Patent Application
20080010394
The invention encompasses devices and methods for storing and retrieving information associated with an object. Particularly it encompasses systems for storing and retrieving sound or music excerpts associated with a compact disc. In various aspects a unique identifier is applied to an object for storing music, sound or other data.
In this disclosure, the media for storing music sound or other data or the packaging in which such a media is enclosed, is generically called a “sound storage object” or sometimes simply referred to as the “object”, and may be, for example a CD or DVD or CD or DVD case or packaging or label or tag. In various embodiments, the sound storage object may be a music storage medium such as a CD, DVD, phonograph record, cassette, a flash memory card with sound (e.g. in MP3 format) encoded onto it, or any other physical digital or analogue storage medium or also may be the packaging or tag or label or other object associated with the medium. The sound storage object may be, for example, a case or container or packaging, label or tag containing or physically associated with the music storage medium, such as a CD case.
The information associated with the unique identifier is used to retrieve a music track or excerpt from a memory storage means (hereinafter referred to as a memory means) at a remote site. In an alternative embodiment, the memory means may be physically associated with or applied to the sound storage object, or in other embodiments, it may be remote from the sound storage object.
The music may be delivered from the memory means via any electronic means, either wired or wireless, for example, by wireless radio or microwave communication, for instance via a mobile telephone (cell phone) connection.
In one example, the identifier is a series of numbers, characters, letters or symbols or combination thereof, for example, the Universal Product Code (UPC) number or bar code which is invariably attached to and visible upon goods such as CDs.
This unique identifier information or part thereof may be entered into a computerized retrieval system via any communications device or system such as a mobile telephone communicating over a network of any kind including the internet. For example, an “800” number may be dialled, and a prompt would ask for the UPC number or some part thereof or for a combination of identifier information and other information such as the artist's name etc. The user would then enter at least some part of the unique identifier information and any other information required. This could be done by keying in the information, or using voice recognition software or using voice prompts. Predictive text or voice software may be used so that once a certain amount of information has been entered, the user is hen given a number of choices that closely match the information given. In other embodiments, a scanner system could be used and the data could be scanned into the communications device. The computerized retrieval system would then deliver the sound, data or music (e.g. music excerpt(s)) associated with the identifier to the user via the telephone. The excerpt could be downloaded or simply delivered to the telephone in real time in the same way as any other digital or analogue signal is delivered. The music excerpts thus accessed may include, for example, one or more 10 to 60 second excerpts of music representative of the music on the CD (e.g., at least 20 s, 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, 120 s, 180 s of music).
In an alternative embodiment, the sound storage object, such as the CD case, has within it or on it a memory means sufficient to store a desired amount of information, for example, sufficient to store a several 10 to 60 second excerpts of music representative of the music on the CD. The memory means may be, for example, a flash memory or static RAM chip memory means or a 2-dimensional bar code or any means for storing digital or analogue information. The memory means, such as a flash memory, has functionally associated with it an output port or interface that is used to interface with an external listening device (player).
The external listening device may include an integral amplification means (“amplifier”, “amplification device”), or the amplification means may be provided separately between the memory means and the listening device or may be physically integrated into the object (CD case) itself. An amplification means consists of any suitable and common amplification circuit (amplifier). Alternatively, the amplification means may be physically associated with the memory means and provided on the object (i.e., part of the CD case system).
If the amplifications means is associated with the object (e.g., CD case) itself, then a power source must also be provided, either associated with the sound storage object, such as a battery, or from an external source such as a traditional power source, photovoltaic cell etc.
The external listening device may be, for example, a mobile phone with an audio input port, an MP3 player or iPOD™ or any other digital music player with an audio input port. The audio input port may be wired or wireless, for example it could communicate via infrared, microwave or radio frequency communication, for example it could communicate by short range radio communication such as Bluetooth™ or from a cell phone transmitter tower. Wired audio input ports may include the interface provided on an iPOD™ or may be a universal serial bus (USB) port, series port, parallel port or simple round-jack audio input port similar that commonly used in audio equipment for connecting headphones and microphones to a player output port. In the case of a digital music player, amplification is provided by the player itself. In the case of an MP3 player such as an iPOD™ the player possesses an audio input port which also provides a power source (power output).
