Vehicle console capable of wireless reception and transmission of audio and video data

• US 20050005298A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Tranchina, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0056 using suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41 Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

A console for a vehicle comprises an assembly housing capable of being mounted in an interior of the vehicle, a wireless receiver, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly receive audio and video data from at least one input device, a recording device, houseable in the assembly housing for recording the audio and video data received from the at least one input device, and a wireless transmitter, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio and video data to at least one receiving device.

Claims

1. A console for a vehicle, comprising:

an assembly housing capable of being mounted in an interior of the vehicle;

a wireless receiver, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly receive audio and video data from at least one input device;

a recording device, houseable in the assembly housing for recording the audio and video data received from the at least one input device; and

a wireless transmitter, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio and video data to at least one receiving device.

2. The console according to claim 1, further comprising a display device, houseable in the assembly housing and operatively coupled to at least one of the wireless receiver and the recording device for receiving at least one of the audio and video data for broadcast thereon.

3. The console according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a video cassette player (VCP), a television, a compact disk (CD) player, a digital video disk (DVD) player, a personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, a pager, a video game player, an MP3 player, a personal data assistant (PDA) and a cellular telephone.

4. The console according to claim 3, wherein the at least one input device is positioned in the vehicle.

5. The console according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a vehicle computer for transmitting information to the wireless receiver.

6. The console according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a GPS device for transmitting vehicle navigation information to the wireless receiver.

7. The console according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a computer capable of accessing a database of media files, and a digital video recorder.

8. The console according to claim 7, wherein the computer accesses the media files via a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) or a global network.

9. The console according to claim 7, wherein the at least one input device is located remote from the vehicle.

10. The console according to claim 1, wherein the recording device includes a digital video recorder.

11. The console according to claim 10, wherein the digital video recorder is capable of storing about 50 hours to about 150 hours of digital audio and video programming.

12. The console according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, an MP3 player, a personal data assistant (PDA), a digital video recorder (DVR), a satellite radio, and an AM/FM radio.

13. The console according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving device comprises a display positioned remote from the console.

14. The console according to claim 1, further comprising a browser adapted to wirelessly interact with at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

15. The console according to claim 1, wherein the audio and video data are wirelessly transmitted between the console and the at least one input or receiving devices as at least one of radio frequency (RF) signals and infrared (IR) signals.

16. The console according to claim 1, wherein the audio and video data are wirelessly transmitted between the console and the at least one input or receiving device in accordance with at least one of Bluetooth®

and 8211 techniques.

17. The console according to claim 1, further comprising signal processing facilities adapted to perform at least one of signal processing and signal conversion, with respect to the audio and video data.

18. The console according to claim 1, wherein the audio and video data include at least two media programs.

19. The console according to claim 18, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device on at least two respective frequencies.

20. The console according to claim 18, further comprising another wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits one of the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device on a first frequency and said another wireless transmitter transmits another one of the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device on a second frequency.

21. The console according to claim 18, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device in a broadcast stream.

22. The console according to claim 21, wherein selection of one of the at least two media programs is made from a menu displayed on the at least one receiving device.

23. The console according to claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is adapted to wirelessly receive audio and video data from at least one other input device while simultaneously receiving the audio and video data from the at least one input device.

24. The console according to claim 23, wherein the recording device records the audio and video data received from both the at least one input device and the at least one other input device.

25. The console according to claim 24, wherein the wireless transmitter is adapted to selectively transmit the audio and video data from either the at least one input device or the at least one other input device to the at least one receiving device.

26. The console according to claim 24, wherein the wireless transmitter is adapted to simultaneously transmit the audio and video data from the at least one input device to the at least one receiving device and the audio and video data from the at least one other input device to at least one other receiving device.

27. A console for a vehicle, comprising:

an assembly housing capable of being mounted in an interior of the vehicle;

a wireless transceiver, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly receive audio and video data from at least one input device and to wirelessly transmit the audio and video data to at least one receiving device; and

a recording device, houseable in the assembly housing for recording the audio and video data received from the at least one input device.

28. A console for a vehicle, comprising:

an assembly housing capable of being mounted in an interior of the vehicle;

a recording device, houseable in the assembly housing for recording audio and video data received from the at least one input device connected to the console via a wired connection; and

a wireless transmitter, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio and video data to at least one receiving device.

29. The console according to claim 28, further comprising a display device, houseable in the assembly housing and operatively coupled to the recording device for receiving at least one of the audio and video data for broadcast thereon.

30. The console according to claim 28, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a video cassette player (VCP), a television, a compact disk (CD) player, a digital video disk (DVD) player, a personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, a pager, a video game player, an MP3 player, a personal data assistant (PDA) and a cellular telephone.

31. The console according to claim 28, wherein the at least one input device is located external to the vehicle and comprises at least one of a computer capable of accessing a database of media files, and a digital video recorder.

32. The console according to claim 31, wherein the computer accesses the media files via a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) or a global network.

33. The console according to claim 31, wherein the at least one input device connects to the console via a distribution station.

34. The console according to claim 28, wherein the recording device includes a digital video recorder.

35. The console according to claim 28, wherein the at least one receiving device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, an MP3 player, a personal data assistant (PDA), a digital video recorder (DVR), a satellite radio, and an AM/FM radio.

36. The console according to claim 28, wherein the at least one receiving device comprises a display positioned remote from the console.

37. The console according to claim 28, further comprising signal processing facilities adapted to perform at least one of signal processing and signal conversion, with respect to the audio and video data.

38. The console according to claim 28, wherein the audio and video data include at least two media programs.

39. The console according to claim 38, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device on at least two respective frequencies.

40. The console according to claim 38, further comprising another wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits one of the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device on a first frequency and said another wireless transmitter transmits another one of the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device on a second frequency.

41. The console according to claim 38, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device in a broadcast stream.

42. The console according to claim 38, wherein the wireless transmitter is adapted to selectively transmit one of the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device.

43. The console according to claim 38, wherein the wireless transmitter is adapted to simultaneously transmit one of the at least two media programs to the at least one receiving device and another one of the at least two media programs to at least one other receiving device.