Audio Accessory Internal Clock for Seamless Device Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience when transitioning between electronic devices, such as from a cellular phone to a media player, as they need to find and resume the last played audio book or media asset, leading to a non-seamless experience.
Innovation Solution
Audio accessories equipped with circuitry that store metadata and track the current play position, allowing seamless transition by transmitting this information to a new media player, enabling the asset to be loaded and resumed from the exact position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If audio accessories are connected to multiple electronic devices, then device versatility is improved, but information continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The audio accessory performs preliminary actions by storing metadata and play position information in its internal memory before disconnecting from the first electronic device. This ensures that when connected to a second device, the information is already available for immediate transmission, preventing information loss during device transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio accessory acts as an intermediary device between the first and second electronic devices. It receives and stores information from the first device, then transmits it to the second device, serving as a bridge that maintains information continuity across different devices.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual device transition procedures are used, then device compatibility is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The audio accessory performs self-service by automatically detecting disconnect events, retrieving stored play position information from its clock unit, and transmitting it to the new device without requiring user intervention. This eliminates manual operations while maintaining seamless transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the audio accessory monitors connection status, detects disconnect events, and automatically responds by transmitting stored information. This closed-loop feedback eliminates the need for manual user actions during device transitions.
3Measurement precision
If play position information is stored in the media player, then information accuracy is improved, but device dependency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the information storage function from the media player and places it in the audio accessory. This separation allows the play position information to be stored independently in the accessory's memory and clock unit, reducing dependency on any single device while maintaining information accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the information storage capability to a different dimension - from the media player to the audio accessory. This dimensional shift creates an independent information repository that is not tied to any specific media player, reducing system dependency while preserving information accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio accessory is configured to receive and store meta data from a media player, including the media asset identification and current play position. The audio accessory is configured to independently track the current play position of the media asset. When the audio accessory is disconnected from the first media player the audio accessory is configured to store the independently tracked current play position in memory. After the audio accessory is subsequently connected to a second media player, the second media player may retrieve the meta data from the audio accessory and use it to load the media asset on the second player and resume play from the stored current play position.