New patent application illustrates in-car iPod stereo

Posted by Dennis Sellers Jun 22, 2006 at 9:45am

On June 22, the US Patent & Trademark Office revealed a patent application titled “Incorporating a portable digital music player into a vehicle audio system.” The patent inventor is noted as Jesse Ellenbogen. The Apple HI Alumni directory web page lists alumni (present and future) of the Apple HI (Human Interface) Community. Jesse Ellenbogen is listed as working with Apple on “ATG HIG intern ‘92, Newton & PowerBook usability testing ‘93, eWorld ‘94-’95. It also lists Jesse Ellenbogen as now leading DashJack – an iPod/car integration startup.

At this time, the assignee, if any, is unknown. The present invention relates to the field of portable digital music players and the use of these devices in a vehicle. The patent contains verbiage and patent Figures, clearly denoting Apple Computer and the iPod.

Abstract

A carriage receives and secures a portable digital music player in a vehicle audio system. The carriage is mechanically engagable with a dock of the vehicle audio system. Access and control over a portable digital music player received and secured by the vehicle audio system may be provided.

Patent background excerpts

Many products exist that allow portable digital music players to play music stored in portable digital music players through the speakers of a vehicle. These products typically use one of two approaches. In the first approach, a short-range FM radio transmitter is attached to the portable digital music player and the vehicle radio is tuned to the frequency of the transmitter. The use of such a transmitter is subject to radio interference which may cause undesired results. Typically, these transmitters draw power from the portable digital music player and thereby drain the batteries of the player. Additionally, personal FM transmitters are illegal in certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, and are not a viable solution to using a portable digital music player in a vehicle.

The second approach uses a wired connection to electrically attach a portable digital music player to an input of the existing vehicle radio. Examples of this type of connection include BMW’s iPod adapter solution, Alpine’s KCA-420i adapter, Dension’s ice>Link: iPod, and a standard cassette adapter. The wired connection typically results in a cable draped across the vehicle interior. These cables are unsightly and may interfere with driving. Often wired approaches are combined with add-on accessory cradles. These cradles have non-durable mounting methods that often detach inadvertently; however, some do provide power to the player. Vehicle-suitable translation of the user interface and controls of the player are not provided by this approach leaving a user to have to control the player using the controls of the player itself.

Another way of playing MP3s in a vehicle uses a standard or modified hard drive as a storage device for a car stereo. There are three basic variants of this setup. In the first variant, a standard hard drive in a custom casing is inserted into a head-end unit. The hard drive stores digital music files. However, there is no internal power source and an AC adaptor is required for use of the hard drive outside of the car stereo. A built-in display is also not included for the hard drive casing. Just simple playback buttons are provided. The head-end unit has no flexibility in what hard drive case it accepts. In the second variant, a standard hard drive is installed in a custom casing. This casing is then externally connected to the existing car stereo through inputs provided by the car stereo. In the third variant, a hard drive is permanently mounted inside the head-end unit.

Some car stereos are able to read MP3s from CD-R and CD-RW discs. Generally, these stereos do not have a display capable of depicting file information such As artist and/or song name. Nor do these stereos easily navigate through a long list of Content.

Summary

The present invention includes a carriage which includes an external housing to provide a mechanical engagement of the carriage into a dock, the carriage defining an internal cavity communicating with an opening, the opening to receive a portable digital music player, and an electrical connector specific to the portable digital music player disposed within the cavity to cooperative engage an electrical connector external to the carriage. The carriage further includes a sensor to determine if the portable digital music player has been properly received by the carriage.

Random references to Apple’s iPod

1) A depiction of an embodiment of a carriage 103 is shown in FIG. 2. (Similar to Fig.3 noted below) An opening 203 large enough to admit a portable digital music player is in an edge of the carriage 201. In one embodiment, the opening 203 is designed to specifically admit a particular portable digital music player and another player. By way of example, a larger size opening 203 would be used for a full size Apple iPod and a smaller size for the Apple iPod mini.

2) In one embodiment, at least a portion of the faceplate 1401 is depicted on a solid-state device such as a touchscreen panel. The touchscreen panel may include a virtual representation of the portable digital music player including the relevant controls. For example, a virtual representation of an iPod would include a scrollwheel that controls the functionality of the player in much the same manner as if the actual iPod were available for a user to manipulate. In one embodiment, the player controls are enlarged or otherwise modified to be better suited to the environment of a vehicle.

3) In one embodiment, only data about a music file, its hierarchy and state is transmitted from the player through the player-specific connector to the audio system. The audio system receives music stored in the player by utilizing a direct output stream from the player. In another embodiment, the player is simply mounted as a storage device. Data, including music files and file information, is transmitted from the player to the audio system. The audio system uses this data to at least play each song, navigate the file hierarchy, and get information for each song from the file itself. In yet another embodiment, the audio system does not mount the player as a storage device but uses player-specific protocols to communicate with the player to play the music and gather information about what is being played or the file hierarchy to facilitate searching for a particular artist, song, or album. An example of a player-specific protocol is Apple Computer’s Lingo serial protocol. This protocol is used by external devices in communicating with the iPod.

Miscellaneous patent figures

Notice

Macsimum News presents only a brief summary of patents with associated graphic(s) for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application and/or grant is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent applications and/or grants should be read in its entirety for further details.

This patent report is based on number 20060134959

If you have an opinion about this report, contact me at neo@macsimumnews.com

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