# US 2011/0066264 A1 · Data processing method for audio data playback, audio data playback method and audio data playback device

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- Number: US 2011/0066264 A1
- Document ID: US20110066264A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/883,725
- Filed: 2010-09-16
- Published: 2011-03-17
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-17
- Assignees: Mtekvision Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chul-Lae CHO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110066264A1

## CPC

- G11B 20/10527: {Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements (G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence)}
- G11B 2020/10546: {specifically adapted for audio data}
- G11B 2020/1062: {Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers}
- G11B 2020/10629: {the buffer having a specific structure}
- G11B 2020/10685: {input interface, i.e. the way data enter the buffer, e.g. by informing the sender that the buffer is busy}
- G11B 2020/10731: {wherein the buffer I/O can be temporarily suspended, e.g. by refusing to accept further data to be buffered}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

A data processing method for audio playback, an audio playing method, and an audio player are provided. The data processing method for audio playback in an application processor includes: reading n-th audio data (where n is a natural number of 1 or more) which is an n-th part of one or more audio files, which is selected in accordance with a user command, from a storage unit; decoding the read n-th audio data; and storing the decoded n-th audio data in an m-th buffer of an audio playing unit at a subsequent stage (where m is equal to n mode M, M is the number of buffers in the audio playing unit, and m is equal to M when the remainder is 0). Accordingly, since the application processor need not always be activated to play audio, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of a battery.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data processing method for audio playback in an application processor, comprising:
(a) reading n-th audio data which is an n-th part of one or more audio files, which is selected in accordance with a user command, from a storage unit;
(b) decoding the read n-th audio data; and
(c) storing the decoded n-th audio data in an m-th buffer of an audio playing unit at a subsequent stage,
wherein n is a natural number of 1 or more, m is equal to n mode M, M is the number of buffers in the audio playing unit, and m is equal to M when the remainder is 0.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of (a) includes reading the n-th audio data depending on the storage capacity of the m-th buffer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:
(d) checking whether audio data of the audio file to be read remains in the storage unit; and
(e) entering a sleep mode when no audio data remains, and increasing n by 1 and performing the step of (a) again when the audio data remains.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The data processing method according to claim 3, wherein when the audio data remains, the step of (e) includes:
(e-1) checking whether any empty buffer exists in the audio playing unit; and
(e-2) increasing n by 1 and performing the step of (a) again when an empty buffer exists, and entering the sleep mode when no empty buffer exists.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The data processing method according to claim 4, wherein the step of (e) further includes:
(e-3) determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied in the sleep mode; and
(e-4) increasing n by 1 and performing the step of (a) again when the condition is satisfied.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The data processing method according to claim 5, wherein the condition is one of a condition that it is recognized that one of the buffers in the audio playing unit is empty by monitoring, a condition that a time when one of the buffers is empty is calculated using storage capacities and output rates of the buffers in the audio playing unit and the time is reached, and a condition that the audio playing unit receives an interrupt signal which is generated and output when the audio data is completely output from one of the buffers.

### Claim 7

An audio playing method in an audio playing unit connected to an application processor, comprising:
(a) transmitting n-th audio data stored in an m-th buffer to a digital analog converter (DAC) and outputting the n-th audio data through a speaker at a subsequent stage;
(b) checking whether audio data is stored in a buffer which outputs the audio data in the next time; and
(c) increasing n by 1 and performing the step of (a) again when the audio data is stored in the buffer, and ending the method when the audio data is not stored,
wherein n is a natural number of 1 or more, m is equal to n mode M, M is the number of buffers in the audio playing unit, and m is equal to M when the remainder is 0.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The audio playing method according to claim 7, wherein the buffer which outputs the audio data in the next time is a (m+1)-th buffer when 1≦m≦(M−1), and is a first buffer when m is equal to M.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The audio playing method according to claim 7, wherein a step of storing an n-th audio data, which is obtained by decoding a part of an audio file n-th time by the use of the application processor, in an m-th buffer is performed before the step of (a).

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The audio playing method according to claim 7, wherein the n-th audio data is divisionally read by the application processor to correspond to the storage capacity of the m-th buffer.

### Claim 11

An audio player comprising:
a plurality of buffers that store audio data transmitted from an application processor at a previous stage;
a digital-analog converter (DAC) that converts the audio data into analog data and outputs the analog data to a speaker at a subsequent stage; and
a processor that sequentially transmits the audio data stored in the buffers in an output order to the DAC.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The audio player according to claim 11, wherein the processor generates an interrupt signal and transmits the interrupt signal to the application processor when one of the plurality of buffers is empty by outputting audio data stored in the buffer.

### Claim 13

An audio player comprising:
an input unit that receives a user command;
a storage unit that stores one or more audio files;
a RAM that temporarily stores audio data to be decoded;
an audio playing unit that includes a plurality of buffers storing decoded audio data and that sequentially converts the decoded audio data into an analog signal and outputs the analog signal;
a speaker that externally outputs the analog signal output from the audio playing unit; and
an application processor that sequentially reads audio data of the audio file stored in the storage unit in accordance with the user command, decodes the read audio data in cooperation with the RAM, and transmits the decoded audio data to the audio playing unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The audio player according to claim 13, wherein the audio playing unit includes M buffers,
wherein the application processor reads and decodes n-th audio data, which is read at the n-th time, by a data amount corresponding to the storage capacity of an m-th buffer, and
wherein M is a natural number of 2 or more, n is equal to n mod M, mod is a remainder function, and m is equal to M when the remainder is 0.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The audio player according to claim 13, wherein the application processor enters a sleep mode when all the buffers of the audio playing unit are full.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The audio player according to claim 15, wherein the application processor departs from the sleep mode and enters an operation mode again, when any one is satisfied out of a condition that it is recognized that one of the buffers in the audio playing unit is empty by monitoring, a condition that a time when one of the buffers is empty is calculated using storage capacities and output rates of the buffers in the audio playing unit and the time is reached, and a condition that the audio playing unit receives an interrupt signal which is generated and output when the audio data is completely output from one of the buffers.