VWGoA - Ex. 1005
`Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., Petitioner
`
`1
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`

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`US 7,493,645 B1
`Page 2
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`2004/0123327 A1
`2005/0267994 A1
`2006/0294551 A1
`
`6/2004 Fai Ma et al.
`12/2005 Wong et al.
`12/2006 Cholewinsky
`
`............. .. 725/100
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority for PCT/
`US05/25420, International Filing Date of Jul. 19, 2005.
`International Patent Application No. PCT/US05/25420, PCT Notifi-
`cation of Transmittal of International Preliminary Examination
`Report mailed Mar. 24, 2008.
`Oflice Action mailed Mar. 26, 2008 from U.S. Appl. No. 10/898,538.
`Copy of Oflice Action mailed Oct. 15, 2008 from corresponding U.S.
`Appl. No. 10/898,538.
`
`* cited by examiner
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`6,782,245
`6,871,356
`7,159,232
`2001/0033736
`2002/0045891
`2002/0076049
`2002/0077897
`2002/0159270
`2002/0178443
`2002/0197955
`2003/0093810
`2003/0188320
`2004/0110466
`2004/0111755
`
`B1 *
`B2
`B1
`A1
`A1
`A1
`A1
`A1
`A1
`A1*
`A1
`A1
`A1
`A1
`
`8/2004
`3/2005
`1/2007
`10/2001
`4/2002
`6/2002
`6/2002
`10/2002
`11/2002
`12/2002
`5/2003
`10/2003
`6/2004
`6/2004
`
`..... .. 455/266.1
`
`. . . .. 725/75
`
`Lazzarotto et al.
`Chang . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
`Blackketter et al.
`Yap et al. .................... .. 386/46
`Clement et al.
`Boykin et al.
`Zellner et al.
`Lynam et al.
`Ishii
`Witkowski et al.
`Taniguchi
`Shing ....................... .. 725/131
`Perlman .................. .. 455/12.1
`Perlman
`
`............... .. 705/14
`. 362/492
`
`
`.......... .. 455/41
`
`2
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Feb. 17, 2009
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`Sheet 1 of4
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`US 7,493,645 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Feb. 17, 2009
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`Sheet 3 of4
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`US 7,493,645 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Feb. 17, 2009
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`Sheet 4 of 4
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`US 7,493,645 B1
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`US 7,493,645 B1
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`1
`CONSOLE WITH MONITOR AND WIRELESS
`RECEIVER
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, in
`particular, to a console with an audio/video monitor and a
`wireless receiver for use in a vehicle.
`
`BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION
`
`As cars have been continuously updated to include new and
`useful features for the enjoyment and/or utility of a driver and
`his or her passengers, devices generally found in the home
`have made their way into cars as optional features. Such
`features include the television, the video cassette recorder
`(VCR), the compact disk (CD) player, and the digital video
`disk (DVD) player. While these features undoubtedly provide
`enjoyment and/or utility to the driver and passengers of a
`vehicle, the features are nonetheless troublesome to install
`and implement in a car. For example, if the items are not
`factory installed, then a user must generally go to an instal-
`lation shop and have the items installed into their vehicle. The
`installation involves wiring the devices to the vehicle to
`receive power therefrom, as well as coupling the devices to
`other existing systems of the vehicle other than the power
`system. For example, a vehicle owner may want a car
`mounted television to be coupled to the existing speaker
`system so that passengers in the back ofthe vehicle (as well as
`any passengers in the front of the vehicle) can hear the cor-
`responding audio.
`Given the small confines of many vehicles, it may not be
`easy to integrate new equipment into the vehicle. Moreover,
`the installation process itself may result in structural damage
`to the vehicle when an installer improperly dismantles and/or
`reassembles portions of the vehicle. This is particularly true
`for the wiring, which often has to run from the front ofthe car
`(where the fuse bus and battery are located) to the middle
`and/or rear of the car.
