Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02646871 2008-12-17
1854
HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND DOCKING
STATION WIRELESS SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a hand-held electronic device and docking station
system,
particularly for the wireless transmission and reception of data in the
production of sound,
most particularly music. The system does not require for the device and
station to be in
physical contact during the wireless transfer. The invention includes the
device per se and
the station per se.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic handheld devices and accessories for the wireless receipt and/or
transmission of data messaging servicing through a wireless data network are
well-known.
For example, iPod Touch and iPhone music playing devices (Registered
Trademarks of
Apple Inc.) can interface with speaker systems. Such wireless handheld music
players were
initially designed as individual music players and, as a result, came with
individual
earphones, which clearly limits who could hear the music at any one time. The
quality of
sound and the ability to download music, anywhere and at anytime has resulted
in a massive
proliferation of these devices and a new market was born.
A so-called docking station is, in its most simple form, a device that
interfaces, or
`docks', with an aforesaid handheld music device and through a communications
unit, which
in the case of the aforesaid music players use proprietary interfaces to
transfer data to a set of
speakers, such as Apple's 30-pin connector. These docking stations allow a
user to connect
their wireless music device physically to the station for the set of speakers
to play back the
music and project the audio throughout a room. This enables the music to be
heard by many
people.
However, such known music players suffer from several major problems.
One significant limitation is that the music player must be physically
connected to the
speaker system at all times when sound is to be produced, either to the
handheld mobile
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device ~er se or to a remote stationery speaker system, for example, through
the "docking
station" unit. This seriously limits the freedom of movement of the user.
Further, the functionality and utility of the music player is limited to
controlling, say,
the song choice and audio level.
Yet further, other desired tasks are suspended and put in abeyance while the
handheld
music player is playing music from the handheld device per se or on wall
speakers.
There is, therefor, a need for an improved handheld music player which allows
the
user to perform multi-tasks simultaneously and remotely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved handheld
device which
enables a user to listen to music on a remote speaker system remotely from the
handheld
devices which does not require a physical connection between the remote
speaker system and
the handheld music player.
It is a further object to provide aforesaid music player system which also
allows the
user to simultaneously perform other desired tasks.
The invention, thus, provides a multi-tasking music player system.
Thus, the present invention enables a user to wirelessly transmit and control
songs
through a Wi-Fi (internet) or cellular network.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides an electronic handheld
device
comprising
a housing;
activation on-off means;
display face;
means for receiving and transmitting data;
user controls and instructing means to enable device to perform tasks;
characterized in further comprising
device music data storage means for storing music data;
means for receiving said music data for storage in said storage means; and
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means for operably wirelessly transmitting said music data to a receiving
station.
By the term "music data" in this specification and claims is meant digital
data that
when translated results in the production of sound constituting voice and
musical notes.
The invention provides a device as hereinabove defined wherein the means for
transmitting the music data comprises means for wirelessly transmitting the
music data in a
mode selected from burst mode and continuous stream mode.
Further, the invention provides a device as hereinabove defined comprising
stored
music data.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a receiving station comprising
means for
wirelessly receiving music data from a device, as hereinabove defined; and
translation means
for translating the music data to sound.
The translation means further comprises speaker means.
The receiving station preferably comprises station music data storage means.
In a preferred aspect, the invention provides a receiving stations system
comprising a
station, as hereinabove defined, in communication with speaker means external
of said
station.
The means for receiving the music data for storage in the handset wireless
device
music data storage means, means for transmitting the stored music data to the
receiving
station and translation thereof into and/or out of storage comprises
application software.
In one embodiment, the receiving station, herein termed a docking station,
comprises
a printed circuit board (PCB) in which resides a central processor unit (CPU)
connected to
input/output peripherals.
The docking station music data application software either resides in the
docking
station to ensure a seamless experience for the user when connecting their
wireless device to
the docking station, or an external apparatus that connects to any generic
manufacturer's
docking station through industry standard composite audio cables. The latter
option offers the
invention to users who already own a docking station and do not want to buy a
completely
new one. The latter option will also be a less expensive option and slightly
more flexible as
the audio composite out can be connected to anything from televisions to
computers to
audio/video receivers.
There are three significant stages in setting up the interface connection
between the
handheld wireless device and the docking station. Firstly, music data
application software is
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installed in the handheld device. This controls the interfacing of the
wireless device and the
docking station. This can be done in numerous way, but the preferred manner is
to download
it off of the internet at a desired website provided, for example, by the
handset manufacturer
or the docking station manufacturer. After this software has been downloaded
onto the
handset wireless device, a directory, or "playlist", which contains all the
data (music) that the
user wishes to upload to the handset wireless device, is set up on the
wireless handset device.
