Portable recorder/players with power-saving buffers

Abstract

In electronic devices such as combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/players power is conserved by buffering audio or visual data in a solid state memory, preferably of the FLASH or DRAM type, before writing the data to a rotating hard disk. Alternatively, audio and/or visual data, including musical works and still pictures and video, read from a rotating hard disk may be buffered in the same solid state memory while being played. By rotating the hard disk drive only for transfer of audio-visual data, which is normally compressed, in blocks, the hard drive may be stopped both during relative lengthy accumulation, and/or use, of this data, and energy conserved.

1 . A method of conserving power in electronic device reading digital data from a rotating disk storing digital data in order to display visual images and/or produce audible sounds from the read data, the method comprising: rotating a disk storing digital data in order to concurrently first-read digital data from the disk into a buffer memory, whereupon the buffer memory becomes filled the disk rotating and the first-reading is stopped; and, to the extent digital data then exists within the buffer memory, second-reading digital data from the buffer memory so that, concurrently with the second-reading, visual images are displayed and/or audible sounds are produced from the second-read digital data; wherein the second-reading, and the concurrent displaying of visual images and/or producing of audible sounds, transpire during intervals when the disk rotation is stopped because the buffer memory is filled from the rotating disk much faster than the buffer memory is second-read. 
   
   
       2 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 1  wherein the digital data within the rotating disk is encoded; and wherein, relationally to earlier-performed steps of rotating and concurrent first-reading, and to later-performed steps of second-reading and concurrent displaying of visual images and/or producing of audible sounds, the method further comprises the step of: decoding the encoded digital data read from the rotating disk concurrently with the first-reading; wherein the encoded digital data first-read from the rotating disk is decoded before being placed into the buffer memory. 
   
   
       3 . The power conserving method according to  claim 1  wherein the digital data within the rotating disk is encoded; and wherein, relationally to earlier-performed steps of rotating and concurrent first-reading, and to later-performed steps of second-reading and concurrent displaying of visual images and/or producing of audible sounds, the method further comprises the step of decoding the encoded digital data read from the rotating disk concurrently with the second-reading and the displaying of visual images and/or producing of audible sounds; wherein the encoded digital data first-read from the rotating disk is decoded only upon being second-read from the buffer memory. 
   
   
       4 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 1  wherein the digital data within the rotating disk is encoded in accordance with any of the MPEG standards, of the MP3, WWA, MP-Pro, AAC, DIVX, DVD, SADC, Super CD, or QOOS standards. and wherein the method comprises a further step of: decoding the encoded digital data read from the rotating disk. 
   
   
       5 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 1  wherein the disk rotating and the first-reading continues until the buffer memory is filled or all desired files are retrieved, whichever comes first. 
   
   
       6 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 1  extended to and in an electronic device also writing digital data representing visual images and/or audible sounds to the rotating disk storing digital data, the extended method further comprising: digitally encoding in real time digital data representing visual images and/or audible sounds; and concurrently first-writing in real time the encoded digital data to a buffer memory store until at least so much digitally-encoded data has been written as represents a complete visual image and/or a contiguous segment of sound without detectable pauses; and then rotating the disk while concurrently second-writing digital data from the buffer memory into the rotating disk; wherein rotation of the rotating disk is stopped upon at least some times while the digitally encoding and the concurrent first-writing are ensuing. 
   
   
       7 . The extended power-conserving method according to  claim 6  wherein the first-writing continues until the buffer memory is emptied or all desired files are written to the disk, whichever comes first. 
   
   
       8 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 1  applied to an electronic device that is portable. 
   
   
       9 . A portable electronic device comprising: a rotating disk storing a relatively larger amount of digital data representing images and/or sounds, the rotating disk spinning up, rotating in order to read digital data, and then stopping; a solid state memory storing a relatively smaller amount of digital data representing images and/or sounds; a player producing visually perceptible images and/or audibly perceptible sounds from digital data read from the solid state memory store; and a controller causing (1) the rotating disk to rotate so as to progressively read a block of the digital data to the solid state memory during a first time interval, and (2) causing the player to produce the visually perceptible images and/or audibly perceptible sounds from the same block of digital data progressively read from the solid state memory during a second time interval; wherein the second time interval is sufficiently longer than is the first time interval so that the rotating disk will stop between reading successive blocks of digital data to the solid state memory; wherein the solid state memory serves as a buffer memory to the reading of the rotating disk; and wherein energy is conserved in the rotating disk because it is stopped between reading successive blocks of digital data. 
   
