PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8165634-B2
Application Number: US-201113042272-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Female receptacle connector

Abstract:
A media player system is disclosed. One aspect of the media player system pertains to a docking station that allows a media player to communicate with other media devices. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a hand held music player that includes a transmitter for transmitting information over a wireless connection. Yet another aspect of the media player system pertains to a connector that includes a housing and a plurality of spatially separated contacts mounted within the housing. A first set of contacts are directed at a first functionality and a second set of contacts are directed at a second functionality that is different than the first functionality.

Claims:
1. A female receptacle connector for connecting to a corresponding male plug connector, the female receptacle connector comprising:
 a housing designed to accommodate thirty contacts within the housing spaced apart in sequentially numbered contact locations, 
 wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations include: first, second and third ground contact locations 2, 16 and 29, respectively, designated for ground, a USB power contact location designated for a USB power signal, first and second digital USB contact locations designated for USB differential data signals interleaved around a contact location designated for another digital signal other than a USB differential data signal, analog contact locations designated for left and right audio out signals, a fourth ground contact location designated for ground between contact locations 2 and 16, wherein the analog contact locations are separated from the first and second digital USB contact locations by the fourth ground contact location and wherein the first and second digital USB contact locations are located between the first ground contact location and the fourth ground contact location. 
 
     
     
       2. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 1  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include fifth and sixth ground contact locations. 
     
     
       3. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 1  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include an accessory power contact location designated for an accessory power out signal provided at a first power level, and first and second power contact locations designated to receive power at a second power level that is higher than the first power level. 
     
     
       4. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 3  wherein the first power level is 3.3 volts. 
     
     
       5. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 1  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include a contact location 20 for a signal that can be used to detect if an accessory is connected to the receptacle connector. 
     
     
       6. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 1  wherein the contact location for another digital signal between the first and second digital USB contact locations is a Firewire contact location for a Firewire data signal. 
     
     
       7. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 1  wherein the thirty sequential contact locations are spaced apart along a single row. 
     
     
       8. A female receptacle connector for connecting to a corresponding male plug connector, the female receptacle connector comprising:
 a housing designed to accommodate thirty contacts within the housing spaced apart in one or more rows of contact locations sequentially numbered from a first end to a second end, the contact locations including: 
 first, second and third ground contact locations designated for ground, the first ground contact location at contact location 2 near the first end of the connector, the second ground contact location at contact location 29 near the second end of the connector, and the third ground contact location between the first and second ground contact locations; 
 a first group of digital contact locations including first and second USB contact locations designated for USB differential data signals and a contact location designated for a digital signal other than a USB differential data signal at a contact location between the first and second USB contact locations, the first group of digital contact locations located between the first ground contact location and the third ground contact location; and 
 a second group of analog contact locations designated for one or more analog signals including at least left and right audio out signals, the second group of analog contact locations located between the second ground contact location and the third ground contact location. 
 
     
     
       9. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 8  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include first and second serial communication contact locations designated for transmitting and receiving digital signals between an accessory device using a serial protocol and located between the second ground contact location and the third ground contact location. 
     
     
       10. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 8  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include an accessory identify contact location. 
     
     
       11. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 8  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include fifth and sixth ground contact locations. 
     
     
       12. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 11  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include an accessory power contact location to provide power out at a first power level, and first and second power contact locations to receive power in at a second power level that is higher than the first power level. 
     
     
       13. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 12  wherein the first power level is 3.3 volts. 
     
     
       14. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 12  wherein the contact location for another digital signal between the first and second digital USB contact locations is a Firewire contact location designated for a Firewire data signal. 
     
     
       15. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 8  wherein the thirty sequential contact locations are spaced apart along a single row. 
     
     
       16. A female receptacle connector for connecting to a corresponding male plug connector, the female receptacle connector comprising:
 a housing designed to accommodate thirty contacts within the housing spaced apart in one or more rows of contact locations sequentially numbered from a first end to a second end, the contact locations including:
 first, second and third ground contact locations designated for ground, the first ground contact location being disposed at contact location 1, the second ground contact location being disposed at contact location 30 and the third ground contact location being disposed at one of contact locations 15 or 16 between contact locations 1 and 30; 
 a group of digital contact locations designated for one or more digital signals including universal serial bus (USB) signals, the group of digital contact locations being disposed between the first and third ground contact locations; 
 a group of analog contact locations designated for one or more analog signals including an audio left signal and an audio right signal, the group of analog contact locations being disposed between the second and third ground contact locations; and 
 a group of power contact locations designated for one or more power signals including USB power, accessory power and charger input power, the group of power contact locations being disposed between the first and third ground contact locations. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 16  wherein the sequentially numbered contact locations further include fourth and fifth ground contact locations designated for ground, the fourth ground contact location being disposed at contact location 2 and the fifth ground contact location being disposed adjacent to the second ground contact location at the other of contact locations 15 or 16. 
     
     
       18. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 16  wherein the group of analog contact locations includes an audio out left contact location at contact location 27 and an audio out right contact location at contact location 28. 
     
     
       19. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 18  wherein contact location 8 is designated for a USB power signal. 
     
     
       20. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 16  wherein the contact locations further include an accessory identify contact location designated for an accessory identify signal that has an associated electrical pull down function to notify the media player of an accessory identification, the accessory identify contact location being located between the first and third ground contact locations. 
     
     
       21. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 20  wherein the contact locations further include an accessory detect contact location designated for an accessory detect signal. 
     
     
       22. The female receptacle connector set forth in  claim 16  wherein the contact locations further include first and second serial protocol contact locations designated for serial protocol signals.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 12/611,890, filed Nov. 3, 2009; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/423,490, filed Apr. 25, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,627,343. The disclosures of each of the &#39;890 and &#39;490 applications are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a media player. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved features for connecting the media player to external devices. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The hand held consumer electronics market is exploding, and an increasing number of those products are including mechanism for expanding connections thereto. By way of example, hand held consumer electronic products may correspond to cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video games, radios, MP3 players, CD players, DVD players, televisions, game players, cameras, etc. Most of these devices include some sort of connector for making connections to other devices (e.g., Firewire, USB, audio out, video in, etc.). Some of these devices have been capable of connections to other devices through docking stations. For example, cellular phones have included docking stations for charging the cellular phones and PDAs have included docking stations for communicating with a host computer. Other devices have been capable of wireless connections therebetween. For example, cellular phones use wireless connections to communicate back and forth (e.g., include wireless receivers). 
     MP3 music players in particular have typically made connections to other devices through connectors. For example, the MP3 music player known as the iPod manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif. has included a Firewire connector for communicating with a computer. The Firewire connector through a cable connected to the computer generally allows data transmissions to travel back and forth between the MP3 music player and the computer. As should be appreciated, MP3 music players are configured to play MP3 formatted songs. These songs may be uploaded from the computer and thereafter stored in the MP3 player. As is generally well known, the MP3 format is a compression system for digital music that helps reduce the size of a digitized song without hurting the sound quality, i.e., compress a CD-quality song without losing the CD sound quality. By way of example, a 32 MB song on a CD may compress down to about a 3 MB song using the MP3 format. This generally lets a user download a song in minutes rather than hours. 
     Although current media players such as MP3 music players work well, there is a continuing need for improved features for connecting or coupling media players to one or more external devices (e.g., input or output). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates, in one embodiment, to a docking station that allows a media player to communicate with other media devices. The media player (e.g., music player) having a first media connector for connection to the docking station. The docking station includes a housing and a media bay disposed inside the housing. The media bay is capable of receiving the media player. The media bay includes a media bay opening and a second media connector. The media bay opening provides access to the media bay connector. The media bay connector is configured for removable engagement with the first media connector of the media player. The first and second media connectors are configured to allow data and power transmissions therethrough. The data transmission includes at least two data formats. The docking station also includes one or more outputs that are operatively coupled to the second media bay connector. The outputs are configured to allow at least data transmissions therethrough. 
     The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a wireless media player system. The wireless media player system includes a hand held media player (e.g., music player) capable of transmitting information over a wireless connection. The wireless media player system also includes one or more media devices (e.g., tuning devices) capable of receiving information over the wireless connection. 
     The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a method of wirelessly connecting a hand held media player to another device. The method includes selecting a media item on the hand held media player. The method also includes selecting one or more remote recipients on the hand held media player. The method further includes transmitting the media item locally to the hand held media player, and wirelessly to the selected remote recipients. 
     The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a hand held music player (e.g., MP3 player) that includes a transmitter for transmitting information over a wireless connection. The transmitter is configured to at least transmit a continuous music feed to one or more personal tuning devices that each include a receiver capable of receiving information from the transmitter over the wireless connection. 
     The invention relates, in yet another embodiment, to a connector for use in a media player system. The connector includes a housing and a plurality of spatially separated contacts mounted within the housing. A first set of contacts are appropriated for Firewire transmissions, a second set of contacts being appropriated for USB transmissions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a media player, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of a media player system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are diagrams of a docking station, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams of a docking station, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a media player system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  is a top view of a connector assembly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  is a front view of a connector assembly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6C  is a pin designation chart, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective diagram of a stand alone docking station, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7B  is a top view of a stand alone docking station, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7C  is a top view of a stand alone docking station with its cover removed, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7D  is a back view of a stand alone docking station, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7E  is a side view of a stand alone docking station, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram of a media player docking station in use, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9A  is a diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9B  is a diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9C  is a diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9D  is a functional diagram of a cable adapter, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram of a notebook computer with a built-in docking station, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram of a desktop computer with a built-in docking station, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram of a boom box with a built-in docking station, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram of a photo frame with a built-in docking station, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram of a family radio with a built-in docking station, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram of a of a wireless communication system, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 16  is a block diagram of a of a wireless communication system, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 17  is a flow diagram of a wireless transmission method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective diagram of a wireless communication network in use, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram of a media player  100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The term “media player” generally refers to computing devices that are dedicated to processing media such as audio, video or other images, as for example, music players, game players, video players, video recorders, cameras, and the like. In some cases, the media players contain single functionality (e.g., a media player dedicated to playing music) and in other cases the media players contain multiple functionality (e.g., a media player that plays music, displays video, stores pictures and the like). In either case, these devices are generally portable so as to allow a user to listen to music, play games or video, record video or take pictures wherever the user travels. 
     In one embodiment, the media player is a handheld device that is sized for placement into a pocket of the user. By being pocket sized, the user does not have to directly carry the device and therefore the device can be taken almost anywhere the user travels (e.g., the user is not limited by carrying a large, bulky and often heavy device, as in a laptop or notebook computer). For example, in the case of a music player, a user may use the device while working out at the gym. In case of a camera, a user may use the device while mountain climbing. In the case of a game player, the user can use the device while traveling in a car. Furthermore, the device may be operated by the users hands, no reference surface such as a desktop is needed. In the illustrated embodiment, the media player  100  is a pocket sized hand held MP3 music player that allows a user to store a large collection of music (e.g., in some cases up to 4,000 CD-quality songs). Although used primarily for storing and playing music, the MP3 music player shown herein may also include additional functionality such as storing a calendar and phone lists, storing and playing games, storing photos and the like. In fact, in some cases, it may act as a highly transportable storage device. 
     By way of example, the MP3 music player may correspond to the iPod MP3 player manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif. The pocket sized iPod has a width of about 2.4 inches, a height of about 4 inches and depths ranging from about 0.72 to about 0.84 inches. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the media player  100  includes a housing  102  that encloses internally various electrical components (including integrated circuit chips and other circuitry) to provide computing operations for the media player  100 . In addition, the housing may also define the shape or form of the media player. That is, the contour of the housing  102  may embody the outward physical appearance of the media player  100 . The integrated circuit chips and other circuitry contained within the housing may include a microprocessor (e.g., CPU), memory (e.g., ROM, RAM), a power supply (e.g., battery), a circuit board, a hard drive, other memory (e.g., flash) and/or various input/output (I/O) support circuitry. The electrical components may also include components for inputting or outputting music or sound such as a microphone, amplifier and a digital signal processor (DSP). The electrical components may also include components for capturing images such as image sensors (e.g., charge coupled device (CCD) or complimentary oxide semiconductor (CMOS)) or optics (e.g., lenses, splitters, filters). The electrical components may also include components for sending and receiving media (e.g., antenna, receiver, transmitter, transceiver, etc.). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the media player  100  includes a hard drive thereby giving the media player massive storage capacity. For example, a 20 GB hard drive can store up to 4000 songs or about 266 hours of music. In contrast, flash-based media players on average store up to 128 MB, or about two hours, of music. The hard drive capacity may be widely varied (e.g., 5, 10, 20 MB, etc.). In addition to the hard drive, the media player  100  shown herein also includes a battery such as a rechargeable lithium polymer battery. These type of batteries are capable of offering about 10 hours of continuous playtime to the media player. 
