Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling sounds and images includes: a first memory ( 11 ) for storing songs and MMHL (Multi Media Hyper Link) files, each MMHL file including timeline information, lyrics, pictures and videos of a corresponding song, the timeline information including a plurality of time slices and related actions of each time slice; a second memory ( 13 ) for storing read songs and MMHL fifes matched with the songs; a third memory ( 12 ) for storing one or more controlling programs; and a Central Processing Unit (CPU) ( 10 ) for reading a song, obtaining an MMHL file matched with the song, and controlling simultaneous output of the song and the MMHL file according to the timeline information, via the controlling programs. A related method is also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to apparatuses and methods for controlling sounds and images, and particularly to an apparatus and method for simultaneously playing songs and multimedia information.  
         [0003]     2. General Background  
         [0004]     Conventionally, a device capable of playing MPEG layer 3 (MP3) songs converts song files into audio files, and then converts the audio files into digital sounds for outputting the songs.  
         [0005]     In general, such device can only output digital sounds, and cannot display lyrics corresponding to the songs. The device can compress sound files, but cannot compress image files. Accordingly, a more sophisticated playing apparatus has been developed. The playing apparatus can output digital sounds, and digital images such as lyrics. In the playing apparatus, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) controls an audio output unit to output decompressed digital sounds. At the same time, the CPU searches for lyrics matched with the songs in the memory, processes the lyrics, and outputs digital images. Thus the songs and the corresponding lyrics are output simultaneously.  
         [0006]     However, the playing apparatus cannot dynamically display image files. In addition, with the ongoing development of multimedia technology, there has been a growing demand for simultaneous outputting of songs, pictures and photographs.  
         [0007]     What is needed is an apparatus and method for simultaneously playing sounds and images which can overcome the above-described problems, in order to provide a user with more information and enjoyment.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     An apparatus for controlling sounds and images in accordance with a preferred embodiment includes a control unit, an audio output unit for outputting digital sounds of a song, and a video output unit for outputting digital multimedia information of a Multi Media Hyper Link (MMHL) file matched with the song. The control unit includes: a first memory for storing songs and MMHL files, each MMHL file including timeline information, lyrics, pictures and videos of a corresponding song, the timeline information including a plurality of time slices and related actions of each time slice, as the related action including any one or more of loading a text file, loading an image file, loading a user setting, and loading other MMHL files; a second memory for temporarily storing read songs and MMHL files matched with the songs; a third memory for storing one or more controlling programs; and a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for reading a song, obtaining an MMHL file matched with the song, and controlling simultaneous output of the song and the MMHL file according to the timeline information, via the controlling programs.  
         [0009]     A method for controlling sounds and images is also provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a first memory for storing songs and MMHL files matched with the songs; (b) reading an song; (c) obtaining MMHL file information matched with the song according to a name of song, the MMHL file information comprising timeline information, the timeline information including a plurality of time slices and related actions of each time slice; and (d) outputting digital sounds of the song and digital multimedia information of the MMHL file.  
         [0010]     Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which:  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of hardware infrastructure of an apparatus for controlling sounds and images in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a tree diagram illustrating information of an MMHL file stored in a memory of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a tree diagram illustrating related actions of a time slice of the information shown in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a preferred method for implementing the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of hardware infrastructure of an apparatus for controlling sounds and images (hereafter, “the apparatus”) in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the apparatus includes a control unit  1 , an input unit  2 , a connector  3 , an audio output unit  4 , and a video output unit  5 .  
         [0016]     The control unit  1  is provided for controlling simultaneous output of songs and multimedia files or Multi Media Hyper Link (MMHL) files. The control unit  1  includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU)  10 , a memory  11 , a Read Only Memory (ROM)  12 , a register  13 , and a decoder  14 .  
         [0017]     The CPU  10  is respectively connected with the memory  11 , the ROM  12 , the register  13 , and the decoder  14 . The CPU  10  searches a multimedia file or an MMHL file corresponding to a song, and controls simultaneous output of the song and the corresponding multimedia file or MMHL file.  
         [0018]     The memory  11  stores a plurality of songs, multimedia files and MMHL files. The songs, multimedia files, and MMHL files may be either in an uncompressed format or in a compressed format. With respect to the compressed format, the songs may be in an MPEG audio layer 3 (MP3) format, an Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format, or any other suitable format. The multimedia files may be in a text (TXT) format, a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG/JPEG) format, a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), or a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format. The MMHL files may be in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. Further, the multimedia files include various contents, such as lyrics, pictures, videos, and so on. The MMHL files include various contents which match with the songs, such as timeline information, lyrics, pictures, videos, and so on. Similar to the multimedia files, an XML file may be in a TXT format, a JPG/JPEG format, a GIF format, or an MPEG format. In the preferred embodiment, each song has a designated name format. That is, the name of each song includes 6 parts: a file name of the song, a first designated symbol, a file name of a multimedia file or an MMHL file corresponding to the song, a second designated symbol, an extension of the corresponding multimedia file or MMHL file, and an extension of the song. The first and second designated symbols may each be a character which can be recognized by the control unit  1 . For example, the first and second designated symbols may both be a question mask “?.” Thus, when a song with the name, for example, “XXX?YYY?XML.MP3” is to be played, the CPU  10  extracts the file name and the extension of the MMHL file, namely “YYY.XML,” from the name of the song, and then searches for the MMHL file from the memory  11 .  
