Patents Portfolio
U.S. Patent: 9,298,407
Patent Title
Mobile information apparatus that are configurable to include applications for playing audio digital content received over the internet from subscribed audio digital content service(s)
Meta Information
Issued Date: March 29, 2016
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents
Technical Fields
Abstract
A mobile information apparatus comprising of an information Pad with a touch sensitive screen includes a digital camera, and one or more wireless communication units compatible with Bluetooth.RTM. and IEEE 802.11. The information apparatus is configured for subscribing to a wireless data network for accessing the Internet and is enabled for the user to install additional software applications. The information apparatus may obtain authentication information and payment or subscription information for accessing a digital content service for receiving a selected digital content. The information apparatus may send, to a server, a pointer or reference to the selected digital content stored at a content server, and, subsequent to verifying authentication information and payment or subscription information, receive the selected digital content from the server. The digital content may be any combination of a video, an audio and/or digital document suitable for rendering at an output device.
Sample Claim
1. A mobile information apparatus with access to audio digital content from one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the mobile information apparatus including:
a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with a user of the mobile information apparatus;
a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the mobile information apparatus;
a digital camera for taking pictures;
one or more wireless communication units having a radio frequency controller and an antenna for wireless communication, at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units is compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within the IEEE 802.11 standard of wireless protocols;
a processor;
a memory or storage unit for storing at least part of the audio digital content;
an operating system;
a wired connection to an output device for output or playing at least part of the audio digital content accessed over the Internet, the output device being associated with at least an audio output device and being a distinct device from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet; and
wherein, the mobile information apparatus is operable for:
establishing a wireless communication channel from the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers, the one or more servers being distinct devices from the mobile information apparatus and the output device;
obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, identity information and authentication information related to the user for enabling the user to access at least part of the audio digital content over a network that includes the Internet;
obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, payment or subscription information related to receiving at least part of the audio digital content from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet;
creating, at the mobile information apparatus, one or more job objects, the one or more job objects being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, and the one or more job objects including the identity information and the authentication information related to the user, and the one or more job objects including the payment or the subscription information related to receiving the audio digital content;
receiving, at the mobile information apparatus, a list of one or more references or pointers to digital content stored in at least a content server at a network node over the Internet for selection by a user of the mobile information apparatus, the content server at a network node over the Internet being a distinct device from the mobile information apparatus and the output device;
obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus and from the user of the mobile information apparatus a reference or pointer to a selected audio digital content from the list of one or more references or pointers to digital content stored in the content server at a network node over the Internet;
creating, at the mobile information apparatus, at least a digital content object, the digital content object being in accordance with an object model or a software component model for sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions, the digital content object including at least the reference or pointer to the selected audio digital content;
sending one or more messages from the mobile information apparatus to the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet in one or multiple sessions over the established wireless communication channel, the one or more messages including the one or more job objects and the digital content object;
receiving output data at the mobile information apparatus from the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the output data related to the selected audio digital content, and the receiving of the output data being subsequent to sending the one or more messages to the one or more servers; and
outputting, rendering, or playing at least part of the output data related to the selected audio digital content at the output device.