Media system having preemptive digital audio and/or video extraction function

Abstract

A media system includes a primary storage device capable of storing a first plurality of audio files, and a secondary storage device capable of reading a second plurality of audio files from a removable storage medium. A media player plays the first plurality of audio files. A recorder records a third plurality of audio files from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device. The recorder preemptively records a predetermined portion of at least two audio files of the third plurality of audio files from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device before recording all portions of the at least two audio files. In response to a selection event and when all portions of the first audio file have not been recorded, the media player directs the recorder to record the first audio file and suspend a recording of other audio files.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A media system comprising:
 a user interface;   a primary storage device configured to store a first plurality of audio files;   a secondary storage device configured to read a second plurality of audio files from a removable storage medium; and   a processor configured to play the first plurality of audio files stored on the primary storage device; and   the processor further configured to record the second plurality of audio files from the removable storage medium onto the primary storage device using the secondary storage device, where the processor is configured to preemptively record a predetermined portion of at least two audio files of the second plurality of audio files onto the primary storage device prior to the processor recording all portions of the at least two audio files of the second plurality of audio files onto the primary storage device;   the processor further configured to record a first audio file of the at least two audio files of the removable storage medium and suspend recording of other audio files in response to receipt of a selection event from the user interface in which the first audio file is selected for playback prior to all portions of the first audio file being recorded from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device.   
     
     
         2 . The media system of  claim 1 , where the processor, in response to the selection event, is configured to begin playback of the first audio file using the predetermined portion of the first audio file stored on the primary storage device, and the processor is configured to continue recording the first audio file from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device concurrently with the playback. 
     
     
         3 . The media system of  claim 1  where the predetermined portion of each audio file of the at least two audio files of the second plurality of audio files comprises a beginning portion of each audio file of the at least two audio files. 
     
     
         4 . The media system of  claim 1  where the predetermined portion of each audio file of the at least two audio files comprises approximately five to ten seconds of a beginning section of each audio file of the at least two audio files. 
     
     
         5 . The media system of  claim 1  where the primary storage device comprises a hard disk drive. 
     
     
         6 . The media system of  claim 1  where the first plurality of audio files are stored on the primary storage device in a compressed audio format selected from a group of compressed audio formats consisting of an MP3 format, an ADPCM format, a FLAC format, and a VORBIS format. 
     
     
         7 . The media system of  claim 6  where the second plurality of audio files are stored on the removable storage medium using a lossless audio compression format. 
     
     
         8 . The media system of  claim 1  where in response to all portions of the first audio file of the at least two audio files of the second plurality of audio files being recorded from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device, the processor is configured to continue any ongoing recording of any other audio files of the second plurality of audio files. 
     
     
         9 . The media system of  claim 1  where the selection event is a first selection event, and the processor is further configured to determine whether all portions of the second audio file have been recorded from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device in response to receipt of a second selection event from the user interface in which a second audio file of the at least two audio files is selected for playback while the first audio file is still being recorded, and in response to all portions of the second audio file not being recorded, the media player is further configured to direct the recorder to preempt recording of the first audio file in favor of the second audio file and to instead record the second audio file. 
     
     
         10 . The media system of  claim 9  where the processor is further configured to resume recording of the first audio file in response to completion of recording of all portions of the second audio file. 
     
     
         11 . A media system comprising:
 a primary storage device configured to store a first plurality of audio files;   a secondary storage device configured to access a second plurality of audio files included on a removable storage medium, the second plurality of audio files identified as a plurality of respective tracks; and   a processor configured to play the first plurality of audio files stored on the primary storage device;   the processor configured to record the second plurality of audio files from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device;   where the processor is configured to determine a probability density function based on a likelihood of user selection for playback of a track included among the plurality of respective tracks;   where the processor is configured to preemptively record a predetermined portion of at least two audio files of the second plurality of audio files from the removable storage medium to the primary storage device in a sequence determined in accordance with the probability density function.   
     
     
         12 . The media system of  claim 11 , where the processor is configured to record a remainder of the second plurality of audio files after preemptively recording the at least two audio files of the second plurality of audio files in a sequence determined in accordance with the probability density function. 
     
     
         13 . The media system of  claim 11 , where the processor is configured to identify respective tracks that are most frequent user selections, and derive the probability density function based on the identified most frequently selected respective tracks. 
     
     
         14 . The media system of  claim 13 , where the processor is configured to delay generation of the probability density function until receipt of an indication that a predetermined number of track selections have been received. 
     
     
         15 . The media system of  claim 11 , where the probability density function is a first probability density function, and the processor is configured to determine a second probability density function different than the first probability density function, and the processor is configured to record a remainder of the second plurality of audio files after preemptively recording the at least two audio files, the remainder of the second plurality of audio files recorded by the processor in a sequence determined from the second probability density function. 
     
     
         16 . A media system comprising:
 a primary storage device configured to store audio files;   an optical disk reader configured to read audio tracks from an optical medium; and   a processor configured to play the audio files on the primary storage device;   the processor configured to record the audio tracks as the audio files on the primary storage device, the audio tracks read by the optical disk reader from the optical medium;   the processor configured to automatically store a predetermined audio portion of each audio track read by the optical disk reader on the primary storage device prior to recordation and storage of all audio portions of the audio tracks on the primary storage device; and   the processor further configured to record the predetermined audio portion of a first audio track from among the audio tracks onto the primary storage device, and suspend recordation of other of the audio tracks onto the primary storage device in response to a) receipt of a user selection for playback of a first audio file corresponding to the first audio track, and b) determination that all audio portions of the first audio track from the removable storage medium are not recorded on to the primary storage device at a time of receipt of the selection.   
     
     
         17 . The media system of  claim 16 , where the processor is configured to begin playback of the first audio file using the predetermined audio portion of the first audio track stored on the primary storage device, and the processor is configured to continue recordation of the first audio track from the optical medium on to the primary storage device as the predetermined audio portion of the first audio file is played back concurrently. 
     
     
         18 . The media system of  claim 16  where the optical disk reader is configured to read an optical disk selected from a group consisting of a CD audio disc, a DVD audio disc, and a super audio compact disc. 
     
     
         19 . The media system of  claim 16  where the predetermined audio portion of each audio track comprises a beginning portion of each audio track. 
     
     
         20 . The media system of  claim 16  where the predetermined audio portion of each audio track comprises approximately five seconds of a beginning section of each audio track.