Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for improvements in vehicle entertainment systems. A user (vehicle passenger) may wish to buy a song (or other media item) that is currently playing on the vehicle digital radio. In one embodiment, the user may direct a purchase command directly to a music vendor, without going through a central server. In the example of purchasing digital music files, such vendors currently may include iTunes, Amazon.com, Rhapsody and others. The purchase command may be entered at the user's mobile phone user interface. In another embodiment, the purchase request may be entered to the vehicle control system without the use of a mobile phone. The requested media item is downloaded to the vehicle and or to a designated alternative destination which may be the user's home or office or mobile device.

Abstract: In one example, a Bluetooth enabled navigation device pairs with a mobile phone and then sends a plurality of tuning transmissions, each at a different transmission power gain amount, to a remote server using the mobile phone. These tuning transmissions are encoded using frequency tones that synthesize speech for transmission through the mobile phone and a voice channel of its wireless telecommunications network. The navigation device then tunes transmit power settings according to a received response to the tuning transmissions and uses the tuned transmit power settings for subsequent transmission to the remote server using this particular mobile phone.

Abstract: In one example, a Bluetooth enabled navigation device pairs with a mobile phone and then sends a plurality of tuning transmissions, each at a different transmission power gain amount, to a remote server using the mobile phone. These tuning transmissions are encoded using frequency tones that synthesize speech for transmission through the mobile phone and a voice channel of its wireless telecommunications network. The navigation device then tunes transmit power settings according to a received response to the tuning transmissions and uses the tuned transmit power settings for subsequent transmission to the remote server using this particular mobile phone.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for implementing a mobile digital radio playlist system. The playlist need not be maintained in a vehicle; preferably it is maintained on a user's equipment such as a computer, PDA, MP3 player or the like. The system enables a method of updating such a playlist conveniently, for example while traveling in a vehicle, by capturing indicia of a current song in a mobile digital radio receiver in response to a user capture input; transmitting the captured indicia from the digital radio receiver to a wireless telecommunication device; in the wireless telecommunication device, forwarding the captured indicia to a playlist server; and in the playlist server, forwarding the received indicia to the user's equipment to update the playlist.

Abstract: In one example, a Bluetooth enabled navigation device pairs with a mobile phone and then sends a plurality of tuning transmissions, each at a different transmission power gain amount, to a remote server using the mobile phone. These tuning transmissions are encoded using frequency tones that synthesize speech for transmission through the mobile phone and a voice channel of its wireless telecommunications network. The navigation device then tunes transmit power settings according to a received response to the tuning transmissions and uses the tuned transmit power settings for subsequent transmission to the remote server using this particular mobile phone.

Abstract: In one example, a Bluetooth enabled navigation device pairs with a mobile phone and then sends a plurality of tuning transmissions, each at a different transmission power gain amount, to a remote server using the mobile phone. These tuning transmissions are encoded using frequency tones that synthesize speech for transmission through the mobile phone and a voice channel of its wireless telecommunications network. The navigation device then tunes transmit power settings according to a received response to the tuning transmissions and uses the tuned transmit power settings for subsequent transmission to the remote server using this particular mobile phone.

Abstract: In one example, a Bluetooth enabled navigation device pairs with a mobile phone and then sends a plurality of tuning transmissions, each at a different transmission power gain amount, to a remote server using the mobile phone. These tuning transmissions are encoded using frequency tones that synthesize speech for transmission through the mobile phone and a voice channel of its wireless telecommunications network. The navigation device then tunes transmit power settings according to a received response to the tuning transmissions and uses the tuned transmit power settings for subsequent transmission to the remote server using this particular mobile phone.

Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for in-band signaling, i.e., transmission of data in a voice channel of a digital wireless network during a voice call session. A family of narrow-band signaling methods is disclosed to successfully pass data-carrying signals through the low-bit rate modes of the EVRC-B vocoder commonly used in CDMA wireless channels. Some embodiments generate a tapered signaling waveform in tandem with another waveform using FSK-modulation. These features can be used in cell phones or other wireless communication devices, including automotive applications.