     The media player  100  also includes a user interface  103 . The user interface  103  allows the user of the media player  100  to initiate actions on the media player  100  and provides the user with output associated with using the media player (e.g., audio, video, images, etc.). The user interface  103  may be widely varied. By way of example, the user interface  103  may include switches; buttons, keys, dials, trackballs, joysticks, touch pads, touch screens, displays, microphones, speakers, cameras, and the like. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the media player  100  includes a display screen  104  and related circuitry. The display screen  104  is used to display a graphical user interface as well as other information to the user (e.g., text, objects, graphics). By way of example, the display screen  104  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD). In one particular embodiment, the display screen corresponds to a 160-by-128-pixel high-resolution display, with a white LED backlight to give clear visibility in daylight as well as low-light conditions. As shown, the display screen  104  is visible to a user of the media player  100  through an opening  105  in the housing  102 , and through a transparent wall  106  that is disposed in front of the opening  105 . Although transparent, the transparent wall  106  may be considered part of the housing  102  since it helps to define the shape or form of the media player  100 . 
     In addition to the display screen  104 , the media player  100  also includes a touch pad  110 . The touch pad is an intuitive interface that provides easy one-handed operation, i.e., lets a user interact with the media player with one or more fingers. The touch pad  110  is configured to provide one or more control functions for controlling various applications associated with the media player  100 . For example, the touch initiated control function may be used to move an object or perform an action on the display screen  104  or to make selections or issue commands associated with operating the media player  100 . In order to implement the touch initiated control function, the touch pad  110  may be arranged to receive input from a finger moving across the surface of the touch pad  110 , from a finger holding a particular position on the touch pad and/or by a finger tapping on a particular position of the touch pad. The touch pad may be widely varied. For example, the touch pad may be a conventional touch pad based on a Cartesian coordinate system, or the touch pad may be a touch pad based on a Polar coordinate system. Furthermore, the touch pad  110  may be used in a relative and/or absolute mode. In absolute mode, the touch pad  110  reports the absolute coordinates of where it is being touched. For example x, y in the case of the Cartesian coordinate system or (r, θ) in the case of the Polar coordinate system. In relative mode, the touch pad  110  reports the direction and/or distance of change. For example, left/right, up/down, and the like. 
     The touch pad  110  generally consists of a touchable outer surface  111  for receiving a finger for manipulation on the touch pad  110 . Although not shown in  FIG. 1 , beneath the touchable outer surface  111  is a sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement includes a plurality of sensors that are configured to activate as the finger sits on, taps on or passes over them. In the simplest case, an electrical signal is produced each time the finger is positioned over a sensor. The number of signals in a given time frame may indicate location, direction, speed and acceleration of the finger on the touch pad, i.e., the more signals, the more the user moved his or her finger. In most cases, the signals are monitored by an electronic interface that converts the number, combination and frequency of the signals into location, direction, speed and acceleration information. This information may then be used by the media player  100  to perform the desired control function on the display screen  104 . 
     The position of the display screen  104  and touch pad  110  relative to the housing  102  may be widely varied. For example, they may be placed at any external surface (e.g., top, side, front, or back) of the housing  102  that is accessible to a user during manipulation of the media player  100 . In most cases, the touch sensitive surface  111  of the touch pad  110  is completely exposed to the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the touch pad  110  is located in a lower, front area of the housing  102 . Furthermore, the touch pad  110  may be recessed below, level with, or extend above the surface of the housing  102 . In the illustrated embodiment, the touch sensitive surface  111  of the touch pad  110  is substantially flush with the external surface of the housing  102 . 
     The shape of the display screen  104  and the touch pad  110  may also be widely varied. For example, they may be circular, rectangular, triangular, and the like. In general, the outer perimeter of the shaped touch pad defines the working boundary of the touch pad. In the illustrated embodiment, the display screen is rectangular and the touch pad  110  is circular. More particularly, the touch pad is annular, i.e., shaped like or forming a ring. When annular, the inner and outer perimeter of the shaped touch pad defines the working boundary of the touch pad. 
     In addition to above, the media player  100  may also include one or more buttons  112 . The buttons  112  are configured to provide one or more dedicated control functions for making selections or issuing commands associated with operating the media player  100 . By way of example, in the case of an MP3 music player, the button functions may be associated with opening a menu, playing a song, fast forwarding a song, seeking through a menu and the like. In most cases, the button functions are implemented via a mechanical clicking action. The position of the buttons  112  relative to the touch pad  110  may be widely varied. For example, they may be adjacent one another or spaced apart. In the illustrated embodiment, the buttons  112  are configured to surround the inner and outer perimeter of the touch pad  110 . In this manner, the buttons  112  may provide tangible surfaces that define the outer boundaries of the touch pad  110 . As shown, there are four buttons  112 A that surround the outer perimeter and one button  112 B disposed in the center or middle of the touch pad  110 . By way of example, the plurality of buttons  112  may consist of a menu button, play/stop button, forward seek button and a reverse seek button, and the like. 
     Moreover, the media player  100  may also include a hold switch  114 . The hold switch  114  is configured to activate or deactivate the touch pad and/or buttons. This is generally done to prevent unwanted commands by the touch pad and/or buttons, as for example, when the media player is stored inside a user&#39;s pocket. When deactivated, signals from the buttons and/or touch pad are not sent or are disregarded by the media player. When activated, signals from the buttons and/or touch pad are sent and therefore received and processed by the media player. 
     The media player  100  may also include one or more connectors for receiving and transmitting data to and from the media player. By way of example, the media player may include one or more audio jacks, video jacks, data ports and the like. The media player  100  may also include one or more connectors for receiving and transmitting power to and from the media player  100 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the media player includes a headphone jack  116  and a data port  118 . The headphone jack  116  is capable of receiving a headphone or speaker plug associated with headphones/speakers configured for listening to sound being outputted by the media device  100 . The data port  118 , on the other hand, is capable of receiving a data plug/cable assembly configured for transmitting and receiving data to and from a host device such as a general purpose computer (e.g., desktop computer, portable computer). By way of example, the data port  118  may be used to upload or down load audio, video and other images to and from the media device  100 . For example, the data port may be used to download songs and play lists, audio books, ebooks, photos, and the like into the storage mechanism of the media player. 
     The data port  118  may be widely varied. For example, the data port may be a PS/2 port, a serial port, a parallel port, network interface port, a USB port, a Firewire port and/or the like. In some cases, the data port  118  maybe a wireless link such as a radio frequency (RF) link or an optical infrared (IR) link in order to eliminate the need for a cable. Although not shown in  FIG. 1 , the media player  100  may also include a power port that receives a power plug/cable assembly configured for delivering powering to the media player  100 . In some cases, the data port  118  may serve as both a data and power port. 
     Although only one data port is provided, it should be noted that this is not a limitation and that multiple data ports may be incorporated into the media player. In a similar vein, the data port may include multiple data functionality, i.e., integrating the functionality of multiple data ports into a single data port. Furthermore, it should be noted that the position of the hold switch, headphone jack and data port on the housing may be widely varied. That is, they are not limited to the positions shown in  FIG. 1 . They may be positioned almost anywhere on the housing (e.g., front, back, sides, top, bottom). For example, the data port may be positioned on the top, sides, back, front surfaces of the housing rather than the bottom surface as shown. Although it should be noted that having the data port on the bottom surface provides some benefits when connecting to other devices. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram of a media player system  150 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The media player system comprises a media player  152  and one or more media devices  154  that are connected via a media link  156 . As mentioned above, the term “media player” generally refers to computing devices that are dedicated to processing media such as audio, video or other images, as for example, music players, game players, video players, video recorders, cameras, and the like. By way of example, the media player  152  may correspond to the media player  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . Media devices  154  are similar to the media player  152  in that they process media such as audio, video or other images. The media devices may be widely varied. By way of example, the media devices may correspond to other media players, desktop computers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, video or imaging equipment (e.g., cameras, monitors), audio equipment (home stereos, car stereos, boom boxes), family radios (e.g., walkie talkies), peripheral devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, displays, printers, scanners), personal media devices (discussed in greater detail below) and the like. 