`
`With respect to overhead console mounted electronics, the
`above problems are compounded. This is due to a variety of
`reasons, including the fact that the overhead console is gen-
`erally of limited space, and also because whatever space
`exists is generally overrun with wiring from existing devices
`such as reading lights, garage door openers, thermometers,
`and so forth. Further, the console, in being overhead, must be
`re-assembled carefully to avoid coming apart at an importune
`moment and potentially impeding the vision and/or concen-
`tration of the vehicle operator.
`Thus, in the case ofan overhead console having a television
`disposed therein, difiiculties exist in wiring input devices
`(e.g., VCR) to the television as well as in wiring output
`devices (speakers) to the television.
`Accordingly, there is a need for a console which allows for
`the minimum effort in installation in the vehicle, particularly
`with respect to wiring. Such a console could be preferably
`mounted overhead, or on any other interior surface of the
`vehicle.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The problems stated above, as well as other related prob-
`lems of the prior art, are solved by the present invention, a
`console with an audio/video monitor and a wireless receiver.
`
`According to a first aspect of the invention, there is pro-
`vided a console for a vehicle. The console includes an assem-
`
`bly housing adapted to mount against an interior surface of
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`the vehicle. A wireless receiver, houseable in the assembly, is
`adapted to receive wireless signals from at least one video
`input source. A display device, houseable in the assembly and
`operatively coupled to the wireless receiver, is adapted to
`reproduce the wireless signals.
`According to a second aspect ofthe invention, the wireless
`signals are at least one of radio frequency, infrared, and opti-
`cal signals.
`According to a third aspect ofthe invention, the at least one
`input source includes circuitry for producing video signals
`and is at least one of a video cassette player (VCP), a televi-
`sion, a compact disk (CD) player, a digital video disk (DVD)
`player, and a video game player, and said at least one input
`source comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting the
`wireless signals.
`According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the console
`further includes a wireless joystick, detachable from the con-
`sole.
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`According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the wireless
`signals are transmitted through one of a packet-switched
`wireless network and a circuit-switched wireless network.
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`According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the console
`further includes a processor adapted to execute applications
`associated with the console, and an operating system adapted
`to manage the applications associated with the console.
`According to a seventh aspect of the invention, the console
`further includes a web browser adapted to interact with one of
`the Internet and the World Wide Web.
`
`According to an eighth aspect ofthe invention, the browser
`is adapted to access the World Wide Web using wireless
`Application Protocol (WAP).
`According to a ninth aspect of the invention, the console
`further includes at least one of a wireless keyboard and a
`wireless mouse,
`the wireless keyboard and the wireless
`mouse being detachable from the console.
`According to a tenth aspect of the invention, the console
`further includes a voice recognition system adapted to control
`the console and functions associated therewith.
`
`According to an eleventh aspect of the invention, the con-
`sole further includes signal processing facilities adapted to
`perform at least one of signal processing and signal conver-
`sion, with respect to the wireless signals.
`According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, the console
`further includes a text-to-speech system.
`According to a thirteenth aspect of the invention, a vehicle
`occupant sends media to the console for display via a wireless
`signal from one of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a hand
`held personal computer (PC), and a smart phone.
`According to a fourteenth aspect of the invention, the con-
`sole further includes a wireless transmitter.
`
`According to a fifteenth aspect ofthe invention, the display
`device is mounted in the console in one of a non-fixed con-
`
`figuration and a fixed configuration.
`According to a sixteenth aspect of the invention, the dis-
`play device employs one of a liquid crystal display (LCD),
`light emitting diodes (LEDs), and a gas plasma.
`According to a seventeenth aspect of the invention, the
`liquid crystal display is based upon one of active matrix
`technology and passive matrix technology.
`According to an eighteenth aspect of the invention, the
`display device employs touch screen technology.
`According to a nineteenth aspect ofthe invention, the wire-
`less receiver is disposed within the display device.
