System and mobile cellular telephone device for playing recorded music

• US 7,065,342 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silver Union Worldwide Limited
• Original Assignee: Gofigure LLC
• Inventors: Rolf, Devon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/721,120
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 455/185.1, 455/418, 455/3.06, 455/426.1, 455/419, 455/405, 455/406, 455/412.1, 455/566, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 704/270, 704/275, 704/219, 704/222
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

A mobile cellular telephone is used to select a music recording from a remote source, such as online music recording storage facility, and wirelessly receive the selected music recording. The received music recording is stored in a memory of the cellular telephone where it is available for playback with an audio player in the cellular telephone. Additional information, such as a title and artist associated with the music recording, is transmitted from the remote source to the cellular telephone with the music data. During playback of the music recording, the information is presented on a display of the cellular telephone. A system includes the remote music source and the mobile cellular telephone and may include an online user account via which the music recording is selected and downloaded to the cellular telephone.

Claims

1. A system for playing prerecorded music, said system comprising:

a portable, handheld wireless cellular telephone having a memory, a display a player, a microphone for voice communications, and a speaker; and

a remote storage facility, wherein said remote storage facility stores a plurality of music recordings, wherein said wireless cellular telephone is used to wirelessly select and retrieve from said remote storage facility at least one of said music recordings for complete storage of said music recording in said memory, and for playback through said speaker by said player, wherein at least one of a name of an artist who recorded said selected music recording and a title of said music recording is wirelessly transmitted from said storage facility in conjunction with said music recording and is displayed on said display of said cellular telephone in conjunction with playback of said music recording, and wherein said storage facility further comprises a personal account associated with at least one of said cellular telephone and a user of said cellular telephone, wherein at least a title of said selected and retrieved music recording is stored in said personal account.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, in combination with a vehicle, wherein said wireless cellular telephone is installed in said vehicle.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a selected music recording is wirelessly transmitted from said remote storage facility in data packets.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said data packets are transmitted via a third generation network.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said retrieved music recording is encoded in mp3 format.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one music recording stored in said memory can be played without the need to establish and maintain a communications link with said remote storage facility.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said system further makes said selected and retrieved music recording available for download to a personal computer associated with a user of said cellular telephone.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said selected and retrieved music recording is purchased from said remote storage facility.

9. A device comprising:

a processor;

an input for selecting a music recording;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving the selected music recording after it is selected with said input and for wirelessly receiving in conjunction with said music recording at least one of a name of an artist corresponding to said music recording and a title corresponding to said music recording;

a memory for storing the received music recording in an encoded format;

a buffer through which said encoded music recording is streamed;

a player for playing said encoded music recording as it is streamed through said buffer;

a display for displaying, in conjunction with play of said music recording, at least one of said name of the artist corresponding to said music recording and said title corresponding to said music recording; and

a speaker for outputting said encoded music recording as it is played, wherein said device is a wireless communications device comprising a mobile cellular telephone having voice communications capability, wherein at least one of said cellular telephone and a user thereof is associated with a personal account, wherein said personal account is for storing at least information that identifies said music recording.

10. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said music recording is encoded in mp3 format.

11. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said information that identifies said music recording comprises at least a title of said music recording.

12. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said cellular telephone further comprises a microphone as part of said voice communications capability of said cellular telephone.

13. A device for playing encoded music, said device comprising:

a processor;

an input for selecting an encoded music recording;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving the selected music recording after it is selected with said input and for wirelessly receiving in conjunction with said encoded music recording at least one of a name of an artist corresponding to said encoded music recording and a title of said encoded music recording;

a memory unit for storing said received encoded music recording;

a buffer through which said encoded music recording is streamed;

a player for playing said encoded music recording, as it is streamed through said buffer; and

a display for displaying, in conjunction with play of said encoded music recording, at least one of said name of an artist corresponding to said encoded music recording and said title of said encoded music recording, wherein said device is a mobile wireless cellular telephone having voice communications capability and functionality to wirelessly access a personal account, wherein said personal account is associated with at least one of said mobile cellular telephone and a user thereof and is for storing at least information that identifies said music recording.

14. The device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said encoded music recording is stored in mp3 format.

15. The device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said information that identifies said music recording comprises at least a title of said music recording.

