Cordless telephone with digital audio player capability
View Patent ↗A cordless telephone which allows a user to play MP3 digital audio bit stream music, using the remote handset of a cordless telephone to control the functions of the MP3 player. The cordless telephone remains usable as a typical cordless telephone with all the features and conveniences of a cordless telephone including, but not limited to, connection of a telephone call between a calling party and a called party, caller ID information, voice messaging features, etc. MP3 digital audio bit stream music may be downloaded from a remote source through, e.g., the Internet and a PC.
1. A method of operating a cordless telephone comprising a remote handset and a base unit matched to said remote handset, the method comprising:
the remote handset playing a digital audio bit stream comprising music;
the remote handset digitally summing a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with the digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music; and
the remote handset muting said playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call;
wherein said digital audio bit stream is either (i) pre-loaded before said step of playing or (ii) played substantially real-time as it is received by said cordless telephone.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said digital audio bit stream is pre-loaded before said step of playing.
3. The method of integrating a digital bit stream music player in a cordless telephone according to claim 2 , wherein:
said digital audio bit stream is played substantially real-time as it is received by said cordless telephone.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
downloading said digital audio bit stream to said remote handset from a remote bit stream audio source.
5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
storing said downloaded digital audio bit stream in a base unit of said cordless telephone.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
said remote bit stream audio source is accessible by said remote handset via an Internet.
7. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
storing said downloaded digital audio bit stream in said remote handset of said cordless telephone.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein:
said downloaded digital audio bit stream is stored in Flash memory in said remote handset.
9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
said digital audio bit stream is comprised in an MPEG format.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
said MPEG format is an MP3 format.
11. A cordless telephone, comprising:
a remote handset; and
a base unit matched to said remote handset, wherein said remote handset comprises:
means for playing a digital audio bit stream comprising music;
means for digitally summing a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with a digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music; and
means for muting said playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call;
wherein said cordless telephone further comprises a means for downloading digital bit stream music to said remote handset from a remote bit stream audio source.
12. The cordless telephone according to claim 11 , further comprising:
means for storing said downloaded digital bit stream music in a base unit of said cordless telephone.
13. The cordless telephone according to claim 11 , wherein:
said remote bit stream audio source is accessible by said remote handset via an Internet.
14. The cordless telephone according to claim 11 , further comprising:
means for decompressing MPEG formatted music into digital music samples for digital to analog output.
15. The cordless telephone according to claim 11 , further comprising:
means for storing said downloaded digital bit stream music in said remote handset of said cordless telephone.
16. The cordless telephone according to claim 15 , wherein:
said means for storing stores said downloaded digital bit stream music in Flash memory in said remote handset.
17. A cordless telephone, comprising:
a remote handset; and
a base unit matched to said remote handset, wherein said remote handset comprises:
a digital audio bit stream player adapted to play a digital audio bit stream comprising music;
a summer adapted to digitally sum a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with the digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music;
a means for muting the playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call, and
a memory adapted to store said digital audio bit stream, wherein said cordless telephone is adapted to pre-load said digital audio bit stream into said memory before said digital audio bit stream player plays said digital audio bit stream.
18. A cordless telephone, comprising:
a remote handset;
a base unit matched to said remote handset, wherein:
said remote handset comprises:
a digital audio bit stream player adapted to play a digital audio bit stream comprising music;
a summer adapted to digitally sum a digitally synthesized ring tone indicating an incoming call to said base unit with the digital audio bit stream to allow a user of said cordless telephone to hear said cordless telephone ringing along with said music; and
a means for muting the playing of said digital audio bit stream by an action initiated by a user of said cordless telephone when said cordless telephone receives a telephone call;
said cordless telephone is adapted to receive said digital audio bit stream, and
said digital audio bit stream player is adapted to play said digital audio bit stream substantially real-time as it is received by said cordless telephone.