Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1
PERSONAL AUDIO MESSAGE PROCESSOR AND METHOD
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dictation
and audio communication devices and, more particularly,
concerns a method and portable apparatus for audio
communication, including the recording and editing of voice
mail and audio content and its transmission and reception over
a private or public network, such as the Internet, using common
electrical communication media or data links.
Backaround of the Invention
All electronic message systems, with the exception
of voice-mail, have intermediate devices or storage media
whereby data may be transferred, preferably at a high
transmission rate, over a standard communication link and
stored in a storage medium or onto an unattended device for
later off-line access, review and editing by the intended user.
In the case of a facsimile transmission, an image is
scanned by the transmitter and then transmitted and ultimately
printed at a remote site for off-line utilization by the
intended receiver. In the case of electronic mail, data is
generated on a computer and then transmitted and stored either
directly on the intended user's unattended computer or on a
central host computer linked to a network of computers for
subsequent retrieval by the intended user. The most common
networks are Local Area Networks (LAN), a Wide Area Networks
(WAN), and public networks, such as the Internet, or private
networks. When the intended user accesses his computer, either
the E-mail is already resident, or he finds a message displayed
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in a graphic editor indicating that he has mail and how he can
retrieve it. Once the E-mail is retrieved, it likewise may be
read, reviewed and manipulated by the intended user off-line
on the users' computer. Alternately, it may be outputted to
5_ a printer, providing the user a hard copy for review at his
convenience.
When a facsimile machine is unavailable, a facsimile
may be transmitted to a computer or handheld, paperless fax
machine for off-line and independent review by the recipient,
such as Reflection Technology, Inc.'s FaxView personal fax
reader.
Utilities exist for both facsimile and E-mail
messages, whereby messages may be selected from a host by an
authorized user for subsequent transmission to the user s E-
mail address or unattended facsimile machine. See, for
example, Duehren et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,9/8,722.
Recently, with the widespread and growing usage of
the Internet and, more particularly, with the growing
popularity of WEB sites offering published material in the form
of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) documents, utilities have
been created which permit such files to be selected for
subsequent off-line access and independent review by fax. See,
for example, FactsLine for the Web, by Ibex Technologies, Inc.
Such a utility makes the large volume of information and
graphics offered over the Internet, available to users who
either do not have access to a computer connected to the
Internet, or wish to limit the amount of time spent on-line.
A large percentage of potential users do not have
access to the Internet, or even if they do; may be traveling;
may not have access to their computers; or may not wish to
spend time booting their computer and waiting for Web site
graphics (utilities such as Web-On Call Voice Browser by
Netphonic Communications, Inc. have been introduced which
permit users to access the Internet, in response to voice
prompts), to navigate to a document or E-mail of interest, to
identify a document by number and to have a selected document
read in real-time over the phone using text synthesizing voice
and faxed back or sent as an e-mail attachment.
Similarly the widespread use of the Internet and
heavy traffic to particularly popular Web sites or during
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particular peak usage times has created a demand for utilities
called off-line browsers which permit Internet users to
"subscribe" to particular Web sites from which their computer
then automatically retrieves material during off-peak hours,
5_ categorizes and organizes new and updated information and
permits the user to review it off-line using his browser of
choice (e. g. Freeloader by Freeloader, Inc.).
Similarly, subscription services have been introduced
which permit voice mail to be sent to an e-mail address and
also permit audio content offered on a Web site to be updated
both by
way of a standard phone call to an interactive voice response
(IVR) system (e. g. "Amail" and "Dialweb" by Telet
Communications).
Recently, voice processor system manufacturers have
established a work group consisting of more than 600 of the
world' s voice mail system market to develop an Interoperability
standard for a Voice Profile for Internet Mail (VPIM). TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) has been
selected as the vehicle of conductivity, because of its
globally accessible points of contact, primarily on the
Internet, and because of its use of commonly recognized
transmission protocols, specifically simple message transfer
protocol (SMTP) and Multipurpose Internet Messaging Extension
(MIME) as the core of VPIM. (see April 29 1996 issue of
Business Wire). Once implemented, interoperable standards such
as VPIM will permit voice mail users to send and receive their
voice messages over the Internet or an Intranet as easily as
they can now do so over the telephone.
In addition to voice messaging and audio e-mail over
the Internet, the recent introduction of proprietary client
server software systems permits users with conventional
multimedia personal computers and voice grade telephone lines
to browse, select, and play back audio or audio-based
multimedia content in real-time streams (RE) or download on-
demand (REM). An interested user need only download software
from the content provider's Web site to access such audio
content (e.g. Progressive Network's ReaIAudio Player and
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Server). Systems such as this represent a real breakthrough,
since in the past, delivery of audio by conventional on-line
methods downloaded it at such low rates that acquiring the
information took five times as long as the actual program.
5_ This required the listener to wait 25 minutes before listening
to 5 minutes of audio.
As a result of the availability of streaming audio
over
the Internet, a number of companies have introduced Internet
telephone products which permit users having multimedia
computers
programmed with proprietary software to talk in real time over
the Internet (see Voclatec) . Such a system is useful over long
distances when users can access a local Internet access point
or
point of presence, making a long distance call into a local
call.
Similarly, as a result of streaming audio over the
Internet, content providers are able to broadcast live audio
from
a Web site (e. g. AudioNet by Cameron Audio Networks).
Recently a standard-based implementation for
communication over the Internet has been introduced, and
supported by Intel and Microsoft, which makes use of the DSP
Group's TrueSpeech 6.723 compression technology. This uses an
advanced algorithm that results in excellent voice quality,
despite a high compression ratio, and operates at 6.3 kilo bits
per second (kbps)and 5.3 kbps with compression ratios of 20:1
and 24:1, respectively. It also includes silence compression
which can bring the effective rate down to less than 3.7 kbps
at 28.8 kbps modem speed. This would permit the transmission
of audio at a rate of 1:7.78 or 10 minutes of audio in 1.3
minutes.
Using Texas Instrument's C80 DSP chip using a V.34
modem running at 28.8 kbps, a transmission rate of audio at a
rate of 10:1 (ten minutes of speech in 1 minute of
transmission) can be achieved with telephone grade sound
quality.
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From the above, it is apparent that while the
transfer of data, graphics and audio messaging and content over
a network has become more widespread and convenient, this
. growth has also highlighted certain historic shortcomings
5_ associated with the transfer and input/output of voice
messaging and audio content. As voice messaging and audio
content become more available, the deficiency created by the
lack of an intermediate device or storage medium for such audio
will become more pronounced.
For both E-mail and facsimile, use of a telenhonP
link
is limited to the transmission of the data and the transmission
of control codes for that data. With the growth and widespread
usage of network computing, the telephone link for e-mail and
facsimile (e.g. PASSaFAX from RADLinx) is further limited to
a hook-up to a local point of presence to access the network.
Both e-mail and facsimile contain content which may be
outputted by the intended user to a printer, which permits the
user to take a hard copy of the material with him for review
at his convenience, while he is away from his office or
traveling.
In sharp contrast, voice messages and voice-text are
currently recorded by the sender and retrieved by the intended
recipient primarily in real-time and on-line. At best, a user
can use his multimedia notebook computer to record and access
a stored audio file or streaming voice file. Off-line access
to audio is limited to downloading audio files onto a
multimedia computer and having the sound card equipped computer
play the audio. However, a multimedia computer, with its
screen, keyboard and multipurpose processing capability, is
hardly the size of a traditional dictation device or voice
recorder. This dependence on a telephone hand set or
multimedia computer to create and access audio is analogous to
requiring a recipient of a facsimile to view, edit and prepare
a facsimile only while in close proximity to a facsimile
machine or fax enabled computer. Not being able to prepare,
review and access network based voice mail other than in real-
time from a telephone hand set or off-line from a multimedia
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computer, severely limits the desirability of integrating voice
messaging and audio content into network based messaging.
There exist no dedicated and portable devices to store network
based voice messaging and likewise there exists no method or
5_ utility to scan and select personal voice messages or public
announcements from a host connected to a network for subsequent
high speed transmission to a device for subsequent off-line
review by the user.
