Abstract:
Some methods include coupling a digital media player to a backside surface of a television. Several methods include coupling a tray to a backside surface of a television, coupling a digital media player to the tray, and electrically coupling the digital media player to the television through an electrical cable. Some methods include orienting a tray base such that sidewalls protrude outward from a backside of a television to couple a digital media player to the backside of the television.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 14/169,148, filed on Jan. 30, 2014 and titled Mounting Methods for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 13/332,373, filed on Dec. 21, 2011 and titled Mounting System for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 13/278,759, filed on Oct. 21, 2011 and titled Mounting System for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/416,736, filed on Nov. 23, 2010 and titled Mounting System for Digital Media Players. The disclosures of application Ser. Nos. 14/169,148, 13/332,373, 13/278,759 and Application 61/416,736 are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention is in the technical field of mounting systems. More specifically, the present invention is in the technical field of mounting systems for digital media players. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Users often place digital media players near a television. Television owners desire a convenient means to mount digital media players. 
     SUMMARY 
     We have discovered an apparatus and a method that allow users to mount digital media players. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a digital media player. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a digital media player inside a tray embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates round vents, vertical vents, and horizontal vents. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate a circular hook embodiment, which is configured to attach to round vents. 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate a vertical hook embodiment, which is configured to attach to vertical vents. 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate a horizontal hook embodiment, which is configured to attach to horizontal vents. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment where a back portion slides into a first opening in the tray. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment with a hook in a first opening. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates cross section A-A from  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of cross section A-A from  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an embodiment with fastening loops securing a tray. 
         FIG. 13  illustrates hooks attached to a tray as the tray approaches vents. 
         FIG. 14  also illustrates hooks attached to a tray as the tray approaches vents. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a tray embodiment mounted on a screen by using hooks. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a method embodiment of the present invention with various optional steps, the order of which may be changed. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a method embodiment of the present invention with various optional steps, the order of which may be changed. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a method embodiment of the present invention with various optional steps, the order of which may be changed. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The accompanying drawings form part of the detailed description below. The drawings show specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced, by way of example or illustration and not by way of limitation. These embodiments are described in enough detail through text and drawing figures to enable those skilled in the art to practice the claimed invention. The embodiments may be combined, other embodiments may be utilized, or structural, logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The description below illustrates implementations of the invention and does not limit the invention. 
     In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in this disclosure. 
     Digital media players include Digital Video Disc (DVD) players, Blu-ray players, and digital media extenders such as Apple TVs. Digital media players often transmit digital signals wirelessly or through a wire such as a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable to a screen that displays an image based on the digital signal. Screens include computer monitors, televisions, and image-producing portions of movie projectors. Televisions include flat-panel displays, flat-screen televisions, and tube televisions. 
     Owners of digital media players often prefer to mount their digital media player near their screens. For example, a person who owns a flat screen television that is mounted on the wall might want to mount her Apple TV onto her flat screen television or onto the wall behind her flat screen television. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a digital media player  1 .  FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of the present invention. The digital media player  1  slides into a tray  2 .  FIG. 3  shows the digital media player  1  inside the tray  2 . 
     In one embodiment, the tray  2  is configured such that a user can connect electrical cables  3  to the digital media player  1  and then slide the digital media player  1  into the tray  2  without having to disconnect the electrical cables  3 . For example, the tray  3  in  FIG. 2  includes an open portion  4  that enables the user to slide the digital media player  1  with attached electrical cables  3  into the tray  2 . In one embodiment, the tray  2  does not have sidewalls  8  nor does the tray  2  have retaining lips  9  in the open portion  4 . The open portion  4  is located such that the electrical cables  3  exit the digital media player  1  in the open portion  4 . 
     The digital media player has two large sides  11  and four small sides  12 . In one embodiment, the tray has two retaining lips  9  that engage the large side  11  that faces away from the tray base  13 . In this embodiment, the two retaining lips  9  are separated by the open portion  4 . In another embodiment, the tray  2  includes an open top  14  to allows the digital media player  1  to slide into the tray  2 . The open top  14  is located on the opposite side of the tray relative to the open portion  4 . 
