Enhanced delivery of audio data for portable playback

Abstract

A system for selection by a user and delivery to the user over an internetwork transmission channel of selected audio data files at a delivery rate of at least twice the delivery rate for normal, audibly perceptible playback of an audio data file. The user registers the user's selection of audio material with a central library of audio and/or text data files, and a digitized and optionally compressed omnibus file containing the user's selections is prepared and transmitted to the user at a high data transfer rate. The user receives downloads the selected data files to a personal computer or to a portable storage and playback unit (SPU) that may store and play back digitized text or audio data, using a docking station. The user carries this SPU until the user has an opportunity to audio process and play back the text or audio data files in audibly perceptible form.

1 . An information distribution system comprising:
 an audio file library;   a customer database including subscriber information regarding a subscriber to the distribution system, said subscriber information being registered in said customer database; and   a communication unit configured to provide a daily transmission of an audio file in said audio file library to a terminal apparatus of the subscriber in response to a request from the subscriber who is registered in the customer database, said audio file being periodically updated with new content.   
   
   
       2 . The information distribution system according to  claim 1 , wherein said the audio file is digitized and compressed in MPEG format prior to being transmitted via said communication unit. 
   
   
       3 . The information distribution system according to  claim 1 , wherein the audio file includes an audio program created for radio or television. 
   
   
       4 . The information distribution system according to  claim 1 , wherein the audio file includes at least a portion of a daily news item. 
   
   
       5 . The information distribution system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a text file library,   wherein said communication unit is configured to perform a daily transmission of a text file in said text file library to the terminal apparatus.   
   
   
       6 . The information distribution system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a text file library stored in memory; and   a text-to-speech conversion unit configured to convert a text file into an audio file,   wherein said communication unit is configured to perform a daily transmission of the audio file converted by said text-to-speech conversion unit to the terminal apparatus.   
   
   
       7 . The information distribution system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is configured to perform a wireless transmission of an audio file in said audio file library to the terminal apparatus. 
   
   
       8 . A terminal apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to wirelessly download an audio program via a remote server, in response to a selection by a user, said user being registered for downloading via said remote server in which the user is already registered,   a storage unit configured to store the downloaded audio program; and   a playback unit configured to play back the audio program.   
   
   
       9 . The terminal apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said communication unit is configured to communicate with another terminal apparatus via peer to peer communication. 
   
   
       10 . The terminal apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said communication unit is configured to download the audio program which is digitized and compressed in MPEG format. 
   
   
       11 . The terminal apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a phone function.   
   
   
       12 . The terminal apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a text-to-speech conversion unit configured to convert a text file into an audio file, the text file being downloaded from the remote server in response to a selection by the user by said communication unit,   wherein said playback unit being configured to play the audio file once converted by said text-to-speech conversion unit.