Mobile device base station for enhanced signal strength for media services

• US 7,165,725 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US11/060,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 23547201-47203, 455/3.01, 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices

Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for receiving media content at a base station for use on a portable media device. Merely by way of example, one set of embodiments provides a base station with a plurality of receivers and inputs for receiving media content. In some embodiments, media content received by the base station via a receiver and/or input may be transferred to the portable media device. In some aspects, the portable media device is a wireless phone configured to play the media content. In certain embodiments, the base station may record the received media and the recorded media may then be transferred to the portable media device. In certain embodiments, the base station may have a user interface to display media available to the base station and/or recorded on the base station.

Claims

1. A base station for a portable media device, comprising:

means for supplying power to the portable media device;

means for receiving broadcast media content to the base station; and

means for transferring the media content from the base station to the portable media device,

wherein the portable media device comprises a wireless phone operable to playback the transferred media content.

2. The base station of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving broadcast media comprises a plurality of receiving devices.

3. The base station of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving broadcast media content comprises a receiver, and a signal boosting system in operative association with the receiver.

4. The base station of claim 3, wherein the signal boosting system comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a signal booster that increases signal reception capabilities of the receiver, and an amplifier that amplifies a signal received by the receiver.

5. A base station for a portable media device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive broadcast media content;

a power port configured to provide power to the portable media device;

a tuner in communication with the receiver and configured to tune the broadcast media content; and

a communication connection in communication with the tuner and configured to communicate the broadcast media content to the portable media device.

6. The base station of claim 5, wherein the portable media device is a wireless phone configured to playback the broadcast media content.

7. The base station of claim 5, wherein the receiver comprises a plurality of receiving devices.

8. The base station as recited in claim 5, wherein:

the receiver comprises a one of a UHF antenna, a VHF antenna, an HD antenna, a Wi-Fi receiver, a WiMAX receiver and a satellite dish.

9. The base station as recited in claim 5, wherein:

the broadcast media content is broadcast over-the-air.

10. The base station as recited in claim 5, wherein:

the broadcast media content is broadcast over the Internet, and

the tuner comprises a software application configured to download the media content.

11. The base station as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a formatter in communication with the tuner and configured to format the broadcast media content.

12. The base station as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the formatter is configured to format the broadcast media content for display on a display screen on the portable media device.

13. The base station as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a decoder in communication with the tuner.

14. The base station as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the decoder is configured to digitize the broadcast media content.

15. The base station as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the decoder is configured to decode the broadcast media content.

16. The base station as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a user interface in communication with the receiver and configured to display the broadcast media content available to the base station.

17. The base station as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a processor in communication with the user interface and configured to control the base station.

18. The base station as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a browser in communication with the processor and configured to browse a network.

19. The base station as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the network is the Internet.

20. The base station as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

an interface in communication with the base station and configured to interface the base station with a computer, wherein the interface is configured to provide for control of the base station by the computer.

21. A base station for a portable media device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive broadcast media content;

a tuner in communication with the receiver and configured to tune the broadcast media content;

a recorder in communication with the tuner and configured to record the broadcast media content; and

a docking port in communication with the recorder and configured to dock the portable media device with the base station, wherein the docking port is configured to transfer the broadcast media content from the base station to the portable media device.

22. The base station of claim 21, wherein the portable media device is a wireless phone configured to play the media content.

23. The base station of claim 21, further comprising:

a display in communication with the docking port and configured to display an alert when the docking port is transferring the media content to the portable media device.

24. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the receiver comprises a one of a UHF antenna, a VHF antenna, an HD antenna, a Wi-Fi receiver, a WiMAX receiver and a satellite dish.

25. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the tuner is incorporated in the receiver.

26. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the broadcast media content is broadcast over-the-air.

27. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the broadcast media content is broadcast over the Internet, and

the tuner is configured to download the broadcast media content.

28. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the broadcast media content is a satellite broadcast.

29. The base station as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a digitizer in communication with the tuner and configured to digitize the broadcast media content.

30. The base station as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a decoder in communication with the tuner and configured to decode the broadcast media content.

31. The base station as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a formatter in communication with the tuner and configured to format the broadcast media content.

32. The base station as recited in claim 31,

wherein the formatter is configured to format the broadcast media content for display on a display screen on the portable media device.

33. The base station as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

an encoder in communication with the tuner and configured to encode the broadcast media content.

34. The base station as recited in claim 33,

wherein the encoder compresses the broadcast media content.

35. The base station as recited in claim 33,

wherein the encoder compresses the broadcast media content to a one of MPEG format, MPEG2 format, MPEG4 format, MP3 format, Windows Media 9 format and Windows Media 10 format.

36. The base station as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a user interface in communication with the receiver and configured to display the broadcast media content available to the base station.

37. The base station as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

a browser configured to browse a computer network.

38. The base station as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a user interface in communication with the recorder and configured to display the broadcast media content recorded on a one of a hard-drive in communication with the base station, a memory card in communication with the base station and a flash memory in communication with the base station.

39. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the recorder is configured to record the broadcast media content to a hard-drive.

40. The base station recited in claim 21, wherein:

the recorder is configured to record the broadcast media content to a memory card.

41. The base station recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a digital rights management system in communication with the recorder.

42. A method for obtaining broadcast media content at a base station for use on a portable media device, comprising:

supplying power to the portable media device via the base station;

receiving broadcast media content at the base station; and

transferring the media content from the base station to the portable media device;

wherein the portable media device comprises a wireless phone operable to playback the transferred media content.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

formatting the media content for display on the portable media device.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

compressing the media content prior to transferring the media content to the portable media device.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

digitizing the media content prior to transferring the media content to the portable media device.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein:

the base station is capable of receiving the broadcast media content in a plurality of different formats.

47. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

recording the transferred media content to a storage device in communication with the portable media device.

48. A method for obtaining broadcast media content at a base station for use on a portable media device, comprising:

receiving broadcast media content at the base station;

storing the broadcast media content on a storage device in communication with the base station; and

transferring the recorded media content from the base station to the portable media device,

wherein the portable media device comprises a wireless phone operable to playback the transferred media content.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein:

the storage device is a one of a hard-drive, a memory card and a flash memory.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

formatting the media content for display on the portable media device prior to storing the media content on the storage device.

51. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

compressing the media content prior to storing the media content on the storage device.

52. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

digitizing the media content prior to storing the media content on the storage device.

53. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

recording the transferred media content on the portable media device.