Apparatus for enabling perpetual recording and instant playback or storage of a time-specific portion of an audio or audio visual broadcast medium

• US 6,895,165 B2
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: SoundStarts, Inc.
• Inventors: Boys, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/143,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.5/76, H04/N00.9/79, H04/N00.5/92, 386/1, 386/45, 386/46, 386/125, 386/126, 386/94, 360/5, 360/7, 360/13, 360/15, 369/7, 369/1, 369/6, 369/84, 369/85, 369/21
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/91 Helical scan format, wherein tracks are slightly tilted with respect to tape direction, e.g. VHS, DAT, DVC, AIT or exabyte
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

A radio or television apparatus has tuning circuitry for selecting a channel from an input spectrum, an output for presenting a presentation from a selected channel, a recording apparatus having a memory with capacity for recording a fixed time duration T of the selected presentation, and adapted to make an audio record sequentially in a circular fashion, such that when the memory capacity is filled, the device continues to record, overwriting the oldest recorded information, providing thereby, at any point in time, a stored copy of time duration T immediately preceding the point in time. This innovation provides limited rewind capability for real-time data streams. In alternative embodiments add-on devices are provided for existing radios and TVs.

Claims

1. A recording device coupled with a conventional streaming audio or audio-visual media presentation device comprising:

an input port for accepting media from the media presentation device;

at least one recording mechanism associated with at least one data store facility having a memory with capacity for recording a specific time duration of the media presentation;

a user interface for controlling the function of record and for enabling functions of media transfer, store, and playback of the recorded media;

an output port for enabling throughput of the media to a speaker system and optional visual display apparatus associated with the media presentation device; and

a user input on the user interface for inserting into the recorded media at any point and in real time during the media presentation, a first flag marking the beginning of, and a second flag marking the end of the identified media portion, the flags searchable and usable as indicia for beginning a playback session of recorded media at a desired point in the recording sequence with the playback ending at a desired point in the recording sequence, or for selecting a media portion of the recorded media for permanent storage;

wherein the recording mechanism is adapted to make a sequential, continuous-loop recording of the media presentation, such that when the memory capacity is filled, the device continues to record, overwriting the oldest recorded information, providing at any point in time a stored copy of the specific time duration of the recorded media immediately preceding the point in time.

2. The recording device of claim 1 coupled with one of an RF radio or a television.

3. The recording device of claim 2 further comprising an analog to digital converter and wherein the at least one data store is a write able digital memory accepting data writes comprising digitally recorded media.

4. The recording device of claim 1 wherein the flag-set denotes one of a complete song, or a block of completed songs.

5. The recording device of claim 2 wherein coupling results in internalizing the device into the circuitry of the media presentation device.

6. A method for setting and initiating selective playback or permanent storage of media from a user-interface on a recording device coupled with a streaming audio or audio-visual media presentation device comprising steps of:

(a) initiating sequential continuous-loop recording of a specific time period of the presented media;

(b) identifying from the media presentation a specific media portion within the specific time period of the continuous-loop recording by inserting into the continuous-loop recording at any point and in real time during the media presentation, a first flag marking the beginning of, and a second flag marking the end of the identified media portion;

(c) activating a flag-set indicia from a user interface on the recording device;

(d) activating a recover indicia from the user interface of step (c), the recover operation for retrieving the flagged media; and

(e) initiating playback or media store of the flagged portion of media.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein in step (a), the recording is digital.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein in step (d) the indicia is a jogging wheel manually operated to search the flag-sets.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein in step (d) the indicia is a memory button that searches for the set flags automatically.