     The media devices  154  and the media player  152  are configured to communicate with one another through media link  156 . The protocol under which they communicate may be widely varied. By way of example, the communication protocol may be a master/slave communication protocol, server/client communication protocol, peer/peer communication protocol, and the like. Using a master/slave communication protocol, one of the devices is a master and the other is a slave. The master controls the slave. Using a client/server communication protocol, a server program responds to requests from a client program. The server program may operate on the media player or the media device. Using a peer to peer communication protocol either of the two devices can initiate a communication session. 
     The media link  156  may be wired and/or wireless. For example, the media link  156  may be made through connectors and ports or through receivers, transmitters and/or transceivers. The media link may also be one way or two way. For example, in the case of one way, the media player may be configured to transmit signals to the media device but not to receive information from the media device (or vice versa) or in the case of two way, both the media player and media device may be enabled to receive and transmit signals therebetween. The signals may be data (analog, digital), power (AC, DC), and/or the like. In most cases, the data corresponds to data associated with the media player as for example audio, video, images and the like. 
     Both the media player  152  and the media device  154  include a media terminal  158 A and  158 B, respectively. The media terminals  158  may provide a direct connection between the media player  152  and the media device  154  (e.g., integrally formed with the media device) or it may provide an indirect connection between the media player  152  and the media device  154  (e.g., a stand alone device). The media terminals  158  provide the media link  156  through one or more connection interfaces. As such, the media player  152  may serve the media devices  154  and/or the media devices  154  may serve the media player  152 . The connection interfaces associated with the media terminals  158  may be wired or wireless connection interfaces. 
     In wired connections, the media terminals  158  are configured to physically connect so as to operatively couple the media player  152  to the media device  154 . For example, the media player  152  and the media device  154  may include a mating connection made up of connector and port. By way of example, the connection interface may include one or more of the following interfaces: PS/2, serial, parallel, network (e.g., Ethernet), USB, Firewire and/or the like. The connection interface may also include one or more remote, audio (digital or analog), video (digital or analog), and/or charging interfaces. In one embodiment, the media terminal  158 B is a part of docking station that permits the media player  152  to connect with the media device  154 . The docking station may be integrally formed with the media device  154  thereby providing a direction connection with the media player  152  or it may be a standalone device that provides an indirect connection between the media player  154  and the media device  152 . 
     In wireless connections, the media terminals  158  do not physically connect. For example, the media player  152  and the media device  154  may include a receiver and transmitter for wireless communications therebetween. By way of example, the connection interface may include one or more of the following interfaces: FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11 UWB (ultra wide band), IR, magnetic link (induction) and/or the like. 
     In brief, FM (frequency modulation) is a method of impressing data onto an alternating-current (AC) wave by varying the instantaneous frequency of the wave. This scheme can be used with analog or digital data. RF generally refers to alternating current AC having characteristics such that, if the current is input to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is generated suitable for wireless broadcasting and/or communications. The frequencies associated with RF cover a wide range of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum as for example from about 9 kHz to thousands of GHz. Bluetooth generally refers to a computing and telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers and personal digital assistants can easily interconnect with each other using short range wireless connection. 802.11 generally refers to a family of specification for wireless local area networks (WLANs) developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). UWB refers to a wireless technology for transmitting large amounts of digital data over a wide spectrum of frequency bands with very low power for a short distance. IR generally refers wireless technologies that convey data through infrared radiation. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are diagrams of docking stations  170  and  172 , respectively, in accordance with several embodiment of the present invention. The docking stations  170  and  172  are hardware components that include a set of connection interfaces that allow a media player  174  to communicate with other media devices (not shown) that are not usually taken along with the media player  174 . That is, the docking stations  170  and  172  make available additional functionality that would not otherwise be achieved through the media player  174  and/or the other media devices. The docking stations  170  and  172  may be built into the media device (e.g., hard wired) or they may be stand-alone devices that are connected to the media device through a separate connection (e.g., cord). By way of example, the media player  174  may generally correspond to the media player shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown, each of the docking stations includes a housing  178 . The housings  178  are configured with a media bay  180  capable of receiving the media player  174  for direct or indirect connection to a media device. The media bay  180  includes a media bay opening  182  in the surface  184  of the housing  178 . The media bay opening  182  is configured to physically receive the media player  174 . In other words, the media player  174  can be inserted into the media bay opening  182 . Once the media player  174  is inserted into the media bay opening  182  (as shown in  FIGS. 3B and 4B ), the functionality provided by a media device operatively coupled to the docking stations  170  and  172  becomes available for use by the media player  174 . Additionally or alternatively, the functionality provided by the media player  174  may become available for use by the media device operatively coupled to the docking stations  170  and  172 . In most cases, a connector  186  of the media player  174  couples to a corresponding connector  188  within the media bay  180  when the media player  174  is placed in the inserted position. The media player  180  essentially becomes a fixed location device when coupled to the docking stations  170  and  172  through the media bay  180  (unless the docking station happens to be in another mobile device). When the media player  174  is taken out, it becomes mobile again. As should be appreciated, the docking stations  172  and  174  let a user simultaneously enjoy expansion possibilities with the portability of a smaller device. 
     The media bays  180  of the docking stations  170  and  172  may be widely varied. In most cases, the media bay openings  182  are dimensioned to receive the media players  174 . That is, the inner peripheral surfaces of the media bay openings  182  are sized to receive the outer peripheral surfaces of the media player  174  (allowing for some tolerances). In  FIG. 3 , the media bay  180  is configured to receive the back end of the media player  174  while in  FIG. 4  the media bay  180  is configured to receive a bottom end of the media player  174 . In either case, the connector  186  on the media player  174  is configured to connect with the connector  188  on the docking station  170  and  172  when the media player  174  is inserted in the media bay  180 . The position of the inserted media player  174  relative to the housing  178  may be widely varied. For example, the media bay  180  may be configured to receive the entire media player  174  as shown in  FIG. 3  or it may only be configured to receive a portion of the media player  174  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The inserted media player  174  is typically retained within the media bay  180  until it is removed from the media bay  180  (e.g., doesn&#39;t slide out). For example, a retention mechanism such as a snap, a spring loaded latch or a magnet may be used to hold the media player  174  within the media bay opening  182 . The media player  174  may also be held within the opening  182  by the force of the engaged connectors  186 / 188  or under its own weight (e.g., gravity). An ejection mechanism may additionally be used to release the media player  174  from the media bay  180  (e.g., to overcome any holding forces). In some cases (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), the user interface  175  of the media player  174  is completely exposed to the user so that it is accessible to a user while inserted in the media bay  180 . In cases such as these, the user interface  175  (e.g., front surface of the media player) may be recessed below, level with, or extend above the external surface of the housing  178 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the front surface  190  of the media player  174  is substantially flush with the external surface  184  of the housing  178 . 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a media player/docking station system  200 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system  200  generally includes a media player  202  and a docking station  204 . By way of example, the media player and docking station may correspond to the media player and docking station shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . As shown, the media player  202  includes a processor  206  (e.g., CPU or microprocessor) configured to execute instructions and to carry out operations associated with the media player  202 . For example, using instructions retrieved for example from memory, the processor  206  may control the reception and manipulation of input and output data between components of the media player  202 . In most cases, the processor  206  executes instruction under the control of an operating system or other software. The processor  206  can be a single-chip processor or can be implemented with multiple components. 