The only dedicated device which permits the user to
review his/her voice messages off-line is the Telephone
Answering Device (TAD1 which is primarily a residential or
small-office, home-office (SOHO) appliance which uses digital
recording technologies to replace the standard functions of a
traditional tape-based answering machine. The TAD, plugged
into both an electrical outlet and phone jack is not portable,
so the user must either be within hearing distance of the TAD' s
speaker or, using a telephone, may call in to retrieve his/her
messages on-line and in real-time. While traditionally, TAD's
have offered very limited outbound messaging capabilities,
whatever outbound messaging was offered required that the owner
record any outbound message (e . g . a general greeting or caller-
specific/mail box-specific message) either from within range
of the microphone on the TAD or from a real-time telephone
call.
Voice messaging, whether network based or TAD based,
limited to on-line and real-time transmission and physically
requiring access to a telephone set, TAD or multimedia computer
is unfortunate, particularly because voice communication
inherently does not require any external hardware or
instrumentation other than the mouth and ear for a human being
to create or access it. Speech is the most natural and self-
sufficient form of communication. Speech is hands-free
requiring neither writing instrument, keyboard, screen,
dedicated vision or hand-to-eye coordination on the part of the
user to input or retrieve. That voice mail is nonetheless so
widely used is more a function of speech's unique
characteristics than a vote of approval on the adequacy of the
current technology. Similarly, that so many innovative
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utilities have been introduced which make audio and voice
available over public and private networks is a commentary on
the compelling nature of audio and voice fox content, messaging
and issuing commands and only underscores the need to make
5audio and voice more easily available. Until such time that
voice messaging and audio content are made more accessible,
many of the network based audio utilities mentioned above will
remain novelties for technophiles.
Much has been said about Computer TelPnhnnP
Integration
(CTI) and the Universal Mail Box, where network based messages
and content may originate in any medium and by any input device
of choice and, likewise, may be retrieved in any medium or by
any output device of choice. Faxes can be accessed as data on
a computer screen, data can be accessed as a fax or text-to-
speech audio-text and, as automatic speech transcription
utilities become more capable, audio will be accessed as
printed text in email or fax. However, as long as audio does
not have an input/output device of choice other than a
telephone handset or screen/keyboard based multimedia computer,
its desirability as a medium of choice will likewise be
severely limited.
Since speech is a direct record of the user s
voice,
the urgency, meaning and emotional content is never lost.
Similarly, since so much data is first generated in voice and
is only later transcribed to text or data, info-text should be
the preferred medium for timely data on meetings, speeches and
radio broadcasts. Ideally, voice mail should be the preferred
mode of communications when traveling, when communicating
through time-zones and when accessing timely information which
originated in the spoken word (e.g. minutes of a meeting or
lecture). Voice text (i.e. data or text which is spoken by a
computer or pre-recorded by a human) should be the preferred
format for messaging information to be accessed where use of
motor skills and vision are not convenient or are impaired such
as when driving, operating equipment or engaged in a
leisure activity.
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The current. use of a telephone to access voice
messages
directly has significantly limited the potential utilization
of voice messaging. Real-time transmission of voice messages
5_ and info-text makes the recording and retrieval of voice mail,
especially from long distances, very costly. The cost and
inconvenience involved means that one cannot compose and review
voice mail and info-text in a cost efficient manner and at
one's
own pace. One is limited to a location and situation in which
a
telephone is accessible and, in the case of a wireless
communication link, to a place where wireless transmission is
both possible and desirable.
The application of multimedia computers to compose
and
review voice mail has had little effect on making voice
messaging
more convenient since the use of keyboards, pointing devices
and
screens is hardly hands-free, nor is the size and expense of
a multimedia computer conducive to widespread use and
transportability. In its present state, voice mail is limited
to short messages between individuals wishing to communicate
in a more substantive fashion at another time (telephone tag).
Voice "mail" becomes limited to voice "messaging" because of
the cost and inconvenience to both the sender and receiver of
listening to lengthy, content-rich "mail" over the phone or at
a multimedia computer". Furthermore, the cost of transmitting
audio signals in real-time, through a direct communication link
to the user's voice processor or TAD, and only when the user
has access to a telephone (as opposed to un-attended recording
at off-peak hours) make more commercial use of info text
(recorded instructions, recorded travelogues, speech
transcripts, article or books on "tape" etc.) and other
innovative advertiser/subscriber supported uses of voice-text
unfeasible .
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Recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,768, issued to Charles
Lamer et al., and assigned to International Business Machines
Corp., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,698, issued to Shmuel Goldberg
et al. and assigned to Espro Engineering. both disclose a
5_ portable computer device for audible processing of audio
messages stored at one or more remote central message
facilities. The Lamer et al. system permits the user to record
and playback, transmit (upload) and receive (download) voice
messages from a central message facility and over a
communication link and onto a portable device; however, the
Lamer et al. system requires that a direct telephonic link be
established between the portable device and one or more remote
central message facilities. The Lamer et al. and Goldberg~et
al. systems enable the portable device to individually access
a traditional, closed, expensive, proprietary voice processing
system through a direct communication link. The Lamer et al.
and Goldberg et al. systems do not provide a commercially
feasible solution for accessing voice mail other than by way
of a long distance call to a central message facility. The
expense associated with such a long distance toll charge would
make extended usage of the Lamer et al. system prohibitive.
In addition, the Lamer et al. system requires that a user
contact one or more remote central message facilities to
retrieve and transmit selected audio files. The inconvenience
associated with such a polling procedure nullifies the
convenience provided by the system.
Similarly, the Lamer et al. system does not provide
for a method by which the user may browse available audio
content nor for a method to select audio files from a menu for
subsequent retrieval by the portable computer device.
Similarly, the Lamer et al. system does not provide for a
utility whereby the user may remotely access a central server
linked to a network of servers to download control code, search
a personal user group or public database for an address other
than by way of initiating a dedicated "training" mode by either
coupling the portable computer device directly to a computer
or by way of detecting and recording DTMF tones generated
locally by a standard touch-tone telephone device. Since a
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typical user's mail box utilities are handled on his network
e-mail server and modified regularly in the course of his
sending and receiving e-mail, such a dedicated training session
for the portable computer device is impractical. Similarly,
5_ since new audio server platforms, utilities and compression
schemes are being introduced regularly, there is a need for a
dynamic and transparent method for updating both control codes
and address books without the need for a dedicated training
session.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide an Internet-ready dictation and voice message
recording/reviewing device and method which enable a user to
compose and review voice mail off-line, from any location,
while engaged in any activity, at a leisurely pace, without
incurring telephone toll charges and whether a communication
link is presently accessible or not.
It is also an object of the present invention to use
a
telephone link preferably to a local network access point
primarily as a communications link for high speed transmission
of pre-recorded material and control codes to facilitate that
transmission, thereby limiting the use of a telephone or a
multimedia computer and telephone line for voice messaging as
a recording or playback device.
It is also an object of the present invention to
provide a protocol whereby pre-message handshaking occurs
between a dictation and voice message recording/reviewing
device and a network server to conform the digitized voice
signal to one of the standard voice compression protocols and
TCP/IP protocol stacks to facilitate a high speed transmission
of voice messages over the network.
It is another object of the present invention to
provide a portable and dedicated voice capable network
(Internet) access device which enables the user to record, edit
and play audio files which may be transmitted and/or received
over a public or private network.
It is also an object of the present invention to
provide a portable access device and method which permit the
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owner of a specially modem-configured Telephone Answering
Device (M-TAD) to access and download compressed voice message
files directly from the TAD's digital memory onto a portable
voice message record/playback device either by way of a direct
cable connection to the TAD or by a telephone link.
Providing such a portable access device and method
would permit TAD owners to encourage inbound callers to leave
more robust and data-rich audio messages on their TP.D as well
as permit TAD owners to subscribe to audio content which could
be regularly delivered to their TAD in compressed digital form
and downloaded onto the present invention for play-back and
review at a convenient time and place. This would also permit
TAD owners, while away from their home or office to have their
portable dictation and voice message recording/reviewing device
establish a telephone link with their TAD and economically and
automatically retrieve all stored messages and update all
outgoing messages (e.g. general and caller specific greetings) ,
with all stored messages and outbound greetings being
transmitted in digitized and compressed format.
The invention provides a low cost, portable recording
and playback dictation and voice message recording/reviewing
device which permits the user to record, edit, play and review
voice messages including audio-text, text-to-speech and other
audio material which may be received from and subsequently
transmitted to a remote host computer located on a public or
private network over a communication link such as the public
switched telephone system.
A preferred device contains its own rechargeable
power source, integrated circuitry and control buttons to
permit the localized recording, editing, storage, playback and
transcription of audio signals through a built-in speaker,
microphone or plug-in headset, foot pedal and removable memory
card. The device also contains a standard RJ-11 telephone
jack, modem chip set (or software), or a removable PCMCIA
connector to which a standard or wireless modem card could be
connected; and a DTMF tone decoder to permit the transmission
and control of audio signals to and from a host computer
connected to a public or private network. The device contains
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circuitry which permits it to transmit and receive audio
signals at a rate substantially faster than originally
recorded.
A preferred device also contains,a processor which
includes the necessary terminal emulation to permit a network
user to access a network directly from a local point of access,
such as an Internet service provider's {ISP) point of access
and shell account, using a standard protocol such as SMTP
(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), Post Office Protocol (POP3)
and MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) in the TCP/IP
suite to review, select and retrieve audio f files that have been
sent to the user's e-mail address (or similarly, data/text
files which can be translated into voice), and to download and
transmit such files.
A preferred device also contains a standard or
touchscreen display and software which permits the user to
display a similar graphical editor for composing and reading
e-mail messages as is displayed on his computer screen when
accessing his e-mail, so that the user can scroll through his
e-mail messages, selecting those audio files he wishes to
download and selecting text messages he wishes to have
converted, either by the network server or at the device, into
an audio format {text-to-speech).
A preferred device also contains : a cradle into which
the device may be placed, the cradle having ports which enable
it to be connected to a power source to recharge the device's
batteries; a phone jack to enable it to establish a
communication link; and a serial or parallel port on a computer
for downloading and uploading files directly to the computer
or for receiving "redirected" files.
A preferred device also contains a language user
interface capable of recognizing and responding to speech with
speech. Such an interface includes speaker independent
functions but also permits speaker adaptation which allows the
personal device to adjust to the peculiarities of the user's
voice or pronunciations and thus improve accuracy. This
speaker adaptation is achieved through a protocol which allows
the system to adapt to the users voice through the repetition
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of a set of sentences. prior to first use of the device (See
Lernout & Hauspie Speech Product's [LHSP] asr1000 product
line). The language interface includes a vocabulary builder
which permits the user to extend the vocabulary including
5_ special terms and proper nouns to the speech recognition
application (see LHSP LextoolTM) , a user template which enables
the user to create words which the device will associate with
user defined commands e.g. "home" could be associated with an
e-mail address (LHSP asr 200 product line), alphabet
recognition for spelling an e-mail address as well as
background noise tolerance and speech at a distance software
which improve the accuracy of the language user interface even
in an automobile, airplane or public place and even if the user
is not wearing a headset. (see LHSP)
A preferred device also contains public-key
encryption technology designed to ensure reliable and secure
transmission of sensitive information by encrypting and
decrypting the message data and by authenticating the sender's
identity by using a secure digital or voice signature.
A preferred device also contains a text-to-speech
utility which permits the user to download data not already
converted to speech by a network server and to do so at the
device.
A preferred device also contains a bar code reader
which permits the user to scan a printed bar code associated
with printed matter such as a news article, a map, a menu of
available audio files or in a travel guide which would give the
device all the information it needs including network server
address, file location and file ID so that the audio file
associated with the printed matter could be automatically
retrieved from a network such as the Internet.
A preferred device also contains a bar code reader
which permits the user to scan a printed bar code associated
with printed matter such as a news article, a map, a menu of
available audio files or in a travel guide which would give the
device all the information it needs to play a file from a
previously retrieved group of audio files (such as described
in Goldberg et al.).
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A preferred device also contains an Infrared
interface using a standard such as the Infrared Data
Association (IrDA) for
high speed local wireless transmission (e.g. 1.2 Mbps and
S_ 4Mbps) of audio files and control codes between the device and
a public
phone, kiosk or the users' computer.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
called an off-line browser which programs the device to
automatically retrieve audio files from the network during off
peak hours to which the user has subscribed, or from
selected Web sites which have new audio material available, or
from e-mail addresses that the user has programmed the off-line
browser to retrieve.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
which enables the user, by way of a graphical screen based
interface or by way of audio prompts, to browse either network
databases such as those located on the Internet for addresses
and/or sites from which to receive and send audio files.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
which creates a graphic interface and memory for the user to
access, refresh and/or download his E-mail address book
containing the E-mail addresses of individuals and groups for
which he may wish to prepare and to which he may wish to send
audio files. Such a utility would automatically synchronize
the data in the dictation and voice message recording/reviewing
device to the data contained in the user's E-mail server
account.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
which creates a graphic interface and memory for the user to
organize his/her telephone numbers, E-mail addresses, calendar,
reminders and appointments including a clock and alarm function
with an option to choose between a simple audible sound alarm
or a programmed voice message alarm (e.g. "call home").
A preferred device also includes a software utility
which enables the user to download proprietary client server
software systems and upgrades and newly introduced standards
for low bit rate speech compression made available over a
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public or private network such as the Internet to insure that
the device may use the latest state-of-the-art audio
compression software.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
5_ which enables the user to download proprietary client server
software systems and upgrades and newly introduced standards
which enable the device to receive highly compressed and/or
streaming audio files containing voice content including, but
not limited to application program interfaces (APIs) which
enable the device to be used as a portable Internet Phone
appliance to conduct a real-time, two-way, full-duplex voice
conversation using a local connection to the Internet.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
which extends the functionality of a Web program run from a Web
browser and operate on data such as audio data as it flows in
the user's PC, permitting the user to redirect audio files by
the communication port directly to the device seated in a
cradle and connected to the serial or parallel port.
Alternatively, this could be achieved though OLE (Object
Linking and Embedding) enabled web software which when
activated by the user by pressing a designated key such as
print, redirects audio files directly to a special "printer"
driver dedicated for the device. The utility permits users who
are browsing the Web on their computers to download audio files
directly to their personal audio servers for later access,
without having to transfer from their hard disc.
A preferred device also includes a software utility
which enables the user to select E-mail messages and request
that the messages be converted from text-to-speech by an
appropriate text-to-speech conversion application available to
the network, and only subsequently digitized and transmitted
as digitized and compressed audio file.
The invention also relates to a method and software
utility using DSVD (Digital Simultaneous Voice/Data) and/or the
VoiceView protocols (Radish Communications Systems, Inc.) which
would enable the user, once connected to a communication link
to be able to transfer and receive audio files directly into
a dictation and voice message recorder Device simultaneously
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or, alternatively, with the user processing, and/or receiving
and transmitting other related or unrelated data to and from
the network or conversely, while the user is talking on the
phone. The use of these voice/data protocols would permit the
5- dictation and voice message recording/reviewing device user to
request audio files in response to voice prompts spoken in
digitized streaming or analog voice, to respond by spoken
responses, keypad entries or DTMF tones and to transfer those
files in high speed data mode during the same phone connection.
The invention also relates to a method and software
utility which permit the scalability of digitized audio files
in order to conform with network server requirements and or
user preferences. This would enable the server to demand or
the user to request a lower compression rate or slower
transmission speed in order to have higher fidelity for the
audio file requested, and vice versa.
It is a feature of the present invention that a
recording device may be left connected to a communication link
and programmed to dial into and to connect to a local network
access point at off-peak hours when telephone rates are lowest
and when excess capacity on incoming lines is available. The
recording device is programmed to search the network for audio
files to which the user has a subscription, new audio files
available from Web sites to which the user has programmed the
device to look, and for audio mail sent to the user from
selected E-mail addresses.
It is a feature of the present invention that an
interface port, such as a standard RJ-11. telephone jack, is
provided so that the recording device may be connected between
a telephone set, computer, cellular phone or personal digital
assistant and a communication link to enable the user to select
and retrieve voice files while using any of the above devices.
It is also a feature of the present invention that
circuitry is provided for the digital conversion and
compression of the analog voice signals recorded in the memory
of a dictation and voice message recording/reviewing device to
permit high density storage and high speed transmission of
digitized voice. Similarly, circuitry is provided for the
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17
analog conversion and natural sounding playback of previously
stored or received digitized voice.
It is also a feature of the present invention that
there may be provided a public terminal. e.g. in a manner
5- similar
to an automated teller machine and located at places such as
airports and tourist sites where a user could connect his
recording/reviewing device and select voice messages and audio
text to be retrieved and transmitted directly by the
recording/reviewing device.
