Multimedia display device

• US 7,303,282 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Dwyer, Dan, Schnelder, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): KOVAL, MELISSA J
• Application Number:
  US10/693,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 353/15, 353/19, 353/30, 353/31, 353/71, 353/119, 353/121, 353/122, 353/16, 349/5, 349/8, 349/9, 713/300, 345/2.2, 439/297, 439/237, 600/437, 404/55, 352/34, 352/40
• US Class Current: 353/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/642 Disposition of sound reproducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

A multimedia display device includes a docking station having speakers and a media drive, wherein the docking station is configured to structurally and communicatively couple an image projection device to the docking station.

Claims

1. A multimedia display device comprising:

a docking station including speakers and a media drive;

wherein said docking station is configured to selectively and releasably couple a projector to said docking station;

wherein said docking station includes a dedicated indicator that indicates when said projector is successfully coupled to said docking station; and

wherein said docking station further comprises an infrared (I/R) sensor configured to receive control commands from a remote control.

2. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said docking station further comprises an electrical interconnect.

3. The multimedia display device of claim 2, wherein said projector is coupled to said docking station through said electrical interconnect.

4. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said projector receives a video signal from said docking station via said electrical interconnect.

5. The multimedia display device of claim 4, wherein said video signal from said docking station is in synch with an audio signal output by said speakers of said docking station.

6. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said media drive comprises one of a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a recordable CD (CD-R) drive, a rewritable CD (CD-RW) drive, a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM) drive, a recordable DVD (DVD±

R) drive, a rewritable DVD (DVD±

RW) drive, a motion picture entertainment group compression format number three (MP3) drive, a DVD/CD/CDRW/MP3 combination drive, a cassette drive, a memory stick, a memory card slot, a hard disk device, or an AM/FM receiver.

7. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said control commands are delivered through said docking station to control said projector.

8. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said docking station further comprises a plurality of control buttons configured to control an operation of said docking station.

9. The multimedia display device of claim 1, further comprising a handle disposed on said docking station.

10. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said projector comprises one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a digital light processing (DLP) projector, a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) projector, a slide projector, or a film projector.

11. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said docking station further comprises:

a body; and

a cavity disposed in said body;

wherein said cavity is configured to structurally support said projector.

12. The multimedia display device of claim 11, wherein said cavity is configured to support said projector in a horizontal position.

13. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said speakers comprise two speakers configured to provide stereo sound.

14. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said speakers are round.

15. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said docking station is not a general-purpose computer.

16. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein said projector is a separate self-contained unit.

17. The multimedia display device of claim 1, wherein the docking station is configured to function as a standalone audio system when not coupled to said projector.

18. A method of coupling an image projection device to a media source comprising:

providing an independent image projection device;

providing a docking station for supporting said image projection device, said docking station comprising said media source;

selectively coupling said image projection device to said docking station by mounting said image projection device onto said docking station; and

indicating with a dedicated indicator when said image projection device is successfully coupled to said docking station; and

remotely controlling said docking station or image projection device with an infrared (I/R) remote control.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said docking station comprises an audio system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said mounting said image projection device onto said media source further comprises electrically coupling said image projection device and said media source through an electrical interconnect.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said remotely controlling said media source further comprises:

receiving an I/R signal from a remote control with a receiver of said docking station; and

communicating a command from said docking station to said image projection device in response to said received signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said command is communicated through an electrical interconnect.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said media source comprises one of a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a recordable CD (CD-R) drive, a rewritable CD (CD-RW) drive, a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM) drive, a recordable DVD (DVD±

R) drive, a rewritable DVD (DVD±

RW) drive, a motion picture entertainment group compression format number three (MP3) drive, a DVD/CD/CDRW/MP3 combination drive, a cassette drive, a memory stick, a memory card slot, a hard disk device, or an AM/FM receiver.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said coupling said image projection device to said docking station comprises coupling said image projection device in a horizontal position.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said image projection device and said docking station output synchronous video and audio signals, respectively.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein said dedicated indicator is disposed on said docking station and said method further comprises indicating with said indicator on said docking station when said image projection device and docking station are electrically connected.

27. A multimedia display device comprising:

a projection means for projecting an image; and

a housing means including audio means for producing audio signals and media generating means for generating media signals;

wherein said housing means is configured to structurally and communicatively couple said projection means, said housing means being further configured to selectively and releasably coupled with said projection means; and

control means for remotely controlling said housing means or said projection means with an infrared (I/R) remote control.

28. The multimedia display device of claim 27, wherein said housing means further comprises coupling means for electrically coupling said projection means to said housing means.

29. The multimedia display device of claim 28, wherein said coupling means is configured to electrically couple said housing means to said projection means by disposing said projection means in said housing means.

30. The multimedia display device of claim 27, wherein said projection device comprises one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a digital light processing (DLP) projector, a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) projector, a slide projector, or a film projector.

31. The multimedia display device of claim 27, wherein said audio means comprises a number of speakers.

32. The multimedia display device of claim 31, wherein at least one of said speakers is round.

33. The multimedia display device of claim 31, wherein said speakers comprise two speakers configured to provide stereo sound.

34. The multimedia display device of claim 27, wherein said media generating means comprises one of a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a recordable CD (CD-R) drive, a rewritable CD (CD-RW) drive, a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM) drive, a recordable DVD (DVD±

R) drive, a rewritable DVD (DVD±

RW) drive, a motion picture entertainment group compression format number three (MP3) drive, a DVD/CD/CDRW/MP3 combination drive, a cassette drive, a memory stick, a memory card slot, a hard disk device, or an AM/FM receiver.

35. The multimedia display device of claim 27, wherein said housing means further comprises:

a body; and

a cavity disposed in said body;

wherein said cavity is configured to structurally support said projection means.

36. The device of claim 27, wherein said housing means comprise a docking station that is not a general-purpose computer, but configured to communicate with said projection means and/or output an audio signal.

37. A system, comprising:

a projector; and

a docking station including a speaker and a media drive within a housing configured to selectively and releasably couple to said projector,

wherein said projector is further configured to receive a video signal from said media drive and to project images using said video signal, and wherein said docking station further comprises an infrared (I/R) sensor configured to receive control commands from a remote control.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said docking station includes an interface.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein said projector comprises one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a digital light processing (DLP) projector, a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) projector, a slide projector, or a film projector.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein said docking station includes an electronic coupling to a speaker outside said housing of said docking station.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein said projector is configured to receive media data from said docking station through an electrical connection included in said interface.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said electrical connection comprises one of a universal serial bus (USB), a small computer system interface (SCSI), a Bluetooth connection, an IEEE 1394 high speed serial bus, a parallel connection, a serial connection, a radio corporation of America (RCA) connector, a coaxial cable connector, a fiber optic connector, or a wireless connector.