     The tray  2  can attach to vents  10  in a screen  15 . This mounting method is advantageous because it can be achieved without tools.  FIG. 4  shows round vents  10   a , vertical vents  10   b , and horizontal vents  10   c . A round vent  10   a  has an approximately round opening. A vertical vent  10   b  has an opening that is longer vertically than the opening is horizontally. For example, a vertical vent opening may measure 3 mm vertically and 1 mm horizontally (when the screen is placed in its normal movie-viewing orientation). A horizontal vent  10   c  has an opening that is longer horizontally than the opening is vertically. For example, a horizontal vent opening may measure 3 mm horizontally and 1 mm vertically. Screen manufacturers often include vents  10  in the back of the screen  15  to allow heat to escape from inside the screen  15 . 
     In one embodiment, a mounting system includes three types of hooks. The first type of hook is configured for round vents  10   a . The second type of hook is configured for vertical vents  10   b . The third type of hook is configured for horizontal vents  10   c . This embodiment enables the mounting system to be compatible with screens that have round vents  10   a , vertical vents  10   b , and horizontal vents  10   c  because the user can select the hook type that is compatible with the user&#39;s screen. In other embodiments, the mounting system only contains two hook types or even just contains one hook type. 
     Hooks  20  attach the tray  2  to the vents  10 . In some embodiments, the hooks are part of the tray. For example, the hooks may be formed as part of the molding process that forms the tray. In other embodiments, the hooks are permanently attached to the tray. In other embodiments, the hooks are detachably coupled to the tray such that the hooks may be removed from the tray after the hooks are attached to the tray. 
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  show a circular hook  20   a , which is configured to attach to round vents  10   a . In one embodiment, the circular hook  20   a  has more than one protrusion  6  that enters vents  10 . The circular hook  20   a  has a front portion  30   a  with a substantially round cross section. The front portion  30  enters into the round vent  10   a.    
     The front portion  30  of a hook  20  is configured to enter a vent  10 . In some embodiments, the entire hook is the front portion because the entire hook is sized and shaped to enter the screen&#39;s vent. In other embodiments, only part of the hook is the front portion because part of the hook is designed to enter the vent while other parts of the hook serve other purposes such as coupling the front portion to the tray  2 . 
       FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  show a vertical hook  20   b  with a front portion  30   b , which is configured to attach to vertical vents  10   b .  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  show a horizontal hook  20   c  with a front portion  30   c , which is configured to attach to horizontal vents  10   c.    
     The front portion  30  has a length  100 , a thickness  101 , and a width  102 . The length  100  is defined as the distance from middle of where the front portion attaches to the rest of the hook to the front portion&#39;s most distant point from the middle of where the front portion attaches to the rest of the hook.  FIG. 5   a  shows an example length  100   a .  FIG. 5   a  also shows the back profile  105   a  and the front profile  107   a . The back profile  105  is the closest profile on the front portion  30  to the back portion  40  of the hook  20 . The front profile  107  is the most distant profile on the front portion  30  to the back portion  40  of the hook  20 . The front portion&#39;s thickness  101  is the average linear distance between the back profile  105  and the front profile  107 . The width  102  of the front portion  30  is perpendicular to the thickness  101 . For example,  FIG. 7   b  shows the width  102   c  of the horizontal hook  20   c . The width  102  is determined by finding the average width of the front portion  30 . 
     In one embodiment, a hook  20  has a thickness  101  that is at least 50% larger than the hook&#39;s width  102 . For example,  FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  show a hook  20   b  with a thickness  101   b  that is greater than the hook&#39;s width  102   b . In another embodiment, a hook  20  has a thickness  101  that is at least twice as large as the hook&#39;s width  102 . In yet another embodiment, a hook  20  has a thickness  101  that is at least three times as large as the hook&#39;s width  102 . In various embodiments, the hooks have a thickness that is less than 2 mm, 3 mm, or 4 mm. 
     In one embodiment, a hook  20  has a width  102  that is at least 50% larger than the hook&#39;s thickness  101 . For example,  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  show a hook  20   c  with a width  102   c  that is greater than the hook&#39;s thickness  101   c . In another embodiment, a hook  20  has a width  102  that is at least twice as large as the hook&#39;s thickness  101 . In yet another embodiment, a hook  20  has a width  102  that is at least three times as large as the hook&#39;s thickness  101 . 
