WO2001027923A1

WO2001027923A1 - System and method for transmitting/receiving signals including audio compressed files

Info

Publication number: WO2001027923A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/001110
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johney Hwang; Sung Joo Lee
Original assignee: Gentor.Com Inc.
Priority date: 1999-10-14
Filing date: 2000-10-05
Publication date: 2001-04-19
Also published as: AU7691000A; KR20000012234A

Abstract

A system for transmitting/receiving a signal including an audio compressed file and an audio system having the system. The system processes a signal including the audio compressed file or a signal including only the audio compressed file transmitted from a broadcasting station for providing the music to the CD level with a home audio or a car audio.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING/ RECEIVING SIGNALS INCLUDING AUDIO COMPRESSED FILES

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system for transmitting/ receiving signals including an audio compressed file and an audio system having the system. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for processing an audio compressed file in a general broadcast signal or a signal only having the audio compressed file in order to listen to the music to the CD (Compact Disk) level with a home audio or a car audio.

BACKGROUND ART

A transmitting/ receiving system and an audio system including the system in accordance with the present invention generally process signals including an MP3 file.

The MP3 means MPEG(Moving Picture Expert Group) Layer 3 and the MP3 is one of the audio parts of the MPEG technique. The MPEG is a study group organized by ISO(International Standard Organization) and IEC(International Electronic Committee) for standardization of compressing and multiplexing a moving picture and sound. The MPEG technique, progressed from MPEG 1 via MPEG 2, reaches at MPEG 4 for object-oriented multimedia communication in order to satisfy needs for the multimedia data compression standard.

The MP3 has various application fields. The MP3 may be applied to a digital audio broadcast using a satellite and to a real time AOD (Audio on Demand) using Internet. Also, a user may enjoy the CD level music at low cost using ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and buy music files in an MP3 format for each song through the Internet or PC (Personal Computer) communication with use of a new music sale method, without using a CD or cassette tape. Of course, these MP3 files prohibit the risk of an illegal copy using independent cryptographic technique. Besides that, the MP3 may be applied to an Internet radio, etc.

The music file used for MP3 described above is transmitted through a communication path. A size of the MP3 file is so big to incur communication load (the size of a music file is about 4MB, when recorded with the best quality of the sound). Besides, the audio system should be connected to the communication path. However, most of the general audio systems at home or a car can not receive the MP3 file because it is not connected to the communication path. In case that there is no communication path, of course, a communication unit such as a cellular phone may be used but the cellular phone should have a memory of a corresponding size and a unit for moving the MP3 file received in the cellular phone to the audio system. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention is designed to overcome such problems of the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file, which solves a problem of the communication load when the audio compressed file is transmitted/ received through an Internet and a phone network (that is, a communication path) and makes it possible to enjoy a CD level music with an audio system at home or a car which is not connected to a communication path. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file using the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an audio system including the system transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file.

An embodiment of the present invention in order to accomplish the object provides a system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file such as an MP3 (MPEG (Moving Picture Export Group) Layer 3), which includes a tuner for tuning a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, a demodulator for demodulating the broadcast signal, an amplifier for amplifying the demodulated broadcast signal and an output unit for outputting the amplified broadcast signal, the system comprising: a main processor unit for controlling and managing an audio system which determines kinds of the broadcast signal, decodes the audio compressed file, transmits and receives the audio compressed file; an accounting unit for paying off a charge of using the audio compressed file; a memory unit for storing the audio compressed file; a display unit for displaying information of the audio compressed file in the memory unit; and an operating unit for checking the information of the audio compressed file displayed on the display unit and applying various functions about the audio compressed file.

