Wireless tramsmission of media from a media player

• US 20120115414A1
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Zadesky, Stephen Paul, Filson, John Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/294,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/021 Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement

Abstract

Wireless transmission of media from a media player is provided. A handheld media player includes a storage medium for storing a plurality of media items, a user interface for selecting one or more of the media items, a playback device for playing a selected media item for a user of the handheld media player, and a wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the selected media item to one or more media devices. The wireless transmitter can be configured to wirelessly transmit the selected media item while the playback device plays the selected media item for the user of the handheld media player.

Claims

1. A handheld media player comprising:

a storage medium for storing a plurality of media items;

a user interface for selecting one or more of the media items;

a playback device for playing a selected media item for a user of the handheld media player; and

a wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the selected media item to one or more media devices, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the selected media item while the playback device plays the selected media item for the user of the handheld media player.

2. The handheld media player of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the media item using any one or more of the following:

frequency modulation (FM), radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, 802.11, ultra wide band (UWB), and infrared (IR) signals.

3. The handheld media player of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes:

a display; and

a button, dial, touch pad, or touch screen

4. The handheld media player of claim 1, wherein the storage medium includes a hard drive.

5. The handheld media player of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless receiver for receiving a media item.

6. The handheld media player of claim 5, wherein the one or more media devices include one or more other handheld media players of the same type as the handheld media player.

7. The handheld media player of claim 6, further comprising:

a means for making a request to one of the other handheld media players, the request being for a specific media item to be transmitted from the one of the other handheld media players to the handheld media player.

8. The handheld media player of claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver is an antenna that is fully contained within a housing of the handheld media player.

9. The handheld media player of claim 5, wherein the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver are part of a wireless transceiver.

10. The handheld media player of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes:

a frequency tuner for selecting one or more channels to send the media item.

11. The handheld media player of claim 10, wherein the selection of a channel provides a broadcast to any of the one or more media devices that are tuned to the selected channel.

12. The handheld media player of claim 10, wherein the selection of a channel is performed by selecting a unique address of a particular media device.

13. The handheld media player of claim 12, wherein the handheld media player is configured to store a group of unique addresses from which the user can choose to send the media item.

14. A method of wirelessly connecting a handheld media player to one or more other devices, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a media item on the handheld media player;

outputting the media item locally at the handheld media player; and

wirelessly transmitting the media item to the one or more other devices at substantially the same time the media item is output locally by the handheld media player.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a channel over which to transmit the media item, wherein wirelessly transmitting to the one or more other devices includes broadcasting the media item over the selected channel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the media item is wirelessly transmitted over any one or more channels selected from the group of a frequency modulated (FM) channel, a ultra high frequency (UHF) channel, and a very high frequency (VHF) channel.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the one or more other devices to which the media item is to be sent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein wirelessly transmitting to the one or more other devices includes sending the media item to unique addresses corresponding to the selected one or more other devices.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the media item is wirelessly transmitted using Bluetooth or 802.11.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selection of the one or more other devices is received from a list of devices, the list being displayed on the handheld media player.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the media item is a song and wherein the song is transmitted directly from the handheld media player to the one or more other devices.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more other devices include one or more other handheld media players of the same type as the handheld media player, the method further comprising:

transmitting a request to one of the other handheld media players, the request being for a specific media item to be transmitted from the one of the other handheld media players to the handheld media player.

23. A wireless media player system comprising:

a handheld media player configured to simultaneously output media locally therein and transmit the media over a wireless connection;

one or more media devices configured to receive the media over the wireless connection and to output the received media locally at the one or more media devices,

wherein the handheld media player and the one or more media devices are configured such that the media is output on the handheld media player and on the one or more media devices at the same time.

24. The wireless media player system of claim 23, wherein the handheld media player includes a transmitter, and wherein the one or more media devices include a receiver capable of receiving transmissions from the transmitter.

25. The wireless media player system of claim 23, wherein the handheld media player is configured to receive media over the wireless connection, and wherein the one or more media devices are configured to transmit media over the wireless connection.

26. The wireless media player system of claim 25, wherein the handheld media player and the one or more media devices each include a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting media therebetween.

27. The wireless media player system of claim 23, wherein the media devices are handheld media players of the same type as the handheld media player that transmits the media.

28. The wireless media player system of claim 23, wherein the handheld media player is selected from a music player, game player, video player and video camera;

and wherein the media devices are selected from other media players, desktop computers, notebook computers, PDAs, audio equipment, video equipment, peripheral devices, personal mobile radios, personal tuning devices or personal display devices.

29. The wireless media player system of claim 23, wherein the handheld media player and the one or more media devices are configured to play music, and wherein the handheld media player includes a transmitter for transmitting information over the wireless connection, the transmitter being configured to at least transmit a continuous music feed that concurrently plays on the handheld media player to the one or more media devices.

30. The wireless media player system of claim 23, wherein the handheld media player and one or more media devices each include a processor, a user interface, a storage block, input/output circuitry and a communication terminal.