CN1726558A - Method for tagging and displaying songs in a digital audio player - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for determining and displaying the status of a user selectable parameter associated with a song stored in a digital audio player. The method allows a handheld player that has limited computing power to easily determine the status of the user selectable features and display the status. The method includes generating a preference table that is stored in a mass storage device associated with the player. The preference table includes an entry for each selected song stored on the mass storage device, wherein each entry includes a unique identifier and data fields having data indicative of the status of the user selectable parameters. The unique identifiers correspond to the unique identifiers stored in a playlist file. During navigation of the playlist, the unique identifier is compared with the preference table to identify the corresponding entry and the applicable data field is read to determine the status of the user selectable parameters and to display the status information.

Description

Be used for method in digital audio-frequency player mark and demonstration song

The cross reference of related application

The application require the title submitted on December 17th, 2002 for " Method for Taggingand Displaying Songs in a Digital Audio Player (be used at DAB player mark and show the method for song) " the 60/434th; No. 711 U.S. Provisional Applications and the title submitted on December 17th, 2002 are the rights and interests of the 60/434th, No. 710 the U.S. Provisional Application of " Method for Using User Like/Dislike Input toDetermine the Probabilities of a Song Being Played During Shuffle Mode (being used for utilizing the user to like/do not like input to determine the method for the probability of in progress song during out of order (shuffle) pattern) ".

Background of invention

1. invention field

The present invention relates to a kind of equipment and method that is used to handle digitally coded voice data, particularly about be stored in high-capacity storage that digital audio-frequency player is associated in method, equipment and the data structure of track.

2. description of Related Art

The use that can play the portable audio data player of digitally coded voice data has become very general.Especially, the less relatively portable equipment that can handle the digitally coded voice data that is stored in the solid state memory device has become very popular.In addition, along with increase, comprise that another player of miniaturization big capacity hard disk driver has been developed and increased popularity in generation to the needs of the higher data memory capacity in the portable audio data player.

In audio data player, normally described digital audio-frequency data is loaded into the data storage device by the mode of at first downloading described digital audio-frequency data from audio frequency CD, the Internet or other digital audio device.Then, usually compress described data and it is loaded in the data storage device that is associated with described audio data player according to selected coded format.

Come decompressed/decoded described voice data according to selected coded format by audio data player at playback duration.The various coded formats that are used for the compression and decompression voice data all are available.As using hereinafter, the term coded format refers to the syntax and semantics of regulation compression bit stream and must how to decompress any coding/decoding scheme of described bit stream for reproduction.This class coded format includes but is not limited to MP3 and MP3 Pro.

For MP3 coding audio data file, described data file is added (prepend) in advance or is called a special framing of ID3 mark by affix.Described ID3 mark comprises the descriptive text relevant with described audio data file and other data.For example, described mark can comprise title, artist, special edition, time, note and style.The ID3 label information can be used for searching for, classifying and select specific audio data file according to the information that is comprised in the ID3 mark.Because the ID3 label information is often stored with the form of text character, so can show described information on the display screen of audio data player.

Great majority all allow the user to create and edit play list based on the audio data file management of PC, and described playlist can be downloaded in the portable audio data player then and be used to play selected audio data file sequence.The playlist a kind of and form that MP3 audio data file canonical correlation joins is the M3U playlist.The M3U playlist is made up of text simply, and described text is included in the path of data tones frequency file included in the described playlist or the sequential list of position.Therefore, the playlist of creating and download to audio data player on PC can be used for playing selectively an audio data file sequence, and described audio data file is included in the data-carrier store of described audio data player.Yet described M3U file layout is include file position or routing information and comment field only.Therefore, described M3U file layout allows predetermined audio data file sequence of player playback, but does not comprise other audio data file information such as the information that is comprised in the ID3 of MP3 audio data file mark.

Audio data file management based on PC also allows the user to come available audio data file is classified according to its content, such as the ID3 field of foundation MP3 audio data file.PC has the processing power of rapid extraction content description information from described audio data file usually, and has necessary storer so that store this information and it is shown to the user in mode timely.Yet in having the non-audio data player based on PC of limited processing power and storer, particularly in the player of portable or hand-held, this processing is normally unpractiaca.In the audio data player with the large capacity data memory that can store hundreds of or several thousand audio data files, this restriction is especially sharp-pointed.So to browse available audio data file according to its ID3 information in a plurality of sequences in based on the audio data player of PC be infeasible non-.Equally, it also is disabled being used for simple and easy methods definite and a plurality of user selectable parameters that demonstration is relevant with song in non-audio data player based on PC.

In some non-audio data players based on PC, the user can " mark " will be placed on some song in the playlist.Terms tag refers to a kind of processing procedure, and the processing procedure user for example is chosen in particular songs shown on the display device of player by the mode of pushing options button whereby, and selected song is placed the list of songs of being stored.After the quantity of institute's mark song arrives a certain quantity, described playlist can be stored in the storer.Have less relatively display and having in a large amount of non-audio data players of storing song, mark song and remember which song to be labeled the processing procedure that is used to be included in playlist may be very difficult for the user based on PC.In this, just need a kind of like this digital audio data player: described player makes user's various songs of mark easily, and provides demonstration to cross which song to remember mark.

In addition, audio data player provides usually and comprises out of order pattern at interior multiple replay mode.In described out of order pattern, player generates a play sequence in the whole songs from be stored in player or the playlist from be stored in player randomly.In this respect, the user may have some song but not the preference of other song, and likes those songs of resetting more continually.In this, just need a kind of like this digital audio data player: described player can write down the user to like or dislikes a certain first song, and provides generation to like in response to the user or the out of order pattern of the playback sequence of the indication disliked.

Summary of the invention

The present invention has solved some above-mentioned restrictions of audio data player, particularly hand-held audio player by following manner: preference table is provided, described preference table is to read from the high-capacity storage of player during the start-up operation of player, and is stored in during the power-off operation of player in the high-capacity storage of player.Described preference table comprises a plurality of clauses and subclauses, and each clauses and subclauses is associated with song in being stored in described audio data player.Each clauses and subclauses all comprises and described song associated unique identification, and comprise the indication described song whether be selected for the supplemental characteristic that is included in the playlist, whether likes described song and whether dislike described song.Described preference table can be used together with playlist or the list of songs that is stored on the player, so as to determine and show with tabulate in the state of each user selectable parameters of being associated of song.For example, described preference table can be used for showing that particular songs has been selected for the time that is included in playlist.At described player run duration, the user to user optional parameter is made any change and is all upgraded described preference table.Use preference table independently to allow player by checking unique identification rather than checking that the mode of actual identification information (for example ID3 label information that is associated with the song of being stored) comes described list of songs is carried out Fast Classification.

Described audio data player generally includes the microcontroller that is coupled with user interface, data-carrier store, memory buffer and audio decoder.Described user interface comprises LCD and has the keyboard of various multichannels, multifunction switch.Described audio data player also is provided for being connected to PC or other is equipped with USB (universal serial bus) (" the USB ") port of USB.By via USB port audio data player being connected to PC, audio data file and audio playlist can be downloaded to audio data player and store in the data-carrier store.In one embodiment, data-carrier store comprises the hard disk drive of a 10GB; Yet portable data storage medium of other such as flash memory card or solid state memory device also can be used.In this embodiment, described user interface provides selection, classification and the playback of the menu-drive of audio data file.In addition, at the playback duration of audio data file, LCD shows the ID3 label information such as title, artist, special edition and style.Described lcd screen also can show playback duration, volume level such as the past and the out of Memory that presets the DSP pattern.

The embodiment of disclosed audio data player is the portable handheld unit with rechargeable battery, 5 volts of DC inputs, earphone output port and line output (line out) ports.Therefore, audio data player can be used for using the portable use of earphone, or is used to use the fixation application of AC power supplies and earphone or other audio devices.

Advantageously, disclosed data structure support and strengthened user interface and be used for watching and selecting to be stored in the navigation task of the audio data file of bulk data storage device.In addition, the non-audio data player based on PC that the present invention allows to have limited processing power and storer provides user interface and navigation characteristic, described navigation characteristic allow player show be stored in data storage device in the state of the user selectable parameters that is associated of audio data file.

Another one advantage of the present invention is: the user selectable parameters that non-audio data player based on PC can be determined and demonstration is associated with described song in the playlist, and need not directly to read described data from each audio file.

