Abstract:
The invention is a system, apparatus, and method for controlling and enjoying playback from a portable playback device, such as an MP3 player. The apparatus is a remote control, with a first portion having a dock configured to be attached to the portable playback device, and a second portion having a display and controls configured to control output from the portable playback device. The first portion and second portion can be separate elements, and can be connected by a flexible line. The apparatus can be easily worn by a user.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to the control of operations of a portable playback device, and more particularly, to an external remote control accessory that can be used together with a portable playback device, such as a digital audio player or a digital audio device (e.g., MP3 player) or portable media player device (PMP) to allow for controlling and displaying feedback and detailed track and list information from such devices.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     A number of portable playback devices are known in the art, including digital audio players, digital audio devices, and digital video and music players for playing back compressed music/audio/video files. By far the most popular compressed music/audio/video formats today are MP3 &amp; MP4, and the IPOD® player marketed by Apple Computer is one well-known example of such a player. (APPLE® and IPOD® are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., a California corporation.)  
         [0003]     It is often desirable to play digital video (e.g., a movie) and/or animated graphics as well as music while these devices reside in their carrying cases. This is not always convenient as these devices have their controls and displays on their faces and are typically covered or not readily visible while in these cases. Additionally, even with their controls uncovered, the controls for these devices are not always conveniently configured for operation by a user, and their LCD displays can be relatively small.  
         [0004]     Therefore, it is desirable to provide an external wired remote accessory capable of working with off-the-shelf portable MP3 players and/or other digital audio/video players to provide feedback display while these devices reside in their cases, allowing the user the ease of use but not requiring the devices to be removed from their cases when controlling them.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     The invention is a system and apparatus for playing selected audio and/or video recordings, including control and display devices for such playback. In an embodiment of the present invention, a portable digital music/video player wired remote control accessory with its own display for use with a portable digital audio and/or video player is provided. The portable digital music/video player accessory includes a display screen for displaying control status and track information thereon, and a processing core used for controlling this display on the display screen. The wired remote accessory control will communicate with the portable digital music/video player, and the processing core will display the control feedback information on its display. The portable digital music/video player wired remote accessory also includes a serial interface port for interfacing with a corresponding serial port of the portable digital audio and/or video player to receive the control data therefrom. The portable digital audio/video player accessory also includes a power source for supplying power to the display screen and the processing core.  
         [0006]     The portable digital audio and/or video player may be a portable MP3 and/or MP4 player, such as an IPOD® player from Apple Computer, Inc.; an M25™ or M100™ digital audio player from Motorola; a Creative Zen™ portable media center from Creative Technologies, Inc.; or a FlashTrax® portable media player (capable of playing video, audio, and data) from SmartDisk Corporation.  
         [0007]     In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method of another communication link using an OTG USB port (“On The Go” type USB port), instead of or in addition to a serial port, is provided.  
         [0008]     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an external remote control/display accessory according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the external remote with display accessory of  FIG. 1  being used with a portable audio/video player via a serial port;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the external remote with display accessory of  FIG. 1  being used with a portable audio/video player via a serial port and USB port;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front view of an external remote with display accessory according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the accessory of  FIG. 4 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     In embodiments of the present invention, an external remote control/display accessory includes one or more controls for controlling output from a portable digital audio and/or video player, and a display screen for displaying various user control information and track information, lists and status. The display screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) or any other suitable display device known to those skilled in the art, or a suitable display device that will be developed in the future. The external control/display accessory, therefore, allows the user to control the portable digital audio and/or video player and, where applicable, view video output without having to remove the player from the carrying case.  
         [0015]     Depending on the particular embodiment, the external remote control/display accessory may have its own power source, such as a standard or rechargeable battery. By way of example, the power to the external control/display accessory can be provided by an internal lithium ion rechargeable battery. In addition, the external control/display accessory includes electronic circuitry (e.g., on an integrated circuit chip) and a processing core for controlling the display as well as for interfacing with the portable digital audio or video player (and/or a hard drive thereof).  
         [0016]     As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , an external control/display accessory  100  includes a display  102 , a processing core  104 , and a power source  106 . The external control/display accessory  100  also includes one or more communication ports, which in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  includes a serial port  108 . As an alternative to the serial port  108 , or in addition thereto (as depicted in  FIG. 1 ), the external control/display accessory  100  may include a universal serial bus (USB) port  110 , such as an OTG USB port. A parallel port (not shown) may also be included as a communication port, in lieu of or in addition to the serial port  108  and/or USB port  110 . The selection of communication port(s) depends on the particular application, including the particular audio and/or video player(s) with which the external control/display accessory  100  is intended to interact.  
         [0017]     The display  102  may be black &amp; white, monochrome, or color, and may be an LCD or any other suitable display device/screen. By way of example, the display  102  may be 1.0 inches to 1.8 inches in size, and may have a resolution of 112×80 pixels, 80×50 pixels, or the like.  
