JPH11317009A - Device and method for disk playing and car audio system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To output audio data read from a disk in the same form as that for other digital data. SOLUTION: Digital form information read from a disk, whether it may be digital data or audio data, is converted into the output data of an ATAPI form by an ATAPI decoder 707. A data converter 709 uses DMA to store such converted output data in S-RAM 710 serving as a buffer, extracts the data in accordance with the timing of isochronous transfer in USB, and passes this data to a USB controller 711. The USB controller 711 sends the output data of the ATAPI form to a main unit by outputting the same from an upstream connector 714.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a technique for reproducing a disc, and more specifically, to output audio data read from a disc in the same format as other digital data. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a disk reproducing device has been used in an audio device such as a car audio system. A disk reproducing device is a device for reading audio data and digital data from a recording medium such as a CD. CDs used in the disk reproducing device mainly include a music CD on which audio data is recorded and a digital CD on which digital data is recorded. C
There is a D-ROM. Here, audio data is
Regardless of analog or digital format,
Digital data refers to data representing sound information such as music, and digital data refers to data originally in digital format, such as character code and image data of video. Reading audio data from a music CD and reading digital data from a CD-ROM are also referred to as "reproduction".

[0003] As such a disk reproducing apparatus, C:
A type called a D autochanger is also increasing. This CD autochanger stores a number of discs in a detachable disc container (disc magazine) or the like, sets a designated disc in a disc playback unit equipped with an optical pickup, etc., and reads data. is there.

[0004] Such a disk reproducing apparatus is often used by being incorporated into a car audio system. here,
Car audio systems are also commonly called car stereos, and use amplifiers and in-vehicle speakers to transmit sounds sent from AM and FM tuners, cassette tape decks, disk playback devices such as CDs and MDs, and autochangers. To flow into the car.

[0005] Recently, with the advance of semiconductor technology, electronic devices such as a car navigation system, a car telephone, and a voice recognition device for recognizing a user's command are sometimes combined with a car audio system. For this reason, in the following description, the term "car audio system" includes the case where these various in-vehicle electronic devices are incorporated.
Collectively.

Here, an example in which a disc reproducing apparatus is incorporated in a car audio system having the function of a car navigation system will be described. That is, as a disc reproducing apparatus in this case, a CD-ROM compatible CD-ROM is used.
It is assumed that a ROM autochanger is used. This CD-
The ROM autochanger is capable of both reproducing audio data from a music CD and reproducing digital data from a CD-ROM. In this case, for example, some music CDs and a CD-recording digital data for a car navigation system
The ROM is set in a CD-ROM autochanger.

If you want to listen to music,
When the car navigation system is used, digital data such as a car navigation system program and a map is read out from the CD-ROM when the car navigation system is used, and information such as a map, characters, and synthesized voice is output based on the data. Provide directions.

[0008]

The conventional disk reproducing apparatus separately outputs digital data and audio data in completely different formats. That is, in a conventional disk reproducing apparatus, digital data read from a CD-ROM or the like is stored in an ATAPI (AT Attachmeme).
nt Packet Interface), while audio data read from a music CD or the like is output from a digital output line using an optical fiber or D / A converted from a digital format to an analog signal and output from an analog signal line. Was.

As described above, conventionally, since digital data and audio data were separately output in completely different formats, both of them had to be transmitted and processed separately. There is a problem that the configuration and operation procedure of a car audio system incorporating such a disk reproducing device become complicated.

[0010] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and its object is to convert audio data read from a disc into the same format as other digital data. Output.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 comprises means for reading audio data and digital data from a recording medium, and means for reading the read audio data and digital data. And a decoder for converting the data into output data of the same protocol format. According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a car audio system comprising the disk reproducing device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects. According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of reproducing a disc, wherein the method of reading the audio data and the digital data from the recording medium is the same as that of the first aspect. Converting to output data in a protocol format. Claims 1, 13,
According to the fourteenth aspect, in both the case of reading audio data from the recording medium and the case of reading digital data, the read data is converted into the same protocol format. It can be realized with the same procedure and configuration.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect, the audio data is read from a music CD, and the digital data is read from a CD-ROM. Claim 2
In the invention of the present application, audio data from a music CD
A so-called compatible disk playback device of the type that reads digital data from ROM is used for music playback,
It can be used for both digital information processing such as car navigation.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the decoder is configured to convert both audio data and digital data into output data in ATAPI format. And According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the invention of the third aspect is viewed from the viewpoint of a method. In the disk reproducing method according to the fourteenth aspect, the step of converting includes outputting both audio data and digital data in an ATAPI format. It is characterized in that it is converted into data. Claims 3, 15
According to the invention, the output data in the ATAPI format is output from the disc reproducing apparatus. Therefore, the same ID is used for both audio data read from a music CD and digital data read from a CD-ROM.
Using the E interface, communication using a command packet can be performed similarly to SCSI, and processing can be easily performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the output data converted from the audio data and the output data converted from the digital data are combined. Are characterized by having a controller for outputting in the same interface format. The invention of claim 16 is the invention of claim 4
The invention of claim 1 is viewed from the viewpoint of a method.
16. The disk reproducing method according to 4 or 15, further comprising a step of outputting both the output data converted from the audio data and the output data converted from the digital data in the same interface format. According to the invention of claims 4 and 16, since both the output data converted from the audio data and the output data converted from the digital data are output according to the same interface standard, both are transmitted by the same cable. Becomes possible.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the output data converted from the audio data and the output data converted from the digital data are combined. Are characterized by having a controller for outputting data on the same daisy chain line. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by connecting a plurality of devices including a disk reproducing device in a daisy chain manner, it becomes easy to configure a car audio system with simple wiring.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, a universal serial bus is used as the daisy chain line. According to the invention of claim 6, since a universal serial bus (USB) is used as a daisy chain line, it is easy to connect many devices of various types.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, the controller is configured to perform the isochronous transfer of the output data. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the transfer capacity of the daisy chain line is not affected by the bus usage rate as in the bulk transfer, and a constant transfer capacity and transfer timing are always guaranteed. Can be transferred.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, the controller is configured to perform bulk transfer of output data converted from the digital data. It is characterized by the following. According to the invention of claim 8, the transfer of digital data, which does not need to guarantee the transfer of a fixed amount of data in a fixed time, is performed using bulk transfer. However, the quality of the transfer data is much higher in the bulk transfer than in the isochronous transfer because data retransmission and error correction are performed when transfer data has an error.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to any one of the fourth to eighth aspects, a control means for passing output data converted by the decoder to the controller is provided. It is characterized by. According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the invention of the ninth aspect is considered from the viewpoint of a method, and in the disk reproducing apparatus according to the sixteenth aspect, the output data converted by the converting step is output to the outputting step, The method includes a step of passing using at least one of direct memory access and parallel bit number conversion. According to the ninth and seventeenth aspects of the present invention, the control means
By changing the bit width of the transferred data or controlling the DMA transfer, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of combination between the decoder and the controller and to smoothly transfer the data.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to the ninth aspect, the control means is configured to control direct memory access. According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since data read from a disk can be transferred at high speed by direct memory access (DMA), audio data from a medium having a large amount of data such as a music CD and having high sound quality can be easily processed. it can.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to the ninth or tenth aspect, the control means is configured to convert the number of bits as a unit of output data passed from the decoder to the controller. It is characterized by having. According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the number of bits as a unit of output data passed from the decoder to the controller is converted. Therefore, for example, a bit as a unit of processing, such as a 16-bit ATAPI decoder and an 8-bit USB controller, is converted. Different numbers of decoders and controllers can be used in combination.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus according to any one of the fourth to eleventh aspects, an R storing a program for controlling the controller.
OM and an address latch for accessing the ROM from the controller. According to the twelfth aspect, by the function of the address latch, a part of the address bus for accessing the ROM from the controller can also be used as the data bus. For example, the controller outputs data of an address specified by 16 bits, that is, bits 0 to 15,
When data is sent back from the ROM in 8 bits, by holding bits 8 to 15 of the address bus in the latch, the read 8-bit data can be received at the same port of the controller.

