Enhanced delivery of audio data for portable playback

Abstract

A system for selection by a user and delivery to the user over an internetwork transmission channel of selected audio data files at a delivery rate of at least twice the delivery rate for normal, audibly perceptible playback of an audio data file. The user registers the user's selection of audio material with a central library of audio and/or text data files, and a digitized and optionally compressed omnibus file containing the user's selections is prepared and transmitted to the user at a high data transfer rate. The user receives downloads the selected data files to a personal computer or to a portable storage and playback unit (SPU) that may store and play back digitized text or audio data, using a docking station. The user carries this SPU until the user has an opportunity to audio process and play back the text or audio data files in audibly perceptible form.

1 . Audio information storage and playback apparatus comprising: 
 a computer and associated data interface, programmed to receive and extract an audio data file from an incoming signal over an internetwork channel at a transfer rate that is greater than a playback rate for audibly perceptible playback of information contained in the data file; and    a docking station, connected to the computer and adapted for receiving a playback module that receives and stores the data file from the computer and that provides audibly perceptible playback of the data file.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising said playback module, where said playback module comprises: 
 flash memory for receiving and storing said data file from said microprocessor;    playback selection means for selecting at least one selected data file recorded in the flash memory;    digital-to-analog conversion means for converting the selected data file into an audio signal; and    audio processing means, for selecting and retrieving the selected data file from the flash memory and for reproducing the selected data file in audibly perceptible form for playback at a real time delivery rate.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said flash memory further comprises a PCMCIA card.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said playback module includes at least one of an audibly perceptible display and a visually perceptible display that displays user information, drawn from the groups of user information consisting of (1) an estimated length of time required for real time playback of a user-specified selection recorded on said playback module, (2) a title or phrase describing a user-specified selection recorded on said playback module and (3) a user-specified category to which a user-specified selection recorded on said playback module is assigned.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a keypad, having at least two keys thereon that are tactilely distinguishable or visually distinguishable, connected to said playback module, that allows a command to be entered that selects said selected data file and that causes said audio processing means to convert said selected data file to an audibly perceptible signal.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said microprocessor receives said data file as a text file and said playback module further comprises a text-to-speech conversion means for receiving and converting said data file to an audio file.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data interface is a universal data interface to receive a data file as part of an incoming signal, transmitted over an internetwork transmission channel, in digitized format, and to provide automatic data format recognition for this data file.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said computer comprises a data file interrogation module, for receiving and examining said data file to determine whether said data file contains at least one E-mail message, for removing the E-mail routing information for each E-mail message that is part of said data file, and for retaining the remainder of the E-mail message in said data file.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a telephone modem, connected to said data interface, for receiving and converting said incoming signals and for passing the converted incoming signals to said data interface.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said audio data file is provided in digitized and compressed format using a compression algorithm drawn from the class of audio compression algorithms consisting of perceptual encoding, Dolby Labs AC-3 and CCITT recommendation G.722.  
     
     
         11 . Audio information storage and playback apparatus comprising: 
 a computer and associated data interface, programmed to receive and extract a text data file from an incoming signal over an internetwork channel, where the text data file is received by the computer at a transfer rate that is greater than a playback rate for audibly perceptible playback of information contained in the text data file; and    a docking station, connected to the computer and adapted for receiving a playback module that receives and stores the text data file from the computer and that provides audibly perceptible playback of the text data file.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising said playback module, where said playback module comprises: 
 flash memory for receiving and storing said text data file from said microprocessor;    playback selection means for selecting at least one selected data file recorded in the flash memory; and    text-to-speech conversion means for receiving the at least one text data file from the playback means and for converting the at least one text data file to an output signal that is in audio format;    digital-to-analog conversion means for converting the text-to-speech conversion means output signal into an audio signal; and    audio processing means, for receiving the digital-to-analog conversion means output signal and for reproducing the output signal in audibly perceptible form for playback at a real time delivery rate.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said flash memory further comprises a PCMCIA card.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said playback module includes at least one of an audibly perceptible display and a visually perceptible display that displays user information, drawn from the groups of user information consisting of (1) an estimated length of time required for real time playback of a user-specified selection recorded on said playback module, (2) a title or phrase describing a user-specified selection recorded on said playback module and (3) a user-specified category to which a user-specified selection recorded on said playback module is assigned.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a keypad, having at least two keys thereon that are tactilely distinguishable or visually distinguishable, connected to said playback module, that allows a command to be entered that selects said selected text data file and that causes said audio processing means to convert said selected text data file to an audibly perceptible signal.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said data interface is a universal data interface to receive a text data file as part of an incoming signal, transmitted over an internetwork transmission channel, in digitized format, and to provide automatic data format recognition for this text data file.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said computer comprises a data file interrogation module, for receiving and examining said data file to determine whether said data file contains at least one E-mail message, for removing the E-mail routing information for each E-mail message that is part of said data file, and for retaining the remainder of the E-mail message in said data file.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a telephone modem, connected to said data interface, for receiving and converting said incoming signals and for passing the converted incoming signals to said data interface.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said text data file is converted to a digitized and compressed audio format using a compression algorithm drawn from the class of audio compression algorithms consisting of perceptual encoding, Dolby Labs AC-3 and CCITT recommendation G.722.  
     
     
         20 . A system for receiving and storing digital files, the system comprising: 
 a portable storage and playback device;    a personal computer;    a docking station connected to the portable storage and playback device and including a signal connection between the personal computer and the portable storage and playback device,    wherein at least one of the personal computer and the portable storage and playback device includes software to facilitate a transfer of a digital file from the personal computer to the portable storage and playback device, using the connection between the personal computer and the docking station.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said digital file contains audio information.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said portable storage and playback device includes a flash memory.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said portable storage and playback device includes a PCMCIA card that contains flash memory and that can be removed from said portable storage and playback device.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said portable storage and playback device provides audibly perceptible playback of said digital file.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said portable storage and playback device includes a hard drive.