“Microsoft has received a patent for a car stereo that would include a docking station for an MP3 player or other handheld device,” Antone Gonsalves reports for InformationWeek.
“The patent awarded this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is for a car stereo that includes a docking station for an off-the-shelf handheld computer,” Gonsalves reports.
“While the station is likely to support Microsoft’s Zune portable media player, the patent indicates that the dock also would support third party devices. The patent says that the stereo would include an input/output component that would enable the car stereo to tell the handheld computer ‘which one of a plurality of different appliance types the car stereo is,'” Gonsalves reports.
Full article here.
Microsoft’s Abstract” from the patent application:
In accordance with one aspect, a portable computing device determines a type of an appliance in which the portable computing device is docked. The portable computing device identifies, based on the type of the appliance, a user interface configuration for the portable computing device, and configures the user interface of the portable computing device in accordance with the identified user interface configuration. In accordance with another aspect, a car stereo includes a docking station into which an off-the-shelf handheld computer can be docked. The car stereo also includes an input/output (I/O) component that allows the car stereo to communicate with the handheld computer when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station of the car stereo. In accordance with another aspect, an appliance in which a portable computing device can be docked is an integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station.
More info via Patent Monkey here.
MacDailyNews Take: We hereby claim “prior art.” SteveJack wrote in the MacDailyNews Opinion section on August 07, 2003:
I believe the description below is what Apple should be working on, but only if they want to make a boat-load of money.
It’s very simple, really; take a current CD/Cassette/AM/FM car stereo and replace the cassette slot with an iPod slot. With a few changes to the display and some controls, Apple would have a beautiful new ‘iTunes Car Stereo’ just in time to roll it out in Best Buy stores nationwide for the holidays. Of course, it would be white with a nice silver Apple logo. Maybe an optional black unit could be available, too, just in case. Or brushed aluminum?
This Apple-branded head unit with a slot into which the iPod slides, along with a slot-loading CD and AM/FM, would be the perfect solution to using an iPod on the road. Neat and tidy, just like Apple and Mac users like things; no cords or attachments and the iPod would have a safe place to live while in your vehicle. This head unit would provide iPod controls on its face, like any car stereo, but iPod-specific along with the normal CD and radio controls. Also a nice display that would mimic the iPod’s display. New iPod’s have the stereo line out. It’s on the iPod Dock which means it’s also one of the pins in the funky new Dock Connector port – no dock needed when the iTunes Car Stereo’s head unit is the dock.
Full article Apple’s new iTunes Car Stereo should debut this fall for holiday sales season – August 07, 2003
Microsoft: a nice big – really big – check will clear this whole thing up nicely.
You’ll get bugger all out of me so you can go and take a running one MDN
Prior Prior art. I sent this idea to Apple as soon as the Dock connector iPods came out years ago. But I think that WiFi is going to make it all moot since you’ll just connect wirelessly to any iPhone (or future iPod) in the car.
BFD. The Docking Stereo ship has sailed.
-c
ZUNE BITCH!!!!
(I just threw up in my mouth)
When I used to hard boot my old Pontiac, it left a dent…..
if this car-dock is made by MS.. I wonder if it will come with air bags … you kno .. to protect it in the likely event of a crash !
There are so many design options for this type of device, it’s a non-issue. When the timing is right, Apple will market their own device that will also iincorporate the iPhone.
As usual, Miocrosoft has it backwards – you need to offer the right mix of hardware and software compatibility first.
Maybe M$ could use the advertising slogan…
‘The Sound of Brown right in your car.’
I’ll only charge the 5% for usage rights…
Car makers would rather kill themselves than allow Microsoft, Apple or anyone to place such a contraption in their cars.
Look how many times Apple has changed the iPod dock. When you get a iPod Stereo it comes with dozens of these plastic adpaters, then Apple comes out with a new iPod that requires a new adpater.
Many car makers refuse to even place a simple universal stereo mini line input on the head. They do this in favor of selling subscriptions to SAT radio.
Apple has to fight tooth and nail for iPod integration, only to have it dashed in the next make of a vehicle.
A simple stereo line in, with optical for 5.1/video on the head is all that’s needed. Any device will work, the technology changes the input remains the same.
Want to play a iPod video for the kiddies in the back? Want to use a Zen or a Zune? Go ahead, just plug it in and go.
OH NO!! Now Microsoft will sue everyone who uses an mp3 player with their car stereo. I guess BMW and all the other auto makers will owe money to microsoft for allowing an iPod to connect to their car stereo and be controlled thru the stereo or steering wheel controls.
Patents are getting out of hand. I here by claim the idea of music as any collection of sounds that are more than one single tone.
OK, now you all have to pay me for every song ever made. Right???
en
Microsoft: “we’re falling so far t behind that we are now finding it useful to patent yesterday’s ideas”
Idiots.
Does this mean that I will have to buy Virus protection for my car if I hook it up to my pc?
Does it mean that MS and MDN think the same way?
Jeff,
Does it mean that MS and MDN think the same way?
No. It means that MS reads MDN.
What I would like is a way to access my music playlists wirelessly in my vehicle no matter where I am and even if I am using a rental car or truck. That is, I could load my playlists onto a service (e.g. dot.Mac) and be able to access the playlists where a wireless network existed. This would be useful should my iPod die, is lost, or stolen. Problem: wireless technology probably doesn’t cover all areas well.
From Local “Look how many times Apple has changed the iPod dock.”
Actually they have only changed the connector once when they went from Firewire to the current dock connector. Form factors will always change, but a pocket/slot with a dock cord doesn’t need a specific hard dock and self adjusts.
The point being… Standing an iPod vertically on a self supporting dock is different than a slot type mounting. There would be no need to change the dock every time from a 5g to a Nano. All that is needed is a dock cord and some soft clamping in the slot.
Buy shares in car windows companies – they’ll need replacing when you leave your ‘computer’ in the radio slot.
I think I’d prefer the glove box with steering wheel controls. Think it through MS, think it through…
Actually they have only changed the connector once when they went from Firewire to the current dock connector
But they did change it and fast, too fast for the car industry where people keep their vehicles for a long time.
The car radio industry standardized on 8 tracks, then cassettes, then cd’s. Adding a little support for Mp3 cd’s.
Now comes along all these “devices”, sure the iPod is a hit now, but maybe not in a few years, maybe it will change later into a phone with a different set of requirements.
My point is that car radio makers should just standardize on the best form of universal input, then as devices and tastes change, people can still hook up their devices to their car/move/radio many years from now.
This M$ patent will flop, MDN can forget “prior art” and all that.
MS R&D: And here is the prototype of such device. We bought a Mitsubishi iCar in Japan and took its dashboard apart. Delay after delay finding yet another mount screws, we finally succeeded in taking the stereo unit out.
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/9597/
@ Local Economy
They have NEVER changed the dock connector. They had FW in the beginning, and then added the dock. The only FW connectors that had come out before that were inelegant and a pain due to the little plastic FW cover. The dock connector has been standard ever since. The plastic flanges you get are cosmetic. The connector is not.
“My point is that car radio makers should just standardize on the best form of universal input, then as devices and tastes change, people can still hook up their devices to their car/move/radio many years from now.”
And this is exactly why they will standardize on WiFi. No physical limitations to deal with at all.
From Escaport
“…Form factors will always change, but a pocket/slot with a dock cord doesn’t need a specific hard dock and self adjusts. …..All that is needed is a dock cord and some soft clamping in the slot.”
My wife has a dock that self adjusts and has soft clamping.
Works quite well.
“My wife has a dock that self adjusts and has soft clamping.
Works quite well.”
I’d have to agree.
Doesn’t BMW (another “niche” player) have such a device installed? MS should know that you cannot patent something once it has been “sold to the public” – even if you invented the idea years ago! Ask anyone who was around DEC (does anyone remember DEC?) thirty-something years ago when they applied for a patent on something related to the PDP-8 – after it had ben on the market for a month.
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page Pod-Cast
MW=”hear” … MS, I can’t hear you!
I’m hoping for what would essentially be a car stereo version of AppleTV with a display. Park your car in your driveway and wirelessly sync up with your computer. This needs to happen. I doubt Apple would do it, but that’s my wishful thinking for it to get done right.
The patent sounds awfully vague describing what most docking ports do now with car stereos and MP3 players including the iPod. I wouldn’t doubt this is a ploy by Microsoft to sue other companies making docks for MP3 players if they get this patent approved.