Abstract:
A turntable with a dock for handheld computing devices is disclosed. The turntable includes a housing having a record player with an analog output. An analog-to-digital converter has an analog input operatively connected to the analog output and a digital output. A serial interface device is operatively connected to the digital output of the analog-to-digital converter. A moveable dock connected to the housing is configured and arranged to support a handheld computing device therein.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present patent document claims priority to earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/392,984, filed on Oct. 14, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present patent document relates generally to vinyl record turntables and more specifically to a method and system for recording analog audio from a vinyl record turntable to a handheld computing device. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Handheld computing devices, such as Apple®&#39;s iPad®, iPod® or iPhone®, have become popular devices to store and play back music. However, there is no easy way to get music from conventional vinyl records onto handheld computing devices directly without the aid of a personal computer. Handheld computing devices, such as the iPad® for instance, lack analog audio inputs, which prevents music from being recorded directly to the handheld computing device from the vinyl record turntable. 
         [0006]    The current method of transferring music from a vinyl record onto a handheld computing device involves using a turntable equipped with a computer serial interface or a conventional turntable with a computer serial interface module coupled to the audio output of the conventional vinyl record turntable. 
         [0007]    Specifically, the audio output of the turntable is communicated through the computer serial interface and into a personal computer. The audio input is then captured in digital format by music management software, such as Apple®&#39;s iTunes® software. The digital copy of the vinyl record may then be transferred to the handheld computing device by attaching and synchronizing the handheld computing device to the music management software running on the personal computer. As can be ascertained, this method involves multiple steps and requires the use of a personal computer. 
         [0008]    Therefore, there is a perceived need in the art for a method and device for transferring music from a vinyl record turntable digitally to a handheld computing device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention solves the problems of the prior art by providing a method and system for recording analog audio from a vinyl record turntable to a handheld computing device. Specifically, a digital way to record analog audio from a vinyl record into a handheld computing device without resort to use of a personal computer to facilitate the transfer is disclosed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic of a first embodiment of the turntable of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic of a second embodiment of the turntable of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a top perspective view of an embodiment of the turntable of the present invention with a movable dock pivoted to an inward position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the turntable of the present invention with a movable dock pivoted to an inward position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a top perspective view of an embodiment of the turntable of the present invention with a movable dock pivoted to an outward position; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  shows a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the turntable of the present invention with a movable dock pivoted to an outward position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  shows a front perspective view of the turntable of the present invention with the dock in the inward position and a handheld computing device placed in the dock; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  shows a front perspective view of the turntable of the present invention with a handheld computing device placed in the dock and the dock pivoted to the outward position; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  shows a front perspective view of the turntable of the present invention with a handheld computing device placed in a landscape orientation in the dock and the dock in the outward position. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of the method and system of the present invention is shown generally. The method and system of the present invention includes a vinyl record turntable (or “record player”)  10  with a phono analog audio output. The analog audio output is connected to a phono preamp (or “RIAA filter”)  12  to provide the proper equalization curve and amplification level of the audio output. The RIAA filter  12  is connected to an analog-to-digital converter  14 , which converts the analog stereo signal of the audio output into a digital signal. 
         [0021]    The analog-to-digital converter  14  is connected to a serial interface device  16 , such as a universal serial bus (“USB”) interface device. The serial interface device  16  formats the digital signal into a digital audio format, such as USB audio format, and transmits the formatted digital audio output to s handheld computing device&#39;s  18  USB serial interface, where the digital audio may be recorded to the handheld computing device&#39;s  18  memory. 
         [0022]    Further provided, a microcontroller  20  may be included to communicate with the handheld computing device  18 . Specifically, handheld computing devices  18 , such as the Apple® iOS® family of devices, require authentication of the vinyl record turntable  10  as a valid peripheral, and set up of the serial interface device  16  communication link between the handheld computing device  18  and the serial interface device  16 . 
         [0023]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the authentication is done through the slow-speed or standard serial interface of the handheld computing device  18  by a microcontroller  20 , which also communicates with the authentication chip  22 . 
         [0024]    In the case where both a USB serial interface and a slow-speed or standard serial interface are present on the handheld computing devices  18 , the initial communication (i.e. the authentication process and serial communication setup) with the handheld computing device  18  can be configured to occur through the slow-speed or standard serial interface of the handheld computing device&#39;s  18  serial interface or be configured to connect through USB formatted communication with the handheld computing device&#39;s  18  USB serial interface. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , in a second embodiment, all communication is done through USB formatted communication through the handheld computing device&#39;s  18  USB serial interface. In this embodiment, the microcontroller  20  includes an integrated serial interface  16 , which handles all communication to and from the handheld computing device  18  and the authentication chip  22 . This microcontroller  20  may also include an integrated analog-to-digital converter  14  as well. 
         [0026]    Additionally, a volume control may be located between the RIAA preamp  12  (or at the RIAA preamp) and the analog-to-digital converter  14  to adjust the recording level in either the first or second embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-6 , a third embodiment of the turntable  10  of the present invention is shown generally. In addition to the features described in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the third embodiment includes a dock  24  for a handheld computing device  18  the pivots between an inward position against the turntable  10  (best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) to and outward position adjacent to the turntable  10  (best seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). The dock  24  includes an extended portion  25  to permit larger tablet computers to be used with the dock  24  when the dock is pivoted outwardly. The dock  24  includes a connector  27  to enable serial communications between the handheld computing device  18  and the serial device interface  16  and microcontroller  20 . 
         [0028]    The turntable  10  includes all the standard features of a conventional record player, i.e. a housing  26 , a rotating platter  28  with selectable speed, tone arm  30  with a pickup cartridge  32  connected to the analog audio output, etc. as is well known in the prior art and need not be described in detail herein. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , a handheld computing device  18  may be placed in the dock  24  when the dock  24  is pivoted to the inward position, which is suitable for swinging the handheld computing device  18  out of the way yet still leaving the handheld computing device  18  connected to the turntable  10  of the present invention. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8 , the handheld computing device  18  may be placed in the dock  24  when the dock  24  is pivoted to the outward position. In this arrangement, the user can simultaneously operate the handheld computing device  18  and the turntable  10  with ease because they are both facing the user. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 9 , in addition the dock  24  may be further configured and arranged to support a handheld computing device  18  in a landscape orientation. 
         [0032]    Note that one advantage of the method and system of the present invention is that the audio output is transmitted to the handheld computing device  18  digitally, and not as an analog signal. This improvement allows the use of better components like analog-to-digital converters  14  that offer superior sound quality. 
         [0033]    The method and system of the present invention may be integrated into the housing of a turntable  10  or housed in a separate housing that is external to the turntable  10 . 
         [0034]    Therefore, it can be seen that the present invention provides a unique solution to the problem of providing a solution to the problem of having analog music on a vinyl record, converting the music to digital format and transferring the digitally formatted music to a handheld computing device without the aid of a personal computer. 
         [0035]    It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.