Auto-playing apparatus

Claim 2

An auto-playing apparatus comprising: input means for inputting auto-playing data; memory means, connected to said input means, for storing the auto-playing data input by said input means; auto-playing means, connected to said memory means, for reading out the auto-playing data from said memory means to sequentially generate corresponding musical tone signals, and for performing an auto-playing operation; setting means for setting a storage mode for storing the auto-playing data in said memory means; instruction means for instructing a start of an auto-playing operation; a recording medium for recording performance data; reproduction means, connected to said recording medium, for reproducing the performance data from said recording medium; detection means, connected to said reproduction means, for detecting position data associated with a present reproduction position of said recording medium which is being reproduced by said reproduction means; control means, connected to said auto-playing means, to said reproduction means, and to said detection means, for executing (i) a control operation for, when the storage mode is set by said setting means, fetching the position data associated with the present reproduction position of said recording medium when input of the auto-playing data is started at said input means from said detection means, and causing said memory means to store the position data, (ii) a control operation for, when the storage mode is set by said setting means, causing said memory means to store auto-playing data sequentially input by said input means, (iii) a control operation for, when said instruction means instructs to start the auto-playing operation, reading out the position data from said memory means, starting reproduction of said recording medium, comparing the readout position data with present position data of said recording medium which is detected by said detection means, sequentially reading out the auto-playing data from said memory means when a coincidence between the two data is detected, and causing said auto-playing means to start the auto-play operation.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said recording medium records the position data together with the performance data, said reproduction means reproduces the position data together with the performance data, and said detection means detects position data associated with the present reproduction position of said recording medium on the basis of the position data reproduced by said reproduction means.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recording medium has an area for recording subcodes in addition to a main area for storing audio data, and the position data is recorded as the subcodes.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recording medium comprises a compact disk, and the position data is time data recorded by control bits Q of the subcodes.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recording medium comprises a magnetic tape of a rotary head type digital audio tape recorder, and the position data is time data recorded by the subcodes.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means measures a time from when reproduction of said recording medium is started by said reproduction means until input of the auto-playing data is started by said input means, and detects the measured time data as position data associated with the present reproduction position of said recording medium.

Claim 8

An auto-playing apparatus comprising: input means for inputting auto-playing data; memory means, connected to said input means, for storing the auto-playing data input by said input means; auto-playing means, connected to said memory means, for reading out the auto-playing data from said memory means to sequentially generate corresponding musical tone signals, thereby performing an auto-play operation; setting means for setting a storage mode for storing the auto-playing data in said memory means; instruction means for instructing a start of an auto-playing operation; p1 a recording medium for recording performance data for a plurality of program pieces; reproduction means, connected to said recording medium, for reproducing the performance data from said recording medium; detection means, connected to said reproduction means, for detecting position data associated with a present reproduction position of said recording medium which is being reproduced by said reproduction means and for detecting program number data of a program piece which is being reproduced; control means, connected to said auto-playing means, to said reproduction means, and to said detection means, for executing (i) a control operation for, when the storage mode is set by said setting means, fetching the position data associated with the present reproduction position of said recording medium when input of the auto-playing data is started at said input means from said detection means, and causing said memory means to store the position data and the program number data of a program piece which is being reproduced, (ii) a control operation for, when the storage mode is set by said setting means, causing said memory means to store auto-playing data sequentially input by said input means, (iii) a control operation for, when said instruction means instructs to start the auto-playing operation, reading out the position data and the program number data from said memory means, starting reproduction of said recording medium from the beginning of a program piece corresponding to the readout program number data, comparing the readout position data with present position data of said recording medium which is detected by said detection means, sequentially reading out the auto-playing data from said memory means when a coincidence between the two data is detected, and causing said auto-playing means to start the auto-playing operation.

Claim 9

An auto-playing apparatus comprising: input means for inputting auto-playing data; memory means, connected to said input means, for storing the auto-playing data input by said input means; auto-playing means, connected to said memory means, for reading out the auto-playing data from said memory means to sequentially generate corresponding musical tone signals, thereby performing an auto-play operation; setting means for setting a storage mode for storing the auto-playing data in said memory means; instruction means for instructing a start of an auto-playing operation; p1 a recording medium for recording performance data for a plurality of program pieces; reproduction means, connected to said recording medium, for reproducing the performance data from said recording medium; detection means, connected to said reproduction means, for detecting position data associated with a present reproduction position of said recording medium which is being reproduced by said reproduction means and for detecting program number data of a program piece which is being reproduced; control means, connected to said auto-playing means, to said reproduction means, and to said detection means, for executing (i) a control operation for, when the storage mode is set by said setting means, fetching the position data associated with the present reproduction position of said recording medium when input of the auto-playing data is started at said input means from said detection means, and causing said memory means to store the position data and the program number data of a program piece which is being reproduced, (ii) a control operation for, when the storage mode is set by said setting means, causing said memory means to store auto-playing data sequentially input by said input means, (iii) a control operation for, when said instruction means instructs to start the auto-playing operation, reading out the position data and the program number data from said memory means, starting reproduction of said recording medium from the beginning of a program piece corresponding to the readout program number data, comparing the readout position data with present position data of said recording medium which is detected by said detection means, sequentially reading out the auto-playing data from said memory means when a coincidence between the two data is detected, and causing said auto-playing means to start the auto-playing operation.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: said recording medium records the position data and the program number data together with the performance data, said reproduction means reproduces the position data and the program number data together with the performance data, and said detection means detects position data associated with the present reproduction position of said recording medium on the basis of the position data reproduced by said reproduction means, and detects program number data of a program piece, which is being reproduced, of said recording medium on the basis of the reproduced program number data.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said recording medium has an area for recording subcodes in addition to a main area for storing performance data, and the position data and the program number data are recorded as the subcodes.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said recording medium comprises a compact disk, the position data is time data recorded by control bits Q of the subcodes, and the program number data is track number data recorded by the control bits Q of the subcodes.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said recording medium comprises a magnetic tape of a rotary head type digital audio tape recorder, and the position and program number data are recorded by the subcodes.