Radio-style hollow appliance for interactive use with a computer

• US 20020015020A1
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Simulsync Corporation
• Original Assignee: Simulsync Corporation
• Inventors: Mobin, Farzad
• Application Number:
  US09/917,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20020015020A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1607 Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1611 CRT monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

A hollow appliance that serves to imitate existing electronic appliances by offloading their functional capability to a computer or the Internet. By providing a simple human and computer interface, human requests are conveyed to the computer via pushbutton and knob-type interactions as exercised on conventional radio-style electronic appliances and the computer fulfills the desired functions instead of the appliance itself.

Claims

1. A radio-style hollow appliance connected to a computer, said hollow appliance comprising:

input means and display means arranged in such a manner so as to resemble input and display features on a radio, and

software means running on said computer, said software means providing a response to commands received from said input means and displaying information related to said input means on said display means.

2. The radio-style hollow appliance of claim 1, wherein said input means includes a volume knob and a tuning knob.

3. The radio-style hollow appliance of claim 2, wherein said input means further includes a set of preset station buttons.

4. The radio-style hollow appliance of claim 1, wherein said response includes co nnecting to an audio source through the computer.

5. The radio-style hollow appliance of claim 1, wherein said response includes connecting to a video source through the computer.

6. The radio-style hollow appliance of claim 1, wherein said hollow appliance is integrated into a computer component.

7. The radio-style hollow appliance of claim 6, wherein said computer component is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer monitor, a computer keyboard, a computer mouse, and a mousepad.

8. An answering machine-style hollow appliance connected to a computer, said hollow appliance comprising:

input means arranged in such a manner so as to resemble input features on an answering machine, and

software means running on said computer, said software means providing a response to commands received from said input means so as to emulate an answering machine.

9. The answer machine-style hollow appliance of claim 8, wherein said input means includes a play button, a stop button, a rewind button, a fast-forward button, a record button, and a delete button.

10. The answering machine-style hollow appliance of claim 8, wherein said response includes connecting to a voice mail source through the computer.

11. The answering machine-style hollow appliance of claim 8, wherein said response includes connecting to a video mail source through the computer.

12. The answering machine-style hollow appliance of claim 8, wherein said hollow appliance is integrated into a computer component.

13. The answering machine-style hollow appliance of claim 12, wherein said computer component is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer monitor, a computer keyboard, a computer mouse, and a mousepad.

15. The video-style hollow appliance of claim 14, wherein said input means includes a video camera, a play button, a stop button, a rewind button, a fast-forward button, and a record button.

16. The video-style hollow appliance of claim 14, wherein said response includes connecting to a non-volatile memory source through the computer.

17. The video-style hollow appliance of claim 14, wherein said hollow appliance is integrated into a computer component.

18. The video-style hollow appliance of claim 13, wherein said computer component is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer monitor, a computer keyboard, a computer mouse, and a mousepad.

14. A video-style hollow appliance connected to a computer, said hollow appliance comprising:

input means and display means arranged in such a manner so as to resemble input and display features on a video camera, and

software means running on said computer, said software means providing a response to commands received from said input means and displaying information related to said input means on said display means.