Mobile information apparatus that are configurable to include applications for playing audio digital content received over the internet from subscribed audio digital content service(s)

• US 9,298,407 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): HENDERSON, ESTHER BENOIT
• Application Number:
  US12/204,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,763 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 : by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 : specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A mobile information apparatus comprising of an information Pad with a touch sensitive screen includes a digital camera, and one or more wireless communication units compatible with Bluetooth® and IEEE 802.11. The information apparatus is configured for subscribing to a wireless data network for accessing the Internet and is enabled for the user to install additional software applications. The information apparatus may obtain authentication information and payment or subscription information for accessing a digital content service for receiving a selected digital content. The information apparatus may send, to a server, a pointer or reference to the selected digital content stored at a content server, and, subsequent to verifying authentication information and payment or subscription information, receive the selected digital content from the server. The digital content may be any combination of a video, an audio and/or digital document suitable for rendering at an output device.

Claims

1. A mobile information apparatus with access to audio digital content from one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the mobile information apparatus including:

a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with a user of the mobile information apparatus;

a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus;

a digital camera for taking pictures;

one or more wireless communication units having a radio frequency controller and an antenna for wireless communication, at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units is compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within the IEEE 802.11 standard of wireless protocols;

a processor;

a memory or storage unit for storing at least part of the audio digital content;

an operating system;

a wired connection to an output device for output or playing at least part of the audio digital content accessed over the Internet, the output device being associated with at least an audio output device and being a distinct device from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet; and

wherein, the mobile information apparatus is operable for;

establishing a wireless communication channel from the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers, the one or more servers being distinct devices from the mobile information apparatus and the output device;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, identity information and authentication information related to the user for enabling the user to access at least part of the audio digital content over a network that includes the Internet;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, payment or subscription information related to receiving at least part of the audio digital content from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet;

creating, at the mobile information apparatus, one or more job objects, the one or more job objects being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, and the one or more job objects including the identity information and the authentication information related to the user, and the one or more job objects including the payment or the subscription information related to receiving the audio digital content;

receiving, at the mobile information apparatus, a list of one or more references or pointers to digital content stored in at least a content server at a network node over the Internet for selection by a user of the mobile information apparatus, the content server at a network node over the Internet being a distinct device from the mobile information apparatus and the output device;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus and from the user of the mobile information apparatus a reference or pointer to a selected audio digital content from the list of one or more references or pointers to digital content stored in the content server at a network node over the Internet;

creating, at the mobile information apparatus, at least a digital content object, the digital content object being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, the digital content object including at least the reference or pointer to the selected audio digital content;

sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions over the established wireless communication channel, the one or more messages including the one or more job objects and the digital content object;

receiving output data at the mobile information apparatus from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the output data related to the selected audio digital content, and the receiving of the output data being subsequent to sending the one or more messages to the one or more servers; and

outputting, rendering, or playing at least part of the output data related to the selected audio digital content at the output device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the network further includes at least one or any combination of a local area wireless network, a wireless data network, a wireless cellular telephone network, or a wide area network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the output device includes a speaker, and the selected audio digital content includes music.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the one or more servers is operated by a service, the service is operable with more than one network node over a network that includes the Internet, or with more than one content server over a network that includes the Internet, individually or in combination.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the mobile information apparatus is further configured for:

processing or decoding, at the mobile information apparatus, at least part of the received output data; and

rendering, outputting, or playing at least part of the processed or decoded output data related to the selected audio digital content at the output device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 is further configured for providing, from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, one or more of:

quality of service information, instruction information, security information, or identification information related to the output device, individually or in any combination.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which accessing the one or more servers includes:

(1) preinstalling an application or software component at the mobile information apparatus for accessing a service;

or

(2) providing an application software at a network node that is installable by the user of the mobile information apparatus for accessing a service;

or

(3) enabling the user to install additional applications for expanding the functionalities of the mobile information for accessing the one or more servers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mobile information apparatus is embodied as a smart phone, an e-book, an Internet appliance, a digital camera, or an information Pad, individually or in any combination.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the mobile information apparatus includes an application software or software component for accessing the one or more servers, and the application software or software component being:

(1) a standalone software application, or

(2) as part of an browsing application, or

(3) an application or component that can be invoked by a browsing application, individually or in any combination.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected reference or pointer to digital content is obtained from the user via the graphical user interface and over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus by interacting over the touch sensitive screen.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the one or more messages further includes an indication of at least one of a language, a format, or a data type corresponding to the selected audio digital content, individually or in any combination.

