Apple Patent Reveals iPod that Wirelessly Controls iTunes

Lately I’ve been what I like to call a "patent stalker enthusiast" because I find it interesting to watch what companies have in store for us. On my daily scavenger hunt I came across an Apple Patent that is pretty blatant in its purpose. First it says that an iPod can be used to control the audio on a computer running iTunes. Then it goes on to say that you would be able to wirelessly send a song from the computer to the iPod.

Here’s what the patent has to say in the technical mumbo jumbo:
Note: I’ve stressed certain portions, and highlighted words used in the diagram below.

A portable multimedia player (such as the iPod.TM. manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.) is used to wirelessly access and control a media server (such as a personal computer running iTunes software) that is streaming digital media by way of a wireless interface to a media unit (such as a stereo/speakers in the case of streaming digital audio).
…
In yet another embodiment, a method of providing wireless remote control of a remote media unit through use of a portable multimedia player and a personal computer is described. The method is carried out by wirelessly receiving at the personal computer a multimedia file indication from the multimedia player, identifying a multimedia file stored on the personal computer using the received multimedia file indication, accessing the identified multimedia file; and wirelessly sending the identified multimedia file from the personal computer to the remote media unit.

The images that they included with the patent don’t show anything of much importance, but this is the general sketch of the setup:

So there you have it. There is indeed an iPod coming with wireless capabilities, and it is going to be doing more than I expected. I really like the idea of carrying your iPod around the house and being able to control your stereo, and this is yet another way that Apple shows how creative they can be.

Now we just have to wait and see whether this is going to be the iPod that’s expected in August.

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Tags: Gadgets, Hardware, Apple, iPod, iTunes

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