[0023]

Next, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiments") will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is a car audio system including various devices such as a CD player, and includes a CD-ROM autochanger that outputs both audio data and digital data in the same format.

In this embodiment, a computer having a general-purpose OS as used in a hand-held personal computer is provided, and the car audio system is controlled by this computer. In each of the drawings used in the following description, the same members and members of the same type as those in the drawings described earlier are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the present invention, the function of processing information such as audio data can be realized by controlling a computer with software. In this case, the software is created by combining the instructions according to the description in this specification, and the common parts with the above-described prior art use the technique described in the prior art. Further, the software includes not only program codes but also data prepared in advance for use in executing the program codes.

The software realizes the operation and effect of the present invention by utilizing not only various audio devices incorporated in the car audio system but also a physical processing device such as a CPU and various chip sets.
However, specific configurations of software and hardware for realizing the present invention can be variously changed. For example, when a certain function is realized by a physical electronic circuit such as an LSI according to the circuit configuration and the processing capability of the CPU,
It may be realized by software. Regarding the part that uses software, various forms of software, such as a compiler, an assembler, and a microprogram, can be considered.

As described above, there are various possible modes for realizing the present invention using a computer. In the following, a virtual circuit block for realizing individual functions included in the present invention and the embodiments will be described. The invention and embodiments will be described.

[1. Configuration] [1-1. Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of this embodiment. This embodiment is a car audio system incorporating the disc reproducing apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in addition to a main unit 1, a tuner amplifier unit 2 is provided as each device constituting the car audio system. Microphone 3
, A GPS antenna 4, a security control unit 5, a telephone unit 6, and a CD-ROM autochanger 7 (corresponding to a disk reproducing apparatus of the present invention)
And an auxiliary battery 9 for power backup.

The main unit 1 has a built-in control computer and controls the entire system by the computer. Further, the tuner amplifier unit 2 is a portion provided with a radio tuner and an amplifier for sounding a speaker (not shown), in addition to the AM and FM antennas 2a. The microphone 3 is for inputting a user's voice so that an operation by voice recognition can be performed. This voice recognition function is realized by the computer program described above.

Of these, the tuner amplifier unit 2, microphone 3, GPS antenna 4, security control unit 5, telephone unit 6 (car telephone), and CD-ROM autochanger 7 provide at least one of audio data and digital data. It is a device for performing.

[1-1-1. Daisy chain connection] Here, these security control unit 5, telephone unit 6, and CD-ROM autochanger 7
It is connected to the main unit 1 by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) line. The USB is a type of serial bus, and constitutes connection means for connecting a plurality of devices in a daisy chain format.

In this embodiment, the device connected by USB in this way exchanges data with the outside.
It is configured to perform in the USB format. For example, the CD-ROM autochanger 7 has a hub (H) having ports for upstream and downstream.
UB), and inside the CD-ROM autochanger 7, audio data and digital data read from a music CD or CD-ROM are both ATAP.
ATA which is one of the parallel formats by the I decoder
The output data is converted to PI format output data, and is further serialized by a controller via a USB (Universal Serial
ial Bus) format and sent to USB.

With this configuration, the units 5, 6,
Since the connection of the CD-ROM autochanger 7 is a serial connection, when the units 5, 6, and 7 are installed at a location away from the main unit 1, the installation is facilitated. In FIG. 1, the unit 5, the unit 6, and the autochanger 7 are connected in this order. However, the connection order is arbitrary, and only the necessary ones may be connected.

[1-1-2. CD-ROM Autochanger] Next, a specific configuration of the CD-ROM autochanger 7 is shown in FIG. That is, the CD-ROM autochanger 7 automatically switches between a plurality of music CDs and CD-ROMs, and converts audio data from the music CD into C
This device reads digital data from a D-ROM and outputs the read data to a USB line.

[1-1-2-1. Configuration for Reading Data] Specifically, the CD-ROM autochanger 7 includes a mechanical control unit 701 and a motor driver 702.
, Servo driver 703, changer / reading mechanism 704, RF amplifier 705, and pattern converter 706
And

The mechanical control unit 701 uses a microcomputer to send the ATA sent from the USB.
It is a part that interprets a PI command and controls each part such as a motor according to the contents of the command. The motor driver 702 is a driver for driving each motor for transporting and rotating a disk, and the servo driver 703 is a driver for controlling a servo mechanism. The RF amplifier is a circuit for amplifying a signal sent from the optical pickup, and includes a pattern conversion unit 706.
Is a portion for converting the amplified signal into digital audio data or digital data.

[1-1-2-2. Configuration for Converting and Sending Data] The CD-ROM autochanger 7 comprises an ATAPI decoder 707 and a D-RAM 708.
, Data converter 709, S-RAM 710 (external memory), USB controller 711, ROM 7
12, an address latch 713, an upstream connector 714, and a downstream connector 715.

The ATAPI decoder 707 includes:
The D-RAM 70 converts audio data and digital data read from a CD into output data in the same API format, ATAPI.
A RAM 8 provides a work area used for the conversion.

Further, the ATAPI decoder 707 and the USB
The bus format is different from that of the controller 711, for example, the width of the data bus is 16 bits and 8 bits, and the data converter 709 is a part for converting the format of data passed between the two.

In particular, data converter 709 is an ATA
In addition to converting the number of bits as a unit of output data passed from the PI decoder 707 to the USB controller 711 from 16 bits to 8 bits in accordance with the difference in the width of the data bus, the output data converted by the ATAPI decoder 707 is S-RAM 71 serving as a buffer
It is configured to control DMA transfer for storing and retrieving to 0.

The USB controller 711 converts output data converted from audio data and output data converted from digital data into a USB format which is the same interface format. The USB controller 711 is configured to perform isochronous / bulk transfer of the output data to the main unit 1 via USB. The upstream connector 714 is a connector for connecting a USB cable on the host side, and the downstream connector 715 is a connector for connecting a USB cable on a lower device side.

[1-1-2-3. Configuration of ROM and Latch] The ROM 712 includes a USB controller 711
The address latch 713 stores a program for controlling the USB controller 71.
This is a latch for sharing a part of the address bus and the data bus when accessing the ROM from 1.

Here, the USB controller 711 and the R
The relationship between the OM 712 and the address latch 713 is shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. In other words, the USB controller 711 is designed to address the ROM 712 with 16 bits, and outputs the address output ports A0 to A7 for outputting the lower 8 bits of the address and the upper 8 bits of the address. Output port A8 for port
To 15 are provided. Of these, the address output ports A8 to A15 also serve as data input ports D0 to D7 for receiving 8-bit data sent back from the ROM 712.

