Cordless telephone with MP3 player capability

• US 7,702,363 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Northern Research, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Jian, Jin, Liang, Ma, Zhigang, Cao, Qinghong, Luo, Wenzhe
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US10/959,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 455/3.05, 455/426.1, 455/456.1, 455/452.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 379/374.01, 379/1.02, 379/41, 379/51, 379/67.1, 379/76.1, 379/76
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line

Abstract

A cordless telephone which allows a user to play MP3 digital audio bit stream music, a video game, either alone or with a user of another cordless telephone, using the remote handset of a cordless telephone to control the functions of the MP3 player. The cordless telephone remains usable as a typical cordless telephone with all the features and conveniences of a cordless telephone including, but not limited to, connection of a telephone call between a calling party and a called party, caller ID information, voice messaging features, etc. MP3 digital audio bit stream music may be downloaded from a remote source through, e.g., the Internet and a PC.

Claims

1. A method of integrating a digital encoded-audio bit stream player in a cordless telephone, comprising:

connecting a base unit of said cordless telephone to a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

establishing a wireless connection between a remote handset of said cordless telephone and said base unit, wherein all communications between said remote handset and said PSIN pass through said base unit;

switching said remote handset of said cordless telephone from performing as a telephony device to performing as a digital encoded-audio bit stream player;

playing digital encoded-audio bit stream music from said remote handset of a cordless telephone;

muting the digital encoded-audio bit stream music playing from said digital encoded-audio bit stream player in response to a remote handset button activation received from a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call; and

switching said remote handset of said cordless telephone from performing as a digital encoded-audio bit stream player to performing as a telephony device while the telephone call is active, wherein;

said remote handset comprises;

a digital signal processor, and

a digital-to-analog converter connected to said digital signal processor;

the step of playing digital encoded-audio bit stream music from said remote handset of the cordless telephone comprises the steps of;

the digital signal processor decoding a digital encoded-audio bit stream to produce a digital reconstructed audio signal,

the digital-to-analog converter converting the digital reconstructed audio signal to an analog audio signal, and

outputting the analog audio signal to the user;

the step of muting digital encoded-audio bit stream music playing from said digital encoded-audio bit stream player comprises the digital signal processor pausing decoding the digital encoded-audio bit stream; and

the method further comprises;

the digital signal processor receiving a telephone audio signal from the base unit,

the digital signal processor passing the telephone audio signal to the digital-to-analog converter,

the digital-to-analog converter converting the telephone audio signal to an analog audio signal, and

outputting the analog audio signal to the user.

2. The method of integrating a digital encoded-audio bit stream player in a cordless telephone according to claim 1, wherein:

said digital encoded-audio bit stream music is pre-loaded before said step of playing.

3. The method of integrating a digital encoded-audio bit stream player in a cordless telephone according to claim 2, wherein:

said digital encoded-audio bit stream music is played substantially real-time as it is received by said cordless telephone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the digital encoded-audio bit stream player is an MPEG audio player, and

the digital encoded-audio bit stream music is MP3 music.

5. Apparatus for integrating a digital encoded-audio bit stream player in a cordless telephone, comprising:

means for playing pre-loaded digital encoded-audio bit stream music from a remote handset of said cordless telephone;

means for switching a remote handset of said cordless telephone from performing as a telephony device to performing as a digital encoded-audio bit stream player;

means for connecting a base unit of said cordless telephone to a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

means for establishing a wireless connection between said remote handset of said cordless telephone and said base unit, wherein all communications between said remote handset and said PSTN pass through said base unit;

means for muting digital encoded-audio bit stream music playing from said digital encoded-audio bit stream player in response to a remote handset button activation received from a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call; and

means for switching said remote handset of said cordless telephone from performing as e-a digital encoded-audio bit stream player to performing as a telephony device while the telephone call is active, wherein;

the means for playing digital encoded-audio bit stream music from said remote handset of the cordless telephone comprises;

a digital signal processor located in the remote handset and adapted to decode a digital encoded-audio bit stream to produce a digital reconstructed audio signal, and

a digital-to-analog converter located in the remote handset and connected to said digital signal processor to convert the digital reconstructed audio signal to an analog audio signal for outputting to the user;

the means for muting digital encoded-audio bit stream music playing from said digital encoded-audio bit stream player comprises the digital signal processor, wherein;

the digital signal processor is adapted to;

pause decoding the digital encoded-audio bit stream,

receive a telephone audio signal from the base unit, and

pass the telephone audio signal to the digital-to-analog converter, and

the digital-to-analog converter is adapted to convert the telephone audio signal to an analog audio signal for outputting to the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the digital encoded-audio bit stream player is an MPEG audio player, and

the digital encoded-audio bit stream music is MP3 music.