Telecommunications – Wireless distribution system – Remote control of distribution
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2004-01-13
Nguyen, Lee (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Wireless distribution system
Remote control of distribution
C455S003050, C455S003060, C455S410000, C455S411000, C455S563000, C455S414100, C455S344000, C455S345000, C725S123000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678501
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an ordering method and apparatus for broadcast radio programs used by a person in motion.
BACKGROUND ART
Many people spend significant amounts of time traveling on a regular basis. Commuters using automobiles and mass transport fill the streets and transportation depots of many metropolitan areas several times a day for many hours. Others using bicycles and other wheeled vehicles are seen not only at rush hours, but also at other times throughout the week and on holidays. Still others prefer to long distance running and walking. All of these people have the opportunity to purchase radio receivers which enable them to enjoy broadcast radio programs of a wide variety, including entertainment such as music, dramatic productions, comedies, interviews, story telling sessions, as well as news and other factual radio programs including investment shows as well as advertisements and/or commercials.
FIG. 1
depicts typical prior art vehicular radio receivers and cellular telephones. The basic receiver
10
of today often possesses an indicator
2
visually presenting some status information, such as whether the FM receiver is active, and if so, its tuner frequency. There is often a door
4
permitting loading and unloading of audio recording media, such as cassette tapes or CD's. Other alternatives include downloaded audio files on nonvolatile memory components. There is usually an array of push buttons
6
, which may be arranged in a variety of configurations, which may or may not form a regular pattern. Sometimes there are dials
8
. This basic receiver
10
is usually able to receive both AM and FM broadcasts as well as often play recorded material such as cassette tapes or CDs. Audio output is often achieved in automobiles using speakers
12
and
14
coupled to the receiver
10
by wires
16
and
18
, respectively.
Other kinds of commuters and travelers usually cannot afford the space of separately detached speakers. Another solution includes a headset
20
including left and right speakers
22
and
24
sometimes with all the electronics for broadcast radio reception being resident in the headset
20
, sometimes with an antenna
30
. Volume and tuning controls
26
are often mounted on the earphone-speaker sections such as
22
. Batteries
28
are often mounted in the headset
20
as shown. A further progression includes an addition of microphone
34
attached by a mount
32
to the headset. Still further refinements include cabling
40
to a unit
42
, which is often mounted on a belt.
This belt-mounted unit
42
often contains the active electronic components of the basic receiver
10
discussed above. Belt-mounted unit
42
often further contains an indicator
44
visually presenting some status information, a door
46
permitting loading and unloading of audio recording media and an array of push buttons
48
. Such units
42
usually receive both AM and FM broadcasts as well as often play recorded material such as cassette tapes or CDs.
Some performing artists use versions of devices resembling these units
20
-
40
-
42
in place of hand held microphones and headsets. In such circumstances, the units act as transceivers, similar to cellular telephones, although with higher fidelity than standard cellular telephones. Additionally, cellular telephones
50
possessing a microphone
52
and earphone
54
, a push button array
56
and sometimes an antenna
58
have become common throughout much of the world.
FIG. 2
depicts a simplified block diagram of a typical, prior art broadcast radio receiver. FM antenna
100
is coupled
102
to FM Tuner
104
. FM Tuner
104
is coupled
106
to FM Intermediate Frequency Processor (IF)
108
, from which the stereo audio signals
110
are presented to Analog Multiplexer/Switch
150
. AM antenna
120
is coupled
122
to AM Tuner
124
. AM Tuner
124
presents the audio signal
126
to Analog Multiplexer/Switch
150
. Tape drive
140
is coupled
142
to Tape Preamp
144
. Tape Preamp
144
presents the stereo audio signals
146
to Analog Multiplexer/Switch
150
.
Analog Multiplexer/Switch
150
is usually manually controlled to select from a collection of inputs such as discussed above. It generates one or more audio signals
162
which are presented to Tone and Volume Control
160
, which generates audio signals
166
which are presented to one or more power amplifiers
164
. Power amplifiers
164
generate one or more audio signals presented
170
to Audio Speaker System
168
. The Audio Speaker System
168
involves one or more speakers, which may reside in a headset, rigidly mounted on the sides of an enclosure such as a boom box, or distributed some distance from each other, as in an automobile. Often the mechanism of presentation
170
to the audio speaker system is through a wire-based physical transport layer, but in certain situations, it may be through a wireless physical transport layer. These systems have been a staple of the consumer electronics market for a quarter of a century, remaining virtually unchanged in that time. However, there are some frustrations associated with such systems and the above mentioned cellular telephones.
There is a subsidiary FM signal protocol known as RDS in the United States (and often referred to as RDBS in Europe), which has been adopted and deployed in a number of radio markets within the United States. RDS specifies a sub-band within the channel bandwidth of a standard FM broadcast station, which does not interfere with the audio sub-band of the FM transmission. The sub-band is currently used to broadcast digital information such as standard identification information of the standard broadcast station. From certain perspectives, this sub-band can be viewed as a sub-carrier used for additional analog and/or digital information.
FIG. 3
depicts an exemplary prior art mobile computer
200
capable of being installed in an automobile. Computer
200
typically is designed to mount on or near the dashboard of an automobile, but could conceptually be mounted on the handle bars of a bicycle. Assembly
202
-
204
-
206
acts as a selection device similar in some ways to a mouse or joy stick. Push plate
204
, when depressed away from its center, selects a region such as
206
. Region
202
in certain situations contains a number of designations useful in selecting specific common options. Display
210
portrays the state of the computer, providing the main user output. Buttons
208
,
212
,
214
and
216
provide a further array of user tactile inputs.
Systems such as this have recently come onto the market here in the United States. Many of these systems run handheld computer operating systems and often feature menu driven control systems further accessing one or more nonvolatile memory systems, such as CDs, disk drives or nonvolatile semiconductor memories. However, even with such new systems, there are some frustrations associated with this kind of device and the above mentioned radio receivers and cellular telephones.
Consider the situation where there is an interest in buying a copy of the radio program either being heard or having just been heard. How is this to be done? Today one faces an inherently frustrating situation. One approach is to somehow note what was played. One might call some distributor on the telephone to order the radio program. This is often at least distracting, if not dangerous, for motorists, whose life and health, as well as the lives and health of those around them, depends upon them staying focused on driving. For other most people in motion, simultaneously dealing with a cellular telephone and a broadcast radio receiver would be quite inconvenient, if not again distracting and potentially dangerous.
One might wait to visit a store selling such merchandise. This requires that somehow one remember what was played and who performed it at the least. In almost all the situations described above, this is again inconvenient, distracting and potentially dangerous.
An alternative would be to note the radio program, channel an
America Online Incorporated
Glenn Michael A.
Glenn Patent Group
Nguyen Lee
Persino Raymond B.
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