USO08050652B2
`
`(12) United States Patent
`Qureshey et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 8,050,652 B2
`*Nov. 1, 2011
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`(54) METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AN INTERNET
`RADIO CAPABLE OF OBTAINING PLAYLIST
`CONTENT FROMA CONTENT SERVER
`(75) Inventors: Safi Qureshey, Santa Ana, CA (US);
`Daniel D. Sheppard, Brea, CA (US)
`(73) Assignee: Horsham Enterprises, LLC,
`Wilmington, DE (US)
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 1374 days.
`This patent is Subject to a terminal dis
`claimer.
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/563,232
`(22) Filed:
`Nov. 27, 2006
`(65)
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2007/OO89132A1
`Apr. 19, 2007
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(63) Continuation of application No. 09/805,470, filed on
`Mar. 12, 2001, now abandoned, which is a
`continuation-in-part of application No. 09/096,703,
`filed on Jun. 12, 1998, now abandoned.
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/246,842, filed on Nov.
`8, 2000, provisional application No. 60/072,127, filed
`on Jan. 22, 1998.
`(51) Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`H05K II/00
`(2006.01)
`G06F 15/16
`(2011.01)
`H04N 5/445
`(52) U.S. Cl. ..................... 455/344; 455/556.1; 455/557:
`455/414. 1; 455/414.3; 709/217: 709/219;
`725/39; 725/45
`(58) Field of Classification Search ................. 455/3.02,
`455/3.06, 142, 150.1, 151.1, 1512, 154.1,
`455/154.2, 158.1, 158.2, 158.4, 186.1, 344,
`455/414.1,414.3, 456.2, 556.1, 557; 709/217,
`709/219; 725/39, 45, 18
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3,291,919 A 12/1966 Robitaille
`(Continued)
`
`EP
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`O984584 A1
`3, 2000
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`"A Music Revolution ... SoundServer” imerge, 2 pages.
`(Continued)
`Primary Examiner — Pablo Tran
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Withrow & Terranova,
`PLLC
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`A network-enabled audio device that provides a display
`device that allows the user to select playlists of music much
`like a jukebox is disclosed. The user can compose playlists
`from disk files, CD's, Internet streaming audio broadcasts,
`online music sites, and other audio Sources. The user can also
`select a desired Web broadcast from a list of available Web
`broadcasts. In addition, the user can play standard audio CDs
`and MP3 encoded CD’s and have access to local AM/FM
`stations. Further, the software, the user controls, and the dis
`play in the network-enabled audio device are operably con
`figured and connected Such that the user can listen to playlists
`that include CD's and other audio sources just as the user
`would choose a playlist in a jukebox. The user accesses a
`server site via a PC and the Internet. From the server site, the
`user obtains a list of the devices in his or her Internet Personal
`Audio Network (IPAN) and what songs are on those devices.
`The IPAN includes an IPAN server, an IPAN client, and IPAN
`software stored on the network-enabled audio device. Thus,
`the network-enabled audio device provides people who are or
`are not comfortable with computers a way of taking music
`from various sources and putting it into one place for listening
`pleasure. In one embodiment, the Personal Computer (PC) is
`used to compose the playlists, but the user is able to listen to
`playlists and other audio sources without using the PC.
`64 Claims, 49 Drawing Sheets
`
`fa
`
`Page 1 of 71
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`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1008
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`US 8,050,652 B2
`Page 2
`
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`Sheet 34 of 49
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`Sheet 35 of 49
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`Sheet 39 Of 49
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`US 8,050,652 B2
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`Sheet 40 of 49
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 1, 2011
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`1.
`
`CATALOGUE SONGS THAT
`DEVICE 'B' DOES NOT
`POSSESS IN A's NEW
`PLAYLIST WITH AN
`EMPTY CONE CON
`
`DELETE SONGS THAT
`DEVICE 'B' DOES NOT
`POSSESS FROM LIST
`OF REMAINING SONGS
`
`PROVIDE DEVICE 'A' URLS
`ARCHIVED WITH IPAN'S
`RECORDS OF REMAINING
`SONGS STORED ON "B"
`
`
`
`LIST OF
`REMAINING
`SONGS EMPTY
`2
`
`Page 44 of 71
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 1, 2011
`
`Sheet 42 of 49
`
`US 8,050,652 B2
`
`DEVICE "A" DOWNLOADS
`SONGS FROM URL's
`
`7976
`ARE
`2NY URLSNNO
`BROKEN
`2
`
`UPLOAD SONGS PARED WITH
`URL's TO 'B' ON SERVICE SITE
`
`As2O
`N
`
`DOWNLOAD SONGS To "A"
`WHEN 'A' CONNECTS
`
`79.22
`
`CATALOGUE REMAINING
`SONGS IN A's NEW
`PLAYLIST IN IPAN
`
`DELETE LIST OF
`REMAINING SONGS
`
`79757
`
`
`
`
`
`7962
`
`DOES
`PLAYLIST CONTAIN AN
`SONGS WITH AN EMPTY
`SPEAKER CON
`2
`
`
`
`NO
`
`DOES
`USER DELETE ALL SONGS
`WITH EMPTY SPEAKER
`CONS
`?
