Dock insertable into computer and receiving media player

• US 20060212637A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Mark Allen, Frazier, Milton Massey, Hwang, Paul, Lo, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US11/361,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212637A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/122 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches

Abstract

A dock can be slid into a receptacle of a computer. The dock has a media player bay for receiving a media player. The multimedia streams can be sent from the media player through the dock to the computer to be played on the computer speakers when the media player is operably engaged with the bay of the dock and the dock is operably engaged with the receptacle of the computer. The battery of the media player and/or dock can be charged from the computer.

Claims

1. An assembly engageable with a computer, comprising:

a dock configured for sliding into a receptacle of the computer, the dock being formed with at least one bay; and

at least one media player slidably engageable with the bay, the media player configured to store and output multimedia streams, wherein the computer includes at least one computer speaker, and the multimedia streams can be sent from the media player through the dock to the computer to be played on the computer speaker when the media player is operably engaged with the bay of the dock and the dock is operably engaged with the receptacle of the computer.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein when the dock is not engaged with the receptacle of the computer, the dock communicates with the computer through a link.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the link is wireless.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the link is wired.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the link is a universal serial bus (USB) link.

6. The assembly of claim 1, comprising the computer.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the computer is a portable computer.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the dock includes a connector and the computer includes a connector inside the receptacle, the connectors engaging when the dock is in the receptacle.

9. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the computer can charge a battery of the dock when the dock is engaged with the receptacle.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the media player contains a battery chargeable by the computer when the media player is engaged with the bay of the dock and the dock is engaged with the receptacle of the computer.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the dock includes at least one speaker, and the media player is electrically connected to the speaker in the dock when the media player is engaged with the bay for playing the multimedia streams of the media player on the speaker of the dock when the dock is not disposed in the receptacle.

12. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the receptacle of the computer extends into the computer from a face, the dock defines a surface, and the surface of the dock is flush with the face of the computer when the dock is engaged with the receptacle of the computer.

13. A dock, comprising:

an external contour configured for reception in a receptacle of a computer;

a connector electrically contacting a connector of the computer when the dock is operably disposed within the receptacle; and

an internal bay configured for reception of a media player therein, the internal bay having an internal media player connector electrically engaging a connector on the media player when the media player is operably disposed within the bay, wherein when the dock is operably disposed within the receptacle and the media player is operably disposed within the bay, a battery of the media player can be charged by the computer and multimedia streams from the media player can be played on a speaker of the computer.

14. The dock of claim 13, comprising the media player.

15. The dock of claim 13, comprising the computer.

16. The dock of claim 15, comprising the media player.

17. The dock of claim 13, wherein the receptacle of the computer extends into the computer from a face, the dock defines a surface, and the surface of the dock is flush with the face of the computer when the dock is engaged with the receptacle of the computer.

18. The dock of claim 13, wherein when the dock is not engaged with the receptacle of the computer, the dock communicates with a processor of the computer through a link.

19. The dock of claim 13, wherein the computer can charge a battery of the dock when the dock is engaged with the receptacle.

20. The dock of claim 13, wherein the dock includes at least one speaker, and the media player is electrically connected to the speaker in the dock when the media player is operably engaged with the bay for playing the multimedia streams of the media player on the speaker of the dock when the dock is not operably disposed in the receptacle.

21. A method for playing an multimedia stream, comprising:

advancing a media player into a bay of a dock, the media player configured for storing multimedia streams;

advancing the dock into a receptacle of a computer having at least one speaker; and

executing logic to automatically recognize the presence of the media player to facilitate playing an multimedia stream from the media player on the speaker of the computer.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising advancing the dock into the receptacle until a surface of the dock is flush with a face of the computer.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising automatically synchronizing the media player with the computer.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising copying an multimedia stream from the computer onto the media player only if the computer determines that the media player is authorized to receive the stream.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising charging a battery of the media player from the computer.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising playing an multimedia stream from the media player on a speaker of the dock when the dock is not operably engaged with the computer.

27. A system, comprising:

a video device including a video display; and

a portable computer coupled to the video device, the computer including a built-in computer display, wherein

the video device can present a different display on the video device display than what is presented on the built-in computer display.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the video device includes its own processor and storage apart from a processor of the computer, and thus may display data from its own internal storage.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the video device displays data stored within the computer.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the video device is affixed to the computer by a mechanical rigid coupling.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the video device wirelessly communicates with the computer.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the video device communicates with the computer over an electrical cord.