Personal media players that render music and video are very popular worldwide. Such devices are typically battery operated and have sufficient memory to enable users to store fairly large catalogs of media content such as digital music encoded in the common MP3 format (Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG-1, audio layer 3). To play music from their personal media players in their cars, users often rely on FM (frequency modulation) transmitters that plug into their media players so that the output of the player is transmitted as a radio frequency (“RF”) signal which is picked up by the FM radio in the car. The user may typically tune the FM transmitter, using a controller, to transmit on an unused FM channel to minimize interference from regular radio stations. Power for the FM transmitter is commonly accessed using an adapter plug that interfaces with the car's 12 volt DC (direct current) accessory outlet (often termed the “cigarette lighter”).
While current FM transmitters provide satisfactory performance in many settings, several interface and packaging considerations could stand improvement. In particular, the FM transmitter controller is not always conveniently accessible in current products. When the FM transmitter is plugged in and operating, the controller may be awkwardly located, or it gets easily lost amid all of the objects that commonly clutter the car's interior. Consumers have also expressed frustration when trying to keep the wires that are commonly used with most FM transmitters neat and tidy when the transmitters are in use and during storage between uses.
This Background is provided to introduce a brief context for the Summary and Detailed Description that follow. This Background is not intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter nor be viewed as limiting the claimed subject matter to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages or problems presented above.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds