Apparatuses and methods for streaming audio and video

• US 20140066048A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electric Mirror LLC
• Original Assignee: Electric Mirror LLC
• Inventors: Mischel, James V. Jr., Mischel, James Vernon Sr., Uhl, Michael Martin, Swedenburg, Steven M., Verme, Robert Eric, Pangan, Roger R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,686,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A wirelessly enabled content delivery apparatus includes a surface; a wireless data system and a data output interface. The surface has a front side and a back side. The wireless data system includes a wireless data module. The wireless data system is fixed to the back side of the surface. The wireless data module is configured to communicate with a user device and to receive a wireless stream of data from the user device. The data output interface is configured to receive data from the wireless data module, and the data is derived from the wireless stream of data.

Claims

1. A wirelessly enabled content delivery apparatus comprising:

a surface, the surface has a front side and a back side;

a wireless data system, the wireless data system includes a wireless data module, the wireless data system is fixed to the back side of the surface, the wireless data module is configured to communicate with a user device and to receive a wireless stream of data from the user device; and

a data output interface, the data output interface is configured to receive data from the wireless data module, wherein the data is derived from the wireless stream of data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless stream of data includes audio and the data is audio data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless stream of data includes audio and video and the data includes audio and video.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a wall divider, a piece of ceramic, and a piece of art glass.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data output interface is a speaker.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data output interface includes a video display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data module conforms to the Bluetooth communication protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user device is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a tablet computer, a computer, and a user defined device.

9. A wirelessly enabled content delivery apparatus comprising:

a surface, the surface has a front side, a back side, and a conductive layer within a thickness of the surface;

a trench, the trench is formed in the conductive layer to define a touch area, the touch area is isolated from the rest of the conductive layer;

a conductive pickup, the conductive pickup is mounted on a back side of the surface over the touch area and the conductive pickup is electrically connected to a capacitive touch controller, such that when a user touches the touch area on the front side of the surface the touch controller responds to the user'"'"'s touch;

a wireless data module, the wireless data module is fixed to the back side of the surface, the wireless data module is configured to communicate with the touch controller and a user device and to receive a wireless stream of data from the user device; and

a data output interface, the data output interface is configured to receive data from the wireless data module, wherein the data is derived from the wireless stream of data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the touch controller provides an input to a function selected from the group consisting of power cycling, pairing, volume adjustment.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wireless data module conforms to the Bluetooth communication protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the data output interface provides an audio signal output.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the touch controller provides separate inputs to power cycle, pair, and adjust volume.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data output interface includes an audio speaker.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the surface includes a layer of mirror glass.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data output interface includes a video display.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user device is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a tablet computer, a computer, and a user defined device.

18. A method to select a wirelessly enabled content delivery apparatus within a hospitality environment comprising:

associating a visual identifier with a wirelessly enabled content delivery device, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device is one of a plurality of content delivery devices deployed within a hospitality environment and each wirelessly enabled content delivery device contains a wireless data module; and

programming the wireless data module with information related to the visual identifier, so that when a user sees an indicator displayed on a user device the indicator identifies the wirelessly enabled content delivery device from a list of at least two content delivery devices from the plurality of content delivery devices.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

creating a pairing between the user device and the wirelessly enabled content delivery device by selecting the indicator from the list.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the hospitality environment is selected from the group consisting of a hotel, a motel, a bed and breakfast.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the hospitality environment is a civic center.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless data module conforms to the Bluetooth communication protocol.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the wirelessly enabled data device is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a wall divider, a piece of ceramic, and a piece of art glass.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the user device is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a tablet computer, a computer, and a user defined device.

25. A method comprising:

providing a content stream to a wirelessly enabled content delivery device from a user device;

receiving a telephone call on the user device; and

switching the content stream to the audio from the phone call being received by the user device.

26. The method claim 25, wherein the user device is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a tablet computer, a computer, and a user defined device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device includes a wireless data module.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a wall divider, a piece of ceramic, and a piece of art glass.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device includes a video display.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device provides audio from the content stream.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device includes a microphone.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the wirelessly enabled content delivery device provides audio and video from the content stream.