An embodiment of the present invention in order to accomplish another object provides a method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file comprising the steps of: (a) receiving and demodulating the broadcast signal; (b) analyzing the demodulated broadcast signal and selecting only signals including audio compressed files; (c) checking information of the audio compressed file and storing only desired audio compressed file; (d) checking the information of the stored audio compressed file; (e) determining whether to decode or not the audio compressed file, in case that the audio compressed file is a charged audio compressed file; (f) paying for the audio compressed file which a user wants to decode and storing the decoded audio compressed file; and (g) checking the information of the stored audio compressed file, selecting the audio compressed file which the user wants to listen to and outputting the audio compressed file.

An embodiment of the present invention in order to accomplish another object provides an audio system including a tuner for tuning a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, a demodulator for demodulating the broadcast signal, an amplifier for amplifying the demodulated broadcast signal, an output unit for outputting the amplified broadcast signal in order to listen to the music with a cassette tape, CD (Compact Disk) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), the audio system including a system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file comprising: a main processor unit for controlling and managing the audio system, which determines kinds of the broadcast signal, decodes an audio compressed file, transmits and receives the audio compressed file; an accounting unit for paying off a charge of using the audio compressed file; a memory unit for storing the audio compressed file; a display unit for displaying information of the audio compressed file in the memory unit; and an operating unit for checking the information of the audio compressed file displayed on the display unit and applying various functions about the audio compressed file, wherein the amplifier amplifies a voice signal in the broadcast signal and a voice signal decoded in the main processor unit.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention in order to accomplish another object, the audio system further comprises a remote control unit for processing the audio compressed file in remote distance and for controlling functions for listening to the music with use of the cassette tape, CD or LCD.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which like components are referred to by like reference numerals. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic view for illustrating operations transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file transmitted from a broadcasting station in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view for showing an audio system having a system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram for showing the system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are flow charts for illustrating explain a method for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for illustrating conversion of an audio signal according to the method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including an audio compressed file in the FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 in accordance with the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows operation of transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file transmitted from a broadcasting station in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a signal is transmitted from the broadcasting station to an audio system having a system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file, for example, an MP3 (MPEG

(Moving Picture Expert Group) Layer 3), according to the present invention.

The audio system may transmit the audio compressed file among the received broadcast signal to other system, for example, a PC, an MP3

Player or other audio system having the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file. And the audio system may receive the audio compressed file from the other system..Various kinds of the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, such as an FM/AM signal, an RA (Real Audio) signal, a signal including the MP3 file and the signal including the audio compressed file may be processed by the audio system of the present invention. The present invention exemplary describes the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the MP3, which begins to be used commonly and have a good merit in commerce.

FIG. 2 shows an appearance of the audio system having the system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention. A reference number 19 is a payment unit for paying off a charge by an accounting unit in accordance with the present invention and a reference number 22 is a display unit. A reference number 26 is an operating unit and a reference number 28 is a speaker. Also, there is a remote control unit 34 for controlling the audio system in accordance with the present invention from a remote distance. The remote control unit 34 having a plurality of operating keys and indicators may process the audio compressed file and control functions of listening to the music using a cassette tape, a CD or a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Units described in the FIG. 2 will be explained with same reference numerals in the FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention. Referring to the FIG. 3, the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention includes a tuner 10 tuning a broadcast signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, a main processor unit 12, an audio amplifier 14, a digital demodulating unit 16, an accounting unit 18, an auxiliary memory unit 20, a display unit 22, a decoder 24 and an operating unit 26. Also, the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file further includes a speaker 28, an external speaker output terminal 30 and a data input/ output terminal 32. The digital demodulating unit 16 demodulating the tuned broadcast signal particularly extracts a digital audio compressed file and further includes a decoder and an A/D converter.

The main processor unit 12 determines kinds of the broadcast signal. That is, the main processor unit 12 determines whether the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station is the FM/AM signal or the signal including the audio compressed file to be processed according to the present invention. If the signal is the FM/AM signal, the signal is amplified in the audio amplifier 14 and outputted through the speaker 28 such that a user may listen to the music. If the signal is the audio compressed file, the signal is demodulated and stored in the auxiliary memory unit 20. At this time, the user may select a desired audio compressed files after checking information about the received audio compressed file in the display unit 22. Only the selected audio compressed files are stored in the auxiliary memory unit 20. The information in a header of the audio compressed file includes a genre of the music, a title of the music, a composer, a singer (player), a play group, a record company, an issued date of the record and whether the music is a title music or not.

