android on a usb,wifi dongle

[asoniem]

I have a WIFI router acting as a mediabox, connected to a hard drive loaded with music.
I have amplifiers with the possibity to play music from usb sticks or other usb-devices.
I want to buy or to invent a device, kind of usb,wifi dongle, that runs on the power supplied by the usb entrance of the amplifier and transmits the music received by WIFI from the router to the usb entrance. I want to manipulate it via a webpage displayed on my laptop or telephone, connected to the same router.
Lets call the device andongle. It looks like a USB-stick but it is WIFI capable, it has some memory and it has a processor that runs an operating system like android. And it can feed my music-player in the form of an Micro HiFi Component System, with an usb-interface accepting mp3's.
The andongle is to be accessed through the webpage it provides via the WIFI interface to a browser on my laptop or phone connected to the same router. On the browser one chooses the music or playlists to be played located on the musicbox connected to the same router.

Question 1: does it exists?
Question 2: is it possible?
Question 2a: is the powerconsumption to high for USB?
Question 2b: Will it fit in the dimensions of a usb-stick?
Question 2c: Will it get overheated?
Question 3: Is it possible to get power out of a music player?
Question 4: Is it possible to set up a android system with no human interface apart from via a router.
Question 5: What would be the price of the components involved: USB, WIFI, processor a bit of memory?
Question 6: should I get my ideas patented
Question 7: How to start?

Partial answers are ofcourse as welcome. Brilliant ideas as well.

cheers

 

[PSkeptic]

I have a WIFI router acting as a mediabox, connected to a hard drive loaded with music.
I have amplifiers with the possibity to play music from usb sticks or other usb-devices.
I want to buy or to invent a device, kind of usb,wifi dongle, that runs on the power supplied by the usb entrance of the amplifier and transmits the music received by WIFI from the router to the usb entrance. I want to manipulate it via a webpage displayed on my laptop or telephone, connected to the same router.
Lets call the device andongle. It looks like a USB-stick but it is WIFI capable, it has some memory and it has a processor that runs an operating system like android. And it can feed my music-player in the form of an Micro HiFi Component System, with an usb-interface accepting mp3's.
The andongle is to be accessed through the webpage it provides via the WIFI interface to a browser on my laptop or phone connected to the same router. On the browser one chooses the music or playlists to be played located on the musicbox connected to the same router.

Question 1: does it exists?

Not as far as I know.

Question 2: is it possible?

Not wholly inside of your specs.

Question 2a: is the powerconsumption to high for USB?

For a wifi radio, and CPU yes.

Question 2b: Will it fit in the dimensions of a usb-stick?

A bigger one.

Question 2c: Will it get overheated?

Depends. You can do some magic with heatsinking.

Question 3: Is it possible to get power out of a music player?

Yes, but USB standards in music players like that might not be fully implemented, so you can't guarantee it.

Question 4: Is it possible to set up a android system with no human interface apart from via a router.

Right too, for the right job. No need for Android, just an embedded Linux, like uLinux.

Question 5: What would be the price of the components involved: USB, WIFI, processor a bit of memory?

Depends. For your prototype unit, it will run about $300. For first production runs, it could drop to 150. Mass production, and it gets lower with the number of units done.

Question 6: should I get my ideas patented

Yes, after you are done with a prototype, and there is interest.

Question 7: How to start?

Look at the OS's to use (Embedded), then get to work on design (How do things work together). Your first unit will look like a Frankenstein, maybe on 3-7 separate breadboards.

Partial answers are ofcourse as welcome. Brilliant ideas as well.

cheers

Start looking here: Gumstix small open source hardware

 

[asoniem]

Thank you very much for your detailed answers. You are not quite as skeptic as your name suggests.


Edit: Oops, there is a button for thx. So you will be doubly thanked.

 

[asoniem]

Well, I followed your link to gumstix and read about Thumbo, Overo Air Com etc.
I found it was impossible to run WIFI and an operating system on USB 2.0 power at least with gumstix. Maybe my search should stop here because I wanted to keep my device simple.

Anyway, it seems I am on the wrong forum with my questions. Any idea for another forum to try?