Method and apparatus for portable digital entertainment system
An improved method and apparatus for portable digital entertainment system which melds direct microwave communications with digital technology to provide a system for “on demand” distribution of digital data, such as songs or video games. The apparatus includes a microwave cellular tower capable of transmitting and receiving a plurality of digital transmissions, a storage unit of user selectable songs and games coupled to the microwave cellular tower through a selection processor for managing the exchange of song and game selections between the storage unit and the microwave cellular tower, and a plurality of user portable digital cellular devices exchanging digitally encoded transmissions with the microwave cellular tower in response to a user's song or game selection request. The portable digital cellular devices include a liquid crystal display window which allows a user to select a desired song to be heard or game to be played. This selection by the user causes the portable digital cellular device, which includes a built in microwave cellular transmitter/receiver to transmit a signal to a microwave digital cellular tower. This microwave digital cellular tower is coupled to a mass storage unit comprised of solid state memory chips which contains hundreds, perhaps thousands of musical or game selections. The microwave digital cellular tower also includes a computer or central processing unit to control the retrieval of the desired musical or game selection from the mass storage unit. When the Data Storage Communications Tower receives a selection request from a portable digital cellular device, the computer bills a customer's account, retrieves the selection from the mass storage unit and directs the selection to the microwave digital cellular tower for transmission to the user's portable digital cellular device.
This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for combining a digital microwave communications network and compact disc player technology to provide music on demand without the need for a user to carry an armload of compact discs with them. This system lends itself to implementation with compact disc players of the portable kind, such as “Walkman” type players and those commonly found in homes and automobiles. The present invention further distinguishes itself by allowing video games on demand for use on player units, such as sold under the “Nintendo” or “Sega” trademarks.
Current technology favors entertainment devices that require the purchase of songs or games on cassettes, compact discs or other digitally encoded media. These systems require a user to purchase a unit suitable for playing the music or game desired, and to continue purchasing cassettes or compact discs to ensure a supply of new entertainment. After a while a user has amassed a considerable collection of these discs or cassettes, and must carry them along with the compact disc or game player wherever he goes if he wishes to have “portable” entertainment.
SUMMARYThe current invention melds direct microwave communications with digital technology to provide alternatives to the massive compact disc market. The first alternative takes the form of a device named the Portable Cellular Stereo, hereinafter “PCS,” similar in size to current “Walkman” type compact disc players. The PCS includes a liquid crystal display window that allows a user to select a desired song to be heard. This selection by the user causes the PCS, which includes a built in microwave cellular transmitter/receiver, to transmit a signal to a Data Storage Communications Tower. This Data Storage Communications Tower includes a microwave digital cellular tower capable of transmitting and receiving a multitude of digital cellular signals from other PCS's. The Data Storage Communications Tower also includes a mass storage unit consisting of solid state memory chips that contain hundred, perhaps thousands of music selections. The Data Storage Communications Tower also includes a computer or central processing unit to control the retrieval of the desired music selection from the mass storage unit. When the Data Storage Communications Tower receives a selection request from a PCS, the computer bills a customer's account, retrieves the selection from the mass storage unit and directs the selection to the microwave digital cellular tower for transmission to the user's PCS. The microwave digital cellular tower can simultaneously transmit a list of available songs to the PCS, for display and review by the user. At current transmission speeds, a song that would play for seven minutes could be transmitted in less than a tenth of a second.
PCS's for use in an automobile or home could be further enhanced with the use of speech recognition technology. This additional circuitry allows for hands-free song selection. A user can speak the music selection wanted which will activate the speech recognition circuitry in the PCS. This circuitry will then transmit the desired selection to the Data Storage Communications Tower and the musical selection will be retrieved as described above.