On the other hand, the ROM 712 stores the lower 8 bits of the address.
Address input ports A0-7 for inputting bits
And address input ports A8 to A15 for inputting the upper 8 bits of the address, and data output ports D0 to D7 for sending out the read 8-bit data.

The address output ports A0 to A7 of the USB controller 711 are directly connected to the address output ports A0 to A7 of the ROM 712, while the address output ports A8 to A15 of the USB controller 711 are connected.
(And data input ports D0 to D7) branch midway,
One is connected to the address input ports A0 to A7 of the ROM 712 via the address latch 713, and the other is
M712 is connected to the data output ports D0-7.

The USB controller 711 has a signal output port STB for outputting a strobe signal for controlling the address latch 713.
When data is received from the ROM 712, a strobe signal is sent out from the signal output port STB to the address latch 713, so that the state shown in FIG.

[1-1-3. Configuration of data converter)
Next, FIG. 5 shows a more specific configuration of the data converter 709 shown in FIG. As shown in this figure, the data converter 709 includes an ATAPI bus width converter 791
, Bus interface controller 792, address decoder 793, DMA address counter 794
, An address bus switch 795, and a data bus switch 796.

The ATAPI bus width conversion unit 791
This portion converts the bit width of the parallel data exchanged between the PI decoder 707 and the USB controller 711 from 16 bits to 8 bits. The DMA address counter 794 is a counter for counting up the address of the S-RAM to be processed at the time of the DMA transfer, and the address bus switch 795 and the data bus switch 796 are used to perform the DMA transfer. And a switch for changing the data flow according to the operation mode of the data converter 709 at times other than the above.

The address decoder 793 has a DMA
To use the S-RAM 71 by DMA.
The USB controller 71 specifies whether to write data to 0 or read data from the S-RAM 710.
1 and the bus interface controller 79
The bus interface controller 792 controls the DMA address counter 794, the address bus switch 795, and the data bus switch 796 according to the designation.

[1-1-4. Main Unit] The main unit 1 also includes a socket 13S for inserting the compact flash card 13, and a face plate unit 15 that can be attached and detached (FIG. 1).
The compact flash card 13 is a storage medium using a flash memory and can read and write data from the main unit 1 by being inserted into a socket 13S provided in the main unit 1. The compact flash card 13 is used for exchanging data, programs, and the like with another computer, and for backing up various setting data in the car audio system.

The detachable face plate unit 15 includes a display unit for displaying various information to the user, and an operation unit provided with operation keys for the user to perform various operations. The unit and the operation unit are collectively called an operation display unit. The operation display unit is a digital output unit that outputs processed digital data. The face plate unit 15 is provided with a DCP (Det
The display unit of the face plate unit 15 is, for example, a horizontal 256
It is a large color LCD (liquid crystal display) such as 64 dots vertically.

If this faceplate unit 15 is removed and taken out when getting off the car, even if a thief looks at the car audio system, it cannot be used or resold by seeing that there is no essential display unit or operation unit. Has the anti-theft effect of giving up on stealing. If the removed face plate unit 15 is carried around in the case 15a, it does not hurt itself or surrounding objects.

The face plate unit 15
Although not shown in FIG. 1, the handheld personal computer 8 and the I
An infrared communication unit for exchanging data in a format such as rDA (Infrared Data Association) is provided.

[1-1-5. Other Devices] The GPS antenna 4 is an antenna for receiving radio waves from GPS satellites. The signal from the GPS antenna 4 is GP
It is sent to the GPS unit in the main unit 1 via the S receiver 4a. Although not shown in FIG. 1, this GPS unit calculates the position of the receiver on the earth based on radio waves from the GPS satellites. On the computer described above, the functions of the car navigation system are realized by the program, and the calculation results are passed to the functions of the car navigation system.

The security control unit 5 is an alarm system for crime prevention. More specifically, the security control unit 5 uses a sensor 5a for detecting vibration or impact to sound a siren 5b when theft or mischief is detected. Part. The telephone unit 6 is a unit for controlling functions of a car telephone, and is a part for realizing a telephone call using the telephone antenna 6a and the handset 6b.

[1-2. Internal Configuration of Main Unit] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the main components of each of the above-described parts. In particular, FIG. is there. The whole of this figure is divided into four by a broken line, the left side is the CPU module 11, the center is the support module 12, the upper right is the external unit 30, and the lower right is the option unit 40. Among them, the CPU module 11 and the support module 12 are provided inside the main unit 1.

The external unit 30 and the optional unit 40 indicate several devices connected to the main unit 1 collectively. In addition,
6, the compact flash card 13 is shown below the CPU module 11 and the face plate unit 15 is shown above the external unit 30 for convenience of explanation.

The CPU module 11 and the support module 12 constitute a control computer for controlling the entire car audio system. Of these, CP
The U module 11 is a part that performs logical operation processing centered on the CPU 111 and the support module 12
Is a part for performing input and output with other devices included in the car audio system.

The main path of data in the CPU module 11 is a local bus B1 (first bus) formed around the CPU 111. On the other hand, the main path of data in the support module 12 is a PCI (Peripheral Co.) for connecting each device.
mponent Interconnect) bus B2 (second bus).

[1-2-1. Configuration of CPU module]
The local bus B1 of the CPU module 11
The local bus B1 includes a DRAM 112, a flash ROM 113,
CI bus host controller 114 and CPU host A
The SIC 115 and the PCMCIA / ASIC 116 are connected. The DRAM 112 includes the CPU 111
Is a part that provides a work area such as a variable area when performing information processing such as control of a car audio system.

The flash ROM 113 is a rewritable ROM, and here is a portion that stores software in a broad sense such as an OS, a BIOS, and an application program. O stored here
The functions of S include managing resources on a computer, controlling input and output including a user interface, and executing a program in a predetermined format. For example, Windows CE (registered by Microsoft Corporation) Trademark).

The PCI bus host controller 11
4 connects the local bus B1 and the PCI bus B2,
This is a means for converting the format of data exchanged between these two buses.

The “ASIC” such as the CPU host ASIC 115 is an application specific integrated cipher.
rcuit is an abbreviation of IC or LSI for a general-purpose integrated circuit such as ROM, RAM, and CPU for a specific application. Specifically, this CPU host ASIC
Reference numeral 115 denotes an ASIC for interfacing the local bus B1 with the PCI bus host controller 114.
In other words, the CPU host ASIC 115 is a window for data exchanged between the PCI bus B2 and the CPU module 11, and specifically performs processing such as address format conversion, interrupt processing, and bus arbitration. Do. Also, the CPU host ASIC 115
Is an input / output between the CPU module 11 and the outside.
In addition to performing the processing in place of the CPU 11, the data transmitted from the PCI bus B 2 is determined to be of a type to be passed to the CPU 111.

Then, the CPU host ASIC 115
What is to be passed to the CPU 111 is sent to the CPU 111 through the local bus B1, but it is sufficient if the predetermined response is returned mechanically without the need for the CPU 111 to perform an operation on the other data, for example, the transmitted data. For those that return such a reaction.

