Abstract: A renewable energy source is converted into a desired DC voltage that is delivered to a DC motor controller of a permanent magnet motor. A micro controller monitors the amount of supplied renewable DC having the desired DC voltage, which is delivered to each phase of the motor by turning on FET switches on demand. If the renewable DC available at a given instant is not adequate to power a particular phase of the motor, then the micro controller turns on backup FET switches that are part of an independent drive circuit that is in parallel with drive circuits of the renewable DC power circuit, to deliver to the motor line DC, which is produced from an AC supply that has gone through an AC to DC converter. Once charged, the renewable DC power will power the next available phase of the motor.

Abstract: A renewable energy source is converted into a desired DC voltage that is delivered to a DC motor controller of a permanent magnet motor. A micro controller monitors the amount of supplied renewable DC having the desired DC voltage, which is delivered to each phase of the motor by turning on FET switches on demand. If the renewable DC available at a given instant is not adequate to power a particular phase of the motor, then the micro controller turns on backup FET switches that are part of an independent drive circuit that is in parallel with drive circuits of the renewable DC power circuit, to deliver to the motor line DC, which is produced from an AC supply that has gone through an AC to DC converter. Once charged, the renewable DC power will power the next available phase of the motor.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus that allows a menu 20 of song titles 22 to be displayed on printed pages 24, rather than on small song cards, that are held by page frames 30 that are hingedly joined to a juke box unit. The printed pages can be changed by positioning a page frame under a hatch, which is an opening 50 that preferably includes a lid 52, and slipping different pages in an out through a thin slot 32 on the top of a page frame. The front of the juke box housing 10 has a hollow 58 that a user can fit their fingers into to manipulate flipping handles 56 that are fixed to the page frames such that the user can turn and position the printed pages for either changing out the printed pages or for browsing the menu of song titles.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for enhancing playback of digital audio data by playing sound effects stored in a digital audio player's memory. The sound effects are preferably loaded into a playback memory just before an MPU of the player starts to perform a task that normally results in a silent processing delay, such as locating digital audio data. By parallel processing a sound effect with a time consuming task performed by the MPU, the processing delay is not noticed by a user. In addition to filling an otherwise silent interval of time with some sort of entertainment, the sound effects can be used to emulate some of the sounds made by a vintage juke box, such as the crackling of a needle on a record. In an alternative embodiment, the sound effects are stored in a song database such that there can be particular sound effects that are used when a particular song database is to be accessed.

Abstract: The present invention is a user interface for a juke box capable of playing digital audio files. The improved user interface uses an annunciator to illuminate track selection keys. Those track selection keys that are actuated to enter an access code associated with a song title are illuminated by the annunciator. Additionally, the annunciator illuminates the access code of a currently playing audio file when no access codes are being entered. Someone listening to music being played by the juke box can glance at the annunciator to determine which access code is being played, and then flip through a menu of song titles that are associated with the access codes to quickly look up what song is playing. In a preferred embodiment, the access codes are stored in a dynamic stack to build a super play list that can be easily managed on the juke box itself.

Abstract: The present invention is a folder indexing method that defines a format for storage and playback of digital audio files to support a specialized song selection access method. Access codes used to select media files for playback of music in a digital audio player, such as a juke box, are entered using track selection keys bearing the characters associated with the various access codes. At the software level, the track selection keys are assigned index values. Index values are used to locate a selected individual folder, but each individual folder uniquely stores only one media file. Preferably, folder names are only used for the purpose of alpha sorting folders so that index values can be used to count to a selected folder rather than searching for a term in a folder name. Multiple folder levels can be located using this method, but only the last folder level contains media files.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a multiple deck multimedia device suitably seamless, that is, transparent to the user, through its interconnection, control, signal routing, multimedia content management, and the like. For example, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the multimedia device enables viewing, listening, multimedia searching and fetching, and similar functions while simultaneously providing the ability to record and/or store other multimedia content through a single user interface. Additionally, while the following description is directed to a dual DVD and VCR, in accordance with various alternative embodiments of the present invention, the multimedia device may suitably comprise other sources of multimedia content delivery systems. For example, various analog and/or digital systems including hard disk drives, magnetic tape, alternative optical media, solid state memory and other removable or fixed media may be used.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an multimedia appliance. The media appliance is suitably seamless, that is, transparent to the user, through its interconnection, control, signal routing, multimedia content management, and the like. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the media appliance enables the viewing, listening, multimedia searching and fetching and similar functions while simultaneously providing the ability to record or store other multimedia content through a single user interface.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a multiple deck multimedia device suitably seamless, that is, transparent to the user, through its interconnection, control, signal routing, multimedia content management, and the like. For example, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the multimedia device enables viewing, listening, multimedia searching and fetching, and similar functions while simultaneously providing the ability to record and/or store other multimedia content through a single user interface. Additionally, while the following description is directed to a dual DVD and VCR, in accordance with various alternative embodiments of the present invention, the multimedia device may suitably comprise other sources of multimedia content delivery systems. For example, various analog and/or digital systems including hard disk drives, magnetic tape, alternative optical media, solid state memory and other removable or fixed media may be used.