KR20000055606A - An automatic vending machine for a music file and system for the automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for supplying a music file vending machine is provided, so that users can purchase and sell music files using file storages or file players in narrow spaces, and directly select products with good quality by purchasing/selling the music files. CONSTITUTION: A method for supplying a music file vending machine comprises the steps of: perceiving a present state when power is supplied, and standing by a user's input; examining whether an upgrade button is pressed; if not, examining whether a sales button is pressed; commanding an input circuit of a user music file to be connected wit a data output circuit; listing music files on the basis of a predetermined database system for lists of all the music files in a displayer; making the user select a required music file; paying for the music file; copying the music file in a player of the user; transmitting a message for removing a connection between the player and the vending machine, and returning to the step of standing by a user's input; inputting a password to identify the password, when the upgrade button is pressed; connecting a mobile storage having a new music file or an output circuit of the player with a data input circuit of the vending machine; making a central controlling unit compare an existing database with the mobile storage or contents of a database stored in the player, and arranging new music files according to a pre-recorded database program system, then recording the new music files in a storage of the vending machine; and transmitting a message for removing a connection between the player and the vending machine, then returning to the step of standing by a user's input.

Description

Music file vending machine and system {AN AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE FOR A MUSIC FILE AND SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE}

The present invention relates to a vending machine and a system for selling music files compressed by various compressor methods. In particular, the present invention provides a music file vending machine and a system for selectively inputting and outputting a compressed music file by a technique of compressing the music data represented by MP3 to 1/12 or more without affecting the original sound. Related to.

Modern is the age of multimedia. There are various media everywhere that please people's eyes and ears. Computers, called the foes of modern technological civilization, are no exception. The computer system operating system (Operating System) is basically configured to support multimedia, and more powerful and convenient various multimedia player and creator programs are in succession. In addition, audio and video can be reproduced in real time on the Internet that binds the world to the world, and audio and video can be simultaneously transmitted anywhere in the world.

In order to make use of such multimedia, file compression technology is becoming a core technology. Audio related compression formats related to the present invention are as follows.

The CD we hear is a bandwidth of 44.1KHz. If we sample this as a digital signal, the amount of data that corresponds to a CD-quality stereo sound for one second is 1400Kb, which is the amount of data that completely fills a single 1.44M high-density floppy disk. In other words, if you store a normal uncompressed digital signal, a three-minute music file requires 250MB of free space. If you use it as it is, the amount of data is almost impossible to manage, produce, and distribute. Therefore, a technique for compressing audio data has been developed and developed to make it practical. Typical examples include ra, ram and rm, which were developed in the early days, MP3 and MP4 using MPEG audio compression technology, VQF using TwinVQ audio compression technology, and A2b using AT & T's patented compression algorithm. There is this.

Real Audio format has a structure that can encode at high speed, but sound quality is much lower than other formats. However, it still has a large number of users, and recently, a new technology called G2 has been introduced to greatly improve sound quality and transmission speed.

MP3 using MPEG audio compression technology compresses audio information up to 1/12 and maintains the original audio quality. In addition, MP4, which is followed by MP3, has a compression ratio of about 30% higher than that of MP3, making it a popular alternative to MP3 in terms of transmission time and capacity.

VQF is a technology developed by Japan NTT that can control the compression of music files from 1/12 to 1/96. In general, TwinVQ can be used to encode at least 30% more than MP3. However, the disadvantage is that the encoding time is three times longer than that of MP3.

A2b compresses up to 1/20 without compromising the quality of the original sound. Moreover, encryption technology has been adopted to solve the copyright problem for those who use music files for commercial purposes.

As such, the music file format using various audio compression technologies can store the original music file in a small space, which can be quickly transmitted over the Internet or can be played in real time.

The present invention relates to a vending machine for selling music files written in such an audio compressed file format, and to a vending machine and an apparatus, which were not possible with audio tape, LP or CD, which are conventional audio media.

Conventional audio media have been made through storage media such as LP, tape or CD on which music is recorded. However, these media were so bulky that they had to be displayed and sold in a certain space. In addition, the time required for manufacturing and various incidental costs were required. In addition, the consumer has to listen to music through a medium such as broadcasting and then select it, and has to bear the inconvenience of not being able to select and purchase only the music he wants from one record. In addition, there is a considerable gap depending on the storage medium in terms of sound quality, so that satisfactory original sound reproduction cannot be achieved even at a high cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a system and apparatus for directly selling music files compressed at a size larger than 1/12 while preserving the original sound. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and apparatus for selectively selling only music files desired by a consumer. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a music file selling system and apparatus capable of directly listening to new music and selecting whether to purchase it.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a music file vending machine according to the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a music file vending machine according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

11: storage device 13: central control device

21: input unit 23: output unit

25: input and output device 31: key pad

33: display part 35: operating part

37: listening unit 41: a coin or bill input slot

43: Card Reader 51: Communication Equipment

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, the present invention provides a data input / output unit for transmitting and receiving compressed music files, storing compressed music files input through the input unit, and outputting the stored compressed music files through the output unit. A display unit for displaying a capacity storage device, a title of the stored compressed music file and a current progress state, an operation unit for allowing a user to pay or select a desired music file, and performing the operation according to the state of the operation unit. Provided is a music file vending machine and system including an input / output unit, the storage device, and a central control device for controlling the display units.