   
       10 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 9  wherein the first time interval is partially overlapped with the second time interval. 
   
   
       11 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 9  wherein the controller causes the rotating disk to rotate so and to progressively read a block of the digital data to the solid state memory during the first time interval until the solid state memory is full, or until the block ends, whichever comes first. 
   
   
       12 . A method of conserving power in an electronic device writing digital data representing visual images and/or audible sounds to a rotating disk storing digital data, the method comprising: digitally encoding in real time digital data representing visual images and/or audible sounds; and concurrently first-writing in real time encoded digital data to a buffer memory store until at least so much encoded digital data has been written as represents a complete visual image and/or a contiguous segment of sound without detectable pauses; and then rotating a disk while, concurrently with the rotating, second-writing digital data from the buffer memory into the rotating disk; wherein the rotation of the rotating disk is stopped upon at least some times while the digitally encoding and concurrent first-writing are both ensuing because the second writing is much faster than the first writing. 
   
   
       13 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 12  where, along with the digitally encoding and concurrent first-writing, the method further comprises; compressing the digital data first-written within the buffer memory store; wherein compressed digital data is first-written to the buffer memory store; and wherein compressed digital data is second-written to the rotating disk. 
   
   
       14 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 12  wherein the second-writing continues until the buffer memory is empty or all such encoded digital data representative of complete visual images and/or contiguous segments of sound files as is desired has been second-written from the buffer memory into the rotating disk, whichever comes first. 
   
   
       15 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 12  extended to and in an electronic device also reading the digital data representing visual images and/or audible sounds from the rotating disk storing digital data in order to produce images and/or sounds, the extended method further comprising: rotating a disk to concurrently first-read digital data from the rotating disk into a buffer memory; and, to the extent digital data then exists within the buffer memory, second-reading digital data from the buffer memory to display visual images and/or produce audible sounds from this second digital data upon and during at least some times when the rotating disk is stopped. 
   
   
       16 . The extended power-conserving method according to  claim 15  wherein the first-reading of the rotating disk continues until the buffer memory is full or all such digital data representative of visual images and/or audible sounds as is desired has been retrieved into the buffer memory, whichever comes first. 
   
   
       17 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 12  applied to an electronic device that is portable. 
   
   
       18 . A portable electronic device comprising: a rotating disk storing a relatively larger amount of digital data representing images and/or sounds, the rotating disk spinning up, rotating in order to write digital data, and then stopping; a solid state memory storing a relatively smaller amount of digital data representing images and/or sounds; a source of digital data representing images and/or sounds; and a controller causing (1) the source of digital data to store the digital data representing images and/or sounds within the solid state memory during a first time interval, and (2) causing the disk to rotate so that a block of digital data progressively read from the solid state memory may be progressively stored upon the disk during a second time interval; wherein the second time interval is sufficiently shorter than is the first time interval so that the rotating disk will stop between writing successive blocks of digital data from the solid state memory; wherein the solid state memory serves as a buffer memory to the writing of the rotating disk; and wherein energy is conserved in the rotating disk because it is stopped between writing successive blocks of digital data. 
   
   
       19 . A portable electronic device according to  claim 18  wherein the first time interval is partially overlapped with the second time interval. 
   
   
       20 . A method of conserving power in a digital telephone, the method comprising: digitally encoding audio information from the sound environment of the telephone; storing in a buffer memory at least so much digitally-encoded-audio information as represents a contiguous segment of sound, without detectable pauses; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital audio contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       21 . The method of conserving power in a telephone according to  claim 20  wherein the telephone has a camera: wherein the digitally encoding is of audio information plus a digital picture; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much audio and picture information as represents one complete sound clip and associated picture; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital audio and picture contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       22 . The method of conserving power in a telephone according to  claim 21  wherein the telephone has a video camera: wherein the digitally encoding is of audio information plus video information; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much audio and video information as represents one complete video clip and associated sound; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital audio and video contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk memory; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       23 . A power-conserving digital telephone comprising: a digital encoder of audio information from the sound environment of the telephone; a buffer memory storing at least so much digitally-encoded audio information as represents a contiguous segment of sound, without detectable pauses; and a read-writable rotating disk storing multiple contiguous segments of sounds, the rotating disk spinning up, rotating in order to be written with digital data, and then stopping; and a controller causing (1) the digital encoder to store the digital data representing audio within the solid state memory during a first time interval, and (2) causing the disk to rotate so that a block of digital data progressively read from the solid state memory will be progressively stored upon the disk during a second time interval; wherein the second time interval is sufficiently shorter than is the first time interval so that the rotating disk will stop between writing successive blocks of digital data from the solid state memory; wherein the solid state memory serves as a buffer memory to the writing of the rotating disk; and wherein energy is conserved in the rotating disk because it is stopped between writing successive blocks of digital data. 
   