`According to a twentieth aspect of the invention, the wire-
`less receiver is disposed external to the display device.
`According to a twenty first aspect of the invention, the
`wireless signals include at least one of audio and video.
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`US 7,493,645 B1
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`According to a twenty second aspect of the invention, the
`wireless receiver includes at least one of a photosensitive
`device and an antenna.
`
`According to a twenty third aspect of the invention, the
`wireless transmitter includes at least one of an optical trans-
`mission device and an antenna.
`
`According to a twenty fourth aspect of the invention, the
`assembly housing is adapted to mount against one of an
`overhead surface of the vehicle and a roof of the vehicle.
`
`According to a twenty fifth aspect of the invention, there is
`provided a console for a vehicle. The console includes an
`assembly housing adapted to mount against an interior sur-
`face ofthe vehicle. A display device, houseable in said assem-
`bly,
`is adapted to reproduce wireless signals. The display
`device includes a wireless receiver, disposed in the display
`device, adapted to receive the wireless signals from at least
`one input source.
`According to a twenty sixth aspect ofthe invention, there is
`provided a console for a vehicle. The console includes an
`assembly housing adapted to mount against an interior sur-
`face of the vehicle. A display device, houseable in the assem-
`bly, is adapted to reproduce wireless signals.A wireless trans-
`ceiver, operatively coupled to the display device, is adapted to
`send and receive the wireless signals from at least one input
`source.
`
`According to a twenty seventh aspect of the invention,
`there is provided a console for a vehicle. The console includes
`an assembly housing adapted to mount against an interior
`surface of the vehicle. A wireless receiver, houseable in the
`assembly, is adapted to receive wireless signals from at least
`one video input source. A display device, houseable in the
`assembly and operatively coupled to the wireless receiver, is
`adapted to reproduce the wireless signals. A wireless trans-
`mitter is adapted to transmit wireless control signals to the
`wireless receiver, the wireless control signals for configuring
`at least one of controls and applications on the display device.
`According to a twenty eighth aspect of the invention, the
`wireless transmitter is adapted to be detachable from the
`console.
`
`According to a twenty ninth aspect of the invention, the
`wireless transmitter includes a processor and associated
`memory for executing and storing programs, respectively.
`These and other aspects, features and advantages of the
`present invention will become apparent from the following
`detailed description ofpreferred embodiments, which is to be
`read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the elements of a
`console 100 according to an illustrative embodiment of the
`invention;
`FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a local input device 106
`interacting with the wireless receiver 102 based on optical
`and/or RF transmission, according to an illustrative embodi-
`ment of the invention;
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a console 300 accord-
`ing to an illustrative embodiment of the invention; and
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a console 400 accord-
`ing to another illustrative embodiment of the invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`It is to be understood that the present invention may be
`implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firm-
`ware, special purpose processors, or a combination thereof.
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`Preferably, the present invention is implemented as a combi-
`nation of both hardware and software, the software being an
`application program tangibly embodied on a program storage
`device. The application program may be uploaded to, and
`executed by, a machine comprising any suitable architecture.
`Preferably, the machine is implemented on a computer plat-
`form having hardware such as one or more central processing
`units (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), and input/
`output
`(I/O)
`interface(s). The computer platform also
`includes an operating system and microinstruction code. The
`various processes and functions described herein may either
`be part of the microinstruction code or part of the application
`program (or a combination thereof) which is executed via the
`operating system.
`In addition, various other peripheral
`devices may be connected to the computer platform such as
`an additional data storage device.
`It is to be further understood that, because some of the
`constituent system components depicted in the accompany-
`ing Figures may be implemented in software, the actual con-
`nections between the system components may differ depend-
`ing upon the manner in which the present
`invention is
`programmed. Given the teachings herein, one of ordinary
`skill in the related art will be able to contemplate these and
`similar implementations or configurations of the present
`invention.
