Media stick for controlling wireless speakers

• US 10,491,851 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby International AB (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated), Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fischer, David Matthew, Eggerding, Timothy James, Wolff, Christian, Budzanowski, Bartosz, Bartczak, Tomasz
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U
• Application Number:
  US15/557,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20180115733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 725153, 725100, 725131, 725151, 348552, 348725, 348738, 381 59, 381 58, 381 79, 381 7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A system and method of interfacing between a source media device, a destination media device and wireless speakers. A media stick provides the output video signal to the destination media device via a wired signal path, and provides the output audio signal to the wireless speakers via a wireless signal path. In this manner, a user may use a single device—the media stick—as both a connector between the devices and to provide the audio signal to the wireless speakers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for interfacing between a source media device and a destination media device via a wired signal path, comprising:

an input interface that receives an input signal via a wired input signal path, wherein the input signal includes an input audio signal and an input video signal;

a processor that receives the input signal from the input interface, that generates an output video signal, and that generates an output audio signal;

an output video interface that receives the output video signal from the processor and outputs the output video signal via a wired output signal path;

an output audio transmitter that receives the output audio signal from the processor and transmits the output audio signal via a wireless signal path; and

a media stick housing having a dongle form factor, wherein the media stick housing contains the input interface, the processor, the output video interface, and the output audio transmitter,

the apparatus further comprising;

a first connector;

a second connector;

a sensing circuit; and

a routing circuit, wherein when the sensing circuit senses that the first connector is connected to the destination media device, the routing circuit configures the first connector to operate as the output video interface and the second connector to operate as the input interface, and

wherein when the sensing circuit senses that the second connector is connected to the destination media device, the routing circuit configures the second connector to operate as the output video interface and the first connector to operate as the input interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a video processor and an audio processor, wherein the video processor generates the output video signal, and wherein the audio processor generates the output audio signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises a high-definition input signal having a display data channel, a transition-minimized differential signaling data channel, a consumer electronics control channel, an audio return channel, and a high-definition Ethernet channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output audio signal comprises a surround audio signal, and wherein the output audio transmitter transmits the surround audio signal to a plurality of wireless speakers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, wherein the wireless transceiver exchanges information with a remote control device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, wherein the wireless transceiver exchanges information with a mobile telephone that implements a remote control application.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, wherein the wireless transceiver exchanges information with a remote control device, wherein the information includes pairing information that pairs the apparatus and the remote control device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, wherein the wireless transceiver exchanges information with a mobile telephone that implements a remote control application, wherein the information includes pairing information that pairs the apparatus and the mobile telephone.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, wherein the wireless transceiver exchanges information with at least one wireless speaker, wherein the information includes pairing information that pairs the apparatus and the at least one wireless speaker.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output video interface receives an audio return channel (ARC) signal via the output wired signal path, wherein the processor decodes the ARC signal as a decoded output audio signal, and wherein the output audio transmitter transmits the decoded output audio signal via the wireless signal path.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a power connector that receives electrical energy that provides power to the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first high-definition cable connected to the input interface that implements the wired input signal path; and

a second high-definition cable connected to the output interface that implements the wired output signal path.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a high-definition cable that includes the apparatus, wherein the apparatus is permanently integrated inline into the high-definition cable.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input interface includes a first high-definition cable, and wherein the output interface includes a second high-definition cable.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media stick housing is permanently integrated inline as part of a single high-definition cable.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output video interface is coupled to a display device, and wherein the apparatus receives electrical energy from the display device to power the apparatus.

17. A method for interfacing between a source media device and a destination media device via a wired signal path, comprising:

receiving, by an input interface, an input signal via a wired input signal path, wherein the input signal includes an input audio signal and an input video signal;

generating, by a processor, an output video signal from the input signal;

generating an output audio signal from the input signal;

outputting, by an output video interface, the output video signal via a wired output signal path; and

transmitting, by an output audio transmitter, the output audio signal via a wireless signal path,

wherein a media stick housing, having a dongle form factor, contains the input interface, the processor, the output video interface, and the output audio transmitter,

the method further comprising;

when a sensing circuit senses that a first connector is connected to the destination media device, configuring, by a routing circuit, the first connector to operate as the output video interface and a second connector to operate as the input interface; and

when the sensing circuit senses that the second connector is connected to the destination media device, configuring, by the routing circuit, the second connector to operate as the output video interface and the first connector to operate as the input interface.

18. A system for interfacing between a source media device and a destination media device via a wired signal path, comprising:

a media stick, including;

an input interface that receives an input signal via a wired input signal path, wherein the input signal includes an input audio signal and an input video signal,

a processor that receives the input signal from the input interface, that generates an output video signal, and that generates an output audio signal,

an output video interface that receives the output video signal from the processor and outputs the output video signal via a wired output signal path,

an output audio transmitter that receives the output audio signal from the processor and transmits the output audio signal via a wireless signal path, and

a media stick housing having a dongle form factor, wherein the media stick housing contains the input interface, the processor, the output video interface, and the output audio transmitter; and

at least one wireless speaker that receives the output audio signal via the wireless signal path and that outputs an acoustic signal that corresponds to the output audio signal,

the media stick further comprising;

a first connector;

a second connector;

a sensing circuit; and

a routing circuit, wherein when the sensing circuit senses that the first connector is connected to the destination media device, the routing circuit configures the first connector to operate as the output video interface and the second connector to operate as the input interface, and

wherein when the sensing circuit senses that the second connector is connected to the destination media device, the routing circuit configures the second connector to operate as the output video interface and the first connector to operate as the input interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one wireless speaker comprises a plurality of wireless speakers, wherein the media stick further comprises a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, wherein the wireless transceiver exchanges information with the plurality of wireless speakers, wherein the information includes relative location information of the plurality of wireless speakers, and wherein the processor performs auto-calibration of the output audio signal according to the relative location information.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the media stick further comprises a wireless transceiver that includes the output audio transmitter, the system further comprising:

a remote control that exchanges information with the media stick via the wireless transceiver.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a display device, coupled to the output video interface via the wired output signal path, that receives the output video signal and that displays a video output that corresponds to the output video signal.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a source device, coupled to the input interface via the wired input signal path, that generates the input signal.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a source device, coupled to the input interface via the wired input signal path, that generates the input signal; and

a display device, coupled to the output video interface via the wired output signal path, that receives the output video signal and that displays a video output that corresponds to the output video signal.