Brief Description of the Drawing
The foregoing, as well as the other objects,
features
and advantages of the present invention will be understood more
completely from the following detailed description of a
preferred
embodiment, with reference being had to the accompanying
drawing,
in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a preferred
personal audio message processor embodying the present
invention; and
Figures 2-7 (Figure 2 comprises Figures 2a and 2b)
are flow charts illustrating how certain processing is
performed in the apparatus of Fig. 1.
Detailed Description
Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a presently
preferred Personal Voice Server (PVS) system 10 embodying the
present invention. PVS system 10 broadly comprises five main
parts: a highly integrated DSP/RISC integrated chip 11 (DSP
stands for Digital Signal Processor and RISC stands for Reduced
Instruction Set Computer); a Telecom/Audio Codec 17; a memory
such as SDRAM 12 and/or Flash Memory 13 coupled to the DSP
chip; peripherals such as a microphone 26, a speaker 18, a
touchscreen/display LCD 19, an infrared I/O 21 and a Barcode
reader 15. Operating system software is also provided to
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manage the DSP to handle modem routines such as V32bis, V34
etc., voice recognition, echo cancellation and speech
synthesis; software also controls the system via the RISC part
of chip 11. Although the embodying device 10 is referred to
as a voice server, it should be clear that it is equally useful
for other types of audio, including music.
The DSP chip is preferably a Philips Semiconductor
PR31100 chip, which contains a MIPS 83000 RISC CPU core with
4 Kbytes of instruction cache and 1 Kyte of data cache, plus
various integrated functions for interfacing to numerous system
components and external i/o modules. The chip also has a
hardware multiply/accumulate unit to perform DSP functions,
such as a software fax/modem which eliminates the need for an
external modem chip set. However the chip also has a UART
(Universal Asynchronous Receive Transmit) interface 22 (shown
separately), which permits the device to be connected to an
external modem or other device (such as a modem equipped
Telephone Answering Device) through a conventional RS232 serial
connector 23.
The PR31100 also contains multiple DMA (direct memory
access) channels and a high-performance, flexible Bus Interface
Unit (BIU) for providing an efficient means for transferring
data between external system memory, cache memory, the CPU
core, and external I/O modules. The PR31100 also contains a
System Interface Module (SIM), which provides integrated
functions for interfacing to various external I/O modules, such
as a liquid crystal display (LCD) 19, an infrared I/O module
21, and the Codec 17.
Codec 17 is preferably a Philips UCB 1100 single chip
integrated mixed signal audio and telecom codec, which handles
most of the analog functions of the system, including the sound
and telecommunications codec (analog/digital coding and
decoding) functions and touchscreen analog-to-digital
conversion, ISDN/high-speed serial, infrared, and wireless
peripherals. The high-speed serial interface 14, although
shown separately in Fig. 1, is actually part of the UCB1100.
The chip has a single channel audio codec which is designed for
direct connection of a microphone and speaker (i.e. components
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19
16 and 28 are actually part of the UCB1100). The built-in
telecommunications codec can be connected directly to a
conventional RJ-11 jack 20 for connections to a telephone line.
For a more complete understanding of the embodiment
of Fig. 1, data sheets for the PR31100 and UCB1100 are attached
and are incorporated in this description by reference.
The operating systems software for the PR31100 is
preferably Eden OS version 2.0, commercially available from the
Eden Group Limited of Cheshire, England. This operating system
is specifically designed to support the PR31100 (also known as
DINO) and the UCB1100 (also known as BETTY). A data sheet for
the Eden OS is attached, which describes the software support
and the drivers provided by the operating system. This data
sheet is incorporated .in the present description by reference.
Memory 12, 13 is used to store messages and to hold
temporary data. The flash memory is configured according to
the amount of permanent programs required, including operating
system (O/S) and application software and also to store some
of the recorded messages. Typically, audio compression
provided in the PR31100 will result in a data bandwidth of less
than half a Kbyte per second (i.e. lMbyte of memory will
provide an hour of audio.?
A microphone 26 and speaker 18 are selected based on
quality and size.
Flow diagrams are presented in Figs. 2 - 7 to
describe the operation of retrieving messages over the Internet
and transmitting them to and from the PVS as well as the
various operational options for dialing, receiving data from
a given server address in the Internet, storing, screening,
retrieving, transmitting and playing messages to/from the PVS.
These operations include receiving compressed messages in
digital form and audio signals in analog form bi-directionally
from speaker/microphone and phone connection.
Figures 2a and 2b comprise a flow chart illustrating
how the PVS connects to a location on the Internet by Transport
Protocol and how the PVS gets all data relating to its Web/e
mail site (e.g. HTML language displaying information) and
receives/stores messages (audio, data etc.) that were sent
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using either a proprietary or de-facto standard (e. g. highly
compressed audio at 2.5 kbps).
The operation depicted in Figs. 2a and 2b is run
concurrently by the real-time kernel of the DSP/RISC (discussed
5- further below with reference to Fig. 3). It enables multiple
tasks to be run and executed in Parallel. Operation of the
main task begins at block 200. Accessing a site and storing
or receiving stored messages is run concurrently with other
tasks. These tasks can be local to operate the PVS, or other
10 tasks such as the operation of the bar-code reader, voice
synthesizer, voice recognition, or to access other Web sites
by PPP at the same time.
At block 202, a test is performed to determine
whether the desired operation is connection to a network access
15 provider via an out-bound call (at block 210) . If not, the
modem, in response to a ring, answers the call, completes its
handshake procedure, and begins receiving information (block
204). Data bits from the modem are received by DSP chip 11 at
block 220. The DSP chip decodes the incoming data at block
20 230.
At block 240, a test is performed to determine
whether the desired operation is to decode an HTML site. If
not, control transfers to block 340. Otherwise operation
continues at block 250, where the display of the site page
begins. A test is performed at block 260 to determine whether
the mode of operation is interactive or automatic. In the,
interactive mode, the user of the PVS has to browse and select
the desired operation to be completed. In automatic mode, the
keyword (s) to retrieve audio or other messages are searched for
and activated automatically to get the compressed data. If the
test at block 260 senses the interactive mode, control is
transferred to block 110 in Fig. 2b. If not, automatic
browsing is done starting at block 270 to search for a
highlighted keyword symbol. At block 280, a test is performed
to determine whether the keyword constitutes a request for a
previously digitized message and if so, the data compressed by
FTP protocol is received by the PVS at block 290. If the test
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21
at block 280 results in a "no", control transfers to the block
310.
At block 310 a test is performed to determine whether
no more messages exist, and, if so, control returns to block
5- 100. Otherwise, a test occurs at block 320 to determine if the
keyword constitutes a request for a place to store local
messages at the web server. If so, this data, such as a
compressed audio messages, is transmitted from the PVS to the
web site (block 330) . If not, control returns to the start
(block 100 ) . The process is continued until there are no other
stored messages for the PVS owner at this Web site.
At block 340, a test is performed to determine
whether this cite is utilizing the FTP protocol language. If
so, a message is retrieved utilizing FTP (block 360), and it
is stored at block 380 and control is transferred to block 120
in Fig. 2b. If it is determined at block 340 that FTP .protocol
is not being used, a test is performed at block 340 to
determine whether or not a recognized access language is being
received. If so, a message is retrieved at block 360 utilizing
the recognized access language and is then stored at block 380.
Control is then transferred to block 120 in Fig. 2b. If a
recognized access language is not found at block 350, the user
is notified at block 370 and control returns to block 100.
If it was determined at block 260 that the mode is
interactive, control is transferred to block 110 in Fig. 2b.
At block 112, the keywords in the web page are selected and,
at block 114 HTML interpretation is activated to locate the
messages in the pool. At block 116, messages are then sent
and/or received and control is returned to block 100 in Fig.
2a.
Following block 380, where data was stored,
preferably in compressed form, control is transferred to block
120 in Fig. 2b. Any data which is stored causes the creation
of data in a flat database (block 120), which may be searched
to locate the data at a later time. In case the message is an
audio message, it is decompressed and played at the same time
that it is transmitted by FTP protocol. The test at block 122
determines whether such action is necessary for the current
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22
message and, if so, decompression and the audio synthesizer are
activated (block 124), the database is updated to reflect that
the message is ready to be synthesized, and control is returned
to block 100. If the message is not to be decompressed and
5- played, block 122 transfers control to block 128, where a test
is performed to determine if the message is to be sent to the
web server and, if not, control is returned to block 100. If
the message is to be sent to the web server, it is sent by FTP
at block 130, and the user is notified upon completion of the
transfer (block 132) , after which control returns to block 100.
