Wireless audio transmission system

• US 4,685,133 A
• Filed: 09/16/1985
• Issued: 08/04/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steve Rand, Zanto Corp.
• Original Assignee: INR Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Iggulden, Jerry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US06/776,611
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 179/107 R, 179/107 S, 179/82, 179/2 C, 455/20, 455/23, 455/21, 379/61, 379/62, 379/55, 381/2, 381/3, 381/4, 381/14, 381/26, 381/77, 381/80, 381/81
• US Class Current: 381/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers

Abstract

A system for wirelessly transmitting stereo audio from a source such as a tape player to a removed location. The output signal-carrying wires from the source are connected to a coupler unit adapted to removably hold an FM band stereo broadcast microphone/transmitter. The audio output signal is coupled to the microphone/transmitter which, in turn, transmits the audio signal to an FM stereo receiver at the remote location where it is then rebroadcast for listening. In one embodiment, the coupler unit acoustically couples the signal to the microphone. In a second embodiment, the coupler unit inductively couples the signal to the microphone.

Claims

1. A wireless audio transmission system comprising:

(a) a portable, hand-held microphone/transmitter for transmitting audio received by a microphone portion thereof as broadcast electrical signals, said microphone/transmitter having a case with at least one microphone inside connected to said microphone portion and disposed adjacent a sidewall thereof; and

,

(b) nesting means having a nest area therein for receiving and substantially surrounding a majority of the surface area of said microphone/transmitter in its said case;

said nesting means including input means for receiving an electrical signal containing audio information at an input thereof and coupler means disposed adjacent said nest and connected to said input means for receiving and coupling said audio information from said electrical signal to said microphone of said microphone/transmitter at said sidewall whereby said audio can be transmitted wirelessly to a receiver tuned to receive said broadcast electrical signals.

2. The transmission system of claim 1 wherein:

said coupler means includes speaker means for creating an audio signal which is acoustically coupled to said microphone portion.

3. The transmission system of claim 1 wherein:

said coupler means includes coil means for creating a magnetic field signal which is inductively coupled into a coil in said microphone portion.

4. The transmission system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said microphone/transmitter contains a rechargable battery; and

,

(b) said nesting means includes charging means for charging said battery when said microphone/transmitter is being held in said nest area.

5. The transmission system of claim 3 and additionally including:

(a) amplifier means for amplifying said electrical signal before it is received by said coupler means; and

,

(b) attenuator means for attenuating the signal output by said microphone portion to said microphone/transmitter whereby the signal-to-noise ratio is improved and saturation of the microphone/transmitter is prevented.

6. The transmission system of claim 5 and additionally including:

switch means for contacting a wall area defining said nest area and automatically activating said attenuator means when said microphone/transmitter is inserted into said nest area and deactivating said attenuator means when said microphone/transmitter is removed from said nest area whereby normal handheld operation of said microphone/transmitter is unaffected.

7. In a wireless audio transmission system comprising a portable, hand-held microphone/transmitter for transmitting audio received by a microphone portion thereof as broadcast electrical signals, said microphone/transmitter having a case with at least one microphone inside connected to said microphone portion and disposed adjacent a sidewall thereof, the improvement to allow use of the microphone/transmitter for transmitting prerecorded audio, and the like, comprising:

(a) nesting means having a nest area therein for receiving and substantially surrounding a majority of the surface area of the microphone/transmitter in its case;

(b) input means disposed within said nesting means for receiving an electrical signal containing audio information at an input thereof; and

,

(c) coupler means disposed in said nest and connected to said input means for receiving and coupling audio information from said electrical signal to the microphone of the microphone/transmitter at said sidewall whereby said audio can be transmitted wirelessly to a receiver which is tuned to receive the broadcast electrical signals.

8. The improvement to a wireless transmission system of claim 7 wherein:

(a) the microphone/transmitter contains rechargable batteries; and

,

(b) said nesting means includes charging means for charging said batteries when the microphone/transmitter is being held in said nest area.

9. The improvement to a wireless transmission system of claim 7 wherein:

said coupler means includes speaker means for creating an audio signal which is acoustically coupled to the microphone portion.

10. The improvement to a wireless transmission system of claim 7 wherein:

said coupler means includes coil means for creating a magnetic field signal which is inductively coupled into a coil in said microphone portion.

