Wireless media device cradle

• US 7,720,439 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D-Link Systems Incorporated (D-Link Corporation)
• Original Assignee: D-Link Systems Incorporated (D-Link Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Jeff, Wang, Ah Jee, Chen, Maggie, Lambden, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/193,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20070026799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/90.1, 455/90.3, 4555561- 2, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/552.1, 455/575, 455/575.1, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for integrating a media device with a network. A media device may be connected to a cradle device to receive updates of digital content. The cradle device may be coupled to a wireless link to receive content data and/or signals.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media device;

a cradle capable of receiving said media device and comprising a wireless transceiver to communicate a content signal comprising media via a wireless link between said cradle and a device in response to a reguest from said device; and

a server capable of initiating transmission of said streamed content signal through said wireless link based, at least in part, upon data in a memory which is accessible by said server;

wherein said cradle is capable of inhibiting transmissions on said wireless link in response to at least one of a user input received at said media device and/or an undocking of said media device from said cradle, and

said media device is capable of presenting said media at a media output device in response to said content signal being received by said cradle over said wireless link.

2. A system comprising:

a media device comprising one or more mass storage devices to store content data; and

a cradle capable of receiving said media device and comprising a wireless transceiver to communicate a content signal comprising media via a wireless link between said cradle and a device in response to a reguest from said device,

wherein said cradle is capable of inhibiting transmissions on said wireless link in response to at least one of a user input received at said media device and/or an undocking of said media device from said cradle, said cradle further comprising

logic to retrieve content data from said one or more mass storage devices when said media device is in a docket state; and

one or more media output ports capable of transmitting signals to media output devices based, at least in part, on said retrieved content data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said cradle further comprises logic to transcode said retrieved content data to render said retrieved content data on one or more media output devices through said one or more media ports.

4. A media device cradle comprising:

a socket capable of receiving a media device; and

a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting, to a device, a content signal comprising media and/or receiving a content signal comprising pre-selected media from a wireless link, said transmitting and/or receiving being performed in response to a request from the device;

wherein said cradle is capable of inhibiting transmissions on said wireless link in response to at least one of a user input received at said media device and/or an undocking of said media device from said cradle, and

wherein said media device further comprises;

a socket controller to initiate a first interrupt in response to said undocking of said media device from said socket and/or detection of said user input; and

a processor and/or controller to deactivate said wireless transceiver in response to said first interrupt.

5. The media device of cradle 4, wherein said cradle is further capable of initiating said wireless link in response to at least one of a user input received at said media device and/or a docking of said media device in said socket.

6. The media device cradle of claim 5, wherein said media device further comprises:

a socket controller to initiate a second interrupt in response to said docking of said media device from said socket and/or detection of said user input; and

a processor and/or controller to activate said wireless transceiver in response to said second interrupt.

7. A method comprising:

docking a media device to a socket of a media device cradle;

initiating a wireless link coupling said media device cradle to a server in response to said docking of said media device to transmit a content signal comprising pre-selected media between said media device cradle and said server in response to a request from a device;

wherein said media device further comprises one or more mass storage device to store content data, and wherein said method further comprises synchronizing at least a portion of said content data with said server.

8. A method comprising:

hosting a media server on a media device cradle capable of receiving a media device;

docking said media device into a socket of said media device cradle, said media device comprising one or more mass storage devices to store content data;

accessing said content data by said media server in response to client requests; and

initiating a wireless link coupling said media device cradle to a remote server in response to said docking of said media device to transmit a content signal comprising pre-selected media between said media device cradle and said remote server in response to a request from a device.

9. An article comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a computing device, are adapted to enable said computing device to;

inhibit transmissions of a wireless link for transmitting a content signal comprising requested media between said media device cradle and a server in response to said undocking of said media device from said media device cradle; and

initiate said wireless link between said media device cradle and said server in response to a docking of said media device in a socket of said media device cradle.

10. An article comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a computing device, are adapted to enable said computing device to;

inhibit transmissions of a wireless link for transmitting a content signal comprising requested media between a media device cradle and a server in response to a first user input to a media device docked in said media device cradle; and

initiate said wireless link between said media device cradle and said server in response to a second user input to said media device.

11. An article comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a computing device, are adapted to enable said computing device to;

inhibit transmissions of a wireless link for transmitting a content signal comprising requested media between a media device cradle and a server in response to a user input to a media device docked in said media device cradle; and

activate a wireless transceiver in response to said user input.

12. An article comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a computing device, are adapted to enable said computing device to;

inhibit transmissions of a wireless link for transmitting a content signal comprising requested media between a media device cradle and a server in response to a first user input to a media device docked in said media device cradle; and

initiate said wireless link between said media device cradle and said server in response to a second user input to said media device.

13. A method comprising:

docking a media device to a socket of a device cradle, said media device being detachable from said device cradle and comprising one or more mass storage devices to store media content;

establishing communication between said device cradle and a remote server over a wireless link; and

synchronizing at least a portion of said requested media content with said remote server, wherein said synchronizing further comprises synchronizing selected files of said requested media content based, at least in part, on one or more predefined preferences.

14. A method comprising:

docking a media device to a socket of a device cradle, said media device being detachable from said device cradle and comprising one or more mass storage devices to store media content;

establishing communication between said device cradle and a remote server over a wireless link;

synchronizing at least a portion of said requested media content with said remote server; and

transmitting metadata between said device cradle and said remote server regarding said requested media content, and wherein said synchronizing further comprises synchronizing selected files of said requested media content based, at least in part, on said metadata.