AUDIO PLAYBACK APPARATUS, CONTROL AND USAGE METHOD FOR AUDIO PLAYBACK APPARATUS, AND MOBILE PHONE TERMINAL WITH STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20110299697A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SAWAI, Shunichiroh
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An audio playback apparatus includes an integrated circuit in which an FM reception circuit and a near field wireless communication circuit are integrated and packaged into one chip, a switch unit configured to switch between output of an audio signal supplied from the FM reception circuit and output of an audio signal supplied from the near field wireless communication circuit, and a connection terminal configured to output an audio signal selected using the switch unit and supply an FM broadcast signal received through a cable of an earphone connected to the connection terminal to the FM reception circuit. An associated method performed by the audio playback apparatus cooperates with the mobile terminal apparatus and associated method to provide a functional system.

Claims

1. An audio playback apparatus comprising:

a broadcast reception circuit configured to receive a broadcast signal;

a near field wireless communication circuit configured to communicate with a mobile terminal apparatus;

a switch that controllable switches between an audio signal supplied from the broadcast reception circuit and an audio signal supplied from the near field wireless communication circuit;

a controller configured to control the switch according a control signal from the mobile terminal apparatus conveyed via the near field wireless communication circuit; and

a connection terminal configured to electrically connect said audio playback apparatus to an external device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said broadcast reception circuit is configured to receive an FM signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

said broadcast reception circuit is also configured to receive at least one of a satellite radio signal, a digital audio broadcast signal, and a wireless Internet radio station signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said near field wireless communication circuit is configured to provide said mobile terminal apparatus with information regarding said broadcast signal received by said broadcast reception circuit to be displayed on said mobile terminal apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

said information includes one of metadata associated with programming content contained in said broadcast signal, and a signal strength of said broadcast signal as received by said broadcast reception circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said broadcast signal being a radio frequency signal coupled via an earphone device connected to said connection terminal and supplied to said broadcast reception circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said switch is user controllable via a user interface.

8. A mobile terminal apparatus comprising:

a mobile telephone communications component;

a control unit; and

a near field wireless communication circuit that is configured to communicate wirelessly with an audio playback apparatus having a broadcast reception circuit that receives a broadcast signal, wherein

said control unit issues control commands via said near filed wireless communications circuit to control a switch in said audio playback device to switch between reception of the broadcast signal and an audio signal provided by the mobile terminal apparatus via the near field wireless communication circuit, wherein

reception of said broadcast signal by said audio playback apparatus is performed without using an antenna of said mobile terminal apparatus.

9. The mobile terminal apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a display, wherein

said near field wireless communication circuit is configured to receive from said audio playback apparatus information regarding said broadcast signal received by said audio playback apparatus for presentation on said display of said mobile terminal apparatus.

10. The mobile terminal apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

said information includes one of metadata associated with programming content contained in said broadcast signal, and a signal strength of said broadcast signal as received by said audio playback apparatus.

11. The mobile terminal apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage device that includes instructions that when executed by said processor implement a portion of said control unit that interacts with said audio playback apparatus.

12. The mobile terminal apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface that provides a mechanism by which a switch in said audio playback apparatus is user controllable to switch between the broadcast signal and the audio signal.

13. A method of controlling an audio playback apparatus, comprising:

receiving a wireless broadcast signal with a broadcast reception circuit;

receiving a control instruction with a near field wireless communication circuit from a mobile terminal apparatus;

controllably switching between an audio signal supplied from the broadcast reception circuit and an audio signal supplied from the near field wireless communication circuit, said controllably switching being governed by said control instruction; and

outputting an electrical signal to an external device for conversion to an audible signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said receiving step includes receiving at least one of a FM signal, a satellite radio signal, a digital audio broadcast signal, and a wireless Internet radio station signal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing said mobile terminal apparatus with information regarding said broadcast signal received in said receiving step to be displayed on said mobile terminal apparatus, said information including one of metadata associated with programming content contained in said broadcast signal, and a signal strength of said broadcast signal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said controllably switching step includes issuing said control instruction with a user interface.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage device having instructions that when executed by a processor perform a control process for a mobile terminal connected to an audio playback apparatus, comprising:

using a near field wireless communication circuit to communicate wirelessly with an audio playback apparatus having a broadcast reception circuit that receives a broadcast signal;

providing an audio signal to the audio playback apparatus via the near field wireless communication circuit;

issuing a control command via said near filed wireless communications circuit to control a switch in said audio playback device to switch between reception of the broadcast signal and said audio signal; and

receiving said broadcast signal by said audio playback apparatus without using an antenna of said mobile terminal apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving from said audio playback apparatus information regarding said broadcast signal received by said audio playback apparatus; and

presenting said information on a display of said mobile terminal apparatus.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said information includes one of metadata associated with programming content contained in said broadcast signal, and a signal strength of said broadcast signal as received by said audio playback apparatus.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

downloading said instructions from a remote device as an application.