The PCMCIA ASIC 116 is
A compact flash card 13 is a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card) as a so-called PC card.
This is a portion for an interface corresponding to the standard of the International Association) and a portion for controlling reading and writing of data from and to the compact flash card 13.

[1-2-2. Configuration Regarding Support Module] Next, the PCI bus B2 of the support module 12 is a bus for exchanging data with various devices constituting the car audio system.
It constitutes transmission means for transmitting audio data and digital data from the device in a digital format. Here, as the devices connected to the PCI bus B2, there are an external unit 30 and an optional unit 40, each of which indicates several devices collectively.

That is, the external unit 30 is a separate unit from the main unit 1 shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, in this example, the face plate unit 15 which can be The tuner 21, the amplifier 22 and the microphone 3 provided in the tuner amplifier unit 2. The face plate unit 15 includes an infrared communication unit 127.

The optional unit 40 is a unit incorporated as an option in the car audio system. In this example, the optional unit 40 is, for example, the GPS unit 16 and the CD-ROM autochanger 7. Further, a CD-ROM unit 14 is provided inside the main unit 1, and this CD-ROM unit 14 is also connected to the PCI bus B2. This CD-ROM unit 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes a player for reading audio data and digital data from one music CD or CD-ROM. These CD-ROM autochanger 7 and CD-R
Both of the OM units 14 are compatible (compatible) in that data can be read from a so-called music CD and data can be read from a CD-ROM.

In the support module 12, the PCI
In order for the bus B2 to exchange data with these devices, the support ASIC 121 and the CODEC circuit 1
22, DSP unit 123, buffer memory 124,
A parallel / PCI driver 125 and a serial / PCI driver 126 are used.

The support ASIC 121 is a means for deciding which data comes from and where it is sent between the support module 12 and each device. In other words, the support ASIC 121 is a part for arranging data traffic. COD
The “CODEC” of the EC circuit 122 is “Coder / Decoder”.
The CODEC circuit 122 performs, for example, D / A conversion for converting data in a given digital format into an analog signal, and conversely, converts an analog signal into a digital signal. A / D conversion for converting data into a format data.

That is, the CODEC circuit 122
The role of A / D conversion means for A / D converting an analog signal provided from a device into digital audio data, and converting the processed audio data into an analog signal
It has a role as a D / A conversion means for A / A conversion.
The amplifier 22 for driving a speaker with the converted analog signal and the CODEC circuit 122 constitute audio output means for outputting processed audio data as an analog signal.

The “DSP” of the DSP unit 123
Is an abbreviation that stands for a digital sound processor, that is, a circuit that specializes in processing digital sound signals. The DSP unit 123, when given audio data representing music or the like, sets the left / right balance set in the system. , Volume, fader, surround, equalizer, etc.
This part processes audio data.

Further, the buffer memory 124 has a CD-R
Since an audio device such as an OM unit and a PCI bus B2 have different data read / write cycles, the buffer is a buffer for filling this difference by storing data and extracting it little by little, and is composed of an SRAM or the like.

The parallel / PCI driver 125
Converts the parallel audio data and digital data sent from the CD-ROM unit 14 into a PCI format.
This is a part for converting to the data format of the bus B2. The serial / PCI driver 126 converts serial audio data and digital data sent from the CD-ROM autochanger 7 in USB data format.
This is a format conversion unit that converts the data into a data format compatible with the PCI bus B2.

The face plate unit 15 including the infrared communication unit 127 is supported by the support ASIC 12
1 via a high-speed serial communication circuit, and the GPS unit 16 sends a UART (Universal
It is connected by an asynchronous serial communication circuit such as Asynchronous Receiver-Transitter). CD-ROM
The unit 14 supplies the parallel / PCI driver 125 with A
They are connected by a parallel communication circuit such as TAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface). Although not shown, the infrared communication unit 127 is provided with an ASIC for exchanging data with infrared rays.

The CPU module 11, the CODEC circuit 122, the DSP unit 123, and the buffer memory 124 of the support module 12 constitute processing means for processing digital audio data and digital data.

[2. Operation] This embodiment configured as described above works as follows. [2-1. Overall operation] [2-1-1. Input of Data] In this embodiment, of the data input from each device, the data in digital format is supported by the support ASIC 1 of the support module 12.
21 is input directly. For example, data indicating which key has been pressed is sent from the face plate unit 15. In addition, the GPS unit 16
Digital data such as latitude and longitude calculated using radio waves from the S satellite is sent. Further, the infrared communication unit 127 provided in the face plate unit 15 is provided.
, Digital data transmitted by infrared rays from the handheld personal computer 8 is sent.

Also, the CD-ROM unit 14 and the CD
From the ROM autochanger 7, sound data read from a music CD, that is, audio data, a CD-
Digital data read from ROM, ie, CD-R
The OM data is converted into the data format of the PCI bus B2 by the parallel / PCI driver 125 or the serial / PCI driver 126, and is transmitted to the support ASIC 121 via the PCI bus B2.

Further, although not shown in FIG. 6, digital data for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality is sent from security control unit 5 shown in FIG. Similarly,
Digital data, that is, character data, for notifying the incoming or outgoing telephone number of the call, that is, character data is sent from the telephone unit 6 shown in FIG. 1, and during the call, audio data that conveys the other party's voice, that is, voice data. Is sent to the support ASIC 121.

The security control unit 5 and the telephone unit 6 are connected to the serial bus B3 by the US.
B, that is, daisy-chained by the serial bus B3, the information sent from the security control unit 5 or the telephone unit 6 is transmitted from the CD-
Like the audio data and digital data from the ROM autochanger 7, the data arrives at the main unit 1 through the serial bus B3, is converted into the data format of the PCI bus B2 by the serial / PCI driver 126, and then is transmitted through the PCI bus B2. Sent by

On the other hand, of the data input from each device, an analog signal is once input to the CODEC circuit 122, converted into digital data (A / D conversion) by the CODEC circuit 122, and It is passed to the support ASIC 121. For example, microphone 3
, The user's voice is input as an analog signal, and the tuner 21 receives the radio broadcast content received as a result of the tuning as an analog signal.

[2-1-2. Processing by CD-ROM Autochanger] Next, the CD-ROM autochanger 7
Is the audio data and CD-
The operation of sending digital data read from the ROM to the main unit 1 via the serial bus B3, ie, USB, will be described.

First, when attempting to use data of a music CD or CD-ROM set in the CD-ROM autochanger 7, the main unit 1
Command packet in USB (serial bus B
The data is transmitted to the CD-ROM autochanger 7 through 3). This command packet specifies which data of which disk should be read.

When this command packet arrives at the upstream connector 714 of the CD-ROM autochanger 7, it is passed to the mechanical control unit 701 via the USB controller 711, the data converter 709, and the ATAPI decoder 707. Upon receiving the command packet, the mechanical control unit 701 interprets the contents of the command packet,
By operating the changer / reading mechanism 704 by controlling the motor driver 702, data is read from the specified disk.

For example, if the disk specified by the command packet is already set in the disk reproducing unit for reading data from the disk, the data reading is started immediately. The disk is loaded into the disk reproducing unit from a disk magazine, a disk holder, or the like, and data reading is started.

When reading data from the disk, R
The F amplifier 705 amplifies the output signal from the optical pickup, and the pattern conversion unit 706 converts the pattern of the amplified signal into digital data or audio data, which is digital information.

