Clock radio with computer-based remote control facilitator

• US 20040230330A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Maymudes, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways

Abstract

A clock radio includes a clock a user interface that is dynamically configurable from a remote computer. Once configured, the user interface allows a user to select radio programs that are accessible by the remote computer. When a user selects a radio program via the interface, a signal indicating the selected radio program is transmitted from the clock radio to the remote computer. The remote computer then accesses the selected radio program and transmits the selected radio program to speaker(s) for broadcast.

Claims

1. A clock radio comprising:

a clock;

a user interface (UI) to enable user input;

one or more speakers; and

a general-purpose computer, remote from but communicatively coupled to the UI and speakers, to facilitate remote control of the speakers by the UI.

2. A clock radio of claim 1, wherein the clock, the UI, and the speakers are integrated in a common housing.

3. A clock radio of claim 1, wherein the general-purpose computer runs an open platform operating system.

4. A clock radio of claim 1, wherein the general-purpose computer is configured to expose a universal plug and play (UPnP) application program interface (API) through which the UI and the speakers may make calls to the general-purpose computer.

5. A clock radio of claim 1, wherein the general-purpose computer is configured to communicate with the UI and the speakers using a wireless communication protocol.

6. A clock radio comprising:

a clock;

a user interface (UI) that is dynamically configurable from a remote computer, the UI enabling a user to select a radio station on a tuner associated with the remote computer; and

one or more speakers that receive from the tuner audio signals associated with the selected radio station.

7. A clock radio as recited in claim 6, wherein the UI is dynamically configurable using a universal plug and play (UPnP) application program interface (API).

8. A clock radio as recited in claim 6, wherein the clock radio receives information from the remote computer to configure the UI via a wireless link.

9. A clock radio as recited in claim 6, wherein the clock radio receives a schema from the remote computer and configures the UI based on the schema.

10. A clock radio comprising:

a clock;

a user interface (UI) that is dynamically configured by a remote computer to enable a user to select a radio program accessed by the remote computer; and

one or more speakers that receive the selected radio program from the remote computer.

11. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the clock radio receives information from the remote computer to configure the UI via a wireless link.

12. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the clock radio receives information from the remote computer to configure the UI via an infrared link.

13. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the UI is dynamically configured to enable a user to select a radio program accessed by the remote computer via a communications network.

14. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the UI is dynamically configured to enable a user to select a radio program accessed by the remote computer via a web browser.

15. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the UI is dynamically configured to enable a user to select a radio program accessed by the remote computer via a radio frequency (RF) tuner.

16. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the UI comprises an LCD display.

17. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the UI comprises an LCD display and a plurality of buttons.

18. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the clock radio transmits a universal plug and play (UPnP) event to the remote computer in response to user interaction with the UI.

19. A clock radio as recited in claim 10, wherein the UI is dynamically configured based on information in a schema.

20. A clock radio comprising:

a clock;

a dynamically configurable selection means for allowing a user to selected an audio program accessed by a remote computer; and

a speaker that receives the audio program from the remote computer.

21. A clock radio as recited in claim 20, wherein the selection means is configurable by the remote computer.

22. A clock radio as recited in claim 20, wherein the dynamically configurable selection means comprises a user interface (UI) that is configured by the remote computer.

23. A clock radio as recited in claim 20, wherein the dynamically configurable selection means comprises a user interface (UI) that is configured by the remote computer using a universal plug and play (UPnP) application program interface (API).

24. A method comprising:

configuring a user interface (UI) in a clock radio based on UI configuration information received from a computer located remotely from the clock radio;

sending a command to the remote computer from the clock radio indicating a desired radio program, the desired radio program being selected by a user via the UI; and

receiving the desired radio program at a speaker located remotely from the computer.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the command is sent from the clock radio to the computer via a wireless link.

26. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the radio program is received by speaker via a wireless link.

27. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the UI is configured using a universal plug and play (UPnP) application program interface (API).

28. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the UI configuration information includes a schema and wherein the UI is configured based on the schema.