Cordless telephone with digital audio player capability

• US 8,200,280 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bell Northern Research, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Jian, Luo, Wenzhe, Jin, Liang, Cao, Qinghong, Ma, Zhigang
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, NGHI H
• Application Number:
  US13/096,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/3.06, 455/426.1, 455/566, 379/1.02, 379/51, 379/67.1
• 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, 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 operating a cordless telephone comprising a remote handset and a base unit matched to said remote handset, the method comprising:

the remote handset playing a digital audio bit stream comprising music;

the remote handset digitally summing a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with the digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music; and

the remote handset muting said playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call;

wherein said digital audio bit stream is either (i) pre-loaded before said step of playing or (ii) played substantially real-time as it is received by said cordless telephone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

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

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

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

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

downloading said digital audio bit stream to said remote handset from a remote bit stream audio source.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

storing said downloaded digital audio bit stream in a base unit of said cordless telephone.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said remote bit stream audio source is accessible by said remote handset via an Internet.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

storing said downloaded digital audio bit stream in said remote handset of said cordless telephone.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said downloaded digital audio bit stream is stored in Flash memory in said remote handset.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said digital audio bit stream is comprised in an MPEG format.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

said MPEG format is an MP3 format.

11. A cordless telephone, comprising:

a remote handset; and

a base unit matched to said remote handset, wherein said remote handset comprises;

means for playing a digital audio bit stream comprising music;

means for digitally summing a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with a digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music; and

means for muting said playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call;

wherein said cordless telephone further comprises a means for downloading digital bit stream music to said remote handset from a remote bit stream audio source.

12. The cordless telephone according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for storing said downloaded digital bit stream music in a base unit of said cordless telephone.

13. The cordless telephone according to claim 11, wherein:

said remote bit stream audio source is accessible by said remote handset via an Internet.

14. The cordless telephone according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for decompressing MPEG formatted music into digital music samples for digital to analog output.

15. The cordless telephone according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for storing said downloaded digital bit stream music in said remote handset of said cordless telephone.

16. The cordless telephone according to claim 15, wherein:

said means for storing stores said downloaded digital bit stream music in Flash memory in said remote handset.

17. A cordless telephone, comprising:

a remote handset; and

a base unit matched to said remote handset, wherein said remote handset comprises;

a digital audio bit stream player adapted to play a digital audio bit stream comprising music;

a summer adapted to digitally sum a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with the digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music;

a means for muting the playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call, and

a memory adapted to store said digital audio bit stream, wherein said cordless telephone is adapted to pre-load said digital audio bit stream into said memory before said digital audio bit stream player plays said digital audio bit stream.

18. A cordless telephone, comprising:

a remote handset;

a base unit matched to said remote handset, wherein;

said remote handset comprises;

a digital audio bit stream player adapted to play a digital audio bit stream comprising music;

a summer adapted to digitally sum a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with the digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music; and

a means for muting the playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call;

said cordless telephone is adapted to receive said digital audio bit stream, and

said digital audio bit stream player is adapted to play said digital audio bit stream substantially real-time as it is received by said cordless telephone.