JPH04280300A - Voice storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the read-out efficiency of a voice message by reducing the read-out times of the voice message from a magnetic disk, whose access speed is slower, in a voice storage device. CONSTITUTION:When a voice message is read out from a magnetic disk part 1, it is written in a voice message memory 2. A timer controlling part 5 controls a timer memory 3, and counts the time durations between the present time and the time of the last reproduction for every voice message stored in the voice message memory 2, then eliminates the corresponding voice message from the voice message memory 2 if the counted time exceeds the predetermined time duration. A controlling part 9 reads the corresponding voice message out of the voice message memory 2 when it is stored in the voice message memory 2 upon reproducing the voice message, or reads it out of the magnetic disk part 1 and concurrently writes it in the voice message memory 2 when it is not stored.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an audio storage device, and more particularly to an audio storage device that uses a storage device with a long access time, such as a magnetic disk, as a storage means for audio data.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional audio storage device. The magnetic disk unit 1 stores voice messages. The line connection section 7 connects to the user 8. The voice conversion unit 6 converts the voice message format stored in the magnetic disk unit 1, the voice message format used via the line connection unit 7, and the voice message sent to the user 8 via the line connection unit 7. Perform format exchange with format. The control unit 19 controls the operation of the entire audio storage device.

[0003] When the user 8 requests to play a voice message, the voice message requested by the user 8 is read out from the magnetic disk unit 1 and converted into voice under the control of the control unit 19. After being converted into a format suitable for the user 8 by the voice converter 6, it is sent to the line connecting unit 7, and from the line connecting unit 7 to the user 8. Through these series of operations, the voice message for the user 8 is played back.

0004

[Problem to be solved by the invention] A magnetic disk device is
Although it has the advantage of being cheaper per bit than semiconductor memory, when reading data, it requires moving the head to the track that stores the data to be read before reading the data to be read from the disk. This requires a seek time, which is the time required for data to be read, and a rotational waiting time, which is the waiting time for the sector storing the data to be read to come to the position of the head, and it takes a long time to read the data.

[0005] For this reason, a system in which voice message data is read from a magnetic disk device each time, as in the conventional voice storage device described above, has the disadvantage that the readout efficiency of voice message data is low and the number of reproduced data is small.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A voice storage device of the present invention includes a magnetic disk section for storing voice messages; a magnetic disk section for temporarily storing voice messages read from the magnetic disk section; a timer memory that stores, for each voice message, the time during which the voice messages stored in the voice message memory are not being played;
a timer pulse generator that generates pulses at a constant cycle;
Every time this timer pulse generator generates the pulse, the contents of the timer memory are added by 1, and when the value after addition becomes larger than a certain value, the corresponding voice message is deleted from the voice message memory, and the voice message is a timer control unit that clears the corresponding area on the timer memory when the voice message is read from the voice message; a line connection unit that interfaces the voice message with the user; When the voice message to be sent is stored in the voice message memory, the voice message is read from the voice message memory, and when the voice message is not stored, the voice message is read from the magnetic disk unit and written to the voice message memory. It has a section.

[0007] In the above configuration, there is also a voice conversion unit for converting the data format of the voice message stored in the magnetic disk unit and the voice message memory and the data format of the voice message flowing through the line on the user side. can have a section.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. The magnetic disk unit 1 stores voice messages. The voice message memory 2 is a semiconductor memory that temporarily stores voice messages. The timer memory 3 stores the time elapsed since the last time the voice message stored in the voice message memory 2 was reproduced until now, for each voice message. Timer pulse generator 4
generates a constant periodic pulse that serves as a reference for counting time. The timer control unit 5 adds 1 to the contents of the timer memory 3 for each pulse generated by the timer pulse generator 4, and when the value becomes larger than a certain value, deletes the corresponding voice message from the voice message memory 2. do. With this operation, voice messages that have not been played for a long time are deleted from the voice message memory 2, and voice messages that have been accessed frequently are deleted from the voice message memory 2.
Voice messages that are frequently accessed will be left behind. Further, when the voice message is read from the voice message memory 2, the timer control unit 5 controls the timer memory 3 to read the voice message from the voice message memory 2.
Clear the area corresponding to the read voice message above. The voice conversion unit 6 converts the data format of voice messages stored in the magnetic disk 1 and the voice message memory 2 and the data format of voice messages handled by the user 8. The line connection unit 7 performs an interface with the user 8. The control unit 9 controls each of the above-mentioned units, checks whether a corresponding voice message is stored in the voice message memory 2 for voice message reproduction, and when it is stored, reads data from the voice message memory 2 and stores it. If not,
The voice message data is read from the magnetic disk unit 1 and sent to the voice converter 6, and simultaneously written to the voice message memory 2, and the timer control unit 5 is notified that a new voice message has been added to the voice message memory 2. .

0010

As explained above, according to the present invention, frequently accessed voice messages are read from a voice message memory made of a high-speed semiconductor memory, etc., and voice messages that have not been read out for a long time and are accessed infrequently are Since the voice message is read from the magnetic disk device, the number of times the voice message is read from the magnetic disk device, which has a slow access speed, can be reduced, which has the effect of increasing the efficiency of reading the voice message.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a conventional audio storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Magnetic disk section 2 Voice message memory 3. Timer memory 4 Timer pulse generation section 5 Timer control section 6 Voice conversion section 7 Line connection part 8 User 9,19 Control section

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A magnetic disk unit for storing voice messages; a voice message memory for temporarily storing voice messages read from the magnetic disk unit and capable of being read out at a higher speed than the magnetic disk unit; a timer memory that stores, for each voice message, a time during which voice messages stored in the memory are not being played; a timer pulse generator that generates pulses at a constant cycle; each time a voice message occurs, the contents of the timer memory are incremented by 1, and when the value after addition becomes greater than a certain value, the corresponding voice message is deleted from the voice message memory;
a timer control unit that clears the corresponding area on the timer memory when a voice message is read from the voice message; a line connection unit that interfaces the voice message with the user; and a line connection unit that controls the whole and plays the voice message. When the corresponding voice message is stored in the voice message memory, the corresponding voice message is read from the voice message memory, and when it is not stored, the corresponding voice message is read from the magnetic disk section and is also stored in the voice message memory. An audio storage device comprising: a writing control section. 2. A voice conversion unit that converts the data format of the voice message stored in the magnetic disk unit and the voice message memory and the data format of the voice message flowing through the line on the user side. The audio storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: