Data selecting apparatus with merging and sorting of internal and external data

A music apparatus for generating a music piece according to a music data item comprising:

• internal memory means for memorizing a first group of music data items;
• drive means provided for accessing an external memory medium;
• detector means for presenting a detection signal when the drive means receives the external memory medium for accessing and when the received external memory medium stores a second group of music data items upon accessing;
• controller means responsive to the detection signal for merging the first group of music data items retrieved from the internal memory means and the second group of music data items retrieved from the external memory medium with each other and for sorting the merged music data items in a predetermined order;
• display means operative upon presence of the detection signal for displaying both of the first and second groups of the music data items in the predetermined order, and being operative upon absence of the detection signal for displaying only the first group of music data items;
• selector means for selecting a desired music data item from the displayed music data items;
• and
• generator means for generating the music piece according to the selected music data item.

A method of selecting a desired data item from either of an internal memory device which memorizes a first set of data items and an external memory medium which is accessible by means of a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of:

• presenting a detection signal when the peripheral device receives the external memory medium for accessing and when the received external memory medium stores a second set of data items upon accessing;
• merging the first set of data items retrieved from the internal memory device and the second set of data items retrieved from the external memory medium with each other in response to the detection signal;
• sorting the merged data items in a predetermined order;
• displaying both of the first and second sets of the data items in the predetermined order upon presence of the detection signal;
• otherwise displaying only the first set of data items upon absence of the detection signal;
• and
• selecting a desired data item from the displayed data items.

A machine readable medium for use in a music apparatus having a CPU for generating a music piece according to a desired data item selected from either of an internal memory device which memorizes a first set of data items and an external memory medium which is accessible by means of a peripheral device, the machine readable medium containing program instructions executable by the CPU for causing the music apparatus to perform the steps of:

• presenting a detection signal when the peripheral device receives the external memory medium for accessing and when the received external memory medium stores a second set of data items upon accessing;
• merging the first set of data items retrieved from the internal memory device and the second set of data items retrieved from the external memory medium with each other in response to the detection signal;
• sorting the merged data items in a predetermined order;
• displaying both of the first and second sets of the data items in the predetermined order upon presence of the detection signal;
• otherwise displaying only the first set of data items upon absence of the detection signal;
• selecting a desired data item from the displayed data items;
• and
• generating the music piece according to the selected dada item.