United States Patent
`(12)
`(10) Patent No.:
`US 6,631,098 B2
`Changetal.
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Oct. 7, 2003
`
`
`US006631098B2
`
`(54) DUAL-MODE MP3 PLAYER
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Chin-Yao Chang, Taipei (TW);
`Wen-Hwa Chou, Taipei (TW)
`
`(73) Assignee: Prolific Technology Inc., Taipei (TW)
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent
`is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 165 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/895,166
`(22)
`Filed:
`Jul. 2, 2001
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2003/0002395 Al Jan. 2, 2003
`CSE WG EF sccsscscrssessortcrsenirmarmsnaanecnne HO04H 9/00
`
`(52): USHCh vsscassesniaccias 369/7; 369/2; 369/21
`(58) Field of Search .....cccccscceceeeseeee 369/2, 6, 7, 1,
`369/10-12, 25, 21, 4, 20, 22, 19; 320/114;
`360/72.2, 7
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`“e-
`U.S, PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`*
`6,252,830 Bl
`6/2001 Hsu ..s.cccsccccsssceresssceeese 369/25
`6,292,440 BL *
`9/2001 Lee ....
`wa. 369/7
`
`6,316,912 BL * 11/2001 Murphy .....csccssssseeees 320/114
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner—Ali Neyzari
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Sughrue Mion, PLLC
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`
`“A portable MP3 player has two operation modes.In a first
`mode, the portable MP3 player operates independently. A
`controller in the MP3 player reads first MP3 files from
`internal memory and a MP3 decoderis utilized for decoding
`the MP3files. In addition, the audio data are output toan
`earphone or a speaker. In a second mode, a ducking station
`is provided for placing the portable MP3 player, which has
`an extended memory device, e.g. CD-ROM, for storing
`second MP3files. The controller ofthe portable MP3 player
`accesses the second MP3files via interfaces that are con-
`nected when the portable MP3 player
`is placed on the
`ducking station. The MP3 decoder ofthe portable player is
`also utilized to decode the second MP3files and the corre-
`sponding audiodata are output through the ducking station.”
`
`6,061,306 A *
`
`5/2000 Buchheim ........:cseee 369/2
`
`5 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Jaguar Land Rover
`Jaguar Land Rover
`Exhibit 1023
`Exhibit 1023
`Page 001
`Page 001
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`

`

`Sheet 1 of 3
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`US 6,631,098 B2
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`Oct. 7, 2003
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`U.S. Patent
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`o3nDosg
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`SsANO60°
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`o2N
`Exhibit 1023
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`Page 002
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`Sheet 2 of 3
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`US 6,631,098 B2
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`Oct. 7, 2003
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`U.S. Patent
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`o3nDosg
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`DUO8goo
`1%_Ww
`60°922SNO
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`Exhibit 1023
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`Page 003
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 7, 2003
`
`Sheet 3 of 3
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`US 6,631,098 B2
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`Jaguar Land Rover
`Jaguar Land Rover
`Exhibit 1023
`Exhibit 1023
`Page 004
`Page 004
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`

`

`US 6,631,098 B2
`
`1
`DUAL-MODE MP3 PLAYER
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`2
`memory and a CD-ROM (CD-R, CD/RW,Hard disk,etc.) is
`positioned as the ducking station of the MP3 player by use
`of combining the MP3 player and the CD-ROM. The
`CD-ROMis self-powered, and thus separated from a com-
`puter. The MP3player is fabricated on the CD-ROM and can
`be independent and detachable from the CD-ROM. When
`they connect together, audio data can transmit to the MP3
`player from the CD-ROM through the interface between
`them; such as USB, EPP, SCSI, IDE, and the like; and
`capacious storage is well provided. When the combined
`machineis connected to a computer through aninterface, the
`MP3 player can be programmed through the USB (RS232,
`EPP, SCSI, IDE,etc.) interface of the CD-ROM,since the
`USB (RS232, EPP, SCSI, IDE, ete.) port of the MP3 player
`is locked and bypassed to the USB (RS232, EPP, SCSI, IDE,
`ete.) port of the CD-ROM. When the combined machine
`plays, the audio signal of the MP3to the earphoneor speaker
`is locked and bypassed to the earphone or speaker of the
`CD-ROM. When the MP3 player is extracted from the
`combined machine,it can be a player itself. The consumer,
`the combined MP3 player with a large memory, and the
`computer are well integrated, and the capacious memory for
`the MP3 player is perfectly achieved by bridging over the
`MP3 player and the compact disks.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`the invention may be more clearly
`In order that
`understood, it will now be disclosed in greater detail when
`taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
`wherein:
`
`FIG. 1 is the function block of the MP3 player of the prior
`art.
`FIG. 2 is the function block of the combined machine
`according to the present invention.
`FIG, 3 is the left-sided elevated view ofthe profile of the
`combined machine according to the present invention.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT
`
`20
`
`40
`
`The present invention relates to an MP3 player device,
`more particularly, to an MP3 player with large storage.