This is preferably done by creating the playlist on a personal computer and
then
synchronizing the computer with the handset wireless device, usually through a
high-speed
means, such as, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) cable.
After the playlist has been created and downloaded onto the handset wireless
device,
the user, preferably, will either physically connect the handset wireless
device to the docking
station in order to synchronize the two apparatus and set up the wireless
connection or may
establish the connection through a webpage that allows the use to configure
the docking
station from the handheld device without the need to physically connect the
device. Once
completed, the handset wireless device is removed from the docking station and
is now ready
to play music, wirelessly, through the docking station from the retrievable
data of the wireless
handset device.
In a yet further aspect, the invention provides a music data wirelessly
transmittable
and receivable system comprising in combination a handheld device, as
hereinabove defined,
with a wirelessly receivable station as hereinabove defined. Thus, the present
invention
allows a user to overcome the shortcomings of existing music generating
systems by
removing the need to physically connect the wireless device to the docking
station when
playing music. This is done by adding wireless support to the docking station,
either by
integrating the technology directly into the docking station, or by creating a
peripheral
accessory that can interface and transfer data to existing docking stations.
The present
invention provides wireless support, and also preferably offers numerous
processes, such as,
to ensure quality of service over networks with fluctuating bandwidths; to
ensure protocols
and procedures are in place should the connection between the docking station
and the
wireless device be lost; to manage multiple wireless devices potentially
connected to the
docking station at the same time, to support multiple wireless handset
manufacturers;
notwithstanding each have different software operating systems, to minimize
wireless
handset power dissipation; and to minimize complexity of installation or use.
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The invention also provides the advantage that the wireless handset device can
remain
with the user and allow the device to, simultaneously, perform other tasks
while playing
music, such as, surfing the web, checking email, updating schedules or contact
information or
download any number of potential other applications for an virtual infinite
set of uses. In
contrast, existing current wireless devices are reduced to being simple audio
players.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better understood, a preferred embodiment
will
now be described by way of example only wherein
Fig. 1 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a handheld device
according
to the prior art;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a receiving station
with a
handheld device in a system according to the invention;
Fig. 3 is a more detailed block diagram representing the architecture of a
handheld
device according to the invention; and
Fig. 4 is a software flowchart representing the operational relationship
within and
between a handheld device and receiving station system according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a handheld device
according
to the prior art.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a receiving station
with a
handheld device in a system according to the invention.
With reference to Fig. 3, this shows the architecture of a handheld device and
receiving
station relationship shown generally as 10 having a central processing unit
and memory board
12 used to store instructions and data. A wireless modem 14 receives a
wireless signal from
the handheld device. Received data from modem 14 is sent to CPU 16 which sends
it to data
storage media 18.
Data is subsequently retrieved from storage media 18 by CPU 16 and sent to
audio
input/output subsystem 20 which is connected to speakers 22.
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Debug interface 24 is used for engineering testing. System control 26 is used
by the
manufacture to configure and set CPU 16. LED display 28 is controlled by CPU
16 to denote
when system 10 is in use. Alternate standard interface 30 permits connection
to the internet,
PS's removable storage media and the like. Smartphone docking interface 32
provides for
interface with CPU 16 when handheld device is physically remote from receiving
(docking)
station and wirelessly transferring music data to the station. This interface
32 enables the
handheld device and receiving station to be synchronized and "talk" to each
other.
Fig. 4 represents a software flowchart representing the operation relationship
within
and between a handheld device and receiving station system according to the
invention
wherein 100 is in respect of the receiving station and 200 of the handheld
device.
The software application in operation instructs CPU 16 to transfer data from
memory
to wireless modem 14 for transmission to the docking station but at the same
time allows the
CPU to perform other tasks that the user may want to initiate (ie. email, web
browsing,
gaming, etc.) because the data transfer can run in the background as it does
not require user
input. This assumes that the CPU has sufficient cycles to perform these other
tasks but this is
rarely a limitation. For example, the CPU in prior art handheld devices can
run at speeds up
to 312Mhz allowing for numerous tasks to be performed since the transfer of
data from the
memory to the wireless modem would take only a very small percentage of the
available
CPU cycles.
Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred
embodiments
of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted
to those particular
embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are
functional or
mechanical equivalence of the specific embodiments and features that have been
described
and illustrated.
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