Optical disk reproducing apparatus

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical disk reproducing apparatus of a compact disk player and the like, an object of the invention is to provide an indicating device to en­ sure an operation for reproducing a plurality of information such as music, which are divided and recorded on a disk, by selecting arbitrary information specified by a user within a continuous playing time, so that a data of continuous playing time specified by the user is converted into a data for a time scale indication thereby to indicate the spec­ ified continuous playing time on a time scale, Furthermore, by converting into a data for the time scale indication the data of insufficient time when the data of the sum total of the reproducing time of the information arbitrarily selected by the user and the sum of the reproducing time of the in­ formation arbitrarily selected by the user exceed the spec­ ified continuous playing time and by indicating the convert­ ed data on the time scale, it becomes possible for the user to instantaneously recognize each indication as a sense of a length on the time scale.

Description: Optical disk reproducing apparatuses such as compact disk players have come into wide use in recent years. On the optical disk of the foregoing are generally recorded infomation such as music and index information such as the playing time. In an optical disk reproducing apparatus, it has been a practice to utilize the index information such as the playing time to edit information which is to be reproduced and e.g. recorded on magnetic tape. Conventionally, an optical disk player of this type used to have such a constitution as shown in Fig. 9 through Fig. 11. That is to say, 1 represents a signal detecting unit comprising a light pickup or the like which reads out music information or playing time information recorded on an optical disk (hereafter simply called a disk), 2 represents a signal output unit which processes the information read by the signal detecting unit, converts it into an audio signal to output it, 3 represents a control unit which controls the signal detecting unit 1 and the signal output unit, 4 represents a display unit which displays by means of the control unit 3 the playing time read by the signal detecting unit 1 and information inputted from a key switch unit, and 5 represents a key switch unit comprising a play key 5a which commands the control unit 3 to start playing and a continuous playing time specifying key 5b which specifies a time to continue a play to the control unit 3. An arbitrary time can be specified to the control unit 3 by using the number keys (0 to 9) 5c and the foregoing continuous playing time specifying key 5b. Further, a control as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 11 was accomplished by the above constitution. In other words, whether the play key 5a was depressed is determined by the step 1, and if depressed, the step goes to the step 4, and if not depressed, the step goes to the step 2. In the step 2, whether the continuous playing time is specified is determined, and if specified, the step returns to the step 1. In step 3, the specified continuous playing time is displayed in numerical characters on the display unit 4 by means of the control unit 3. In step 4, music information or the like recorded on a disk by the signal detecting unit 1 and the signal output unit 2 is played. In step 5, the signal detecting unit 1 reads out the playing time information from the disk, compares the read playing information with the continuous playing time specified in the step 2 to determine whether the play is ended, and if ended, the step returns to the step 1, and if not ended, the steps 4 and 5 are repeated. In case the continuous playing time is not specified, the signal detecting unit 1 determines that the play is ended according to the ended play information of the disk. However, because the display is only given by numeric characters with a continuous playing time is specified by a conventional constitution of the above, reading errors often used to cause error in specifying the continous playing time when a quick operation was made. Conventionally, one of the optical disk players of the above type employed a constitution as shown in Fig. 12 through Fig. 15. Namely, 1 is a signal detecting unit comprising a light pickup which reads out music information and play time information recorded on disk, 2 is a signal output unit which processes the information read by the signal detecting unit, converts it into audio signal and outputs it, 13 is a control unit which controls this signal detecting unit 1 and the signal output unit 2 and contains in a part thereof a control unit 16 for added and subtracted time display. 14 is a display unit which displays by means of the control unit 13 the playing time read by the signal detecting unit 1 and information input from the key switch unit 15, 15 is a key switch unit comprising a play key 15a which commands the control unit 13 to start playing, reproduction time input key 15b which specifies the control unit 13 with a time to cause to continue the play, a music input key 15c which causes to store a music to be played, and the number key 15d. The continuous playing time is specified to the control unit 13 by using the number key 15d and the reproduction time input key 15b. Any music to be played is specified to the control unit 13 by using the number key 15d and the music input key 15c. The control unit 16 for added and substracted time display comprises a specified reproduction time storage unit 18 which stores the reproduction time specified by the reproduction time input means 17, a reproduced music storage unit 20 which stores music selection data specified by a music input means 19, a music reproduction time adding unit 21 which obtains the sum of reproduction time of the selected music, a subtracting means 22 which substracts the sum of reproduction time of the selected music from the specified reproduction time, and a time display means 23 which displays in numeric characters the data obtained by the subtracting means 22. A control as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 15 was accomplished by the constitution such as above. That is to say, the step 1 determines whether the play key 15a is depressed, and if depressed, the step goes to the step 10 and if not pressed, the step goes to the step 2. In the step 2, the presence of the input of reproduction time Tp is determined, and if no input is present, the step shifts to the step 3, and if input is present, the step shift to the step 4. The initial value of the reproduction time Tp during this shift is 0. In step 3, in order to determine whether the step has gone to the step 4 even once, whether Tp is equal to 0 is determined, and if equal, the step returns to the step 1 and if not equal, the step shifts to the step 4. In