Method for processing sound data and circuit therefor

Abstract

A sound data processing apparatus includes a central processing unit for controlling predetermined processing in the apparatus, a rewritable RAM, a decoder performing the decoding processing for sound data, and an interface unit for being fitted with an external memory. The sound data processing apparatus reads a driver from the external memory mounted in the interface unit and stores the read driver into the RAM, and reads the sound data from the external memory with the driver and processes the read sound data. As a result, the wastefully using of the memory capacity of the memory mounted in the sound data processing apparatus is reduced.

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         5 . A method for reading sound data, comprising:
 detecting the presence of a first memory element;   in response to detecting the first memory element, reading a first program stored in a second memory element;   in response to reading the first program, reading a second program stored in the second memory element;   executing the second program;   invoking a third program stored in the second memory element in response to executing the second program;   storing a fourth program in a third memory element in response to invoking the third program;   reading a fifth program from the first memory element;   expanding the fifth program in the third memory element;   receiving an instruction for reproduction processing of sound data in response to a basic program stored in the second memory element and the fifth program expanded in third memory element; and   converting the sound data into an audio signal.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein detecting the presence of the first memory element includes using a central processing unit to detect the presence of the first memory element. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein reading the second program comprises reading an initial program loader from the second memory element. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein storing the fourth program in the third memory element includes reading the fourth program from the first memory element in response to invoking the third program. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further including reading information related to the fourth program and storing the information related to the fourth program in the fourth memory element. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further including accessing a header area in which information expressing a memory area storing sound data therein. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further including using the fifth program stored in the third memory element to access the header area in which information expressing a memory area storing sound data therein. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein accessing the header area further includes ascertaining a starting address and an ending address of a memory area in which sound data is stored. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further including sequentially reading data from the starting address to the ending address and transmitting the sound data to a decoder. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including decoding the sound data. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5 , further including displaying a file name list of sound data that has been previously read from the first memory element. 
     
     
         16 . A method for reading sound data, comprising:
 detecting a first memory element;   storing a device driver in a second memory element in response to a boot program, the device driver read from the first memory element;   accepting reproduction processing instructions for sound data stored in the first memory element; and   one of reading sound data to the first memory element or reading sound data from the first memory element.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein detecting the first memory element comprises detecting a memory chip or a memory card. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further including using a central processing unit to detect the first memory device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein storing the device driver in the second memory element in response to a boot program includes reading the boot program and a library stored in a second memory element. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein reading the sound data from the first memory element includes decoding the sound data. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further including performing expanding processing and decoding processing using a coding system of sound data selected from the group of coding systems comprising WMA, AMR, Div X, G.723, and MP3 processing. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein reading the sound data to the first memory element includes encoding the sound data. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , further including storing a primitive driver configured to access the first memory element and an application program configured for processing the sound data in the first memory element. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , further including configuring the first memory element to be a rewritable memory element. 
     
     
         25 . A method for processing sound data, comprising:
 detecting a first memory element;   reading a driver from the second memory in accordance with a boot program;   storing the driver to a first memory that is a rewritable memory;   using the driver stored in the first memory to read the sound data from the second memory; and   transferring the sound data read from the second memory to one of a decoding device or an encoding device.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further including
 storing an application program for performing reproduction processing for the sound data; and   using a basic program stored in a third memory device to perform reproduction processing of the sound data.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further including using an SRAM as the first memory element and a mask ROM as the third memory element.