The present invention preferably further includes a speaker or a headphone terminal that can play demo music at a time when the user does not use, or listen in advance to a music file to be purchased by the user. The storage device of the present invention preferably stores music files of at least one of MP3, MP4, VQF or Ab2 format. The data input / output device of the present invention is preferably configured to be able to communicate with a player playing a music file of at least one selected form of MP3, MP4, VQF or Ab2.

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram showing the configuration thereof.

It includes an input unit 21 for receiving a file from the outside and storing in the storage device 11 installed inside the device and an output unit 23 for outputting the file read from the storage device 11 to the outside. A data input / output unit 25 is included. The input / output unit 25 and the storage device 11 are connected to the central controller 13 and files are inputted and outputted by a program embedded in the central controller 13. An operation unit 35 is connected to the central control unit 13 in which a user selects a job or instructs a job in order to perform a desired task among the programmed tasks contained in the central control unit 13. The operation unit 35 includes a key pad 31 to facilitate job selection. In addition, the operation unit 35 may include a coin or bill insertion slot 41 or a payment card reader 43 for payment. In addition, a display unit 33 indicating the current progress is connected to the central control unit 13. The display unit 33 may further include a listening means 37 such as a speaker or a headphone terminal to play a part or all of the selected music file so as to directly identify whether it is a desired music file.

The music file used in the present invention is a music file compressed using various compression techniques. Existing music file compression methods, as discussed above, are of various types, and many developments and improvements are expected in the future. Therefore, the music file used in the present invention is not limited to any one of them. Furthermore, you may have several types of music files at the same time. The storage device 11 of the present invention stores a music file of at least one format selected from MP3, MP4, VQF or Ab2, and the data input / output device is a music file of at least one format selected from MP3, MP4, VQF or Ab2. It is configured to communicate with the player to play.

In addition, the keypad of the operation unit of the present invention may further include a selection button for selecting a type of music file in order to enable a user to purchase a music file of a desired type among various types of music file.

And music is a personal creation, and dozens and hundreds of new music are being created every day. In order to deliver such a large amount of music files to consumers quickly, new music files must be upgraded. There are many ways to do this. Firstly, the operator of the device brings a new music file and adds it to the device. Secondly, there is a way for the operator to access and upgrade the device from a distance using communication equipment. Third, if a certain time or a certain condition is satisfied by the program of the central control unit provided in the device, it may be automatically connected to the remote computer for upgrading to perform the upgrade. In the first case, no additional components are required, but in the second and third cases, it is preferable to further include a communication device 51 such as a modem or a router connected to a network such as the Internet.

The operation of the music file vending machine including the above elements will be described with reference to FIG.

When the power is turned on, it grasps the current ecology and waits for user input in the waiting step 2a. Depending on whether the upgrade button or the sell button installed in the operation unit 35 is operated, a process of adding new music or selling a prestored music file is performed.

In the waiting step 2a, a step 2b of checking whether the upgrade button is pressed is performed. If the upgrade button was not pressed, step 2c is checked to see if the sell button was pressed. If the sell button has not been pressed again, the process returns to the waiting step 2a and waits for a key input.

If the sell button is pressed in step 2c, a connection step 2d instructing the user to connect the input unit of the music file player possessed by the user to the data output unit 23 of the device is performed.

If the input unit of the user's music file player and the data output unit 23 of this unit are normally connected, the display unit 33 lists all the music files currently stored in the storage device 11 based on a predetermined database method. Step 2e of enumerating music files is performed.

Then, the user performs a selection step 2f of selecting a music file to be purchased by the user. When all have been selected, the completion button is completed by pressing the Done button in the keypad 31. At this time, since only the song title and composer or singer name of the music selected by the user is selected, the desired song title is not correct. Therefore, it is preferable to add a demo button to the operation unit 35 so that a part of the selected music file can be heard even when selecting songs or after selecting all of them.

