Personal media player apparatus and method

• US 7,562,394 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Findaway World
• Original Assignee: Findaway World
• Inventors: Kroll, Mitchell, Squires, Blake, Spilman, Steven, Spilman, Lauren, Celeste, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman; Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US11/029,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 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: 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: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

A compact portable, self contained digital media player is provided whose content is not recordable or removable by a user. The content is reproduced 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. Also, the binding of content enable its instant playability.

Claims

1. A personal, fixed digital content media player, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory coupled to the microprocessor, the memory being inaccessible to a user and digital content to be stored in the memory being inalterable by the user;

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the microprocessor;

a headphone jack coupled to the DAC;

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 control interface controlling operation of the player; and

a compact, handheld size casing housing the microprocessor, memory, DAC, headphone jack and control interface.

2. The media player according to claim 1, wherein high fidelity content to be stored in the memory is playable by the player in high fidelity.

3. The media player according to claim 1, further comprising:

headphones coupled to the headphone jack.

4. The media player according to claim 3, wherein the control interface is attached to the headphones.

5. The media player according to claim 1, wherein the casing is substantially wedge shaped.

6. The media player according to claim 1, wherein the casing is less than of a handheld size.

7. The media player according to claim 1, wherein the memory is an integrated circuit.

8. The media player according to claim 1, wherein the memory is part of the microprocessor.

9. The media player according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digital signal processor coupled to the microprocessor.

10. The media player according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is a digital signal processor.

11. The media player according to claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier coupled to the DAC, wherein the headphone jack is coupled to the amplifier.

12. The media player according to claim 1, further comprising:

digitized compressed audio content stored in the memory.

13. The media player according to claim 12, wherein the stored content is in a format of at least one of MP3, WAV, RA, WMA, OGG, Atrac, AAC, WMA, and WMx.

14. The media player according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display coupled to the microprocessor.

15. The media player according to claim 14, further comprising:

digitized compressed video content stored in the memory.

16. The media player according to claim 15, wherein the stored content is in a format of at least one of MPEG, JPEG, DV, WMV, and DivX.

17. The media player according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a USB interface.

18. The media player according to claim 1, further comprising:

a content loader interface in an access port within a user-removable power source compartment, wherein content is loaded into the memory via an insertion of a loader contact into the access port.

19. The media player according to claim 18, wherein the interface is a USB interface.

20. A system for loading a personal, fixed digital content media player, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory coupled to the microprocessor, the memory being inaccessible to a user and digital content to be stored in the memory being inalterable by the user;

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the microprocessor;

a headphone jack coupled to the DAC converter;

a control interface controlling operation of the player;

a compact, handheld size casing housing the microprocessor, memory, DAC, headphone jack and control interface;

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; and

a data bus coupled to the content loader interface.

21. The system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a content loader server coupled to the data bus.

22. A personal, fixed digital content media player, comprising:

processing means for processing digital information;

storage means for storing digital information, the storage means being coupled to the processing means, wherein the storage means is inaccessible to a user and digital content to be stored in the storing means is inalterable by the user;

conversion means for converting the processed digital information into analog information, the conversion means being coupled to the processing means;

coupling means for coupling the analog information to a listening means, the coupling means being coupled to the conversion means;

a loading means for loading digital information into the player, wherein the loading means is located interior to the coupling means, wherein digital information to be loaded into the storage means is loaded via physical contact of the loading means with an elongated contact through the coupling means;

control means for controlling operation of the player, the control means being coupled to the processing means; and

a covering means for enclosing the above processing, storage, conversion, coupling, and control means, the covering means being of a handheld size.

23. The media player according to claim 22, wherein high fidelity content to be stored in the storage means is playable by the player in high fidelity.

24. The media player according to claim 22, further comprising:

a listening means for listening to the analog information, the listening means being coupled to the coupling means.

25. The media player according to claim 22, wherein the control means is attached to the listening means.

26. The media player according to claim 22, wherein the covering means is substantially wedge shaped.

27. The media player according to claim 22, wherein the covering means is less than of a handheld size.

28. The media player according to claim 22, wherein the storage means is a part of the processing means.

29. The media player according to claim 22, wherein the processing means is a digital signal processing means for specially performing digital signal processing.

30. The media player according to claim 22, further comprising:

an amplifying means for amplifying signals, coupled to the conversion means, wherein the coupling means is coupled to the amplifying means.

31. The media player according to claim 22, further comprising:

decompression means for decompressing the stored information.

32. The media player according to claim 22, further comprising:

a display means for displaying a status of the player'"'"'s operation, coupled to the processing means.

33. A method assembling a personal, fixed content, digital media player, comprising the steps of:

coupling a microprocessor to a fixed memory;

coupling a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to the microprocessor;

coupling a headphone jack to the DAC;

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

coupling a control interface, controlling operation of the player to the microprocessor;

encasing the microprocessor, memory, DAC, headphone jack and control interface in a compact, handheld size casing; and

preventing the memory from being accessed by a user and preventing digital content to be stored in the memory from being altered by the user.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

enabling high fidelity content to be stored in the memory to be playable by the player in high fidelity.

35. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

coupling a headphone to the headphone jack.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the casing is substantially wedge shaped.

37. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

coupling a display to the microprocessor.

38. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

coupling a data bus to the content loading interface.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising the step of:

coupling a content loader server to the data bus.

40. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

coupling a content loading interface in an access port within a user-removable power source compartment, wherein content is loaded into the memory via an insertion of a loader contact into the access port.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising the step of:

coupling a data bus to the content loading interface.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising the step of:

coupling a content loader server to the data bus.

43. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

loading digital content into the memory.

44. The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of:

prohibiting loading of the memory with digital content by a user content loading server.

45. The method according to claim 33, wherein the memory is loaded with content prior to assembly of the player.

46. A personal, fixed digital content media player, comprising:

a single chip device capable of performing the functions of a microprocessor, memory, and digital-to-analog converter (DAC);

a headphone jack coupled to the single chip;

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 control interface controlling operation of the player; and

a compact, handheld size casing housing the single chip, headphone jack and control interface, wherein the memory is inaccessible to a user and digital content to be stored in the memory is inalterable by the user.

47. The media player according to claim 46, further comprising:

digitized compressed audio content stored in the memory.

48. The media player according to claim 47, wherein the stored content is in a format of at least one of MP3, WAV, RA, WMA, OGG, AAC, Atrac, WMA, and WMx.

49. The media player according to claim 46, further comprising:

a display coupled to the single chip.

50. The media player according to claim 46, further comprising:

digitized compressed video content stored in the memory.

51. The media player according to claim 50, wherein the stored content is in a format of at least one of MPEG, JPEG, DV, WMV, and DivX.