Figure 3 describes the overall operation of the
Kernel of the Eden OS as run on the RISC core CPU of the DSP
11 for the present application. The kernel is multitasking,
in that it can run multiple programs or tasks concurrently,
with each one having its own priority and being capable of
initiating other (child) tasks. After the Kernel initializes
via blocks 400-420, operation starts at the idle mode at block
480, where the PVS waits for events to occur, and when one
occurs it is handled at block 430. Every program interacts
with the operating system this way, by having its tasks
attended to at block 430. The type of events that arise are
either synchronous or asynchronous. At block 440, if a
synchronous event is detected, processing of the synchronous
events is initiated via connector 5. Otherwise, a test is
performed at block 450 to detect an asynchronous event, in
which case processing of the asynchronous events is initiated
via connector 5. In each case, after processing is initiated
the operating system returns to the idle mode to process other
events. Another special event to occur is error handling at
block 460. In the event that an asynchronous event is not
detected at block 450, a test is performed at block 460 to
detect a failure event and if there is none, the program
returns to the idle mode. In the event of a hardware failure,
a communications failure or a software failure, an error event
is detected at block 460 and a run time handler is issued
(block 470 ) and handles the event . Control then returns to the
idle mode. The synchronous and asynchronous events identified
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in Fig. 3 are only exemplary and it is contemplated that there
may be others of each type.
Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the routine
performed by the controller of DSP/RISC Chip 11 when an analog
5audio message is to be recorded. At block 710, a test is
performed to determine whether the incoming messages are from
the built-in microphone. If not, control is transferred to the
routine of Fig. 5. If so, the audio message is digitized and
compressed (block 720) and placed in the working pool of data
l0 (block 730). At block 740, a test is performed to determine
whether memory was filled before an entire message was stored.
If not, the routine is terminated, and control returns to the
idle mode. If so, recording is disable {block 750), and the
operator is notified, as by warning light, that the memory is
15 full (block 760). Control reverts to the idle mode.
Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the routine
performed to record analog audio from the telephone line. At
block 800, a test is performed to determine whether an audio
message being received is from the communications link
20 (telephone Iine). If not control is transferred to the routine
of Fig. 6. If so , the message is passed through the
Telecom/Audio Codec 17 as audio (block 810), and a test is
performed at block 820 to determine whether compression is to
be performed by the DSP/RISC Chip. If so, the message is
25 stored in local memory {block 830), recording is stopped, and
control is returned to the idle mode. If compression is not
to be performed by the DSP/RISC Chips the message is sent to
the Telecom/Audio Codec, which compresses it by a standard
(ADPCM) algorithm (block 840). The message is then sent back
30 to the DSP/RISC 11 through its UART (block 850), and the
DSP/RISC chip control that causes the message to be stored I
flash memory 13 (block 860). Control is then returned to the
idle mode.
Figure 6 is a block diagram of the routine performed
35 by the Audio/Telecom Codec controller to play stored audio
through the built-in speaker. At block 900, the operator
selects a message from the pool of messages stored in the
device. At block 910, a test is performed to determine whether
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stored message to be read was originally compressed by the
audio/telecom codes. If not, control is transferred to block
920. If so, the message is read and decompressed using the
audio/telecom codes (block 930}, and the decompressed message
5_ is applied to the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in the
audio/telecom codes (block 940} . The message is the played via
the built-in speaker 18 through the D/A converter and amplifier
28 (block 950), and control is returned to the idle mode.
If the stored message was not originally compressed
by the audio/telecom codes, a test is performed at block 920
to determine whether the stored message was originally
. compressed by the audio/telecom codes. If not, the user is
notified (block 960) , and control is returned to the idle mode.
If so, the message is read by the controller (block 970}, and
it is then sent to the modem to be decompressed and then
returned from the modem to memory 13 through the DART port of
the audio/telecom codes 17 (block 980 ) . Control is transferred
to block 940, and playback is handled in the same manner as a
message originally compressed by the Audio/telecom codes.
Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of how the PVS,
connected to its cradle may be connected to a PC (whether
multimedia or not) or to a specially configured TAD with a
built-in modem in order to permit a PC or TAD user (A) to send
or receive a voice file from or to the PVS through a modem
other than the telecom/audio codes of the PVS. This would
permit a PC user to send or attach a voice file resident in the
PVS over the PC's modem and would likewise permit the PC user
to download a voice file received over the PC's modem directly
to the PVS. The same configuration would permit a non-
multimedia PC user (B) to play audio files by using the PVS's
multimedia capabilities to play audio files received over the
non-multimedia PC's modem. This configuration would likewise
permit the PC user (C) to record audio through the PVS's built-
in microphone and transmit it through the PC's modem as files
or streaming audio. Such a configuration would also permit the
user of a PC (D) to redirect audio files directly to the PVS
while using a standard Web browser program. Finally, a similar
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configuration with a modem configured TAD would permit the TAD
user to download audio messages to and from the TAD to the PVS .
Bi-directional communication from the PC to the PVS
is handled by a communication cable (e.g. 9 pin connector) at
S- the PC and the serial RS232 port on the PVS and controlled by
the asynchronous event software controlling input/output from
the UART communication interface.
The software at the PC handles the driver for
sending/receiving data to/from the PC to the PVS. For sending
data, this would be similar to a PC sending data to a fax or
printer, and for receiving data, this is similar to a PC
receiving data from a scanner. This driver sets all required
parameters for the PVS such as type of operation, length and
wait for acknowledgment and "End of Transmission". The PC also
handles the software to use the PVS as an attachment
(peripheral) for receiving multimedia audio messages so that
the speaker on the PVS will operate. The PC also handles the
software to manage the microphone input of the PVS, and
software to integrate with a standard Web Browsers (e. g.
Netscape Navigator) to be fully integrated with the software
and invoke commands to the PVS accordingly.
The software in the PVS is part of the multitasking
operating functions to handle Remote activation of Procedural
Calls (RPC) controlled under the asynchronous events software
of the PVS.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have
been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the
art will appreciate that many additions, modifications and
substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
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25/1
Philips Semloonductors ~ 1 na~~/y~~~ n
~-' 7 9'.1:.1.."..°~Y:..
MIPS
Highly integrated embedded processor PR31100
Version 1.2
GENERAL DESCRIPTION FEATURES
PR31100 Processor is a single-chip, low-cost, integrated embedded v 32-bit
83000 RfSC static CMOS CPU
processor consisting of MIPS 83000 core and system support logic
to htertaoe with various types of devices. ~ 4 KByte instrucLOn cache
PR31100 consists o! a MIPS 83000 ~ 1 tCHyte data cache
RISC CPU with 4 KBytes of
tnstnxaion cache memory and 1 KByle
of data cache memory, plus a Multiply/accumulalor
integrated (urtclfons for interfacing
to numerous system components
and external UO modules. The 83000 ra O~ip peripherals with individual
RISC CPU is also augmented power.down
with a muruply/accumulate module - Multi~channel DMA controller
to allow integrated DSP
turlcfions, such as a sofhvere modem
for high-performance standard
dale and fax protocols. PR31100 - Bus Interface unit
also contains multiple DMA
charnels end a high-pertonmance - Memory controller for ROM,
and flexible Bus interface Unit Flash, RAM, DRAM, SDRAM,
(BIU) !or providing an elficleM SRAM, and PCMCIA amdlor MagicCard
means for transferring data between
external system memory, cache memory,- Power management module
the CPU core, and
external UO modules. The types of - Ytdeo module
exterttat memory devices
aupponed include dynamic random
access memory (DRAM). - Real-time clock 32.760KHz
reference
ynduonous dynamic random access
memory (SORAM). static
random access memory (SRAM), Flash - Hgh-sPeed serial Interface
memory read-only memory
(ROM), and expansion cards (PCMCIA - Infrared module
artdlor MagIcCard).
PR3lt 00 also contains a System _ Dual-UART
Interface Module (SIM) containing
integrated functions for intertachg_ Spl bus
to numerous external UO
modules such as liquid crystal displays
(LCDs), the UCB1100 (which
handles most of the anabg hmdbns ~ 3.3V supply voltage
at tha system, irtcludmg sound
and telecom cosecs and toudtscreen a
ADC), ISDNrttigh-speed ~n LOFP (Low profile quad Ifat
pack)
aeAai, hfrared, wireless peripherals,
Megicbus. eta Lastly, PR31100
cattalos support for impterneMationa ~OMHz operation frequency
of power management,
wf>ereby various PR31100 internal
modules and external
subsystems can be individually (under
software control) powered up
and down.