The digital format information converted from the signal as described above, whether digital data or audio data, is transmitted to the ATAPI decoder 707 by the ATAPI decoder 707.
It is converted into output data of API format. The data converter 709 stores the output data thus converted in the S-RAM 710 serving as a buffer, extracts the output data at the timing of isochronous transfer in USB, and transfers the extracted data to the USB controller 711. Note that such data storage and retrieval are performed by the data converter 709 controlling DMA transfer.

Then, the USB controller 711 performs isochronous transfer of the transferred output data of the ATAPI format from the upstream connector 714 to the main unit 1. The isochronous transfer guarantees that a fixed amount of data determined by software is transferred at a fixed time interval such as 1 ms, and is used when performing a data transfer in which a fixed amount of data must be sent for a fixed time.

For example, audio data read from a music CD is divided into 75 frames per second.
The data amount per frame is 2352 bytes. Here, since 1 second / 75 frames = about 13.3 seconds, 2352 bytes are transmitted at a time at a time interval of 13 ms to 14 ms to transfer audio data, which is 177 bytes per ms. Use the transfer capacity of On the other hand, the maximum transfer capacity of USB is 102 per 1 ms.
Because it is 4 bytes, the above mentioned 1ms from some devices
Even when transferring 177 bytes of data, five types of audio data can be transferred simultaneously and in parallel without interrupting music.

[2-1-3. Function of data converter)
Next, an example will be described in which the data converter 709 converts a data format or changes a path through which data flows between the ATAPI decoder 707 and the USB controller 711. That is, the data converter 709 shown in FIG.
Has three operation modes as described below, and when the USB controller 711 specifies these operation modes, the address decoder 793 sets the specified operation mode to the bus interface controller 792.
And the bus interface controller 792
MA address counter 794, address bus switch 7
95, by controlling and switching the operation state of the data bus switch 796, the operation in the designated operation mode is realized.

That is, FIG. 7 shows the USB controller 7
11 and the ATAPI decoder 707, the S-RAM
7 shows a state of a data converter 709 for interactively exchanging data without using 710. In this state,
The data bus switch 796 is connected to the USB controller 71
One data bus is connected to the ATAPI bus width converter 791, and the address bus switch 795 disconnects the CPU address bus from the DMA address counter 794.

Next, FIG. 8 shows an ATAPI decoder 707.
7 shows the state of the data converter 709 for writing data from the to the S-RAM 710 by DMA. In this state, the data bus switch 796 connects the external data bus for reading / writing the S-RAM 710 to the ATAPI bus width conversion unit 791, and the address bus switch 795
Connects an external address bus for reading / writing the S-RAM 710 to the DMA address counter 794.

FIG. 9 shows a USB controller 711.
Shows the state of the data converter 709 for reading data from the S-RAM 710 by DMA. In this state, the data bus switch 796 connects the external data bus for reading / writing the S-RAM 710 to the data bus of the USB controller 711, and the address bus switch 795 connects the external data bus for reading / writing the S-RAM 710. Connect to DMA address counter 794.

The USB controller 711 receives the output data of the ATAPI format provided from the address decoder 793 by using the DMA and the S-RAM 710 by switching between these operation modes and selectively using them.
Send to B.

[2-1-4. Operation of Address Latch] The USB controller 711 performs such an operation as follows.
This is realized by sequentially reading and interpreting and executing the programs recorded in the ROM 712. When reading the programs from the ROM 712 as data, the address latch 713 is used as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the address output ports A0 to A7 of the USB controller 711 are
Since the USB controller 711 is directly connected to the address input ports A0 to A7 of the M712,
, The lower 8 bits of the address are transmitted from the address output ports A0 to A7 to the address input ports A0 to A7 of the ROM 712.

Further, the USB controller 711 controls the RO
When sending the address of the data to be read to M712, no strobe signal is output from the signal output port STB. In this state, the USB controller 711 sends the upper 8 bits of the address to the address output ports A8 to A15.
, The address latch 713 transmits these upper 8 bits to the address input ports A8 to A15 of the ROM 712 as shown by the solid line in FIG.

After the USB controller 711 sends out the address to the ROM 712 and outputs a strobe signal from the signal output port STB, the address latch 713 causes the address output port A8 to 15 of the USB controller 711 to output the strobe signal until then. The upper 8 bits that have been output are retained and output to the address input ports A8 to A15 of the ROM 712. For this reason, US
Address output ports A8-1 of B controller 711
No need to output upper 8 bits from 5
The B controller 711 switches the internal circuit, stops outputting the upper 8 bits from the address output ports A8 to A15, and sets this port to the data input ports D0 to D7.
Switch to

In this state, the data read from the ROM 712 corresponds to the data output ports D0 to D0 of the ROM 712.
7 to the data input ports D0 to D7 of the USB controller 711.

[2-1-5. Destination of Input Data] From the CD-ROM autochanger 7, data is read from the CD as described above, and the read data is sent to the support ASIC 121 of the main unit 1. Plays a role in traffic control of where information comes from and where it is sent for information gathered in that way from each part.
That is, the support ASIC 121 roughly processes sound data by the DSP unit 123 and
The data is sent to the amplifier 22 through the EC circuit 122, and data other than the sound is sent to the CPU module 11. However, among the sound data, data input from the microphone 3 is sent to the CPU module 11 for voice recognition.

The sound data sent to the amplifier 22 includes, for example, the contents of a radio broadcast tuned by the tuner 21, the CD-ROM unit 14 and the CD-RO.
The recorded content read from the music CD by the M autochanger 7 and the voice of the other party sent from the telephone unit 6 can be considered.

The data other than sound includes, for example,
Data indicating which operation key is pressed on the face plate unit 15, data such as a file transmitted from the infrared communication unit 127, digital data such as latitude and longitude transmitted from the GPS unit 16,
ROM unit 14 and CD-ROM autochanger 7
The contents of the map for the car navigation system read from the CD-ROM and the contents of the information for each area, the data sent from the security control unit 5 to notify the occurrence of an abnormality, and the telephone call sent from the telephone unit 6 Data or the like for notifying the incoming or outgoing telephone number is conceivable.

[2-1-6. Information processing in CPU module] In the CPU module 11, the support ASIC 1
When digital data is sent from PC 21, PC
The I bus host controller 114 converts the transmitted data into the data format of the local bus B1,
Transfer to the PU host ASIC 115. This CPU host A
The SIC 115 performs input / output on behalf of the CPU 111 and, when data is passed, determines whether the data should be passed to the CPU 111 or not from the data format or the like.

That is, the CPU host ASIC 115
For data that only needs a certain mechanical response,
A predetermined response is returned to the support module 12 through the PCI bus host controller 114, but other data is passed to the CPU 111.

The CPU 111 has a flash ROM 113
The received data is processed in accordance with the OS and program codes recorded in the OS, and the DRAM 112 is used as a storage area such as a work area necessary for this processing. For example, when the user's voice input from the microphone 3 is sent, the CPU 111 compares the received user's voice with parameters and waveforms representing the features of the command words prepared in advance. It presumes that a similar command is what the user said, and performs an operation according to the command.

The reading and writing of the compact flash card 13 are performed by the CPU module 11 in the CPU module 11.
CPU ASIC1 according to the request from
15 by controlling the PCMCIA ASIC 116.

