US20050252980A1 - Mobile entertainment and communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile entertainment and communication device in a palm-held size housing has a cellular or satellite telephone capable of wireless communication with the Internet and one or more replaceable memory card sockets for receiving a blank memory card for recording data directly from the Internet and, in particular, musical performances that then can be selectively reproduced by the device for the enjoyment of the user, including both audio and visual recordings and reproductions. The device also includes a camera and microphone for recording images and sound within the range of the device that can be wirelessly transmitted, either selectively or automatically to a remote telephone. Further, the device includes sensors for sensing unusual conditions that may also be transmitted to a remote telephone, together with the location of the device as determined by a GPS section of the device.

Description

• This is a Division of application Ser. No. 10/719,363, filed Nov. 20, 2003, which is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 09/531,356, filed Mar. 20, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,120, which is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 08/846,108, filed Apr. 25, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,884, which are incorporated in this application in full by this reference.
• This invention relates to a mobile entertainment and communication device that is readily carried by a person and provides numerous conveniences and features including, but not limited to, a cellular or satellite telephone with access to the Internet.
• A principle object of this invention is to provide a personal entertainment and communication device that is portable and includes a cellular or satellite accessible telephone with the ability to access the internet, replaceable memory cards for downloading data from the internet, and means for reproducing such data on the device from the cards. Specifically, the device of this invention is particularly adapted to download music, images or other data in a wireless manner from the Internet and selectively reproduce such music, images or other data from replaceable memory cards for one's personal enjoyment or other use.
• Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile entertainment and communication device that wirelessly records data from the Internet and selectively reproduces that data, such as music and/or images, and also provides a portable security device capable of automatically communicating with a remote telephone and transmitting emergency data including sounds, pictures, location and similar information when selectively activated by the owner or when automatically activated by conditions sensed by integral sensors, including conditions such as sudden movement, sounds, light, heat, smoke or the like.
• Other and more detailed objects and advantages of the present invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art from the detailed description and accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiments, wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the entertainment and communication device of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a replaceable memory card for use with the device illustrated inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the back of the entertainment and communication device of the present invention showing an optional card latching device;
• FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken on the line44 inFIG. 3; and
• FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of the components of the entertainment and communication device shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.
• Referring more particularly to the figures, the entertainment and communication device, generally designated100, includes a cellular telephone or satellite accessible telephone or the like, hereinafter referred to collectively as a “cellphone”, having adialing pad101 with push buttons for operating the cell phone in a substantially conventional manner and also for controlling the operation of other components of thedevice100. The cellphone includes amicrophone103 and aspeaker125 for using the cellphone as a telephone for verbal communications. Adisplay panel104 is provided on the front of thedevice100 for displaying images and data, including but not limited to the conventional data displayed for the use of the cellphone. The cellphone also includes adialing memory113, adialing section114, a transmitting/receivingsection115, anantenna119 and a ringsignal capturing section122. Themicrophone103 andspeaker125 are connected through an audiosignal processing section108 to themicroprocessor112 of thedevice100. Thedialing memory113,dialing section114, transmitting/receivingsection115, ringsignal capturing section122 anddialing pad101 are also connected to themicroprocessor112 for operating the cellphone in a conventional manner, through themicroprocessor112.
• The cellphone of the entertainment andcommunication device100 is of the type that is capable of making a wireless connection to the Internet for receiving data therefrom and transmitting data thereto, such as the Samsung® Model No. 3500, Qualcom® No. 1960, Sprint® PCS, or the like, without a hardwire connection through a personal computer or telephone line.
