Radio-like appliance for receiving information from the internet

• US 6,741,869 B1
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lehr, Ted
• Primary Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US08/989,499
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 455/4.2, 455/466, 455/426, 455/550, 379/101.01, 370/352, 370/338, 370/401, 370/355, 370/356, 348/12, 348/13, 348/7, 345/327, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]

Abstract

An internet radio provides receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet. The internet radio includes controls suitable for manipulation by human digits, a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet, an audio unit, and a processor. The processor is electrically connected to the controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit. The processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation of a first control within the controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit.

Claims

1. A radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet comprising:

a plurality of physical controls suitable for manipulation by human digits, wherein at least one physical control of the plurality of physical controls is a physical radio-like control modeled after a traditional AM/FM radio control and dedicated to a particular internet function;

a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet;

an audio unit; and

a processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the plurality of controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit and wherein the processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation or a first control within the plurality of controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit, wherein the first control is a uniform resource locator control and wherein the internet site accessed using the second instruction means corresponds to a uniform resource locator which is selected from a plurality of preselected uniform resource locators in response to the manipulation of the first control.

2. The radio of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controls includes a channel/category control.

3. The radio of claim 1, wherein the radio further comprises a display used to display an identification of the internet site accessed by the radio.

8. The radio of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controls includes a record button and wherein the processor includes fourth instruction means for recording audio data from an internet site in response to a manipulation of the record button, wherein the recorded audio data forms a selection.

9. The radio of claim 8, wherein the plurality of controls includes a rewind button and wherein the processor includes fifth instruction means for replaying a portion of the audio data from an internet site in response to a manipulation of the rewind button.

10. The radio of claim 8, wherein the plurality of buttons includes a recall button and wherein the processor includes fifth instruction means for recalling a selection in response to a manipulation of the recall button.

11. The radio of claim 10, wherein a plurality of selections have been recorded and wherein the fifth instruction means cycles through the plurality of selections in response to manipulation of the recall button.

12. The radio of claim 8, wherein the plurality of buttons includes a mark button used to mark the selection to form a marked selection for later replay and wherein the processor includes fifth instruction means for identifying the selection as a marked selection in response to a manipulation of the mark button.

13. The radio of claim 12, wherein the plurality of buttons includes a go to mark button and wherein the processor includes sixth instruction means for playing a marked selection in response to manipulation of the go to mark button.

4. A radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet comprising:

a plurality of physical controls suitable for manipulation by human digits;

a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet;

an audio unit; and

a processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the plurality of controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit and wherein the processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation or a first control within the plurality of controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit, wherein the first control is a uniform resource locator control and wherein the internet site accessed using the second instruction means corresponds to a uniform resource locator which is selected from a plurality of preselected uniform resource locators in response to the manipulation of the first control, wherein the uniform resource locator control is a dial.

5. A radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet comprising:

a plurality of physical controls suitable for manipulation by human digits, wherein at least one physical control of the plurality of physical controls is a physical radio-like control modeled after a traditional AM/FM radio control and dedicated to a particular internet radio function;

a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet;

an audio unit;

at processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the plurality of controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit and wherein the processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation of a first control within the plurality of controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit; and

a housing, wherein the plurality of controls, the audio unit, and the processor are connected to the housing, wherein the radio includes a display used to display a plurality of selections, wherein each selection within the plurality of selections represents a uniform resource locator for an internet site containing audio data, wherein the first control is used to select a selection within the plurality of selections, and wherein the processor includes fourth instruction means for accessing the selection selected using the first control.

6. A radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet comprising:

a plurality of physical controls suitable for manipulation of human digits, wherein at least one physical control of the plurality of physical controls is a mechanical radio-like control modeled after a traditional AM/FM radio control and dedicated to a particular internet radio function;

a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet;

an audio unit;

a processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the plurality of controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit and wherein the processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation of a first control within the plurality of controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit; and

a housing, wherein the plurality of controls, the audio unit, and the processor are connected to the housing, wherein the plurality of controls includes a number of controls associated with a number of uniform resource locators and fourth instruction means for accessing a particular uniform resource locator within the number of uniform resource locators in response to manipulation of a particular control, within the number of controls, associated with the particular uniform resource locator.

