(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0008256A1 Khedouri Et Al

US 20060008256A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0008256A1 Khedouri et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 12, 2006 (54) AUDIO VISUAL PLAYER APPARATUS AND Publication Classification SYSTEMAND METHOD OF CONTENT DISTRIBUTION USING THE SAME (51) Int. Cl. H04N 5/781 (2006.01) (76) Inventors: Robert K. Khedouri, Roslyn, NY (52) U.S. Cl. ............................................ 386/124; 386/125 (US); Jonathan N. Axelrod, New York, NY (US); Harold E. Price, Bethel (57) ABSTRACT Park, PA (US) A portable wireleSS communications Subscriber audio and/or Video player apparatus and System and method for Selecting, Correspondence Address: requesting, downloading, and playing audio and/or video GOTTLEB RACKMAN & REISMAN PC data content files from an Internet-based database Server. 27O MADSON AVENUE The wireleSS link is preferably implemented in accordance 8TH FLOOR with the WiFi protocol, which allows connectivity to the NEW YORK, NY 100160601 Internet by being in proximity with a local base Station or WiFi hotspot (i.e., publicly available local wireless access (21) Appl. No.: 10/953,746 hub connected to the Internet). The portable wireless com munications Subscriber audio and/or Video player apparatus (22) Filed: Sep. 29, 2004 and System preferably include a Security means for moni toring and blocking unauthorized use of the player apparatus Related U.S. Application Data and System. The player apparatus further preferably has the capability to communicate with other neighboring player (60) Provisional application No. 60/507,110, filed on Oct. apparatus for the purpose of eXchanging content data files, 1, 2003. playlists and personal messages. 309 AUDIO CONTENT SUBSCRIBERAND USAGE DATABASES DATABASES 302 301 304 306 307 ENCRYPTION UPLOAD AUTHENTIFICATION WEBSITEAPPLICATIONS 303 ENGINE MANAGER SERVER AND FRONTEND DATA SECURE NETWORK GATEWAY USING SSL 305 WEBSITE FRONT-END AND USER INTERFACE SOFTWARE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INTERNET CONNECTION AND OPTIONALWF LOCAL ACCESS HUB (1.E., LOCAL BASE STATION RECEIVER/TRANSCEIVER) 310 PORTABLE PORTABLE DESKTOP OR AUDIO DEVICES AUDIODEVICES LAPTOP 311 #1 i2 COMPUTER Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 1 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 INPUT DEVICE 68 COMM. MODULE 118 ENCRYPT. 109 UNIT VOLATILE MEMORY (SDRAM) DATA PROCESSING VOLATILE MEMORY (FLASH) RECHARGABLE BATTERY SOFTWARE MODULES HEAD PHONE JACK 107 COMPUTER CONTROLLER FIG. 1 Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 2 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 FIG 2 Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 4 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 ETOWHO|GNVHEG|HOSGOS;`EÐVSn)| 907308;S?Sygwlydi Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 5 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 CETEWNE-WHO HE)\WTld E?9WST)ONWSESW8|\/|\/OWIWOWIEW SESW8|W|\WO SEISWEWIWO 909Z09|09 CIVOTNNWOC] Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 6 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 –-R-Os rocese88 s 88Eas Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 7 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 704 / 709 Sexx23 DEVICE #1 "ULL'S PLAYER" Q) SK3SS 7 N X PRIVACY "ON" MODE DEVICE G Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 8 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 Allman Brothers, The A neW Allman, Greg Almand MarC Gremlists Alannah Myles-N-803 Alan Menkin WOrd Alvarez, Jorje Algonquin, The Alkaline Trip Alternatives, The Featured: Coldplay 202 202 202 804 FIG. 8 Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 9 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 Allman Brothers, The N-901 one StatesbOrO Blues A CW JeSSica Midnight Rider Gems HOOChie COOChie Man One Way Out Spoken Whipping Post WOrd True Fine Blues Great Train Robbery Fragile Tender Heart Hard TimeS A Plent V Featured: FIG. 9 Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 10 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 1001 JeSSica Legendary Hits S.C. 1003 Free Free $0.99 Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 11 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 O MusicGremlin Home Why Georgia Room For Squares John Mayer Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 12 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 What's neW: Madonna, Coldplay Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 13 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 home my SOngS playlists Gremlists Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 14 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 Alternative rOCk-N-1401 neW This Week in the ClubS USIC Hottest pop Gremlists Aerobic WOrkOut Guitar Spotlight WOrd Country Charts Featured: Latin in Deep Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 15 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 my music Current Gremlist SubSCriptions ty Jimmy Buffet'S Top Ten Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 16 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 my music Alternative ROCK home last update 6/10/03-N-1601 my A SOngS my playlists my Gremlists V modity Gremlist back Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 17 of 17 US 2006/0008256A1 Gremlist: hOme Alternative ROCk one neW Timing: Weekly USIC 1702 Gremlists Length: 20 Songs 1701 Gens Spoken WOrd FIG. 17 US 2006/OOO8256 A1 Jan. 12, 2006 AUDIO VISUAL PLAYERAPPARATUS AND their computer. Users most commonly accessed the audio on SYSTEMAND METHOD OF CONTENT the device by connecting headphones via a Standard jack on DISTRIBUTION USING THE SAME the device, although it was also possible to connect a line-out cable to other audio output or recording devices, CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED Such as a microphone- or line-input of a Standard home APPLICATIONS Stereo System. 