Sony Corporation

Masami Oyama

Hiroaki Sato

Takashi Kumagai

Toshiyuki Arai

Fumitake Yodo

Hajime Inai

Masayuki Obayashi

Masahiro Nobori

A processing unit performs a method including controlling a reading-out of data from a first storage medium at a predetermined read-out data rate to produce inputted data, and controlling a compression of the inputted data to produce first compressed data of a first compressed format. The method includes controlling a storage of the first compressed data in a second storage medium at a faster writing data rate than the predetermined read-out data rate, controlling a reading-out of second compressed data of a second compressed format from the second storage medium, and controlling a decompression of the second compressed data to produce decompressed data. The method also includes controlling simultaneously the storage of the first compressed data in the second storage medium, the reading-out of the second compressed data from the second storage medium, and audibly reproducing the decompressed data. The first compressed format is different from the second compressed format.

Data processing system having data reproduction independent of data processing

An information-processing apparatus includes a processing unit that compresses inputted data to produce compressed data of a first compressed format. The information-processing apparatus also includes a storage unit that stores the compressed data in a storage medium. The processing unit decompresses data, stored in the storage medium, of a second compressed format to produce decompressed data. Further, the processing unit controls the storage unit to store the compressed data of the first compressed format in the storage medium while the processing unit simultaneously decompresses the data, stored in the storage medium, of the second compressed format and reproduces the decompressed data. The first compressed format is different than the second compressed format.

The present invention relates to an information apparatus and method suitable for use in upgrading control programs readily by a user. In step S, a storage area to store an upgraded firmware is determined. In step S, the upgraded firmware is provided. In step, the provided firmware is decrypted and re-encrypted. In step S, re-encrypted firmware is written into the storage area determined in step S. In step S, a maximum marker is detected. In step S, a value obtained by adding 1 to the maximum marker provides the marker corresponding to the storage area in which the firmware was stored in step S. The present invention is applicable to, for example, an audio data server.

Information processing apparatus including storage

High-rate writing of data recorded on a CD into a hard disk drive (HDD) is performed while reproducing data read out of the CD at the standard bit rate prescribed for the CD. PCM data corresponding to a playback time of 10 seconds, for example, is read out of a CD and stored in a memory. The data is read out of the memory at appropriate timing and outputted after being converted into an analog audio signal by a D/A converter. In parallel, data for writing is read out of the CD in succession to reading of the data for playback and stored in the memory. The data read out of the memory is coded and compressed by an encoder and then stored in the memory. The compressed data is read out of the memory in units of a certain amount suitable for writing in an HDD and then written in the HDD. When the data stored in the memory for playback has become smaller than a predetermined amount, an interrupt is generated during the writing process with the processing, which is given top priority, so that a next set of playback data is read out of the CD and stored in the memory.

Apparatus and method for writing and reproducing data

High rate writing of data recorded on a CD into a hard disk drive (HDD) is performed while reproducing data read out of the CD at the standard bit rate prescribed for the CD. PCM data corresponding to a playback time of 10 seconds, for example, is read out of a CD and stored in a memory for subsequent read out. In parallel, data for writing is read out of the CD and stored in the memory. The data read out of the memory is coded and compressed by an encoder and then stored back in the memory. When the data stored in the memory for playback has become smaller than a predetermined amount, an interrupt is generated during the writing process with the processing, which is given top priority, so that a next set of playback data is read out of the CD and stored in the memory.

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Tokyo, Japan

Masami Oyama