Abstract:
An improved disc jockey turntable is disclosed. The turntable includes a housing having an I/O circuit, an audio output electrically connected to the I/O circuit, a rotatable platter configured and arranged to received a vinyl record thereon, an electric motor is configured to selectively rotate the platter, a movable tonearm with a pickup cartridge is electrically connected to the I/O circuit whereby the tonearm may be moved over the platter and placed on a vinyl record rotating on the platter to play audio out through the audio output. A dock is located on the housing and is configured to cradle a portable music player. The dock has a communication port for connecting to the portable music player. A control circuit is electrically connected to the communication port and the I/O circuit, and is configured to selectively recording audio from the I/O circuit to the portable music player.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/870,632, filed on Dec. 19, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/974,092, filed on Sep. 21, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to vinyl record turntables and more specifically to such a turntable that includes an integrated docking station for a portable media player such as an iPod®. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Vinyl record turntables are well known in the art. Such turntables include a rotating platter to spin a vinyl record and a tone arm with a pickup cartridge. When the pickup cartridge is placed on the surface of a vinyl record being rotated by the platter, the audio signal encoded on the surface of the vinyl record is translated into an electrical signal, which is transmitted out of an output and subsequently into an audible sound through an amplifier and/or speakers. 
         [0006]    Portable media players are quite popular currently for playing audio and video recordings of all sorts. Many portable media players have a recording feature built-in and some even include built-in microphones. However there is no convenient method of transporting the audio signal of a vinyl record onto a portable media player, such as an iPod®, without the use of cables or other intervening devices. 
         [0007]    Therefore, there is a need within the industry for a record turntable that has the capability of transferring an audio signal of a vinyl record onto a portable media player. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention solves the problems of prior to providing a disc jockey turntable that has an integrated docking station for a portable media player. The turntable of the present invention can record audio recordings directly from the vinyl records and onto the portable media player and also play recordings from the portable media player out of the line outputs of the turntable. Additionally other audio devices may be attached to the turntable of the present invention, and subsequently recorded onto the portable media player. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, accompanying drawings and claims where: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the turntable of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the turntable of the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of the operation of the turntable of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the turntable of the present invention is shown generally at  10 . A portable media player is  12  shown docked to a docking station  14 . The turntable  10  of the present invention includes an integrated docking station  14 , which may also include optional transport controls  16  to control the function of the portable media player  12 . 
         [0014]    The turntable  10  has a turntable body  18  with a rotating platter  20 . The rotating platter  20  may be driven by a direct drive motor or a belt drive motor. Preferably the platter speed can be set at speed of 33, 45 or 78 rpm, respectively, and also reverse. Carry handles (not shown) are also integrated into the turntable body  10 . 
         [0015]    The turntable body  10  also has tone arm  22  with a pickup cartridge. The tone arm  22  is pivotally connected to the turntable body  10  and is for converting the audio signal encoded on a rotating vinyl record into an electrical signal. The electrical signal may be subsequently transmitted out a pair of RCA line outputs  24 . 
         [0016]    The RCA line outputs  24  are selectable between phono or line level output and a phono/line level switch  26  is also included to set the RCA line outputs at the desired level. 
         [0017]    The turntable of the present invention may also optionally include a pitch control  28 , tone control  30 , a gain control  32 , and/or a volume control  34  to adjust these respective properties of the electrical signal. 
         [0018]    The electrical signal generated by the tone arm  22  may also be routed directly to the docking station  14  and the portable media player  12  in the lieu of or in addition to the RCA line outputs  24 . To record the audio signal of the vinyl record, the user of the turntable  10  selects the docking station  14  as the desired output and selects a record function on either the transport controls  16  or the portable media player  12  itself. The user then begins to play the vinyl record. The portable media player  12  then records the electrical signal output of the tone arm  22 . In this manner, the audio signal of a vinyl record may be transferred to the portable media device  12 . 
         [0019]    It is envisioned that the turntable  10  of the present invention can be made in two versions. In a first embodiment, the turntable lacks transport controls for the portable media player  12 . On this embodiment, an operator of the turntable  10  uses the controls of the portable media player  12  itself to select and play or to record audio therefrom. 
         [0020]    An optional set of transport controls  16  is included on the turntable body  18  itself. These transport controls  16  control the functions of the portable media player  12  and can be used instead of the often small, if not diminutive, controls on the portable media player  12 . The transport controls  16  may include a menu button  16   a , selector knob  16   b , enter button  16   c , previous track button  16   d , next track button  16   e , record button  16   f , and play/pause button  16   g . The buttons are preferably configured as tact switches to reduce or prevent noise from “leaking” into the performance or a recording. The selector knob  16   g  may be rotated and pressed to navigate the menus on the portable media device  12 . To facilitate this functionality to control the portable media player  12 , an onboard microprocessor coupled to serial communication electronics is included in the turntable body  18 . 