• The entertainment andcommunication device100 of the present invention is provided with asocket120 for receiving areplaceable memory card200. The opening for thesocket120 may be provided on the side of thedevice100, as shown at120A, or at one end of thedevice100, as shown at120B, or both. Thememory card200 is provided with electrical contacts201 (seeFIG. 2) which are adapted to engage corresponding electrical contacts (not shown) in thesocket120, which contacts in turn are connected to themicroprocessor112 for communication between thereplaceable memory card200 and themicroprocessor112. Thememory card200 may be a prerecorded card or a flash (blank) card suitable for recording data from themicroprocessor112. By appropriately operating the cellphone to connect to or access the Internet and then operating the memorycard control buttons202, data from the Internet may be recorded on thereplaceable memory card200, such as musical performances, images (still or moving), written text or the like (hereinafter referred to as “data”). In addition to the audio data, the musical performance data from the Internet may include images of the performers or the like, and/or the words of the musical performance. Other audio and visual data also may be downloaded from the Internet tomemory card200. Subsequent to the recordation of the musical performance or other data on thereplaceable memory card200 or upon the positioning of aprerecorded memory card200 in asocket120, the memorycard control buttons202 may be manipulated to reproduce the musical performance or other data with the sound being broadcast by thespeaker125 or to earphones (not shown) connected to theearphone jack121 or transmitted to wireless earphones (not shown). Thedevice100 also includes controls, such as ondialing pad101 or separately, for controlling the music volume, balance, selection (skip), equalization and the like. The images and/or words included in the recording on amemory card200 will be displayed on thedisplay panel104.
• Thememory card200 is preferably of a high memory capacity and a size to fit substantially inside the housing of thedevice100 so as not to protrude therefrom and yet be of substantially the full width of thedevice100 to maximize the memory capacity of thecard200 substantially beyond the memory capacity of conventional prerecorded memory cards, such as for MP3 players. Of course, the width of thedevice100 is limited from a practical standpoint to a width that is comfortable in the palm of an adult person's hand for use as a telephone. Thus, as a practical matter, the width of the memory card is limited to about 11/2 to 2″. Similarly, the overall size of thedevice100 must be sufficiently small to be comfortably carried in a pocket or purse to be most practical. Further, while the thickness of thecard200 may be increased somewhat for increasing the memory capacity there is also a practical limit to that increased thickness so that the thickness of thedevice100 does not become excessive, but it is contemplated thatmemory cards200 of about twice the thickness may be provided and interchangeably installed in thesocket120 for at least doubling the memory capacity or separate sockets, such assockets120A and120B, may be provided for accommodatingmemory cards200 of different thicknesses. Still further, the length of thedevice100 is limited to a practical length and, therefore, the vertical length of the card is similarly limited. Thecard200 andsocket120 may be provided with matching non-symmetrical shapes, grooves, ridges or the like for requiring thecard200 to be inserted into the socket in the correct orientation, such as the cutoff corner ofcard200 shown inFIG. 1 (lower left) andFIG. 2 (lower right). Thedevice100 may also be provided with an integral image andaudio storage memory116 connected to the microprocessor for temporary or permanent storage of data, in addition to data storage oncards200, and the data stored onmemory116 may be reproduced in the same manner as fromreplaceable memory cards200.
• Referring more particularly toFIGS. 3 and 4, a latching device, generally designated150, is shown for retaining thereplaceable memory card200 in thesocket120A and for facilitating the removal of thememory card200 from thesocket120A. Thelatching device150 includes alever152 pivotally connected at154 to the back of the housing of thedevice100, with atab156 extending along the side of the device and over a portion of thesocket120A in the closed position. Apin158 extends inwardly from thelever152 and engages ahole204 in thememory card200. When thelatching device150 is pivoted to the open position shown in dashed lines inFIG. 4, thememory card200 may be readily removed fromsocket120A by placing a finger on the portion of thecard200 exposed by opening thelatching device150 or by engaging thehole204 with a finger nail or a pointed implement, such as a pencil or pen. Further, thepin158 and hole can be sized and relatively positioned such that thepin158 urges thecard200 outwardly upon opening the latching device. Still further, thesocket120A may be provided with a spring for urging thecard200 outwardly as soon as the card is unlatched. Of course either thetab156 orpin158 may be omitted since the other (pin or tab, respectively) will retain thecard200 in thesocket120A. Thelatching device150 may be of a width to only cover a portion of thesocket120A, as shown, or of a width to cover the entire socket (not shown).
• Since thedevice100 can be wirelessly connected to the internet, it is also possible to use thedevice100 for any other Internet functions, such as sending and receiving e-mail, conducting ebusiness, etc. Further, in view of the recording capability of thedevice100, the telephone conversations on the cellphone may be selectively recorded (one or both sides) and the device can be used for any sound recording, such as for dictation or face-to-face conversations or conferences. Still further, themicroprocessor112 includes means for automatically interrupting the playing of any musical performance being reproduced on thedevice100 when a telephone call is placed or received on the cellphone until the call is completed.
