Adapting device for a portable device

• US 7,564,678 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altec Lansing LLC (Infinity Group Holding Co. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hokari, Toshihide, Langberg, Eric Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyeon; Hae Moon
• Application Number:
  US11/143,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/686, 361/684, 361/602
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/122 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

An adapting device for adapting a first portable media player to emulate selected mechanical and electrical characteristics of a second portable media player includes a housing having first and second connectors. A signal converter is operatively connected to the first connector and the second connector for converting a first signal representing at least one command received over the second connector into a second signal representing the command to be transmitted over the first connector. A mechanical interface is configured to interconnect the second connector with an accessory device that accommodates a second portable media player having the second connector.

Claims

1. An adapting device for adapting an iPod®

Shuffle to emulate selected mechanical and electrical characteristics of an iPod having a multi-pin connector, the adapting device comprising;

a housing adapted to engage the iPod Shuffle comprising an Universal Serial Bus (USB) compatible connector and a multi-pin connector;

a power converter within the housing for converting a first charging signal received over the multi-pin connector into a second charging signal for transmission over the USB connector, the second charging signal being compatible with the iPod Shuffle; and

a mechanical interface translating a surface of the housing configured to interconnect the multi-pin connector with an accessory device that accommodates the iPod having a multi-pin connector.

2. The adapting device according to claim 1, further comprising an audio signal interconnect within the housing adapted to operatively connect an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle with the audio output of the multi-pin connector.

3. The adapting device according to claim 2, wherein an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle is output at an audio jack of the iPod Shuffle, the audio signal interconnect of the adapting device comprises an audio plug adapted to interface with the audio output jack of the iPod Shuffle.

4. The adapting device according to claim 3, the audio signal interconnect of the adapting device further comprising an audio signal converter operatively connected to the audio plug and the multi-pin connector, the audio signal converter converting the audio signal received on the audio plug into an audio signal specified for the multi-pin connector.

5. The adapting device according to claim 2, wherein an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle is output at a custom USB connector, and wherein the audio signal interconnect comprises the USB compatible connector adapted to operatively connect the custom USB connector of the iPod Shuffle.

6. The adapting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a retaining portion movably attached to the housing, and adapted to have a retaining and a non-retaining position;

wherein, the retaining portion is adapted to inhibit removal of the iPod Shuffle engaged with the USB connector of the adapting device when it is in the retaining position; and

wherein the retaining portion is adapted to permit removal of the iPod Shuffle from engagement with the USB connector of the adapting device when it is in the non-retaining position.

7. The adapting device according to claim 6, wherein the retaining portion is a locking mechanism proximate the USB connector.

8. The adapting device according to claim 6, wherein the retaining portion is movably connected to the housing, and in the retaining position, the retaining portion engages the iPod Shuffle distal from its engagement with the USB connector.

9. The adapting device according to claim 8, wherein the retaining portion is slidably connected to the housing.

10. The adapting device according to claim 8, wherein the retaining portion is rotatably connected to the housing.

11. The adapting device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical interface is located on a first surface of the housing, and the first surface of the housing has the approximate dimensions of the surface containing a multi-pin connector of a portable media player selected from the set of:

iPod mini;

iPod G3 and iPod G4.

12. The adapting device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has the approximate overall dimensions of a portable media player selected from the set of:

iPod mini;

iPod G3 and iPod G4.

13. The adapting device according to claim 1, further comprising a cavity within the housing for receiving the iPod Shuffle.

14. The adapting device according to claim 13, wherein the cavity is adapted to receive the iPod Shuffle with at least one face substantially flush with a one face of the housing.

15. The adapting device according to claim 13, wherein the housing has an outer perimeter, and the cavity is adapted to receive the iPod Shuffle so that no face is outside the outer perimeter of the housing.

16. The adapting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first control mounted on the housing and being externally accessible, the first control being selected from the group consisting of;

volume up, volume down, play, pause, skip, fast forward, reverse; and

a control interface adapted to communicate the activation of the first control to the iPod Shuffle engaged with the USB compatible connector.

17. The adapting device according to claim 16, wherein the iPod Shuffle has a second control corresponding to the first control, and wherein the control interface communicates the activation of the first control by mechanically engaging the second control.

18. The adapting device according to claim 16, wherein the iPod Shuffle has a second control corresponding to the first control, and wherein when the iPod Shuffle is engaged with the USB connector, the control interface communicates the activation of the first control by sending a command corresponding to the first control to the iPod Shuffle via the USB connector.

