Low power wireless communication system employing magnetic control zones

• US 5,774,791 A
• Filed: 10/18/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Phonic Ear A/S
• Original Assignee: Phonic Ear A/S
• Inventors: Young, Robert Francis, Strohallen, Gene Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/733,438
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41, 455/50.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/66, 455/89, 455/93, 455/20, 455/92, 455/68, 455/69, 455/70, 455/74, 455/517, 455/575, 455/501, 342/44, 359/143, 359/159, 359/176
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/021 Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A cordless headset, requiring very low power using Time Variant Modulation (TVM) for reception of a magnetic signal and TVM of RF or infrared as the transmitter. The headset area or zone of operations is defined by the magnetic field that the headset operates within and uses a handshake protocol that takes advantage of the TVM fixed clock period. The headset communicates with a base station that includes a TVM transmitter and loop for transmitting a TVM signal to the cordless headset, and a RF or infrared receiver capable of receiving TVM signals from the headset. The base station also contains the headset protocol logic for controlling the headset transmission. The headset and base station receiver can both be fixed, mobile or portable and vary with respect to orientation and distance from each other. The receiver circuits in both base station and headset automatically adjust to the variance in signal strength.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for transmitting audio signals to a first location from a second location, the system comprising:

first transmission means, disposed at said first location, for providing a control signal which varies in time, said first transmission means including a magnetic transmission element for transmitting said control signal;

first receiver means, disposed at said second location and including a magnetic receiving element magnetically coupled to said magnetic transmission element, for receiving said control signal;

second transmission means, disposed at said second location, for receiving an audio signal, said transmission means including at least one of a radio frequency transmitter and an infrared transmitter for transmitting said audio signal simultaneously with the reception of, and under the control of, the magnetically transmitted control signal; and

second receiver means, disposed at said first location and including at least one of a radio frequency receiver and an infrared receiver, for receiving said audio signal, wherein said second location comprises a portable communication device.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first location comprises a base station and the second location comprises a cordless headset.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first location comprises a base station and the second location comprises a cordless handset.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a first clock signal and wherein the first transmission means includes:

a clock generator for generating the first clock signal, said magnetic transmission element receiving and transmitting the clock signal.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the first receiver means includes:

clock recovery means, responsive to said received first clock signal, for producing a second clock signal, said second clock signal being synchronous with said first clock signal.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 5, wherein the control signal further comprises a pilot tone and wherein the first transmission means further includes a pilot tone generator for generating and transmitting a pilot tone to said first receiver means via said magnetic transmission element.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein the first receiver means further includes a pilot tone detector for detecting said pilot tone transmitted by said transmission means.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 7, wherein said pilot tone detector includes means for comparing said detected pilot tone with said second clock signal to determine if said detected pilot tone and said second clock signal are synchronous.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 8, wherein said pilot tone detector includes means, responsive to said detected pilot tone, for disabling said second transmission means.

10. A communication system as set out in claim 5, further comprising means for enabling said second transmission means when said first clock signal is detected by said first receiving means.

11. A communication system for transmitting a control signal from a first location to a second location and for transmitting an audio signal from the second location to the first location, the system comprising:

first transmission means, disposed at said first location, for receiving said control signal and for providing a first pulse sequence modulated in the time domain by said control signal, said transmission means including a magnetic transmission element for transmitting said pulse sequence;

first receiver means, disposed at said second location and including a magnetic receiving element magnetically coupled to said magnetic transmission element, for receiving said pulse sequence and for demodulating said pulse sequence to reproduce said control signal;

second transmission means, disposed at said second location, for transmitting said audio simultaneously with the reception of, and under the control of, the magnetically transmitted control signal, said transmission means including at least one of a radio frequency transmission element and an infrared transmission element; and

second receiver means, disposed at said first location, for receiving said audio signal, wherein said second location comprises a portable communication device.

12. A communication system as set out in claim 11, further comprising means, coupled to said first receiver means, for controlling said second transmission means in response to said control signal.

13. A communication system as set out in claim 12, wherein said means for controlling enables said transmission means in response to detection of said control signal.

14. A communication system as set out in claim 11, wherein said control signal comprises a clock signal.

15. A method for transmitting an audio signal to a first location from a second location, comprising the steps of:

magnetically transmitting a time varying control signal over a short distance from said first location so as to define a control zone around said first location;

receiving said control signal at said second location within said control zone;

transmitting said audio signal to said first location, employing at least one of a radio frequency transmitter and an infrared transmitter, simultaneously with said step of magnetically transmitting;

receiving said audio signal at said first location; and

controlling said audio signal transmission step employing said control signal received at said second location.

16. A method as set out in claim 15, wherein said control zone is a zone less than or equal to 100 meters from said first location.

17. A method as set out in claim 15, wherein said control signal is a clock signal.

18. A method as set out in claim 17, wherein said controlling step comprises enabling said audio signal transmission step upon receiving said clock signal.

19. A method as set out in claim 15, wherein said control signal comprises a pilot tone and wherein said controlling step comprises disabling said audio signal transmission step upon receiving said pilot tone.

20. A method as set out in claim 15, further comprising the step of time variant modulating said control signal prior to magnetically transmitting said control signal.

21. A portable cordless transmitter, comprising:

means for receiving an input audio signal;

transmission means, including at least one of a radio frequency transmitter or infrared transmitter, for transmitting said audio signal; and

control means, including a magnetic receiver element, for receiving a magnetically transmitted time varying control signal and controlling said transmission means in response to said control signal, wherein said control signal comprises a clock signal and wherein said control means controls said transmission means in response to detection of said clock signal.

22. A transmitter as set out in claim 21, wherein said means for receiving an input audio signal comprises a microphone.