11. The transmission system of claim 10 and additionally including:

(a) amplifier means for amplifying the electrical signals before they are received by said coupler means; and

,

(b) attenuator means for attenuating the signal output by the microphone portion to the microphone/transmitter whereby the signal-to-noise ratio is improved and saturation of the microphone/transmitter is prevented.

12. The transmission system of claim 11 and additionally including:

switch means for contacting a wall area defining said nest area and automatically activating said attenuator means when said microphone/transmitter is inserted into said nest area and deactivating said attenuator means when said microphone/transmitter is removed from said nest area whereby normal handheld operation of said microphone/transmitter is unaffected.

13. In a wireless transmission system comprising a stereo microphone/transmitter for transmitting information received by a pair of dynamic microphones in a microphone portion of said microphone transmitter as FM band electrical signals to an FM band stereo receiver to be received and used by said receiver, the improvement for using said system with the microphones in an open state for the wireless transmission of electrical signals containing information from a source to a removed location with suppressed background noise comprising:

(a) input means for receiving the electrical signals containing the information at an input thereof; and

,

(b) coupler means connected to said input means for removably holding the microphone/transmitter and for receiving, amplifying, and inductively coupling the information from the electrical signal to the dynamic microphones in the microphone portion of the microphone/transmitter, said coupler means including means for attenuating the signals out of the dynamic microphones prior to their being used by the transmitter portion whereby the information is transmitted wirelessly to the FM band stereo receiver for use while the background noise is suppressed.

14. The method of transmitting an information signal wirelessly between a source and a user at a removed location comprising the steps of:

(a) converting the information signal to an amplified first electrical signal carrying the information;

(b) using the amplified first electrical signal to create a magnetic coupling signal carrying the information;

(c) using the magnetic coupling signal to inductively drive a dynamic microphone in the microphone portion of an FM microphone/transmitter and attenuating the signal out of the dynamic microphone prior to using it in the transmitter portion of the microphone/transmitter whereby the microphone/transmitter broadcasts an FM band signal carrying the information with background noise picked up by the dynamic microphone suppressed;

(d) receiving the FM band signal at the removed location;

(e) converting the FM band signal to a second electrical signal carrying the information; and

,

(f) using the second electrical signal as the source of the information.

15. The method of transmitting an audio signal wirelessly between a source and broadcast speakers at a removed location comprising the steps of:

(a) converting the audio signal to a first electrical signal carrying the audio information;

(b) using the first electrical signal to create an amplified, non-acoustic coupling signal carrying the audio information;

(c) using the coupling signal to drive the microphone of a microphone/transmitter while attenuating the signal out of the microphone before it is input to the transmitter portion of the microphone/transmitter so that the microphone/transmitter broadcasts a broadcast band signal carrying the audio information while rejecting background noise picked up by the microphone;

(d) receiving the broadcast band signal at the removed location;

(e) converting the broadcast band signal to a second electrical signal carrying the audio information; and

,

(f) using the second electrical signal to drive the broadcast speakers.

16. The method of transmitting an audio signal wirelessly between a source and broadcast speakers at a removed location comprising the steps of:

(a) converting the audio signal to a first electrical signal carrying the audio information;

(b) amplifying said first electrical signal;

(c) disposing an induction coil adjacent the coil of a dynamic microphone of a microphone/transmitter;

(d) attenuating the signal out of the dynamic microphone before it is input to the transmitter portion of the microphone/transmitter;

(e) inducing the amplified first electrical signal carrying the audio information into the coil of the dynamic microphone so that the microphone/transmitter broadcasts a broadcast band signal carrying the audio information;

(f) receiving the broadcast band signal at the removed location;

(g) converting the broadcast band signal to a third electrical signal carrying the audio information; and

,

(h) using the third electrical signal to drive the broadcast speakers.

17. A wireless information transmission system comprising:

(a) input means for receiving an electrical signal containing the information at an input thereof;

(b) a microphone/transmitter for transmitting information received by a microphone portion containing a dynamic microphone of said microphone/transmitter as broadcast band electrical signals; and

,

(c) coupler means connected to said input means for removably holding said microphone/transmitter and for receiving and coupling said information from said electrical signal to said microphone portion of said microphone/transmitter, said coupler means including means for inductively coupling said electrical signal to said dynamic microphone and means for attenuating the signal out of said dynamic microphone whereby said information can be transmitted wirelessly to a broadcast band receiver and be derived for use by said receiver while background noise picked up by said dynamic microphone is suppressed.