Internet radio player

• US 7,873,040 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephen Karlsgodt
• Original Assignee: Stephen Karlsgodt
• Inventors: KARLSGODT, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foud, Hicham B.
• Application Number:
  US11/841,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for listening to music on the internet. The apparatus includes a memory unit configured to store a plurality of internet protocol addresses of internet radio stations, a communication unit configured to communicate with one of the internet radio stations using a corresponding IP address stored in the memory, a first logic configured to request a data from one of the internet radio stations, a second logic configured to receive a digital data stream from the internet station and store the received digital data stream in a buffer, a third logic configured to decode the received digital data stream, a fourth logic configured to convert the decoded digital data stream into an analog data stream, and a service module configured to extract information regarding a song from the digital data stream and forward the extracted information to an external device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a memory unit configured to store a plurality of internet protocol addresses of a plurality of internet radio stations;

a communication unit configured to communicate with one of the internet radio stations using a corresponding IP address stored in the memory unit;

a first logic configured to request data from one of the plurality of internet radio stations;

a second logic configured to receive a digital data stream from the one of the plurality of internet stations and store the received digital data stream in a buffer;

a third logic configured to decode the received digital data stream;

a fourth logic configured to convert the decoded digital data stream into an analog data stream;

a service module configured to extract text information from the digital data stream and forward the extracted information to an external device; and

a web module coupled to the communication unit, the web module configured to accept HTTP requests from a remote client,

wherein the web module is configured to allow operational settings of the device to be changed via the remote client,

wherein the operational settings comprise on/off control, volume control, and station selection,

wherein the first logic is configured to request a data stream defined by a bit rate preference by a user via a user interface,

wherein a configuration module forwards the bit rate preference of the user to a support server that uses the bit rate preference as a search criteria for compiling a list of available internet radio stations that is downloaded to the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the service module forwards the extracted text information in response to a user request.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first logic is configured to request a data stream having a specified bit rate from one of the internet radio stations, wherein the specified bit rate is selected by a user via a user interface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the specified bit rate comprises a minimum or maximum bit rate for the data stream.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the specified bit rate comprises a bit rate range for the data stream.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the extracted information comprises a name of the song and artist.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the service module is configured to forward the extracted text information using email or text messaging.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first logic is configured to request a data stream having a specified genre from one of the internet radio stations, wherein the genre is defined by a user via a user interface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first logic is configured to request data streams from a plurality of internet radio stations having the IP addresses stored in the memory unit.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is a wireless communication unit.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a client module configured to request information on available internet radio stations from a remote server, wherein the requested information includes names and IP addresses of available internet radio stations.

12. An internet radio tuner comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with an internet radio station;

a first logic configured to request a data stream from the internet radio station;

a second logic configured to receive a digital data stream from one of the plurality of internet stations and store the received digital data stream in a buffer;

a third logic configured to decode the received digital data stream;

a fourth logic configured to convert the decoded digital data stream into an analog data stream; and

a web module coupled to the communication unit, the web module configured to accept HTTP requests from a remote client,

wherein the web module is configured to allow operational settings of the device to be changed via the remote client,

wherein the operational settings comprises volume control and station selection,

wherein the first logic is configured to request a data stream defined by a bit rate preference selected by a user via a user interface,

wherein a configuration module forwards the bit rate preference of the user to a support server that uses the bit rate preference as a search criteria for compiling a list of available internet radio stations that is downloaded to the device.

13. The tuner of claim 12, wherein the first control logic is configured to only request data streams having a specified bit rate, wherein the specified bit rate is selected by a user via a user interface.

14. The tuner of claim 13, wherein the specified bit rate comprises a bit rate range for the data stream.

15. The tuner of claim 12, futher comprising a fifth logic configured to store the received data stream in a memory unit.

16. The tuner of claim 12, wherein the first logic is configured to request data streams from one of a plurality of internet radio stations having the IP addresses stored in a memory unit.

17. The tuner of claim 12, wherein the communication unit is a wireless communication unit.

18. The tuner of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication unit is an 802.11 or WiMax interface.

19. The tuner of claim 12, further comprising:

a service module configured to extract text information regarding a song from the digital data stream and forward the extracted information to an external device in response to a user request.

20. The tuner of claim 19, wherein in the service module forwards the user request to a remote server, whereby the remote server searches for more information regarding the song.