     In one embodiment, two circular hooks  20   a  are coupled to the tray  2 . In another embodiment, at least three circular hooks  20   a  are coupled to the tray  2 . In yet another embodiment, at least four circular hooks  20   a  are coupled to the tray  2 . In yet another embodiment, at least four hooks  20  are coupled to the tray  2 . In yet another embodiment, at least ten hooks  20  are coupled to the tray  2 . 
     In various embodiments, the hook  20  includes an approach angle  110  that helps the hook  20  hold itself to the vent  10 . The approach angle  110  is defined as the angle between the hook&#39;s length  100  and the back of the tray  112  as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . In various embodiments, the approach angle  110  is less than 60 degrees, less than 50 degrees, less than 40 degrees, less than 30 degrees, or less than 20 degrees. 
     In various embodiments, the distal end of the hook  20  includes a forwardly curved portion  120 . The distal end is the end of the hook  20  that is configured to enter the vent  10  before other portions of the hook  20  enter the vent  10 . The forwardly curved portion  120  helps the hook  20  enter the vent&#39;s opening.  FIG. 11  shows that the forwardly curved portion  120  causes the distal end to be positioned farther away from the tray  2  than the distal end would be positioned without the forwardly curved portion  120 . The forwardly curved portion  120  curves the front portion  30  away from the tray  2  when the hook  20  is coupled to the tray  2 . In various embodiments, the forwardly curved portion  120  curves at least 10 degrees, at least 20 degrees, at least 30 degrees, or at least 40 degrees from the portion of the hook to which the forwardly curved portion  120  is attached. 
     A hook&#39;s extension distance  130  is the distance from the attachment plane defined by where the front portion  30  attaches to the rest of the hook  20  to the front portion&#39;s most distant point as shown in  FIG. 5   a . For the purpose of measuring the extension distance  130 , the attachment plane should be parallel to the back of the tray  112 . In various embodiments, the extension distance  130  is less than 8 mm, less than 10 mm, or less than 12 mm. 
     In various embodiments, the front portion  30  is flexible. A front portion  30  is herein defined as flexible if the distal end can move at least 3 mm to either side for every 10 mm of length without moving any portion of the hook besides the front portion or causing more than 1 mm of permanent deformation when tested at 74 degrees Fahrenheit and held in the side position for one to two seconds. Moving to the side is defined as moving into or out of the page in  FIGS. 5   a ,  6   a , and  7   a.    
     In one embodiment, the hooks  20  are metal. In another embodiment, the hooks  20  are a non-electrically conductive material such as plastic or rubber. In one embodiment, the front portion  30  is metal covered with a nonconductive layer such as rubber, plastic, or any other nonconductive substance. The front portion  30  may have a circular cross section. In various embodiments, metal wires or rods protrude from the back of the tray  112  with an approach angle of less than 60 degrees, less than 50 degrees, less than 40 degrees, less than 30 degrees, or less than 20 degrees.  FIG. 5   a  shows an embodiment wherein the front portion  30  comprises metal covered by a nonconductive layer. In various embodiments, at least two front portions  30  that each comprise at least one metal wire are attached to the tray, at least three front portions  30  that each comprise at least one metal wire are attached to the tray, at least four front portions  30  that each comprise at least one metal wire are attached to the tray, or at least five front portions  30  that each comprise at least one metal wire are attached to the tray. 
     The hooks  20  have a back portion  40 , which is configured to attach to the tray  2 .  FIG. 8  shows an embodiment where the back portion  40  slides into a first opening  50  in the tray  2 . In various embodiments, the first opening  50  is at least 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, or 5 mm wider than the back portion  40  that slides into the first opening  50  to enable the hook to slide back and forth in the first opening such that the hook  20  is able to move to align itself with the vent  10 .  FIG. 10  shows cross section A-A from  FIG. 9  of the hook  20  in the first opening  50 .  FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of cross section A-A from  FIG. 9  of the hook  20  in the first opening  50 . 
     In one embodiment, the following method is used to attach the tray  2  to the screen  15 . The user determines which style of hook  20  is compatible with the vents  10  on her screen  15 . The user attaches the hooks  20  to the tray  2 . The user attaches the hooks  20  to the vents  10 . The user attaches the digital media player  1  to the tray  2 . The above steps can be performed in orders different from the order listed above. For example, the user can attach the hooks  20  to the vents  10  before attaching the hooks  20  to the tray  2 . In another method, the user attaches the tray  2  to the vents  10  by using hooks  20 . 