step 4, the presence of input to store the music selection data is determined, and if no input exists, the step shifts to the step 5, and if an input exists, the step shifts to the step 6. In step 5, the presence of the music selection data for reproduction is determined, and if it is present, the step shifts to the step 8, and if it is not present, the step returns to the step 1. In step 6, in order to obtain the sum Tm of reproduction time of the selected music, the reproduction time is added to Tm in the music reproduction time additing unit each time the selected music is inputted therein, and the step shifts to the step 7. In step 7, the sum Tm of the selected music reproduction time is subtracted from the specified reproduction time by the subtracting means 12. In step 8, whether the remaining time Ts is smaller than 0 is determined, and if not smaller than 0, the step shifts to the step 9, and if smaller than 0, the step returns to the step 12. In step 9, the remaining time is displayed in the display unit by the time display means 13 and the step returns to the step 1. In step 12, negative numbers are displayed in the display unit by the number displaying means 13 to indicate the insufficient time and to inform that it is impossible to completely reproduce all of the selected musics within a specified reproduction time, and the step returns to the step 1. In step 10, the music information or the like which is recorded on a disk by the signal detecting unit 1 and the signal output unit 2 is played. In step 11, the signal detecting unit 1 reads out the playing time information from the disk, compares the playing time with the specified reproduction time specified in the step 2 to determine whether the play is ended, and if the play is ended, the step returns to the step 1, and if the play is not ended, then the steps 10 and 11 repeated. In case the continuous playing time is not specified, the play is determined as have been ended according to the ended play information of the disk. However, in such a conventional constitution as above, a first problem encountered is that only the subtracted time is displayed. A second problem encountered is that error in recognition was likely to occur even if the selected music reproduction time exceeded the specified reproduction time because the display is given only in negative numbers. From Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 8, no. 65 (P-263) (1502) 27 March 1984 & JP-A-58-212686 (Matsushita Denki Sangyo K.K) 10 Dec. 1983 it is known to equip an optical disc player with time scale display means for accumulated time of selected music from the disc. This known disc player does not include means for inputting a specified reproduction time. The object of the present invention is to provide an optical disk reproducing apparatus which can easily recognize the excess of shortage of the specified continuous playing time with respect to the sum total of the selected music reproduction time. For the purpose of achieving the above object, the optical disk reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is defined in claim 1. Fig. 1 is the block diagram showing an embodiment of the optical disk reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is the perspective diagram of the appearance of the same apparatus, Fig. 3 is the flowchart for the time scale display of the same apparatus, Fig. 4 is the block diagram showing other embodiment of the optical disk reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 5 is the block diagram showing essential parts of the apparatus, Fig. 6 is the perspective diagram of the appearance of the same apparatus, Fig. 7 is the flowchart for the playing time display of the same apparatus, Fig. 8 is a front view of an actual display example, Fig. 9 is the block diagram of the conventional embodiment of the similar apparatus, Fig. 10 is the perspective diagram of the appearance of the conventional apparatus, Fig. 11 is the flowchart thereof, Fig. 12 is the block diagram of the conventional embodiment, Fig. 13 is the block diagram showing essential parts thereof, Fig. 14 is the perspective diagram of the appearance of the conventional apparatus, and Fig. 15 is the flowchart thereof. For the purpose of achieving the first object of the present invention, embodiments thereof will hereafter be described with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3, 31 and 32 denote the signal detecting unit and the signal output unit having the same functions as those of a conventional embodiment, and 33 denotes the control unit to control the signal detecting unit 31 and the signal output unit 32. 34 denotes the display unit to display the playing time and the continuous playing time and so forth. 35 denotes the key switch unit comprising the play key 35a which issues a play start command to the control unit 33, the continuous playing time specifying key 35b which specifies the control unit 33 with the time to continue the play, and the number key 35c. 36 which is a part of the control unit 33 is the continuous playing time - time scale converting unit (hereafter simply called the time scale converting unit) which converts the continuous playing time data specified by the key switch unit 35 into the data for time scale display. 37 which is a part of the display unit 34 is the time scale for the continuous playing time display which displays the data converted by the time scale converting unit 36. In the foregoing continuous playing time - time scale converting unit 36, in order to display the continuous playing time on the time scale 37, the number of segments corresponding to the time necessary for displaying is decided by converting the number of segment which for example corresponds to one segment for displaying a five minute playing time. Further, the time that one segment displays may be changed according to the length of the continuous playing time. In other words, if the continuous playing time is 60 minutes, one segment is caused to correspond to the playing time for four minutes, but if the continuous playing time is 30 minutes, one segment may be caused to correspond to the playing time for eight minutes. With respect to the embodiments of the present invention which are constituted as above, operations thereof will be described using the flowchart shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, steps 1 through 5 are the same as those of the conventional embodiment, and therefore the description thereof are omitted. In step 6, the specified continuous playing time is converted into the data for time scale display by the time scale converting unit 36. In step 7, the data for time scale display converted in the step 6 are displayed on the time scale 37 for continuous playing time display, and the step returns to the step 1 after the data are displayed. According to the embodiment as described above, the specified continuous playing time is converted into the data for time scale display by the time scale converting unit 36 so that it is possible to accomplish the time scale display by the length of such time. In Fig. 4 through Fig. 8, 41 and 42 are the signal detecting unit and the signal output unit having the same functions as those of the conventional embodiments, 43 is the control unit which controls these signal detecting unit 41 and the signal output unit 42 and contains in a part therein the added and subtracted time display control unit 46 which is described in detail in later part of the specification. 