Abstract:
A rearview mirror used inside a car is disclosed to include a casing, which defines an accommodating chamber, a data storage device, which has stored therein MP3 music files, and a music player module, which is received in the accommodating chamber of the casing, having a digital music decoder electrically connectable to the data storage device for fetching storage MP3 music files and decoding fetched MP3 music files, and a Frequency Modulation (FM) transmitter electrically connected to the digital music decoder for wirelessly send out the decoded MP3 music files.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a rearview mirror for motor vehicle and more particularly, to a rearview mirror, which has a music player module received therein.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     For playing a digital music file (such as MP3) in a car, a music player capable of playing MP3 music files must be installed in the car. It is expensive to change a car&#39;s music player. When changing the music player of a car, the stereo system and or the internal structure of the car may have to be changed too. It takes much time and cost to complete such a change. Further, a conventional digital music player cannot play different types of digital music files. Further, due to limited capacity of storage means, a conventional digital music player does not allow the user to expand storage digital music files for playing.  
         [0005]     Further, currently commercially available digital music players are not specifically designed for use in a car. They cannot be directly combined to parts inside a car. When a digital music player is used in a car, it occupies much inside space of the car.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention provides a vehicle rearview mirror, which comprises a casing, a data storage device, and a music player module. The casing has an accommodating chamber. The data storage device has stored therein at least one digital music file. The music player module is received in the accommodating chamber of the casing, comprising a digital music decoder electrically connectable to the data storage device for fetching the at least one digital music file from the data storage device and decoding each fetched digital music file, and a Frequency Modulation (FM) transmitter electrically connected to the digital music decoder and adapted to wirelessly send out the at least one digital music file decoded by the digital music decoder.  
         [0007]     Therefore, the music player module in the rearview mirror can decode digital music files and wirelessly send out the decoded digital music files to the FM radio of the car for output through the speaker inside the car. Because the music player module is received inside the rearview mirror, the invention fully utilizes the limited inside space of the car, keeping the sense of beauty of the inside space of the car intact.  
         [0008]     Each digital music file stored in the data storage device can be a MP3 music file, WMA music file, or MIDI music file.  
         [0009]     The data storage device can be a portable data storage device of Mass Storage Class (flash memory), a memory built in the music player module, or the combination of both the flash memory and the built-in memory.  
         [0010]     The rearview mirror further comprises a control circuit board mounted inside the casing. The control circuit board comprises a second connecter. The music player module comprises a second connecter electrically connected to the first connecter of the control circuit board.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing showing a status of use of the present invention in a car.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing showing a status of use of the preferred embodiment of the present invention inside a car M. The car M has installed therein a FM radio  8 , a speaker  9 , and a rearview mirror. The FM radio  8  is mounted in the passenger room inside the car M. The speaker  9  is mounted in the doorframe of the door adjacent to the driver&#39;s seat. The rearview mirror is provided at the bottom side of the roof of the car M. The rearview mirror has a music player module, which will be described in detail below.  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the rearview mirror of the present invention comprises a casing  1 , a mirror  10  covering the casing  1 , and a control circuit board  5  mounted inside the casing  1 . The control circuit board  5  controls a plurality of LED displays  51  to produce a visual signal through the translucent mirror  10 , having a second connecter 3 l extending out of one side thereof. The casing  1  has an accommodating chamber  11  at one lateral side, two sliding grooves  111  and  112  arranged in parallel at two opposite lateral sides of the accommodating chamber  11 , and a male retaining element, for example, spring latch  113  set in the deep inside of the accommodating compartment  11 .  
         [0016]     The music player module, referenced by  3 , has a housing  30  fitting the accommodating chamber  11  of the casing  1 . The housing  30  has two sliding rails  301  and  302  symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides corresponding to the sliding grooves  111  and  112  in the accommodating chamber  11 , and a female retaining element, for example, a retaining hole  303  transversely disposed near the front side. When inserting the music player module  3  into the accommodating chamber  11 , of the casing  1 , the sliding rails  301  and  302  of the housing  30  of the music player module  3  are respectively coupled to the sliding grooves  111  and  112  in the accommodating chamber  11 . After the music player module  3  has been set into position, the spring latch  113  automatically engages the retaining hole  303 , thereby locking the music player  3  to the casing  1 . On the contrary, when pulled the spring latch  113  away from the retaining hole  303 , the music player module  3  is unlocked and can be removed from the casing  1 .  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 2  again, the music player module  3  comprises an input connecter  32 , a music decoder  33 , and a FM transmitter  34 . The music decoder  33  is electrically connected to the input connecter  32  and the FM transmitter  34 . According to this embodiment, the music decoder  33  is a MP3 player, and the input connecter  32  is a USB connection connecter. Alternatively, the input connecter  32  can be a IEEE-1394 connecter or any of a variety of other equivalent connection terminals.  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3  again, the data storage device, referenced by  4 , is a plug type Mass Storage Class (flash memory), having stored therein multiple pieces of music files of MP3 format. Further, the data storage device  4  has a USB first connecter  41  connectable to the input connecter  32  of the music player module  3 .  
         [0019]     After connection of the data storage device  4  to the second connecter  32  of the music player module  3 , the MP3 player (music decoder  33 ) fetches and decodes MP3 music files from the data storage device  4 , and then sends the decoded MP3 music files to the outside air wirelessly at a predetermined frequency modulation band through the FM transmitter  34 .  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, due to limited space of the passenger room inside the car M and short distance between the music player module  3  and the FM radio  8 , the strong FM radio wave transmitted from the FM transmitter  34  overlays other FM radio waves from external FM radio stations, there by the RF radio  8  receives decoded MP3 digital music transmitted from the FM transmitter  34  and outputs the received MP3 digital music through the speaker  9 .  
         [0021]     As indicated above, the invention has the music decoder  33  (MP3 player) incorporated into a rearview mirror inside a car. This arrangement fully utilizes the limited inside space of the car, keeping the sense of beauty of the inside space of the car intact. Further, the data storage device  4  (a portable data storage device of Mass Storage Class,) can be disconnected from the music player module  3  and moved out of the car to a suitable place to download MP3 music files for further output through the music player module  3 .  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIG. 2  again, the music player module  3  has a first connecter 35  (the so-called gold finger) connectable to the second connecter 3 l of the control circuit board  5 . The first connecter 35  of the music player module  3  and the second connecter  31  of the control circuit board  5  can be RS-232 connection terminals or any of a variety of other suitable types of connection terminals. The music player module  3  can be set to obtain the necessary working voltage from the car battery power supply. Alternatively, the battery pack (not shown) can be installed in the rearview mirror to provide the music player module  3  with the necessary working voltage.  
         [0023]     Further, the control circuit board  5  can be constructed to have a band selection chip for carrier frequency range selection from the full frequency range, and the selected new frequency range is sent to the FM transmitter  34  to replace the predetermined frequency band, enabling the FM transmitter  34  to broadcast at the new frequency band. Therefore, the invention can select to transmit full frequency range frequency modulation carrier signal.  
         [0024]     Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.