This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/817,437, filed Jun. 12, 1997, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
The invention relates to a home digital audiovisual information recording and reproduction apparatus.
Audiovisual reproduction systems found generally in cafes or pubs and called jukeboxes are known. These devices are generally bulky including large storage capacities unsuited for home use. The object of this invention is to eliminate these defects of the prior art by proposing a device which allows a home user to acquire digital audiovisual data selections using his TV and to reproduce them using the TV screen for the visual part and the components of his stereo system for the audio part.
The first object of the invention is to propose an apparatus which allows selection and downloading of digital data, and reproduction of these digital data for domestic apparatus or use of the device for karaoke.
This first object is achieved with a home digital information audiovisual recording and playback apparatus developed around a microprocessor device linked via a digital interface to a display and by another interface to audio reproduction structure. The apparatus includes a telecommunications interface for downloading the digital data containing the audio selection or the video selection. The apparatus includes control structure that allows control of a display device and selection via a menu of one operating mode from among three in which the device either plays back data stored in its mass storage or allows recording of a new item of digitized data in its mass storage or mixes with the digitized data delivered by the mass storage of a piece of analog data delivered by a microphone.
A second object of the invention is to devise a modular apparatus which consequently allows continued development of the device to support recording of selections on a portable medium.
This object is achieved with a supplementary recording module connected by a specific interface to the primary apparatus, and a recording menu can be selected using the buttons of the control structure of the device of the primary apparatus.
According to another feature, the recording module allows production of portable recording media to be played on another digital audiovisual information playback unit.
Another object of the invention is to devise a modular device which allows the user to develop a design allowing storage of a plurality of audio or video or audiovisual information selections.
This object is achieved by a second mass storage module allowing the recording of a plurality of digitized audiovisual data.
Another object is to devise an apparatus which allows selection of audio or video or audiovisual digital data to be downloaded while enabling this information to be reproduced on the audio and video systems which he already owns.
This object is achieved by providing the home digital audiovisual information recording and reproduction apparatus with a central unit, a telecommunications interface linked to a connector and managed by the central unit, an electronic input control circuit managing a plurality of control buttons and a sensor of infrared or audio emission originating from a remote control box, an emitter of the same waves, an electronic extension controller circuit connected to a connector, an electronic audio controller circuit linked to audio output connectors for stereo systems and a microphone input connector, and an electronic video controller circuit linked to connectors of a video peripheral apparatus. The set of electronic circuits managed by the central processor utilizes a multitask operating system and a computer operating program stored in a battery backed-up static RAM, which is part of the electronic circuit of the central unit. The static battery backed-up RAM is used as storage for at least one selection of audiovisual digital data and a graphics control circuit, which controls a liquid crystal display device.
The final object is to devise a method of downloading which ensures effective payment and non-selection of audiovisual data by individuals not skilled in the domestic system.
This object is achieved by proving an operating mode of link selection control which allows downloading with a server once the user has given for example his credit card number and confirmed the set of his selection or selections by supplying a personal identification number. This object can also be achieved by any other method of payment such as: prepaid chip card or automatic billing on the subscriber phone bill.