44 is the display unit which displays the playing time or the like and contains in a part therein the time scale 47 for displaying the added time. 45 is the key switch unit comprising the play key 45a which gives the control unit 43 a command to start playing, the reproduction time input key 45b which specifies the control unit 43 with the time to continue playing, the stored music input key 45c which stores the music selection data, and the number key 45d and so forth. The added and subtracted time display control unit 46 is consisted of the specified reproduction time storage unit 58 which stores the reproduction time specified by the reproduction time input means 57, the reproduced music storage unit 60 which stores the music selection data specified by the music input means 59, the music reproduction time adding unit 61 which obtains the sum of the stored reproduction time to obtain the sum of the reproduction time of the selected music, the subtracting means 62 which is used to subtract the sum of the selected music reproduction time from the specified reproduction time, the time display means 63 which displays in numeric characters the data obtained by the subtracting means 62, and the time scale display means 65 which converts the data of the sum of the selected music reproduction time into the data for time scale display and displays the converted data on the time scale 47 for added time display. When the data obtained by the subtracting means 62 becomes a negative number, the time scale display means 65 can turn on and off to display the length of the data of insufficient time obtained by the foregoing subtracting means 62 with respect to the length of the time scale of the sum of the selected music reproduction time displayed on the time scale 47 for added time display. With respect to the embodiments of the present invention as constituted in the above manner, operations thereof will be described by using the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 7, the steps 1 through 11 are the same as those of the conventional embodiment, and therefore, are omitted. In step 14, the sum Tm of the selected music reproduction time obtained in the step 6 is converted into the time scale data by the time scale display means 65 and displayed on the time scale for displaying the added time, and the step shifts to the step 7. In step 12, the time display means 63 displays the negative numbers on the display unit 44 to indicate the insufficient time and the display is caused to flash, and the step shifts to the step 13. In step 13, the time scale display means causes to turn on and off the time scale corresponding to the insufficient time Ts and the step returns to the step 1. Fig. 8 shows an example of actual display, wherein the specified reproduction time is 30 minutes and the number of music stored is seven and the sum of the reproduction time is 37 minutes 28 seconds, the time display unit 44 displays 7 minutes 28 seconds in negative numbers which is the insufficient time with respect to the specified reproduction time and the negative numbers are caused to turn on and off. On the time scale 47 for the added time display, the time scale equivalent to 30 minutes of 37 minutes 28 seconds which is the added time is turned on and further the time scale of 7 minutes 28 seconds exceeding 30 minutes is caused to turn on and off. According to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, the remaining time and the reproduction time can be displayed at the same time, and if the stored reproduction time exceeds the specified reproduction time, it is possible to cause to turn on and off the time display of the insufficient time and the time scale display. In the above embodiments, the reproduction time is first specified and the music to be played is specified and the selection data stored, but it is also possible to first specify the music to be played and store the selection data and then to specify the reproduction time to accomplish similar display. As it is apparent from the above embodiments, the present invention comprises the continuous playing time specifying key which specifies the time to continue the play, the time scale for continued playing time display which displays said specified continuous playing time, the continuous playing time - time scale converting unit which converts the data of continuous playing time into the data for time scale display, so that the data of the specified continuous playing time is converted into the data for time scale display thereby displaying the converted data on the display unit as the time scale to improve the visibility of display.

Claims: An optical disk reproducing apparatus comprising a reproduction time input means (57) which specifies the time to continue the play, a specified reproduction time storage unit (58) which stores the specified reproduction time, a music input means (59) which specifies selected music to be played, a reproducing music storage unit (60) which stores the selection data specified by the music input means (59), a music reproduction time adding unit (61) whereby the sum of the reproduction time of the selected music is calculated, a subtracting means (62) whereby the sum of the reproduction time of the selected music is subtracted from the specified time, a time display means (63) which displays the data obtained from the subtracting means (62) numerically on a time display unit (44), characterized by a time scale display means (65) which displays the sum of the reproduction time of the selected music on a time scale, and the time scale display means (65) has a function to cause to turn on and off a length of the time scale (47) corresponding to the length of time obtained by the subtracting means (62) in subtracting the sum of the reproduction time of the selected music from the specified time if that obtained length of time is negative. An optical disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the time display means (63) has a function to cause to turn on and off the data displayed numerically on the time display unit (44) if the length of time obtained by the subtracting means (62) is negative.

Inventors: SHIMADA YASUOMI, TOMODA HARUHISA, SHIMADA, YASUOMI, TOMODA, HARUHISA
Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G11B7
IPC codes: G11B27, G11B7