`
`To facilitate a clear understanding of the present invention,
`a brief description of the invention will now be given, fol-
`lowed by definitions ofterms used herein. As noted above, the
`invention is directed to a console with a monitor and a wire-
`less receiver. It is to be noted that the terms “monitor” and
`
`“display device” are used interchangeably herein. According
`to the invention, the wireless receiver receives wireless sig-
`nals and provides the wireless signals to the monitor for
`display, as well as to other, optional equipment (e.g., speak-
`ers). The wireless receiver may be located within or external
`to the display device. The device from which the wireless
`receiver receives the wireless signals is interchangeably
`referred to herein as the “input device”, the “transmitting
`device”, or the “source device”.
`The wireless signals can be any type of wireless signal
`including, but not limited to, radio frequency, infrared, and
`optical signals. For radio frequency signals, an antenna may
`be used to enhance reception. It is to be noted that the current
`transmission capability (bandwidth) of infrared signals is
`approximately 1.5 to 2.0 Mbits/sec, with a maximum pro-
`jected bandwidth of 16 Mbits/sec.
`The wireless signals may be transmitted through a packet-
`switched wireless network or a circuit-switched wireless net-
`
`work. In a packet- switched network, there is no single, unbro-
`ken connection between sender and receiver; instead, the
`information is broken into small packets and sent over many
`different routes at the same time. The packets are then reas-
`sembled at the receiving end. In contrast, in a circuit-switched
`network, once a connection is made, that part of the network
`is dedicated only to that single connection.
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the elements of a
`console 100 according to an illustrative embodiment of the
`invention. The console 100 is ultimately installed in a vehicle
`160. The console 100 includes a wireless receiver 102, a
`display device 104, a local input device(s) 106, a remote input
`device(s) 108, facilities for performing signal processing and/
`or signal conversion 110 (hereinafter “signal processing/con-
`version facilities”), a processor (CPU) 112, an operating sys-
`tem 114, a web browser 116, a wireless transmitter 118, a
`voice recognition system 120, a wireless keyboard 122, a
`wireless mouse 124, a wireless joystick 126, a wireless micro-
`phone 127, a text-to-speech system 130, and an antenna 128.
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`US 7,493,645 B1
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`5
`Some of the elements shown in FIG. 1 may be included in the
`console, in compartments comprised therein (not shown), or
`they may be separate from the console but nonetheless
`intended to interact with the console. The elements shown in
`
`FIG. 1 may be connected by one or more buses 140.
`All of the elements shown in FIG. 1 except for the remote
`input device 108 are included in the vehicle 160. The remote
`input device 108 is external to the vehicle 160.
`All of the elements shown in FIG. 1 except for the remote
`input device 108 are included in the vehicle 140. The remote
`input device 108 is external to the vehicle 140.
`It is to be appreciated that the display device is not limited
`to any particular kind of display device. Accordingly, display
`devices may be used which include, but are not limited to,
`liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs),
`and gas plasma. It is to further appreciated that any variations
`of the aforementioned types of displays may be used. For
`example, with respect to liquid crystal displays, active matrix
`(e.g., thin film transistor) technology or passive matrix (e.g.,
`dual scan) technology may be employed. The display device
`may also employ touch screen technology, so that users can
`interact with the console by either touching the screen or
`placing a specified device (e.g., electrostatic pen) near the
`screen. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a liquid
`crystal display is employed which uses active matrix technol-
`ogy.
`It is to be noted that the wireless receiver may receive the
`wireless signals from many sources. For example, the local
`input device(s) 106, includes, but is not limited to, a video
`cassette player (VCP), a television, a compact disk (CD)
`player, a digital video disk (DVD) player, a personal com-
`puter (PC), a pager, and a video game player.
