Wi-Fi Clock Radio

The purpose of this project is to alleviate the stress associated with an alarm clock by giving it features that make the experience of waking up in the morning more enjoyable. The alarm clock will be able to connect to an existing wireless network on which the user runs a personal computer that stores a personal music collection. The user can configure the alarm clock to connect to this collection of music so that they may fall asleep and wake up to whatever music they wish. The user will be able to configure the device through a touch screen interface in order to keep the amount of technical knowledge and setup to a minimum. Introduction & Motivation Waking up early every morning in order to get to work on time is an almost daily occurrence for nearly all working class citizens in industrialized countries. The use of alarm clocks came along with the need to arise earlier than the normal circadian rhythms of the human body. Due to the fact that this process is inherently unnatural, the daily task of waking up early for work and school is often an unpleasant experience. Unfortunately, the technology of alarm clocks has not progressed in the same fashion as its electronic counterparts such as televisions, personal computers, and video game systems. The desire to hear something besides the harsh “beep-beep-beep” that an alarm clock normally emits was first satisfied by clock radios that incorporate Amplitude Modulation / Frequency Modulation (AM/FM) tuners, which allowed alarm clock patrons to wake up to their choice of radio stations. The alarm clock passed through another innovation with the popularization of the compact disc (CD), which gave users the ability to select their own music to wake up to in the morning and provided a crystal clear signal free of the interference associated with AM/FM radio. The principle limitation of CDs is the number of songs they are able to store, usually no more than 72 minutes of music and oftentimes much less. Though more an extension rather than an innovation, the use of compression formats such as MP3 and AAC allow hundreds of songs to be stored on one CD; however alarm clocks capable of using this format are rare and often lack features such as playlist selection. While alarm clock technology has stagnated for many years, several other technologies have made significant advancements. Two technologies that relate to the future of alarm clocks are music and wireless networking. The market interest for users desiring quick and easy access to large volumes of music is clearly demonstrated by the success of the iPod and other music players. Wireless networking has also become commonplace now that many personal computers ship with wireless capabilities and offer wireless routers for the ever popular price of “Free with rebate.” Despite the obvious market potential for alarm clocks that can wireless connect to music collections stored on a personal computer; no one has presented a budget alarm clock to do exactly that. The one product to come close to filling this market gap is the Roku SoundBridge Radio; however, the $400 price tag not only places it beyond the reach of the vast majority of consumers, it also seems an unreasonable amount considering the dedicated nature of the alarm clock functionality. Website: http://www.theg2.net/kingme/ 2 of 8