Combined modulator and MP3 player having socket power supply adapter and/or universal connector

• US 20060214511A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scosche Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Dayan, Mervin A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/034 Portable transmitters

Abstract

A combined digital audio file player and modulator. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus comprising: an elongate housing having a distal end and a proximal end; a socket power adapter located at a distal end of the elongate housing; an interface port in the housing for receiving an external memory device; a user control panel located on the housing at or near the proximal end; a circuit located within the elongate housing and operably coupled to the socket power adapter, the interface port, and the user control panel; and the circuit comprising a processor for retrieving an audio data file stored in a digital format on an external memory device that is in operable cooperation with the interface port, a decoder for decoding the retrieved audio data files, and a transmitter for transmitting the decoded audio data files to a radio tuner. In another embodiment, the invention can be a modulator that transmits data to a radio receiver or digital tuner, comprising multiple input ports or jacks and a signal converter device to transmit the data to the radio receiver or the digital tuner. Still another embodiment of the modulator reproduces compressed audio data; the modulator comprises a housing, an apparatus in the housing to accommodate an external storage device, a mechanism for instructing the modulator to execute an operation, a processing device for reading a data file on the external storage device and a converter to transmit the data to a receiver or digital tuner.

Claims

1. A combined digital audio file player and modulator apparatus comprising:

an elongate housing having a distal end and a proximal end;

a socket power adapter located at a distal end of the elongate housing;

an interface port in the housing for receiving an external memory device;

a user control panel located on the housing at or near the proximal end;

a circuit located within the elongate housing and operably coupled to the socket power adapter, the interface port, and the user control panel; and

the circuit comprising means for retrieving an audio data file stored in a digital format on an external memory device that is in operable cooperation with the interface port, means for decoding the retrieved audio data files, and means for transmitting the decoded audio data files to a radio tuner.

2. The combined apparatus of claim 1 further:

wherein the decoding means is adapted to convert digital signals corresponding to the decoded audio data files to corresponding analog signals; and

wherein the transmitting means is adapted to convert the analog signals to corresponding radio-frequency signals.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the retrieving means is a microprocessor, the decoding means is a decoder, and the transmitting means is a radio-frequency transmitter.

4. The combined apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit further comprises a transceiver, a bus, a universal host controller, a reduced instruction set computer, and a read only memory.

5. The combined apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface port is USB port and the external memory device is USB memory device having one or more audio data files stored in an MP3 format, the combined apparatus further comprising the USB memory device in operable cooperation with the USB port.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an audio input jack in the housing, the audio input jack operably coupled to the circuit between the decoding means and the transmitting means.

7. The combined apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an external memory device in operable connection with the interface port, the memory device comprising one or more audio data files stored in a digital format.

8. The combined apparatus of claim 7 wherein the external memory device comprises a flash disk or drive, flash card, secure data flash card, pen drive, CD, magnetic disk, mini-disk, magneto-optical disk, SRAM, E²PROM, DVD, multimedia memory card, secure digital card, memory stick, CompactFlash card, SecureDigital card or SmartMedia card.

9. The combined apparatus of claim 7 wherein the circuit is programmed to (i) retrieve one of the audio files from the external memory device upon receiving a user command from the user control panel;

(ii) convert the retrieved audio file to a corresponding digital signal;

(iii) transmit the digital signal to the decoding means;

(iv) decode and convert the digital signal to a corresponding analog signal;

(v) transmit the analog signal to the transmitting means; and

(vi) transmit the analog signal as a corresponding radio frequency signal.

10. The combined apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit further comprises means for selecting a frequency at which the transmitting means will transmit the decoded audio signal, the housing further comprising means for indicating a selected frequency.

11. The combined apparatus of claim 10 wherein the selecting means is a channel select logic unit and the indicating means is an LED or digital display.

12. The combined apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proximal end of the housing flares outwardly so as to form a substantially planar front surface, at least a portion of the user control panel being located on the substantially planar surface.

13. The combined apparatus of claim 12 wherein the housing comprises a first portion pivotally connected to a second portion, the first portion containing the distal end and the second portion containing the proximal end.

14. The combined apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

an audio input jack located in a side of the second portion of the housing, the audio input jack operably coupled to the circuit between the decoding means and the transmitting means; and

wherein the interface port is located on a bottom of the second portion of the housing.

15. The combined apparatus of claim 1 wherein the a socket power adapter is a cigarette lighter power adapter.

16. The combined apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an audio input jack located in a side of the housing, the audio input jack operably coupled to the circuit between the decoding means and the transmitting means; and

wherein the interface port is located on a bottom of the housing.

17. The combined apparatus of claim 1 further:

wherein the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion containing the distal end and the second portion containing the proximal end;

wherein the first portion of the housing is generally cylindrical in shape and approximately 1 to 3 inches in length;

wherein the proximal end of the housing flares outwardly so as to form a substantially planar front surface, the user control panel being located on the substantially planar surface, the substantially planar front surface having a generally oval shape.

