WO1999063524A2

WO1999063524A2 - System for managing multimedia carriers

Info

Publication number: WO1999063524A2
Application number: PCT/IB1999/000957
Authority: WO
Inventors: Reinder Haakma; Jan H. Elenbaas; K. P. Lee
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; Philips Ab
Priority date: 1998-06-02
Filing date: 1999-05-27
Publication date: 1999-12-09
Also published as: TW443569U; WO1999063524A3; KR20010022527A; JP2002517871A; CN1272205A

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for organizing a collection of multimedia carriers such as CDs. The system comprises a player which maintains a database containing data related to multimedia carriers in a collection. The data in the database can be presented via presentation means such as a connected television receiver. The data can be browsed by interaction means and data related to a particular multimedia carrier can be selected. In order to assist the user in finding the selected multimedia carrier, the player comprises locating means for indicating the location of the selected multimedia carrier.

Description

System for managing multimedia carriers.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system for managing multimedia carriers, comprising an apparatus for playing multimedia carriers which comprises storage means for storing data related to the multimedia carriers, and presentation means for presenting the data in the storage means and interaction means for browsing the data in the storage means and for selecting data related to a selected multimedia carrier. An example of an apparatus for playing multimedia carriers is a CD/DVD-player or a video cassette recorder (VCR).

The invention also relates to an apparatus for playing multimedia carriers conceived to be used in a system according to the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A VCR is known which comprises storage means for storing a database of recordings on a collection of video cassettes, which database can be inspected by means of presentation means, viz. on the screen of a connected TV receiver. The user is assumed to supply an identity for each video cassette. The known VCR keeps a record of start and end positions of recordings. When a user wishes to record a program of a certain duration, the known VCR can indicate video cassettes and appropriate positions thereon where the recording could be located. There are also various options for browsing and searching data related to existing recordings.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide further options for managing a collection of multimedia carriers. To achieve that object the system according to the invention is characterized in that the system also comprises locating means for locating the selected multimedia carrier. In the case of large collections of multimedia carriers it is often difficult to find a particular carrier, because users tend to leave carriers lying around or put them back in the wrong places. Once a carrier is selected by means of the interaction means, the locating means assist the user in finding the selected carrier by drawing the user's attention to the carrier's location in some way. If the presentation means present data related to only one multimedia earner at a time, said multimedia earner could be considered the selected multimedia earner. Otherwise, selecting a multimedia earner could be achieved by highlighting data or by any other well known method. The interaction means could enable a user to find multimedia earners using vanous search cntena, such as genre, mood, artist etc., which cntena can be composed by menu selections using, for example, a remote control.

In a preferred embodiment, each earner is accommodated in a container, e.g. the box purchased along with the earner, and the user is asked to attach transponder means to said container, for example, said transponder means containing an identification chip which uniquely identifies the container and can be tnggered remotely. The transponder means are conceived to receive an identification transmitted by the apparatus and to respond when the received identification corresponds to the identification of the chip. In one embodiment the indication means are also attached to the containers, e.g. a LED or a beeper which is activated when the transponder means respond to the transmitted identification. In another embodiment the multimedia earners are kept in compartments of a store which compnses detection means for detecting which compartment stores a container whose transponder means respond to the identification transmitted by the apparatus. If such a compartment is detected, the indication means indicate said compartment, e.g. by a blinking LED or by displaying a compartment number. A compartment need not be a physically separated space, but can also be, for example, a position on a shelf which is marked in some way, e.g. by a number or a LED. Transmission of the identification can be achieved by radio signals, infrared light or any other suitable transmission method. The identification could also be transported by wires, e.g. by adapting the store m such a way that the transponder of a container which is properly placed in the store is in conductive contact with a wire transporting the identification If a store is used the transponder means could also be located in the store and a local search mechanism could be used for localizing the selected multimedia earner, for example on the basis of bar-code stickers on the boxes. Of course, if the earners are assumed to have a fixed compartment, displaying a number of a compartment suffices to localize a earner and no transmission and transponder means are required. If a container is not available, the transponder means could be attached to the multimedia earner itself, e.g. a sticker on a CD A further embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is characteπzed m that the apparatus also compnses linking means for establishing a correspondence relation between a multimedia earner and a transponder means This relation has to be established once and could be realized by asking the user to put the container of the multimedia earner currently played by the apparatus in a special holder or near a sensor on the apparatus. The identification of the transponder means on the container is sensed by the holder or the sensor and related to an identification code of the multimedia carrier. The sensor or the holder could be a part of the apparatus or be a separate device which can be connected to the apparatus. The multimedia carrier currently played by the apparatus can be identified in various ways. For example, optical discs are often provided with a catalog number, such as the UPC code of audio CDs, which can be read by the apparatus. Alternatively, a code can be generated by computing a checksum of a predetermined part of the data contained by the carrier in a predetermined way. After insertion of a multimedia carrier, the apparatus identifies the carrier and searches the local database for data related to the multimedia carrier. If found, the data related to the multimedia carrier can be presented automatically and, because the correspondence relation between the carrier and the transponder means on its container is established, the user can be assisted in finding the container of the carrier.

It is to be noted that CD mega-changers, with capacities ranging from a few to more than a hundred CDs, are capable of locaing a selected CD and of starting its play. Using the system according to the invention users still have to manually put the CD in the player. However, mega-changers are expensive and do not provide support for browsing the CD collection. All CDs are stored in the mega-changer, separated from their covers and boxes. Selecting a CD is hard. Most often, mega-changers are too small for storing the entire CD collection. Hence, users still have to deal with loading and unloading CDs, find their boxes and putting them back on the shelve. The system according to the invention can be used for arbitrarily large collections and does not separate the CDs from their covers and boxes.

