Patent ID: 7312390
Filing Date: 2007-12-25
Classification: G10F

Abstract:
1. An automatic music playing apparatus comprising: a first storage device, equipped with an external storage medium, that stores a plurality of automatic music playing data files each containing automatic music playing data associated with a music piece; an internal second storage device; a transfer device that fetches one of the automatic music playing data files from said first storage device and transfers the fetched automatic music playing data file to said second storage device; manual music playing controls that are manipulable by a user for manual music playing; a music playing processing device that reads out from said second storage device the fetched one automatic music playing data file as a current automatic music playing data file to be subject to automatic music playing processing, conducts automatic music playing processing according to said current automatic music playing data file to play the music piece associated with the current automatic music playing data file, and conducts manual music playing processing based on the manipulation of said manual music playing controls; and a transfer controlling device that controls said transfer device to prefetch from said first storage device another one of the automatic music playing data file associated with another music piece to be processed next, and to transfer the another automatic music playing data file to processed next to said second storage device, while said music playing processing device is conducting automatic music playing processing to play the music piece associated with said current automatic music playing data file.