         [0021]    The turntable of the present invention may also include a remote start jack  36  and an external digital output  38 . The remote start jack  36  allows the turntable to remotely started or stopped by foot switch or other “lock switch”-based device. The external digital output  38  allows the turntable to be connected to other digital devices. 
         [0022]    The turntable  10  of the present invention also includes an optional remote sensor  40  that may be used with remote control (not shown). The remote control has a similar interface controls as the turntable to enable a user to operate the turntable and portable media player from a distance. 
         [0023]    A pair of RCA line inputs  42  is also included to allow an external audio device having an audio signal to be connected to the turntable  10  of the present invention and have its audio signal subsequently recorded on to the portable media player  12 . 
         [0024]    The turntable  10  of the present invention may also include an internal CD player or an internal tape deck. These optional devices, if included, may also have audio signals transferred to the portable media player  12 . In addition to the CD player or tape deck, the turntable  10  the present invention may also include a mass storage device such as an internal or external hard drive or flash drive. 
         [0025]    The turntable  10  a present invention may also include a display  43  that includes a number of indicators. These indicators provide information to the user about such functions as beats per minute, the platter  20  motor speed setting, and other independent functions such as the current settings of the pitch control  28 , gain control  32 , volume control  34  and tone control  30  of the turntable  10 . 
         [0026]    Also included on the turntable  10  of the present invention is a USB port  44 . The USB port  44  allows a personal computer to be connected to the turntable  10  to allow the docking station  14  to be able to synchronize the portable music player  12  with the personal computer. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a circuit diagram of the turntable of the present invention is shown generally. The circuit is generally divided into four logical blocks or components, indicated by the heavy dashed lines: the I/O PCB, the docking station PCB, the Transport PCB, and the Digital PCB. In general, the Digital PCB components include the microcontroller and USB port circuitry; the Transport PCB includes the optional transport controls  16  to control the portable media player  12 ; the docking station PCB includes the electrical connections for the docking stations  14 ; and the I/O PCB includes the circuitry for the audio and data input and output of the turntable  10 . 
         [0028]    The transport controls  16  are electrically connected to the microcontroller. Optionally, an indicator, such as an LED, may be included to signify whether a portable media player  12  is properly docked in the docking station  14 . Also included within the Digital PCB logical block is a USB controller, which includes three ports. One port is connected to the docking station  14 , a second is connected to a pulse-code modulator, and a third port is located on the housing  18  and includes a standard USB port  44  to connect any type of USB compatible device thereto. A charging circuit for the docking station  14  is also included and is configured to detect when a portable media device  12  is docked in the docking station  14 . 
         [0029]    The docking station PCB includes a USB connection for the portable media player, which connects to a charging circuit and USB controller logically located in the Digital PCB circuit. The docking station  14  itself contains an audio input an audio return and an audio output. Additionally, the docking station  14  includes a serial connection and sense connection, which are electrically connected to the microcontroller. Operation of the transport controls  16  transmits signals to the microcontroller, which, in turn, transmits control signals to the serial input to the docking station  14  and, subsequently, the portable media player  12  connected thereto. The control signals are used to navigate the menu selections of portable media player  12  and operate any functions thereof, such as playing audio files stored on the portable media player  12 . 
         [0030]    The I/O PCB includes the inputs for the turntable  10  of the present invention, namely, the line input  42 , cartridge and USB port  44 . The signal from the line input  42  is first passed through a gain control and mixer circuit. The signal from the cartridge may be passed through a phono pre-amp circuit prior to being passed through the gain control and mixer. The gain control and mixer circuit may be selectively set to either the line input or cartridge signal input. The resulting signal is then fed into an output buffer, where it may be further mixed or sent to an input buffer, which will be further described below. 
         [0031]    If the output buffer is selected, the signal may then be transmitted out the RCA outputs  24  or digital output  38  of the turntable  10 . The output buffer is also electrically connected to the analog digital converter and the docking station  12  through the dock output buffer. The dock output buffer includes two inputs that are electrically connected to the audio return and the audio output of the docking station  14 . The input buffer is electrically connected to the audio input of the docking station  14  and the audio input of the pulse-code modulator, thus permitting audio output to be transferred from the line input  42  or cartridge to a mass storage device connected to the USB port  44 . 
         [0032]    Additionally, the cartridge signal may bypass the gain control and mixer circuit and output buffer, and be directly channeled to the RCA outputs  24  as a raw phono output signal. If the input buffer is selected, the signal may be sent to the docking station or the pulse-code modulator connected to the USB controller. This feature permits music tracks to be “ripped” to portable media player  12  or another separate mass storage device connected to the USB port  44 . 
         [0033]    Therefore, it can be seen that the present invention provides a unique solution to the problems of the prior art by providing a turntable  10  that has an integrated docking station for a portable media player  12 . By including a docking station  14  integrated in with the turntable  10 , the audio of the vinyl record may be directly recorded onto a portable media player  12 , such as an iPod®. In addition, the use of additional line inputs  42  allows other audio devices to be recorded onto the portable media player  12  too. 
         [0034]    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.