PC managed networked audio bell/intercom system

• US 20060090021A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Terry Daniel Weidig
• Original Assignee: Terry Daniel Weidig
• Inventors: Weidig, Terry Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/974,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090021A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/62
• 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

Abstract

A bell and intercom system consisting of a Controller PC with software which sends instructions across a computer network to client PCs and network audio devices. System plays audio at client PCs and network audio devices at scheduled times or in real-time. The controller PC software consists of modules for scheduling audio, configuring clients PCs and network audio devices, and for broadcasting audio in real-time to the client PCs and network audio devices. The system allows multiple clients to be grouped into zones to play audio to a set of clients. Client PCs are personal computers which include a client software application which plays audio when instructed by the Controller PC. Network audio devices are devices which attach to the network and play audio when instructed by the Controller PC.

Claims

1. A system for distributing audio to devices and/or PCs over a computer network for a school bell or intercom system comprising:

a) A computer server (controller PC) with software which is able to manage audio across the computer network to network audio devices on the network.

b) The controller PC is any personal computer or server including desktop personal computers, portable computers, servers, and PDA systems.

c) The computer network is any computer network, including local Ethernet networks, wide area networks, and the Internet.

d) Each network audio device is one of the following;

a. A stand-alone device which receives communication over the network from the controller PC to play audio.

b. A personal computer which has a software client which receives commands from the controller PC to play audio.

e) The controller PC software is a software application which contains a component to manage the devices and or PCs which will receive audio.

f) The software sends audio to the devices or PCs at scheduled times or in real-time.

2. An audio management system which organizes devices/remote PCs into audio zones for an intercom system:

a. A personal computer system running the system software. This personal computer may be a server, laptop, desktop, or PDA computer.

b. One or more devices or remote PCs.

c. Specialized software which has the following functions;

i. Allows users to group one or more devices into an audio zone.

ii. Plays audio to all devices in a zone when scheduled or as requested by the user.

iii. Allows zero, one, or multiple zones to be defined

iv. Allows users to add new zones

v. Allows user to remove and/or update existing zones.