Wireless provision of audio content

• US 7,116,939 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kandler, Gershon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/832,654
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/11.1, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/3.01, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 701/214
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Apparatus for in-vehicle provision of audio content to a listener. The apparatus includes a cellular telephone adapted to receive broadcast radio content over a wireless network, and an in-vehicle audio system adapted to be fixedly installed in a vehicle, and coupled to receive the broadcast radio content from the cellular telephone, and to play the content in the vehicle.

Claims

1. Apparatus for in-vehicle provision of audio content to a listener, comprising:

a cellular telephone adapted to receive broadcast radio content over a wireless network; and

an in-vehicle audio system, adapted to be fixedly installed in a vehicle, and coupled to receive the broadcast radio content from the cellular telephone, and to play the content in the vehicle,

wherein the broadcast radio content received over the wireless network is user-selected, and

wherein the audio system is adapted to receive, from a user, an input comprising at least one detail regarding the broadcast radio content to be received, and to transmit the at least one detail to the cellular telephone, and

wherein the audio system comprises a radio receiver fixedly installed in the vehicle and comprising a button on a front panel of the receiver, and wherein the user presses the button on the front panel in order to provide the input.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to receive the broadcast radio content over the wireless network at a time when the radio content is not being broadcast over radio channels.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to receive the broadcast radio content over the wireless network at a location where the radio content cannot be received over radio channels.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to receive from a user, an input comprising at least one detail regarding the broadcast radio content to be received, and to transmit the at least one detail to a content provider over the wireless network.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the input comprises a verbal input.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the cellular telephone comprises buttons, and wherein the input comprises contacting the buttons.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the in-vehicle audio system can function as a radio independent of the cellular phone, and is adapted to receive, as the input, at least one identification detail of the radio station to which the radio is tuned.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one identification detail is selected from the group consisting of radio station name, radio station ID code, radio station broadcast frequency, and radio station URL.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one identification detail is stored in a memory in the cellular telephone.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the wireless network is the Internet and the cellular telephone is WAP enabled.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone communicates with the wireless network using a packet-oriented cellular protocol.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the wireless network is a GSM network and the packet-oriented cellular protocol is General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the wireless link uses a Bluetooth communication protocol.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to transfer the audio content to the in-vehicle audio system via a wireless link therebetween.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to transfer the audio content to the in-vehicle audio system via a wired link therebetween.

16. Apparatus for storing user radio station preferences, comprising:

a cellular telephone, having a memory; and

an in-vehicle audio system, adapted to be fixedly installed in a vehicle and to play broadcast radio content therein, and adapted to receive, from a user, at least one identification detail regarding a radio station preferred by the user, and to transmit the at least one detail to the cellular telephone for storage in the memory,

wherein the audio system comprises a radio receiver fixedly installed in the vehicle and comprising a button on a front panel of the receiver, and wherein the user presses the button on the front panel in order to provide the at least one identification detail.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to transmit the at least one detail of the preferred radio station to another in-vehicle audio system.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the other in-vehicle audio system is adapted to receive the at least one detail from the cellular telephone and, responsive thereto, to receive and play broadcast radio content from the preferred radio station.

19. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the cellular telephone is adapted to receive broadcast radio content from the preferred radio station over a wireless network, and

the other in-vehicle audio system is coupled to receive the broadcast radio content from the cellular telephone, and to play the content in the vehicle.

20. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the at least one identification detail comprises at least one detail selected from the group consisting of radio station name, radio station ID code, radio station broadcast frequency, and radio station URL.

21. A method for the in-vehicle provision of audio content to a listener, the method comprising:

selecting broadcast radio content to be download by receiving a user input via an in-vehicle audio system of at least one detail regarding the broadcast radio content to be downloaded, and transmitting the at least one detail to a content provider over the wireless network;

downloading the broadcast radio content over a wireless network to a cellular telephone;

transferring the content from the cellular telephone to the in-vehicle audio system; and

playing the content on the in-vehicle audio system to the listener,

wherein the audio system comprises a radio receiver fixedly installed in the vehicle and comprising a button on a front panel of the receiver, and wherein receiving the user input comprises sensing actuation by the user of the button on the front panel in order to provide the input.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the step of downloading content over the wireless network is performed at a time when the content is not being broadcast over radio channels.

23. A method according to claim 21 wherein the step of downloading content over the wireless network is performed at a location where the content can not be received over radio channels.

24. A method according to claim 21 wherein the audio system functions as a radio independent of the cellular phone, and the at least one detail comprises at least one identification detail of the radio station to which the radio is tuned.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the at least one detail is stored in a memory in the cellular telephone.

26. A method according to claim 21 wherein the wireless network is the Internet and the cellular telephone is WAP enabled.

27. A method according to claim 21 wherein the cellular telephone communicates with the wireless network using a packet-oriented cellular protocol.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the wireless network is a GSM network and the packet-oriented cellular protocol is GPRS.

29. A method according to claim 21 wherein the content is transferred from the cellular telephone to the audio system via a wireless link therebetween.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the wireless link uses a Bluetooth communication protocol.

31. A method according to claim 21 wherein the content is transferred from the cellular telephone to the audio system via a wired link therebetween.

32. A method for storing a user'"'"'s radio station preferences, comprising:

inputting at least one identification detail regarding a radio station preferred by a user to an in-vehicle audio system;

transmitting the at least one identification detail to a cellular telephone; and

storing the at least one detail in a memory in the cellular telephone,

wherein the audio system comprises a radio receiver fixedly installed in the vehicle and comprising a button on a front panel of the receiver, and wherein inputting the at least one identification detail comprises pressing the button on the front panel in order to provide the at least one identification detail.

33. A method according to claim 32, and also comprising transmitting the stored at least one identification detail to another in-vehicle audio system.

34. A method according to claim 33, and also comprising identifying the preferred radio station from the at least one detail, and responsive thereto, receiving and playing broadcast radio content from the preferred radio station.

35. A method according to claim 32, and also comprising:

transmitting the stored at least one identification detail, over a wireless network, to an audio content provider;

identifying the preferred radio station from the at least one detail;

downloading broadcast radio content over the wireless network to the cellular telephone;

transferring the content from the cellular telephone to the in-vehicle audio system; and

playing the content on the in-vehicle audio system to a listener.

36. A method according to claim 32 wherein the at least one identification detail is selected from the group consisting of radio station name, radio station ID code, radio station broadcast frequency, and radio station URL.