Ff9uro 1 shows an External 8lodc Diagrtun of PR31100.
ORDERING INFORMAT10N
PART NUMBER TEMPERATURE RANGE (C) AND PACKAGEFREQUENCY DRAWING NUMBER
(MHz)
PR31100ABC 0 to +70. 20&pin Low Profile 40 LOFP208
Quad Rat Pack
1996 Aug 07
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_.... . ~~._. _ ._.__ ... . t , .
CA 02286043 1999-10-07
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25/2
Philips semkbrxluctors
MIPS
Highly integrated embedded processor PR31100
tcaa,e
':
:.;
4KByte
p Data ~ ~ Data
~ I> Gl
1
83000 RISC y
to
CPU Care ~
Memory
Addr n m Addr
,: _ C
MAC ~
' Gontrol
CpU DCache ~
:
lute:...:'tir e
~
System
Interface
UnH
(SIU)
Module
ArbitraUoNDMA/AddrOeoode
to UC81100 SIB Module
. .. : . ...,..to
... h
h
CHI Module
-..speed
serial
~'~ ~
.::. :
to LCD ~oeo Module
to
IR
::IR Module .::
:
to Ma Magkaxis Module
icbus
UART Module
to
' : UART
.:.::(dot UART)
to enerat 10 Module
to
purpose Power
UO
. : SPI Module S
~ l
'
upp
. :: . ...: : y
.. :i
, .;, ,,.:",-::[ ~.:.
Timer Module
32 KHz :
Q
(+ RTC) . .
, ;
Power Module
.. .~....:.~
. r
. ::l
.:: .
SYSCLK Clock Module
~
Interrupt
Module
;~~emyntertace:Module :
(SIM)
::
Figure 1. PR31t00 Block Diagram
t 996 Aug 07
~~~~~~~~f:.. ~i..~~:,~.~" ~,~~.~:iØr'='i~"
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25/3
Phitips Semiconductors
~~ ,~ _r~_ ~n
iHiPS
Highly integrated embedded processor PR31 i 00
OVERVIEW - separate read and write protection
control for kernel and user
Each of the omchip peripherals sP
consist of:
- 8 total protectable regions available,
each individually
BIU Module programmable, using breakpoint address,
mask, control, and
~ System memory and PR31100 Bus status registers
Interface Unit (BIU)
- supports up to 2 banks of physical- causes address exception on illegal
memory reads or writes
- supports self-refreshing DRAM ~ high-speed muitiplierlaocumulator
and SDRAM
- programmable parameters for each- on-c+tip hardware multiplier
bank of DRAM or SDRAM
(rowlcdumn address configuration, - supports 16x16 or 32x32 multiplier
refresh, burst modes, etc.) operations, with 64-bit
~ programmable chip select memory accumulator
access
- 4 programmable (size, wait slates,- e>ostin9 muhiply instructions
burst mode control) memory are enhanced and new msdtiply
device end general purpose chip end add instnxtians ere added to
selects 83000 lnstntction set to
evsdable for system ROM, SRAM, 4nprove the perfarmartce of DSP
Flash applications
available for external port expansion~ CPU Interface
registers
- 4 programmable (wait states, - handles data bus, address bus,
burst mode control) MagicCard and oontrd interface between
or
general purpose chip salads CPU core and rest of PR31100 logic
evaNeble for (future) MegicCard
expansion memory Clerk Module
PR31100 provides the chip select ,
arts card detect signals
supports card insertion/removal a PR371t>D supports system-wide
timeouts single crystal configuration,
MagicCard requires minimal number ~~ ~e ~ KHz R'TC XTAL (reduces cost,
of unique controUstalus power, and hoard
sgnats per port sue)
a common aystal rate divided to
a supports up to 2 identical full generate dodo for CPU, video,
PCMCIA pons
~~, t~~, UAtiTs, eta
- PR31100 and UC81t00 provide the
control signals and accepts
the status signals which conform ~ external system crystal rate is
to the PCMCIA version 2.Ot vendor-dependent
standard ~ Independent enabling or disabling
of individual clocks under
- apprapriata connector keying ire ooMrd, for
end level-shifting butlers requiredi~'er management
for 3.3V versus 5V PCMCIA interface
implementattona
CHI Module
SIU Module
~ hlgh-speed serial Concentration
Highway Interface (CHI) oornains
~ mufti-channel 32-bit DMA controllerk>giC tot intertadng to external
and System Interface Unii full-duplex serial
(SIU) time-siiviaion~nultiplexed (TDM)
communication peripherals
~ Independent DMA channels for ~ supports ISON line interface chips
video, Magicbus, StB Idfrom and other PCMfTDM serial
UCBt 100 audioHelecom oodecs, high-speeddevices
serial port, IR UART,
and general purpose DART
~ CHI Interface is programmable
(number of channels, frame rate,
~ address decoding for submodules bit rate, eta) to provide support
within System Interface Module for a variety of formats
(SIM)
auppoAS data rates up to 4.096 MDps
CPU MOdUIe ~ independent DMA support for CHI
reoe'rve end transmit
~ 83000 RISC central processing Interrupt Module
unit care
- full 32-bit operation (registers,
instructions, addresses)
a ~M~ bgic for individually enabling,
- 32 general purpose 32-b'rt registers:reading, and clean all
32-bit program counter
- MIPS RISC Instruction Set ArchitecturePR31100 interrupt sources
(ISA) supported
~ inlertupts generated from internal
~ on-chip cache PR31100 modules or from edge
transitions on external signal pins
- 4 KByle direct-mapped instruction
cache (I-cache)
physical address tag and valid 10 Module
bit per cache tine
programmable burst size
~ contains support for reading and
writing the 7 bi-directional
instruction streaming mode supposedgeneral purpose 10 pins and the
32 bi~lirectionat mvit~funcBOn
- 1 KByte data cache (D-cache) 10 pins
physical address lag and valid ~ each 10 port can generate a separate
bit per cache line positive and negative edge
programmable burst size interrupt
write-through ~ independently configurable 10
ports allow PR31t00 to support
a
- cache address snoop mode supposedflexible and wide range of system
for DMA applications aria configurations
- 4-level deep write buffer
~ programmable memory protection
1996 Aug 07
~ussr~r~r~ s~iF~r ~F«~~ 2~~
t ,
CA 02286043 1999-10-07
WO 98/47252 PCTlUS98/0'7228
25/4
Philips Semiconductors _ ~elimirtBrY.spEalu~.al~n
Highly integrated embedded processor
PR31100
IR Module ~ independent OMA support for audio
reserve end transmit, telecom
IR consumer mode reoe'rve end transmit
- albwa control of consumer electronic~ supports 8-bit or t ti-bit mono
devices such as stereos. telecom formats
TVs, VCRs, etc.
- programmable pulse parameters supports 8-bit or 1 frbit mono
or stereo audio tortnats
- exiemal analog LED circuitry independently programmable auaio
and telecom sample rates
IROA communication mode ~ CPU readlwrfte registers for
subtrame oontrd and status
- allows communication with dher
IRDA devices such as FAX
machines, copiers, printers, eta System Peripheral Interface (SPi)
Module
- supported by UART module within ~ provides interface to SPI peripherals
PR31t00 and devices
- external analog receiver preamp ra ~~up~x, syrtcttronous sepal
and LED drcuilry data transfers (data in, data
out.
- data rate . up to 115 Kbpa at and clock signals)
1 meter
IR FSK communication male PR31100 supplies dedicated chip
select and interrupt for an SPt
- supported by UART module within interface serial power supply
PR31100
- externs! analog IR chlp(s) performg..b;t or 16-bit data word lengths
frequency modulation to for the SPI interisoe
generate the desired iR cammunicatlort
mode protocol
- data rate = up to 36000 bps at ~ programmable SPI baud rate
3 meters
carrier detect state madtine Timer Module
- periodically enables IR receiver
to check if a valid cartier is Real Time Clods (fiTC) and Timer
present
4~bil ooumer (30.517 psec granularity).
