Patent Application
20160224309
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to audio adapter devices and, more specifically, to a portable audio adapter device with built-in flash memory for storing user settings or preferences.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Loudspeakers have been widely used to enhance users' audio experience. Traditionally, a loudspeaker arrangement, e.g., for a home theater, includes an audio receiver/amplifier that is connected to an audio source (for example, a radio or a television), and a set of loudspeakers. The audio receiver/amplifier generally has a user interface to allow a user to adjust sound profiles, such as volume, bass and other sound amplifications. The audio receiver/amplifier's user interface can be rotating dials or sliding bars.
Based on the user's selected settings, the audio receiver/amplifier then adjusts the audio signals and/or loudspeaker settings in an attempt to provide particular sound settings or profiles for the user. However, any user's selected setting is accessible only locally at that particular audio receiver/amplifier.
Similarly, with the development and adoption of digital audio, more audio sources, e.g., music players, televisions and computers, now include digital sound cards to provide digital audio themselves without an audio receiver/amplifier. For example, a computer can be preinstalled with a sound card and corresponding sound editor software. Therefore, through the computer user interface, e.g., a keyboard and a mouse, a computer user can select particular sound settings after running the sound editor software on the computer. Similar to the conventional audio receiver/amplifier, any user's selected setting is accessible only locally at that particular computer.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that can enable a user's audio preference to be portable. In particular, when using a headphone, which is a pair of small loudspeakers that are designed to be portable, the need to enable a user's audio preference to be portable is especially important. Currently, even though a user can use the headphone with different audio sources, the user needs to first download the sound editor software onto each audio sources and input or set up his/her sound settings through each audio source's interface to enjoy his/her preferred sound profile via the headphone from that particular audio source. Also needed is a portable audio adapter device that is compact and have few or no moving parts.
Accordingly, embodiments of the invention are directed to a portable audio adapter device that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of embodiments of the invention is to provide a portable audio adapter device that includes a built-in flash memory for storing user settings or preferences.
Another object of embodiments of the invention is to provide a portable audio adapter device that automatically downloads any headphone driver software and preloads user settings or preferences.
Another object of embodiments of the invention is to provide an audio adapter device that enables user headphone settings or preferences to be portable.
Another object of embodiments of the invention is to provide a compact audio adapter device that enables user headphone settings or preferences to be portable.
Additional features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of embodiments of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the embodiments of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of embodiments of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, a device includes a built-in flash memory, an audio port, a main body, the main body including the flash memory and the audio port, a cable, the cable attached to the main body, and a USB-compliant connector, the connector attached to an end of the cable and providing connection to an audio source, wherein the built-in flash memory has a memory capacity to store user audio preference settings, and the audio port provides connection to a headphone or a loudspeaker.
In another aspect, a portable device includes a flash memory, a first audio port, a second audio port, a main body, the main body including the flash memory, the first audio port and a second audio port, a cable, the cable attached to the main body, and a USB-compliant connector, the connector attached to an end of the cable and providing connection to an audio source, wherein the built-in flash memory has a memory capacity to store user audio preference settings, and at least one of the first and second audio ports.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of embodiments of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of embodiments of the invention.
Reference will now he made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The cable 112 is attached to the main body 110. For example, the cable 112 may be attached to the main body 110 on a side or at a portion of the main body 110 opposite or different from the audio port 116. The connector 114 is at an end of the cable 112. The connector 114 provides a connection to an audio source. In particular, the connector 114 may be a connector in compliance with a USB Specification. Alternatively, the connector 114 may be a connector in compliance with High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). For example, the connector 114 can support connection with a digital audio source, such as a computer, a game console or digital television.
In addition to the audio port 116, the main body 110 may further include additional ports 118a and 118b. The ports 118a and 118b may include an alternative or secondary audio port or a USB port. The additional ports 118a and 118b provides expansions from or additional access to the audio adapter device 100. Alternatively or in addition, the additional ports 118a and 118 provides additional access to the audio source and/or the headphone/loudspeaker/sound bar that is connected to the audio adapter device 110.
The main body 110 preferably is small, compact and lightweight. For example, the main body 110 may have a size similar to a USB flash drive. The main body 110 preferably may weight about 9.0 gram or 0.02 pound, and the dimensions of the main body 110 preferably may be about 50 mm×20 mm×8 mm. Alternatively, the main body 110 may weight up to 227 gram or 0.50 pound. The dimensions of the main body 110 may be 50˜130 mm in length, 20˜82 mm in width, and 8˜52 mm in height.
Further, the main body 110 preferably includes no moving parts. For example, the portable audio adapter device 100 preferably is a small dongle or a dongle-like device that can be readily transported.
The memory 124 has sufficient memory capacity to store a sound editor software and user preferences, and may be a flash NAND memory. Thus, during operation, the sound processor 122 or another built-in processor can launch the sound editor software stored in the memory 124.
In addition, the main body 110 may include a digital-analog converter 126 to support an analog signal. Thus, during operation, the sound processor 122 or another built-in processor can convert analog signals to digital signals and/or digital signals to analog signal using the digital-analog converter 126.
As illustrated in
In addition with gaming, game saves and/or game preference data can be saved and stored in the memory 124. In addition, movie files and music files can be stored in the memory 124.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the audio adapter device of embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that embodiments of the invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