Abstract: In one example, a Bluetooth enabled navigation device pairs with a mobile phone and then sends a plurality of tuning transmissions, each at a different transmission power gain amount, to a remote server using the mobile phone. These tuning transmissions are encoded using frequency tones that synthesize speech for transmission through the mobile phone and a voice channel of its wireless telecommunications network. The navigation device then tunes transmit power settings according to a received response to the tuning transmissions and uses the tuned transmit power settings for subsequent transmission to the remote server using this particular mobile phone.

Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for in-band signaling, i.e., transmission of data in a voice channel of a digital wireless network during a voice call session. A family of narrow-band signaling methods is disclosed to successfully pass data-carrying signals through the low-bit rate modes of the EVRC-B vocoder commonly used in CDMA wireless channels. Some embodiments generate a tapered signaling waveform in tandem with another waveform using FSK-modulation. These features can be used in cell phones or other wireless communication devices, including automotive applications.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for improvements in vehicle entertainment systems. A user (vehicle passenger) may wish to buy a song (or other media item) that is currently playing on the vehicle digital radio. In one embodiment, the user may direct a purchase command directly to a music vendor, without going through a central server. In the example of purchasing digital music files, such vendors currently may include iTunes, Amazon.com, Rhapsody and others. The purchase command may be entered at the user's mobile phone user interface. In another embodiment, the purchase request may be entered to the vehicle control system without the use of a mobile phone. The requested media item is downloaded to the vehicle and or to a designated alternative destination which may be the user's home or office or mobile device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for implementing a mobile digital radio playlist system. The playlist need not be maintained in a vehicle; preferably it is maintained on a user's equipment such as a computer, PDA, MP3 player or the like. The system enables a method of updating such a playlist conveniently, for example while traveling in a vehicle, by capturing indicia of a current song in a mobile digital radio receiver in response to a user capture input; transmitting the captured indicia from the digital radio receiver to a wireless telecommunication device; in the wireless telecommunication device, forwarding the captured indicia to a playlist server; and in the playlist server, forwarding the received indicia to the user's equipment to update the playlist.

Abstract: A customizable web site access system is comprised of a software program incorporating both a composing portion and a performing portion. The composing portion of the software program is used to create a presentation. The presentation includes a list of URLs for display, a desired sequence of display of the URLs, and a duration of display of the URLs. The performing portion of the software program operates to load and display the presentation to a user of the web in an automatic slide show presentation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to use an inband signaling modem to communicate digital data over a voice channel of a wireless telecommunications network, while simultaneously maintaining the ability to support a voice conversation. An inband signaling modem receives digital data. A voice activity detector receives a digitized voice signal from a codec. The voice activity detector outputs an indication of the degree of confidence that speech is present in the digitized voice signal. If the indication denotes that speech is not present, the inband signaling modem encodes the digital data into audio tones. The synthesized audio tones are sent to a voice channel of a wireless telecommunications network. If the voice activity detector indicates that speech is present, the digitized voice signal is sent to the voice channel of a wireless telecommunications network.

Abstract: A data session with a wireless device ordinarily cannot be initiated from the network side because the wireless device has no predetermined IP or other network address. Methods are disclosed for instead causing the wireless unit to initiate a data session with a target destination, thereby obviating the IP addressing problem. A voice call is first initiated by a requester application to a remote wireless unit. The requester transmits a request message to the remote wireless unit via the wireless voice channel using in-band techniques; preferably including a payload in the polling message that identifies the target destination. In response, the remote wireless unit initiates a packet data session with the target destination.

Abstract: The web site access system comprises an auto composer including the components of a composer and performer. The composer composes a web slide show presentation through automatic extraction of web page details from a desired web page. The web page details includes one or more of the following: a plurality of hyperlinks found within the desired web page that provides a plurality of URLs; a presentation/rendition text file within the desired web page that provides a plurality of URLs; and a meta tag within the desired web page that provides a plurality of URLs. The performer display the web slide show presentation in order of the plurality of URLS provided by the extracted web page details.