Hand-Held Computing Device With Built-In Disc-Jockey Functionality

• US 20080205681A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 100 Milligrams Holding AB
• Original Assignee: Tonium AB
• Inventors: Norberg, Jonas, Sorman, Joar, Runeland, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 8,207,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/334
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

A small compact easy to handle device with disc-jockey functionality is proposed, comprising a housing, loudspeaker system output means (23) for providing a loud-speaker sound output to at least one loudspeaker system, a display (13), means for 5 providing at least a first channel or at least a second channel as the loudspeaker sound output said computing device being characterized in that the housing is dimensioned to be handheld by a user and that it comprises—selection means (13) for selecting one of the first and second channel 10—control means (14, 18) comprising an input means for controlling at least one characteristic of the selected channel selected from the group of bend and play-back speed—cross-fading means (16) for cross-fading between the first and the second channel independently of the selected channel, said cross-fading means ena- 15 bling cross-fading by using one input means.

Claims

1. A computing device with built-in disc-jockey functionality, comprising a housing, loudspeaker system output means for providing a loudspeaker sound output to at least one loudspeaker system

a display

means for providing at least a first channel or at least a second channel as the loudspeaker sound output

said computing device being characterized in that

the housing is dimensioned to be handheld by a user

and that it comprises

selection means for selecting one of the first and second channel by user input;

control means comprising an input means for controlling the selected channel, said control means being adapted to control at least one characteristic selected from the group of bend and play-back speed for both channels in dependence of the user input;

cross-fading means for cross-fading between the first and the second channel independently of the selected channel, said cross-fading means enabling cross-fading by using one input means.

2. A computing device according to claim 1, wherein the input means is a rotational input device on which at least one finger can be moved in a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction for controlling the at least one characteristic.

3. A computing device according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means is arranged for selecting the channel by means of the display.

4. A computing device according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means is arranged for selecting the channel by means of at least one channel selection button.

5. A computing device according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a play-back speed control mode switch for enabling play-back speed control using the input means.

6. A computing device according to claim 1, further comprising headphones output means for providing a headphones sound output to at least one headphone independently of the loudspeaker sound output, and a headphone control mode switch for enabling control of the headphones sound output by means of the control means and/or the cross-fade input device.

7. A computing device according to claim 1, wherein the cross-fade input means has a linear shape and is arranged to enable cross-fading from one channel to the other by moving one finger along the cross-fade input means.

8. A computing device according to claim 1 wherein the control means are arranged in such a way as to enable control of all functions using one hand.

9. A computing device according to claim 1, wherein the back of the computing device comprises at least one area having a high friction.

10. A method for using disc-jockey functionalities on a hand-held computing device, having a display, a control means, a cross-fade input device, and a loudspeaker system output device,

said method comprising the steps of

selecting by means of user input a first selected channel of a first and a second channel to be controlled by the control means,

activating the control means in a first or second direction to control at least one characteristic of at least a first track on the first selected channel,

selecting by means of user input a second selected channel of the first and the second channel to be controlled by the control means,

activating the control means in a first or second direction to control at least one characteristic of at least a first track on the second selected channel.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of manipulating said characteristic involves activating a rotational input means on the hand-held computing device.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising pressing a play-back speed control mode switch to enable play-back speed control using the input means.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the selection of one channel is performed by means of the display.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the selection of one channel is performed by means of at least one channel selection button.

15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising activating a headphone control mode switch to enable control of a headphone sound output independently of the loudspeaker sound output by means of the control means and/or the cross-fade input device.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein controlling the cross-fading involves touching the cross-fade input device from one side to another side to cross-fade from the first channel to the second channel.

17. A method according to claim 10, further comprising moving at least one finger on the input device in a clockwise direction to bend up a music track and moving the fingers on the input device in a counter-clockwise direction to bend down the music track.