16. The device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cellular telephone further comprises a microphone as part of said voice communications capability of said cellular telephone.

17. A device comprising:

a processor;

an input for selecting a music recording;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving the selected music recording after it is selected with said input and for wirelessly receiving in conjunction with said music recording at least one of the name of an artist corresponding to the selected music recording and a title of the selected music recording;

a memory for storing the received music recording;

a player for playing said music recording a display for displaying, in conjunction with play of said music recording, at least one of said name of an artist corresponding to said music recording and said title of said music recording; and

a speaker for outputting said music recording as it is played, wherein said device is a mobile cellular telephone having voice communications capability and functionality to wirelessly access a personal account, wherein said personal account is associated with at least one of said mobile cellular telephone and a user thereof and is for storing at least information that identifies said music recording.

18. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said music recording is a digital music recording.

19. The device as set forth in claim 18, wherein said music recording is encoded in an mpeg format.

20. The device as set forth in claim 19, wherein said music recording is encoded in mp3 format.

21. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said information that identifies said music recording comprises at least a title of said music recording.

22. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said memory has a plurality of music recordings stored therein.

23. The device as set forth in claim 22, wherein said input is further used for selecting for playback a one of said plurality of music recordings stored in said memory.

24. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said memory is internally located in said device.

25. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said memory is a removable memory media that is removable from said device.

26. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said music recording was downloaded to said device via a wireless cellular communications link.

27. The device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said music recording was downloaded from a remote server to said device.

28. The device as set forth in claim 27, wherein said device is part of a system including said personal account and wherein said music recording was downloaded via said personal account, located at said remote server, associated with said device or a user of said device.

29. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said cellular telephone further comprises a microphone as part of said voice communications capability of said cellular telephone.

30. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said speaker comprises a speaker that is internal to said cellular telephone.

31. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said speaker comprises headphones or an earplug.

32. A device comprising:

a processor;

an input for selecting a music recording;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving a selected music recording after it is selected with said input and for wirelessly receiving in conjunction with said music recording at least one of a name of an artist corresponding to a selected music recording and a title of a selected music recording;

a memory for storing a selected and received music recording in an encoded format;

a decoder capable of decoding the encoded format a display for displaying, in conjunction with decoding of a music recording that is stored in the memory, at least one of the name of an artist corresponding to the music recording and the title of the music recording; and

a speaker capable of audibly outputting a received music recording decoded by the decoder, wherein said device is a mobile cellular telephone having voice communications capability and functionality to wirelessly access a personal account, wherein said personal account is associated with at least one of said mobile cellular telephone and a user thereof and is for storing at least information that identifies the music recording that is selected with said cellular telephone.

33. The device as set forth in claim 32, wherein said cellular telephone further comprises a microphone as part of said voice communications capability of said cellular telephone.

34. The device as set forth in claim 32, wherein said information that identifies the music recording comprises at least a title of said music recording.

35. A device comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a receiver for receiving wireless communication signals;

a digitally encoded music recording stored in said memory, wherein said music recording was selected with said device and then wirelessly received by said receiver;

a player for playing said music recording a display, wherein at least one of a title of said music recording and the name of an artist corresponding with said music recording was wirelessly received in conjunction with said music recording and is displayed on said display in conjunction with playback of said music recording by said player; and

a speaker for outputting said music recording, wherein said device is a portable, cellular telephone sized for handheld use, wherein at least one of said cellular telephone and a user thereof is associated with a personal account in which is stored at least information that identifies said digitally encoded music recording.

36. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said at least one music recording stored in said memory can be played without the need to establish and maintain a communications link with a remote source from which said music recording was received.

37. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said music recording is a complete music recording.

38. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said information that identifies said digitally encoded music recording comprises at least a title of said music recording.

39. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said memory has a plurality of music recordings stored therein.

40. The device as set forth in claim 39, further comprising an input for selecting a one of said music recordings for playback.

41. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said memory is internally located in said device.

42. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said memory is a removable memory media that is removable from said device.

43. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said music recording was received via said personal account associated with said device or a user of said device.

44. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said speaker comprises a speaker that is internal to said device.

45. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said speaker comprises headphones or an earplug.

46. The device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said cellular telephone further comprises a microphone for voice communications.