User guide

US 8,271,713 B2
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play back digital audio and video ?les of various formats. The
PDMSP device 80 preferably has at least one electrical con
nector (such as the connector 190 shoWn in FIG. 2B) adapted
to provide an interface for powering and/or charging PDMSP
device 80 as Well as providing communication utility. Com
munication betWeen the PDMSP device 80 and the docking
assembly 10 may also be provided through a headphone or
auxiliary input port 15 optionally provided in or on the dock
ing assembly 10. Such auxiliary input port 15 enables the
docking assembly 10 to Work With a Wide variety of different
portable digital media storage and playback devices. In one
embodiment, the auxiliary input port 15 comprises a 3.5 mm
diameter female port adapted to receive both audio and video
signals.
The docking assembly 10, Which preferably comprises a
unitary body structure (such as the body structure 210A illus
trated in FIGS. 5-6) has an associated remote controller 50
(preferably a Wireless remote controller) With a battery or
other charge storage element 51. The docking assembly 10
may include an internal or external antenna (not shoWn). If
Wireless, the remote controller 50 may be adapted to operate
at any desirable frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum.
For example, a Wireless remote controller 50 may include an
infrared and/or a radio frequency (RF) transmitter. Operable
RF frequencies in one embodiment include a range from
about 800 MHZ to about 10 GHZ. Any desirable frequency
suitable for Wireless communication of the required band
Width may be used.
The docking assembly 10 has at least one electrical cou
pling 12 adapted to mate With one or more corresponding
connector(s) of the PDMSP device 80, With the at least one
electrical coupling optionally including one or more coupling
(s) adapted to mate With one or more corresponding connec
tor(s) of a Wireless remote controller 50. The at least one
electrical coupling 12 preferably includes at least one cou
pling adapted to mate With the PDMSP device 80, and at least
one coupling adapted to mate With a Wireless remote control
ler 50. Any coupling of the at least one coupling may protrude
into or otherWise be disposed in a recess (e.g., recess 272
shoWn in FIG. 5) adapted to receive one of the PDMSP device
80 or the remote controller 50, or may be elevated (e.g., atop
a raised surface portion such as raised surface 271 shoWn in
FIG. 5) relative to an upper surface (e.g., upper surface 211C
shoWn in FIGS. 5-6) of the docking assembly 10.
As illustrated, the docking assembly 10 includes a Wireless
remote receiver 14, preferably disposed on an exposed front
surface (e.g., front surface 211A shoWn in FIGS. 5-7) of the
docking assembly 10. (While it is preferred that the remote
controller 50 be Wireless, if such remote controller is a Wired
remote, then it is understood that the Wireless remote receiver
14 may be omitted.) The docking assembly 10 may further
include a remote Wireless receiver port 22 to Which a second
ary remote Wireless receiver 38 (e. g., a radio frequency or an
infrared receiver) may be communicatively coupled. Such a
secondary remote Wireless receiver 38 preferably operates at
the same frequency or frequency range as a Wireless remote
controller 50. If provided, positioning the secondary remote
Wireless receiver 38 in signal-receiving proximity to the
remote controller 50 permits the docking assembly 10 to be
placed together With various media system components (e.g.,
the ampli?er 4 and other associated components) in any con
venient or aesthetically pleasing environment, such as in a
cabinet or closet not necessarily disposed in proximity to (or
in a light of sight of) the Wireless remote controller 50.
To provide enhanced remote control capability of, or com
munication capability With additional components, such as
components associated With the audio and video reproduction
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system 2 (e.g., components such as, but not limited to, the
ampli?er 4 and various media player devices such as a CD or
DVD changer) or a personal computer, the docking assembly
10 may further include a Wired remote port 23 permitting
communications With a various other media system devices
39. The Wired remote port 23 preferably provides a serial
interface. For example, the Wired remote port 23 may permit
communications With other media or computing devices
according to the EIA232 (formerly RS-232) standard and
disposed remotely relative to the docking assembly 10. Other
communication protocols may be employed as Will be readily
apparent to one skilled in the art. Utilization of the Wired
remote port 23 interconnected With other independently con
trollable media system device(s) 39 may permit at least cer
tain functions of the docking assembly 10 to be controlled
With a Wireless remote controller other than the Wireless
remote controller 50 speci?cally adapted for use With the
docking assembly 10.
Communication betWeen the docking assembly 10 and
various data or media networks 40 may be provided by Wired
or Wireless means. For example, the docking assembly 10
may include at least one (Wired) port 25 preferably having an
appropriate cable terminator and any ?lter or electronic com
munication equipment (e. g., modem, multiplexer, transceiver
and/or transducer) appropriate to the cable and communica
tion standard employed. In one embodiment, the port 25 is
adapted for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, or
l0-Gigabit Ethernet, or other computing device standard
communication protocol for use With a telecommunications
netWork 40 that preferably includes connectivity to a distrib
uted netWork such as the World Wide Web and the Internet. In
another embodiment, the port 25 includes a coaxial cable
receptacle and cable modem, or ?ber optic receptacle and
multiplexer/demultiplexer, and is adapted for use With a com
puting or media netWork, such as a tWo -Way media netWork of
a cable or satellite telecommunication (e.g., television) pro
vider. In still another embodiment, the port 25 includes a
telephonic cable receptacle and telephonic modem and/or
direct subscriber line (DSL) modem to enable communica
tion With a Wired telephonic communication netWork.
In certain embodiment, the docking assembly 10 may
include an integral Wireless netWork transceiver 19 adapted
for communicating With a Wireless netWork 41 that may be
connectable to the Internet and/or World Wide Web. The
Wireless netWork 41 may include a Wireless local area net
Work (WLAN), such as an IEEE 802.16-compliant (WiMax)
netWork, IEEE 802.1l-complaint (Wi-Fi) netWork, an IEEE
802.15.1-compliant (Bluetooth) netWork, or similar or
equivalent netWorks, such as to permit free or paid transfer of
digital media ?les, digital media ?le keys, and the like,
betWeen a netWork and the PDMSP device 80 docked With the
docking assembly 10, or betWeen a netWork and a memory
element 44 (e. g., a NAND or other ?ash memory) associated
With the docking assembly 10. Such a netWork 41 may further
include capability to stream stored digital media content
played by the PDMSP device 80 (i.e., When docked to the
docking assembly 10) over the netWork 41 to a netWork
connectable remote device (not shoWn) having an associated
audio and/or video reproduction system. For example, a
PDMSP device 80 may be docked With the docking assembly
80 in a ?rst location in a ?rst room Within a particular facility
(e.g., a home or of?ce) having a ?rst audio and video repro
duction system receiving media content from the PDMSP
device via the audio and/or video ports 30, 32, 33 locally
disposed at the docking assembly 10, While media content is
simultaneously broadcast via the Wireless netWork trans
ceiver 19 and the netWork 41 to an appropriate receiving