Personal media player apparatus and method

• US 7,559,089 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Findaway World
• Original Assignee: Findaway World
• Inventors: Spilman, Steven J., Spilman, Lauren B., Celeste, Christopher A., Kroll, Mitchell H., Squires, Blake R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman; Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US11/220,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/005 Reproducing G11B7/0065 takes precedence

Abstract

A compact portable, self contained digital media player is provided whose content is not recordable or removable by a user. The content is playable in a high fidelity format. The binding of the content to the media player results in a significant degree of copyright protection. The compactness of the player enables binding of the player with various products. The self-contained aspect of the player enables it to be instant playable.

Claims

1. A personal media player comprising:

a user-inaccessible memory having preloaded digital content stored therein, wherein the digital content is inalterable by a user;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory;

a headphone jack coupled to the microprocessor;

a content loader interface interior to the headphone jack, wherein content to be stored in the memory is loaded into the memory via an insertion of an elongated contact into the headphone jack, making contact with the content loader interface;

a user interface, coupled to the microprocessor, adapted for receiving user input indicative of a desired manipulation of the digital content; and

a display adapted for displaying graphic information indicative of a preselected aspect of the digital content.

2. The personal media player of claim 1 further comprising bookmarking means, responsive to user input, adapted for associating a selected portion of the digital content with a bookmark.

3. The personal media player of claim 2 further comprising a bookmark recalling means, responsive to user input, adapted for actuating playback of the digital content from a position of proximity to the bookmark.

4. The personal media player of claim 3 further comprising playback speed control means, responsive to user input, adapted for actuating playback of the digital content at a speed that differs than normal playback speed.

5. The personal media player of claim 4, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is slower than normal playback speed.

6. The personal media player of claim 4, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is faster than normal playback speed.

7. The personal media player of claim 1 further comprising an equalizer means, responsive to user input, adapted for playing the digital content in accordance with a preselected equalizer mode.

8. The personal media player of claim 7 further comprising an equalizer mode selection means, responsive to user input, adapted for selecting an equalizer mode in accordance with which the equalizer means causes the digital content to be played.

9. The personal media player of claim 1, wherein the display is adapted to display first graphic information, for a predetermined period of time, indicative of a first preselected aspect of the digital content, and second graphic information, for a predetermined period of time, indicative of a second preselected aspect of the digital content.

10. The personal media player of claim 9, wherein the first preselected aspect of the digital content is at least one selected from the group consisting of battery status information, a chapter identification of a portion of digital content being played, an elapsed chapter time indicative of an amount of time that a currently being played chapter has been played, a chapter remaining time indicative of an amount of time that a currently being played chapter remains to play, information indicative of a title of a chapter currently being played, information indicative of an author of the chapter currently being played, information indicative of a current volume level, information indicative of a current equalization mode, information indicative of a playback speed, and information indicative of a bookmark.

11. A personal media player comprising:

a user-inaccessible memory having preloaded digital content stored therein, wherein the digital content is inalterable by a user;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory;

a headphone jack coupled to the microprocessor;

a content loader interface interior to the headphone jack, wherein content to be stored in the memory is loaded into the memory via an insertion of an elongated contact into the headphone jack, making contact with the content loader interface;

a user interface, coupled to the microprocessor, adapted for receiving user input indicative of a desired manipulation of the digital content;

bookmarking means, responsive to user input, adapted for associating a selected portion of the digital content with a bookmark; and

a display adapted for displaying graphic information indicative of a preselected aspect of the digital content.

12. The personal media player of claim 11 further comprising a bookmark recalling means, responsive to user input, adapted for actuating playback of the digital content from a position of proximity to the bookmark.

13. The personal media player of claim 12 further comprising playback speed control means, responsive to user input, adapted for actuating playback of the digital content at a speed that differs than normal playback speed.

14. The personal media player of claim 13, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is slower than normal playback speed.

15. The personal media player of claim 13, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is faster than normal playback speed.

16. The personal media player of claim 11 further comprising an equalizer means, responsive to user input, adapted for playing the digital content in accordance with a preselected equalizer mode.

17. The personal media player of claim 16 further comprising an equalizer mode selection means, responsive to user input, adapted for selecting an equalizer mode in accordance with which the equalizer means causes the digital content to be played.

18. The personal media player of claim 11, wherein the display is adapted to display first graphic information, for a predetermined period of time, indicative of a first preselected aspect of the digital content, and second graphic information, for a predetermined period of time, indicative of a second preselected aspect of the digital content.

19. The personal media player of claim 18, wherein the first preselected aspect of the digital content is at least one selected from the group consisting of battery status information, a chapter identification of a portion of digital content being played, an elapsed chapter time indicative of an amount of time that a currently being played chapter has been played, a chapter remaining time indicative of an amount of time that a currently being played chapter remains to play, information indicative of a title of a chapter currently being played, information indicative of an author of the chapter currently being played, information indicative of a current volume level, information indicative of a current equalization mode, information indicative of a playback speed, and information indicative of a bookmark.

20. A personal media player comprising:

a user-inaccessible memory having preloaded digital content stored therein, wherein the digital content is inalterable by a user;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory;

a headphone jack coupled to the microprocessor;

a content loader interface interior to the headphone jack, wherein content to be stored in the memory is loaded into the memory via an insertion of an elongated contact into the headphone jack, making contact with the content loader interface;

a user interface, coupled to the microprocessor, adapted for receiving user input indicative of a desired manipulation of the digital content;

playback speed control means, responsive to user input, adapted for actuating playback of the digital content at a speed that differs than normal playback speed; and

a display adapted for displaying graphic information indicative of a preselected aspect of the digital content.

21. The personal media player of claim 20, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is slower than normal playback speed.

22. The personal media player of claim 20, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is faster than normal playback speed.

23. The personal media player of claim 20, wherein the playback speed control means is adapted to actuate playback of the digital content at a speed that is faster than normal playback speed and at a speed that is slower than normal playback speed.

24. The personal media player of claim 20 further comprising bookmarking means, responsive to user input, adapted for associating a selected portion of the digital content with a bookmark.

25. The personal media player of claim 24 further comprising a bookmark recalling means, responsive to user input, adapted for actuating playback of the digital content from a position of proximity to the bookmark.

26. The personal media player of claim 20 further comprising an equalizer means, responsive to user input, adapted for playing the digital content in accordance with a preselected equalizer mode.

27. The personal media player of claim 26 further comprising an equalizer mode selection means, responsive to user input, adapted for selecting an equalizer mode in accordance with which the equalizer means causes the digital content to be played.

28. The personal media player of claim 20, wherein the display is adapted to display first graphic information, for a predetermined period of time, indicative of a first preselected aspect of the digital content, and second graphic information, for a predetermined period of time, indicative of a second preselected aspect of the digital content.

29. The personal media player of claim 28, wherein the first preselected aspect of the digital content is at least one selected from the group consisting of battery status information, a chapter identification of a portion of digital content being played, an elapsed chapter time indicative of an amount of time that a currently being played chapter has been played, a chapter remaining time indicative of an amount of time that a currently being played chapter remains to play, information indicative of a title of a chapter currently being played, information indicative of an author of the chapter currently being played, information indicative of a current volume level, information indicative of a current equalization mode, information indicative of a playback speed, and information indicative of a bookmark.