Apparatus and method for coordinated music playback in wireless ad-hoc networks

• US 7,236,739 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dedicated Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Syncronation, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Chin-Chi
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/882,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20040248601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455 411- 412, 455517-518, 455/45, 455/66.1, 4551861-1862, 455418-420, 455 901- 902, 725/86.7, 709718-719, 709/729
• US Class Current: 455/3.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention details a novel application of wireless networking and digital music technologies to achieve coordinated and synchronized music playback among peer listeners connected by wireless ad-hoc networks. Two or more listeners in local proximity allowed by short-range wireless transmission can participate and listen to the same song at the same time. Moreover, the present invention allows listeners in the transmission range to discover each other through profile matching. A high matching score may indicate similar preference or taste to a certain music style thereby easily locating mutual interests, which would not have been possible.

Claims

1. A first music listening apparatus for interactively playing music with at least one other music listening apparatus, comprising:

a random access controller for instructing a transceiver to transmit signals to one or more other apparatuses or to receive signals from one or more other apparatuses through one of a plurality of channels, wherein exchange of signals between the first apparatus and one or more apparatuses establishes a wireless ad-hoc network between apparatuses;

a profile storage and matching unit to store musical preferences of a user and to perform matching between the local profile and a received profile from a remote party;

a music playback unit that stores and plays songs; and

a transceiver connected to the random access controller for receiving and sending message over the wireless ad-hoc network and for relaying messages to the random access controller;

wherein, the first listening apparatus can synchronize playing music with the listening apparatuses other than the first listening apparatus with agreement from all parties.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display screen, for showing signatures or names or information of the other apparatus other than the listening apparatus to a user.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a list of factory-assigned signatures kept on the controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manual selector, wherein the user of the apparatus selects from the group consisting of establishing or not establishing the ad-hoc network with the other apparatus.

2. A method for sharing music between a first music playback device, and at least a second music playback device, comprising the steps of:

exchanging wireless messages between the first and the at least second music playback devices, wherein exchanging messages establishes an ad-hoc network between the first and the at least second music playback devices;

determining whether music sharing is enabled;

playing a music selection on the first music playback device; and

playing back the music selection on the at least second music playback device in synchrony with the first music playback device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ad-hoc network is established using short-range radio technologies.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining comprises exchanging a profile over the ad-hoc network wherein the profile is selected from the set consisting of information about the music stored on the music playback device transmitting the message and information about the user of the music playback device transmitting the message.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining comprises automatically matching a profile from the first music playback device and the at least second music playback device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining comprises the user of the first music playback device examining the profile from the at least second music playback device and manually selecting a choice from the set consisting of establishing the ad-hoc network and not establishing the network.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of playing comprises playing music from music stores on both the first music playback device and the at least second music playback device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of playing comprises playing music from a music store on the first music playback device that is transmitted via the ad-hoc network to the at least second music playback device.

9. A portable music listening apparatus for coordinated music playback with at least one other music listening apparatus the portable apparatus, comprising:

a music playback device;

a random access controller that communicates with the music playback device; and

a wireless transceiver that communicates with the random access controller;

wherein the random access controller supports the establishment of an ad-hoc network over the wireless transceiver with the at least one other apparatus after which a music selection being played on the music playback device is synchronously played on a music playback device of the other apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the music to be played on the apparatus and the other apparatus is stored only on the apparatus, and wherein the stored music is transmitted to the other apparatus for playing of the music on the other apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the music to be played on the apparatus and the other apparatus is stored locally on both apparatuses, and the music is played on the other apparatus from the local store subsequent to an instruction from the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of channels for communicating between the apparatus and the other apparatus, wherein the plurality of channels include at least one public channel and at least one private channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transceiver further comprises at least an advertising mode and a listening mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transceiver may listen to at least one public channel and wherein the transceiver may relay an announcement message.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a profile storage and matching unit, wherein matching of the profile on the apparatus with the profile on the other apparatus by exchanging the profile of the apparatus with the other apparatus through the wireless transceiver determines whether music is interactively played.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a selection device that the user uses to accept or reject the other apparatus other than the listening apparatus.