Once all the desired music files have been selected, proceed to the payment step (2g). The display unit 33 displays the amount to be paid in order to purchase the currently selected music file, and waits to pay cash through the coin or bill inlet 41. Or pay the price by passing through the card reader 43 for a card or a card made for payment. It is preferable to display the progressive amount of money in one corner of the display unit 33 each time one file is selected in the selection step 2f.

After the payment is completed, step 2h of copying the selected music files to the user's player is performed. At this time, it is preferable to display the progress rate to be copied and to inform not to remove the connecting portion during copying.

When copying is complete, a message is issued to remove the connection between the player and this unit, and the process goes back to the waiting step 2a.

If the upgrade button is pressed in step 2b, the process proceeds to adding a new music file to the device. This process is mainly carried out by the person running the sales business. Therefore, when performing this operation, it is preferable for the stability of the product to go through a confirmation step (2i) to enter and confirm the secret password.

If the correct password is confirmed, the process proceeds to step 2j of connecting the output of the mobile storage device or player containing the new music file to the data input unit 21 of the apparatus.

When it is confirmed that the output unit of the operator's mobile storage device or player is normally connected to the data input unit 21 of the apparatus, the central control unit 13 stores a new existing database and a database stored in the operator's mobile storage device or player. Comparing the contents of the files and arranging the new music files according to the method of the database program recorded in the storage device 11 of the device (2k). At this time, it is preferable to display the progress rate to be copied and to inform the user not to remove the connecting portion during copying.

When copying is complete, a message is issued to remove the connection between the player and this unit, and the process goes back to the waiting step 2a.

In the above embodiment, the operator is provided with an upgrade button to manually upgrade the music file as an example. However, in the case of upgrading by automatically connecting to an external device located remotely using communication equipment, it is not determined whether the upgrade key is pressed in step 2b, but it is checked whether a predetermined condition for the upgrade is satisfied. Here, the predetermined condition may be determined according to a program arbitrarily written by an operator once a week or 15 days a month. Alternatively, it may consist of a series of work instructions for remotely accessing the communication equipment from the outside.

If a certain condition for the upgrade is satisfied, the central control unit 13 compares the contents of the new existing database with the contents of the database stored in the operator's mobile storage device or player, and compares the contents of the database program with the new music file. A series of steps 2i, 2j, and 2k are performed according to the arrangement in the storage device 11 of the device. However, in step 2j, the data input unit and the output unit of the upgrade device are not connected, but the remote upgrade device and the device are connected through the communication device.

Then, when the upgrade is completed, the connection with the upgrade equipment is stopped, and the process returns to the standby stage 2a again. Here, the rest of the rest is the same as the previous case, so no duplicate explanation will be given.

The present invention relates to a music file vending machine designed to allow a user to selectively purchase only a music file desired by the user, and enables a user to buy and sell a music file using a file storage device or a music file player in a narrow space. Therefore, by selling a music file directly, unlike a record sale, a consumer can directly select a high quality product close to the original sound. In addition, the space for exhibiting the sale products is reduced, inventory records are not generated, and various costs required for the manufacture of the records are reduced, thereby enabling the sale of records with excellent quality and cheapness. In addition, it is possible to have an unmanned store, and the effect of always providing new music can be obtained.

Claims (9)

Central control means for embedding a predetermined program and executing a control command according to the program; Storage means for storing and recalling the digitally compressed music file according to a control command of the central controller; Communication means for outputting a music file stored in the storage device to the outside according to a command of the central controller; Operating means for selecting a desired task from among tasks of a program embedded in the central controller; And a display means for indicating a current situation progressed by the central control apparatus. The method of claim 1, The music file vending machine is an input / output means for not only outputting the music file to the communication means but also inputting the music file from the outside. The method of claim 1, Music file vending machine further comprises a communication device connected to the external network is connected to the central control means. The method of claim 1, The operation means is a music file vending machine further comprises a payment means for payment. The method of claim 1, And the display unit further comprises listening means for listening to the selected music file. Connecting an external device capable of copying a music file to an output unit when a signal inputting a user's start of sales operation is input; Displaying on the display a list of digitized and compressed music files stored in the storage means; A user selecting at least one file from the displayed list; And outputting the selected files through an output terminal. The method of claim 6, And displaying the amount of money corresponding to the file selected in the outputting of the selected files on the display unit and outputting the selected files after the corresponding amount is input through the payment unit. The method of claim 6, Connecting an external device to an input unit when a user inputs a signal representing an upgrade start operation; And comparing the music file list stored in the current storage means with the music file list stored in the external device and receiving a music file corresponding to the new list from the external device. The method of claim 6, If a predetermined condition is satisfied, automatically connecting to an external device storing a music file existing at a remote distance through a communication means connected to an external network; And comparing a list of music files stored in a storage means with a list of music files stored in the external device and receiving a new music file.