`2. Description of the Prior Art
`Developments of all assortments of audio players and
`storage for audio data are progressing up date owing to the
`need of human kinds for audio storing, Especially under the
`drive of the needs for audio devices of the Internet and
`multimedia, efforts are further made to audio players and
`storage for audio data to make them with higher quality,
`higher stored capacity, and more convenient for use, The
`storage for audio data and audio players in the market are in
`sequence a phonograph disk and a phonograph player, a
`magnetic recorded tape and a magnetic recorders, a compact
`disk (CD) and a CD-ROM,a digital versatile disk (DVD)
`and a DVD ROM, and flash ROM and an MP3player.
`Magnetic recorded tapes are not able to be sustained for
`a long time, and are easy to be demagnetized by ultra-violet
`ray, plus their small capacities and being sensitive to noise
`signals which make the magnetic recorded tapes gradually *
`decline on the market. In a CD-ROM, a laser light incidents
`a compact disk and reflexes back to an optical pickup head
`through the disk with audio data molded in. The reflex
`optical signals and thus the audio signals are digital, and
`which considerably make the signals themselves immune to ~
`noise, and thereby high audio quality is achieved, The disk
`is casy to conserve, with high capacity, low in cost, immune
`to interference of noise; which make the storage itself and
`the associated player extremely popular on the market and
`cut the first edge.
`An MP3player is mucheasierto use for musiclistening.
`The audio data are specifically compressed and stored in a
`semiconductor memory, such as ROM, EPROM and flash
`ROM. Although an MP3 player is small in dimension, casy
`to carry, the memory it uses costs very high as comparedto
`compactdisks. Generally, the size of the memory used for an
`MP3 player is 16 MB, and which is corresponding to a
`15-minute period of length. To update the data in a small-
`sized memory for an MP3player, a computer is needed to do
`write or rewrite audio data to the MP3player. To increase the
`capacity of a memory of an MP3 player, added-on cards can
`be inserted into the player, but the cost needed is just sharply
`risen.
`
`45
`
`To settle the limited memory issue on a conventional MP3
`player, the present invention provides herein a large memory
`for the MP3 player without needing high cost.
`Referring to FIG. 1, which depicts a function block of the
`MP3player used in prior arts. The audio data storage 16 is
`typically flesh ROM (ROM, or EPROM is allowed also),
`and with a size of 16 MB, which is unsatisfied for current
`use. With the use of an external memory card (not shown for
`simplicity), the cost may be very high and thus not practi-
`cable. Furthermore, when updating new music or audio data
`for the MP3 player 10, a connection with a computer is
`needed.
`In the prior art,
`the computer can program the
`internal storage 16 through the interface port 30 to the
`5 computer interface 14 in the MP3 player 10. Since the MP3
`audio data is specifically compressed, the audio data fetched
`from the storage 16 by the player controller 18 is fed into the
`MP3 decoder 20 for decoding. The decoded audio data are
`then fed into the audio signal generator 22, and then out-
`putted to the earphone or speaker 32.
`In this invention, an MP3 ducking station is combined
`with the MP3 player in prior arts to obtain a combined
`machine (shown in FIG. 2) with a large memory. For the
`profile of the combined machine, see FIG, 3. The ducking
`station 40 is located below the MP3 player 10, and they
`jointly form a combined machine 50. The combined
`machine 50 is self powered or can be optionally powered by
`
`Consequently, a small-sized, light, capacious, casy-used,
`and low-priced storing device for audio data and a player has
`becomethe goal ofthe researchers’ and users’. MP3 players
`have received widely popularity since its open to the market,
`If the bottleneck for small storing space on MP3players has
`a breakthrough, then MP3 players will be provided with all
`advantages as mentioned above. For that reason, how to
`improve MP3 players has drawn much attention from the
`insiders and symbolized the progress of audio processes in
`electronic industry.
`SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION
`
`In view of the shortcoming a conventional MP3 player
`suffers,
`the present invention suggests a combined MP3
`player machine with a large memorythat can be accessed by
`the controller of the MP3 player.