`The wireless receiver may also receive the wireless signals
`from any remote wireless device. Thus, the remote input
`device(s) 108 includes, but is not limited to, a satellite (or
`satellite network) that provides multimedia content, or any
`other remote wireless device or network (e.g., global posi-
`tioning system (GPS), cellular, and so forth). Given the preva-
`lent use of satellites for the delivery of multimedia content
`(e.g., movies, telephone service, Internet and World Wide
`Web (the Web) content (e.g., streaming video), and so forth),
`this capability provides a seemingly endless supply of vary-
`ing media types to a vehicle, with the significant advantage of
`not requiring additional, on-board equipment such as VCPs,
`CD players, DVD players, televisions, and so forth. By not
`requiring the installation of an input device(s) in the vehicle,
`insurance costs are reduced should the vehicle be stolen.
`
`In any event, each input device (i.e., local input device(s)
`106 and remote input device(s) 108) should have a wireless
`transmitter 150 from which the wireless signals are transmit-
`ted.
`
`FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a local input device 106
`interacting with the wireless receiver 102 based on optical
`and/or RF transmission, according to an illustrative embodi-
`ment of the invention. The local input device 106 includes an
`optical transmitting device 212 (e.g., an LED, a laser, and so
`forth) and an antenna 214. The wireless receiver 102 includes
`a photosensitive device 252 (e.g., a phototransistor, a solar
`cell(s), a SEED (self-optic effect device), and so forth) and an
`antenna 254. The optical transmitting device 212 and the
`photosensitive device 254 are used for wireless transmission
`and reception of optical signals, respectively. The antenna
`214 and the antenna 254 are used for wireless transmission
`
`and reception of RF signals, respectively.
`In the case of wireless optical transmission, the optical
`transmitting device 212 wirelessly transmits optical (digital)
`signals to the wireless receiver 102 by pulsing its light output
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`(e.g., off equals a zero (0) and on equals a one (1)). The
`photosensitive device 252 in the wireless receiver detects the
`optical signals wirelessly transmitted by the optical transmit-
`ting device 212.
`The wireless receiver 102 also includes a digital-to-analog
`converter (DAC) 256 for converting the digital signals into
`analog signals. The analog signals are then provided to the
`display device 104 either directly or after processing by the
`signal processing/conversion facilities 110. Such processing
`by the signal processing/conversion facilities 110 may
`include, for example, filtering of the analog signal.
`It is to be appreciated that the processor 112 may be used to
`control the functions of the DAC 256 and the signal process-
`ing/conversion facilities 110. It is to be further appreciated
`that the DAC 256 may be separate from (as shown) or part of
`the signal processing/conversion facilities 110.
`The local input source 106 in the example of FIG. 2 may be
`a compact disk (CD) player, a digital video disk (DVD)
`player, and so forth. In the case of, for example, a DVD player,
`the digital output therefrom is transmitted wirelessly from the
`optical transmitting device 212 to the photosensitive device
`252. The DAC 256 may then be used to generate three sepa-
`rate analog signals (left audio channel, right audio charmel,
`and video). Alternatively, the DAC 256 may simply convert
`the wireless digital signal to a composite analog signal, which
`is then separated by the signal processing/conversion facili-
`ties 110 (when the DAC 256 is separate from the signal
`processing/conversion facilities 110).
`The preceding description regarding the functions of the
`DAC 256 and the signal processing/conversion facilities 110
`may also be applied in the case of RF transmission. In such a
`case, the transmission and reception functions of the optical
`transmitting device 212 and the photosensitive device 252 are
`replaced by those of the antennas 214 and 254, respectively.
`That is, the antenna 214 is used to wirelessly transmit an RF
`signal which is then received by the antenna 254. A modula-
`tor/demodulator may be included or associated with the
`antennas 214 and 254 to perform such functions as are known
`to one of ordinary skill in the related art.
`In another embodiment of the invention, a DAC and signal
`processing/conversion facilities may be located in the local
`input device 106, and controlled by a programmable proces-
`sor therein. The processor may be then programmed to func-
`tion with the elements of the wireless receiver 102. Given the
`
`teachings of the invention provided herein, one of ordinary
`skill in the related art will contemplate these and other optical
`transmitting devices, photosensitive devices, and configura-
`tions of the elements of the invention which allow for the
`
`transmission and reception of any type of wireless signal
`(e.g., analog and digital) and appropriate processing/conver-
`sion to facilitate reproduction of the content of the wireless
`signals provided by the local input device 106.