     In most cases, the processor  206  together with an operating system operates to execute computer code and produce and use data. The computer code and data may reside within a program storage block  208  that is operatively coupled to the processor  206 . Program storage block  208  generally provides a place to hold data that is being used by the system  200 . By way of example, the program storage block  208  may include Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), hard disk drive, flash memory and/or the like. As is generally well known, RAM is used by the processor as a general storage area and as scratch-pad memory, and can also be used to store input data and processed data. ROM can be used to store instructions or program code followed by the processor as well as other data. Hard disk drives can be used to store various types of data and can permit fast access to large amounts of stored data. The computer code and data could also reside on a removable program medium and loaded or installed onto the computer system when needed. 
     In one embodiment, program storage block  208  is configured to store an audio program for controlling the distribution of audio in the media player  202 . The audio program may contain song lists associated with songs also stored in the storage block  208 . The songs may be accessed through a user interface  210  operatively coupled to the processor  206 . The user interface  210  may include a display for visually displaying the song lists (as part of a GUI interface) and a touch pad or buttons for selecting a song to be played or reviewing and/or customizing the song lists, i.e., the user may quickly and conveniently review the lists and make changes or selections thereto. 
     The media player also includes an input/output (I/O) controller  212  that is operatively coupled to the processor  206 . The (I/O) controller  212  may be integrated with the processor  206  or it may be a separate component as shown. The I/O controller  212  is generally configured to control interactions with one or more media devices  214  that can be coupled to the media player  202 . The I/O controller  212  generally operates by exchanging data (and/or power) between the media player  202  and the media devices  214  that desire to communicate with the media player  202 . In some cases, the media devices  214  may be connected to the I/O controller  212  through wired connections and in other cases the media devices  214  may be connected to the I/O controller  212  through wireless connections. In the illustrated embodiment, the media device  214  is capable of being connected to the I/O controller  212  through a wired connection. 
     The media player  202  also includes a connector  216  capable of connecting to a corresponding connector  218  located within the docking station  204 . The docking station  204  is operatively coupled to the media device  214  through transfer circuitry  220 . The transfer circuitry  220  may provide a direct or indirect link to the media device  214 . For example, the transfer circuitry  220  may be hard wired to the media device  214  as for example when the docking station  204  is integrated with the media device  214  or it may be passively wired as through a cord that temporarily plugs into the media device  214 . 
     The connector arrangement  216 / 218  used to connect the media player  202  and the docking station  204  may be widely varied. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector arrangement  216 / 218  includes both power and data contacts. The power contacts  222  of the media player  202  are operatively coupled to a battery  224  of the media player  202  and the data contacts  226  of the media player  202  are operatively coupled to the I/O controller  212 . As should be appreciated, the power contacts  222 A of the connector  216  are configured to engage the power contacts  222 B of the connector  218  so as to provide operational or charging power to the media player  202 , and the data contacts  226 A of the connector  216  are configured to engage the data contacts  226 B of the connector  218  so as to provide data transmissions to and from the media player  202 . The data contacts may be widely varied. For example, they may be configured to provide one or more data transmitting functionalities including Firewire, USB, USB 2.0, Ethernet, and the like. The connectors may also include a variety of other contacts  230  for transmitting other types of data as for example remote control, video (in/out), audio (in/out), analog TV, and the like. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are diagrams of a connector assembly pin arrangement  235 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the arrangement  235  includes a first connector  236  and a second connector  238 . The connectors  236  and  238  may be placed in a media player, docking station, at the end of a cord or cable and/or the like. By way of example, the connectors  236  and  238  may generally correspond to the connectors  216 / 218  of  FIG. 5 . The first and second connectors  236  and  238  each include a housing  240  and  242  and a plurality of corresponding contacts  244  and  246  that when engaged operatively couple the connectors  236  and  238  together. The housing is generally formed from an insulating material such as plastic and the contacts are generally formed from an electrically conductive material such as a copper alloy. In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts  244  protrude from the housing  240  for insertion into corresponding contacts  246  that are recessed within the housing  242  (e.g., male-female connection). In some cases, the contacts  244  are configured to snugly fit into the contacts  246  so that the connectors are held together. Additionally or alternatively, the connectors  236  and  238  may include a locking means for locking the connectors together. For example, one of the connectors may include a latch that engages and disengages to and from a portion of the other connector. The configuration of the contacts may be widely varied (e.g., spacing, # of rows or columns, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts are spaced apart in a single row. The connectors may be manufactured using a variety of techniques. By way of example, the connectors may be manufactured using techniques similar to those used by JAE of Japan. 
     The signals carried by the contacts may be widely varied. For example, a portion of the contacts may be dedicated to Firewire signals while another portion may be dedicated to USB signals. The contacts may also be used for grounds, charging, powering, protocols, accessory identification, audio, line-in, line-out, and the like. Additional contacts may be used for grounding the housing of the connector. The number of contacts may also be widely varied. The number generally depends on the signals needed to support the devices using the connectors. In one embodiment, some of the contacts are used to support Firewire while other contacts are used to support USB. In this embodiment, the minimum number of contacts corresponds to the number required to support these devices. In most cases, however, the number of contacts tends to be greater than this number (other signals are needed). In the illustrated embodiment, each of the connectors includes at least 30 contacts, including Firewire contacts, USB contacts, grounding contacts, powering contacts, reserved contacts and the like. An example of a pin count which may used can be seen in  FIG. 6C . Although this pin count is shown, it should be noted that it is not a limitation and that any configuration of the functions described therein may be used. 
       FIGS. 7A-E  are diagrams of a stand alone docking station  250 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The stand alone docking station  250  allows a media player  252  to communicate with other media devices (not shown). By stand alone, it is meant that it is physically separated from but operatively connectable to the media device (rather than being integrated therewith). As shown, the docking station  250  includes a housing  254  that encloses internally various electrical and structural components and that defines the shape or form of the docking station  250 . The shape of the housing may be widely varied. For example, it may be rectangular, circular, triangular, cubical, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing  254  has a rectangular shape. The housing  254  may be formed by one or more housing components. For example, as shown, the housing  254  may be made up of a top member  256  and a base member  258 . The manner in which the members  256  and  258  are connected may be widely varied (e.g., screws, bolts, snaps, latch, etc.). 
     Within a top surface  260  of the housing as shown in  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B and  7 E there is provided a media bay opening  262  for physically receiving a bottom portion  264  of the media player  252 . As shown, the media bay opening  262  has shape that coincides with the shape of the media player  252 , i.e., the bottom portion  264  of the media player  252  may be inserted within the media bay opening  262 . The depth of the opening  262  is generally configured to keep the user interface of the media player  252  exposed to the user. The opening  262  may be vertical or sloped. As shown in  FIG. 7E , the opening  262  is sloped so that the media player  252  rests in a tilted position within the docking station  250 . As should be appreciated, a tilted media player  252  is easier to use (e.g., more ergonomic). The slope may be widely varied. For example, it may tilt the media player  252  about 5 to about 25 degrees and more particularly about 15 degrees. 
     Inside the opening  262  there is provided a first connector  266  for engaging a corresponding connector disposed on the bottom surface of the media player  252 . The first connector  266  is typically exposed through the housing  254  so that the media player connector can engage it. By way of example, the connector arrangement may correspond to the connector arrangement shown in  FIG. 6 . In the illustrated embodiment, the media player connector is a female port and the docking station connector  266  is a male plug. The plug is generally dimension for a tight fit within the port so as to secure the connection between the media player  252  and the docking station  250  (e.g., no interlock except for connector). The first connector  266  is generally sloped to a similar angle as the opening  262  so that engagement occurs between the first connector and the media player connector when the media player  252  is slid into the opening  262 . As should be appreciated, the sides of the opening  262  serve as guides for placing the connectors in the correct engagement position. 