Then, the result of the information processing by the CPU 111 is
After being converted into the data format of the CI bus B2, it is sent to the support module 12. The data sent to the support module 12 as a result of the information processing includes an operation command for each part and each device of the support module 12, and the support module 12 performs input / output according to the data thus sent. Is performed.

[2-1-7. Processing such as input / output by support module] For example, when a command to read data from a CD or tune a radio is received from the CPU module 11, the CD-ROM unit 14, the CD-R
The OM autochanger 7 and the tuner 21 perform operations according to the change. When a command to switch the sound source of the sound output from the speaker to a device different from the current device arrives from the CPU module 11, the support ASIC 121
The audio data sent to the EC circuit 122 is switched from the data of the previous device to that of the newly designated device.

When outputting audio data in digital form to the amplifier 22, the amplifier 22 accepts only analog signals.
Reference numeral 2 converts the digital audio data into an analog signal (D / A conversion) and outputs the analog signal to the amplifier 22.

Further, for example, when display data for a user is sent from the CPU module 11 or another device to the support ASIC 121, the support ASIC 1
21 transfers the display data to the face plate unit 15 through the high-speed serial communication circuit. In this case, in the face plate unit 15, information for the user is displayed on the display unit according to the transferred display data.

Next, how the user can use the car audio system of this embodiment by the operation of each part described above will be specifically described.

[2-2. Operation and Display of Information] When operating the car audio system of this embodiment, the user may press an operation key provided on the face plate unit 15 or a predetermined operation is performed for each operation. The phrase may be uttered. For example, if the user has a CD
If you want to use the FM tuner, you can press the operation key to switch to the CD, or if you speak into the microphone 3 as a predetermined word, for example, "Shide-up" or "Efu-emu" Good.

When the user presses the operation key, the data is transmitted from the support ASIC 121 to the CPU module 1.
1, the CPU 111 sends new display data to the support ASIC 121, and the display unit of the face plate unit 15 uses this display data to display a screen for operating a radio or a screen for operating a CD. And so on.

Further, for example, when the user utters a phrase such as "Shi-de-", an analog signal is converted from the microphone 3 into digital audio data by the CODEC circuit 122, and the audio data is converted into digital audio data.
CPU 111 from support ASIC 121 via PCI bus host controller and CPU host ASIC 115
The CPU 111 recognizes which word the user has said based on the digital audio data, and performs the same action as when an operation key is pressed according to the recognition result.

For example, the display unit of the face plate unit 15 is made to be a touch panel, and functions that can be used at that time are displayed on the display unit as icons as a graphical user interface of a computer, and icons of functions that the user wants to use are displayed. You can make it work when you touch it with your finger. Furthermore, for example, if the display using such an icon and the voice recognition are used together, several icons are displayed at once, and the user can use the “next”
When the user speaks, the screen switches and the next several icons are displayed, and when the user speaks "return," the screen returns to the previous state.

[2-3. When listening to the radio] In the operation described above, for example, when the user speaks “Efume” and selects the FM broadcast of the radio, and the CPU 111 recognizes it, the support ASIC 121 operates the tuner in accordance with the instruction from the CPU 111. 21 is switched to the FM reception state, and the source of data sent to the amplifier 22 is switched to audio data from the tuner 21. In this case, the tuner 21 may receive the frequency selected last time, or, for example, the user speaks a phrase such as “seek-up” to change the frequency little by little, and The frequency may be automatically searched (automatic sweep).

When the user listens to the radio as described above, the received content transmitted from the tuner 21 is an analog signal, and this analog signal is input to the CODEC circuit 122, converted into digital audio data, and then converted to the supported ASIC 121. Sent to Support ASI
The C121 passes the audio data received from the CODEC circuit 122 to the DSP unit 123, and the DSP unit 123 processes the audio data according to setting items such as balance and volume set in advance in the system, and sends the processed data to the support ASIC 121. Send it back.

Then, the support ASIC 121 converts the audio data returned in this way into the CODEC circuit 1.
The codec circuit 122 converts the digital audio data back into an analog signal, and then sends it to the amplifier 22 so that it flows from the speaker.

[2-4. CD playback]
If you want to listen to music CDs, use the CD-ROM unit 14
And music CD you want to listen to the CD-ROM autochanger 7
, And instruct playback by voice such as “Start” or an instruction to jump to the next song. For example, when a music CD in the CD-ROM unit 14 is reproduced, the CD-ROM unit 14 operates according to a command from the support ASIC 121, and digital audio data is transmitted from the CD-ROM unit 14.

The parallel / PCI driver 125
Converts the audio data into the data format of the PCI bus B2 and sends the data to the support ASIC 121. When the support ASIC 121 receives the audio data from the PCI bus B2, the support ASIC 121 once passes the audio data to the DSP unit 123 for processing. When the processed audio data is received again from the DSP unit 123, the processed audio data is transferred from the digital input / output port to the CODEC circuit 122 and output to the amplifier 22 in the form of an analog signal.

When the music CD is reproduced by the CD-ROM autochanger 7, the USB, ie, the serial bus B
3, the serial / PCI driver 126 converts the data into the data format of the PCI bus B2 because the ATAPI format audio data is transmitted as a serial signal. Is performed in the same way as

The CD-ROM unit 14 and the CD-ROM unit
When the ROM autochanger 7 is compared with the CODEC circuit 122 and the DSP unit 123 relatively, the former sends a large amount of data in a long time cycle, while the latter sends data in a short time cycle. Since the processing is performed little by little, there is a cycle difference between the two.
For this reason, the support ASIC 121 stores the digital audio data collectively transmitted by the CD-ROM unit 14 or the CD-ROM autochanger 7 in the buffer memory 124, and sequentially takes out the oldest part from the DSP unit 123. To make the reproduction smooth by filling the above-mentioned gap.

[2-5. Use of CD-ROM and Car Navigation] When the user wants to use the functions of the car navigation system, for example, data for the car navigation system (application software, maps, etc.) is stored in the CD-ROM autochanger 7 or the CD-ROM unit 14. The function of the car navigation system is started after setting the CD-ROM on which is recorded.
The functions of such a car navigation system include, for example, a CPU module 1 as a computer program.
Recorded in the flash ROM 113 of the CPU 1
11 can be realized by executing such a program.

When such a car navigation system attempts to read map data or various information for each area recorded on a CD-ROM, a CD-ROM is used.
-ROM autochanger 7 and CD-ROM unit 1
4 is parallel / PCI
Driver 125, PCI bus host controller 11
4. It is passed to the CPU 111 via the CPU host ASIC 115. The CPU 111 executes the face plate unit 15 based on the data such as the map received in this manner.
Bitmap image to be displayed on the display unit of DR
It is created on the AM 112 and the support module 12
To send out.

When the car navigation system is used as described above, the GPS antenna 4 shown in FIG.
The radio wave from the PS satellite is received and the GPS unit 1 shown in FIG.
6 calculates the latitude, longitude and the like from this radio wave, and this data is sent to the CPU 111. Then, the CPU 111
From these data such as latitude and longitude, can identify on the map where the car equipped with this car audio system is currently running. As a result, the current position is set as the departure point without a user input, a rough map centering on the current point is displayed, and a figure for instructing the next right or left turn is displayed. be able to.

