User guide

US 8,271 ,713 B2
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enable video telephony. In a preferred embodiment, the out
put format and/ or data output rate of the camera device 42 is
user-con?gurable to provide an output appropriately tailored
to the memory available, network limitations, and/or desired
end use.
In one embodiment, a telephonic remote controller
includes a camera (e.g., a video camera) and is adapted to
send and receive video signals, With received video signals
being displayable locally at the telephonic remote controller
(e.g., the controller 150 illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIGS.
4A-4B) on the display element 152 to permit video telephony.
Preferably, user inputs associated With the telephonic remote
controller may be used to enable audio and video reproduc
tion via the local speaker 166 plus local display element 152
and/ or on the television-compatible display element 5 that is
associated With the audio and video reproduction system 2
communicatively linked to a telephonic PDMSP device (e.g.,
the device 180) via the docking assembly 10.
The docking assembly 10 of FIG. 1 employs various ele
ments requiring direct current (DC) poWer, such as the micro
processor 45. To adapt the docking assembly 10 for use With
an alternating current (AC) poWer source 35, a sWitching
(e. g., recti?ed) poWer supply 36 (Which is preferably external
to the docking assembly 10) is interposed betWeen the AC
poWer source 35 and a poWer port 20 provided in the docking
assembly 10. In one embodiment, a DC poWer adapter (not
shoWn) may be substituted for the poWer supply 36 to adapt
the docking assembly 10 to a DC poWer source such as may be
present in an automobile, recreational vehicle, airplane, or
similar mobile environment having an audio and video repro
duction system 2. Within the docking assembly, a poWer
distribution bus 21 provides poWer at voltages and current
levels appropriate to various internal elements, as shoWn With
dashed lines internal to the docking assembly 10 in FIG. 1.
Internal to the docking assembly 10, at least one charging
element 43 is provided to fumish poWer at appropriate levels
to poWer the PDMSP device 80 and Wireless remote control
ler device 50 and/ or charge the batteries associated With the
devices 80, 50 When such devices 80, 50 are docked With the
docking assembly 10 via the at least one electrical coupling
12. The at least one charging element 43 includes at least one
electrically conductive circuit element, With appropriate cur
rent transducers preferably provided to sense and permit
regulation of current How so as to minimize the possibility of
overcharging the battery 81 associated With the docked
PDMSP device 80 and/or the battery 51 associated With the
remote controller device 50. The charging element 43 and/or
at least one electrical coupling 12 may further include an
associated temperature transducer such as a thermistor or
thermocouple (not shoWn) to provide thermal feedback suit
able for regulating electrical charge supplied to the batteries
81, 51 of the docked device(s) 80, 50. In one embodiment,
electrical charge is supplied to the docked PDMSP device 80
and/or remote controller device 50 at a ?rst rate While such
device batteries 81, 51 are charging, and then supplied at a
second, loWer “maintenance” rate When such devices batter
ies 81, 51 are fully charged to poWer the devices 80, 50
Without overcharging their batteries 81, 51. When such bat
teries 81, 51 are fully charged, the charging element 43 may
be used to assist in poWering the PDMSP device 80.
The docking assembly 10 may include various local user
controls 17 (e.g., disposed on a front, top, or other accessible
surface of the assembly) adapted to control the docking
assembly and/or certain functions of a PDMSP device 80
docked thereto. Examples of local controls include poWer
buttons or sWitches, volume buttons, a mode selector button
or sWitch (e.g., to permit a user to select betWeen any of
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various audio and video output modes, or betWeen any of
various audio or video output formats), and the like. OWing to
the enhanced functionality provided by a Wireless remote
controller device 50, hoWever, local controls 17 may be mini
miZed in functionality or eliminated altogether if desired.
Local indication of basic functionality such as poWer on,
docking status, communication status, and the like may be
provided With one or more LEDs 16, Which are preferably
disposed on an outWardly visible portion (e.g., the front sur
face) of the docking assembly 10. Multiple LEDs or a smaller
number of multi-color LEDs may be employed to provide
different status indications, if desired.
A primary function of the docking assembly 10 is to serve
as an audio/video interface betWeen a PDMSP device 80
docked thereto and an audio and video reproduction system 2
having a television-compatible display element 5. Signals
(e.g., audio signals, video signals, both audio and video sig
nals, and/or other types of signals) may be communicated
betWeen the PDMSP device and the microprocessor 45 of the
docking assembly 10 by Way of the at least one electrical
coupling 12. The microprocessor 45 preferably communi
cates With a video processor 46, a digital signal processor 48,
and an ampli?er 49. In turn, the video processor 46 is com
municatively coupled to at least one video port 32 and pref
erably at least one audio/video port 33 coupleable to the
audio/video reproduction system 2. The digital signal proces
sor 48 (Which may be used, for example, to add equalization
and/or sound ?eld effects to an audio signal stream) commu
nicates an audio stream to an ampli?er 45 (internal to the
docking assembly 10) adapted to adjust the output level of the
audio signal to at least one audio port 30 and the audio portion
of at least one audio/video port 33 coupleable to the audio/
video reproduction system 2. The output signal level of the
ampli?er 49 is preferably responsive to a volume input signal,
such as may be received via the Wireless remote receiver 14
from the Wireless remote controller 50, or received via the
local user controls 17 (if provided). Various digital-to-analog
signal converters (not shoWn) may be integrated into any of
the video processor 46, digital signal processor 48, and
microprocessor 45, or provided doWnstream of such compo
nents, if desired to generate analog output signals from the
digital media signal provided by the PDMSP device 80. The
microprocessor 45 and/ or video processor 46 may further be
used to provide video format conversion utility (e.g., from
non-television-compatible formats to television-compatible
formats) and to generate any desirable visual output signals
(e.g., still images, video images, and/or computer generated
display applications such as screensavers, skins, and other
visualiZations, Whether or not synchroniZed or responsive to
audio playback) during the playback of a digital audio ?le
stored in a docked PDMSP device 80.
Each of the digital signal processor 48 and video processor
46 may include general-purpose or specialty microprocessor
chips. While FIG. 1 illustrates the microprocessor 45 as inter
mediately disposed in communication betWeen the PDMSP
device 80 on the one hand and the video processor 46, digital
signal processor 48, and ampli?er 49 on the other, it is to be
appreciated that communication paths independent of the
microprocessor 45 (but preferably sWitchably controlled by
the microprocessor) may be provided betWeen the PDMSP
device 80 and any of the video processor 46, digital signal
processor, and ampli?er 49, if desired. Alternatively, any of
the video processor 46 and the digital signal processor 48 may
be integrated, in Whole or in part, With the (central) micro
processor 45. The video processor 46 preferably has an asso
ciated frame buffer adapted to store an image to be transmit