Wireless Portable Device for Creating and Wirelessly Transmitting Digital Audio and/or Video

• US 20110304685A1
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Khedouri, Robert K., Axelrod, Jonathan N., Price, Harold E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system and method for selecting, requesting, downloading, and playing audio and/or video data content files from an Internet-based database server. The wireless link is preferably implemented in accordance with the WiFi protocol, which allows connectivity to the Internet by being in proximity with a local base station or WiFi hotspot (i.e., publicly available local wireless access hub connected to the Internet). The portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system preferably include a security means for monitoring and blocking unauthorized use of the player apparatus and system. The player apparatus further preferably has the capability to communicate with other neighboring player apparatus for the purpose of exchanging content data files, playlists and personal messages.

Claims

1. A wireless portable device comprising:

an antenna;

an input device operative to receive audio and/or video; and

a processor in communication with the antenna and the input device, wherein the processor is operative to;

create a digital version of the audio and/or video received from the input device; and

wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video via the antenna.

2. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a microphone.

3. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a video camera.

4. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted directly from the wireless portable device to a recipient'"'"'s device.

5. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted to a network, which transmits the digital version of the audio and/or video to a recipient'"'"'s device.

6. The wireless portable device of claim 5, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted to a network, and, if a connection to the network is not available, wherein the processor is operative to wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video after a connection to the network is available.

7. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted as a digital media file in an email addressed to an email address.

8. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted as a digital media file in an instant message addressed to an instant message address.

9. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to encrypt the digital version of the audio and/or video.

10. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to compress the digital version of the audio and/or video.

11. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is limited in length.

12. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to store the digital version of the audio and/or video on the wireless portable device.

13. The wireless portable device of claim 12, wherein the stored digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted after a network connection becomes available.

14. The wireless portable device of claim 1 further comprising:

a display device; and

a touch-sensitive layer on the display device;

wherein the processor is further operative to display selection areas on the display device, wherein the selection areas are sufficiently large to be selectable via the touch-sensitive layer by a user'"'"'s fingertip.

15. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video without use of an intervening desktop or laptop computer.

16. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video without using a browser.

17. A wireless portable device comprising:

an antenna;

an input device operative to receive audio and/or video;

a display device;

a touch-sensitive layer on the display device; and

a processor in communication with the antenna, input device, display device, and touch-sensitive layer, wherein the processor is operative to;

create a digital version of the audio and/or video received from the input device;

display a plurality of selection areas on the display device, wherein each selection area is sufficiently large to be selectable via the touch-sensitive layer by a user'"'"'s fingertip;

receive an identification of a user via selection of the displayed plurality of selection areas; and

wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video as a digital media file to the user.

18. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the identification of the user comprises an email address, and wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted as a digital media file in an email addressed to the email address.

19. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the identification of the user comprises a unique identifier of the user'"'"'s wireless portable device.

20. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the identification of the user comprises a message address, and wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted as a digital media file in a message addressed to the message address.

21. The wireless portable device of claim 20, wherein the message address comprises an instant message address, and wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is wirelessly transmitted as a digital media file in an instant message addressed to the instant message address.

22. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the identification of the user is received via an application that renders a received digital media file.

23. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operative to receive a selection of a recipient'"'"'s device via selection of the displayed plurality of selection areas, and wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video directly from the wireless portable device to the recipient'"'"'s device.

24. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the input device comprises a microphone.

25. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the input device comprises a video camera.

26. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operative to encrypt the digital version of the audio and/or video.

27. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operative to compress the digital version of the audio and/or video.

28. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the digital version of the audio and/or video is limited in length.

29. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operative to store the digital version of the audio and/or video on the wireless portable device.

30. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is operative to perform the one or more of the following without use of an intervening desktop or laptop computer.

31. The wireless portable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is operative to wirelessly transmit the digital version of the audio and/or video without using a browser.