Hello everyone. Been here about a week and I really like the site and hope to throw a few good ideas out.
I looked but couldnt find anything like this.I just recieved a small usb keychain device that holds 128 mb of data as a gift. And I was thinking what if i could download my mp3s to my device and then just plug it into my car stereo. It would hold about 36 songs and I wouldnt have to buy a cd and worry about it scratching. Then I can unplug it and take it into the house. Wadda think?
I did find a hard drive that connects to your stereo but this is a small removable device. See link for what i have.-- crispee, Aug 05 2003 usb drive - what i have http://www.compusa....50310214&pfp=BROWSE [crispee, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Car stereo that accepts a memory card: http://www.crutchfi...splay=XL#morephotosNice if you intend to use that particular memory card. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Related idea... http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/RetroPod(blatant self promotion) [krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Radio Transmitter http://w1.859.telia...85920178/tx/bug.htmHow to bake the augmented form of this idea (if you know enough about electronics to modify your MP3 player). [Worldgineer, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Radio Transmitter http://www.allabout...oduct.asp?itemid=77Here's a way to make it happen right now - just plug in your MP3 player. [Worldgineer, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Almost baked http://www.sony.jp/...lineup/mex_1hd.htmlIt accepts a memory stick, but not a USB. Why does Japan get all the cool stuff first? [omegatron, Oct 05 2004] Swedish: Roadstar CD650UMP/FM USB http://www.datavaru...asp?ProductID=14624Note the USB port in the lower right corner. [jutta, Nov 22 2004] H&B CA-5555 CD MP3 USB car radio http://www.pixmania...sb-car-ra.html?rd=1Now baked in the UK as well [krelnik, Jul 11 2005] Pyle (PLCDUSB78MP3) Player w/USB Input for MP3 http://store.teptro...m/plcdusb78mp3.html...and in the US. [krelnik, Jul 11 2005] Teptronics Deck http://snipurl.com/u3fgH&B (CA-5555i) AM/FM CD/MP3 Player w/USB and SD Card Slots iPod Ready [Grunchy, Jul 30 2006] Philips USB ripper http://snipurl.com/u3fdRip your favorite CDs to MP3 with Philips AZ1836 CD Soundmachine [Grunchy, Jul 30 2006] [crispee] - if it's not been done, then congrats on an original idea, welcome-- neilp, Aug 05 2003 Neat idea, welcome to the bakery. (WTAGIPBAN)-- krelnik, Aug 06 2003 I like it - perhaps the USB connectivity idea for cars could be taken further? You could store GPS info on it etc.-- rodti, Aug 06 2003 Would be a cheap addition for those car stereos that already read MP3 CDs as they already do the decoding. croissant+.-- nichpo, Aug 06 2003 Wow, positive feedback! That's cool. Now if I could only market it and make zillions!
Is zillion a word? hmm. Nice to meet you all.-- crispee, Aug 06 2003 This is a good idea, a inferior substitute would be to get a deck that has RCA or 1.2mm jacks on the front and then plug your memory card MP3 player into it.-- SystemAdmin, Aug 06 2003 that's true -system, but in both cases you need some sort of adapter on the radio. hmmm..maybe a radio transmitter thingy that sends thru a radio station into your stereo.-- crispee, Aug 06 2003 [crisp] I think I like your modified idea as much as your original - it makes your mp3 player compatible with any radio, and uses existing and cheap technology.-- Worldgineer, Aug 06 2003 we have a winner! now where's that patent office? Can someone loan me some cash?
All I need is an adapter that accepts USB and has a memory card slot and sends radio!-- crispee, Aug 06 2003 Sorry [crispee], any chance of a patent for the top level idea has pretty much gone. Unless you can do something original with the arrangement of the technology, because you have put the idea on the web, it is unpatentable.