0001. This application claims priority to provisional 0007 Such DMPs originally tended to rely on the use of application Ser. No. 60/507,110 filed Oct. 1, 2003, and flash memory, Such as compact flash or Secure digital, for the incorporated herein by reference. Storage of audio content, and were capable of holding a maximum of approximately 0.5 to 1 gigabyte of memory. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION More recently, so-called “portable jukeboxes” have been introduced that can hold an estimated 10,000 songs or more 0002 a. Field of Invention of musical entertainment by including a miniature hard disk 0003. The present invention relates to the field of digital recorder in the housing of the device, which can have 40 audio and Video player devices that are preferably portable gigabytes or more of capacity. Portable video players with and receive content either from a Secure Subscription-based even greater hard disk capacity have also been developed. or “a-la-carte' content delivery Service or from other par 0008. In general, conventional DMPs are capable of ticipant devices, and more particularly to a portable player allowing their users to (1) transfer compressed media files apparatus that is in wireleSS communications with an Inter from a computer to the device through the use of associated net-based file Server and laterally to a peer player apparatus. transfer management Software installed on the computer and The present invention also relates to a System and method a physical connection to the computer, Such as a USB cable; for delivery and management of Such content to Such (2) Store Such compressed media files in non-destructive devices. memory; (3) decode for playback any of a variety of 0004) b. Description of the Prior Art compression algorithms; (4) convert a compressed or uncompressed digital file to an analog format, potentially 0005 The development of compressed digital audio and also processing the Signal to enhance the resulting Sound and video formats, such as the Motion Picture Experts Group images; (5) process and amplify the resulting analog signal; Layer 3 (MP3) audio compression standard, MPEG 21, and (6) produce high-fidelity Sound and video for the user, Advanced Audio Coding (MC), ATRAC, WMA, FLAC, which may be played, paused, fast-forwarded, rewound, Ogg-Vorbis and others enabled the growth in popularity of skipped or replayed instantly and on-demand. Also, typically recording, Storing, transferring, and playing back digital in the case of audio DMPs (e.g., the Rio Karma), the devices audio and Video data on computers, including personal feature a relatively Small digital display window that pro desktop and laptop computers. In particular, compressed vides information regarding the audio content Stored on the digital audio and Video formats enabled more efficient device, Such as the title and artist, and enables viewing (and Storage and transmission of high-quality audio and Video in Some cases modifying) the Sequence of the audio tracks content by reducing the amount of digital data that needed that are currently Stored on the device. to be Stored and transmitted, resulting in data files that could be Smaller than /10th of the original uncompressed digital 0009 Disadvantageously, however, data transfer and file without unacceptably degrading the quality of the out advanced Sorting and Sequencing of Selections are difficult put. However, due to computational requirements, consum or impossible for a user to accomplish unless the DMP is ers were generally only able to acceSS and use compressed connected to the computer, which does not allow the user to and uncompressed digital audio and Video on their personal obtain new content or to make other desirable modifications laptop and desktop computers (except for conventional to the content stored on the DMP, such as easily modifying commercially-sold pre-recorded CDs and DVDs, which the Sequence of the content Selections Stored on the device were playable on Standard playerS connected to home Ste while the player device is not connected to the computer. reos and the like). This severely limited portable use and Further, in the case of audio, these players typically do not access to Such digital audio and Video content in that it enable a non-technical user to create and manage custom required the user to be present at or near his or her computer “playlists” (i.e., fixed Song sequences), Such that a user can to See and/or hear the playback, which typically could only easily develop and use a variety of personalized playlists for be through Speakers and/or a Screen internal to or connected use at different times.

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