Wired, wireless, infrared, and powerline audio entertainment systems

• US 10,298,291 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McCarty, William A., Rodriguez, Yadir
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US13/107,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,930 Days
• Field of Search: 381300, 381306, 381 77, 381 27, 381 1, 381 2, 381 79, 381103-107, 381 17- 23, 455352, 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/022 Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

A method and system for communicating audio, video, and/or control signals within a home entertainment system. One or more signals are communicated between an input device and one or more output devices via one or more networks. The output device can include loudspeakers, display devices, and headphones. In some embodiments an output device, for example a center channel loudspeaker, transmits signals to other output devices. For example, the center channel loudspeaker can transmit a combined audio signal and control signal to a remote loudspeaker over a first network and transmit a video signal to a display device over a second network. The display device displays the video signal. The networks can be wireless, wired, infrared, RF, and powerline.

Claims

1. A device for transmitting signals to speakers, the device comprising:

a loudspeaker housing that includes a built-in speaker;

an audio input in the loudspeaker housing configured to receive a multi-channel audio signal from an input device, the received multi-channel audio signal being encoded in a channel format having a plurality of single-channel audio signals;

a processor in the loudspeaker housing configured to decode the received multi-channel audio signal into a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel, wherein the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel are different channels from one another;

a first amplifier in the loudspeaker housing configured to amplify the first channel, wherein the amplified first channel is converted into sound by the built-in speaker;

a second amplifier in the loudspeaker housing configured to amplify the second channel, wherein the amplified second channel is sent to an external speaker for being output as sound;

a destination address input in the loudspeaker housing configured to receive instructions from a user selecting one of a plurality of speakers for outputting the third channel that is unamplified, and determine a destination address associated with the selected speaker; and

a transmitter in the loudspeaker housing configured to wirelessly transmit the unamplified third channel along with the associated destination address and a user selected volume level to the selected speaker via a network, at least the user selected volume level being combined with the unamplified third channel into a combined signal prior to transmission.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter connects to the selected speaker via a powerline network, a RF wireless network, or an IR wireless network.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio input receives a textual signal, and wherein the transmitter sends the textual signal to a display device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor connects to a display device, the display device being a user interface for the processor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio input receives a video signal, and wherein the transmitter sends the video signal to a display device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the multi-channel audio signal is encoded in one of the following channel formats:

DTS, Dolby Digital, and SRS.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of connectors and an input selector, wherein at least two of the connectors connect to different devices, and wherein the input selector is reconfigurable by a user to select one of the plurality of connectors from which to receive the multi-channel audio signal.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of connectors include at least one of the following inputs:

analog, digital, SPDIF, and an inter IC sound (I2S) format.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is disposed within a television.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to (a) extract a characteristic from the multi-channel audio signal, (b) code the characteristic into a control signal, (c) combine the unamplified third channel with the control signal to form the combined signal, and (d) send the combined signal to the transmitter, and wherein the transmitter sends the combined signal with the associated destination address to the selected speaker.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the control signal comprises at least one of the following:

the volume level, a balance level, a fader level, and a sub-bass level.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises at least one of the following:

a sound processing selection, an equalizer level, a power on, a power off, a time delay, and a phase delay.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the selected speaker comprises a subwoofer or a surround speaker.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter further comprises an encryption module configured to encrypt the combined signal prior to transmission.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the unamplified third channel to another external speaker to be broadcast.

16. The device of claim 1 further comprising a control input for receiving an input signal from the user, the processor generating the second channel based at least in part on the input signal from a user.

17. A device for transmitting signals to speakers, the device comprising:

an audio input configured to receive a multi-channel audio signal from at least one input device, the multi-channel audio signal being encoded in a channel format having multiple audio channels;

a processor configured to convert the received multi-channel audio signal into a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel, each of the first, second, and third channels representing at least one of the multiple audio channels;

a first power amplifier configured to only amplify the first channel, wherein the amplified first channel is converted into sound by a built-in speaker included in the device;

a second power amplifier configured to only amplify the second channel, wherein the amplified second channel is sent to an external speaker for being converted into sound;

a destination address input not located on any of a plurality of speakers, the destination address input configured to, based on instruction from a user to select one of the speakers for broadcasting the third channel that is unamplified, determine a destination address for the selected speaker; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the unamplified third channel along with the destination address to the selected speaker via a network, at least a user selected volume level being combined with the unamplified third channel into a combined signal prior to transmission.

18. A method performed in a device for transmitting signals to speakers, the device comprising a loudspeaker housing that includes a built-in speaker, the method comprising:

receiving a multi-channel audio signal from an input device, the received multi-channel audio signal being encoded in a channel format having a plurality of single-channel audio signals;

decoding the received multi-channel audio signal into a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel, wherein the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel are different channels from one another;

amplifying, by a first amplifier in the loudspeaker housing, the first channel, wherein the amplified first channel is converted into sound by the built-in speaker;

amplifying, by a second amplifier in the loudspeaker housing, the second channel, wherein the amplified second channel is sent to an external speaker for being output as sound;

receiving instructions from a user selecting one of a plurality of speakers for outputting the third channel that is unamplified, and determining a destination address associated with the selected speaker; and

wirelessly transmitting the unamplified third channel along with the associated destination address and a user selected volume level to the selected speaker via a network, at least the user selected volume level being combined with the unamplified third channel into a combined signal prior to transmission.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

extracting a characteristic from the multi-channel audio signal;

coding the characteristic into a control signal;

combining the unamplified third channel with the control signal to form the combined signal; and

sending the combined signal with the associated destination address to the selected speaker.