19. The adapting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a headset and cable adapted to interface an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle; and

a cable storage area within the housing, the cable storage area being of sufficient size to accommodate at least the majority of the cable.

20. The adapting device according to claim 16, further comprising a cable retractor within the housing adapted to retract at least the majority of the cable into the cable storage area.

21. An adapting device for adapting an iPod®

Shuffle having an audio signal output to emulate selected mechanical and electrical characteristics of an iPod having a multi-pin connector, the adapting device comprising;

a housing adapted to engage the iPod Shuffle comprising an Universal Serial Bus (USB) compatible connector and a multi-pin connector;

an audio signal interconnect within the housing adapted to operatively connect an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle with the audio output of the multi-pin connector; and

a mechanical interface translating a surface of the housing configured to interconnect the multi-pin connector with an accessory device that accommodates the iPod having the multi-pin connector.

22. The adapting device according to claim 21, wherein an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle is output at an audio jack of the iPod Shuffle, the audio signal interconnect of the adapting device comprising an audio plug adapted to interface with the audio output jack of the iPod Shuffle.

23. The adapting device according to claim 22, the audio signal interconnect of the adapting device further comprising an audio signal converter operatively connected to the audio plug and the multi-pin connector, the audio signal converter converting the audio signal received on the audio plug into an audio signal specified for the multi-pin connector.

24. The adapting device according to claim 21, wherein an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle is output at a custom USB connector, and wherein the audio signal interconnect comprises the USB compatible connector adapted to operatively connect the custom USB connector of the iPod Shuffle.

25. The adapting device according to claim 21, the audio signal interconnect further comprising an attenuator for reducing a level of an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle, the attenuator operatively connected between an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle and the audio output of the multi-pin connector.

26. The adapting device according to claim 25, the audio signal interconnect further comprising an audio level amplifier for increasing a level of an audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle, the audio level amplifier operatively connected between an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle and the audio output of the multi-pin connector.

27. The adapting device according to claim 21, wherein the mechanical interface is located on a first surface of the housing, and the first surface of the housing has the approximate dimensions of the surface containing a multi-pin connector of a portable media player selected from the set of:

iPod mini;

iPod G3 and iPod G4.

28. The adapting device according to claim 21, wherein the housing has the approximate overall dimensions of a portable media player selected from the set of:

iPod mini;

iPod G3 and iPod G4.

29. The adapting device according to claim 21, further comprising:

a first control mounted on the housing and being externally accessible, the first control being selected from the group consisting of;

volume up, volume down, play, pause, skip, fast forward, reverse; and

a control interface adapted to communicate the activation of the first control to the iPod Shuffle engaged with the USB compatible connector.

30. The adapting device according to claim 29, wherein the iPod Shuffle has a second control corresponding to the first control, and wherein the control interface communicates the activation of the first control by mechanically engaging the second control.

31. The adapting device according to claim 29, wherein the iPod Shuffle has a second control corresponding to the first control, and wherein when the iPod Shuffle is engaged with the USB connector, the control interface communicates the activation of the first control by sending a command corresponding to the first control to the iPod Shuffle via the USB connector.

32. The adapting device according to claim 21, further comprising:

a headset and cable adapted to interface an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle; and

a cable storage area within the housing, the cable storage area being of sufficient size to accommodate at least the majority of the cable.

33. The adapting device according to claim 32, further comprising a cable retractor within the housing adapted to retract at least the majority of the cable into the cable storage area.

34. An adapting device for adapting an iPod®

Shuffle to emulate selected mechanical and electrical characteristics of an iPod having a multi-pin connector, the adapting device comprising;

a housing adapted to engage the iPod Shuffle comprising an Universal Serial Bus (USB) compatible connector and a multi-pin connector;

a signal converter operatively connected to the USB compatible connector and the multi-pin connector for converting a first signal representing at least one command, the first signal being received over the multi-pin connector, into a second signal representing the at least one command to be transmitted over the USB compatible connector; and

a mechanical interface translating a surface of the housing configured to interconnect the multi-pin connector with an accessory device that accommodates the iPod having the multi-pin connector.

35. The adapting device according to claim 34, further comprising an audio signal interconnect within the housing adapted to operatively connect an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle with the audio output of the multi-pin connector.

36. The adapting device according to claim 34, a power converter within the housing for converting a first charging signal received over the multi-pin connector into a second charging signal for transmission over the USB connector, the second charging signal being compatible with the iPod Shuffle.

37. The adapting device according to claim 36, further comprising an audio signal interconnect adapted to operatively connect an analog audio signal output from the iPod Shuffle with the audio output of the multi-pin connector.