12. A software product or application, in a non-transitory medium and stored in a memory device or a storage device at one or more servers located at a network node or stored in a memory unit or a storage unit at a mobile information apparatus, the software product or application containing instructions that are executable by a processor at a mobile information apparatus for accessing audio digital content from an audio digital content service, the audio digital content service operable, at least partly, with one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the mobile information apparatus being at least one of a smart phone or information Pad having:

a touch sensitive screen for interacting with a user,

a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus,

a digital camera for taking pictures,

one or more wireless communication units having a radio frequency controller and an antenna for wireless communication, at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units is compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within the IEEE 802.11 standard of wireless protocols,

a processing unit,

a memory or storage unit,

an operating system,

a wired connection to an audio output device for output or playing of at least part of the audio digital content, the audio output device being a distinct device from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, wherein, when the instructions of the software product or application are executed by the processing unit of the mobile information apparatus and facilitated by the operating system, the mobile information apparatus is operable for;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, identity information and authentication information related to the user for enabling the user to access the audio digital content service operated over the network that includes the Internet;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, payment or subscription information related to receiving the audio digital content from the audio digital content service operated over the network that includes the Internet;

creating, at the mobile information apparatus, one or more job objects, the one or more job objects being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, and the one or more job objects including the identity information and the authentication information related to the user, and the one or more job objects including the payment or the subscription information related to receiving the audio digital content from the audio digital content service operated over the network that includes the Internet;

obtaining, by the mobile information apparatus, a list of one or more references or pointers to audio digital content stored in a content server at a network node over the Internet, and the content server operated, at least partly, by the audio digital content service;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, a reference or pointer to a selected audio digital content from among the list of one or more references or pointers to audio digital content stored in the content server at the network node over the Internet, the reference or pointer to the selected audio digital content being selected by the user;

creating, at the mobile information apparatus, at least a digital content object, the digital content object being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network in one or multiple sessions, the digital content object including at least the reference or pointer to the selected audio digital content obtained at the mobile information apparatus;

sending, by the mobile information apparatus, one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network in one or multiple sessions, the one or more messages including the one or more job objects and the digital content object;

receiving, by the mobile information apparatus, output data from the audio digital content service operated over the network that includes the Internet, the output data related to at least part of the selected audio digital content, the selected audio digital content being retrieved from the content server at a network node over the Internet, the selected audio digital content corresponding to the reference or pointer to the selected audio digital content included in the digital content object sent from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet; and

processing or decoding, at the mobile information apparatus, at least part of the output data for output or playing at least part of the selected audio digital content.

13. The software product or application in a non-transitory medium of claim 12 wherein the output device includes at least one speaker, and the selected audio digital content includes music digital content.

14. The software product or application in a non-transitory medium of claim 12 wherein, when the instructions of the software product or application are executed by the processing unit of the mobile information apparatus and facilitated by the operating system, the mobile information apparatus is further operable for accessing the audio digital content service, and the application or software is embodied at least as one of a software application, an Internet browsing application, or a software component, individually or in any combination.

15. The software product or application in a non-transitory medium of claim 12 in which the selected reference or pointer to audio digital content is obtained from the user via the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus by interacting with the user touching the touch sensitive screen.

29. The software product or application in a non-transitory medium of claim 12 wherein, when the instructions of the software product or application are executed by the processing unit of the mobile information apparatus and facilitated by the operating system, the mobile information apparatus is further operable for rendering, outputting, or playing at least part of the processed or decoded output data related to the selected audio digital content at the output device.

16. A mobile information apparatus method for receiving, at a mobile information apparatus, audio digital content from one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the mobile information apparatus including:

a touch sensitive screen for interacting with a user,

a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus,

a digital camera for taking pictures,

one or more wireless communication units having a radio frequency controller and an antenna for wireless communication, at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units is compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within the IEEE 802.11 standard of wireless protocols,

a processor,

a memory or storage unit,

an operating system,

a wired connection to an output device, the output device being associated with at least an audio output device for output or play of at least part of the audio digital content, the output device being a distinct device from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet,

a client application stored at the memory or storage unit, the client application, when executed by the processor and facilitated by the operating system, manages configuration of the mobile information apparatus for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers, and for receiving at least part of the audio digital content from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet;

the mobile information apparatus method comprising;

establishing a wireless communication channel from the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet being distinct devices from the mobile information apparatus and the output device;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, identity information and authentication information related to the user for enabling the user to access the audio digital content over a network that includes the Internet;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, payment or subscription information related to receiving the audio digital content from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet;

creating, at the mobile information apparatus, one or more job objects, the one or more job objects being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, and the one or more job objects including the identity information and the authentication information, and the one or more job objects including the payment information or the subscription information obtained at the mobile information apparatus;

obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, a reference or pointer to the audio digital content;

creating, at the mobile information apparatus, a digital content object, the digital content object being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the digital content object including the reference or pointer to the audio digital content;

sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over the established wireless communication channel between the mobile information apparatus and the one or more servers, the one or more messages including the one or more job objects and the digital content object; and

receiving output data at the mobile information apparatus from the one or more servers subsequent to sending the one or more messages that include the one or more job objects and the digital content object from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers, the output data being related to the audio digital content, and the output data that corresponds to the reference or pointer to the audio digital content that is included in the digital content object sent from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the mobile information apparatus is configured for transmitting, through the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus, packet data over a subscribed wireless data network, the subscribed wireless data network further includes the Internet, and the subscribed wireless data network further includes at least one or any combination of a cellular wireless telephone network, a wireless data network, a local area network, and a wide area network.