`It is to be appreciated that the console of the present inven-
`tion may include more than one display device 1 04, and more
`than one wireless receiver 102. In the case of more than one
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`display device, two or more different sources (e.g., DVD
`player, satellite) may be used to feed each of the monitors.
`One ofthe primary advantages ofthe invention is that input
`devices (local input device(s) 106 and remote input device(s)
`108) can be located in the console 100 or at any other location
`within range ofthe wireless receiver 102.As noted above, this
`may even include a satellite positioned in the atmosphere.
`According to one embodiment of the invention, the local
`input device(s) 106 (e.g., VCP, CD player, and/or DVD
`player) is located near the driver to enable driver control ofthe
`media content watched by passengers (e.g., children, teenag-
`ers). Alternatively, the driver can be left to concentrate on the
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`task of driving, with the passengers able to load media into a
`local input device(s) 106 located at the middle/back of the
`vehicle (not within the console 100 or too proximate to the
`console 100).
`The signal processing/conversion facilities 110 may per-
`form such processing/conversion prior to the wireless signals
`being provided to the display device 104 or any other device
`(e.g., speakers). The signal processing/conversion facilities
`110 may include, but are not limited to, Digital Signal Pro-
`cessors (DSPs), and facilities for performing encoding/de-
`coding, encrypting/decrypting, compressing/decompressing,
`analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), digital-to-analog con-
`version (DAC), and error correction. Such error correction
`may include, but is not limited to, Cyclic Redundancy Check-
`ing (CRC), Error Correction Code or Error Checking and
`Correcting (ECC), checksum, and so forth. With respect to
`encoding/decoding, encrypting/decrypting, and compress-
`ing/decompressing, the former of each pair is performed by
`the input device (local input device(s) 106 and/or remote
`input device(s) 108) and the latter is performed by the wire-
`less receiver 102. Of course, bi-directional transmissions may
`also be employed by the console of the invention. For
`example, the wireless receiver 102 may communicate with
`the input device(s) (106 and/or 108) for control purposes. In
`such a case, the input device(s) (106 and/or 108) may employ
`a wireless transceiver instead of simply a wireless transmitter,
`and the wireless receiver 102 and the wireless transmitter 118
`
`of the console 100 may be replaced by a wireless transceiver.
`Such a wireless transceiver may be either half duplex or full
`duplex.
`In many cases, the facilities described above may be imple-
`mented by one or more codecs. In other cases, additional
`and/or other circuitry may be required.
`It is to be noted that the wireless signals may be encoded to
`prevent interference between different input devices in the
`vehicle 160 and between an input device in the vehicle 160
`and an input device in a proximate vehicle. In such a case, the
`transmitter 150 of the input device may include facilities for
`transmitting the wireless signals that are based upon, for
`example, Spread Spectrum technology.
`It is to be appreciated that the signal processing/conversion
`facilities 110 described above with respect to the console may
`be located separate from or as part of the wireless receiver
`102. It is to be further appreciated that one of ordinary skill in
`the related art will contemplate these and various other facili-
`ties for performing signal processing and/or signal conver-
`sion, while maintaining the spirit and scope of the invention.
`The processor 112 may be one or more processors. The
`processor may be used to control and/or interact with any of
`the elements associated with the console. The operating sys-
`tem 114 may be a full blown operating system (including, but
`not limited to, LINUX, WINDOWS 95, 98, 2000, and so
`forth). Alternatively, the operating system 114 may be a
`streamlined operating system (including, but not limited to
`WINDOWS CE).