     The first connector  266  may be operatively coupled to one or more second connectors, each of which may be used to connect to some external device such as a media device, power plug and the like. In some cases, the information passing through the first connector  266  is directed to a single second connector while in other cases the information is split into multiple second connectors. For example, the contacts of a single connector  266  may be split into different connectors such as one or more data lines, power lines, audio lines and the like. The second connectors may be similar to the first connector or they may be different. Furthermore, multiple second connectors may be similar or they may be different from one another. The second connectors are also exposed through the housing. In some cases, the second connectors are indirectly coupled to the docking station  250 . For example, they may be coupled to the docking station  250  through a cord or cable that is attached to the docking station  250 . One end of the cord is coupled to the docking station  250  while the other end, which includes the second connector is free to be engaged with an external device. In other cases, the second connectors are directly coupled to the docking station  250 . For example, they may be attached to a portion of the docking station  250  without using a cord or cable. In cases such as these, the second connectors are free to be engaged directly to an external device or they may be coupled through a removable cord or cable. Alternatively or additionally, the cord it self may be used to split information, i.e., a Y cord or cable. 
     The internal components of the docking station  250  can best seen in  FIG. 7C .  FIG. 7C  shows the docking station  250  with the top member  256  of the housing  254  removed. As shown, the internal components include at least a first connector  266  and a second connector  268  (both of which may correspond to a connector arrangement shown in  FIG. 6 ). The internal components may also include an audio out connector  270 . The connectors  266 - 270  are connected via a flex cable  272 . The connectors  266 - 270  are positioned on one or more printed circuit boards  274  that are attached to the base member  258  of the housing  254 . The first connector  266  is located at a position that places it within the opening  262  of the housing  254  (as shown in  FIG. 7B ). The second connector  268  and the audio out connector  270  are located at positions that place them within openings  276  at the backside of the housing  254  for external connection therefrom (as shown in  FIG. 7D ). Also contained within the housing  254  is a ballast  278  enabling the docking station  250  to support the media player  252  when inserted therein. An EMI shield may also be placed over the flex cable  272  to provide shielding. 
       FIG. 8  is an illustration showing the docking station  250  of  FIG. 7  in use, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the docking station  250  is operatively coupled to a media device  280  through a cable  282 , i.e., the first end of the cable  282  is engaged with the second connector  268  of the docking station  250  and the second end of the cable  282  is engaged with a connector positioned on the media device  280 . Furthermore, the media player  252  is operatively coupled to the docking station  250  via the above mentioned connector arrangement, i.e., the media player  252  is positioned in the media bay opening  262  of the docking station  250  such that the connectors are engaged. Through these connections, the media player  252  may communicate with the media device  280 , i.e., data and/or power may be passed therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment, the media player  252  is a music player and the media device  280  is a desktop computer. As such, the user, for example using the user interface on the media player  252 , may upload or down load songs between the media player  252  and the desktop computer  280  via the docking station  250 . When uploading and downloading are completed, the user may simply remove the media player  252  from the docking station  250  and walk away. 
       FIGS. 9A-9C  are diagrams of cable adapters  300 ,  302  and  304 , respectively, that may be used with the docking station  250  of  FIG. 7 , in accordance with several embodiments of the present invention. In all three figures, the cable adapters  300 ,  302  and  304  include a docking station connector  306 . The docking station connector  306  is configured to be received by the second connector  268  of the docking station  250 . Although this connector arrangement may be widely varied, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector arrangement corresponds to the connector arrangement shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9A , the cable adapter  300  includes a cable  308 . The docking station connector  306  is disposed at one end of the cable  308  and a media device connector  310  is disposed at the other end of the cable  308 . The media device connector  310  may be widely varied. For example, it may correspond to a power connector, a Firewire connector, a USB connector and the like. It may also correspond to a connector similar to the docking station connector. In the illustrated embodiment, the media device connector  310  is a Firewire connector. An example of a cable adapter  300  including a docking station connector  306  using the pin count of  FIG. 6C  and a media device connector  310  using a 6 pin Firewire is shown in  FIG. 9D . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9B , the cable adapter  302  includes a pair of cables  312  and  314 . The docking station connector  306  is disposed at one end of the cables  312  and  314  and a plurality of media device connectors  316  are disposed at the other ends of the cables  312  and  314 . Each of the media device connectors  312  and  314  may be widely varied. For example, they may correspond to a power connector, a Firewire connector, a USB connector and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the first media device connector  316 A is a power connector and the second media device connector  316 B is a USB connector. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9C , the cable adapter  304  is configured to be used with a car stereo. The cable adapter includes a cable  318 . The docking station connector  306  is disposed at one end of the cable  318  and a media device connector  320  is disposed at the other end of the cable  318 . In this particular embodiment, the media device connector  320  is in the form of a cassette for insertion into a cassette deck of the car stereo. The cable adapter  304  also includes a power adapter plug  322  configured for insertion into a car power jack (e.g., cigarette lighter). The power adapter plug  322  extends from the docking station connector  306 . In order to use the cable adapter  304 , the user simply places the power adapter plug  322  in the power jack (this supports the docking station as well as provides power therethrough for powering or charging the media player) and the media device connector  320  in the cassette deck of the car stereo. The user may then select a song to be played through the car stereo using the user interface of the media player. 
     Although the cable adapters are shown as separate components of the docking station, it should be noted that in some embodiments they may be integrated therewith. That is, instead of having a docking station connector, the ends of the cables may be attached to the docking station. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10-14 , integrated docking stations will be described in greater detail. Like stand alone docking stations, the integrated docking stations allow a media player to communicate with other media devices. However, unlike the stand alone docking station, the integrated docking station is integrated with or built into the media device. As should be appreciated, the electrical and structural components of the integrated docking station are typically enclosed via the housing of the media device, i.e., the docking stations do not have their own housing. The housing of the media devices also typically defines the media bay in which the media player is placed for connectivity to the media device. That is, the media devices themselves include one or more media bays for receiving the media players. The media bays are typically externally accessible to the media players so that media players can be easily be inserted into or removed from the media bays. The media bays may be any of those previously described. The removability of the media players allows the media player to support a variety of different types of media devices in a flexible manner. By way of example, the media devices may correspond to desktop computers, notebook computers, home sound systems, car sound systems, portable sound systems, home theater systems, video projectors, displays, audio or video recording equipment, cameras (e.g., photos, video), telephones, and the like. They may also include peripheral computing devices such as scanners, printers, keyboards, and the like. 
       FIG. 10  is a notebook computer  350  with an integrated docking station  352 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The notebook computer  350  includes a lid  354  and a base  356 . The docking station  352  is integrated within the base  356 . The docking station  352  includes a media bay  358  that may be placed anywhere on the base  356 , as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces. The media bay  358  maybe configured to receive any surface of a media player  359  so long as a connection is made between the media player  359  and the docking station  352 . For example, it may be configured to receive the back of the media player as shown in  FIG. 3  or it may be configured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay  358  is configured to receive the back side of the media player  359  thus exposing the user interface of the media player  359  to the user. In some cases, the user interface may be the primary user interface of the notebook computer  350 . For example, the touch pad of the media player shown in  FIG. 1  may be used to perform actions on the notebook computer  350 . By way of example, the notebook computer may correspond to any of those manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective diagram of a general purpose computer  360  with an integrated docking station  362 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The computer  360  generally includes a base  364  and a display  366  operatively coupled to the base  364 . The base  364  and the display  366  may be separate components, i.e., they each have their own housing, as in traditional computers or they may be integrated into a single housing so as form an all in one machine (as shown). The docking station  362  is integrated within the base  364 . The docking station  362  includes a media bay  368  that may be placed anywhere on the base, as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces. The media bay  368  may be configured to receive any surface of a media player  369  so long as a connection is made between the media player  369  and the docking station  362 . For example, it may be configured to receive the back of the media player as shown in  FIG. 3  or it may be configured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay  368  is configured to receive the bottom side of the media player  369 . In some cases, the user interface of the media player  369  maybe exposed and in other cases, the user interface may be completely covered within the media bay  358 . By way of example, the general purpose computer may correspond to any of those manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif. 