Also, the main processor unit 12 includes a decoder for releasing compression of the audio compressed file in real time. The main processor unit 12 also may employ the separated decoder 24 as shown in FIG. 3. The decoder 24 releases compression of a free audio compressed file (has no code) and a decoded audio compressed file stored in the memory unit 20. The audio amplifier 14 then amplifies the decoded audio compressed file such that the user may enjoy the music.

The accounting unit 18 includes a payment unit for paying off the charge for decoding the audio compressed file. The payment unit includes information for decoding a charged audio compressed file and information about available money. The payment unit is at least one of a prepaid card, a debit card, a payment unit provided by a content provider (CP) or a credit card according to a payment method of the accounting unit. That is, the accounting unit 18 is an on-line /off-line system. The display unit 22 displays the information about the audio compressed file stored in the auxiliary memory unit 20 on a receiving option information screen, an audio compressed file information screen, an audio compressed file confirmation screen and a memory unit management screen.

The receiving option information screen shows the information included in the header of the audio compressed file in order that the user may select a desired audio compressed file among the received audio compressed files, modify the information in the header of the audio compressed file if the user wants, and store the selected and modified audio compressed file in the auxiliary memory unit 20. The information in the header of the audio compressed file includes a genre of the music, a title of the music, a composer, a singer (player), a play group, a record company, an issued date of the record and whether the music is a title music or not. The audio compressed file information screen displays the information of the audio compressed files stored in the memory unit for selecting one of the audio compressed files to be decoded. The audio compressed file confirmation screen displays the information about the free audio compressed file (has no code) to be released in the decoder 24 and about decoded audio compressed file after paying off the charge in the accounting unit 18. The memory unit management screen provides information about a total size of the auxiliary memory unit 20, a size of a total storage area of the memory unit, a currently used area of the memory unit, a size of the unused area of the memory unit, a size occupied by the audio compressed file, a size occupied by the decoded audio compressed file and the number of the audio compressed files in order to manage the auxiliary memory unit 20.

The operating unit 26 having a plurality of operating keys inputs a desired action to the main processor unit 12 for executing various functions as described above.

The data input/ output terminal 32 receives the audio compressed file stored in other system (for example, a PC, an MP3 player or the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including other audio compressed file) and transmits the stored audio compressed file to other external system. The data input/ output terminal 32 is any of a printer port and an infrared port. The infrared port is an infrared transmitting/ receiving module built in several communication/ digital apparatus for processing the signal in order to transmit/ receive several data off-line in l~2m distance. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are flow charts for illustrating a method for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file in accordance with the present invention.

The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file according to the present invention includes the steps of receiving and processing a broadcast signal S I 1, S12, selecting the signal including the audio compressed file from the broadcast signal and storing the selected signal S13-S18, and decoding the stored audio compressed file and outputting the decoded audio compressed file S19-S31.

At first, the method for transmitting/ receiving the audio compressed file includes the steps of receiving and demodulating the broadcast signal from a broadcasting station S 11 , and analyzing the demodulated signal S12.

The broadcast signal may be an FM/AM signal, a signal including the audio compressed file or a signal including only the audio compressed file.

