WIRELESSLY POWERED SPEAKER

• US 20100081379A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: COOPER, Emily B., SMITH, Joshua R., SAMPLE, Alanson P.
• Application Number:
  US12/567,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/028 Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, a method and apparatus is disclosed that includes features of wirelessly powering a speaker. A system of coupled magnetic resonators may be used to deliver both power and audio wirelessly to a receiver/radio receiver/speaker.

Claims

1. A transmitter comprising:

a modulation circuit configured to modulate a power carrier signal with an audio signal to form a modulated signal; and

a resonator configured to couple with a resonator of a receiver, wherein the resonator is configured to transmit the modulated signal wirelessly to the resonator of the receiver.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to form an amplified modulated signal, wherein the resonator is configured to transmit the amplified modulated signal wirelessly to the resonator of the receiver.

3. The transmitter of claim 2, further comprising:

an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator, wherein the impedance-matching structure is configured to match an impedance of the power amplifier and an impedance of the resonator.

4. The transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator, wherein the impedance-matching structure is configured to match an impedance of the modulation circuit and an impedance of the resonator.

5. A receiver comprising:

a resonator configured to;

couple with a resonator of a transmitter; and

receive a modulated signal wirelessly from the transmitter, wherein the modulated signal comprises a power carrier signal modulated with an audio signal.

6. The receiver of claim 5, further comprising:

a demodulation circuit configured to demodulate the modulated signal to output an audio signal, a power signal, or both.

7. The receiver of claim 5, further comprising:

an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator, wherein the impedance-matching structure is configured to match an impedance of demodulation circuit and an impedance of the resonator.

8. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the audio signal comprises a speaker level audio signal, and wherein the speaker level audio signal is delivered to a speaker associated with the receiver.

9. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the power signal powers one or more of the following:

a speaker amplifier, a display associated with the receiver, a user input device associated with the receiver, a power control circuitry associated with the receiver, a battery charging circuit, and an independent wireless communication system.

10. A method comprising:

coupling a resonator of a transmitter and a resonator of a receiver;

modulating a power carrier signal with an audio signal to form a modulated signal; and

transmitting the modulated signal wirelessly from the resonator of the transmitter to the resonator of the receiver.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

amplifying the modulated signal to form an amplified modulated signal; and

transmitting the amplified modulated signal wirelessly from the resonator of the transmitter to the resonator of the receiver.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

encoding the audio signal to form an encoded audio signal; and

modulating the power carrier signal with the encoded audio signal.

13. A method comprising:

coupling a resonator of a receiver and a resonator of a transmitter; and

receiving a modulated signal wirelessly from the transmitter, wherein the modulated signal comprises a power carrier signal modulated with an audio signal.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

demodulating the modulated signal to output an audio signal, a power signal, or both.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the audio signal comprises a speaker level audio signal, and wherein the speaker level audio signal is delivered to a speaker associated with the receiver.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the power signal powers one or more of the following:

a speaker amplifier, a display associated with the receiver, a user input device associated with the receiver, a power control circuitry associated with the receiver, a battery charging circuit, and an independent wireless communication system.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the modulated signal comprises the power carrier signal modulated with an encoded audio signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

demodulating the modulated signal to output an encoded audio signal, a power signal, or both.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

decoding the encoded audio signal to form a decoded audio signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the decoded audio signal comprises a speaker level audio signal, and wherein the speaker level audio signal is delivered to a speaker associated with the receiver.