METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING A SIGNAL SOURCE

• US 20090251604A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Iyer, Suraj C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/554
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method of selecting a signal input includes the steps of transmitting an audio signal to an audio input of a device that includes a plurality of audio inputs. A setting of the device is automatically advanced from a currently set audio input to another one of the audio inputs when the device does not output a signal associated with said audio signal.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a signal input, comprising the steps of:

transmitting an audio signal to an audio input of a device that includes a plurality of audio inputs; and

automatically advancing a setting of the device from a currently set audio input to another one of the audio inputs when the device does not output a signal associated with said audio signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a television.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a video signal is also transmitted to the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted audio signal includes a sine wave.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted audio signal includes sine waves at two different frequencies.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sine waves are in series.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signal includes sine waves at three different frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each audio input has an associated video input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step is accomplished over an electrical conductor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted audio signal is a known audio signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio output of the device includes a speaker which produces acoustic waves when said signal associated with said audio signal is output by the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a microphone is used to detect the acoustic waves.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the advancing step utilizes a wireless transmitter to cause the device to advance the setting from a current audio input to a next one of the audio inputs.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting and advancing steps are repeated until said signal associated with said audio signal is output by the audio output of the device.

15. An apparatus for selecting a signal input, comprising:

an audio source device for producing an audio signal;

an audio reproduction device that receives the audio signal on one of a plurality of audio inputs, wherein when a signal associated with the audio signal is not output by the audio reproduction device, an audio input setting of the audio reproduction device is automatically advanced from a current audio input to another audio input.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the audio reproduction device is a television.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a video signal is also transmitted to the audio output device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the produced audio signal includes a sine wave.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each audio input has an associated video input.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the produced audio signal is a known audio signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the audio output device includes a speaker which produces acoustic waves when an audio signal is output by the device.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal associated with the audio signal is substantially the same as the audio signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein automatically advancing the audio input setting is accomplished by the audio source device issuing a command to the audio reproduction device over a hard wired connection between the audio source device and the audio reproduction device.