         [0018]     The processing core  104  is a control/communication device that can include any suitable integrated circuit chip, such as an SPL130A chip available from Sunplus Technology. The processing core  104  can include the protocols for communicating with portable audio and/or video devices to control and retrieve information from these devices. The processing core  104  can also include a display driver to control display of the video on the display  102 . In addition, the processing core  104  may include a sound amplifier/driver to generate and control audio output status. A speaker or speakers  112  may be included as an integral part of the external control/display accessory  100 . As an alternative or in addition to any integral speaker(s)  112 , a headset  114  or other external speaker(s) may be connected to the external control/display accessory via a headphone jack  116 .  
         [0019]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the external control/display accessory  100  includes a control  118 , through which a user can control various functions of the audio and/or video player. The control  118  may be configured to permit the user to control such functions as volume (up and/or down), track selection, play/pause, preview track, on/off, etc. The control  118  may include a keyboard having several individual keys for specific function control. For example, the keyboard may have  5  keys with the following functions: volume up, volume down, next track, preview track, play/pause. The keyboard may be formed of standard push buttons, a touch-sensitive assembly/screen, etc.  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the external remote with display accessory  100  can be used together with a portable audio and/or video player  120 . The serial port  108  or the OTG USB port  110  is used to communicate with the portable audio and/or video player  120  operating system to control the operation of the portable audio and/or video player  120  and to obtain feedback as requested for display to the user.  
         [0021]     The external remote is applicable to various portable audio/video players, and not just portable audio and/or video players that use a serial port. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the external remote with display accessory  100  can be used together with any suitable portable audio/video device  122 . The serial port  108  and/or the OTG USB port  110 , and/or other suitable communication port, is used to communicate with the operating system residing in the portable audio/video device  122  and to control and receive user feedback.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  depicts an embodiment of an external remote control/display accessory  130  with a portable audio/video player  132  and headphones  134 , while  FIG. 5  depicts the external remote control/display accessory of  FIG. 4  in side view and without the portable audio/video player and headphones  134 . The accessory  130  includes a display  136 , control  138 , headphone jack  140 , and communication dock  142  with one or more communication ports  144 . The communication dock  142  is configured to receive and securely hold the portable audio/video player  132 . Depending on the particular embodiment, the communication dock  142  can be configured to receive and/or hold the portable audio/video player without requiring the player&#39;s removal from its protective case (if present). In the particular embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the display  136 , control  138 , and headphone jack are located on the accessory main body  145 .  
         [0023]     The communication dock  142  of  FIGS. 4 and 5  includes an attachment device in the form of a clip  146  which permits the user to removably attach the communication dock  142  to the user&#39;s clothing at a desired location, such as at a belt or waistline of the user. Other attachment devices are also within the scope of the invention, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, buckles, wrist bands, stretch bands and/or cases, silicon cases, etc. The communication dock  142  is connected to the main body  145  of the external remote control/display accessory  130  via a cord  148 . The cord  148  may have sufficient length and flexibility to permit the user to attach the communication dock  142  securely to a remote location, such as the user&#39;s belt, while still allowing the user to hang the main body  145  of the portable audio remote control/display accessory  130  about the user&#39;s neck via the neck loop  150 . In one embodiment of the invention, the cord  148  has a length of between 1 and 3 feet, with a length of about 2 feet appropriate for some applications. The length is preferably long enough to permit ease of use, but short enough that it doesn&#39;t present an unwieldy and/or awkward length of line that may interfere with the user&#39;s enjoyment of the device.  
         [0024]     The control  138  includes a plurality of buttons  152 , including individual control buttons for volume up, volume down, play/pause, skip back, and skip forward. Note that other individual control buttons are also within the scope of the invention. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the neck loop  150  is configured to permit the main body  145  of the remote control/display accessory  130  to be hung around the neck of a user, with the neck loop  150  attached to the accessory main body  145  at a proximal end  154  of the accessory main body  145 .  
         [0025]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the display  136  is positioned near a distal end  156  of the accessory main body  145 , with the top  160  of the display image  158  positioned closer to the main body distal end  156  so that the display image  158  is in the “right-side up” configuration when the accessory main body  145  is viewed with the main body distal end  156  positioned, in the viewer&#39;s field of view, above the main body proximal end  154 . When a user is wearing the accessory main body  145  around his or her neck via the neck loop  150 , the user can look directly down onto the accessory main body  145  and view the display image in a “right-side up” configuration. The user can also hold the accessory main body  145  in a fixed position in front of the user&#39;s face (with the neck loop  150  hanging below the accessory main body  145 ), so that the accessory main body  145  is in a more comfortable viewing position. In either such case, the accessory distal end  156  will appear higher in the user&#39;s field of view than the proximal end  154 , and the display image  158  will appear in the “right-side up” configuration to the user. In a further embodiment of the invention, the display image could be positioned with the top  160  of the display image  158  positioned closer to the main body proximal end  154 , which could allow a user to easily view the display in the right-side up configuration when the main body  145  were hanging from a hook or around the neck of someone other than the viewer. The accessory  130  could also be configured so that the display image could be selectively inverted and/or rotated as desired for a desired viewing situation.  
         [0026]     While the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood that various changes and additional variations may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention or the inventive concept thereof. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or device to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.