       FIG. 12  is front view of a sound system  370  with an integrated docking station  372 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The sound system may be widely varied. For example, it may be a substantially fixed or portable unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the sound system  370  is a flat panel unit that includes a base  374  and a pair of speakers  376 . The docking station  372  is integrated within the base  374 . The docking station  372  includes a media bay  378  that may be placed anywhere on the base  374 , as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces. The media bay  378  may be configured to receive any surface of a media player  379  so long as a connection is made between the media player  379  and the docking station  372 . For example, it may be configured to receive the back of the media player as shown in  FIG. 3  or it may be configured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay  378  is configured to receive the back side of the media player  379 . In some cases, the user interface of the media player  379  may be the primary user interface of the sound system  370  and in other cases, the user interface is secondary to a user interface of the sound system  370 . 
       FIG. 13  is a photo display  380  with an integrated docking station  382 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The photo display  380  is configured to showcase one or more images. For example, the photo display may be set on a desk or placed on a wall to display one or more family photos in a controlled manner. The photo display  380  generally includes a base  384  and a display  386  that is disposed in the base  384 . The docking station  382  is integrated within the base  384 . The docking station  382  includes a media bay  388  that may be placed anywhere on the base  384 , as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces. The media bay  388  may be configured to receive any surface of a media player  389  so long as a connection is made between the media player  389  and the docking station  382 . For example, it may be configured to receive the back of the media player as shown in  FIG. 3  or it may be configured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay  388  is configured to receive the back side of the media player  389 . In some cases, the user interface of the media player  389  may be the primary user interface of the photo display system and in other cases, the user interface is secondary to a user interface of the photo display system. 
       FIG. 14  is a mobile radio  390  with an integrated docking station  392 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The mobile radio allows a user to connect to other users in a local area, as for example when two parties are outdoors in different locations. For example, the mobile radio may provide voice communications, messaging (pager, email), digital one way radio (one to one and group), digital two way radio (one to one and group), data services (wireless web and private networks). In one embodiment, the mobile radio  390  allows a media player  399  to act as a mobile broadcasting station. For example, the user may broadcast music from the media player  399  to other media devices in a local area or within a local network. The mobile radio  390  generally includes a base  394  that includes the radio broadcast components (e.g., antenna, transmitter, receiver, volume controls, squelch controls, frequency controls, etc.). 
     The docking station  392  is integrated within the base  394 . The docking station  392  includes a media bay  398  that may be placed anywhere on the base, as for example, the sides, top, front, back or bottom surfaces. The media bay  398  may be configured to receive any surface of the media player  399  so long as a connection is made between the media player  399  and the docking station  392 . For example, it may be configured to receive the back of the media player as shown in  FIG. 3  or it may be configured to receive the bottom of the media player as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the illustrated embodiment, the media bay  398  is configured to receive the back side of the media player  399  so that the user interface is exposed to the user. As such, the user may select a song and thereafter broadcast it to other users in the network. 
     Although the mobile radio and media device are shown as separate devices, it should be noted that they may be integrated thus eliminating the need for a docking station. For example, the radio broadcasting components such as receivers, transmitters, microphones, speakers and the like may be built into the media player as for example the media player shown in  FIG. 1 . The radio broadcasting components may be widely varied. For example, they may be associated with technologies including FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11 UWB (ultra wide band), IR, magnetic link (induction) and/or the like. 
       FIG. 15  is a diagram of a wireless communication system  400 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system  400  generally includes a media player  402  and one or more media devices  404 . The media player  402  is configured to send media via a wireless communication link  406  to the media devices  404  and the media devices  404  are configured to receive the media sent by the media player  402  over the wireless communication link  406 . The media player is essentially configured to act as a personal transmitting station so that the user can transmit media stored on the media player to other devices. In some cases, the media devices  404  may also send media to the media player  402  and the media player  402  may also receive media from the media devices  404 . By way of example, the media may generally correspond to audio, video, images, text and the like. 
     In order to send and receive media, the players and devices  402  and  404  generally include a transmitter, a receiver or a transceiver as well as some sort of antenna. The media is generally sent via the transmitter and the media is generally received via the receiver. In one embodiment, the media player includes a transmitter while the media devices include a receiver (for one way communications). In another embodiment, both devices include a transceiver (for two way communications). The antenna may be fully contained within the players/devices  402  and  404  or they may extend outside the devices (as shown). By way of example, the wireless communication link may correspond to FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11, UWB (ultra wide band), IR (infrared), magnetic link (induction) and/or the like. 
     The media player  402  may be widely varied. In the illustrated embodiment, the media player corresponds to the media player shown in  FIG. 1 . The media devices  404  may also be widely varied. These devices generally depend on the type of media being sent by the media player  402 . By way of example, the media devices  404  may generally correspond to a personal mobile radio  404 A, a personal tuning device  404 B, a personal display device  404 C, and the like. Personal generally refers to the fact that these devices pertain to a particular user. In one embodiment, these devices are handheld devices that are sized for placement into a pocket of the user. By being pocket sized, the user does not have to directly carry the device and therefore the device can be taken almost anywhere the user travels. 
     Personal mobile radios  404 A generally include a microphone and speaker (or audio jack) so as to allow voice communications. The mobile radios may be based on push to talk (PTT) whereby pressing a button opens the communication line from the mobile radio to the media player. The mobile radios typically include an antenna such as a rugged rubber duck that consists of a coiled up element encased in rubber. The mobile radios may also include a channel tuner for selecting which channel to receive and send information, and a volume control dial for adjusting the volume of the audio signal. The mobile radios may also include a small display showing the selected channel, received signal strength, output power and the like. Mobile radios are generally well known and will not be described in greater detail. 
     Personal tuning devices  404 B generally include a speaker (or headphone jack) and a volume control dial so as to listen to audio based media (e.g., music) being sent by the media player  402 . The personal tuning devices may also include an antenna and a frequency tuner for selecting which channel to receive and send information. In one embodiment, the personal tuning device  404 B corresponds to a radio (e.g., the media player may include an FM transmitter and the radio may include an FM receiver). 
     Personal display devices  404 C generally include a display so as to view video or imaged based media being sent by the media player  402 . In some cases, the personal display device  404 C additionally includes speakers and volume control so that both photos/video and audio based media may be received from the media player. The video or photos may be produced by the media player through a camera located thereon. The video or photos may also be stored in a storage component located within the media player. In one embodiment, the personal display device corresponds to a television or TV (e.g., the media player may include a VHF or UHF transmitter and the TV may include a VHF or UHF receiver). 
     The media devices may also include a media player  404 D, a notebook computer  404 E or a general purpose computer  404 F. The second media player  404 D may be similar to the first media player  402  or it may be a different device altogether. By way of example, the second media player  404 D may generally correspond to the media player shown in  FIG. 1 . Both the notebook computer  404 E and the general purpose computer  404 F may include the hardware necessary for communicating over the wireless communication link (e.g., antenna, receivers, transceivers) or they may be connected to a wireless hub  410  that includes the required hardware. 
       FIG. 16  is a block diagram of a wireless communication system  420 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system  420  generally includes a media player  422  and a media device  424  that connect via a wireless communication link  426 . Both the media player  422  and the media device  424  may be widely varied. For ease of discussion, the media device  424  corresponds to a second media player that is similar to the first media player. Both media players include a processor  428  that is operatively coupled to a user interface  430 , a storage block  432 , input/output circuitry  434  and a communication terminal  436 . 
     The processor  428  is configured to execute instructions and to carry out operations associated with the media players  422 ,  424 . For example, using instructions retrieved for example from memory, the processor  428  may control the reception and manipulation of input and output data between components of the media players  422 ,  424 . In most cases, the processor  428  executes instruction under the control of an operating system or other software. The processor  428  can be a single-chip processor or can be implemented with multiple components. 
     The user interface  430  allows the user of the media players  422 ,  424  to initiate actions on the media players  422 ,  424  and provides the user with output associated with using the media players  422 ,  424  (e.g., audio, video, images, etc.). The user interface  430  may be widely varied. By way of example, the user interface  430  may include switches, buttons, keys, dials, trackballs, joysticks, touch pads, touch screens, displays, microphones, speakers, cameras, and the like. 
