Personal multimedia device and methods of use thereof

• US 20020069252A1
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Songpro.Com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Songpro.Com, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Ronald L., Collins, Michael K.
• Application Number:
  US09/903,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

A personal multi-media device (PMD) and methods of use thereof is disclosed. The PMD includes a controller portion having a host processor, a keypad connected to the host processor arranged to receive a user supplied command, and a display unit arranged to display an image, or a series of correlated images, derived from a multi-media content file stored in a multi-media card connected to the personal multi-media device. The PMD also includes a cartridge portion connected to the controller portion by way of a multi-media content address/data bus having a slave processor arranged to decode the multi-media content file as directed by the host processor, and a mailbox coupling the slave processor to the host processor arranged as an addressable latch configured to provide an information channel between the host processor and the slave processor.

Claims

1. A personal multi-media device, comprising:

a controller portion having,

a host processor,

a keypad connected to the host processor arranged to receive a user supplied command, and

a display unit arranged to display an image, or a series of correlated images, derived from a multi-media content file stored in a multi-media card connected to the personal multi-media device; and

a cartridge portion connected to the controller portion by way of a multi-media content address/data bus having,

a slave processor arranged to decode the multi-media content file as directed by the host processor,

a mailbox coupling the slave processor to the host processor arranged as an addressable latch configured to provide an information channel between the host processor and the slave processor, and

an I/O interface wherein when an external device coupled to the external interface includes an external controller, the external controller supercedes the host processor such that the external device is enabled to store selected multi-media content to the multi-media card.

2. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 1, wherein the cartridge portion further comprises:

a memory unit arranged store a selected multi-media content file;

a multi-media interface configured to connect the multi-media card to the slave processor; and

a modem arranged to connect the slave processor to a distributed network of interconnected computers.

3. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-media content is stored on the multi-media card as a multi-media data packet, wherein the multi-media packet includes,

a header portion arranged to identify a multi-media file type associated with a particular multi-media file, and

a payload portion arranged to store the multi-media content corresponding to the associated multi-media type.

4. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 3, wherein the multi-media data packet further comprises:

a liner notes portion corresponding to the payload portion;

at least one advertising portion corresponding to the header portion arranged to provide an advertisement file; and

a cover graphics portion corresponding to the payload portion.

5. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 4, wherein the multi-media data packet further includes a plurality of correlated graphics portions used to form a video stream that is displayed on the display unit.

6. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in the controller portion,

a power supply unit arranged to provide an appropriate power supply voltage to the cartridge portion and the controller portion; and

a keypad input feedback unit arranged to provide real time feed back to a user corresponding to a particular user supplied input command.

7. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display is selected from a group comprising:

an LCD type display, an active matrix type display, and a plasma type display.

8. A personal multi-media device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a multi-media content data pack utility stored in the external processor used to create a formatted multi-media data pack for storage in the multi-media card as directed by the external processor.

9. A method of providing a personal multi-media device, comprising:

providing a controller portion having a host processor, a keypad connected to the host processor arranged to receive a user supplied command, and a display unit arranged to display an image, or a series of correlated images, derived from a multi-media content file stored in a multi-media card connected to the personal multi-media device; and

providing a cartridge portion connected to the controller portion by way of a multi-media content address/data bus having a slave processor arranged to decode the multi-media content file as directed by the host processor a mailbox coupling the slave processor to the host processor arranged as an addressable latch configured to provide an information channel between the host processor and the slave processor, and an I/O interface wherein when an external device coupled to the external interface includes an external controller, the external controller supercedes the host processor such that the external device is enabled to store selected multi-media content to the multi-media card.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

providing a memory unit arranged store a selected multi-media content file;

providing a multi-media interface configured to connect the multi-media card to the slave processor; and

providing a modem arranged to connect the slave processor to a distributed network of interconnected computers.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the multi-media content is stored on the multi-media card as a multi-media data packet, wherein the multi-media packet includes,

a header portion arranged to identify a multi-media file type associated with a particular multi-media file, and

a payload portion arranged to store the multi-media content corresponding to the associated multi-media type.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

providing a liner notes portion corresponding to the payload portion;

providing at least one advertising portion corresponding to the header portion arranged to provide an advertisement file; and

providing a cover graphics portion corresponding to the payload portion.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of correlated graphics portions used to form a video stream that is displayed on the display unit.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein when an external host having an external memory is connected to the PMD, then

superceding operation of the host processor by the external host processor;

formatting a multi-media data file stored in the external memory into a format consistent with the multi-media content file by the external processor;

transferring the external formatted multi-media content file from the external memory directly to the multi-media card by the slave processor; and

reliquishing control by the external host processor after the transferring is complete.

14. A method of using a personal multi-media device having a host processor, a keypad connected to the host processor arranged to receive a user supplied command, and a display unit arranged to display an image, or a series of correlated images, derived from a multi-media content file stored in a multi-media card connected to the personal multi-media device and a multi-media content address/data bus connecting the host processor to a slave processor by way of a mailbox arranged to decode the multi-media content file as directed by the host processor, wherein the mailbox is arranged as an addressable latch configured to provide an information channel between the host processor and the slave processor, and an I/O interface wherein when an external device coupled to the external interface includes an external controller, the external controller supercedes the host processor such that the external device is enabled to store selected multi-media content to the multi-media card, comprising:

providing power to the PMD;

initializing the host processor and the slave processor as directed by the host processor;

determining if a multi-media card is connected to the PMD;

downloading a selected multi-media content file from the multi-media card based upon a user supplied selection command;

parsing the selected multi-media content file by the slave processor;

passing an image data file to the mailbox by the slave processor;

notifying the host processor that the mailbox has the image data file;

decoding an audio content file by the slave processor associated with the image data file; and

outputting substantially simultaneously the image data file by the host processor and the decoded audio content file by the slave processor.