Patent ID: 8583177

Claim:
An accessory for use with an existing portable electronic device that does not have an FM radio receiver, said accessory comprising: a unitary housing that removably couples to a housing of the portable electronic device such that the accessory and portable electronic device function and can be portably carried as a single unit; a tunable FM radio receiver in said unitary housing that receives an FM broadcast signal and produces a broadcast audio output; a connector on said unitary housing that electrically connects said broadcast audio output of said tunable FM radio receiver to a corresponding connector on said portable electronic device when said unitary housing is coupled to said housing of said portable electronic device; application software residing on said portable electronic device that utilizes an internet connection of said portable electronic device to contact a web interface that identifies said broadcast audio output of said accessory housing and automatically downloads digital content related to said broadcast audio output produced by said tunable FM radio receiver in said unitary housing and display said digital content on a display of said portable electronic device while said portable electronic device simultaneously produces an audio output based upon said broadcast audio output; a data input on said unitary housing that receives data from said portable electronic device such that said tunable FM receiver can be tuned to a selected broadcast frequency using controls on said portable electronic device; and wherein said application software further allows a user to select a desired song and said web interface generates and sends a text message to said portable electronic device indicating when said desired song will be played on an FM station available to said tunable FM radio receiver in said unitary housing coupled to said portable electronic device; and wherein said application software prompts a listener to purchase a song corresponding to said broadcast audio output of said tunable FM radio receiver with a display of said portable electronic device and downloads a purchased song through said internet connection; and wherein said application software determines a location of said portable electronic device and downloads a list of available stations from a web server through said internet connection for display on a display of said Portable electronic device; and wherein said application software uses a memory of said portable electronic device to save said broadcast audio output of said tunable FM radio receiver such that audio corresponding to said broadcast audio output can be paused.