Patent Peek: Apple’s Personal Mobile Radio, TV & Telephony
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Jun 28, 2005 at 3:59am
This Patent Peek review covers Apple’s Patent Application 20040224638. Part one of this review covers some rather unique twists and exciting possibilities relating to various radio centric iPods and more.
Apple’s mobile radio overview
The patent suggests that the personal mobile radio could either be integrated into the iPod itself or could be available as a separate add-on or third party accessory. Various radio based capabilities and options that are described include voice communications, messaging (pager, email), digital one-way radio (one to one and group), digital two-way radio (one to one and group), data services (wireless web and private networks).
The illustration below: 404D is a wireless media player (iPod); 404C is described as a personal display media player and is purposely illustrated here as a separate unit from the iPod as it could be purchased as an extra display and/or act as a uniquely independent component depending on its usage, say messaging; 404A is described as a personal mobile radio.
The patent goes into great detail about push to talk (PTT) applications whereby pressing a button opens the communication line from the mobile radio (404A) to the media player (404D). The mobile radios may also include a channel tuner for selecting which channel to receive and send information, and a volume control dial for adjusting the volume of the audio signal. The mobile radios may also include a small display showing the selected channel, received signal strength, output power and the like. The latter variable of adding a personal media display to a standalone personal mobile radio is not illustrated anywhere in the patent. However, elsewhere in the patent, it does present the capability of docking/coupling various accessories by means of a new back-side docking capability.
The skier scenario
In order to help the reader of the patent understand various aspects of the patent pertaining to all things radio (not phone), it presents a simple scenario of a skier and friends. One skier is at the base of the skill lift, others on the ski lift, while yet another party are actually skiing down a second hill.
In one example, 404A (above) is also dubbed a personal transmitting station So the example provided explains how one in the group with a complete wireless iPod, with full media player capabilities, is able to play disc jockey for the entire group in various locations of the ski resort. All are on the same frequency with one being able to broadcast his choice of tunes directly to those only carrying various forms of iPod compatible radios. Another example is of a user with a personal tuning device being able to make song requests by text messaging or voice communications. In patent point 0058, the patent does in fact refer to another aspect of the patent in parenthesis as being a walkie talkie.
Specific components details corresponding to the illustration (above) are provided for are as follows.
Personal display devices
Video and/or photo camera: Personal display devices (404C) generally include a display so as to view video or imaged based media being sent by the media player. In some cases, the personal display device additionally includes speakers and volume control so that both photos/video and audio based media may be received from the media player. The video or photos may be produced by the media player through a camera located thereon. The video or photos may also be stored in a storage component located within the media player.
Television: In one embodiment, the personal display device corresponds to a television or TV (e.g., the media player may include a VHF or UHF transmitter and the TV may include a VHF or UHF receiver).
Personal mobile radios
Personal mobile radios (404A) generally include a microphone and speaker (or audio jack) so as to allow voice communications. The mobile radios may be based on push to talk (PTT) whereby pressing a button opens the communication line from the mobile radio to the media player. The mobile radios may also include a channel tuner for selecting which channel to receive and send information, and a volume control dial for adjusting the volume of the audio signal. The mobile radios may also include a small display showing the selected channel, received signal strength, output power and the like.
Proof of a possible iPhone
In one instance, the patent illustrates two identical media players that are presented as 402 and 404D respectively, with the caveat that 404D “may be a different device altogether.” Could this be a scant reference to an iPhone? Yes indeed, because in patent point 0064 it references RF capabilities as follows:
RF generally refers to alternating current AC having characteristics such that, if the current is input to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is generated suitable for wireless broadcasting and/or communications. The frequencies associated with RF cover a wide range of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum as for example from about 9 kHz to thousands of GHz.
According to this RF table, once in the 3-30 GHz range, the iPod would in fact become a mobile phone. So, the patent’s inclusion of this range of up to “thousands of GHz”, does indeed suggest that the door is certainly open for a future Apple iPhone, even though the patent’s overall emphasis is clearly on other forms of radio communication and functionality.
The bottom line
The bottom line is that this particular patent application delivered quite a number of very inventive ideas that could certainly translate into exciting new products relating to the iPod. While Apple is in transition to the Intel platform, any combination of these product concepts being delivered within the next 6-9 months could certainly help Apple over a possible mild downturn in computer sales.
I was personally gratified to finally see Apple present a clear reference in respect to possibly delivering a television centric iPod, as IP/TV has been a topic I’ve presented in several “Next Wave Series” chapters and news reports over the last 8 months. In fact, I recently filed a report entitled “Apple’s iPod-Pro 2006” covering two likely architectures that Apple could implement to achieve many of the functions mentioned in this current patent, including Motorola’s MXC.
In context and in respect to Mobile TV, Hantro and Freescale recently put out a press release on June 22, 2005 that presented these specific points of interest to further the iPod for TV scenario: 1) “Mobile multimedia entertainment represents a huge opportunity for the wireless semiconductor industry. Hantro and Freescale solution enables high-quality mobile TV viewing on 2G or 3G phones, portable media players, mobile gaming consoles and other wireless handhelds.” 2) “The H.264 multimedia solution from Hantro is full compliant with the DVB-H standard and meets IP-IRD capability level A as specified for UMTS phones. Freescale’s i.MX21 multimedia applications processor brings easy scalability to QVGA resolution and power management for a low power, high quality and real-time experience.” For interest sake, DVB IP-IRD could also be utilized in set top boxes.
On another note, I found that Apple’s personal messaging (pager, email) component to a curious one in context with their 404C illustration. On one hand it could be seen is a challenger to the Blackberry when you consider Apple’s adoption of Jabber. On the other hand, Apple could simply be working with BlackBerry in respect to an accessory for the iPod. Either way of course would present an interesting development.
So, what’s your bottom line? Did any of the ideas presented in this patent get your wheels turning? If so, then take a moment and share your ideas with us. Cheers!
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If you’re one of those curious types and want to see all of the patent illustrations associated with any given patent presented in the Patent Peek report, then you could simply download this free patent viewer from interneTIFF. This report’s patent link is here.
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Contributor
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.