Description of drawings

With reference to the description of doing in conjunction with described accompanying drawing to a following embodiment of the present invention, of the present invention above-mentioned and other feature and purpose and realize that their method will become more obvious, and the present invention may be better understood itself, in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is to use according to of the present invention and is used for determining and the block diagram of the portable audio data player of the method for explicit user optional parameter;

Fig. 2 is to use according to of the present invention and is used for determining and the vertical view of the portable audio data player of the method for explicit user optional parameter;

Fig. 3 is the rear view of the portable audio data player of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is the right view of the portable audio data player of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 A is the view of the Main classification menu that shows on the audio data player of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 B is the view of artist's menu of showing on the audio data player of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 C is the view of the special edition menu that shows on the audio data player of Fig. 2; And

Fig. 5 D is the song that shows on the audio data player of Fig. 2 or the view of track menu.

Corresponding Reference numeral runs through several views all represents corresponding part.Example set forth herein is for example understood one embodiment of the present of invention with a kind of form, but these examples should not regarded the scope of the present invention that limits by any way as.

Embodiment

Following public embodiment and be not intended to exhaustive or limit the invention to below describe in detail in disclosed exact form.On the contrary, select and describe described embodiment so that others skilled in the art can use its instruction.

Fig. 1 shows the block scheme according to portable audio data player 10 of the present invention.The overall arrangement and the operation of different elements hereinafter will be described.Yet the details of the various elements of audio data player 10 is generally known to a person skilled in the art, therefore will not be discussed here.Audio data player 10 comprises the DSP 12 of the integrated operation of various elements of control and audio data player 10, and described operation comprises from data-carrier store 32 transmission data, by memory buffer 25 and decoding compressed audio file.DSP 12 comprises the storer 23 and 11 of right quantity, for various instruction set of storage and the program that is used for the operation of control audio data player 10.

DSP 12 can be programmed so that carry out various signal processing functions at the playback duration of selected audio data file.In this case, in playback duration DSP 12 performed function including, but not limited to decoding audio data file, volume control, digital audio equilibrium and sample conversion.In this respect, DSP 12 comprises storer 11 on the plate, wherein at playback duration decoder file, audio data file, equalizer mode selection and various other desired data is loaded into wherein.

Described decoder file comprises the program of the decode operation of controlling DSP 12, and audio data file comprises the data that are associated with audio content.The two all is stored in audio data file and decoder file in the data-carrier store 32.The decoder file that will comprise described program is sent to DSP storer 11 from data-carrier store 32.

The voice data and the demoder program that are stored in the data-carrier store 32 can be encrypted, and this need use one or more decruption keys to come decoding program file and audio data file are decrypted by DSP 12.Described decruption key can be stored in the data-carrier store 32, and can be linked to particular memory device or certain other addressable part of audio data player 10 safely, so that encryptedly only can decipher and play by this specific audio data player with the audio data file that on specific audio data player, uses.

Along with the selected audio data file of decoding, DSP 12 provides the data stream of described decoding to digital to analog converter 14.D/A converter 14 is converted to simulating signal with the numeral output of DSP 12, and described simulating signal is offered Earphone Amplifier 16 and line output prime amplifier 40.Described simulating signal is exaggerated and is provided for line output plughole 41 and earphone jack 17, and the two all is configured on the shell 13 of audio player 10.

Audio player 10 is suitable for operating together with data-carrier store 32.In this embodiment, data-carrier store 32 is mobile data memory storages, hard disk drive particularly, it can be used for storing different data files, comprises the audio data file of coding, the decoder file that is used to control the decode operation of DSP 12, play list file and the computer data file such as for example word processing file, demonstration and spreadsheet.Mass data can easily transmit between data-carrier store 32 and DSP 12 by data bus 33.Memory buffer 25 can be used as the loop-around data impact damper and operates, so that prevent by the interruption of caused voice playing or the data transfer delay of other similar mobile data memory storage of jumping.Utilize the present invention, decoder file, playlist and a large amount of relatively voice datas can be stored on the data-carrier store 32.

According to the present invention, audio data file is loaded into the data-carrier store 32 via USB port 42 from PC or other similar device, described PC or other similar device use the music management software according to selected coded format (such as MP3 or MP3 Pro) the described audio data file of encoding, and store the data encoded file then.This music management software utilizes programmed method well known in the art to realize.Described music management software transmits described audio data file and suitable decoder file by data bus 43 and 33 to audio data player 10, and sends it in the data-carrier store 32.Described music management software also generates and revises CONFIG.SYS and file attribute table as required, so that provide about being stored in the various data files in the data-carrier store 32 and the information of decoder file.Utilize described configuration file and described file attribute table, audio data player 10 can show the audio data file by the classification of various groups on display 21, determine the correct coding form of each audio data file, and come to download suitable decoder file for each content file in response to user's selection.

