Method and apparatus for wireless digital radio

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a first controlled device, such as a wireless local transmitter that accepts a plurality of digital audio signals and corresponding program information signals converted from a controlled source, such as the encoded digital data provided by a digital data signal source, typically a community antenna television (CATV) cable or direct broadcast satellite, then modulates said digital audio and corresponding program information signals on different carrier frequencies and transmits the modulated signals to a plurality of second controlled devices, such as remote digital receiver/tuners that demodulate said signals to output music in stereophonic sound and display the corresponding program information by means of an alphanumeric display. The first and second controlled devices contain microprocessor systems for communicating, controlling, storing, processing, and display of digital data within the operation of the respective system. A high speed, error free digital signal protocol is utilized for transmitting digital audio and corresponding program information signals to and from the digital receiver/tuner. The digital data transmitter and digital receiver/tuners utilize the 44.1 kilohertz (kHz) Compact Disc (CD) clock signal embedded in digital audio signals provided by an established delivery system to derive clocking signals for reception and processing of digital audio signals and for implementing the display information communications protocol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless digital audio player for operation by a user, comprising: an interface for the user to select a digital audio program from a plurality of digital audio programs; internal electrical components that provide computing operations for the digital audio player; control functions for allowing a user of the digital audio player to provide inputs associated with digital audio applications; wireless connection applications; a display screen configured to display text, video and graphics associated with selected digital audio program; memory for storing one or more digital radio programs and associated program information; one or more processors for executing display and audio output functions; and audio output components for outputting audio signals associated with selected digital audio program. 
     
     
         2 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface control functions allow a user of the device to tune to a radio signal corresponding to the selected digital audio program. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface activates digital audio applications visible on the display screen of the device. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the digital audio applications control functions associated with selected digital audio program include at least: delivery via wireless transmission, output, playback, playlist creation, program metadata, storage, user demographic data, and electronic commerce account information. 
     
     
         5 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the digital audio program is a digital media file comprised of text, graphics, spoken-word audio, music, or video content. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the digital audio program includes audio data, video data, or multimedia data comprised, as a data file or data delivered via media stream. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the digital audio program comprises an AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), AC3, MP3, MP3 VBR (Variable Bit Rate), AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format), Apple Lossless, WAV, AA, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MJPEG, VP6, VP7, RealAudio, RealVideo, WMA, WMV, or Quicktime file. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein the audio output components include at least an amplifier, a digital signal processor, and a headphone jack. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless digital audio player as of  claim 1 , wherein one or more digital audio programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed for display and output by one or more processors. 
     
     
         10 . A method for digital audio player connection to a plurality of digital radio signals, comprising: tuning to a frequency associated with one or more carrier wave signals; demodulating a selected carrier wave signal, wherein the carrier wave signal includes analog and digital audio data with corresponding program information associated with a selected digital radio program; separating the analog and digital information from selected digital radio program using a processor; displaying of information about the one or more digital radio programs; allowing a user of the digital audio player to provide inputs associated with digital audio applications; storing one or more digital radio programs and associated program information; one or more processors for executing display and audio output functions; and outputting audio signals associated with a selected digital radio program. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the digital radio signals are provided from a remote media source. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the digital radio signals are provided from a local network source. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the digital radio signals include information associated with a selected digital radio signal including a data record, transmission commands, metadata, output controls, playback controls, playlist creation, storage options, music survey data, user demographic data, user account data, and electronic commerce account information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the digital radio signals include information associated with digital audio player control functions and applications that manage access and control of a selected digital radio signal or program comprised of at least a data record, data transmission commands, metadata, output controls, playback controls, music playlist creation, storage options, music survey data, user demographic data, user account data, or electronic commerce account information. 
     
     
         15 . The digital radio signals of  claim 14 , wherein the metadata categories include at least one of title, album, artist, playlist, genre, file size, file type, file name, genre, stream characteristic, and content location. 
     
     
         16 . The digital radio signals of  claim 14 , wherein the demographic, user account, or electronic commerce account database identifies the wireless digital audio player user using first name, last name, email, login/screen name, gender, birth year, device location, income level, education level, household size, date of transmission, time of transmission, number of program requests, number of music survey requests, number of music survey responses, currency paid, type of product purchased, type of service purchased, browsing history, number of promotional impression responses, or number of advertisement impression responses. 
     
     
         17 . The digital radio signals of  claim 14 , wherein the wherein the metadata, demographic, account and electronic commerce categories are identified with electronic tags that are stored in the digital audio player memory and are accessible by the user, a local network source, or a remote media source. 
     
     
         18 . The digital radio signals of  claim 14 , wherein the music surveys are comprised of information associated with metadata, metadata tags, music playlist, user demographics, user account, or ecommerce account information. 
     
     
         19 . The digital radio signals of  claim 14 , wherein the music survey data requests are sent from a remote source to the wireless digital audio player with instructions for user participation and music survey data responses are collected from the wireless digital audio player and stored on a remote database. 
     
     
         20 . The digital radio signals of  claim 14 , wherein the music surveys are requested by the wireless digital audio player user, initiated by user experience with a selected digital radio program, or executed and collected automatically from a local network or remote media source without any user participation.