The data for navigation includes the compact flash card 13 (or DRAM 112),
Alternatively, it may be stored in the flash ROM 113.

The operation method using voice recognition as described above can also be used when using the functions of the car navigation system.
When using a car navigation system that gives instructions such as right turn and left turn at each turn, when the user wants to see the previous instruction or the next instruction, the user can say words such as “next” or “return”. You can also switch the display one after another.

Further, such route guidance can be notified to the user by outputting a synthesized voice through the amplifier 22. In this case, it is necessary to shift the line of sight to the display unit in order to know where to turn next. Disappears.

[2-6. Use of telephone]
When making a call using the telephone unit 6, the advantage of the computer and the advantage of the car audio system can be utilized as follows. For example, the user uses a computer program to pre-register the telephone number and name of a person who he or she knows in the system, for example, the DRAM 112 and the compact flash card 13.

When a call is received, although not shown in FIG.
Through the PCI driver 126, digital data indicating that the call has arrived and digital data indicating the telephone number of the caller are sent to the support ASIC 121.
These data are further stored in the CP of the CPU module 11.
Sent to U111, CPU 111 searches whether the telephone number of the current caller is registered in the telephone numbers registered in advance.

If the telephone number of the current caller is present among the telephone numbers registered in advance, the CPU 1
11 sends back the name corresponding to the telephone number to the support module 12 so that the face plate unit 1
By displaying the name of the person who is calling 5 on the phone or by giving a synthetic voice guidance such as "From Mr. XX" through the in-vehicle speaker, the user can be notified of who is calling. it can.

When the user who knows that a call is being received by such display, guidance, ringing tone, etc., utters a predetermined word and instructs to connect the telephone, the other party's voice is heard from the speaker. At the same time as the voice of the user input from the microphone 3
The audio data is converted into digital audio data by 22 and sent to the telephone unit 6 via the support ASIC 121, the serial / PCI driver 126, and the serial bus B3, so that the user can make a call in a so-called hands-free state without using a hand. it can.

[0133] When the ringing tone sounds a certain number of times, for example, the telephone unit 6 or the CPU module 1
The answering machine function prepared in 1 answers the call.

When a call is to be made from the user side, for example, the telephone number and name registered in advance are displayed one after another on the display screen, and when the caller to be called is displayed, the call is made. When an icon or the like is touched with a finger, the telephone number is transferred from the CPU module 11 to the telephone unit 6 as digital data, and the telephone is automatically called.

Further, the user speaks the name registered, and C
When the PU module 11 recognizes this, it automatically sends a call to the telephone number corresponding to the name, utters the telephone number to be called one digit at a time to make it recognized, or the user utters “Ridaiyaru”. It is possible to decide where to call in recognition of this.

[2-7. Use of Security Control Unit] The security control unit 5 can be used alone, or can be used in conjunction with the telephone unit 6 described above. For example (FIG. 1), when the user leaves the car, he activates the security control unit 5 and gets off with the transmitter 5c. When a third party who has nothing to do with the user of the vehicle touches the doorknob, fiddles with the keyhole, tries to pry open the door or trunk, or moves the vehicle without permission, the sensor 5a detects the shock and vibration caused by the vibration. Feeling, sensor 5
The security control unit 5 that has received the signal from a sounds the siren 5b at a high volume, for example. This has the effect of alerting the environment outside the vehicle.

When the user himself / herself returns to the vehicle and operates the transmitter 5c, the predetermined encryption is transmitted to the security control unit 5, and the function of the security control unit 5 is released. The siren will not ring when you use the keys or move the car.

If such a security control unit 5 is used in conjunction with the telephone unit 6, it is more effective. That is, when the sensor 5a detects an abnormality,
The security control unit 5 not only sounds the siren, but also sends an interrupt signal to activate the car audio system including the CPU module 11 and the support module 12. In order to enable such start-up, an electronic circuit connected to the power supply and start-up switch of the car audio system is prepared, and the electronic circuit is constantly monitored for an interrupt signal. As soon as it comes, you can turn on the power and start switch to start the car audio system.

When the CPU 111 thus activated receives the data indicating the occurrence of the abnormality from the security control unit 5, the CPU 111 sends a command to the telephone unit 6 to make a telephone call. The destination to be called at this time may be set in advance as a report destination at the time of abnormality, and may be, for example, the police, a mobile phone owned by the user, a security company, or the like. Then, when the call is connected to the called party, the other party is notified of the abnormality by listening to the synthesized voice or a previously recorded announcement. In this way, the person who is notified can rush to the site.

[2-8. Use of utility program] Also, like a normal handheld personal computer,
If functions such as an address book, a calendar, a schedule management, a voice recording, a clock, a calculator, and a game are used as the functions of the OS and the application programs, various types of information processing can be performed even in a car. Further, by deleting, replacing, or adding an application program that realizes these functions, each user can prepare an information processing environment suitable for himself / herself.

[2-9. Use of Compact Flash Card] In the car audio system of this embodiment, the use of the compact flash card 13 allows information to be exchanged with another handheld personal computer, another car audio system, or the like.

For example, the compact flash card 13
By reading a new application program or OS into the flash ROM 113 from the above, it becomes easy to add a new function or update the OS. In particular, by using a general-purpose OS, it becomes easier for a general software maker to create an application program and a function module of the OS, so that a compact flash card 13 on which the program is recorded can be easily obtained and sold. The audio system can be used more conveniently as a computer.

If personal data such as an address book created by another personal computer or a handheld personal computer is brought into the car audio system by the compact flash card 13, the work up to that point is continued on the car audio system. be able to. On the contrary, the data created by the car audio system can be transferred to another personal computer or a handheld personal computer using the compact flash card 13 to continue the operation.

If the data created by the user using the above-mentioned utility program is backed up and copied to the compact flash card 13,
Even in the case where data is lost due to malfunction of the car audio system or use by another person, the data can be read from the compact flash card 13 into the main unit 1 again and information processing can be continued.

Also, various settings of the car audio system suitable for oneself can be stored in the compact flash card 13.
If you use a car, you can insert your compact flash card 13 into the main unit 1 and read the contents, even if someone else in your family changes the settings. You can use the car audio system with the original settings that are convenient for you.

[2-10. Communication with Handheld Personal Computer] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the infrared communication unit 1
By using 27, between the handheld PC 8
Data can be easily exchanged without the trouble of inserting and removing the compact flash card 13 and connecting with a cable or the like. For this reason, the OS and application programs are updated using files and the like recorded in the handheld personal computer 8, personal data created on the car audio system is directly transferred to the handheld personal computer 8, and the like. Backup of personal data is stored in a relatively large storage area of the handheld personal computer 8, or the settings of the car audio system are transferred to the car audio system of another vehicle through the handheld personal computer 8. Various uses such as, are also possible.

[3. Effect] In this embodiment as described above, the read data is converted by the ATAPI decoder 707 into the ATAPI format, which is the same protocol format, both when audio data is read from the recording medium and when digital data is read. Therefore, all or a part of the processing of the audio data and the digital data can be realized by the same procedure and configuration.

In this embodiment, a so-called compatible CD-RO of the type of reading audio data from a music CD and digital data from a CD-ROM is used.
M-changer 7, so this CD-R
The OM autochanger 7 can be used for both music reproduction and digital information processing such as car navigation.