If it's any consolation you can have my croissant. +-- Jinbish, Aug 06 2003 Jinbish: True in the UK, not sure about other countries.-- st3f, Aug 06 2003 <showing parochialism> I always thought that was the way all patents offices worked. Do you know of any places that would let the Internet 'publication' of an idea be acceptable?-- Jinbish, Aug 06 2003 (sigh) yeah I know. I actually have a journal of inventions at home. I am trying to share the ones that I think I will never use. It is nice having feedback on ideas though. I appreciate everyone willing to throw out their 2 cents -or croissant. :o]-- crispee, Aug 06 2003 I believe in the US you can apply for a patent up to one year after public disclosure of your idea.-- krelnik, Aug 06 2003 I already thought about this some time ago... I got a portable drive of 40 Gb... what a pleasure to connect it to my car audio and enjoy 200 hours of music...-- mikaelpelle, Oct 31 2003 US patent system generally allows filing up to one year after public disclosure, see www.uspto.gov for more info. Most of the rest of the world absolutely bars a patent filing after the cat is out of the bag. Of course, there are exceptions, and exceptions to the exceptions, so your mileage may vary.
You might want to ask a patent attorney.-- baker, Nov 04 2003 Wow, i was looking for this idea then i came up to this site. I thought of something that would do away with the usb slot on the stereo, well it's a bit clunky but i guess it should work for most (if it works). a modified cassette tape with a usb slot connected through parallel flat wires so that it tongues out from the tape deck. the cassette tape will convert the digital mp3 to magnetic data that will be interpreted by the normal cassette player. power would come from the motor that drives the cassette tape to play (wow it gets even clunkier huh). anyway, at least you can play mp3 from the flash disk on stereos without having to purchase a slot or something. and the transmitter was a great idea by the way! :)-- ismaelc, Jan 04 2004 Actually the radio transmitter idea is not a very good one. These have been around for ages and ages intended for playing any portable audio device through the car stereo. The sound quality is quite poor due to limitations of the radio standard in use.
You can also buy the dummy cassette thingios and plug your mini MP3 player direct into that which would sound better than the radio idea.-- akubra, Jan 05 2004 it is brilliant, it is unpatentable but worth trying. for years I have griped that I cannot connect my mp3 player easily and the new USB keys work so wonderfully. run, don't walk, to your lawyer!-- Creation is a patient search, Jan 05 2004 Close - try this- phatnoise.com-- alamo, Jan 12 2004 I thought that it would be great to package this idea as a 1-din module. This module will be the USB data controller for the USB memory stick...and it will act as the interface for the in car stereo.
2 ideas for the interface. First, one can use the CD to Tape adapter - but this would only be applicable to Tape Deck stereos. Second, one can use the CD Changer port of the stereo (if the stereo has one). So if you want to patent or sell it, there's a packaging idea.-- adrich69, Jan 22 2004 [fogfreak] If the existing stereo on your Toyota has an option to add a CD changer (and you haven't added one) there are adapters that plug into that connection to plug arbitrary devices into the car stereo. I linked to a site that sells such devices on your own idea "Car Stereo Adapter".-- krelnik, Jan 22 2004 [see links --admin] I have been looking for such a product for quite a while now with no success - untill now!! check out the SoRIYA TMS-600 - mp3 player that simply transmits your music over fm frequency so ou just tune your car radio to it. No need for any cables/connections at all - think I`ll go and buy one!!-- fluffer, Jul 29 2004 so I've been thinking about this too.. fm transmitters suck for sound quality...and all the car stereo manuf, have supprt for ipod but not other mp3 players...so if we built a car stereo with no cd player, just fm/am tuner, usb inputs and sound card to change digital sound to analog so you can hook it up to a car amplifier...have the file system recognize the joliet system much like windows uses...so you can access any file on mp3 players or usb disks...for us audiophiles in the world...and make it look like a factory car stereo so they don't grow legs and walk away....friggin thieves.....-- osyrus68, Aug 29 2004 If the USB port is powered to recharge/power my devices too? Bun!-- not_only_but_also, Jul 11 2005 Here's that in-dash USB deck for ya (3 years later); it takes SD cards, too. http://snipurl.com/u3fg
Oh, and I was walking around WalMart and noticed the new Philips boombox, the AZ1836. http://snipurl.com/u3fd
This player is the "mate" for that in-dash USB player, because what it does is rip your CDs directly onto that USB key of yours, WITHOUT a computer. So there you go: $120 for the in-car USB player and about $60 for the Philips USB recorder.-- Grunchy, Jul 30 2006 random, halfbakery