A connector is used to link the audio input port (and optionally the power output) of the MP3 player to the audio output port of the sound storage object (CD case). The connector will be of a suitable type that allows communication between the output port and the external listening device and may include a first end and a second end having one or more different connectors, such as USB connectors, Firewire connectors, coaxial connectors, multiple pin connectors, Apple Macintosh type connectors or any other known or generic connector that will provide a connection between the output and listening device. The connector may also act as a power conduit, transferring power from the listening device to the CD case device memory means as necessary. Once a link is established between the MP3 player and the audio output port of the CD case, power is provided to the memory means and information is conveyed via the connector to the player.
In another embodiment wherein the memory means is physically associated with the sound storage object (e.g., CD case), the system additionally includes an amplification device communicably attached to the memory means, and an output jack, and a power source to power the amplifier, allowing a user to listen to a track by plugging headphones directly into the output of the CD case itself.
In an alternative embodiment, the memory means is physically associated with the sound storage object (e.g., CD case), and the system additionally includes an amplification device communicably attached to the memory means, and a power source to power the amplifier, and a speaker, providing a totally self-contained system allowing a user to listen to a track directly from the CD case itself. The resonating board of the speaker may be provided in part by the polymer CD case itself.
In various embodiments, the system further comprises a control interface used to control the playing of music excerpts, including, for example, “play” “pause” “stop” “rewind” and “fast forward” buttons. The control interface may be integrated into the sound storage object (CD case) device and may comprise standard pressure-sensitive switch buttons. It will preferably be in functional communication with the memory means and the amplification means. The control buttons of the control interface will be in functional communication with at least one integrated circuit (IC) or microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) which will receive information from components (such as the control buttons), process information, and send information to other components (such as the memory means and amplifier) to control the device and provide functionality.
The invention may comprise a device with one or more lights or other indicators to indicate the status of various functions of the device, such as to indicate that the device is on, playing or is outputting sound at a particular volume etc. Such status indicators will be in functional communication with the CPU and or other components of the device. Such status indicators will commonly be LEDs.
Specifically, the invention encompasses a system and method for storing and delivering information, the method comprising:
In another specific embodiment, the invention encompasses a system and method specifically for storing and delivering sound information (such as music, or speech), the method comprising:
In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a system and method for storing and delivering digitized information (music excerpts, voice, data etc) directly from a memory means physically associated with a physical object, the method comprising:
In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a system and method specifically for storing and delivering sound information (music excerpts, voice etc), the method comprising:
In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a system and method for storing and delivering digitized information (music excerpts) using speakers physically associated with the object (i.e., allowing the listener to listen directly to the music from the CD packaging), the method comprising:
In another example, the information, such as music, may actually be stored in a bar-code itself. Bar codes, particularly two-dimensional ones (that contain information in both the vertical and horizontal directions) can store a sizeable amount of information. Below is a table showing different types of standard bar code and the amount of information that can be stored in each.
The bar code may be applied to the sound storage object and read by means of a reader functionally linked to a computer which computer is functionally linked to a player system to allow retrieving and listening to the data or sound encoded in the bar code. The 2-D barcode has all the information stored within so there is no need to connect to a database. Because of the relatively low storage capacity of bar-code technology, music data may be limited and may be provided in a digitized compressed format. None the less, a bar code could provide sufficient storage capacity to store several seconds or more (e.g., at least 10 s, 30 s, 60 s, 120 s, 180 s) of reasonable quality sound or music. Prof. Joseph Rosen Ben Gurion University of the Negev has produces a barcode system that stores up to about 3 kilobytes of information; certainly sufficient for the current invention.
In another embodiment, the memory storage means may be an RFID chip. Newer 13.65 MHz RFID chips can store about 2000 bits of data or more. Again, this storage capacity is sufficient for the current invention.
It should be noted that although specific examples are used throughout this description, most notably music CD's and music excerpts associated with them, the invention may equally be applied to any type of media containing any kind of data, such as spoken word, or encoded computer programmes or scripts. The data delivered need not be in the form of sound (music or speech), but may be transmitted as text, for example to a cell phone or computer as a text message or instant message or picture or pictogram or any other written, symbolic or visual information.
It will be readily appreciated that various adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and the above description is intended to be illustrative, not restrictive, and it is understood that the applicant claims the full scope of any claims and all equivalents.