Fig. 2-4 for example understands the exemplary embodiment of display, button, switch, indicator and port on the shell 13 that can be configured in audio data player 10.With reference to Fig. 2, user input apparatus 26 comprises button 44 (Fig. 3), 46 (Fig. 4) and the 60-77 on a plurality of shells 13 that are configured in audio data player 10, is used to allow the user to classify and selects the special audio data file that is used to reset and control is reset and is provided with.User input apparatus 26 can also comprise other input media well known in the art, for example the touch pad of keyboard, voice activation and touch-screen input media.Two multi-way switchs comprise button 62-66 and 68-72.Soft-key button 74-77 is the multifunctional button of its function for various user interface display changes.Audio data player 10 also comprises the display 21 that is configured on the shell 13.Display 21 shows audio data file and the playlist that is stored in the data-carrier store 32, the function of described soft-key button 74-77, and the various status informations that are associated with audio player 10, all as shown in FIG. 2 playback mode and in the top level menu shown in Fig. 5.

Refer again to Fig. 2, stop/power button 60 allows the user to stop to reset, and opens and closes audio data player 10.Broadcast/pause button 62 allows the user to begin to reset and suspend and reset.Left arrow button 63 allows the user to be moved to the left highlighted part when using menu, and jumps back to previous audio data file or scanning backward in current audio data file in the time of playing back music.Right arrow button 65 allows users' highlighted part that moves right when using menu, and jumps to next audio data file in the time of playing back music, and scans forward in current audio data file.Upwards arrow button 64 allows users' highlighted part that moves up when the described menu of use.Arrow button 66 allows the user to move down highlighted part when using described menu downwards.

Still with reference to Fig. 2, selector button 68 allows the user to select highlighted item.Increase volume button 69 and increase the playback volume level of earphone 18, reduce volume level and reduce volume button 71.Mode button 70 allows the user to select specific replay mode, comprises normally, repeats, repeats one, repeats whole, out of order and repeat all out of order.Save button 72 allows the user to create new playlist, or audio data file is added on the existing playlist.Soft-key button 74-77 selects to appear at just the described menu item of each button top of the bottom of display 21.

With reference to Fig. 3, when audio data player 10 was opened, power indicator 78 was bright.When power supply 47 was charging, charge indicator 79 was bright.In described exemplary embodiment, power supply 47 is rechargeable battery groups.DC input jack 48 provides 5 volts direct current so that to audio data player 10 power supply and recharge power supply 47 from the AC adapter.Replacement button 44 allows the user that all audio data player settings are reset to manufacturing plant's default value.

Referring now to Fig. 4, when switch 46 slides into latched position, close so/locking switch 46 allows users to make button 60-77 invalid.Line output plughole 41 allows users that audio data player and audion system are independently linked together.Earphone jack 17 allows the audio frequency of user's broadcast decoder on earphone 18.USB port 42 provides from audio data player 10 to PC or other similarly connection of device by utilizing USB cable.

When the user selected specific audio data file to be used to reset via user input apparatus, the suitable decoder file that DSP 12 will be associated with selected audio data file was loaded into the DSP storer 11 from data-carrier store 32.Refer again to Fig. 1, DSP 12 then delivers to selected audio data file stream as jumping along bus 33 and 29 and protects in the memory buffer 25 of impact damper.

After the stream of selected audio data file sent beginning, DSP 12 utilized the relevant decoder file described audio data file of decoding.Various decoder file can be stored in the data-carrier store 32, the various coded formats that the audio data file in being adapted to processing and being stored in data-carrier store 32 with permission audio player 10 is associated.In fact, when the user selected to be stored in special audio data file in the data-carrier store 32, portable audio player 10 can carry out software upgrading by the decoder file that is stored in the data-carrier store 32 as required.

After starting power supply, the DSP 12 of audio data player 10 loading system configuration file from data-carrier store 32.The various file layouts of DSP 12 identifications, the data file that described file layout need be stored in the data-carrier store 32 is supported.Described configuration file also comprises the information that the special decoder file that is stored in the data-carrier store 32 and the file extension of described audio data file are equal to mutually.If described configuration file is that effectively DSP 12 reads the file attribute table that is stored in the data-carrier store 32 so, and make display 21 show the tabulation of the menu-drive that is stored in the file/file in the data-carrier store 32.

