Media playing from a docked handheld media device

• US 10,013,381 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Mayman, Avrum G., Yewell, Scott Talbot, Zamir, Lee, Drimusz, Laszlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US11/513,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,324 Days
• Field of Search: 381 77- 80, 381 87, 381333-334
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/36 for access to common bus or bus system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/021 Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

In addition to other aspects disclosed, a docking station that receives content through a wired connection from a handheld media device, plays or displays the content through a speaker, and transmits content to a remote speaker.

Claims

1. A docking station for a handheld media device, comprising a housing;

a docking port in the housing for mechanically coupling the handheld media device to the docking station;

an interface disposed within the docking port to make a wired electrical connection to the handheld media device, circuitry within the housing for receiving content from the handheld media device;

a speaker included in the housing and coupled to the circuitry to produce a first audible signal from content received from the handheld media device through the interface, and a transmitter included within the housing and coupled to the circuitry, the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit content received from the handheld media device to a receiving station that has a remote speaker for producing a second audible signal on the remote speaker, wherein the first and second audible signals are produced at substantially the same time, the docking station further including a receiver to wirelessly receive a signal from the receiving station to control operations of the docking station.

2. The docking station of claim 1 wherein the first audible signal and the second audible signal correspond to different content.

3. The docking station of claim 1 wherein the first audible signal and the second audible signal correspond to substantially the same content.

4. The docking station of claim 1 further comprising a wireless remote control to control operations of both the docking station and the handheld media device.

5. The docking station of claim 4 wherein the wireless remote control further controls operation of the remote speaker.

6. The docking station of claim 1 further comprising a receiver included in the housing to receive a message from the remote speaker to initiate an operation of the handheld media device.

7. The docking station of claim 1 in which the interface receives an analog signal from the handheld media device that represents the content.

8. The docking station of claim 1 in which the transmitter transmits a digitized version of the content.

9. The docking station of claim 1 in which the content includes data that identifies the remote speaker.

10. The docking station of claim 1 in which the content includes audio content.

11. The docking station of claim 1 in which the content is stored in the handheld media device.

12. The docking station of claim 1 in which the content includes MPEG layer 3 format compressed audio content.

13. The docking station of claim 1 in which the content is provided from a satellite signal.

14. A receiving station comprising a housing;

a receiver integrated within the housing to receive from a docking station a wireless signal that represents content provided to the docking station from a handheld media device and information to control operations of the receiving station, a speaker integrated within the housing and coupled to the receiver to produce an audible signal from the received wireless signal, and a transmitter integrated within the housing to wirelessly transmit a signal to control operations of the docking station.

15. The receiving station of claim 14 further comprising a wireless remote control to control operations of the speaker.

16. The receiving station of claim 15 in which the wireless remote control further controls operations of the receiver.

17. The receiving station of claim 16 in which the wireless remote control further controls operations of the docking station.

18. The receiving station of claim 15 in which the wireless remote control implements infrared technology.

19. The receiving station of claim 14 in which the transmitter is also to wirelessly transmit a signal to control operations of the handheld media device.

20. The receiving station of claim 14 in which the transmitter is also to wirelessly transmit the content to a remote speaker.

21. The receiving station of claim 14 in which the wireless transmission from the docking station includes data that identifies the receiving station.

22. The receiving station of claim 14 in which the content includes audio content.

23. The receiving station of claim 14 in which the content is stored in the handheld media device.

24. The receiving station of claim 14 in which the handheld media device includes a hard drive.

25. A system comprising a docking station comprising a housing;

a docking port coupled to the housing;

an interface disposed in the docking port to make a wired electrical connection to a handheld media device;

circuitry for receiving content from the handheld media device via the interface;

a speaker included in the housing and coupled to the circuitry to produce a first audible signal from the content received from the handheld media device through the wired electrical connection; and

a transmitter to wirelessly transmit content received from the handheld media device and control information, and a receiving station comprising a housing, a receiver integrated within the housing to receive from the docking station the wireless signal that represents the content and control information to control operations of the receiving station;

a speaker integrated within the housing and coupled to the receiver to produce a second audible signal from the received wireless signal transmission, and a transmitter integrated within the housing to wirelessly transmit a signal to control operations of the docking station.

26. The system of claim 25 in which the transmitter is included in the housing of the docking station.

27. The system of claim 25 further comprising a wireless remote control to control operations of the docking station and the handheld media device.

28. The system of claim 27 in which the wireless remote control controls operations of the receiving station.

29. The system of claim 27 in which the wireless remote control initiates a wireless transmission from the receiving station to the docking station to control operations of the docking station.

30. The system of claim 27 in which the wireless remote control initiates a wireless transmission from the docking station to the receiving station to control operation of the receiving station.

31. The system of claim 25 in which the receiving station transmits the content to another receiving station.

32. The system of claim 25 in which at least one battery provides power to the docking station.

33. The system of claim 25 in which the transmitted content identifies the receiving station.

34. The system of claim 25 in which the content includes MPEG layer 3 format compressed audio content.

35. The system of claim 25 in which the content is provided from a satellite network.

36. The system of claim 25 in which the docking station further comprises a display for displaying video content stored on the handheld media device.

37. The system of claim 25 in which the receiving station further comprise a display for displaying video content stored on the handheld media device and transmitted to the receiving station.

38. The system of claim 25 wherein the first audible signal and the second audible signal correspond to the same content.

39. The system of claim 25 wherein the first audible signal and the second audible signal correspond to different content.