Methods of operating radio communications devices including predefined streaming times and addresses and related devices

• US 7,526,566 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Forbes, Stephen K., Ang, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack; Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/939,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/227, 709/231, 709/232, 715/738, 715/739, 715/745, 715/810, 715/864, 715/963, 715/978, 725/39, 725/106, 379/900, 379/908
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

Methods of operating radio communications devices may include accepting user input at the radio communications device of a streaming time to initiate media streaming, and accepting user input at the radio communications device of a network address of a streaming server to provide media streaming content. At the streaming time, initiating media streaming from the streaming server identified by the network address may be initiated over a radio link. Related devices are also discussed.

Claims

1. A radio communications device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive radio communications;

a user interface configured to accept user input and provide user output; and

a controller coupled to the transceiver and the user interface, the controller being configured to accept a streaming time to initiate media streaming in the future wherein the streaming time is accepted as user input through the user interface, to accept user input of a network address of a streaming server to provide media streaming content wherein the network address is accepted as user input through the user interface, and to initiate media streaming from the streaming server identified by the network address at the streaming time over a radio link so that the media streaming is received at the radio communications device through the transceiver;

wherein the controller is further configured to determine if sound is being generated at a speaker of the radio communications device responsive to the media streaming after initiating media streaming, and to default to generating a backup tone at the speaker if sound is not being generated at the speaker responsive to the media streaming.

2. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to accept selection of a calendar function from a plurality of personal organizer functions before accepting the streaming time and before accepting the network address wherein selection of the calendar function is accepted as user input through the user interface, to accept a streaming date to initiate media streaming after selection of the calendar function wherein the streaming date is accepted as user input through the user interface, to accept the streaming time after accepting selection of the calendar function, and to initiate media streaming on the streaming date at the streaming time.

3. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to provide a menu of a plurality of personal organizer functions including a calendar function before accepting the streaming time and before accepting the network address, to accept selection of the calendar function from the plurality of personal organizer functions after providing the menu of the plurality of organizer functions, to provide a menu of a plurality of calendar functions including an appointment function responsive to accepting user input selecting the calendar function, to accept selection of the appointment function after providing the menu of the plurality of calendar functions, and to accept a streaming date to initiate media streaming after accepting selection of the appointment function, wherein the streaming time is accepted after selection of the calendar function, and wherein media streaming is initiated on the streaming date at the streaming time.

4. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to accept selection of an alarm function from a plurality of personal organizer functions before accepting the streaming time and before accepting the network address, to accept the streaming time after selection of the alarm function.

5. A radio communications device according to claim 4 wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm at the streaming time, to accept user allowance to initiate media streaming, and to transmit a streaming request to the streaming server identified by the network address responsive to accepting user allowance to initiate media streaming wherein the streaming request is transmitted through the transceiver over a radio link.

6. A radio communications device according to claim 4 wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a streaming request through the transceiver to the streaming server identified by the network address at the streaming time without user intervention.

8. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a streaming request to the streaming server identified by the network address at the streaming time without user intervention.

9. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the radio communications device is turned off between accepting the network address of the streaming server and the streaming time, wherein the controller is further configured to turn the radio communications device on at the streaming time without user intervention.

10. A radio communications device according to claim 1 the controller is further configured to transmit a streaming request through the transceiver to the streaming server identified by the network address, and to receive media streaming content from the streaming server identified by the streaming request after transmitting the streaming request.

11. A radio communications device according to claim 10 wherein the controller is configured to transmit the streaming request through the transceiver according to a Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), and to receive the media streaming content through the transceiver according to a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).

12. A radio communications device according to claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to process the media streaming content and to provide the processed media streaming content as output through the user interface.

13. A radio communications device according to claim 12 wherein the controller is configured to process the media stream using a media player.

14. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the network address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address.

15. A radio communications device according to claim 14 further comprising:

an internet browser, wherein accepting user input of the network address comprises accepting user selection of the network address from a list of browser bookmarks from the browser.

16. A radio communications device according to claim 15 wherein the list of browser bookmarks comprises a filtered list of browser bookmarks for streaming servers.

17. A radio communications device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to establish a radiotelephone communication with another communications device through the transceiver.

19. A radio communications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the controller wherein the controller is further configured to broadcast audio content through the speaker responsive to the media steaming.

7. A radio communications device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive radio communications;

a user interface configured to accept user input and provide user output; and

a controller coupled to the transceiver and the user interface, the controller being configured to accept a streaming time to initiate media streaming in the future wherein the streaming time is accepted as user input through the user interface, to accept user input of a network address of a streaming server to provide media streaming content wherein the network address is accepted as user input through the user interface, and to initiate media streaming from the streaming server identified by the network address at the streaming time over a radio link so that the media streaming is received at the radio communications device through the transceiver;

wherein the controller is further configured to provide notification of scheduled media streaming through the user interface, to withhold transmission of a streaming request in the absence of user input to allow initiating media streaming after providing notification of scheduled media streaming, to accept user input through the user interface at the radio communications device to allow initiating media streaming though the user interface after providing notification of scheduled media streaming, and to transmit a streaming request through the transceiver to the streaming server identified by the network address responsive to accepting user input to allow initiating media streaming.

18. A radio communications device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive radio communications;

a user interface configured to accept user input and provide user output; and

a controller coupled to the transceiver and the user interface, the controller being configured to accept a streaming time to initiate media streaming in the future wherein the streaming time is accepted as user input through the user interface, to accept user input of a network address of a streaming server to provide media streaming content wherein the network address is accepted as user input through the user interface, and to initiate media streaming from the streaming server identified by the network address at the streaming time over a radio link so that the media streaming is received at the radio communications device through the transceiver;

wherein the controller is further configured to determine if media streaming content is being received from the streaming server after initiating media streaming, and to default to generating a backup tone at the speaker if media streaming content is not being received responsive to initiating media streaming.