REPRODUCTION TECHNIQUE FOR SOUNDS, PICTURES OR BOTH

Abstract: A reproduction technique for devices reproducing sounds, pictures or sounds and pictures is claimed. The data of the item is stored on a storage device (S) before sending to loudspeaker(s) and/or screen(s) (L) and after recording or after playing the object prepared with the original (O) on a playing device (P) such that an item can be started more than once in a relative short time without the time limitations of recording or playing device. The transmission of mutually related data by electromagnetic waves using more than one carrier frequency and three-dimensional integrated circuits are mentioned as especially suitable.

Description: Reproduction technique for sounds, pictures or both Technical Field The reproduction technique concerns the reproduction of sounds and/or pictures in audio, visual or audio-visual devices like radio, television and the accompanying broadcasting, playing or recording device, compact-disc player, record player, cassette deck, tape recorder, video disc, video recorder, slide projector, film projector, film camera and computer. Background Art The main purpose of the reproduction technique is to enable the observer to start an item at any time within a particular period without having the time limitations of the playing or recording device. The reproduction technique in the television set and the accompanying playing device at the broadcasting station are a good example to illustrate this. The broadcasting of a regular program, i.e. a program that shows real-live events with the same speed as the real event, is started at a specific time. The receiver has to tune the television to the broadcasting station at that specific time to receive the start of the program. The reproduction technique enables the receiver to start the program more than once without affecting the regular broadcasting and the possible reception of the same program when it is started at a different time. The minimum time between two successive starts will be much smaller than the duration of the program or even imperceptible to a human. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention The reproduction technique can be attained by changing the electronics in the contemporary television set or in the broadcasting device and television set. A storage device for the program is needed if only the electronics in the television set is changed. The advantages for the sender and the receiver would be restricted, i.e. nothing changes for the sender and the television set needs power before the receiver views the program when the program is not viewed at the time it is broadcasted. The largest number of advantages can be attained when the electronics of the broadcasting device and television set are changed. Then the television set does not have to store the data of the program, if the broadcasting station transmits the program more than once. The number of advantages is larger when the interval between two successive transmissions of the start of the program is smaller. This reproduction technique necessitates electronics that can process large amounts of data in a short period which can be attained by: a) processing the data in digital code, b) using a large frequency for the carrier frequency on which the data is transmitted, i.e. transmit a large amount of data units per unit time, c) using more than one carrier frequency, i.e. distribute the data over more than one frequency, d) using integrated circuits to store the data. The storage of large amounts of data on the IC can be attained by a large number of memories on the IC, i.e. large geometrical dimensions and/or a large density. The amount of data that can be stored and the rate of data transmission can be increased further with three-dimensional ICs which are stacks of two- dimensional ICs. The stack of two-dimensional ICs constitutes a whole, e.g. an insulating layer is introduced, see figure 3. The density of the data units increases, i.e. smaller devices are needed and the length of the electrical links reduces. The two-dimensional ICs can be piled up with the adjoining ICs connected such that the stack has only the read exits and write entrances of one two-dimensional IC or they can be connected in an intelligent way such that the three- dimensional IC can be used as a process controller or as a combination of a process controller and memory ICs. The minimum time between two successive starts is determined by the time in which the complete program can be transmitted. unless the number of carrier frequencies equals the number of possible restarts within the duration of the program. Brief Description of the Drawings The set up in which the data are stored on a storage device at the broadcasting station is represented in figure one. An object that is prepared with the original (0) is played on a playing device (P) to store the data of the program on a storage device (S). An emitter (E) emits the data of the program by electromagnetic waves (W) so much that more than one start becomes possible. The receiving device (R) of the set takes out the data to reproduce the sounds on the loudspeakers and/or to show the pictures on the screen(s) (L). The set up for sets in which transmitting of electromagnetic waves is not a stage in the reproduction is represented in figure 2. The figure 3 represents an example of a three-dimensional integrated circuit, that consists of two-dimensional integrated circuits (ICs) which are separated by an insulating layer (IL). The figure shows electrical links (EL) at the edge of the three-dimensional IC, but they can also be attached on the inside. Industrial Applicability The reproduction technique applied to the radio is attained with similar electronics as for the television however pictures do not have to be transmitted, see figure 1. The reproduction technique can enable the listener of the radio or viewer of the television: a) to listen to or watch the program more than once, b) to start the program not at the regular starting point, c) to listen to or watch only parts of the program, d) to determine the order in which the programs are listened to or watched without affecting the possibility