In this embodiment, the output data of the ATAPI format is output from the disk reproducing device. For this reason, audio data read from a music CD and digital data read from a CD-ROM are both easily processed using the same IDE interface and communicating using command packets in the same manner as SCSI. can do.

In this embodiment, the output data converted from the audio data and the output data converted from the digital data are connected to the USB controller 71.
1 means that both have the same interface type
It is output in a format suitable for SB. For this reason, both can be transmitted by the same serial bus B3, that is, a USB cable.

In this embodiment, by connecting a plurality of devices including the CD-ROM autochanger 7 in a daisy chain manner, it is easy to configure a car audio system with simple wiring. In particular, in this embodiment, since a universal serial bus (USB) is used as a daisy chain line,
It becomes easy to connect many devices of various types.

Also, in this embodiment, audio data is transferred by using an isochronous transfer and a fixed amount of data is transferred at a fixed interval, and digital data is transferred by error correction such as bulk transfer. Since data and data are retransmitted, high-quality data transfer can be performed. In data transfer using USB, a plurality of devices connected to a daisy chain line can transfer data simultaneously and in parallel according to an instruction from a host controller.

Further, in this embodiment, the ATAPI decoder 707 and the USB controller 7 are changed by changing the bit width of data to be transferred and controlling DMA transfer by the data converter 709 as control means.
11, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of combination and to smoothly transfer data.

In this embodiment, the data read from the disk can be transferred at high speed by DMA (direct memory access) by the operation of the data converter 709. Can be easily processed.

In this embodiment, the number of bits, which is a unit of output data passed from the ATAPI decoder 707 to the USB controller 711, is converted.
It is possible to use a combination of a decoder and a controller having different numbers of bits as a unit of processing, such as a bit ATAPI decoder and an 8-bit USB controller.

In this embodiment, a part of the address bus for accessing the ROM from the controller can be used as the data bus by the function of the address latch.

In this embodiment, the computer that controls the car audio system has a general-purpose OS, and this general-purpose OS manages resources such as a CPU and a memory to maximize the capability of the computer. It provides a unified and easy-to-use user interface that does not depend on programs, and makes it easy to add or change functions by adding or changing programs in a predetermined format. For this reason, it becomes easy to effectively process audio data and digital data read from the disk reproducing device.

Further, in this embodiment, regardless of the type of data such as audio data or digital data, any data is exchanged and processed in digital format through USB or the like. Hardly affected by noise and noise, and stable audio characteristics.

[4. Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes other embodiments as exemplified below. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the CD-ROM autochanger 7 is incorporated in a car audio system. Of course.

Further, the disk reproducing apparatus of the present invention can be used not only for a car audio system but also for a stationary audio system. In this case, there is an advantage that the entire configuration can be simplified. As a recording medium, not only a CD but also an MD can be used. Further, specific formats and standards such as ATAPI, USB, and PCI buses are merely examples, and can be replaced with other formats and standards that can be used in a similar manner.

When audio data and digital data are sent from a disk reproducing device such as a CD-ROM autochanger 7 to a processing device such as the main unit 1,
If a bus having the same bit width as that of the decoder is used, it is not necessary for the control means such as the data converter 709 to have a function of converting the number of bits. When the ROM is accessed from the controller and a part of the address bus and the data bus are not shared, the address latch is unnecessary.

[0162]

As described above, according to the present invention, audio data read from a disk can be output in the same format as other digital data, so that the output data can be transmitted and received with a simple configuration and procedure. It can be processed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a CD-ROM autochanger according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an address latch according to the embodiment of the present invention (state in which a strobe signal is not output).

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an address latch according to the embodiment of the present invention (state in which a strobe signal is output);

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a data converter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram mainly showing an internal configuration of a main unit according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the USB controller interactively accesses the data converter in the embodiment of the present invention with the ATAPI decoder;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state for writing data from an ATAPI decoder to an S-RAM by DMA transfer in the data converter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which data is read from the S-RAM to the USB controller by DMA transfer in the data converter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main unit 1 11 ... CPU module 111 ... CPU 112 ... DRAM 113 ... Flash ROM 114 ... PCI bus host controller 115 ... CPU host ASIC 116 ... PCMCIA / ASIC 12 ... Support module 121 ... Support ASIC 122 ... CODEC circuit 123 ... DSP Unit 124 Buffer memory 125 Parallel / PCI driver 126 Serial / PCI driver 127 Infrared communication unit 13 Compact flash card 13S Socket 14 CD-ROM unit 15 Face plate unit 15a Case 16 GPS unit 2 Tuner amplifier unit 2a Antenna 21 Tuner 22 Amplifier 3 Microphone 4 GPS antenna 4a Receiver 5 Security control unit 5a Sensor 5b Siren 5c Transmitter 6 Phone unit 6a Antenna 6b Handset 7 CD-ROM autochanger 701 Mechanical control unit 702 Motor driver 703 Servo driver 704 Changer / reading mechanism 705 RF amplifier 706 pattern converter 707 ATAPI decoder 708 D-RAM 709 data converter 791 ATAPI bus width converter 792 bus interface controller 793 address decoder 794 DMA address counter 795 address bus switch 796 Data bus switch 710 S-RAM (external memory) 711 USB controller 712 ROM 713 Address latch 714 Upstream Connector 715 Downstream connector 8 Handheld personal computer 9 Auxiliary battery 30 External unit 40 Optional unit

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A device for reading audio data and digital data from a recording medium, and a decoder for converting both the read audio data and digital data into output data of the same protocol format. Disc playback device. 2. The disc reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said audio data is read from a music CD, and said digital data is read from a CD-ROM. 3. The disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said decoder is configured to convert both audio data and digital data into output data of an ATAPI format. 4. A controller for outputting both output data converted from the audio data and output data converted from the digital data in the same interface format.
4. The disc reproducing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3. 5. A controller for outputting output data converted from the audio data and output data converted from the digital data through the same daisy chain line. 5. The disc reproducing apparatus according to any one of 1 to 4. 6. A daisy-chain line using a universal serial bus.
The disc reproducing device according to the above. 7. The disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to perform an isochronous transfer of the output data converted from the audio data. 8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to perform bulk transfer of the output data converted from the digital data.
The disk reproducing device according to any one of the above. 9. The disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising control means for passing the output data converted by the decoder to the controller. 10. The disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means is configured to control direct memory access. 11. The disk reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means is configured to convert the number of bits as a unit of output data passed from said decoder to said controller. 12. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a ROM storing a program for controlling the controller; and an address latch for accessing the ROM from the controller.
2. The disc reproducing device according to any one of 1 to 1 above. 13. A car audio system comprising the disk reproducing device according to claim 1. Description: 14. A disk, comprising: reading audio data and digital data from a recording medium; and converting both the read audio data and digital data into output data in the same protocol format. Playback method. 15. The disc reproducing method according to claim 14, wherein said converting step converts both audio data and digital data into output data in ATAPI format. 16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of outputting both the output data converted from the audio data and the output data converted from the digital data in the same interface format.
Disc playback method as described. 17. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of passing the output data converted by the converting step using at least one of direct memory access and parallel bit number conversion. 17. The disc reproducing method according to claim 16.