• All of the aforedescribed functions and those described hereinafter are powered by a battery means (not shown) in thedevice100 which preferably is a single rechargeable battery.
• The entertainment andcommunication device100 is also provided with acomputer jack124 connected to the microprocessor for selectively connecting thedevice100 directly to a computer, radio, television or CD, DVD, VCR, tape or phonograph record player (not shown) by a hard wire (not shown) for downloading and uploading (where appropriate) to and from thereplaceable memory card200 orfixed memory116 in thedevice100.
• The entertainment andcommunication device100 is also provided with various other features for the personal entertainment, communication, security, safety and the like of the person at all times that the person has thedevice100 with him or her. Avideo camera102 is connected through an imagesignal processing section107 to themicroprocessor112 and the camera operation is controlled bybutton105, whereby images may be displayed on thepanel104, recorded on either theintegral memory116 or thereplaceable memory card200, or transmitted by the cellphone to a remote telephone which may be located at a police station, security office, one's own personal computer or the like. Thevideo camera102 is preferably a digital camera for electronically capturing images, either still or moving, for minimizing the size and battery power requirements, but also may be an analog type camera. Similarly, an infrarednight vision camera106 may be provided and connected to themicroprocessor112 through an infraredimage processing section109 to record or transmit images in the same manner asvideo camera102, and alight sensor118 is connected to themicroprocessor112 for automatically selecting the operation of thenight vision106 when the ambient light is at a very low level.Cameras102 and106 will be referred to generically as a “camera”. Themicrophone103 may also be activated manually or automatically by themicroprocessor112 when either of thecameras102 or106 are activated for recording and/or transmitting sounds within the range of thedevice100 synchronously with the recording or transmission of images by one of the cameras.
• The entertainment and communication device also includes various emergency features for use by the person carrying the device. Analarm button123 is provided and may be activated to produce an audible alarm from thespeaker125 for dissuading an attacker or intruder or activating a silent alarm whereby the cellphone is automatically operated to communicate the emergency condition to a remote telephone, such as by dialing “911” or a private security telephone number or the like. Similarly, one ormore sensors110, such as motion, infrared, ultrasonic, acceleration, sound, light, heat, smoke, carbon monoxide, poisonous gas or the like sensors, are provided with thedevice100 and selectively activated for providing either an audible or silent alarm, similar to the functions of thepanic alarm button123 but without requiring operator activation, and thesensors110 are connected through thesensor reading section111 to themicroprocessor112 for using any of the functions of thedevice100. For example, with the acceleration sensor ofsensors110 activated while a person has thedevice100 in an automobile, the sudden deceleration of the automobile in an accident condition would be sensed by the acceleration sensor to cause themicroprocessor112 to dial an appropriate telephone number stored in thedialing memory113, such as a “911” or a vehicle rescue number, and transmit the emergency as well as the location of thedevice100 as determined by a global positioning satellite (GPS)reading section117 provided with the device, whichGPS reading section117 may also be activated by thepanic alarm123. Further, if the motion sensor orsimilar sensors110 are activated and thedevice100 is appropriately positioned, for example in a hotel room, the motion and/or presence of an intruder will be sensed and communicated through thesensor reading section111 to themicroprocessor112 to activate any desired function, such as an audible alarm from thespeaker125, an automatic dialing of a “911” number, operation ofelectronic camera102 orinfrared camera106, operation of themicrophone103, operation of theGPS reading section117 or the like. Similar functions can be performed by thedevice100 when any of the other sensors are activated to sense a particular condition, such as heat, smoke, carbon monoxide, poisonous gas or the like.
• Thus, by this invention a palm-sized device provides wireless communication with the Internet for downloading musical and visual entertainment onto a high capacity memory card that is replaceable with other prerecorded or downloaded memory cards, and numerous other communication, security, safety and similar functions are selectively available to the user.

Claims (4)

1. A memory card for replaceably installing in a cellphone, comprising a flat, rectangular shape with at least one corner having an irregular shape that is different than the other corners for causing proper orientation of said memory card in the cellphone, said memory card having at least one engagement for use in securing the memory card in the cellphone, and said memory card having either prerecorded data or no data.

2. The memory card ofclaim 1, the at least one engagement being a hole.

3. The memory card ofclaim 2, the hole extending fully through the card.

4. The memory card ofclaim 1, the prerecorded data being selected from the group consisting of audio, moving images, audio with fixed images and audio with moving images.

Images