to receive the other programs, e) to insert a break, f) to listen to or watch the program tone by tone and/or screen by screen with longer display times than in regular play, g) to listen to or watch the program in reversed order, h) to play the program at an increased or decreased speed (forward (not for live programs) and backward), i) to interact with the program, e.g. as in a sampler or as in a computer game. The advantages for the sender can be: a) the object prepared with the original does not have to be part of the broadcasting device, b) some programs (news, weather or traffic information programs) can be made continuously available without again and again demanding the performance of the acting persons, c) more than one program (live as well as recorded) can be broadcasted at the same time, d) parts of the program can be replaced, omitted or added without affecting the other parts even during broadcasting, e) a program review as a separate program can be transmitted, f) the duration of a program is not limited by the start of the program that would in the contemporary system be the next program, g) the total duration of the programs when played at regular speed can be larger than the period in which they are broadcasted, h) an event can at the same time be broadcasted from different positions and/or viewpoints, i) a program can be synchronized with different sounds, e.g. a version in which English is spoken and a dubbed version, j) a decoder can be used to limit the access to certain programs, k) computer programs can be transmitted. The television can be developed with more advantages because it transmits pictures, e.g. a) parts of the screen can be viewed in close up, b) newspapers can be transmitted such that the reader determines the wait between two screens. The radio and television improve when compared to the contemporary radio and television even if only the broadcasting station is changed and the radio and television set are unchanged. The data of the items can be stored in a storage device at the broadcasting station such that it is possible to reproduce these items more than once even when they are played only once. The CD player, record player, cassette deck, tape recorder, video disc, video recorder, slide projector, film projector and film camera (if it can reproduce items) are different from the radio and television, because every playing device supplies a limited number of loudspeakers and screens and the distance between them is generally smaller. Therefore, the special requirement to be able to start an item with regular speed more than once is not unique. These devices reproduce the item by transporting it directly from the object prepared with the original to the loudspeaker(s) and/or screen(s). The interval between two successive starts depends on the speed with which the object of the originals can be searched for the item and can thus be very large. This loss of time will not occur when the items would be stored in a memory (e.g. with larger playing speed than the regular speed) such that they can be transported in a relative short time to the loudspeaker(s) and/or screen(s), see figure 2. The devices mentioned above are often put together to form a single entity. Therefore, the definition of a reproduction device is taken as a device which has a separate control panel for operating the part of the device that contains the object prepared with the original. However, a reproduction device is always incomplete when they are not connected to a loudspeaker or screen. The devices like loudspeaker, screen and amplifier are part of the reproduction device that is reproducing items by means of them even when they can be switched between reproduction devices. The advantages can be: a) the object prepared with the original does not have to be part of the set, b) the order in which the items are reproduced can be chosen indiscriminate, c) the item does not have to be started at the regular starting point, d) an item review as a separate item can be played, e) only parts of the item can be chosen to be reproduced, f) parts of items can be replaced, omitted or added without affecting the other parts even during playing, g) the items can be reproduced without a wait between them, h) the item can be played tone by tone and/or screen by screen, i) an event can at the same time be reproduced from different positions and/or viewpoints, j) the pictures or sounds can be changed as in a sampler, k) the total duration of the items when played at regular speed can be larger than the period in which they are available for reproduction, 1) the item can be played in reversed order, m) the item can be played at an increased or decreased speed (forward and backward). The computer can be used as a reproduction device because it can produce sounds in a loudspeaker and display information on a screen. The information on the screen is created by a computer program that does not have a relation with any time development but has a specific order in which actions have to be performed. Furthermore, the computer program is always started at a fixed starting point. The output of a computer program can be produced at two different speeds, namely at the speed determined by the producer of the program (producer speed) or at the speed the processor runs the program (processor speed) . The computer program is irrespective of its input files the item that is run (played) by loading it from the entity prepared with the original (e.g. a disk, tape, or compact disk) in the internal memory of the computer. The playing of the program stops when the program is no longer loaded. However, a program is part of the hardware if it inevitable always starts to run when the computer is switched on and only stops running when the computer is switched off. Then the input files for that program are the items and they are played when the program reads from them. The storage of the status information of all the variables and actions at every point where variables are changed or actions are performed such that the item can be reproduced will result in the characteristics of the reproduction technique, see figure two. The advantages for the computer can be: a) the