`
`
`
`NO
`
`7966
`
`CREATE A LIST OF REMAINING
`SONGS CONSISTING OF SONGS
`WITH EMPTY CONE CONS
`
`79.24
`
`END
`
`A
`7C2 79C,
`
`Page 45 of 71
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 1, 2011
`
`Sheet 43 of 49
`
`US 8,050,652 B2
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`€ £7 G 0 / 89 %0
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`US 8,050,652 B2
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`1.
`METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AN INTERNET
`RADIO CAPABLE OF OBTAINING PLAYLIST
`CONTENT FROMA CONTENT SERVER
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
`application Ser. No. 09/805,470, filed Mar. 12, 2001, which is
`a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
`09/096,703, filed Jun. 12, 1998, now abandoned, and which
`claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.
`60/246,842, filed Nov. 8, 2000. U.S. patent application Ser.
`No. 09/096,703 also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
`Patent Application No. 60/072,127, filed Jan. 22, 1998. The
`disclosures of these previous applications are hereby incor
`porated by reference in their entireties.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`30
`
`35
`
`40
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to the field of audio file trans
`fers and, more particularly, relates to the field of management
`and distribution of audio files over a computer network such
`as the Internet.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`25
`The Internet is a worldwide array of interconnected com
`puters and information servers that allow anyone with a com
`puter and access to the Internet to get information about
`virtually any subject 24 hours a day. For the average con
`Sumer, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides access to
`the Internet. ISPs such as CompuServe, Prodigy, and America
`On-Line, currently link over ten million users to the Internet.
`Users typically connect to the ISP by using standard tele
`phone lines and a telephone modem. Cable modems that
`allow a user to connect to the ISP over cable television lines,
`and satellite connections to the Internet, are also available.
`The Internet provides a wealth of information from stock
`reports to headline news. One of the newer services provided
`on the Internet is a streaming audio (e.g., RealAudio and
`MPEG audio) service. Streaming audio services are often
`provided in connection with the World WideWeb (Web) and
`thus are often called Web radio broadcasts. With streaming
`audio, a user with a Personal Computer (PC), a sound card,
`and the necessary Software can listen to audio programs from
`anywhere in the world. For example, Radio Prague provides
`daily Internet broadcasts from the Czech Republic. Listeners
`in the U.S. can listen to these Web radio broadcasts either in
`real time, or stored for later replay. Thus, unlike more tradi
`tional radio broadcasts where the listener must be within a
`reception area, Web radio broadcasts can be heard anywhere,
`So long as the listener has a connection to the Internet and the
`necessary computer hardware and software.
`Unfortunately, even with the ever-decreasing cost of per
`Sonal computers, the hardware and software needed to listen
`to a Web radio broadcast is beyond the financial means of
`55
`many people. Even for those that can afford a personal com
`puter, listening to a Web radio broadcast ties up the computer
`so that the user cannot use it for other purposes. Moreover, the
`use of a personal computer to receive streaming audio (e.g.,
`Web radio broadcasts) requires a certain amount of computer
`literacy on the part of the user. The user must be able to install
`the Web Radio software, configure the Web Radio software to
`communicate with the ISP, and find the various Web radio
`broadcasts provided on the Web.
`In addition to listening to Web radio broadcasts, users may
`wish to listen to audio files. With a group of PCs in a home
`and in a network, users can download songs from one PC to
`
`45
`
`50
`
`60
`
`65
`
`2
`another or upload songs from one PC to another. However,
`users cannot play a song on one PC by using the controls of
`another PC. In addition, the users must purchase multiple
`PCs, which can be costly. Further, the user must be able to
`install the network connection and the appropriate software.
`Moreover, even if the user can afford to purchase multiple
`PCs and install the proper connection, the user would have
`difficulty playing music in addition to performing other tasks
`on the PC. For example, the Web radio broadcast may be
`interrupted. Also, a skip over parts of a song may result if the
`user is using a word processing program at the same time as
`listening to music.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention solves these and other problems by
`providing a network-enabled audio device for listening to a
`variety of audio Sources with Substantially equal conve
`nience. The network-enabled audio device has a visual dis
`play for providing audio source choices to a user. The visual
`display also provides functions for managing audio Sources.
`User control buttons allow a user to choose an audio Source to
`listento. The menu buttons allow the user to choose functions
`for managing the audio sources. In one embodiment, there is
`also tuner circuitry for receiving radio frequency signals from
`radio broadcast stations. In one embodiment, a CD player
`allows the user to listen to CD's. In one embodiment, the
`network-enabled audio device also has one or more audio
`amplifiers and one or more loudspeakers operably connected
`to said audio amplifiers. In one embodiment, a modem is used
`for transmitting and receiving digital data over a communi
`cations network. One embodiment includes a data storage
`device.
`A first software module is stored on the data storage device,
`and the Software module is configured to decode compressed
`audio files into a playable (e.g. uncompressed) format. A
`second Software module is also stored on the data storage
`device. The second software module is configured to use the
`modem to connect to an Internet service provider to receive
`assignments of playlists from a third software module. The
`playlists include references to audio from a variety of audio
`Sources. The assignments provide information about the loca
`tion of other web sites containing the audio Sources. The
`second Software module is configured to Subsequently con
`nect through an Internet service provider to web sites to
`download audio files.
`A third software module is also stored on the data storage
`device. The third software