Initiating playing of data using an alarm clock

Abstract

An alarm clock device includes a monitor for monitoring a transmission of a selected station, a detector for detecting, in the transmission of the selected station, at least one milestone. A controller operating in response to detection of the milestone is provided to store, in a memory, data of the transmission after the milestone was detected, and to initiate playing of the data at a selected wakeup time. According to the present invention, the data is recorded in response to detecting a transmission of a selected station selected from a plurality of stations.

1 . An alarm clock device comprising: 
 (a) a monitor for monitoring a transmission of a selected station, said selected station selected from a plurality of stations;    (b) a detector for detecting, in said transmission of said selected station, at least one milestone;    (c) a memory; and    (d) a controller operative, in response to detection of said at least one milestone, to record, in said memory, data of said transmission in which said at least one milestone was detected, and to initiate playing of said data at a selected wakeup time.    
     
     
         2 . The alarm clock device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of stations is a radio station.  
     
     
         3 . The alarm clock device of  claim 1 , wherein said controller is also operative to initiate playing of real-time audio content.  
     
     
         4 . The alarm clock device of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one milestone includes a time-dependent event.  
     
     
         5 . The alarm clock device of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one milestone includes a detectable event selected from the group consisting of: a voice pattern, a pre-defined period of silence, and a pre-defined sound.  
     
     
         6 . The alarm clock device of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one milestone includes a recurring milestone in said transmission of said selected station.  
     
     
         7 . The alarm clock device of  claim 6 , wherein said controller, having stored said data in response to a detection of a preceding said recurring milestone in said transmission of said selected station, is operative to replace, upon a detection of a new said recurring milestone, said data with new data.  
     
     
         8 . The alarm clock device of  claim 1 , wherein said memory is operative to store at least 1 megabyte of said data.  
     
     
         9 . The alarm clock device of  claim 8 , wherein said memory is operative to store at least 10 megabyte of said data.  
     
     
         10 . The alarm clock device of  claim 9 , wherein said memory is operative to store at least 50 megabyte of said data.  
     
     
         11 . A method for using an alarm clock, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) setting the alarm clock on a selected station, selected from a plurality of stations;    (b) defining, for said selected station, at least one milestone;    (c) in response to detecting said at least one milestone in a transmission of said selected station, recording data of said transmission of said selected station; and    (d) initiating playing of said recorded data at a selected wakeup time.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said playing includes playing real-time data.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one milestone includes a time-dependant event.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one milestone includes a detectable event selected from the group consisting of: a voice pattern, a pre-defined period of silence, and a pre-defined sound.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of stations include at least one radio station.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one milestone includes a recurring milestone in said transmission of said selected station.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said recording step includes the step of replacing said data, recorded in response to detecting a preceding said recurring milestone, with new data.  
     
     
         18 . An alarm clock device comprising: 
 (a) a receiver for receiving a transmission of a selected station;    (b) a memory; and    (c) a controller operative, upon detection of a selected recording time, to record, in said memory, data of said transmission, and to initiate playing of said data at a selected wakeup time.    
     
     
         19 . The alarm clock device of  claim 18 , wherein said selected station is a radio station.  
     
     
         20 . The alarm clock device of  claim 18 , wherein said controller is also operative to initiate playing of real-time audio content.  
     
     
         21 . The alarm clock device of  claim 18 , wherein said memory is operative to store at least 1 megabyte of said data.  
     
     
         22 . The alarm clock device of  claim 21 , wherein said memory is operative to store at least 10 megabyte of said data.  
     
     
         23 . The alarm clock device of  claim 22 , wherein said memory is operative to store at least 50 megabyte of said data.  
     
     
         24 . A method for using an alarm clock, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a transmission of a selected station;    (b) defining a selected recording time and a selected wakeup time;    (c) upon detecting said selected recording time, recording data of said transmission of said selected station; and    (d) initiating playing of said recorded data at said selected wakeup time.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said playing includes playing real-time data.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said selected station is a radio station.