Apparatus and method for musical tune playback control on digital audio media

A musical tune playback control apparatus comprising:

• a media processor for reading musical tune data among a plurality of the musical tune data constructing an album recorded on a digital audio medium, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to a sound reproduction unit, thus producing musical tones;
• a storage device;
• a controller for checking a number of musical tune data output to the sound reproduction unit and for storing a content of the album in the storage device if the number of musical tune data exceeds a prescribed number and if a further prescribed condition is satisfied, namely at least one of:
• (a) a playback time exceeds a prescribed duration, and (b) a number of playback times exceeds a prescribed value;
• wherein the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a time in which the media processor outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed time and the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a number of times which the media processor repeatedly outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed number of times;
• and
• the controller being further adapted to read any one of the plurality of musical tune data of the album from the storage device and to supply the read musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit upon receipt of a playback instruction.

A musical tune playback control apparatus comprising:

• a media processor for reading musical tune data among a plurality of musical tune data recorded on a digital audio medium, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to a sound reproduction unit, thus producing musical tones;
• a storage device;
• a controller for assessing playback history data representing an output timing of the musical tune data and for storing the musical tune data in the storage device if said playback history data satisfies a prescribed condition;
• the controller being further adapted to read musical data from the storage device and supply the read musical datato the sound reproduction unit in response to a playback instruction, wherein the prescribed condition is at least one of:
• (a) a playback time exceeds a prescribed duration, and (b) a number of the playback times exceeds a prescribed value;
• and
• wherein the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a time in which the media processor outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed time and the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a number of times which the media processor repeatedly outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed number of times.

A musical tune playback control method applied to a computer that comprises a media processor and a storage device, comprising the steps of:

• controlling the media processor to read musical tune data from a digital audio medium, upon receipt of a read instruction, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to a sound reproduction unit, thus producing musical tones;
• monitoring the supplying of the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit to ascertain a status of being output to the sound reproduction unit associated with said musical tune data;
• storing the musical tune data whose status of being output to the sound reproduction unit satisfies a prescribed condition in the storage device;
• upon receipt of a playback instruction, reading the musical tune data from the storage device, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to the sound reproduction unit, wherein the prescribed condition is at least one of:
• (a) a playback time exceeds a prescribed duration, and (b) a number of the playback times exceeds a prescribed value;
• and
• wherein the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a time in which the media processor outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed time and the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a number of times which the media processor repeatedly outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed number of times.

A musical tune playback control method applied to a computer that comprises a media processor and a storage device, comprising the steps of:

• controlling the media processor to read musical tune data among a plurality of musical tune data constructing an album recorded on a digital audio medium, upon receipt of a read instruction, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to a sound reproduction unit, thus producing musical tones;
• monitoring the number of the musical tune data output to the sound reproduction storing a content of the album in the storage device if the monitored number of the musical tune data exceeds a prescribed number that is set in advance in the storage device and if a further prescribed condition is satisfied, namely at least one of:
• (a) the playback time exceeds a prescribed duration, and (b) the number of playback times exceeds a prescribed value;
• wherein the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a time in which the media processor outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed time and the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a number of times which the media processor repeatedly outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed number of times;
• and
• upon receipt of a playback instruction, reading the musical tune data from the storage device, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to the sound reproduction unit.

A musical tune playback control method applied to a computer that comprises a media processor and a storage device, comprising the steps of:

• controlling the media processor to read musical tune data from the digital audio medium, upon receipt of a read instruction, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to a sound reproduction unit, thus producing musical tones;
• monitoring the supplying of musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit to develop playback history data representing the output timing of the musical tune data output to the sound reproduction unit;
• storing the musical tune data in the storage device together with the playback history data;
• upon receipt of a playback instruction, reading the musical tune data whose playback history data satisfy a prescribed condition from the storage device, so that the read musical tune data are supplied to the sound reproduction unit, wherein the prescribed condition is at least one of:
• (a) a playback time exceeds a prescribed duration, and (b) a number of the playback times exceeds a prescribed value;
• and
• wherein the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a time in which the media processor outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed time and the prescribed condition is described in such a way that a number of times which the media processor repeatedly outputs the musical tune data to the sound reproduction unit exceeds a prescribed number of times.