     The storage block  432  provides a place to hold data that is being used by the media players  422 ,  424 . By way of example, the storage block  432  may include Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), hard disk drive, flash memory and/or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage block includes at least a hard drive. 
     The input/output (I/O) support circuitry  434  controls interactions with one or more I/O devices  440  that can be coupled to the media players  422 ,  424 . The I/O support circuitry  434  may be integrated with the processor  428  or it may be a separate component (as shown). The I/O support circuitry  434  generally operates by exchanging data (and/or power) between the media players  422 , 424  and the I/O devices  440  that desire to communicate with the media players  422 , 424 . In most cases, the I/O devices  440  may be connected to the I/0 support circuitry  434  through one or more connectors, wires or cables. By way of example, the I/0 devices  440  may be internal or peripheral devices such as other media players, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, general purpose computers, storage devices, additional user interfaces, audio equipment (e.g., speakers, headphones), video or imaging equipment (e.g., cameras), network cards, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the 1/0 device  440  corresponds to a head set. The head set may be connected to the media player through a headphone jack. 
     The communication terminal  436  controls interactions with one or more media devices  424  that can be coupled to the media player  422  through a wireless link. The communication terminal  436  may include a transmitter, receiver or transceiver. In one embodiment, the first media player  422  includes a transmitter and the second media player  424  includes a receiver thereby providing one way communication therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment, the first media player  422  includes a first transceiver and the second media player includes a second transceiver  424  for two way communication therebetween. The transmitter is configured to transmit information over the wireless communication link and the receiver is configured to receive information over the wireless communication link while the transceiver is configured to both transmit and receive information over the wireless communication link. The components of the receivers, transmitters and transceiver are generally well known within the technological filed from which they come (e.g., FM, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11 UWB, IR, magnetic link) and therefore they will not be described in greater detail. 
       FIG. 17  is a flow diagram of a wireless transmission method  450 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method may be implemented by a media player, as for example the media player shown in  FIG. 15  or  16 . The method generally begins at block  452  where a media item is selected. This is generally accomplished by user operating the media player via the user interface of the media player. Depending on the application, the user may conveniently move through a list of media items and thereafter make a selection once the desired media item is found. In the case of music, the user may scroll through a list of songs until a desired song is found. In the case of images, the user may move through a proof sheet until a desired image is found. 
     Following block  452 , the flow proceeds to block  454  where the remote recipients are selected. Remote recipients generally refer to other devices that are capable of receiving the selected media item from the media player. Selecting the remote recipients may include selecting a signal channel as for example in the case of a broadcast (e.g., FM) or selecting a desired address as for example in the case of a network connection (e.g., Bluetooth). In broadcasting, a media item is transmitted over airwaves for public reception by anyone with a receiver tuned to the right signal channel, i.e., the media item is cast or thrown in all directions at the same time. In networking, a media item is transmitted to one or more unique addresses, i.e., each media device has its own unique address. When utilizing broadcasting, the user may simply select a channel via the user interface of the media player. For example, the user of the media player may select FM 98.1 and therefore the user of the media device must select FM 98.1 in order to receive the media item. When utilizing networking, the user may select one or more addresses via the user interface of the media player. For example, the user may enter one or more unique address directly or the user may select one or more unique addresses from a preexisting group stored in the media player. In some cases, the unique addresses may be stored as a buddy list. 
     Following block  454 , the flow proceeds to block  456  where the media item(s) is transmitted. The media item may be transmitted locally to the media player and/or it may be transmitted wirelessly to the remote recipient. In most cases, the media item is transmitted to both the media player as well as to the remote recipients. 
     The various aspects of the method described above can be used alone or in various combinations. The method is preferably implemented by a combination of hardware and software, but can also be implemented in hardware or software. The method can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, hard drive, flash memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves. 
       FIG. 18  is an illustration showing a personal transmitting station  500  in use, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. By way of example, the personal transmitting station  500  may correspond to the media player shown in  FIG. 1 . The personal transmitting station  500  is wirelessly connected to one or more personal media devices  502  through one or more wireless links  504 . These devices  500  and  502  are connected via a wireless communication signal such as any of those previously described. 
     Although the personal transmitting station  500  may be configured to transmit several types of data to the personal media devices  502 , in the illustrated embodiment, the personal transmitting station  500  is configured to transmit audio data in the form of music  502  (e.g., the personal transmitting station includes MP3 functionality for example) to one or more personal media devices  502  acting as personal tuning devices. As such, the user of the personal transmitting station  500  can perform disc jockey functions, i.e., the user can determine what songs to be played on both the personal transmitting station  500  as well as the personal tuning devices  502 . 
     In this particular illustration, a first skier  506  holds the personal transmitting station  500  while second, third and fourth skiers  508 ,  510  and  512  each hold personal tuning devices  502 . As shown, the first skier  506  is located away from the second, third and fourth skiers  508 ,  510  and  512 . The first skier  506  is located on a first hill  514 , the second and third skiers  508  and  510  are located on a ski lift  516 , and the fourth skier  502  is skiing down a second hill  518 . As should be appreciated, all of these locations are within the broadcasting or networking range of the personal transmitting station  500 . 
     The personal transmitting station  500  is configured to send a music signal to the personal tuning devices  502  held by the second, third and fourth skiers  508 ,  510  and  512  and the personal tuning devices  502  are configured to receive the music signal sent from the personal transmitting station  500 . The first skier  506  can therefore effect changes to what is being listened to by the second, third and fourth skiers  508 ,  510  and  512  by simply selecting a different song to be played on the personal transmitting station  500  (even though he is in a different location than the rest of the skiers). For example, the first skier  506  may end a first song and select a second song to be played therefore causing the personal transmitting station  500  to send the second song to the personal tuning devices  502 . 
     Both the personal transmitting station  500  as well as the personal tuning devices  502  include a means for outputting sound. For example, they may contain speakers or jacks for coupling to headphones. These devices may also include a means for adjusting the volume. For example, they may contain dials or buttons for increasing or decreasing the volume. In some cases, the personal tuning devices may include a means for making song requests, i.e., text messaging or voice communications. 
     While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. For example, although the invention has been described in terms of an MP3 music player, it should be appreciated that certain features of the invention may also be applied to other types of media players such as video recorders, cameras, and the like. Furthermore, the MP3 music player described herein is not limited to the MP3 music format. Other audio formats such as MP3 VBR (variable bit rate), AIFF and WAV formats may be used. Moreover, certain aspects of the invention are not limited to handheld devices. For example, the touch pad may also be used in other computing devices such as a portable computer, personal digital assistants (PDA), cellular phones, and the like. The touch pad may also be used a stand alone input device that connects to a desktop or portable computer. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. For example, although the touch pad has been described in terms of being actuated by a finger, it should be noted that other objects may be used to actuate it in some cases. For example, a stylus or other object may be used in some configurations of the touch pad. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110307
Publication Date: 20120424
Grant Date: 20120424
Priority Date: 20030425
Inventors: FADELL ANTHONY M.
ZEDESKY STEPHEN PAUL
FILSON JOHN BENJAMIN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04M1/72412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72409", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F17/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2205/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/0044", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2205/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1626", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1632", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/724092", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72412", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/0044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1632", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72442", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F13/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72442", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1632", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72442", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2205/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/0044", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72409", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 33415875