory 15 is counted. The count value M of the sector counter is initialized to 0.

Then, it is determined whether or not the data amount of the buffered music data is equal to or less than a predetermined amount (# 703). If it is not less than the predetermined amount (N in # 703), the process proceeds to # 706 described below, and if it is less than the predetermined amount (Y in # 703), the music data is deleted until the area of the area B of the buffer memory 15 becomes full. After reading and buffering (# 704), the process proceeds to # 705.

At step # 705, it is determined whether or not all the music data requested to be reproduced have been buffered. If the determination result is YES (Y in # 705), the file data for the LM sector is read and buffered (# 713), and the file data is transferred to the host computer 2 (# 714). The process ends. on the other hand,
If the determination result is NO (N in # 705), # 70
Move to 6.

In step # 706, the file data for one sector is read and buffered, and the count value M of the sector counter is incremented by one (# 707).
08.

At step # 708, it is determined whether or not the count value M of the sector counter matches the remaining sector number L of the file data requested to be reproduced. If they do not match (N in # 708), the process returns to # 703, and if they match (Y in # 708), the buffered file data is transferred to the host computer 2 (# 7).
09).

After that, when the data amount of the buffered music data becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the reproduction operation is requested to read and buffer the music data until the area B of the buffer memory 15 is full. The process is performed until all the music data present are buffered, and the process is terminated (# 710, # 711, # 712).

According to this processing content, if there is a music data reproduction request during the reading of the file data, the reading of the file data is stopped, and the reading of the music data is performed with priority. The file data is read out and buffered while securing the data amount of the buffered music data to a predetermined amount or more without interrupting the reproduction of the file data on the host computer 2 and the reproduction of the music data. Data reproduction can be performed simultaneously.

[0041]

As described above, according to the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, of the two types of data, the first data and the second data, recorded on the information recording medium, the first data is compressed. If the obtained data and the second data are data having no temporal relevance, even if the first data is reproduced on the information reproducing apparatus, the second data can be reproduced on the external device, Conversely, even while the second data to be transferred to the external device is being read, the first data is read on the information reproducing device.
Since data can be reproduced, the degree of freedom of data reproduction is increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mini disc reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining each area formed on a mini disc 4;

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a program area formed on a mini disc 4;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view for explaining a configuration of a buffer memory 15 in the mini disc reproducing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the operation of the buffer memory 15 when playing back music data in the mini-disc reproducing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process performed when a host computer 2 issues a file data playback request in the mini disc playback apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of processing performed when a request for reproducing music data is made in the mini-disc reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mini disk reproducing device 2 Host computer 3 SCSI bus 4 Mini disk 11 Optical pickup 12 RF amplifier 13 Decoder / signal processing / error detection / correction circuit 14 Memory controller 15 Buffer memory 16 Music decompression LSI 17 SCSI bus control unit 18 Servo control circuit 19 Driver circuit 20 Spindle motor 21 Feed motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method according to claim 1, wherein, of the first data and the second data, which are two types of data recorded on the information recording medium, the first data is read out from the information recording medium and reproduced on the device, and the second data is reproduced. In the information reproducing apparatus which reads out from the information recording medium, transfers the data to the external device, and reproduces the data on the external device, the first data and the second data read from the information recording medium are temporarily stored separately. An information reproducing apparatus comprising: means for reading data from an information recording medium in accordance with an amount of data stored in the holding means. 2. A buffer memory for temporarily storing data read from an information recording medium, dividing the buffer memory into two areas, and allocating these areas to the first data and the second data, respectively. When the data amount of the first data stored in the buffer memory is equal to or more than a predetermined amount X, reading of the first data is temporarily stopped, and when the data amount is equal to or less than a predetermined amount Y, the first data is read. Is resumed, and when the reproduction request of the first data and the reproduction request of the second data overlap, the first data is read preferentially, and the reading of the first data is stopped. 2. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second data is read out.