Wifi, WiMax, UWB iPod with microphone and the ability to identify songs?

Apple is constantly testing and trying refinements of its iPod line of products. These refinements range from the sensible and sane to ideas that seem to on the StarTrek side of sane. The recent patent from Apple falls somewhere towards the StarTrek end of this continuum.

The idea is to enable people to be able identify songs with their iPods (by getting the iPod to record the song (via a microphone or from network/radio transmissions) and transmit it to the Apple servers which them return an identification) and flag them for later buying from iTunes.

Apple’s Pat App mentions iPod features that aren’t in current iPods like Wifi, WiMax, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), digital radio, AM/FM radio and a microphone. It also hints at an iPod further refined especially for the in-car market.

The invention pertains to techniques for identifying audio media recordings (e.g., songs) by a using portable media device. These techniques allow a user of a portable media device to identify, for instance, an audible song, by recording an audio sample using a microphone and later identifying the audio sample using media identification technology. Alternately, an audio sample may be obtained by tuning into a wireless signal. In any event, the audio sample can be identified using some form of audio or song recognition program, typically at a server computer to which the audio sample has been uploaded. Once the audio sample has been identified, the user can be given the option to purchase one or more digital media assets associated with the identified audio sample.

Some of these services are already offered as a mobile phone service (which I would presume doesn’t bode too well for the patent). The advantage that Apple has is its vertical integration- identifying, buying and subsequently playing the song can all be done in the iTunes/iPod world.

A nifty feature is that the iPod could be set to constantly listen and the user could at any time request the song be identified (even after the song has finished). The iPod would record a window of, say 10 minutes, and allow a user to search through that window for a song to be identified. The user could even get the iPod to sample a radio station periodicly, say every 3 minutes, and then go through the recording and identify songs they’d like to download.

Next Gen iPod Hints

The iPod-record-the-song-transmit-details-and-buy theory doesn’t match the capacities of the current gen iPods- the capacities mentioned in this Apple patent application may hint at features of the next gen iPods.

New iPod Features mention in Patent Application?

• Microphone
• AM FM radio, digital radio, or WiFi
• wireless tuner/network card
• Advanced network features: IEEE 802.16 (WiMax), and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)
• Special car iPod

From the application:

A portable media device is an electronic device that can be used to store and present media (e.g., audio). The recording may occur by using a microphone or by tuning into a wireless signal (e.g., AM FM radio, digital radio, or WiFi). The portable media device may have a built-in microphone or wireless tuner/network card, or may have the capability to accept accessories to add the necessary functionality.

In one implementation, the data network 106 can refer to high data-bandwidth networks, namely, wired networks, such as the Internet, Ethernet, gigabit Ethernet, and fiber optic, as well as wireless networks such as IEEE 802.11(a), (b) or (g) (WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMax), and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB).

Special Car iPod

Apple specifially, details an in-car application of iPod. The application invisages a user driving in their car and hearing a song on the radio and then pushing a button on their iPod and getting the song to be download when they return home.

For example, as a vehicle having the portable media device is parked in a garage or driveway at one’s home, the host computer at the home can discover the portable media device via a wireless network and thus establish a wireless connection, even automatically if desired.

Conclusions

Apple keeps seeking to keep its iPod line fresh and to match and exceed features of competing players- whether the features in this patent application see the light of day remains to be seen but it further strengthens the possibility of a wireless iPod of some description.

Other iPod stories: Touchy-feely iPod