With reference to Fig. 5 A, being presented at master menu on the display 21 allows the user to navigate according to group or identification characteristics and shows audio data file, described identification characteristics such as artist, special edition, title, style, playlist and all audio data files.Described tabulation on the display can utilize corresponding to each separately the playlist of classification generate and classify, for example utilizing the sequence number of submitting in September 10 calendar year 2001 is 60/318, data structure described in 721 " EXTENSION OF M3U FILEFORMAT TO SUPPORT USER INTERFACE AND NAVIGATION TASKSIN AN DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER " and method generate and classify, and the document is incorporated herein.Comprised the unique track identifier with playlist entry as described below in the present invention.As mentioned above, from described master menu, the user can operate user input apparatus 26 with the tabulation of navigation classification and select in shown audio data file or the playlist needed one to reset.

In current embodiment, the decoder file of necessity is stored in the data-carrier store 32 with described audio data file.Like this, audio player 10 just can be updated so that play different coded formats, and described renewal is by DSP is carried out software upgrading carrying out by means of together being stored in decoder file in the data-carrier store 32 with described audio data file.Therefore, audio data player 10 can be reset and utilize various coded format coded data files, described coded format to comprise the coded format that becomes available in the future.

During the demonstration of resetting, as shown in Figure 2, show various information about audio data file and audio data player setting.For example, the display in Fig. 2 21 shows filename, artist name, album title, style, the current track that is broadcasting in all files play, volume level indication, audio data file reproduction time, replay mode indication, bit rate and the selected DSP model selection of process.

Following table 1 shows according to preference tableau format of the present invention.Described preference table be used to be convenient to simplify play-list creation and current audio data player referenced characteristics realization and be used to realize that the indication such as liking and dislike according to the user generates the data structure of out of order tabulation.

Described preference table form is made up of such data structure: described data structure has been listed classification and the quoting one of them system plays listing file of the fullpath that therefrom obtains described track under the unique identification, this track of each track.This data structure also comprises the stem (header) with the information such as the number of entries in this table, and a 32-bit number that changes and just increase progressively whenever the content of this table.The field description of described preference table is as follows.

Table 1

The field name bit number
	preferenceTableVersion 16
preferenceTableUpdateCount 32
	numberOfEntriesInTable 32
for(i＝0；i＜numberOfEntriesInTable；i++)
	{
TrackUniqueID (four 32 unsigned values) 128
	reserved1 5
likeFlag 1
	dislikeFlag 1
pickFlag 1
	reserved2 5
sysPlaylistFileSource 3
	sysPlaylistFileOffset 32
}

preferenceTableVersion

The tabular current version of this field indication preference.The tabular any variation of preference that may influence the software that reads this preference table all can increase this numeral.Read the described software of preference table and should check that described version number can support reading specified version to guarantee it.

preferenceTableUpdateCount

This field is from null value, and just increases progressively 1 whenever preference table being made a change it.When arriving maximal value (0xFFFFFFFF), this field is started from scratch again.This field can be used for making the latest edition of other file and preference table synchronous.A possible application is to comprise described preference sign by following manner in the system plays tabulation: the value of memory preferenceTableUpdateCount when the described preference sign in the playlist is updated, and described value compared with the currency in the preference table, described software can determine whether it needs to upgrade preference sign in the described system file.

numberOfEntriesInTable

This field is represented the quantity of the clauses and subclauses in the preference table.When clauses and subclauses are added or be removed, upgrade this quantity from table.

trackindexinPlaylist

This field is represented the order of the current audio file information in the system plays tabulation.

trackUniqueID

This field is the unique identifier that the entire path of clauses and subclauses is mapped to a cryptographic hash (hash-value).It is MD5 Hash key generating algorithm that being used to of being proposed generates this digital algorithm, and it is obtained the character string of 256 characters of as many as and generates 128 unique Hash key.In order to use the content of this field more effectively, it should be stored as four signless 32 place values, and in these values each all should adopt preferential (big-endian) form storage of high byte.This unique identifier also by with play list file in respective entries be listed in together to be easy to the relevant of described clauses and subclauses.

reserved1

This field is retained the usefulness in order to expansion in the future, and answers zero setting so that the compatibility of guaranteeing changed future.