`In this invention, compactdisks (recordable compact disk,
`re-writable compact disk, hard disk) are utilized as the
`
`ot
`
`65
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`Jaguar Land Rover
`Jaguar Land Rover
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`US 6,631,098 B2
`
`3
`a computer when they are connected. The ducking station 40
`can be CD-ROM, CD-R, CD/RW ora hard disk, all of which
`are able to provide mass storage for the MP3 player 10. A
`computer can program the MP3 player 10 through the USB
`(EPP, SCSI, IDE, or RS232, etc.) interface of the CD-ROM
`40 since the USB (EPP, RS232, SCSI, or IDE,etc.) port 30
`of the MP3 player 10 is locked and bypassed to the USB
`(EPP, SCSI, RS232, or IDE, ete.) port 44 of the CD-ROM
`40 when the MP3 player 10 is placed on the CD-ROM 40for
`use. Similarly, the signal generated from the audiosignal
`generator 22 of the MP3 player 10 is locked and bypassed
`to the earphone or speaker 42 of the CD-ROM 40 for the
`combined machine so that audio can be outputted from the
`earphone or speaker 42 of the CD-ROM 40 since the
`CD-ROMis provided with a higher power speaker. For the
`combined machine 50 itself, the controller of the MP3 player
`10 can read the audio data stored in the compact disk (now
`shown) through the interface (USB,
`IDE, SCSI, EPP,
`RS232, etc.) between them, which will be explained in more
`detail, and thus obtain a large memory since the compact
`disk is capacious and can be enlarged by use ofa plurality
`of disks. The MP3 10 itself is self-powered or powered by
`the ducking station 40 when they are connected. The MP3 10
`is optionally detachable from the combined machine 40 and
`work as a player.
`Continuing back to FIG. 2, the player controller 18 can
`not only address the internal storage 16, but also the storage
`in the ducking station 40. The controller 18 issues an address
`signal for read, the internal storage 16 or the storage 48 in ;
`the sucking station 40 addressed then transmits the audio
`data requested by the controller 18 to the decoder 20, since
`the MP3 data is specifically compressed. The audio signal
`generator 22 is then charge of outputting audio throughthe
`earphone or speaker 32.
`Continuing, to FIG, 2, besides the strategy programming
`the storage 16 of the MP3 player 10 through the USB port
`30 from a computer, the computer can program the internal
`storage 16 of the MP3 player 10 through the bypass 46,
`which is extended from the USBinterface 30 of the MP3 10
`to the interface 44 of the ducking station 40, With the bypass
`46, programming from the computer to the internal storage
`16 of the combined body is possible. Similarly, the audio
`signal to the earphone or speaker 42 of the ducking station
`40 is obtained through the bypass 47 from the audio signal
`generator 22 in the MP3 player LO, since the CD-ROM has
`a higher power speaker.
`Since the controller 18 can access the internal storage 16
`and the storage 48 in the ducking station 40, a large memory
`equipped MP3player is thus achieved, and a consumer, the
`combined MP3 player with a large memory, and a computer
`is thus integrated together.
`the
`As is understood by a person skilled in the art,
`foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention
`are illustrated of the present invention rather than limiting of
`the present invention. It is intended to cover various modi-
`fications and similar arrangements included within the spirit
`and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should
`be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass
`all such modifications and similar structure.
`
`40
`
`45
`
`4
`
`at
`
`What is claimed is:
`1. A dual-mode MP3 player assembly, comprising:
`a ducking station comprising:
`a connecting base;
`a first
`interface with one end connected to said con-
`necting base; and
`least one extended memory device for storing a
`plurality of first MP3 files, wherein another end of
`said first
`interface is connected to said extended
`memory device; and
`a portable MP3 player comprising:
`a housing having a connecting portion selectively
`placed on said connecting base of the ducking
`slation;
`an internal memory within the housing for storing a
`plurality of second MP3files;
`a MP3 decoder within the housing for decoding the
`first MP3 files and the second MP3files to gen-
`erate corresponding decoded data;
`an audio generator within the housing connected
`with said MP3 decoder for generating audio sig-
`nals to drive a speaker or an earphone accordingto
`the decoded data;
`a second interface with one end connected to the
`connecting portion of the housing, wherein the
`second interface is connected tothe first interface
`when the housing is placed on the connecting base
`of the ducking station;
`a controller connected to the internal memory, the
`MP3 decoder and the second interface, wherein if
`the housingis placed on the connecting base ofthe
`ducking station, the controller accesses the first
`MP3files on the extended memory device via the
`second interface and the first interface, and the
`controller transmits the first MP3files to the MP3
`decoder to play the first MP3 files, and if the
`housing is not placed on the connecting base of the
`ducking station, the controller accesses the second
`MP3 files from the internal memory and the
`second MP3 files are transmitted to the MP3
`decoder and the audio generator to play the second
`MP3files.
`2. The MP3 player assembly of claim 1, wherein the
`ducking station further comprises an outlet connected to an
`ear phone or a speaker and the outlet is connected to the
`portable MP3 player via the connecting base of the ducking
`station when the portable MP3 player is placed on the
`ducking station.
`3. The MP3 player assembly of claim 1, wherein the
`ducking station further comprises an internal speaker con-
`nected to the portable MP3 player via the connecting base of
`the ducking station when the portable MP3 is placed on the
`ducking station,
`4, The MP3 player assembly of claim 1, wherein the first
`interface and the second interface comprise USB(EPP,
`RS232, parallel port, serial port, SCSI, etc.).
`5, The MP3 player assembly of claim 1, wherein the
`extended memory device is a CD-ROM, a CD/RW, a CD-R
`or a hard disk.
`
`Jaguar Land Rover
`Jaguar Land Rover
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