18. The method of claim 16 in which the output device that is associated with at least an audio output device having at least one speaker that is wire connected to the mobile information apparatus for outputting or playing the output data associated with at least part of the audio digital content.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, are operated, at least partly, by a digital content output service, the digital content output service is operable with at least one network node, or with at least one content server, individually or in any combination.

20. The method of claim 16 in which the mobile information apparatus is embodied as a smart phone, an e-book, an Internet appliance, or an information Pad, individually or in any combination.

21. The method of claim 16 in which the audio digital content is retrieved by the one or more servers from a content server at a network node over the Internet with the pointer or reference to the audio digital content.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising selecting, at the mobile information apparatus, a selected pointer or reference to audio digital content from among a list of two or more references or pointers to audio digital content, and the selection being over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus by interacting with the user touching the touch sensitive screen, and wherein the creating of the digital content object at the mobile information apparatus includes the references or pointers to the scicctcd audio digital content selected by the user.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising the mobile information apparatus:

establishing a wired connection to the output device; and

passing at least part of the output data corresponding to at least part of the audio digital content to the output device for playing or outputting at least part of the audio digital content.

24. The method of claim 16 in which the client application is at least a browsing software application or part of a browsing software application.

25. The method of claim 16 in which outputting or playing at least part of the audio digital content includes outputting or playing music.

26. The method of claim 16 in which the output device is an output controller that is associated with at least an audio output device and the method further comprises sending, over a wired connection, at least part of the output data from the mobile information apparatus to the output controller for outputting or playing at least part of the audio digital content at the at least an audio output device.

27. The method of claim 16 in which the output device is an output controller that includes a connection to at least one audio output device, the output controller being a distinct device from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet and the mobile information apparatus, and the method further comprising:

connecting the mobile information apparatus to the output controller over a wired connection; and

transmitting to the output controller, at least part of the output data that includes audio data over the wired connection to the output controller for output or playing at least part of the audio digital content at the at least one audio output device.

28. A mobile information apparatus for receiving digital content that includes audio data from one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the mobile information apparatus comprising:

a touch sensitive screen for interacting with a user;

a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus;

a digital camera for taking pictures;

one or more wireless communication units having a radio frequency controller and an antenna for wireless communication, at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units is compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within the IEEE 802.11 standard of wireless protocols;

a processor;

a memory or storage unit;

an operating system;

a wired connection to an audio output device for output of at least part of the digital content that includes audio data, the audio output device being a distinct device from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet;

a client application or software component stored on the memory or storage unit that implements at least part of the functionalities of the mobile information apparatus for receiving digital content that includes audio data, the client application or software component facilitated by the operating system for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet; and

wherein, the mobile information apparatus is configured;

for transmitting, through the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus, data over a wireless data network, and

for installing additional application software for expanding functionality of the mobile information apparatus; and

wherein, the mobile information apparatus further comprises,

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for establishing a wireless communication channel from the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the one or more servers over the network being a distinct device from the mobile information apparatus and the audio output device;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, identity information and authentication information related to the user, the identity information and the authentication information for enabling the user to access a service over the network that includes the Internet;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, payment or subscription information related to receiving the digital content that includes audio data from the service over the network that includes the Internet;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for creating, at the mobile information apparatus, one or more job objects, the one or more job objects being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, and the one or more job objects including the identity information and the authentication information obtained at the mobile information apparatus, and the one or more job objects including the payment information or subscription information obtained at the mobile information apparatus related to receiving the digital content that includes audio data from the service over the network that includes the Internet;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, a reference or pointer to the digital content, the reference or pointer to the digital content for retrieving the digital content that includes audio data from a content server at a network node over the Internet, the content server being a distinct device from the mobile information apparatus and the audio output device;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for creating, at the mobile information apparatus, a digital content object, the digital content object being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, the digital content object including the reference or pointer to the digital content;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers in one or multiple sessions over the established wireless communication channel between the mobile information apparatus and the one or more servers, the one or more messages including the one or more job objects and the digital content object;

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for receiving output data from the one or more servers subsequent to sending the one or more messages that include the one or more job objects and the digital content object from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers, the output data is related to at least part of the digital content with audio data, and the output data corresponding to the reference or pointer to the digital content that is included in the digital content object and sent from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers; and

means, by the mobile information apparatus, for outputting or playing at least part of the output data related to digital content that includes audio data at the audio output device.