         [0019]     The ROM  12  stores controlling programs for implementing the present embodiment.  
         [0020]     The register  13  stores songs which have been read out, and respective multimedia files or MMHL files corresponding to the songs.  
         [0021]     The decoder  14  is operable for decompressing the songs, and the corresponding multimedia files or MMHL files, in the register  13 .  
         [0022]     The input unit  2  is programmed to receive a user operation selecting a song to be played. The connector  3  is used for connecting the control unit  1  with the electronic device (not shown), in order to download songs, multimedia files and MMHL files from the electronic device. The audio output unit  4  is provided for playing digital sounds of the songs. The video output unit  5  is used for playing digital multimedia information of the multimedia files or the MMHL files.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a tree diagram illustrating information of an MMHL file. The information of the MMHL file includes general information, appended information and timeline information. The general information includes a name, a type, and a size of the MMHL file, and a duration of playing the corresponding song. The appended information includes various related contents corresponding to the song, such as lyrics, pictures, videos, a disc name, a composer name, a songster name, and copyright protection information. The timeline information includes a plurality of time slices and related actions thereof.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a tree diagram illustrating related actions of a time slice in the MMHL file. The related actions include loading a text file, loading an image file, loading a user setting, and loading other MMHL files. The user setting includes a brightness of a back light, a volume, a timbre, a visible video effect, etc. The action of loading other MMHL files means inserting another song and a corresponding MMHL file thereof before a selected song.  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a preferred method for implementing the present invention by utilizing the above-described apparatus. In step S 400 , the CPU  10  reads a song from the memory  11 . In step S 401 , the CPU  10  extracts a file name from a name of the song. In step S 402 , the CPU  10  searches the memory  11  for a file which matches with the file name. If there is no matching file in the memory  11 , the procedure goes to step S 413  described below. If there is a matching file in the memory  11 , in step S 403 , the CPU  10  determines whether the file is a multimedia file or an MMHL file. If the file is an MMHL file, the procedure goes to step S 407  described below. If the file is a multimedia file, in step S 404 , the CPU  10  obtains information of the multimedia file from the memory  11 , and stores the song and the multimedia file in the register  13 . Then in step S 405 , the CPU  10  determines whether the song and/or the multimedia file are/is in a compressed format. If the song and/or the multimedia file are/is in a compressed format, in step S 406 , the decoder  14  decompresses the song and/or the multimedia file, whereupon the procedure goes to step S 411  described below. Otherwise, if neither the song nor the multimedia file is in a compressed format, the procedure goes directly to step S 411  described below.  
         [0026]     In step S 407 , the CPU  10  obtains information of the MMHL file, and stores the song and the MMHL file in the register  13 . Then in step S 408 , the CPU  10  determines whether the song and/or the MMHL file are/is in a compressed format. If neither the song nor the MMHL file is in a compressed format, the procedure goes directly to step S 410  described below. Otherwise, if the song and/or the MMHL file are/is in a compressed format, in step S 409 , the decoder  14  decompresses the song file and/or the MMHL file, whereupon the procedure goes to step S 410 . In step S 410 , the CPU  10  performs related actions of each time slice in the timeline. In step S 411 , the audio output unit  4  outputs digital sounds of the song. At the same time, the video output unit  5  outputs digital multimedia information of the MMHL file according to the timeline information of the song. The procedure then goes to step S 412  described below.  
         [0027]     In step S 413 , the CPU  10  stores the song in the register  13 . Then in step S 414 , the CPU  10  determines whether the song is in a compressed format. If the song is not in a compressed format, the procedure goes directly to step S 416  described below. Otherwise, if the song is in a compressed format, in step S 415 , the CPU  1  decompresses the song, whereupon the procedure goes to step S 416 . In step S 416 , the audio output unit  4  outputs the digital sounds of the song, whereupon the procedure goes to step S 412 .  
         [0028]     In step S 412 , the CPU  10  determines whether to stop playing songs. If the CPU  10  determines to continue playing songs, the procedure returns to step S 400  described above. In contrast, if the CPU  10  determines to stop playing songs, the procedure is finished.  
         [0029]     Although the present invention has been specifically described on the basis of a preferred embodiment and preferred method, the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment and method without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.