likeFlag

This is whether the described user of expression has chosen the track of appointment the binary field in liking tabulating.When this was set, the track that its indication is associated with trackUniqueID was a part of liking playlist.When this position was cleared, the track that its indication is associated with trackUniqueID was not a part of liking playlist.Notice that liking playlist and disliking playlist is mutual exclusion, the clauses and subclauses that therefore are provided with likeFlag (liking sign) and dislikeFlag (disliking sign) simultaneously are unallowed.

dislikeFlag

This is whether the described user of expression has chosen track designation described binary field in disliking tabulating.When this was set, the track that its indication is associated with described trackUniqueID was a described part of disliking playlist.When zero clearing this time, its track of being associated with described trackUniqueID of indication is not a described part of disliking playlist.Notice that liking playlist and disliking playlist is mutual exclusion, the clauses and subclauses that therefore are provided with likeFlag (liking sign) and dislikeFlag (disliking sign) simultaneously are unallowed.

pickFlag

This is whether the described user of expression has chosen track designation the binary field in the described pick-list.When this was set, the track that its indication is associated with trackUniqueID was a part of selecting playlist.When this position was cleared, the track that its indication is associated with trackUniqueID was not a part of selecting playlist.

Reserved2

This field is retained the usefulness in order to expansion in the future, and answers zero setting so that the compatibility of guaranteeing changed future.

sysPlaylistFileSource

This field is one of two fields that are used for finding fast the fullpath of the track that is associated with trackUniqueID.This field is represented from wherein reading the system plays listing file in described path.To explain value in this field according to table 2.

Table 2

Numerical value	The system plays tabulation
		0	Invalid
1	Artist.m3u
		2	Album.m3u
3	Genre.m3u
		4	Title.m3u
5	Year.m3u

sysPlaylistFileOffset

This field is represented from the byte offsets of the section start of the system plays tabulation of the appointment of reading its path clauses and subclauses corresponding with trackUniqueID.

Power up and initialization

During the player initialization after powering up, described player from dish, read described preference table and with the load content of whole table in storer.If do not find preference table in described dish, so described player is created new preference table.The initial value of new preference table is made up of the sky table of suitable version number with appointment and zero entries.

Navigation

During described navigation processing, use described preference table to determine whether specific clauses and subclauses " are selected " by user institute.About selecting, can there be following three kinds of possible states in clauses and subclauses: " selecting ", " not selecting " and " part is selected ".Notice that described " part is selected " state only is only applicable to represent the clauses and subclauses (just not being the special edition clauses and subclauses that whole songs all " are selected " therein) more than a first song.

1. described player shows the clauses and subclauses (that is to say that if the user selects the artist, player shows from the first six artist in the profile playlist so) that are used for the navigation mode wanted.

2. described player reads trackUniqueID from the profile playlist, and trackUniqueID is compared with the whole clauses and subclauses in the preference table, to search corresponding preference table clauses and subclauses and to determine whether to be provided with pickFlag.If described clauses and subclauses are corresponding with a certain specific song, whether whether so described clauses and subclauses indicate described song selected, not selected, and with described indicated number on described player.If clauses and subclauses can be represented more than one first song (just artist, special edition, school and time), so described player inspection is by the every first song of described clauses and subclauses representative.If all songs all are provided with pickFlag, so described clauses and subclauses are considered to " selecting ", all are provided with pickFlag if not all songs, and so described clauses and subclauses are considered to " part is selected ".At last, if be provided with pickFlag without any a first song, so described clauses and subclauses are considered to " not selecting ".

3. for each clauses and subclauses, described player shows that then for example being used for shown in Fig. 5 B and 5C " selected " and the suitable icon of " part is selected " clauses and subclauses.

4. along with described user (up or down) navigation, described new clauses and subclauses should be according to top step 2 and 3 processed.Needn't upgrade the already present clauses and subclauses on the current screen.

Reset

At playback duration, the user has the ability of assigning song in " liking " or " disliking " tabulation.In the song of playing in described " liking " or " disliking " tabulation, described software should show the suitable icon of the state of indicating described song." like " or the state of " disliking " can be determined by the clauses and subclauses of searching in the preference table in the mode that is similar to " selecting " state.When described unit was operated under out of order pattern, described " liking " and " disliking " state also were used to influence song with the probability that is played.

For normal playback, described player is followed step as described below:

1. when reading from dish, described player (from the profile playlist) reads or (from fullpath) calculates the trackUniqueID of each file and preserve these information with other file-related information.