M8giCbUS MOdUIe maximum unirttertupted time . X8.36
days
synchronous, aerial 2-wire (clods a
and dale), hatf~luplex ,a-bit alarm register (30.517 Nsec
granularity)
oommunicationa protocol
1&-dt periodic timer (0.86A pees
granularity);
supports low-cost. low-power peripheralsmaximum limeout = 5fi.8 mess
supports maximum data rate of 14.75Mtertupls on alarm, timer, and
Mbps prior to RTC roll-over
DMA support for Magicbus receive
end Iransm'rt
UART Module
Power Module 2 independent fulwupiex uARTs
' power-down modes for individual
internal peripheral modules programmable baud rate generator
~ serial (SPI port) power supply UART-A port used for serial control
control interface supported interface to external lR
power management state machine has module
4 states: RUNNING,
DOZ1N(3. SLEEP, and COMA UART-B port used for general purpose
serfal control interface
Serial Interconnect Bus (SIB MOdUIeDART-A and UART-B DMA support for
receive and transmit
PR311tX) contains holding and shift\/ide0 MOdUIe
registers to support the aerial
interface to the UCBt1 tX) and/or
other optional codes devices
interface compatible wish slave bn-mapped grephka
mode 3 of Crystal C54216 codes
a supports monochrome, grey scale,
synchronous, frame-based protocol or color modes
time-based ditherfng algorfthm
PR3111X) always master source of for grey scale and color modes
clods and frame frequency and
phase; programmable clock frequency~ supports multiple screen sizes
each SIB frame consists of 128 clodssupports split and nort--split
cycles, further divided into 2 displays
subframes or words of 64 bits each varfabfe size and reloCatable video
(supports up to 2 devices buffer
simultaneously)
~ OMA support for latching image
data born video buffer
1996 Aug 07
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Philips Semiconductors
t~f'IPS .
Highly integrated embedded processor PR31100
Figure 2 shows a typical system block diagram cosisting of
PR31100 and UCB1100 for a total system sdution.
1-2 PCMCIASIots
32 ICHz
3.3V 3 n
t1 n
SYSCLK n ~
t-64
MBytes
~ ~ ~ ~ ROM
83000 ~
T f/7
RISC ~ o
CPU 32-~t
Bus
core
co z
PR31100 v
m g 1-1&
m MBytes
~ (S)DRAM
m
m
~O m
MagicBus
Jack
ISDN
orothe~
periphery
Phone Jack
Figure 2. System Block Diagram
1996 Aug 07
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Phlllpe Semicondudon ~"~"y,"~," ~~w
Advanced modem/audio analog front-end UCB1100
Version 1.2
GENERAL DESCRIPTION TABLE OF CONTENTS
The UCB1100 fs a single chtp, IntegratedGENERAL DESCRIPTION . . . . . .
mixed signal audio and . . . . . . . , . . . . . , . ,
, , . . , , , , , , , 2
telecom codes. The single channel APPUCAT10NS . . . . . . .. . . .
audio codes is designed for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . , . . . . , , . . . . .
2
direct connection at a microphone KEY FEATURES . . . . . .. . . ..
and speaker. The built-in telecom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
, . . , , . , . . . . . , . , 2
codes can directly be connected TABLE OF CONTENTS . .. . . .. .
to a DAA and supports high speed . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
, , . . . . . . . , , 2
~
modem protocols. The irtcorporeted1.0 FUNCTIONAL BLOCK
bii analogue to digital DIAGRAM . . . . . , , , , , , ,
, , , , , , , , , 3
converter and !he touch screen 2.0 ORDERING INFORMATION . . . .
interface provides canplete control. . . . . . , , . , . . , , , ,
, , , , , , 4
and readout of a connected 4 wire 3.0 ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS . .
resistive toudt screen. The 10 . . . . . . . , . . . . . , , .
. . . 4
4.0 DC ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
addiUonal general purpose UO pine . .. . . .. . . .. . .. .. 5
provides programmable inputs
5.0 PINOUT . . .. . . .. . . . .
and/or outputs to the system. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. .
. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 8
5.1 PINLIST ......................................
7
The UCH1100 has a serial interface6.0 FUNGTIONAL DESCRIPTION . . .
bus (SIB) Intended to . . . .. . .. . , , , , , , , ,
, , , , g
communicate to the system controller6.1 AUDIO CODEC . .. . . . . . .
t3oth the codes input and . . . . . . . . . . , , , , , ,
, , , , , , 8
output data ancf the control register6.1.1 AUDIO INPUT SPECIFICATIONS
data is multiplexed on this SIB . .. . . ... 10
interlace.
6.1.2 AUDIO OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS
. . . .. . , t1
6.2 TELECOM CODEC . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . , . " " " " " , 12
62.1 TELECOM INPUT SPECIFICATIONS
. .. . . 14
4PPLICATIONS 622 TELECOM OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS
. .. t5
fi.3 TOUCH SCREEN MEASUREMENT MODES
~ Personal intelligent Communicators. . . . 16
(PICu
6.3.1 POSITION MEASUREMENT . . .
Personal Dfgitai Assistants (PDA) . . . . , .. , , , 16
6.3.2 PRESSURE MEASUREMENT . . .
. . . , . . . , 16
~ Screen phones 6.3.3 PLATE RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT
... t6
6.4 TOUCH SCREEN INTERFACE ... ....
.. .. ...... 17
~ Smart Phone and smart Fax 6.4.1 TOUCH SCREEN SPECIFICATIONS
. . . . . 18
6.5 10 BIT ADC. . . . . . 19
a InlelligeM Communicators 8.5.1 SPECIFiCATION
OVERVIEW . . .. , , , . , , , ,
21
6.6 ON CHIP REFERENCE CIRCUIT .
.. . . .... .. ... 21
KEY FEATURES 6.8.1 SPECIFICATION OVERVIEW . .
.. . . . . , , . . 21
6.7 SERIAL INTERFACE 8US . . . .
. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .
. 22
~ 48-pin LoFP (SOT313-2) small 6.7.1 SIB DATA FORMAT . . . . .
body SMD package and low . . . . . . . .. , . , , , 23
.
external component count result 6.7.2 CODEG DATA TRANSFER
in minimal PCB space . . . . .. 24
requirement. 6.7.3 CONTROL REGISTER DATA TRANSFER
. 26
6.7.4 AC ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
. .. 27
~ A 12-bit sigma delta audio codes6.8 GENERAL PURPOSE I/Os . . . .
with programmable sample rate, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,
27
input and output vdtage levels, 6.9 INTERRUPT GENERATION . . . .
capable of connecting directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
to
s aker and miao ng g iy 8.10 RESET CIRCUITRY . . . . . .
l hat coniroited mute, . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . ..
.
klopbadc and clip detection lunclions7.0 MISCELLANEOUS . . . . . . ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 29
7.1 POWER ROUTING STRATEGY . . .
. . . . .... .. ... 29
~ A 14-bH sigrtsa delta telecom 8.0 CONTROL REGISTER OVERVIEW .
codes wHh programmable sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , ,
, 30
rate. including digitally controlled9.0 PACKAGE OUTLINES . .. . . .
Input voHage level. mute. . . ... . . . . . . . ... . ...
34
k~opback and dip detection functions.9.1 PACKAGE OUTLINE LaFP48 . ..
The telecom codes is . . . . . . .. .. . .. . . 34
intended for direct connection 10.0 DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . .
to a DAA (digital atxesa . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . 36
arrangement) and includes a built-in
sidetone suppression circuit.
~ A complete 4 wire resistive touch screen Inlertace circuit
supporting position, pressure and plate resistance measurements.
~ A 10~bit success'we approximation ADC wHh internal track and
hold drouit and analogue multiplier for touch screen readout and
monitoring of tour external high voltage (7.5V) analogue voltages.
~ A high speed, 4 wire aerial interface data bus (SIB) for
communication to system controller
~ A 3.3V supply vdtage and built in power saving modes make the
UCB1t00 optimal for portable and battery powered applications.
1996 Apr 09
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Philips Semiconductors ,..,na~irmrv .r,ori~.a~on
Advanced modem/audio analog front-end UCB1100
1.0 FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM
a
a g ~_a
E ~ E i .Q
a
3 ~ 3
R
0
t a
I
b.1 aflw
urbp.M dbW bode
°n_
a .~ 8
1
s ti
c
/- ~ 8 S
i ~' i ,e ~ ~ ~ < a
° ~~ ~ ~ ~ o
.
.
~.Is~ ~~~ 8
v o 0
a <
a - a - a - ~ ~ °-
U U
~.
O i ~ ~ = O v
U . U 4f
O p
a
o ~V ~ ~ ~ ~ & a
- o
.