program does not have to be loaded while it is reproduced, b) to start the run of the program not at the regular starting point, c) to run only parts of the program, d) parts of the program can be replaced, omitted or added without affecting the other parts even during reproduction, e) to run the program in steps, f) to run the program in reversed order, g) to run the program at a speed different from the producer or processor speed (forward and backward), h) programs can be compared on their performance. Disclosure of the Invention A reproduction technique that stores the data of the item after it is played and before it is sent to the loudspeaker(s) and/or screen(s) is revealed for several audio, visual and/or audio-visual devices. The data of the items are stored so much that the listener and/or viewer is able to start an item with a regular speed more than once during a particular period with a smaller interval between two successive starts than the duration of the program or a smaller interval than the time the object prepared with the original can be searched for the start of the item. The data of an item are stored in parts such that every part can be used as the first part for the reproduction of the following parts. The qualities of the reproduction devices can be improved when the data can be accessed relative fast compared to the duration of the item or the time that the object prepared with the original can be searched for the item. The rate of data transmission by electromagnetic waves can be increased when more than one carrier frequency is used for mutually related data, e.g. the transmission of the item on the first frequency is continued on the second frequency or a part is transmitted on the first frequency, the next on another frequency and the next on the former or another frequency or a technical detail that is transmitted on one frequency refers to an item on another frequency. The storage capacity for the data can be enlarged and the process time can be shortened when three- dimensional ICs are used.

Claims: Claims 1. A reproduction technique for audio, visual or audio-visual devices and their accompanying broadcasting, playing or recording device which is characterized by: a) during a specific period the listener and/or viewer can start the reproduction of an item with regular speed more than once. The interval between two successive starts can be smaller than the duration of the item or the time that the object prepared with the original can be searched for the item. b) the data of an item is stored on a storage device before sending to the loudspeaker(s) and/or screen(s) and after recording or after playing the object prepared with the original on a playing device. c) the data of an item are split up into parts such that every part can be used as the first part for the reproduction of the following parts. 2. A reproduction technique for radio sets and sets containing radio as well as the accompanying broadcasting, playing or recording device(s) which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraph a) of claim 1. 3. A reproduction technique for radio sets and sets containing radio as well as the accompanying broadcasting, playing or recording device(s) which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraph b) of claim 1. 4. A reproduction technique for television sets and sets containing television as well as the accompanying broadcasting, playing or recording device(s) which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraph a) of claim 1. 5. A reproduction technique for television sets and sets containing television as well as the accompanying broadcasting, playing or recording device(s) which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraph b) of claim 1. 6. A reproduction technique for a compact-disc player or sets containing a compact-disc player which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim one. 7. A reproduction technique for a record player or sets containing a record player which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 8. A reproduction technique for a cassette deck or sets containing a cassette deck which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 9. A reproduction technique for a tape recorder or sets containing a tape recorder which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 10. A reproduction technique for a video disc or sets containing a video disc which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 11. A reproduction technique for a video recorder or sets containing a video recorder which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 12. A reproduction technique for a slide projector or sets containing a slide projector which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraph b) of claim 1. 13. A reproduction technique for a film projector or sets containing a film projector which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 14. A reproduction technique for a film camera if it can be used to reproduce the items or sets containing a film camera which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs a) and b) of claim 1. 15. A reproduction technique for a computer or devices containing a computer which is characterized by the properties mentioned in the paragraphs b) and c) of claim 1. 16. The transmission of mutually related data by electromagnetic waves when more than one carrier frequency is used. The data of a separate item is distributed over more than one carrier frequency or a technical detail that is transmitted on one frequency refers to an item on another frequency. 17. Two-dimensional integrated circuits piled up such that they constitute a whole, called a three-dimensional integrated circuit. The two-dimensional integrated circuits are separated by a layer, preferably an insulating layer. The two- dimensional integrated circuits can also be linked by conducting material even when an insulating layer separates them.

Inventors: RABEN HENRICUS BERNARDUS MARIA, RABEN, HENRICUS, BERNARDUS, MARIA
Applicants: RABEN HENRICUS BERNARDUS MARIA, RABEN, HENRICUS, BERNARDUS, MARIA
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G11B20
IPC codes: G03B31, G11B7, G11B20, G11B27, H04N5