Electronic accessory for an MP3 player, and method of providing the same

• US 7,803,016 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kleemann, David, Neu, Thorben, Razo, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen; Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US11/472,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 439/569, 439/527, 439/374, 700/94, 700/95
• US Class Current: 439/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/00 Coupling devices specially adapted for supporting apparatus and having one part acting as a holder providing support and electrical connection via a counterpart which is structurally associated with the apparatus, e.g. lamp holders; Separate parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/945 Holders with built-in electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/00 Stereophonic arrangements stereophonic pick-ups H04R9/16, H04R11/12, H04R17/08, H04R19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic accessory (715) for an MP3 player comprising: (a) a body (705) having a neck (707) extending from the body, the neck having a cross-sectional dimension that is substantially less than a corresponding cross-sectional dimension of the body; (b) an electrical connector (763) located at least partially within the neck and configured to electrically connect the accessory to the MP3 player; (c) at least one electrical components (701) located at least partially within the body; and (d) a at least two electrical conductors (790) electrically coupling the electrical components to the electrical connector.

Claims

1. An electronic accessory for a digital music player, the accessory comprising:

a neck comprising a first cross-sectional dimension;

a body coupled to the neck and comprising a first cross-sectional dimension greater than the first cross-sectional dimension of the neck;

an electrical connector located at least partially within the neck and configured to electrically couple the electronic accessory to the digital music player;

at least one electrical component located at least partially within the body; and

at least two electrical conductors electrically coupling the at least one electrical component to the electrical connector;

wherein, when the electrical connector is coupled to the digital music player;

a first surface of the neck is closer than the body to a first outer surface of the digital music player;

the first surface of the neck is substantially parallel to the first outer surface of the digital music player; and

a first distance separates the digital music player from the body.

2. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the neck and at least a portion of the body comprise plastic.

3. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

when the electrical connector is connected to the digital music player, a distance between the first outer surface of the digital music player and the body is configured to accommodate a thickness of a removable case for the digital music player.

4. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the first cross-sectional dimension of the neck is smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of an opening of a removable case for the digital music player.

5. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the first cross-sectional dimension of the neck is larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the electrical connector.

6. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the neck is oval-shaped and extends outward from a top surface of the body.

7. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical connector comprises a thirty pin serial connector.

8. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein

the body comprises an external device interface.

9. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein

the body and the neck are hollow.

10. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the neck further comprises a second cross-sectional dimension substantially perpendicular to the first cross-sectional dimension of the neck;

the body further comprises a second cross-sectional dimension substantially perpendicular to the first cross-sectional dimension of the body and substantially parallel to the second cross-sectional dimension of the neck; and

the second cross-sectional dimension of the body is greater than the second cross-sectional dimension of the neck.

11. The electronic accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electrical component comprises at least one of;

a stereo receiving system for the digital music player;

or

an FM transmitter.

12. The electronic accessory of claim 1, further comprising:

a spacer comprising an opening configured to at least partially circumscribe the neck;

wherein the spacer is configured to fit between the digital music player and the body of the electronic accessory when the opening of the spacer at least partially circumscribes the neck of the electronic accessory.

13. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein:

the spacer comprises;

a first surface configured to face the first outer surface of the digital music player; and

a second surface configured to face a surface of the body of the electronic accessory;

a length of the first surface of the spacer is less than or equal to a length of the first outer surface of the digital music player; and

a length of the second surface of the spacer is less than or equal to a length of the surface of the body.

14. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein:

the spacer comprises a shape configured to conform to at least one of;

the first outer surface of the digital music player;

or

a surface of the body of the electronic accessory.

15. The electronic accessory of claim 1, further comprising

at least one of:

a switch;

a speaker;

a display;

or

a microphone.