Broadcast Receiver In A Peripheral Supporting Bi-Directional, Digital Communication With A Remote Computer

Abstract

A microcontroller or microprocessor-controlled broadcast receiver embedded in an external peripheral with a digital communications interface. In one embodiment, a microprocessor-controlled broadcast receiver is embedded in the housing of an external computer peripheral. The external computer peripheral is connected to a personal computer (PC) via a digital communications link such as USB (universal serial bus). Control data is relayed from the personal computer to the broadcast receiver in the external computer peripheral via the digital communications link. Audio signals received by the broadcast receiver in the external computer peripheral may also be relayed to the personal computer via the digital communications link or via an analog interface for recording storage, or manipulation by the personal computer. The broadcast receiver may also receive data signals in addition to audio signals (datacasting). The data or audio signals or both may be encrypted.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A computer peripheral system comprising: 
 a personal computer comprising: 
 a microprocessor; and  
 a personal computer digital control interface connected to said microprocessor; and  
   a computer peripheral located remotely from said personal computer, said computer peripheral comprising: 
 a housing;  
 a peripheral digital communications interface connected to said personal computer digital control interface via a digital communications link;  
 a broadcast receiver circuit inside said housing;  
 an antenna connected to said broadcast receiver circuit; and  
 a peripheral microcontroller inside said housing connected to said peripheral digital communications interface, said peripheral microcontroller sending control signals to said broadcast receiver circuit to control said broadcast receiver circuit in response to control data received by said peripheral digital communications interface.  
   
     
     
         2 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said peripheral digital communications interface is a wireless communications interface.  
     
     
         3 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said peripheral digital communications interface is a serial data interface.  
     
     
         4 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 3   , wherein said serial data interface is a Universal Serial Bus interface.  
     
     
         5 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 3   , wherein said serial interface is an IEEE-1394 compliant interface.  
     
     
         6 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , further comprising at least one speaker connected said computer peripheral.  
     
     
         7 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 6   , further comprising an audio amplifier circuit located inside said housing and connected to said speaker.  
     
     
         8 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said personal computer further comprises a data source connected to said microprocessor, said data source comprising broadcast programming information, and wherein said microprocessor communicates at least a portion of said broadcast programming information via said digital communications link to said peripheral microcontroller as said control data.  
     
     
         9 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said personal computer further comprises a display and a user interface presented on said display, said microprocessor being responsive to data collected via said user interface and generating said control data in response to said data collected via said user interface.  
     
     
         10 . A multimedia speaker system comprising: 
 a housing;    a broadcast receiver circuit inside said housing;    an amplifier circuit connected to said broadcast receiver circuit;    a microcontroller connected to said broadcast receiver circuit; and    a digital communications interface connected to said microcontroller for two-way communications with a personal computer remote from said multimedia speaker system.    
     
     
         11 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said computer peripheral further comprises an analog buffer connected to said broadcast receiver.  
     
     
         12 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said computer peripheral further comprises an analog-to-digital converter connected to a buffer memory, said buffer memory storing audio signal samples.  
     
     
         13 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 12   , wherein said control data comprises an instruction to said peripheral microcontroller to store audio signal samples generated by said analog-to-digital converter in said buffer memory.  
     
     
         14 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 13   , wherein said control data comprises an instruction to the peripheral microcontroller to transfer at least a portion of the audio signal samples stored in said buffer memory through the peripheral digital communications interface.  
     
     
         15 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said computer peripheral further comprises a plug-in slot.  
     
     
         16 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 15   , wherein said broadcast receiver chip is mounted on a removable broadcast receiver card comprising a connector that mates with the plug-in slot.  
     
     
         17 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said computer peripheral further comprises a card slot for audio media storage.  
     
     
         18 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 17   , wherein said card slot for audio media storage is an audio cassette unit.  
     
     
         19 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 17   , wherein said card slot for audio media storage is a minidisk unit.  
     
     
         20 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 17   , wherein said card slot for audio media storage is a flash RAM card.  
     
     
         21 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said housing is the enclosure of a personal computer speaker.  
     
     
         22 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said housing is the enclosure of a personal computer keyboard.  
     
     
         23 . The computer peripheral of    claim 1   , wherein said housing is the enclosure of a personal computer pointing device.  
     
     
         24 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1   , wherein said housing is the enclosure of a personal computer monitor.  
     
     
         25 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 21   , wherein said antenna is located completely within the enclosure of said personal computer speaker.  
     
