Hand-held computing device with built-in disc-jockey functionality

• US 8,207,437 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 100 Milligrams Holding AB
• Original Assignee: Idebyran S AB
• Inventors: Norberg, Jonas, Runeland, Erik, Srman, Joar
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren, David S.
• Application Number:
  US11/908,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,295 Days
• Field of Search: 846/12, 846/25, 846/36, 846/52, 846/60, 846/05, 700/94, 381/119
• US Class Current: 84/605
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

A small compact easy to handle device with disc-jockey functionality is proposed, comprising a housing, loudspeaker system output means (23) for providing a loud-speaker sound output to at least one loudspeaker system, a display (13), means for 5 providing at least a first channel or at least a second channel as the loudspeaker sound output said computing device being characterized in that the housing is dimensioned to be handheld by a user and that it comprises—selection means (13) for selecting one of the first and second channel 10—control means (14, 18) comprising an input means for controlling at least one characteristic of the selected channel selected from the group of bend and play-back speed—cross-fading means (16) for cross-fading between the first and the second channel independently of the selected channel, said cross-fading means ena- 15 bling cross-fading by using one input means.

Claims

1. A hand-held computing device with built-in disc-jockey functionality, comprising:

a hand-held housing;

a loud speaker output on the housing for providing a sound output for connection to at least one loud speaker system;

a display on the housing;

at least one user manually activated channel selection input on the housing for selecting at least one of at least first and second channels;

a user manually activated mode selection input on the housing for selecting either a bend mode or a pitch mode for adjusting a bend or a pitch for the at least one channel selected by the user, said bend mode temporarily changing a playing speed of the selected channel to synchronize a beat of the selected channel to a beat of the other channel, and when there is no additional further input adjustment by the user for the bend mode the speed of the selected channel automatically returning to an original speed, and said pitch mode permanently changing a playing speed of the selected channel to a playing speed of the other channel until a new input adjustment is provided in the pitch mode for changing the pitch of the selected channel;

only one user manually activated magnitude input device on the housing for manually adjusting a magnitude of the bend or a magnitude of the pitch for the selected bend mode or pitch mode; and

only one user manually activated cross-fading input on the housing for manually adjusting a cross-fading between the first and the second channels independently of which of the channels is selected.

2. The computing device according to claim 1 further comprising a head phones output on the housing for providing a head phones sound output for connection to at least one head phone independently of the loud speaker sound output.

3. The computing device of claim 2 wherein a user manually activated head phones mode selection input is on said housing for enabling control of the head phones sound output by the magnitude input device or by the cross-fading input.

4. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein the magnitude input comprises a rotational input device on which at least one finger can be moved in a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction for controlling the magnitude.

5. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein the display illustrates the channels being selected by the channel selection input device.

6. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein the channel selection input comprises a button.

7. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein the channel selection input comprises two buttons provided for selecting the respective first and second channels.

8. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein the mode selection input comprises a button which when activated changes operation of the device from the bend mode to the pitch mode.

9. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein said cross-fading input is a device having a linear shape and is arranged to enable cross-fading from one channel to the other channel by moving one finger along the cross-fading input device.

10. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein the housing and all of said user manually-activated inputs are arranged in such a way as to enable control of all functions using one hand.

11. The computing device according to claim 1 wherein a back of the housing comprises at least one area having a high friction.

12. A method for using disk-jockey functionalities on a hand-held computing device, said device comprising

a hand-held housing,

a loud speaker output on the housing for providing a sound output for connection to at least one loud speaker system,

a display on the housing,

at least one user manually activated channel selection input on the housing,

a user manually activated mode selection input on the housing,

only one user manually activated magnitude input on the housing, and

only one user activated cross-fading input on the housing,

said method comprising the steps of:

with said channel selection input manually selecting at least one of at least first and second channels;

with said mode selection input manually selecting either a bend mode or a pitch mode for adjusting a bend or a pitch for the at least one channel selected by the user, said bend mode temporarily changing a playing speed of the selected channel to synchronize a beat of the selected channel to a beat of the other channel, and when there is no additional further input adjustment by the user for the bend mode the speed of the selected channel automatically returning to an original speed, and said pitch mode permanently changing a playing speed of the selected channel to a playing speed of the other channel until a new input adjustment is provided in the pitch mode for changing the pitch of the selected channel;

with said magnitude input manually adjusting a magnitude of the bend or a magnitude of the pitch by the user for the selected bend mode or pitch mode; and

using said cross-fading input manually adjusting a magnitude of the cross-fading between the first and the second channels independently of which of the channels is selected.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising a head phones output on the housing for providing a head phones sound output for connection to at least one head phone independently of the loud speaker sound output.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a user manually activated head phones mode selection input is on said housing for enabling control of the head phones sound output by the magnitude input or by the cross-fading input.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the magnitude input comprises a rotational input device on which at least one finger is moved in a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction for controlling the magnitude.

16. The method according to claim 12 wherein the display illustrates the channels being selected by the channel selection input.

17. The method according to claim 12 wherein the channel selection input comprises a button.

18. The method according to claim 12 wherein the channel selection input comprises two respective buttons for selecting the respective first and second channels.

19. The method according to claim 12 wherein the mode selection input comprises a button which when activated changes operation of the device from the bend mode to the pitch mode.

20. The method according to claim 12 wherein said cross-fading input is a device having a linear shape and is arranged to enable cross-fading from one channel to the other channel by moving one finger along the cross-fading input device.

21. The method according to claim 12 wherein the housing and all of said user manually-activated inputs are arranged in such a way as to enable control of all functions using one hand of the user.