Broadcast Receiver In A Peripheral Supporting Bi-Directional, Digital Communication With A Remote Computer
First Claim
1. A computer peripheral system comprising:
- a personal computer comprising;
a microprocessor; and
a personal computer digital control interface connected to said microprocessor; and
a computer peripheral located remotely from said personal computer, said computer peripheral comprising;
a housing;
a peripheral digital communications interface connected to said personal computer digital control interface via a digital communications link;
a broadcast receiver circuit inside said housing;
an antenna connected to said broadcast receiver circuit; and
a peripheral microcontroller inside said housing connected to said peripheral digital communications interface, said peripheral microcontroller sending control signals to said broadcast receiver circuit to control said broadcast receiver circuit in response to control data received by said peripheral digital communications interface.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microcontroller or microprocessor-controlled broadcast receiver embedded in an external peripheral with a digital communications interface. In one embodiment, a microprocessor-controlled broadcast receiver is embedded in the housing of an external computer peripheral. The external computer peripheral is connected to a personal computer (PC) via a digital communications link such as USB (universal serial bus). Control data is relayed from the personal computer to the broadcast receiver in the external computer peripheral via the digital communications link. Audio signals received by the broadcast receiver in the external computer peripheral may also be relayed to the personal computer via the digital communications link or via an analog interface for recording storage, or manipulation by the personal computer. The broadcast receiver may also receive data signals in addition to audio signals (datacasting). The data or audio signals or both may be encrypted.
10 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A computer peripheral system comprising:
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a personal computer comprising;
a microprocessor; and
a personal computer digital control interface connected to said microprocessor; and
a computer peripheral located remotely from said personal computer, said computer peripheral comprising;
a housing;
a peripheral digital communications interface connected to said personal computer digital control interface via a digital communications link;
a broadcast receiver circuit inside said housing;
an antenna connected to said broadcast receiver circuit; and
a peripheral microcontroller inside said housing connected to said peripheral digital communications interface, said peripheral microcontroller sending control signals to said broadcast receiver circuit to control said broadcast receiver circuit in response to control data received by said peripheral digital communications interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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10. A multimedia speaker system comprising:
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a housing;
a broadcast receiver circuit inside said housing;
an amplifier circuit connected to said broadcast receiver circuit;
a microcontroller connected to said broadcast receiver circuit; and
a digital communications interface connected to said microcontroller for two-way communications with a personal computer remote from said multimedia speaker system.
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27. A method of controlling a multimedia speaker system that includes a broadcast receiver within said multimedia speaker system, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting, from a personal computer, control data over a digital communications link;
receiving said control data at said multimedia speaker system, said multimedia speaker system being remote from said personal computer;
interpreting the programming information at said multimedia speaker system and producing broadcast receiver control signals in response;
receiving at said multimedia speaker system, in response to said broadcast receiver control signals, broadcast transmissions on an antenna;
- View Dependent Claims (28, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer peripheral system comprising:
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a personal computer comprising;
a microprocessor; and
a personal computer digital control interface connected to said microprocessor; and
a computer peripheral located remotely from said personal computer, said computer peripheral comprising;
a housing;
a hybrid chip comprising;
a peripheral digital communications interface connected to said personal computer digital control interface via a digital communications link;
a broadcast receiver; and
a peripheral microcontroller connected to said peripheral digital communications interface, said peripheral microcontroller sending control signals to said broadcast receiver to control said broadcast receiver in response to control data received by said peripheral digital communications interface; and
an antenna connected to said broadcast receiver. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 52)
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48. A computer peripheral system comprising:
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a housing; and
a hybrid digital broadcast receiver inside said housing comprising;
an RF filtering circuit; and
a codec comprising;
a microcontroller;
a digital signal processor connected to said microcontroller;
a digital communications interface connected to said microcontroller; and
an analog-to-digital converter connected to said digital signal processor. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 54, 55)
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53. The computer peripheral system of 48 wherein said codec performs decoding of the broadcast signal using a key.
Specification