E
n ~
S
4
g ~ 9W.s! ~ ~' ~ ~ ~ _
s ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~n
rrT
E y °
E S
SM~l2d
Figure 1. Block Diagram of the UCB1100
1996 Apr 09
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E~leii OS T!2.0 Overview
EROS (EdenReal-time Operating System) is a full-featured
operating system
designed
from scratch
to be:
Compact: the operating system consumes resources in the
form of ROM and
RAM in the product, these resources add to the
BOM costs of the
product and any space occupied by the OS must
be justified. EROS
is designed to be small. The modularity is also
a feature which
supports the compactness of the operating system;
where individual
products do not need a feature it can be omitted
or replaced by
some subset, Leaving more room for the visible
components that
add features and thus perceived value.
Open: an open OS will be more likely to attract 3'~
party developers
looking to design software products for sale,
so allowing more
value in the form of available features to be
added to products
based on the OS. EROS has a published API and
a PC-based SDK
which supports the development of applications
in a readily
available development platform.
Modular: Each component individually and in many cases
sub-components
may be omitted or replaced without difficulty
where their
functionality is not needed or has to be changed
for particular
products.
Portable: 99% written in ANSI C, porting to a new processor
and/or tailoring
to a specific product design is sufficiently
simple and predictable for
this to be completely acceptable within a product
development
iifecycie. EROS offers the same application
interface on each
platform, allowing applications to run on any
EROS platform.
EROS application development is carried out
on a PC SDK
incorporating a subset of the target OS. In
the medium term, Eden
will adopt the GNU toolset for the development
of EROS itself and
support this toolset for all targets.
The overall
structure
of EROS
is shown
in the
enclosed
slide.
W 1995/6, Eden Group Ltd, Englnnd. All Ri~hls /Ze.sc~n~ed.
SU8ST1TUTE SHEET (RULE 26)
ICA 02286043 1999-10-07
WO 98147252 2 5 ~ 9 PCTI(JS98/07228
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.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 2fi)
_ ~ ,.
CA 02286043 1999-10-07
WO 98/47252 PCT/LJS98I07228
25/10
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FOSSIL
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o ~ ° °
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)
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CA 02286043 1999-10-07
WO 98/47252 2 5 / 11 PCTIUS98/07228
The components of EROS are
Advanced Real-time Kernel (ARK): This is the core of EROS; based on the
ITRON 3 specification and extended, this supports pre-emptive, prioritised
multitasking, message queues, semaphores, rendezvous ports, event flags and
interrupt handling.
Virtual Memory Management (VMM): Depending on the level of support
available within the chosen platform, this offers protection against faulty
applications, mapping of virtual memory onto real memory and supplies the
dynamic memory handling (malloc~ and free).
Eden's Visual Environment (EVE): This offers an object oriented means of
building up a GUI. EVE implements a core set of simple objects which do not
impose a 'look and feel' on the OEM and application provider. EVE also
supports
a limited number of compound objects (as the name implies, constructed by
joining
simple objects together). Application writers can easily generate their own
compound objects to implement the GUI they design.
Advanced Database Access Module (ADAM): This is a traditional database
implementation, offering a record stntcture, insert, delete, search, data
integrity
checks and record locking. It differs from other database implementations by
being
designed to operate in an embedded environment.
Clipboard Application Interface (CAIN: The EROS clipboard supports copy,
cut and paste and drag and drop. it does this by allowing applications to set-
up
self describing data items which can then be passed between applications which
have no knowledge of each other.
Generic Object Data System (GODS): EROS' file system is built as a number of
layers, allowing multiple filing systems to be supported (typically a DOS-
compatible filing system on PC-cards and a FIash-oriented for built in non-
volatile
storage) without the applications being aware of such details.
PC card services: EROS supports SRAM, Flash and ATA drives as storage and
data exchange devices. The PC card services offer a key set of facilities
allowing
support for specific card types to be developed as necessary.
Device Handling: One of the features of embedded systems is that they often
have
non-standard devices and PC-cards supply loadable devices which may not be
known at the time the system is first built. EROS' Device Manager supports the
dynamic addition of device drivers and allows handler tasks to establish a
connection to whichever is the most appropriate driver.
TCP/IP: EROS supports TCP/IP, SLIP and PPP. A number of higher levels
protocols are supported as standard within the OS including UDP, FTP, SMTP,
C~ 199.5/G, Eden Group Ltd, lngland. llll Rights I~esen-ed.
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POPS, and HTTP. Other protocols are supported on a specific product or
implementation basis.
Other features supported by EROS include:
Linking and Loading: Embedded systems are typically provided as a single ROM
containing the operating system and all the applications. The addition of new
applications and the correction of those supplied in ROM is dif~ecult. Flash
memory is used, but the mechanisms for upgrade and addition are usually
clumsy.
EROS makes use of a Dynamic Linker Loader {ELF) to overcome much of this
difficulty. EROS itself and built-in applications are installed in ROM but
their
external linkage symbols are loaded into RAM during start-up. Patches can be
installed so that later in the start-up sequence some of these symbols are
changed
to point to new code, thus avoiding the obselete areas of code in ROM.
Similarly,
applications which are loaded dynamically are linked to this symbol table and
so
use the correct built-in and patched code.
Localisation: The OS structure supports OEMs and application developers in
providing a framework within which applications can be constructed which are
easily ported from language to language and from country to country, with
little or
ideally no change to software.
Power Management: Embedded applications are often battery powered and
hence power use is critical. While the degree of support offered by particular
processors and products will vary, EROS supports an API which allows
applications to be contracted in a power-sensitive manner and supports the
specific
attributes of particular platforms in an appropriate manner.
Application Interface: Any application program interacts with EROS through the
Application Program Interface (API). At the programming level these appear as
function calls. These functions are primarily in the foam of 'helpers' which
execute
as part of the application task and exchange information with one or more EROS
tasks before returning to the application code. Responses and other input from
EROS are provided by messages sent to the task's input queue or, for so-called
'blocking' calls, by the helper function using a 'rendezvous' for the
exchange.
Application tasks are usually structured as a single message handling loop
which
takes messages from a message queue.
O 1995<. 'den Group Ltd, Fn~land. All Rights Reserved.
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Development Tools: EROS includes a set of tools to enable applications to be
developed for EROS platforms. Such applications will usually be platform
(processor) and product independent, subject to appropriate devices being
available to handle the interfaces. The toolset comprises:
~ a sub-set of EROS which executes in DOS on a PC and provides an
environment in which most applications can be developed and tested. This
requires that the developer uses the Borland 4.5 development system.
~ cross-compilers, linker and host-target debuggers are specific to the target
platform; Eden will recommend these on a platform specific basis but in the
medium term will primarily suggest and support the GNU tools.
~ a terminaUtarget monitor program which allows internal details of EROS to be
examined
~ font and icon editors
~ full linking instructions are provided to allow OEMs to build ROM images
which include EROS and built-in applications
~ full construction details are supplied to allow a patch file to be created
~ full instructions are supplied to allow loadable programs to be produced
~ EROS for the target platform is supplied in the form of shared libraries
making
up the 'helper' functions, object code for the EROS tasks and an initial
startup
sequence to be modified by or on behalf of the OEM.
O I J95.iG, l'den Group Ltd, England. Al! Rights Reren~ed.
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Target i~ardware and product-specific issues: A very large proportion of EROS
is hardware and product independent, requiring simply re-compilation to run on
a
new platform. Thus the amount of effort required to tailor EROS to a specific
processor and product configuration is relatively small.
The areas usually requiring rework on a per-platform (i.e. per-processor)
basis are:
~ basic serial port driving and monitor production.
~ kernel mapping at the lowest level
~ core start-up sequence
~ memory mapping to use the target architecture
The primary areas where such work is usually necessary on a per-product basis
are:
~ keyboard, screen and digitiser handling: typically each product uses
different
hardware in these areas, EROS offers a simple interface to program to and
Eden will do this work if required.
~ memory configuration and start-up: EROS supplies a skeleton start-up
sequence (above) for each target platform; extending this is a product-
specific
task.
~ Non-standard devices: EROS has a device handling architecture which supports
the addition of new device handlers.
~ PC-card interfacing: Eden generally has to rework the lower levels of PCMCIA
card handling to use the particular controller selected.
~ The development version of EROS on the PC requires changes to match the
screen size of the target product, to support GUI development.
O 1995/6, Eden Group Ltd, England. All Rights lZe.rerve~l
~ ' '" .;E'-°' S" .' ,
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)