     
         26 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 21   , wherein said antenna comprises at least one physical conductor which connects said peripheral digital communications interface to said personal computer digital control interface.  
     
     
         27 . A method of controlling a multimedia speaker system that includes a broadcast receiver within said multimedia speaker system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting, from a personal computer, control data over a digital communications link;    receiving said control data at said multimedia speaker system, said multimedia speaker system being remote from said personal computer;    interpreting the programming information at said multimedia speaker system and producing broadcast receiver control signals in response;    receiving at said multimedia speaker system, in response to said broadcast receiver control signals, broadcast transmissions on an antenna;    
     
     
         28 . The method of    claim 27   , further comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting, from the personal computer, control data including an instruction to store audio signal samples in an audio buffer memory samples associated with said broadcast transmissions, and storing said audio signals samples in said audio buffer memory.    
     
     
         29 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1    or    10   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives broadcast signals in the VHF band.  
     
     
         30 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1    or    10   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives broadcast signals in the FM band.  
     
     
         31 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1    or    10   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives broadcast signals in the AM band.  
     
     
         32 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1    or    10   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives broadcast signals in the L band.  
     
     
         33 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1    or    10   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives broadcast signals in the S band.  
     
     
         34 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 1    or    10   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives IBOC broadcast signals.  
     
     
         35 . The method of controlling a multimedia speaker system of    claim 27   , wherein said broadcast transmissions are in the FM band.  
     
     
         36 . The method of controlling a multimedia speaker system of    claim 27   , wherein said broadcast transmissions are in the AM band.  
     
     
         37 . The method of controlling a multimedia speaker system of    claim 27   , wherein said broadcast transmissions are in the L band.  
     
     
         38 . The method of controlling a multimedia speaker system of    claim 27   , wherein said broadcast transmissions are in the S band.  
     
     
         39 . The method of controlling a multimedia speaker system of    claim 27   , wherein said broadcast transmissions are IBOC transmissions.  
     
     
         40 . The method of controlling a multimedia speaker system of    claim 27   , wherein said broadcast transmissions are in the VHF band.  
     
     
         41 . A computer peripheral system comprising: 
 a personal computer comprising: 
 a microprocessor; and  
 a personal computer digital control interface connected to said microprocessor; and  
   a computer peripheral located remotely from said personal computer, said computer peripheral comprising: 
 a housing;  
 a hybrid chip comprising: 
 a peripheral digital communications interface connected to said personal computer digital control interface via a digital communications link;  
 a broadcast receiver; and  
 a peripheral microcontroller connected to said peripheral digital communications interface, said peripheral microcontroller sending control signals to said broadcast receiver to control said broadcast receiver in response to control data received by said peripheral digital communications interface; and  
 
 an antenna connected to said broadcast receiver.  
   
     
     
         42 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41   , wherein said broadcast receiver receives broadcast signals in the VHF band.  
     
     
         43 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41   , wherein said broadcast receiver receives broadcast signals in the FM band.  
     
     
         44 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41   , wherein said broadcast receiver receives broadcast signals in the AM band.  
     
     
         45 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41   , wherein said broadcast receiver receives broadcast signals in the L band.  
     
     
         46 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41   , wherein said broadcast receiver receives broadcast signals in the S band.  
     
     
         47 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41   , wherein said broadcast receiver circuit receives broadcast signals in the IBOC band.  
     
     
         48 . A computer peripheral system comprising: 
 a housing; and    a hybrid digital broadcast receiver inside said housing comprising: 
 an RF filtering circuit; and  
 a codec comprising: 
 a microcontroller;  
 a digital signal processor connected to said microcontroller;  
 a digital communications interface connected to said microcontroller; and  
 an analog-to-digital converter connected to said digital signal processor.  
 
   
     
     
         49 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 41    or    48    wherein said housing is the enclosure of a personal computer speaker.  
     
     
         50 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 48    wherein said codec is a single integrated circuit.  
     
     
         51 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 48    wherein said codec and said RF filtering circuit are both located within a single integrated circuit  
     
     
         52 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 49    further comprising a demodulator where said demodulator is connected to said RF filtering circuit.  
     
     
         53 . The computer peripheral system of  48  wherein said codec performs decoding of the broadcast signal using a key.  
     
     
         54 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 48    further comprising: 
 a personal computer; and  
 a user interface on said personal computer, where said user interface has increased functionality after receiving a key from said computer peripheral via said digital control interface.  
 
     
     
         55 . The computer peripheral system of    claim 54    where said codec extracts said key from the received broadcast signal.