18. The combined apparatus of claim 17 wherein first portion is pivotally connected to a second portion.

19. The combined apparatus of claim 18 further:

wherein the circuit further comprises means for selecting a frequency at which the transmitting means will transmit the decoded audio signal; and

wherein the substantially planar surface comprises means for indicating a selected frequency.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an audio input jack in the housing, the audio input jack operably coupled to the circuit between the decoding means and the transmitting means;

an external memory device in operable connection with the interface port, the memory device comprising one or more audio data files stored in a digital format.

wherein the decoding means is adapted to convert digital signals corresponding to the decoded audio data files to corresponding analog signals;

wherein the transmitting means is adapted to convert the analog signals to corresponding radio-frequency signals;

wherein the retrieving means is a microprocessor, the decoding means is a decoder, and the transmitting means is a radio-frequency transmitter.

wherein the circuit further comprises a transceiver, a bus, a universal host controller, a reduced instruction set computer, and a read only memory.

wherein the interface port is USB port and the external memory device is USB memory device having one or more audio data files stored in an MP3 format;

wherein the circuit is programmed to (i) retrieve one of the audio files in the MP3 format from the external memory device upon receiving a user command from the user control panel;

(ii) convert the retrieved MP3 file to a corresponding digital signal;

(iii) transmit the digital signal to the decoding means;

(iv) decode and convert the digital signal to a corresponding analog signal;

(v) transmit the analog signal to the transmitting means; and

(vi) transmit the analog signal as a corresponding radio frequency signal;

wherein the circuit further comprises means for selecting a frequency at which the transmitting means will transmit the decoded audio signal, the housing further comprising means for indicating a selected frequency;

wherein the selecting means is a channel select logic unit and the indicating means is an LED or digital display;

wherein the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion containing the distal end and the second portion containing the proximal end;

wherein the first portion of the housing is generally cylindrical in shape and approximately 1 to 3 inches in length;

wherein the proximal end of the housing flares outwardly so as to form a substantially planar front surface, at least a portion of the user control panel being located on the substantially planar surface, the substantially planar front surface having a generally oval shape;

wherein the USB port is located on a bottom of the second portion of the housing;

wherein the socket power adapter is a cigarette lighter power adapter;

wherein the audio input jack is located in a side of the second portion of the housing; and

wherein means for indicating a selected frequency is located on the substantially planar surface.

21. A modulator for transmitting data to a radio receiver or digital tuner comprising multiple input ports or jacks and a signal converter device to transmit the data to the radio receiver or the digital tuner

22. The modulator of claim 21 further comprising a processing device.

23. The modulator of claim 22 further comprising a control module.

24. The modulator of claim 23 further comprising at least one item selected from the group consisting of an external storage device interface port, a transceiver, a memory unit and a decoder unit.

25. The modulator of claim 21 wherein the modulator is electrically connected to an external storage device.

26. The modulator of claim 25 wherein the external storage device comprises a flash disk or drive, flash card, secure data flash card, pen drive, CD, magnetic disk, mini-disk, magneto-optical disk, SRAM, E²PROM, DVD, multimedia memory card, secure digital card, memory stick, CompactFlash card, SecureDigital card or SmartMedia card.

27. The modulator of claim 21 further comprising a mechanism for powering the modulator.

28. The modulator of claim 27 wherein the mechanism for powering the modulator is a battery.

29. The modulator of claim 21 further comprising a battery charging mechanism.

30. A modulator for reproducing compressed audio data comprising:

a housing;

an apparatus in the housing to accommodate an external storage device;

a mechanism for instructing the modulator to execute an operation;

a processing device for reading data in a file on the external storage device; and

a converter to transmit the data to a receiver or digital tuner.

31. The modulator of claim 30 wherein the mechanism for instructing the modulator to execute an operation comprises a control panel.

32. The modulator of claim 30 further comprising an external storage device interface port, a transceiver, a memory unit and a decoder unit.

33. The modulator of claim 30 further comprising a memory unit for storing a program for performing a system operation of the modulator.

34. The modulator of claim 30 wherein the decoder is equipped with a buffer to delay a transmission rate and adapted to decode the data under the control of the processing module.

35. The modulator of claim 30 further comprising a mechanism for powering the modulator.

36. The modulator of claim 35 wherein the mechanism for powering the modulator is a battery.

37. The modulator of claim 36 further comprising a battery charging mechanism.

38. The modulator of claim 30 wherein an external storage device is electrically connected to the modulator.

39. The modulator of claim 38 wherein the external storage device comprises a flash disk or drive, flash card, secure data flash card, pen drive, CD, magnetic disk, mini-disk, magneto-optical disk, SRAM, E²PROM, DVD, multimedia memory card, secure digital card, memory stick, CompactFlash card, SecureDigital card or SmartMedia card.

40. A modulator for transmitting data to a radio receiver or digital tuner comprising multiple input ports or jacks and a signal converter device to transmit the data to the radio receiver or the digital tuner.