       FIGS. 16-18  illustrate various method embodiments of the present invention. The steps in these methods are optional and may be performed in any order. The steps of the various methods may be combined with each other. 
     In one embodiment, the tray includes additional openings  55  as illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 11 . In one embodiment, the following method is used to mount the tray  2 : The user ties the tray  2  to the screen mount  60  using a fastening loop  65 . 
     Fastening loops  65  include cable ties, zip ties, ropes, strings, and bands such as Velcro bands. Screen mounts  60  attach screens  15  to walls such as the vertical walls that form the outer perimeter of rooms in a building such as a home or office. Screen mounts  60  often include vertical bars  62  and horizontal bars. In one embodiment, the user ties the tray  2  to the vertical bar  62 . In another embodiment, the user ties the tray  2  to the horizontal bar. The user ties the tray  2  to the bar  62  by placing a fastening loop  65  around the bar  62  and through the opening  50 ,  55 .  FIG. 12  shows fastening loops  65  securing the tray  2  to the vertical bar  62  by going around the vertical bar  62  and through the additional openings  55 . 
     In another embodiment, the tray  2  also includes screw holes  70  as shown in  FIG. 9 . In another mounting method, the user places a screw through the screw hole  70 , presses the tray  2  against a wall, and then rotates the screw such that the screw advances into the wall to secure the tray  2  to the wall. In another embodiment, the user places a nail through the screw hole  70 , presses the tray  2  against a wall, and then pushes the nail&#39;s head such that the nail advances into the wall to secure the tray  2  to the wall. 
     In another embodiment, the tray  2  includes first openings  50 , additional openings  55 , and screw holes  70  such that the user can mount the tray  2  by attaching the tray  2  to the vents  10  by using hooks  20 , can mount the tray  2  by attaching the tray  2  to the bars  62  by using fastening loops  65 , or can mount the tray  2  by attaching the tray  2  to the wall by using screws or nails. In a related embodiment, a package in which the tray  2  is sold to customers includes hooks  20 , fastening loops  65 , and nails. In a related embodiment, the package in which the tray is sold to customers includes hooks  20 , fastening loops  65 , and screws. Thus, the package is a universal mounting system because it provides means for an extremely wide range of customers to mount their digital media players. 
     In one embodiment, the hooks  20  attach to the tray  2  via a snap fit. A snap fit is a self-locking joint in which one part flexes until it slips past a second part. Once the part that flexes slips past the second part, the part that flexes returns to substantially its initial shape, which prevents the two parts from inadvertently separating.  FIG. 11  shows an embodiment where a flexing part  75  has moved past a second part  80 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , the second part  80  forms the outer perimeter of the first opening  50 . The snap fit is advantageous because it prevents the hook  20  from inadvertently falling off the tray  2 . 
       FIGS. 13 and 14  show hooks  20  attached to the tray  2  as the tray  2  approaches the vents  10 .  FIG. 15  shows the tray  2  mounted on the screen  15  by using the hooks  20 . 
     Many other tray geometries are possible. For example, the tray may completely or partially enclose the digital media player. In an embodiment, the tray encloses all sides of the digital media player. In an embodiment, the retaining lips  9  shown in  FIG. 2  extend towards each other such that they touch each other and/or join together to enable the tray to engage a larger portion of the large side  11  that faces away from the tray base  13 . In one embodiment, the tray includes side walls  8  that convert open portion  4  and/or open top  14  into at least partially closed portions. Various tray embodiments include walls that engage or cover at least a portion of any combination of the digital media player&#39;s large sides  11  and small sides  12 . In another embodiment, the tray  2  includes at least three screw holes  70 . 
     The tray  2  can be molded from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic with a hardness of 55 shore D, 65 shore D, 75 shore D, 85 shore D, or 95 shore D. The hooks  20  can be molded from the same ABS plastic materials that can be used for the tray. The hooks  20  can also be molded from polyurethane with a hardness of 70 shore A, 80 shore A, 90 shore A, or 95 shore A. The hooks  20  can also be molded from silicone rubber with a hardness of 85 shore A or 95 shore A. The screws can be a metal such as stainless steel and can be fabricated through standard screw machining processes. 
     The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above embodiments and aspects thereof may be used in combination with each other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use the claimed invention, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, permutations, combinations, equivalent means, and equivalents of the specific embodiments, methods, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments, methods, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.