`The browser 116 displays Internet and/or World Wide Web
`(the Web) content, and allows the user to interact with the
`same. The browser 116 may be any browser which is capable
`of interpreting a markup language (including, but not limited
`to, Wireless Markup Language (WML), General Markup
`Language (GML), Standard Generalized Markup Language
`(SGML), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Extensible
`Markup Language O(ML), and so forth), other computer
`software language, and/or information sent via a protocol
`(including, but not limited to HyperText Transfer Protocol
`(HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Transmission Control
`Protocol (TCP), Internet Protocol (IP) and so forth).
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`According to an illustrative embodiment of the invention,
`the browser 116 accesses the web using Wireless Application
`Protocol (WAP). WAP is a specification for a set of commu-
`nication protocols that standardize the way in which wireless
`devices can be used for Internet access. WAP uses what is
`
`referred to as the Wireless Markup Language (WML), which
`is a streamlined version of HTML for small screen displays.
`WAP also uses WMLScript, which is a compact JavaScript-
`like language. WAP also supports handheld input methods
`such as a keypad and voice recognition. It is to be appreciated
`that WAP is device independent.
`The wireless transmitter 118 transmits control and/or other
`
`information to the input device(s) (106 and/or 108) and/or
`transmits audio to a speaker(s) having a wireless receiver 165
`(e.g., wireless speakers/wireless headphones 170). In the case
`of wireless headphones 170, the display device 104 may be
`viewed by a vehicle passenger without the other passengers
`and/or driver hearing the accompanying audio. In a preferred
`embodiment of the invention, wireless speakers 170, each
`having a wireless receiver 165 for receiving wireless signals
`from the wireless transmitter 118, are employed to minimize
`the wiring in the vehicle.
`A wireless transmitter 199 may be employed by a vehicle
`passenger to wirelessly transmit signals for configuring con-
`trols or applications on the display. Such signals may be
`transmitted to the display device 104 for receipt by the wire-
`less receiver 102. The wireless transmitter 199 may include a
`processor and associated memory for executing and storing
`programs, respectively. The programs may be used to control
`many different types of devices including some or all of the
`input devices 106 and other electronic devices such as, for
`example, a cellular telephone. In the latter case, the wireless
`transmitter 199 may be used by a user to control the cellular
`telephone, which may be built into the vehicle. In a preferred
`embodiment of the invention, the wireless transmitter 199 is
`operatively coupled to the controls of the accessories com-
`monly found in the dashboard of an automobile such as, for
`example, climate control and the controls for the radio and/or
`stereo. The wireless transmitter 199 transmits control con-
`
`figuration signals to the wireless receiver 102 for display on
`the display device 104. The display device 104, in turn, dis-
`plays a plurality of control modules or devices, e.g., the
`keypad of a cellular phone and controls for selecting radio
`channels for selection via touch screen controls displayed on
`the display device 104. Given the teachings of the invention
`provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the related art will
`contemplate these and various other applications for the wire-
`less transmitter 199.
`
`The voice recognition system 120, the wireless keyboard
`122, the wireless mouse 124, the wireless joystick 126, and
`the wireless microphone 127 are used to input information,
`control the console and functions corresponding thereto, and/
`or play a video game. It is to be noted that the wireless
`microphone may be part of, or separate from, the voice rec-
`ognition system 120. The console 100 may include a com-
`partment or housing assembly for housing the wireless key-
`board 122, the wireless mouse 124, the wireless joystick 126,
`and the wireless microphone 127, which may be removed
`therefrom when in use.
`
`The text-to-speech (tts) system 130 may perform various
`functions with respect to the console 100, as is readily appar-
`ent to one of ordinary skill in the related art. For example, the
`tts system 130 may be used to convert WEB books and/or
`other textual media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, stock
`quotes, weather reports, and so forth) to speech for reproduc-
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`9
`tion by, for example, wireless headphones or a speaker(s)
`(either existing, special purpose, or included in the display
`device 104).
`The invention facilitates meetings on the go