2. when beginning during played file, described player compares the trackUniqueID that read or calculated with the content of preference table.If described clauses and subclauses are provided with its likeFlag or dislikeFlag, so described player shows suitable icon.

For out of order playback, described player is followed step as described below:

1. before the out of order algorithm of startup, described player determines to upset the sum of clauses and subclauses in proper order.

2. described player also determines to upset the quantity of " liking " clauses and subclauses of the described group of entries inside of order, and it is added in the total quantity of the song that will upset order.(that is to say that if 10 songs of primarily upsetting order are arranged altogether, and 3 head in those songs are provided with the likeFlag field in described preference table, the total quantity that will upset the song of order so is 13).

3. described player is applied to 50% possibility on " disliking " clauses and subclauses, and the possibility with 100% is applied on the normal clauses and subclauses, and 200% possibility is applied on " liking " clauses and subclauses.For 200% of " liking " clauses and subclauses is to realize automatically by the quantity that increases out of order clauses and subclauses.When described out of order algorithm produced total big quantity (quantity in above-mentioned example 11 just) than actual clauses and subclauses, player was in fact from section start selection " liking " clauses and subclauses by the clauses and subclauses of (quantity of out of order index---clauses and subclauses) index.For " disliking " though song 50% be whether to be played all to replace by the clauses and subclauses that are provided with dislikeFlag to realize.When for the first time running into " disliking " clauses and subclauses, play it, when running into for the second time any other " disliking " song, described player is ignored it simply, and obtains next clauses and subclauses from the out of order algorithm of described standard.

Preference table upgrades

All clauses and subclauses all are added to the end of described table.Add clauses and subclauses to described preference table and need following step:

1. add the end of new clauses and subclauses to the table that is positioned at position numberOfEntriesinTable+1

2. the numberOfEntriesinTable field is increased progressively 1

3. preferenceTableUpdateCount is increased progressively 1, if reach 0xFFFFFFFF,

Then with zero this field of beginning.

When being set up (that is to say likeFlag=0, dislikeFlag=0 and pickFlag=0) without any the preference sign, should from described preference table, remove clauses and subclauses so.Remove clauses and subclauses and need the following step:

1. the whole clauses and subclauses that will follow clauses and subclauses that will be deleted position that moves up.The numberOfEntriesinTable field is successively decreased 1

2. preferenceTableUpdateCount is increased progressively 1, if reach 0xFFFFFFFF, then with zero this field of beginning

Outage and preference table write dish

When outage, described player copies the full content of described preference table in dish.The form and the preference table in the storer of described preference table file are identical, and the preference table file should be written as the binary file with content identical with preference table in the storer.

In described exemplary embodiment, suitable DSP 12 includes but is not limited to the TMS320DA250 by the Texas Instruments of the Dallas that is positioned at the Texas (Texas Instruments Inc.) manufacturing.Relevant with DSP 12 is storer 23 (being the ROM of 48KB in this example), and the memory buffer 25 that comprises the RAM of 8MB, the buffered play time that it provides 7 minutes buffered play time with 128kbps and provides 14 minutes with 64kbps.DSP 12 also comprises relevant storer 11, is the RAM of 64KB in this example.The suitable hard disk drive that is used for data-carrier store 32 comprises (but being not restricted to) Microdrive by the IBMCorporation of Armonk company manufacturing in New York ^TMThe hard disk of 10GB for example provides 150 hours audio frequency with the MP3 bit rate of 128kbps, or provides 300 hours audio frequency with the bit rate of 64kbps.

It is evident that to those skilled in the art:, under the situation that does not break away from essence of the present invention, can make modifications and variations the disclosed embodiments although described the present invention according to exemplary embodiment.For example, although described the present invention with reference to the data-carrier store 32 that is fixed in the audio player 10, but the storage card that can utilize flash memory, another fixed-storage device, optical devices or be suitable for removably being coupled with audio player 10 is realized the present invention, and wherein said demoder program and audio data file are loaded in the storage card by music management software.In addition, can be at inner DSP 12 and the microcontroller 22 realized of single IC.In addition, other user selectable parameters also can be included in the preference table, so that easily search and show.In addition, recognize that the current feature that loads suitable demoder program and audio data file can utilize any one or the combination of these programmed methods in the programmed method of a large amount of conventional known to realize in music management software at this.In addition, although more than be described with reference to audio data player, the present invention can extend to any portable data processing device, video display devices for example, wherein said data can utilize in a plurality of data encoding formaies to encode.Therefore, should be understood that: the present invention is intended to cover as the whole modification defined in the appending claims.

