(12) United States Patent
`Gladwin et al.
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,879,865 B1
`Apr. 12, 2005
`
`US006879865B1
`
`(54) STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR
`SELECTING, CONTROLLING AND
`SENDING INTERNET-BASED OR LOCAL
`DIGITAL AUDIO TO AN AM/FM RADIO OR
`ANALOG AMPLIFIER
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Stephen Christopher Gladwin;
`Chicago, IL (US); Depeng Bi,
`Algonquin; IL (US); Jefi'rey Jonathan
`Spurgat, Madison,
`Michael
`C0rt0passi; Arlington Heights; IL (US)
`
`..................... .. 700/94; 704/272; 369/29.02
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`(58) Field of Search ......................... .. 700/94; 704/272;
`381/100, 124; 61; 369/2902; 47.1; 368/39;
`27
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`56
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`(
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`)
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`C't d
`R f
`I 9
`e erences
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`6,084,638 A *
`* Cited by examiner
`
`7/2000 Hare et al. ................ ..
`
`(73) Assigned Mayland’ LLC’ Richmond’ VA (US)
`( * ) Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer the term of this
`patent is extended or adiusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 837 days.
`
`Primary Exami/1er—Melur Ramakrishnaiah
`(74) Attorney’ Agent’
`.or Firm—Kanen Muchin Zavis
`Rosenman; John S' Pamaguas
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`
`.
`(21) Appl' No" 09/649981
`(22)
`Filed:
`Aug. 29, 2000
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`lfggxéisional application No. 60/151,714, filed on Aug. 31,
`
`(60)
`
`A system and method that allows a host PC to provide an
`analog audio signal for a radio or amplifier Without inter-
`fering with the operation of the host PC. This invention also
`allows the audio signal to be selected and controlled by a
`remote device Without interfering with the operation of the
`host PC.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.7 .............................................. .. G06E 17/00
`
`8 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
` Audio 1
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`Audio 2
`Audio 3
`nu
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 1
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 1
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Apr. 12, 2005
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`Sheet 1 0f5
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`US 6,879,865 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 2
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 2
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Apr. 12, 2005
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`Sheet 2 0f5
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`US 6,879,865 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 3
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`U.S. Patent
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`Apr. 12,2005
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`Sheet 3 0f5
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`US 6,879,865 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 4
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 4
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Apr. 12, 2005
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`Sheet 4 0f5
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`US 6,879,865 B1
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`
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`-
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`Send play list. Iniorrnndan
`about audio content and
`other lniormatlnn to Remot-
`Dcvieo through USE Ramona
`Doviet driver
`
`
`
`Fwer-S’
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 5
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 5
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Apr. 12,2005
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`Sheet 5 0f5
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`US 6,879,865 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 6
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`Audio data
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`
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`playlist and other information
`about audio content from
`Remote Device manager
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`yes
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 6
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`

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`US 6,879,865 B1
`
`1
`STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR
`SELECTING, CONTROLLING AND
`SENDING INTERNET-BASED OR LOCAL
`DIGITAL AUDIO TO AN AM/FM RADIO OR
`ANALOG AMPLIFIER
`
`2
`FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a remote device manager in
`accordance with the present invention.
`FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the USB audio driver in
`
`accordance with the present invention.
`FIG. 10 is a flow chart of the USB remote device driver
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`in accordance with the present invention.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S.
`Provisional Application No. 60/151,714 filed on Aug. 31,
`1999.
`
`10
`
`The present invention is adapted to interface with a host
`personal computer (PC) which, in turn, is adapted to be
`connected to the Internet in order to obtain audio sources
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`The present invention relates to a structure and a method
`for selecting, controlling and sending Internet-based or
`digital audio to an AM/FM radio or amplifier.
`2. Description of the Drawings
`There is an ever-increasing amount of audio content
`available as digital computer files (such as in the MP3
`format like those found at www.mp3.com) or as streaming
`digital audio (such as using the streaming digital audio
`techniques in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,430). These new types of
`audio content can be played on a personal computer with a
`sound card, but cannot be played on a radio or stereo that is
`designed to receive and amplify analog audio signals. There
`are several techniques for converting a digital audio source
`to an analog signal that could be used by analog radio or
`amplifier, but these techniques interfere with the operation
`of the host PC and would require use of the PC to select and
`control the audio, for example, on an analog radio. Thus,
`there is a need to provide a system which enables Internet-
`based or digital audio to be played, for example, on an
`analog radio without tying up a personal computer.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`invention relates to a system and
`the present
`Briefly,
`method that allows a host PC to provide an analog audio
`signal for a radio or amplifier without interfering with the
`operation of the host PC. This invention also allows the
`audio signal to be selected and controlled by a remote device
`without interfering with the operation of the host PC.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`These and other advantages of the present invention will
`be readily apparent from the following specification and
`attached drawing wherein:
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the system in accordance
`with the present
`invention, shown connected to a host
`personal computer, which,
`in turn,
`is connected to the
`Internet.
`FIG. 2 is a front view of a remote device which forms a
`
`part of the present invention.
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the remote device illustrated
`in FIG. 2.
`
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a PC adapter which forms a
`part of the present invention.
`FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a universal serial bus (USB)
`connection between the host PC and the PC adapter in
`accordance with the present invention.
`FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the PC software components
`in accordance with the present invention.
`FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the audio player in accordance
`with the present invention.