Another alternative with the current invention is the Portable Cellular Gaming Unit, hereinafter “PCGU.” This unit combines the “Gameboy” type game player with digital cellular technology similar to that described above to allow “on demand” games. The PCGU includes a liquid crystal display window that allows a user to select a game to play. This selection by the user causes the PCGU, which includes a built in microwave cellular transmitter/receiver, to transmit a signal to a Data Storage Communications Tower. This Data Storage Communications Tower is essentially the same unit as described above with the difference being the mass storage unit storing games in addition to or in lieu of musical selections. This Data Storage Communications Tower also includes a computer or central processing to control the retrieval of the desired game selection from the mass storage unit. When the Data Storage Communications Tower receives a selection request from a PCGU, the computer bills a customer's account, retrieves the game selection from the mass storage unit and directs the selection to the microwave digital cellular tower for transmission to the user's PCGU. The microwave digital cellular tower also can transmit simultaneously a list of available games to the PCGU, for display and review by the user. At current transmission speeds, a typical game could be transmitted in less than one-fifth (⅕) of a second.
Another alternative available with the current invention is the Home or Automotive Cellular Gaming Unit, hereinafter “HCGU.” This unit combines the “Nintendo” or “Sega” type game player with digital cellular technology similar to that described above to allow “on demand” games. The HCGU utilizes a standard television as a display medium. The game players select a desired game to be played from a menu displayed on the television. This selection by the user causes the HCGU, which includes a built in microwave cellular transmitter/receiver, to transmit a signal to a Data Storage Communications Tower. In all other respects, the HCGU functions the same as the PCGU.
The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a portable entertainment system using digital cellular technology that allows a user to retrieve and play a vast array of musical selections without the need to carry a large quantity of compact discs or similar media; to provide such a system that also allows a user to retrieve and play games on “Nintendo” or “SEGA” type game playing devices without the need for carrying game cartridges; and to provide such a system that is readily adaptable to speech recognition technology to allow use of such a system in a hands-free environment as while operating an automobile.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are set forth below and further made clear by reference to the drawings, wherein:
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The construction of my improved apparatus for portable digital entertainment system and the methods of its application will be readily understood from the foregoing description and it will be seen I have provided an improved apparatus for a portable digital entertainment system in which various types of digital entertainment or information can be made available to a user virtually anywhere in the world. Furthermore, while the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The present invention includes all such equivalent alterations and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A dedicated cellular system for distribution by microwave transmission of digital music and video games by microwave transmission data comprising music and/or video games, comprising:
- a microwave cellular tower capable of including a microwave cellular transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving a plurality of digital music and video games data by microwave transmissions transmission, each digital data transmission encoding a music selection or a video game;
- a storage unit of user selectable music and/or video games connected to said microwave cellular tower,;
- a selection processor coupled directly to said microwave cellular transmitter/receiver for receiving a transmission from said microwave cellular transmitter/receiver and managing exchange of user selectable music and/or video games between said storage unit and said microwave cellular tower, by retrieval from the storage unit a given music selection or a given video game selection and transmitting, as digital data, said given music selection or said video game selection to the microwave cellular transmitter/receiver; and
- a plurality of dedicated, user portable digital cellular devices exchanging digital each including a microwave transmitter/receiver for transmitting by microwave transmission requests in response to user selection of said user selectable music and/or video games as digital data transmissions to said microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of said microwave cellular tower and for receiving by microwave transmission selected music and/or video games transmissions with as digital data transmissions from said microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of said microwave cellular tower in response to user selection of said user selectable music and/or video games.
2. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 1 wherein:
- said storage unit includes solid state memory recording chips.
3. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 2 wherein:
- said solid state memory recording chips are programmable read only memory storage devices.
4. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 2 wherein:
- said solid state memory recording chips are random access memory storage devices.
5. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 2 wherein:
- said selection processor includes a central processing unit and a multiplicity of data bus and control bus lines connected to said solid state memory recording chips.
6. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 5 wherein:
- said central processing unit controls data flow through said multiplicity of data bus and control bus lines in response to user initiated selection input signals transmitted to said microwave cellular tower by said dedicated, user portable digital cellular devices.
7. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 1 wherein said dedicated, user portable digital cellular devices include:
- a further microwave cellular transmitter and receiver capable of transmitting and receiving digital cellular transmissions, transmitter/receiver;
- an operation processor;
- a further storage unit integral coupled directly with said microwave cellular transmitter operation processor, said further storage unit including solid state memory recording chips for storing user selectable music and/or video games received from said microwave cellular transmitter,;
- an said operations processor integral coupled directly with said further microwave cellular transmitter/receiver and said further storage unit for managing exchange of user selectable music and/or video games between said further storage unit and said further microwave cellular transmitter,; and
- a display window controlled by said operations processor for display of the currently selected user selectable music and/or video games.
8. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 7 wherein:
- said solid state memory recording chips are programmable read only memory storage devices.
9. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 7 wherein:
- said solid state memory recording chips are random access memory storage devices.
10. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 7 wherein:
- said operations processor includes a central processing unit and a multiplicity of data bus and control bus lines connected to said solid state memory recording chips.
11. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 10 wherein:
- said central processing unit controls data flow through said multiplicity of data bus and control bus lines in response to user initiated selection input signals.
12. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 11 wherein:
- said user initiated selection input signals include voice recognition.
13. A The dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to of claim 7 wherein said dedicated, user portable digital cellular device devices further includes:
- a means for processing said user selectable music and/or video games.
14. A method of operating transmitting and receiving digital data by microwave transmission using a dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission, the digital data comprising music and/or video games, the dedicated cellular system including a microwave cellular tower including a microwave cellular transmitter/receiver capable of transmitting and receiving a plurality of digital transmissions with a storage unit of user selectable music and/or video games connected to said microwave cellular tower, a selection processor for managing exchange of user selectable music and video games between said storage unit and said microwave cellular tower adapted for digital data exchange with the microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of the tower and the storage unit, and a plurality of dedicated, user portable digital cellular devices for exchanging digital music and/or video games as digital transmissions with said microwave cellular tower in response to user selection of said user selectable music and/or video games, said method comprising the steps of:
- coupling directly the selection processor and the microwave cellular transmitter/receiver;
- selecting a given music or video game using the dedicated, user portable digital cellular device;
- transmitting a digital data signal by microwave transmission from a the dedicated, user portable digital cellular device to a the microwave cellular tower in response to a user request, selection;
- receiving said digital data signal transmitted by microwave transmission from said the dedicated, user portable digital cellular device to said at the microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of the microwave cellular tower,;
- processing using the selection processor to process said digital data signal by a selection processor received as a microwave transmission from the microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of the microwave cellular tower for managing the exchange of user selectable music and video games between a storage unit and said microwave cellular tower, by instructing the storage unit to retrieve the user selected music and/or video game;
- retrieving a user selected music or video game from said storage unit in response to instructions from said selection processor, and
- transmitting said, as digital data, the retrieved user selected music and/or video game from said the selection processor to the microwave cellular tower to said dedicated user portable digital cellular device transmitter/receiver of the microwave cellular tower; and
- transmitting, as digital data, the retrieved user selected music and/or video game from the microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of the microwave cellular tower to the dedicated, user portable digital cellular device.
15. A The method of operating a dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to claim 14, wherein:
- said user request is voice activated.
16. A The method of operating a dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to claim 14, wherein:
- said dedicated user, portable digital cellular device is a portable cellular stereo.
17. A The method of operating a dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to claim 14, wherein:
- said dedicated user, portable digital cellular device is a portable cellular music and/or gaming unit.
18. A The method of operating a dedicated cellular system for distribution of digital music and video games by microwave transmission according to claim 14, wherein:
- said dedicated user, portable digital cellular device is a home or automotive cellular music and/or gaming unit.
19. The dedicated cellular system of claim 1, wherein:
- said storage unit and said selection processor are located on said tower.
20. The dedicated cellular system of claim 1, wherein:
- said storage unit is coupled to said selection processor and said selection processor is coupled to said microwave cellular transmitter/receiver of said cellular tower.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 4, 2005
Date of Patent: Jul 12, 2011
Inventor: Vincent C. Jackson (Houston, TX)
Primary Examiner: James Sheleheda
Application Number: 11/052,015
International Classification: H04N 7/16 (20060101); H04N 7/173 (20060101); H04H 40/00 (20080101);