   
       24 . A power-conserving digital telephone according to  claim 13  wherein the first time interval is partially overlapped with the second time interval. 
   
   
       25 . A method of conserving power in a digital telephone, the method comprising: digitally encoding audio information from the sound environment of the telephone; storing in a buffer memory at least so much digitally-encoded audio information as represents a contiguous segment of, sound, without detectable pauses; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital audio contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       26 . The method of conserving power in a telephone according to  claim 25  wherein the telephone has a camera: wherein the digitally encoding is of audio information plus a digital picture; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much audio and picture information as represents one complete sound clip and associated picture; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital audio and picture contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       27 . The method of conserving power in a telephone according to  claim 25  wherein the telephone has a video camera: wherein the digitally encoding is of audio information plus video information; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much audio and video information as represents one complete video clip and associated sound; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital audio and video contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       28 . A method of conserving power in a digital camera, the method comprising: digitally encoding information from the environment of the digital camera; storing in a buffer memory at least so much digitally-encoded environmental information as represents a contiguous segment of video and/or audio, without detectable scene breaks or pauses; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digitally-encoded environmental information contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       29 . The method of conserving power in a digital camera according to  claim 28  wherein the digital camera is a still camera; wherein the digitally encoding information from the environment of the camera is digital picture; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much digitally-encoded environmental information as represents one complete picture; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digitally-encoded picture contents of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       30 . The method of conserving power in a digital camera according to  claim 28  wherein the digital camera is a video camera; wherein the digitally encoding information from the environment of the camera is digital video; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much digital video information as represents one continuous video clip, without scene breaks; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital video information of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       31 . The method of conserving power in a digital camera according to  claim 30  wherein the video camera has sound capability; wherein the digitally encoding information from the environment of the camera is digital video and audio; wherein the storing in the buffer memory is of at least so much digital video and audio information as represents one continuous video clip, without scene breaks or audio gaps; and spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the digital video and audio information of the buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       32 . A method of conserving power in a digital video player, the method comprising: spinning up and rotating a readable digital disk memory; writing digital video information from the disk to a non-rotating buffer memory; and ceasing rotation of the digital disk memory; while displaying video from the digital video information stored within and read from the non-rotating buffer memory. 
   
   
       33 . The method of conserving power in a digital video player according to  claim 32  wherein the digital video information read from the readable digital disk memory is compressed; and wherein, between, as first-performed steps, the spinning up and rotating and the writing, and, as last performed steps, the ceasing rotation and the displaying, the method further comprises: decompressing the digital video information read from the readable digital disk memory. 
   
   
       34 . The method of conserving power in a digital video player according to  claim 33  wherein the digital video information read from the readable digital disk memory is compressed; and wherein, between, as first-performed steps, the spinning up and rotating and the writing and the ceasing rotation, and, as a last-performed step, the displaying, the method further comprises: decompressing the digital video information read from the non-rotating buffer memory. 
   
   
       35 . The method of conserving power in a digital video player according to  claim 33  wherein the digital video player is further for recording video, and is thus a digital video player/recorder; and wherein the readable digital disk memory is also writable, and is thus a read-writable digital disk memory. and wherein the method further comprises: digitally encoding information from the environment of the digital video player/recorder; storing in a buffer memory at least so much digitally-encoded environmental information as represents a contiguous segment of video without detectable scene breaks; spinning up and rotating the read-writable digital disk memory; then writing the digitally-encoded environmental information contents of the buffer memory to the read-writable digital disk memory; and then ceasing rotation of the read-writable digital disk memory; wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during all of the digitally encoding and the storing, and thus saves power. 
   
   
       36 . The power-conserving method according to  claim 35  applied to an digital video player that is portable.