The invention also relates to a store for storing multimedia carriers and to a transponder means for receiving an identification which identifies the transponder means conceived to be used in a system according to the invention.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The figure shows a diagram of the system according to the invention. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The figure shows a diagram of the system according to the invention comprising a CD player 3 as an apparatus for playing multimedia carriers. The CD player 3 comprises the storage means 4, identification means 10, playing means 11, interaction means 12, linking means 14, a microprocessor 15, presentation means 16 and transmission means 18. The microprocessor 15 communicates with said other parts of the CD player 3. A CD 6 can be inserted into the playing means 11 and is identified by de identification means 10 by reading the UPC code. The storage means 4 contain a local database of data related to CDs, which data comprise CD and track names, names of artists, lyrics etc. The data can be presented by means of the presentation means 16 which constitute an interface to a television receiver. Browsing through the data is enabled by the interaction means 12 which comprise a remote control (not shown) for the CD player 3. Browsing proceeds by simply traversing the list of CDs using up/down buttons, or, in more advanced fashion, by using various search criteria, such as genre, mood, artist etc., which criteria can be composed by menu selections. These menu selections can be made in various well known ways, e.g. using up/down buttons and a confirmation button. Instead of being connectable to a television receiver, the CD player 3 itself could comprise display means for presenting the data in the storage means 4. A combination of these two options is also feasible.

The CD 6 can be put into a box 17 which, generally is supplied together with the CD. To the box 17 an identification chip 13 is attached as transponder means for receiving an identification which can be transmitted by the transmission means 18. This identification uniquely identifies the box 17. The relation between the CD 6 and the box 17 can be established by the linking means 14 which comprises a sensor reading the identity of the identification chip 13. Alternatively, the linking means 14 could comprise a special tray wherein the box 17 has to be placed while playing the CD 6. The relationship thus established is also stored in the database contained in the storage means 4.

The box 17 can be placed in a store 19 comprising compartments 21, each suited for accepting one CD box. Detection means 20 and indication means 22 are located near every compartment 21. The detection means 20 can detect whether the identification chip of a box in the corresponding compartment responds to the transmission of an identification by the transmission means 18. When such a response is detected, the detection means 20 activate the indication means 22 which comprise a LED which starts to blink upon activation so as to indicate the location of the selected CD to the user. Alternatively, the compartments are numbered and, instead of LEDs near each compartment, use is made of one display which can show a compartment number. Numerous variations are possible, utilizing various kinds of audible or visible indications. Users could have a kind of wand, which generates a signal whose strength is inversely proportional to the distance to the selected CD (similar to a metal detector). The selected CD could also be partly ejected in order to facilitate the removal of the CD from the store.

Summarizing, the invention relates to a system for organizing a collection of multimedia carriers such as CDs. The system comprises a player which maintains a database containing data related to multimedia carriers in a collection. The data in the database can be presented via presentation means, such as a connected television receiver. The data can be browsed by interaction means and data related to a particular multimedia carrier can be selected. In order to assist the user in finding the selected multimedia carrier, the player comprises locating means for indicating the location of the selected multimedia carrier.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A system for managing multimedia carriers, comprising an apparatus for playing multimedia carriers which comprises storage means for storing data related to the multimedia carriers, and presentation means for presenting the data in the storage means and interaction means for browsing the data in the storage means and for selecting data related to a selected multimedia carrier, characterized in that the system also comprises locating means for locating the selected multimedia carrier.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1 in which each multimedia carrier has a container for accommodating the multimedia carrier, characterized in that the locating means comprise transmission means for transmitting an identification, the locating means also comprising a plurality of transponder means for receiving the identification, each transponder means being attachable to a respective container and uniquely identifiable by the identification, the locating means furthermore comprising indication means for indicating the location of a transponder means identified by a transmitted identification, the transponder means being arranged to activate the indication means upon reception of the identification.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that the indication means are attachable to a respective container and are conceived to generate an attention signal upon activation by the transponder means attached to said respective container.

4. A system as claimed in Claim 2, the system also comprising a store with at least two compartments for containing a multimedia carrier, characterized in that the store comprises the indication means and detection means for determining which compartment contains a transponder means identified by a transmitted identification, the indication means being arranged to indicate said compartment.

5. An apparatus for playing multimedia carriers which comprises storage means for storing data related to the multimedia carriers, and presentation means for presenting the data in the storage means and interaction means for browsing the data in the storage means and for selecting data related to a selected multimedia carrier, characterized in that the apparatus also comprises transmission means for transmitting an identification which uniquely identifies a transponder means which is attachable to a container of the selected multimedia carrier.

6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that the apparatus also comprises linking means for establishing a correspondence relation between a multimedia carrier and a transponder means.

7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the apparatus comprises an optical disc player, the multimedia carriers being optical discs.

8. A store with at least two compartments for containing a multimedia carrier, characterized in that the store comprises indication means and also detection means for determining which compartment contains a transponder means identified by a transmitted identification, the indication means being conceived to indicate said compartment.

9. A transponder means for receiving an identification which identifies the transponder means, characterized in that the transponder means comprises indication means and is arranged to activate the indication means upon receiving the identification, the indication means being conceived to generate an attention signal upon activation.