WO2007033999A2

WO2007033999A2 - Connection module for connecting with an media player

Info

Publication number: WO2007033999A2
Application number: PCT/EP2006/069930
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter Daguhn
Original assignee: Anycom Technologies Ag
Priority date: 2006-12-19
Filing date: 2006-12-19
Publication date: 2007-03-29
Also published as: WO2007033999A3

Abstract

There is provided a connection module (10) for connecting with an media player (8). In order to allow wireless communication between the media player (8) and an media source (4), there is provided a plug (14) for electrically connecting with the media player (8), a Bluetooth transceiving unit (16) at least for receiving media content from an media source (4) via Bluetooth, and a conversion unit (18) for converting the received media content into a format appropriate for the media player (8).

Description

CONNECTION MODULE FOR CONNECTING WITH AN MEDIA PLAYER

The present patent application relates to a connection module for connecting with an media player. The application further relates to a system comprising such a connection module.

Media sources, such as video players and audio players as mobile devices become more important in the market.

In recent times, a wide distribution of MP3-Players as audio sources was observed. Various kinds of MP3-Players are in the market. Among these, the Apple iPod is the most prominent one. Besides the specialized MP3-Players, other audio sources using the MP3-coding, as well as the AAC-coding, or any other coding scheme, become more and more popular in the market. In particular mobile phones utilize multimedia functionality for enabling users not only to make telephone calls, but to listen to music and to allow multimedia and entertainment using the mobile phones. The MP3-players may provide audio content in different formats. For example, the audio content may be streamed as audio signal, or may be provided as audio file on a mass storage.

In order to enrich the sound experience or the viewing from the media sources, a vast amount of media player equipment is available. The media player equipment provides, in particular, improved loudspeaker performance and improved amplifier performance. For example, there is proposed to equip car radio sets with connectors for the media sources. As mentioned above, the Apple iPod has a dominant market share. The iPod is equipped with a proprietary plug, the iPod connector, for connecting with media player equipment. Users have to mechanically plug the connector of the iPod to the connector of the media player equipment to allow replaying the sound files or videos on the media player equipment. For car radio systems, this means that users have to manually connect the iPod to the car radio before starting the engine. Connecting the media source to the media player, while driving the car bears the risk of hazardous situations in traffic .

Another approach is the use of MP3 players or other audio sources, which may be connected to the car radio or any other stereo set using an USB plug. Users plug in the media source with an USB plug into the corresponding plug at the media player. The media files may be stored on the media source and may be obtained from the media source via a file transfer protocol. However, also in this case, the USB plug has to be connected to the media player manually.

From the above, there arises the problem of the present patent application to provide for a convenient, easy to use connection of media sources with media players.

In order to provide a solution for this problem, the application proposes a connection module for connecting with an media player comprising a plug for electrically connecting with the media player, a Bluetooth transceiving unit at least for receiving media content from an media source via Bluetooth, and a conversion unit for converting the received media content into a format appropriate for the media player.

The media content may be audio, video or other multimedia content files or streams.

It has been found that wireless communication between the media source and the media player provides for the most convenient connection between media source and media player. Using the Bluetooth standard allows for transmitting the signals with a standardized protocol. The connection module provides for the mechanical and electrical connection with the media player, i.e. using a plug, connector, jack, clip, or any other connector, i.e. an iPod connector or an USB plug. The plug is in particular made for the particular media player, to which it is connected. Furthermore, the plug may be a replicate or copy of the plug of the media source. For example, many media players have connectors matched to the plugs of the media sources. In this respect, the plug according to the application may be formed such that it matches the plug of the media source and thus is connectable to the connector of the media player.

The Bluetooth transceiving unit may comprise an antenna and an integrated circuit for controlling the signals transmitted via the antenna. The integrated circuit supports the Bluetooth standard and allows sending and receiving signals via the antenna using the Bluetooth standard. In particular, the transceiving unit is adapted for receiving media content from an media source via the antenna using Bluetooth.

In order to replay the received media content on the media player, a conversion unit is provided. The conversion unit may convert the received media content into a format appropriate for the media player.

For example, the received media content may be coded in a digital form. For example, the coded media content may be coded according to the PCM-coding scheme. Other coding schemes are also possible. When the media player only supports analog signals, the conversion unit may convert the digitally coded media content received via Bluetooth into analogue signals suitable to be replayed on the media player.