Claims (14)

1. a method that is used for determining and showing the state of the user selectable parameters that is associated with the song that is stored in digital audio-frequency player comprises the steps;

During the start-up operation of described digital audio-frequency player from high-capacity storage that described digital audio-frequency player is associated read preference table, described preference table comprises the clauses and subclauses that are stored in the selected song in the described high-capacity storage corresponding to every head, and each clauses and subclauses comprises the supplemental characteristic that accords with and represent the state of user selectable parameters with selected song associated unique identification;

Read the playlist of selecting by the user;

With display device that multiple channel audio player is associated on show the one or more clauses and subclauses that are included in the selected playlist;

Determine be included in selected playlist in one or more unique identifiers of being associated of each clauses and subclauses;

Determined unique identifier is compared with the unique identifier in being included in described preference table, to determine and the state of the described optional parameter that clauses and subclauses in the selected playlist are associated;

The state that on described display device, shows the determined optional parameter that is associated with selected playlist entry.

2. method according to claim 1, the state of at least 3 kinds of user selectable parameters of wherein said supplemental characteristic representative comprises: whether described clauses and subclauses are marked as is included in the playlist, whether like described song and whether dislike described song.

3. whether whether method according to claim 2 also comprises such step: be labeled whenever the user indicates selected song, be indicated as and like or be not indicated as when disliking, upgrade described preference table.

4. method according to claim 3 also comprises such step: during the power-off operation of described digital audio-frequency player the preference table that is upgraded is stored in the described high-capacity storage.

5. method according to claim 1, wherein each preference table clauses and subclauses comprises the playlist identification data, described playlist identification data comprises the routing information that is used to locate the selected song on the described high-capacity storage.

6. method according to claim 1 utilizes hash function to generate comprising each unique identifier in described preference table.

7. method according to claim 1 also comprises such step: the user in response to out of order play mode selects, and utilizes to indicate whether that the supplemental characteristic of liking song or not disliking song generates the playlist sequence.

8. portable hand-held digital audio-frequency player comprises:

High-capacity storage;

User input apparatus, be used to allow the user to select the playlist that is used to show and select be stored in high-capacity storage on the state of the user selectable parameters that is associated of song;

Display device; And

With described high-capacity storage, user input apparatus, and the controller that is coupled of display device, described controller selects to generate preference table in response to the user to the state of described user selectable parameters, during the power-off operation of digital audio-frequency player, described preference table is stored in the high-capacity storage, and during the start-up operation of digital audio-frequency player, from described high-capacity storage, read described preference table, wherein said preference table comprises corresponding to the clauses and subclauses that are stored in each the first selected song in the described high-capacity storage, each clauses and subclauses comprises the supplemental characteristic that accords with and represent the state of user selectable parameters with selected song associated unique identification

One or more unique identifiers that described controller is selected to determine to be associated with clauses and subclauses in the playlist in response to the user to playlist, determined one or more unique identifiers are compared with unique identifier in the described preference table, determine the state of described optional parameter and make described display device demonstration have one or more clauses and subclauses in the playlist of state of the user selectable parameters that is associated with described clauses and subclauses in response to described comparative result.

9. digital audio-frequency player according to claim 8, the state of at least 3 kinds of user selectable parameters of wherein said supplemental characteristic representative comprises: whether described clauses and subclauses are marked as is included in the playlist, whether like described song and whether dislike described song.

10. whether whether digital audio-frequency player according to claim 9 wherein will be labeled whenever the user indicates selected song, be indicated as and like or be not indicated as when disliking, and described controller upgrades described preference table.

11. digital audio-frequency player according to claim 10, wherein said controller stores the preference table that is upgraded in the high-capacity storage into during the power-off operation of digital audio-frequency player.

12. digital audio-frequency player according to claim 8, wherein each preference table clauses and subclauses comprises the playlist identification data, and described playlist identification data comprises the routing information that is used to locate the selected song on the high-capacity storage.

13. digital audio-frequency player according to claim 8 utilizes hash function to generate comprising each unique identifier in described preference table.

14. digital audio-frequency player according to claim 8 is wherein selected in response to the user to out of order play mode, described controller utilization indicates whether that the supplemental characteristic of liking song or not disliking song generates the playlist sequence.

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