The method for transmitting/ receiving the audio compressed file further includes the steps of determining kinds of the analyzed signal, selecting the signal including the audio compressed file in the broadcast signal (the broadcast signal may include only the audio compressed file) S 13, and checking the information of the selected audio compressed file on the receiving option information screen of the displaying unit 22 described in the FIG. 3, S14. The method then executes the steps of storing the audio compressed file only desired by the user SI 5. At this time, the user may store the information of the audio compressed file after modifying the information at the user's desire S16-S18. That is, the user may modify the receiving option information screen to display only the desired information of the audio compressed file. For example, the user may select the composer, the singer, and the title of the music among the information included in the header of the audio compressed file to be displayed such that the user may select the audio compressed file easier when using the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file. Of course, if the user does not want to store any of the received audio compressed files, the operation is completed S32. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file includes the steps of checking the information about the stored audio compressed file S19, determining whether the audio compressed file is charged or free S20, determining whether to pay off the charge for decoding the audio compressed file in case that the audio compressed file is charged S21 , reading out the information for decoding the audio compressed file and the information about available money in the payment unit with use of the accounting unit 18, S22, and checking whether the payment is possible S23. If the accounting unit 18 determines that the payment is possible, the charge is paid and the audio compressed file is decoded in the step S25. Then the decoded audio compressed file is stored in the auxiliary memory unit 20 in the step S26. If the audio compressed file stored in the auxiliary memory unit 20 is free, there is no need to path through the steps for payment S21-S26.

When the user wants to listen to the music stored in the auxiliary memory unit 20, the user selects the audio compressed file confirmation screen of the displaying unit 22, checks the information of the audio compressed file S27and selects the music to listen to S28. Then, the audio compressed file is decoded in the decoder 24 included in the main processor unit 12, S29. The decoded signal is amplified in the audio amplifier 14, S30 and the outputted through the speaker S31. Then the operation of processing the audio compressed file is completed S32. FIG. 6 is a flow chart for illustrating a conversion of an audio compressed file according to the method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including an audio compressed file in the FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b in accordance with the present invention.

The signal transmitted from the broadcasting station S I 00 is demodulated in the demodulating unit of the audio system S200. The main processor unit determines whether the demodulated signal is an FM/AM signal S700 or the signal including the audio compressed file S300, S500. If the demodulated signal is the FM/AM signal, the signal is amplified in the audio amplifier S800 and outputted through the speaker S900. However, if the signal includes the audio compressed file, the signal should be processed by the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file according to the present invention. That is, if the signal including the audio compressed file is coded S300, after paying off the charge, the code is decrypted S400, decoded S600, amplified S800, and outputted through the speaker S900. But, if the signal including the audio compressed file is a free file having no code S500, the signal is decoded S600 instantly, not passing the course of decrypting, amplified S800, and outputted through the speaker S900.

As described above, the system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file and the audio system including the system in accordance with the present invention may receive the audio compressed file without connecting to a communication path. Therefore, the present invention may solve the communication load occurring when the signal is transmitted through the Internet or telephone network (that is, the communication path).

The system and method for transmitting/ receiving signals including the audio compressed files according to the present invention have been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file such as an MP3 ( MPEG ( Moving Picture Export Group) Layer 3 ), which includes a tuner for tuning a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, a demodulator for demodulating the broadcast signal, an amplifier for amplifying the demodulated broadcast signal and an output unit for outputting the amplified broadcast signal, the system comprising: a main processor unit for controlling and managing an audio system which determines kinds of the broadcast signal, decodes the audio compressed file, transmits and receives the audio compressed file; an accounting unit for paying off a charge of using the audio compressed file; a memory unit for storing the audio compressed file; a display unit for displaying information of the audio compressed file in the memory unit; and an operating unit for checking the information of the audio compressed file displayed on the display unit and applying various functions about the audio compressed file.

2. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the broadcast signal includes FM/AM signals and signals having the audio compressed file.

3. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the main processor unit includes a decoder for decoding the audio compressed file.

4. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the accounting unit includes a payment unit for paying off the charge of decoding the audio compressed file by using information for decoding the charged audio compressed file and information about available money.

5. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 4, wherein the accounting unit is an on-line /off-line system.

6. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 5, wherein the payment unit is at least one of a prepaid card, a debit card, a credit card and a payment unit provided by a contents provider (CP).

7. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display unit includes a receiving option information screen for checking a plurality of received audio compressed files, selecting the audio compressed file which the user wants to store, modifying the audio compressed file and displaying information included in a header of the audio compressed file in order to store the audio compressed file in the memory unit.

8. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information included in the header of the audio compressed file includes a corresponding genre of the music, a name of the music, a composer, a singer (player), a play group, a record company, an issue date of the record and whether the music is a title music or not.

9. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display unit includes an audio compressed file information screen for displaying information of the audio compressed files stored in the memory unit in order to select one of the audio compressed files to be decoded.

10. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 9, wherein the display unit includes an audio compressed file confirmation screen for displaying the information of the selected decoded audio compressed file after paying off the charge in the accounting unit.

1 1. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a memory unit management screen for providing information of a size of a total storage area of the memory unit, a size of a currently used area of the memory unit, a size of an unused area of the memory unit, a size occupied by the audio compressed file, a size occupied by the decoded audio compressed file and the number of the audio compressed files in order to manage the memory unit.

12. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an audio compressed data input/ output terminal for receiving an audio compressed file stored in other equipment and transmitting the stored audio compressed file to other external equipment.

13. The system for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 12, wherein the audio compressed data input/ output terminal is any of a printer port and an infrared port.

14. A method for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file using a system which transmits/ receives the signal including the audio compressed file, the system including a tuner, a demodulator, a memory, a main processor, an accounting unit, an operating unit, a display unit, an amplifier and an output unit, the method comprising the steps of: receiving and analyzing a broadcast signal ; storing a signal including the audio compressed file from the broadcast signal; and decoding and storing the audio compressed file.

15. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and demodulating the broadcast signal;

(b) analyzing the demodulated broadcast signal and selecting only signals including audio compressed files;

(c) checking information of the audio compressed file and storing only desired audio compressed file; (d) checking the information of the stored audio compressed file;

(e) determining whether to decode or not the audio compressed file, in case that the audio compressed file is a charged audio compressed file;

(f) paying for the audio compressed file which a user wants to decode and storing the decoded audio compressed file; and

(g) checking the information of the stored audio compressed file, selecting the audio compressed file which the user wants to listen to and outputting the audio compressed file.

16. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 15, wherein the broadcast signal includes FM/AM signals and signals having the audio compressed file.

17. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step (c) is processed by using the operating unit on a receiving option information screen.

18. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step (d) is processed by using the operating unit on an audio compressed file information screen.

19. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step (g) is processed by using the operating unit on an audio compressed file confirmation screen.

20. The method for transmitting/ receiving the signal including the audio compressed file as claimed in claim 15, wherein the steps (c), (d), (g) are processed by using the operating unit on a memory unit management screen.

21. An audio system including a tuner for tuning a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, a demodulator for demodulating the broadcast signal, an amplifier for amplifying the demodulated broadcast signal, an output unit for outputting the amplified broadcast signal in order to listen to the music with a cassette tape, CD (Compact Disk) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), the audio system including a system for transmitting/ receiving a signal including an audio compressed file comprising: a main processor unit for controlling and managing the audio system, which determines kinds of the broadcast signal, decodes an audio compressed file, transmits and receives the audio compressed file; an accounting unit for paying off a charge of using the audio compressed file; a memory unit for storing the audio compressed file; a display unit for displaying information of the audio compressed file in the memory unit; and an operating unit for checking the information of the audio compressed file displayed on the display unit and applying various functions about the audio compressed file, wherein the amplifier amplifies a voice signal in the broadcast signal and a voice signal decoded in the main processor unit.

22. The audio system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the broadcast signal includes FM/AM signals and signals having the audio compressed file.

23. The audio system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a remote control unit for processing the audio compressed file in remote distance and for controlling functions for listening to the music with use of the cassette tape, CD or LCD.

24. The audio system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the remote control unit includes a plurality of operating keys and indicators.