User friendly compact disk (CD) read only memory (ROM) player
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsSatish Gupta, Kiyoshi Maruyama, Steven E. Millman, Chung-Wai Yue, Halil B. Bakoglu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-contained CD-ROM player which can be installed and used as simply as a VCR. The CD-ROM player includes a CD-ROM drive and supporting hardware and software to activate and execute a program on a CD-ROM disk. It is not necessary to explicitly issue commands to activate and use the disk. The user interface is completely intuitive and simple even for someone who is completely computer illiterate. This player allows everyone, both proficient computer users and those not so proficient, to use the vast library of CD-ROM programs that have been written for personal computers.
Claims18
A CD-ROM player which can install and execute programs on CD-ROM disks automatically, said programs being written for personal computers running a non-proprietary operating system, said CD-ROM player comprising:
- a CD-ROM drive for receiving CD-ROM disks;
- user interface means operable to prompt a user to insert a CD-ROM disk in the CD-ROM drive, said user interface means including an output to a video display for displaying program material played from a CD-ROM disk;
- storage means for storing a database uniquely identifying CD-ROM disks storing programs written for personal computers;
- and
- means for reading the CD-ROM disk inserted in the CD-ROM drive and for accessing said storage means to automatically identify and execute a correct sequence of commands to play a program stored on the CD-ROM disk.
A CD-ROM player which can install and execute programs on CD-ROM disks automatically, said programs being written for personal computers running a non-proprietary operating system, said CD-ROM player comprising:
- a CD-ROM drive for receiving CD-ROM disks;
- a connection to a television receiver, said television receiver providing both audio and visual output for the CD-ROM player;
- prompting means operable upon turning on the CD-ROM player for prompting a user to insert a CD-ROM disk in the CD-ROM drive;
- remote control means for providing user inputs to support user interactive programs on CD-ROM disks;
- storage means for storing a database uniquely identifying CD-ROM disks storing programs written for personal computers;
- and
- means for reading a CD-ROM disk inserted in the CD-ROM drive and for accessing said storage means to automatically identify and execute a correct sequence of commands to the play a program stored on the CD-ROM disk.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.