The conversion unit may emulate the media player, i.e. emulate the way the media player would provide the media content to the media source, even though the media content was sent to the conversion unit via the Bluetooth protocol. For example, the media content may be a streaming content. In this respect, the conversion unit may convert the media content received via the A2DP or the enhanced A2DP protocol into a format provided initially by the media source and/or into a protocol suitable for the media player. The conversion unit may also emulate a mass storage device to the media player. In this case, the media content is not streamed between the media source and the conversation unit but data or files are provided to the conversion unit. The conversion unite receives data to be played back or to be used in another way on the media player from the media source via Bluetooth using, for example, the File Transfer Profile (FTP) or another appropriate Bluetooth profile.

According to embodiments, the Bluetooth transceiving unit is arranged for receiving the media content from the media source using a Bluetooth protocol or a FTP protocol or any other suitable Bluetooth protocol for data and file transmission. This Bluetooth protocol may, according to embodiments, support the advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) . When using a standardized protocol for transmitting media content, available integrated circuits designed for Bluetooth communication may be used in the connection module. This reduces the prices of the connection module. Further, it is possible to communicate with all media sources, which are able to transmit media content using Bluetooth.

According to embodiments, the conversion unit is arranged for converting the received media content into a protocol corresponding to the media source. The plug, which connects the media player electrically with the connection module is, according to embodiments, designed to match with a plug of an media source. Thus, the connection module is mechanically connected to the media player instead of the media source. In order to replay the media content on the media source, they need to be in conformance with a protocol used by the media source as such.

Embodiments provide that the conversion unit is arranged for receiving control commands for the media source from the media player. It has been found that remote control of the media source is a feature often used by users. For example, users want to control, which tracks are played by the media source. This control may be initiated from the media player and the control commands may be communicated to the media source.

Embodiments provide converting the control commands in the conversion unit into a Bluetooth protocol and transmitting the controlled commands from the media player to the media source. Thus, it is possible to remote control the media source via the air interface using the Bluetooth protocol. Embodiments provide for transmitting the control commands from the media player to the media source using the Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) , the enhanced Audio Video Remote Control Profile or any other similar Bluetooth protocol or profiles .

Another aspect of the application is a system comprising a predescribed connection module and a media player. The system consists of the connection module and a media player. The connection module allows connecting the player to various kinds of media sources, in case these support the protocol supported by the connection module. In particular using the Bluetooth protocol allows connecting the media player with media sources using the connection module, which media sources support the Bluetooth technology.

The media player is, according to embodiments, at least one of a loudspeaker, a car radio set, a stereo player, a video player or any other kind of multimedia device. Further kinds of media player equipment are also within the scope of the application. In particular, media player equipment suitable for connecting to the iPod is within the scope of the application.

Further embodiments provide for a system, where the media source is at least one of an iPod, a MP3-Player, a mobile phone, a mobile computer, a mass storage or a video storage .

Further, embodiments provide that the media source further comprises a Bluetooth transceiving unit for transmitting media content via Bluetooth to the connection module and for receiving control commands via Bluetooth from the connection module. The transceiving unit may be integrated into the media source or may be connected to the media source.

Further aspects of the application will become apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following figures. In the figures show:

Fig. 1 a system according to embodiments;

Fig.2 a connection module according to embodiments.

Fig. 1 illustrates a system 2 comprising an media source 4, i.e. a MP3-Player, for example an Apple iPod MP3- Player. The media source is connected to a Bluetooth connector 6, which is capable of sending media content from the media source 4 using the Bluetooth protocol and of receiving control commands using also the Bluetooth protocol. The connector 6 may, as well, be an integrated part of the media source. For example, a Bluetooth transceiver may directly be incorporated into the media source for transmitting the media content as media stream or for providing access to its storage via Bluetooth. Further illustrated is an media player 8, i.e. a loud speaker set, and a connection module 10.

The media player 8 has a connector 12, which is arranged to suitably fit to a connector (not illustrated) of the media source 4. The media source 4 can be connected to the media player 8 using the connector 12.

As illustrated, the connector 12 is, instead of being connected to media source 4, connected to connection module 10, which has a plug 14, suitable for the connector 12. The connection module 10 is connected to connector 12.

The connection module 10 may receive via Bluetooth media content from the media source 4, and may send control commands from the media player 8 to the media source 4. For receiving media content from media source 4, connection module 10 supports for example the advanced media distribution protocol, an file transfer protocol (FTP) , or any other suitable Bluetooth profile or protocol for transmitting media content such as audio or video content. Using these protocols, the connector 6 may establish a communication channel with the connection module 10 for communicating media content via the air interface .

Further, the connection module 10 may connect with the connector 6 using the Audio Video Remote Control Profile. Using this or any other suitable Bluetooth protocol or profile or an FTP protocol, a communication channel may be established, via which control commands from the media player 8 may be transmitted via the air interface to the media source 4.

Fig. 2 illustrates a connection module 10. The connection module 10 comprises a plug 14, which is matched with the connector 12 to being connected to that connector 12. E.g. the plug 14 may be in the form of an iPod connector or an USB plug. The plug 14 is arranged such that it emulates the corresponding plug (not illustrated) of the media source 4. By using the plug 14, the connection module may establish a connection with the media player 8 as if the media source 4 was connected to media player 8. The plug 14 is arranged such that it emulates the communication protocol, which is used by the media source 4.

Within connection module 10, there is provided a Bluetooth transceiving unit 16, for establishing Bluetooth communication with other Bluetooth devices via the air interface. The Bluetooth transceiving unit 16 supports at least the advanced audio distribution profile for receiving media content and the Audio Video Remote Control Profile for sending control commands. The received media content are transmitted from the transceiving unit 16 to a conversion unit 18. Within conversion unit 18, the received media content are converted into a format, which conforms to the format used by the media source 4. The media content being converted are provided to plug 14 and thus to connector 12 for playing the media content on media player 8. By converting the media content into a format as provided by media source 4, connection module 10 may act as being the media source 4 for operating the media player 8.

Within the media player 8, control commands may be generated, which are provided via plug 14 to conversion unit 18. Within conversion unit 18, the control commands are converted into a Bluetooth protocol. The converted commands are send via the Bluetooth transceiving unit 16 to the media source 4 for controlling the media source.

The application provides for a connection module, which allows receiving media content and transmitting control commands via the air interface using the Bluetooth protocol. By using the connection module it is possible, to connect different kinds of media sources using the Bluetooth protocol to various kinds of media player equipment .

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Connection module for connecting with an media player comprising:

- a plug for electrically connecting with the media player,

- a Bluetooth transceiving unit at least for receiving media content from an audio source via Bluetooth, and

- a conversion unit for converting the received media content into a format appropriate for the media player.

2. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the media content may be audio and/or video media.

3. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the media content may be one of:

A) an media stream;

B) media files.

4. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth transceiving unit is arranged for receiving the media content from the media source using a Bluetooth protocol.

5. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth transceiving unit is arranged for receiving the media content from the media source using at least one of: A) an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile;

B) an file transfer protocol;

C) a Bluetooth protocol for receiving data.

6. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the conversion unit is arranged for converting the received media content into a protocol corresponding to the media source.

7. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the conversion unit is arranged for receiving control commands for the media source from the media player.

8. The connection module of claim 7, wherein the conversion unit converts the received control commands into a Bluetooth protocol.

9. The connection module of claim 8, wherein the Bluetooth transceiving unit is arranged for transmitting the control commands from the media player to the media source.

10. The connection module of claim 9, wherein the Bluetooth transceiving unit is arranged for transmitting the control commands from the media player to the media source using the Audio Video Remote Control Profile.

11. The connection module of claim 1, wherein the plug is at least one of:

A) an iPod connector;

B) an universal serial bus plug.

12. A system comprising a connection module of claim 1 and an media player.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the media player is at least one of:

A) a loudspeaker;

B) a car radio set;

C) a stereo player;

D) a video player.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an media source, wherein the media source is at least one of:

A) an iPod;

B) an MP3 player;

C) a mobile phone;

D) a mobile computer;

E) a video storage;

F) a mass storage.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the media source comprises a Bluetooth transceiving unit for transmitting media content via Bluetooth to the connection module and for receiving control commands via Bluetooth from the connection module.