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`from the Internet or other digital audio sources from any web
`server. The system generally identified with the reference
`numeral 20. The system 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and
`includes a remote device 22, a PC adapter 24 and a host PC
`26. The system 20 is adapted to enable various digital audio
`sources, for example, from the Internet or other digital audio
`sources, such as digital audio sources on any web server, to
`be played on an AM/FM radio or stereo amplifier 28 without
`interfering with the operation of the host PC 10.
`
`Remote Device
`
`System Components
`
`The remote device 22 (FIG. 2) may have a 160x160
`graphical display screen and control buttons. This display
`provides information about available audio content, infor-
`mation about how to select audio content, information about
`audio content that has been selected and other information.
`The control buttons are used to select and control audio
`
`content. As shown in FIG. 3, remote device 22 may connect
`to the PC adapter 24 over a radio link, for example, a 2-way
`wireless link.
`
`The remote device 22 may have three buttons and one
`jogdial. Pressing the middle button brings back the previous
`screen. Pressing one of the other two buttons causes the
`content to be saved on host PC 26. Pressing the third button
`will initiate the purchase of the currently playing audio clip.
`The jogdial browses the list and pressing its middle button
`will selects and plays the clip.
`PC Adapter
`The PC adapter 24 connects the host PC 26 over a
`universal serial bus (USB) port and broadcasts analog radio
`data to the AM/FM radio and stereo amplifier 28. This
`analog audio data is converted from digital audio data and
`transmitted from the host PC over USB connection by the
`PC software as shown in FIG. 5. Also, it bridges 2-way data
`between remote device 22 and the host PC 26. A block
`
`diagram of the PC adapter 24 is illustrated in FIG. 4.
`The microcontroller component encodes LCD display
`data and decodes button, dial and other remote control user
`inputs.
`Proxy Server
`The proxy server 29 serves as a digital audio portal site.
`The proxy server maintains a series of links to available
`digital audio sources on the Internet and formats information
`about these sites for display on the remote device 22.
`PC Software
`
`The PC software illustrated in FIG. 5 gets digital audio
`data from audio files on the local disk and/or internet
`streaming audio data. This data is organized as a play list.
`The play list is transferred to the remote device 22. The user
`selects and plays a clip by using the control buttons on the
`remote device 22. The remote device 22 then sends these
`
`commands to PC software which then plays this clip. The
`playing process is this: the PC software sends the address of
`the clip to the audio player. The audio player sends data to
`the USB audio driver which writes the audio data to USB.
`
`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 7
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 7
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`

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`3
`The PC adapter 24 will electronically converts the digital
`data into analog data and broadcast the data over an unused
`FM channel. This channel is selectable.
`
`FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the PC software components
`on the host PC 26 and includes a tuner 30, an audio player
`32, a remote device manager 34, universal serial bus (USB)
`audio driver 36 and a USB remote device driver 38. FIGS.
`
`7-10 represent flow charts of the devices. Abrief description
`of the software components is provided below.
`Tuner
`The tuner software allows the user to select internet radio
`
`local digital audio files, and Internet streaming
`stations,
`audio to create playlists.
`Audio Player
`The audio player software plays audio and runs in the
`background. It functions in a similar way as other popular
`audio players,
`like Reaknetwork=s G2 player and
`Microsoft=s Windows Media Player. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of
`the audio player.
`USB Remote Device Driver
`
`This driver receives data from remote device manager and
`writes it to remote device 22 through a USB port. Also, it
`receives data from remote device 22 through the USB port
`and forwards it to remote device manager. FIG. 10 is a flow
`chart of the USB remote device driver.
`
`Remote Device Manager
`This component sends playlist and other information to
`the remote device 22, and it processes the commands sent
`from remote device 22. FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the remote
`device driver.
`USB Audio Driver
`
`This driver receives audio data from audio player and
`sends it to PC adapter 26 through USB connection. FIG. 9
`is a flow chart of the USB audio driver.
`
`Obviously, many modifications and variations of the
`present invention are possible in light of the above teach-
`ings. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the
`appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise
`than as specifically described above.
`What is claimed and desired to be covered by a Letters
`Patent is as follows.
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`US 6,879,865 B1
`
`4
`1. A system for converting audio digital data to audio
`analog data, said system including a host personal computer
`(PC), configured to receive predetermined digital data, the
`system comprising:
`
`a PC adapter in communication with said host PC, said PC
`adapter also configured to be connected to a remote
`analog device, and including means for receiving said
`digital audio data from said host PC and converting
`said digital audio data to analog audio data for playback
`by an analog device without interfering with the opera-
`tion of the host PC and digital content data; said PC
`adapter including means for receiving signals from a
`remote device and controlling said host PC to play the
`digital audio content selected by the user on said
`remote device; and
`a remote device in communication with said PC adapter
`which includes means for receiving said digital content
`data from said PC adapter; a display for displaying said
`digital content data: and a user interface for enabling a
`user to select digital audio content displayed on the
`display and transmit signals representative of selected
`digital audio content to said PC adapter.
`2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said analog
`device is located remotely from said PC adapter.
`3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said analog
`device is coupled to said PC adapter by way of a radio link.
`4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote
`device is operatively connected to said PC adapter by way
`of a radio link.
`
`5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said digital
`data bus is a serial bus.
`
`6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said serial bus
`is a universal serial bus (USB).
`7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said analog
`device is a radio.
`
`8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said analog
`device is an amplifier.
`*
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`*
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`*
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`*
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 8
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`Samsung Ex. 1110 p. 8