Apple patent is for network connections for media processing devices
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Aug 21, 2008 at 11:40am
A new Apple patent (number 20080198870) for network connections for media processing devices has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. Media devices and systems, such as digital video and audio players, can include multiple functions and capabilities, such as playing stored content, browsing and selecting from recorded content, storing and/or receiving content selected by a user, and the like. Apple wants to group these various functions according to content types (e.g., movies, music, television programs, photos, etc.) via a media processing device.
The patent involves a media processing device that includes a wireless network interface to establish a wireless network connection and a wired network interface to establish a wired network connection. The wired network connection is established if a network is connected to the wired network interface and the wireless network connection is established if the network is disconnected from the wired network interface.
Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “Disclosed herein are systems and methods for selectively establishing a network connection between a media processing device and a network. A wired network connection is established if a wired network interface, included in the media processing device, is connected to the network. A wireless network connection is established between a wireless network interface, also included in the media processing device, and the network if the wired network interface is disconnected to the network. Addresses may be assigned to the media processing device and protocols may be implemented to establish the network connection.
“In other implementations, instructions stored on computer readable media are used to cause a processor to perform the operations comprising: selecting between a wired network interface of a media processing device and a wireless network interface of the media processing device to establish a connection with a network, wherein the selection is based, at least in part, upon determining if the network is connected to the wired network interface.
“In another implementation, a media processing device includes a wireless network interface to establish a wireless network connection and a wired network interface to establish a wired network connection. The wired network connection is established if a network is connected to the wired network interface and the wireless network connection is established if the network is disconnected from the wired network interface.”
The inventors are Rainer Brodersen, Jeffrey Robbin, Patrick E. McClaughry, Rachel Clare Goldeen and Rob Newberry. The graphic below is a block diagram of a media processing device.
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
