Main speaker, sub speaker and system including the same

• US 10,341,771 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Youngjoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US15/403,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20170223457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/308 Electronic adaptation dependent on speaker or headphone connection

Abstract

Disclosed are a main speaker, sub speaker and system including the same. The present invention includes a main speaker configured to receive a first audio signal from a first source device and output the received first audio signal and at least one sub speaker configured communicate with the main speaker by wire or wireless. Particularly, if the communication with the main speaker is connected, the sub speaker outputs the first audio signal. If the sub speaker is separated from the main speaker, the sub speaker outputs the second audio signal.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a main speaker configured to;

receive a first audio signal from a first source device, and

output first audio associated with the first audio signal; and

at least one sub speaker configured to;

communicate with the first source device wirelessly or by wire, and

selectively operate in one of a first mode or a second mode,

wherein the at least one sub speaker, when operating in the first mode, is further configured to output second audio associated with the first audio signal received directly from the first source device

wherein the at least one sub speaker, when operating in the second mode, is further configured to output audio associated with a second audio signal received from a second source device,

wherein the first mode and the second mode are identified by respective mode LEDs,

wherein the first audio signal encodes data representing a plurality of sounds,

wherein, when the at least one sub speaker is operating in the first mode and a particular user input is received;

one of the main speaker or the at least one sub speaker extracts a particular sound, of the plurality of sounds, from the first audio signal and outputs only the extracted particular sound, and

another one of the main speaker or the at least one sub speaker outputs remaining sounds, of the plurality of sounds, from the first audio signal and does not output the extracted particular sound, and

wherein, when the at least one sub speaker is operating in the first mode and the particular user input is not received, the first audio outputted by the main speaker and the second audio outputted by the at least one sub speaker include each of the plurality of sounds encoded in the first audio signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein depending on a location relationship between the main speaker and the at least one sub speaker, the at least one sub speaker, when operating in the first mode, outputs the first audio signal by adjusting a volume level of the first audio signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the location relationship between the main speaker and the at least one sub speaker is determined in accordance with a strength of a signal transceived between communication modules of the main speaker and the at least one sub speaker.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein when the at least one sub speaker meets a specific condition with a different sub speaker, the at least one sub speaker stops communicating with the main speaker and is switched to the second mode to communicate with the second source device, wherein the specific condition corresponds to the at least one sub speaker coming into contact with the different sub speaker.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first source device includes at least one of a television (TV) or a set-top box (STB), and wherein the second source device includes a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sub speaker, when operating in the second mode, is further configured to communicate with the second source device via Bluetooth®

.

7. A method of controlling at least one sub speaker capable of receiving audio signals from a main speaker and an external device, the method comprising:

establishing communication with a first source device wirelessly or by wire; and

selectively outputting either a first audio signal received from the first source device in a first mode or a second audio signal received from a second source device in a second mode,

wherein the first mode and the second mode are identified by respective mode LEDs,

wherein the first audio signal encodes data representing a plurality of sounds, and

wherein outputting the first audio signal received from the first source device includes;

when a particular user input is received;

extracting, by one of the main speaker or the at least one sub speaker, a particular sound, of the plurality of sounds, from the first audio signal,

outputting, by the one of the main speaker or the at least one sub speaker, only the extracted particular sound, and

outputting, by another one of the main speaker or the at least one sub speaker remaining sounds, of the plurality of sounds, from the first audio signal without outputting the extracted particular sound; and

when the particular user input is not received, outputting each of the plurality of sounds encoded in the first audio signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adjusting a volume level of the first audio signal depending on a location relationship between the main speaker and the at least one sub speaker; and

outputting the first audio signal at the adjusted volume level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location relationship between the main speaker and the at least one sub speaker is determined in accordance with a strength of a signal transceived between communication modules of the main speaker and the at least one sub speaker.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein when the at least one sub speaker meets a specific condition with a different sub speaker, the at least one sub speaker stops communicating with the main speaker and is switched to the second mode to communicate with the second source device, wherein the specific condition corresponds to the at least one sub speaker coming into contact with the different sub speaker.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining when a specific lateral side of the least one sub speaker comes into contact with the second source device; and

switching from the first mode to the second mode when the specific lateral side of the least one sub speaker comes into contact with the second source device,

wherein when the specific lateral side of the at least one sub speaker comes into contact with the second source device is determined by near-field communication (NFC) module.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing, when the at least one sub speaker is operating in the second mode, communications with the second source device via Bluetooth®

.