Audio and video reproducing apparatus having independent control of selected signals

• US 6,430,353 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1991
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Honda, Susumu, Yuga, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US07/667,624
• Time in Patent Office: 4,166 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/181, 358/184, 358/185, 358/198, 381/81, 381/85, 381/119, 381/53, 381/24, 381/25, 381/28, 381/86, 381/10, 455/56, 455/55, 455/140, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 369/1, 369/2, 369/3, 369/4, 369/19, 340/825.5, 386/46, 386/96, 348/705
• US Class Current: 386/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

An audio reproducing apparatus including first and second audio signal transmission paths each applied with a plurality of audio signals. Each of the first and second audio signal transmission paths has a selector for selecting one of the plurality of audio signals supplied thereto and a level controller for controlling the level of the selected audio signal. The first and second audio signal transmission paths are connected to first and second speaker units respectively each for converting the audio signal selected by the corresponding selector and whose level is controlled by the corresponding level controller into acoustic power.

Claims

1. A reproducing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input audio signal lines, an input audio signal line of said plurality of input audio signal lines supplying an input audio signal;

a first input audio switch, said first audio switch receiving said plurality of input audio signal lines, said first audio switch selecting one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as a first intermediate audio signal;

a second input audio switch, said second audio switch receiving said plurality of input audio signal lines, said second audio switch selecting one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as a second intermediate audio signal;

a first intermediate audio switch, said first intermediate audio switch receiving said first intermediate audio signal and an input terminal signal, said first intermediate audio switch selecting one of said first intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal as a first selected audio signal;

a second intermediate audio switch, said second intermediate audio switch receiving said second intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal, said second intermediate audio switch selecting one of said second intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal as a second selected audio signal;

at least one first audio transducer in a first location, a first audio transducer of said at least one first audio transducer converting said first selected audio signal into sound; and

at least one second audio transducer in a second location, said second location being partitioned from said first location.

2. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first intermediate audio signal is supplied to an output terminal.

3. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first audio amplifier, said first audio amplifier amplifying said first selected audio signal and transmitting said first selected audio signal, as processed by said first audio amplifier, to said at least one first audio transducer.

4. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second audio transducer of said at least one second audio transducer converts said second selected audio signal into sound.

5. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first intermediate audio signal is supplied to a surround processing circuit, said surround processing circuit extracting a rear channel audio signal from said first intermediate audio signal.

6. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a system controller, said system controller controlling;

said first audio switch to select said one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as said first intermediate audio signal;

said second audio switch to select said one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as said second intermediate audio signal;

said second audio switch to select said one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as a second intermediate audio signal;

said first intermediate audio switch to select said one of said first intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal as said first selected audio signal; and

said second intermediate audio switch to select said one of said second intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal as said second selected audio signal.

7. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

at least one remote controller, said at least one remote controller controlling said system controller, said first and second audio switches and said first and second intermediate audio switches being controlled in response to a control signal from said at least one remote controller.

8. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said at least one remote controller is in said first location.

9. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said at least one remote controller is in said second location.

10. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one said at least one remote controller is in said first location and another said at least one remote controller is in said second location.

11. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control signal is an infrared signal.

12. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a surround sound switch, said surround sound switch receiving said second selected audio signal and said rear channel audio signal, said surround sound switch selecting one of said second selected audio signal and said rear channel audio signal as a surround/second signal.

13. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein another audio transducer of said at least one first audio transducer converting said surround/second signal into sound.

14. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first audio transducer is positioned in front of a listener and said another audio transducer is positioned behind said listener.

15. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a second audio transducer of said at least one second audio transducer converts said surround/second signal into sound.

16. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a second audio amplifier, said second audio amplifier amplifying said surround/second signal and transmitting said surround/second signal, as processed by said second audio amplifier, to said at least one second audio transducer.

17. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a third intermediate audio switch, said third intermediate audio switch directing said surround/second signal to one of another audio transducer of said at least one first audio transducer and said at least one second audio transducer.

18. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of input video signal lines, an input video signal line of said plurality of input video signal lines supplying an input video signal;

a first input video switch, said first video switch receiving said plurality of input video signal lines, said first video switch selecting one of said plurality of input video signal lines as a first selected video signal, said first selected video signal being presented for display at said first location; and

a second input video switch, said second video switch receiving said plurality of input video signal lines, said second video switch selecting one of said plurality of input video signal lines as a second selected video signal, said second selected video signal being presented for display at said second location.

19. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a system controller, said system controller controlling;

said first video switch to select said one of said plurality of input video signal lines as said first intermediate video signal; and

said second video switch to select said one of said plurality of input video signal lines as said second intermediate video signal.

20. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

at least one remote controller, said at least one remote controller controlling said system controller, said first and second video switches being controlled in response to a control signal from said at least one remote controller.

21. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said at least one remote controller is in said first location.

22. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said at least one remote controller is in said second location.

23. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein one said at least one remote controller is in said first location and another said at least one remote controller is in said second location.

24. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control signal is an infrared signal.

25. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

said system controller further controlling;

said first audio switch to select said one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as said first intermediate audio signal;

said second audio switch to select said one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as said second intermediate audio signal;

said second audio switch to select said one of said plurality of input audio signal lines as a second intermediate audio signal;

said first intermediate audio switch to select said one of said first intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal as said first selected audio signal; and

said second intermediate audio switch to select said one of said second intermediate audio signal and said input terminal signal as said second selected audio signal.