7. The radio of claim 6, wherein the plurality of controls includes a scan button used to scan the number of uniform resource locators and wherein the processor includes fifth instruction means for successively accessing each internet site identified by each uniform resource locator within number of uniform resource locators in response to a manipulation of the scan button.

14. An internet radio comprising:

a display panel;

a mechanical control suitable for manipulation by human digits, the mechanical control being modeled after a traditional AM/FM radio control;

a communications unit adapted to establish a communications link to an internet;

display means for displaying at least one of a plurality of audio selections on the display panel, wherein the plurality of audio selections identify audio data located in the internet;

indication means for indicating a selection of an audio selection within the plurality of audio selections;

access means for retrieving the audio data, from the internet, associated with the audio selection indicated by the indication means;

presentation means for playing the retrieved audio data; and

alteration means, responsive to manipulation of the mechanical control, for altering the indication means to indicating a selection of another audio selection.

15. The internet radio of claim 14, wherein the playing of the retrieved audio data occurs at a volume and further comprising:

a second mechanical control suitable for manipulation by human digits; and

volume control means for altering the volume in response to manipulation of the second mechanical control.

16. The internet radio of claim 14, wherein the retrieved audio data is located at a site identified by a universal resource locator.

17. The internet radio of claim 14 further comprising:

a second mechanical control suitable for manipulation by human digits; and

storage means, responsive to manipulation of the third mechanical control, for storing the retrieved audio data.

18. An internal radio comprising:

a display panel;

a mechanical control suitable for manipulation by human digits;

a communications unit adapted to establish a communications link with to an internet;

display means for displaying at least one of a plurality of audio selections on the display panel, wherein the plurality of audio selections identify audio data located in the internet;

indication means for indicating a selection of an audio selection within the plurality of audio selections;

access means for retrieving the audio data, from the internet, associated with the audio selection indicated by the indication means;

presentation means for playing the retrieved audio data;

alteration means, responsive to manipulation of the mechanical control, for altering the indication means to indicating a selection of another audio selection;

a housing, wherein the display panel, the communications unit, the display means, the indication means, the access means, the presentation means, the alteration means, and the mechanical control suitable for manipulation by human digits are connected to the housing;

a second mechanical control suitable for manipulation by human digits; and

second alteration means, responsive to manipulation of the second mechanical control, for automatically altering the indication of the audio selection, wherein a different audio selection within the plurality of audio selections is indicated each time a preselected period of time occurs.

19. A portable radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet comprising:

a plurality of physical controls suitable for manipulation by human digits, wherein at least one physical control of the plurality of physical controls is a physical radio-like control modeled after a traditional AM/FM radio control and dedicated to a particular internet radio function;

a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet;

an audio unit;

a processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the plurality of controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit and wherein the processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation of a first control within the plurality of controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit; and

a portable energy storage unit to supply electrical power for operating the portable radio, wherein the first control is a uniform resource locator control and wherein the internet site accessed by the second instruction means corresponds to a uniform resource locator selected from a plurality of preselected uniform resource locators, in response to the manipulation of the first control.

20. The portable radio of claim 19, wherein the plurality of controls includes a channel/category control.

21. The portable radio of claim 19, wherein the communications link is a wireless communications link.

22. A portable radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from internet comprising:

a plurality of physical controls suitable for manipulation by human digits;

a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet;

an audio unit;

a processor, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the plurality of controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit and wherein the processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means, for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation of a first control within the plurality of controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit; and

a portable energy storage unit to supply electrical power for operating the portable radio, wherein the first control is a uniform resource locator control and wherein the internet site accessed by the second instruction means corresponds to a uniform resource locator selected from a plurality of preselected uniform resource locators, in response to the manipulation of the first control, wherein the uniform resource locator control is a dial.