Patent ID: 7794229
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
1. A language learning system comprising a plurality of student audio stations connected to a common digital storage unit, said student audio stations being able to simultaneously with but independently from each other store audio recordings to and play stored audio recordings from said common digital storage unit over a digital audio network having a connection unit comprising a dedicated port for each of said student stations and said common digital storage unit, said connection unit being enabled to route audio signals and commands in data packets between said student stations and said common digital storage unit, said common digital storage unit comprising: a hard disk unit common to said plurality of student stations, a plurality of dedicated input/output RAM buffers, wherein each student audio station is linked to different one of the dedicated input/output RAM buffers, an audio interface controller responsive to a record command received from a student audio station for opening an audio file in said hard disk unit, for buffering audio data received from a student audio station in the respective one of said dedicated buffers and for transferring the contents of the buffer to said opened audio file, said audio interface controller of said hard disk unit being responsive to a play command received from a student audio station for opening an audio file in said hard disk unit, for transferring stored audio data from said opened audio file to a respective input/output buffer, and for sending said audio data from said respective buffer to the respective student audio station which sent the play command, and in addition to said plurality of input/output RAM buffers, a dedicated second input/output RAM buffer for each student station for recording a master program or played from another source into a respective second specified file and/or playing a recorded master program or a saved media file from said respective second specified audio file.