Wireless surround sound speaker system

• US 6,487,296 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carey L. Norton, Steven W. Allen
• Original Assignee: Carey L. Norton, Steven W. Allen
• Inventors: Norton, Carey L., Allen, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T.
• Application Number:
  US09/163,899
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 381/1, 381/2, 381/77, 381/79, 381/80, 381/85, 381/98, 381/103, 381/307
• US Class Current: 381/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/89 using three or more audio channels, e.g. triphonic or quadraphonic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless surround sound speaker system wherein a transmitter broadcasts a variety of FM signals that correspond to the individual speaker channels commonly found in a surround sound system. Receivers, individually equipped with signal receiving, conditioning and amplification components, are configured to receive any one of the broadcast signals in a remote location and are used to drive a conventional loudspeaker in that location. Powered by wall socket or via DC battery packs, the receivers, used in conjunction with the transmitter, provide surround sound capabilities without the need for complex and difficult wiring.

Claims

1. A remote surround sound speaker system comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting wireless signals to a plurality of receivers, said wireless signals are capable of driving at least a front-left speaker, a front right-speaker, a center speaker, a rear-left speaker and a rear-right speaker, wherein said transmitter is capable transmitting sound signals including a left channel and right channel, said sound signals being first processed by a surround sound processor generating an in-phase sound signal consisting of a front-left sound signal and a front-right sound signal, and an out-of-phase sound signal consisting of a rear-left sound signal and a rear-right sound signal, said in-phase sound signal and said out-of-phase sound signal communicating with an in-phase transmitter and an out-of-phase transmitter, respectively, and wherein said in-phase transmitter and said out-of-phase transmitter each consist of FM transmitters used to transmit an in-phase broadcast signal and an out-of-phase broadcast signal respectively;

a plurality of said receivers, each said receiver in wireless communication with said transmitter, each said receiver is capable of both remote and local signal level conditioning wherein graphic equalization, balance adjustment, fader adjustment, and volume adjustment are applied to the signal broadcast by said transmitter;

a graphic equalizer capable of adjustment of the tonal characteristics of the sound, on several bands, by use of individual sliding knobs including a balance knob allowing for the adjustment of the sound between the right and left channels, a fader knob allowing for the adjustment of the sound between front and rear channels, a volume knob allowing for the adjustment of the playing volume, a conditioning selection switch allowing a user to select the location of the signal conditioning for one particular receiver, and a channel selection knob allowing for individual channel selection on a per speaker basis;

a plurality of speakers, one said speaker in direct communication with one said receiver;

and wherein said individual receivers are identical in construction and can be configured to communicate with said transmitter to drive at least a front-left speaker, a front right-speaker, a center speaker, a rear-left speaker or a rear-right speaker;

wherein said in-phase sound signal and said out-of-phase sound signal are also fed, in parallel, to signal level conditioning circuitry, where said in-phase sound signal and said out-of-phase sound signal are further conditioned in terms of tonal characteristics of the sound, adjustment of the sound between the right and left channels, adjustment of the sound between front and rear channels and playing volume as defined by the user on the transmitter control panel via the graphic equalizer, balance knob, fader knob and volume knob, respectively.

2. The remote surround speaker system of claim 1, wherein said level conditioning circuitry further generates a conditioned in-phase sound signal consisting of a conditioned front-left sound signal and a conditioned front-right sound signal, and a conditioned out-of-phase sound signal consisting of a conditioned rear-left sound signal 75 and a conditioned rear-right sound signal;

and wherein the conditioned in-phase sound signal and the conditioned out-of-phase sound signal are fed to a conditioned in phase transmitter and a conditioned out-of-phase transmitter 81, respectively, said conditioned in-phase transmitter and said conditioned out-of-phase transmitter comprising FM transmitters used to transmit a conditioned in-phase broadcast signal and a conditioned out-of-phase broadcast signal.

3. A wireless surround sound speaker system comprising:

a transmitter unit connected to a conventional home entertainment or stereo system such that the audio signals generated by said home entertainment or stereo system are conveyed to said transmitter unit, said transmitter unit having surround sound signal processing means that produce a plurality of unconditioned surround sound audio signals from said audio signals, said transmitter unit having signal conditioning means that produce a plurality of conditioned surround sound audio signals from said unconditioned surround sound audio signals, said transmitter unit broadcasting said unconditioned surround sound audio signals and said conditioned surround sound audio signals via separate and distinct FM frequencies; and

a receiver unit that receives said unconditioned surround sound audio signals and said conditioned surround sound audio signals broadcast by said transmitter unit, said receiver unit having speaker channel selection means whereby a selected speaker channel is isolated from said unconditioned surround sound audio signals and said conditioned surround sound audio signals, said receiver unit amplifying said selected speaker channel, driving a loudspeaker to which said receiver unit is connected.

4. The wireless surround speaker system of claim 3, wherein said receiver integrates both said loudspeakers in combination with integrating signal receiving, amplification, channel selection and graphic equalization capabilities.

5. The wireless surround sound speaker system of claim 3, wherein said signal conditioning applied by said transmitter unit further comprises left-right loudspeaker biasing, front-rear loudspeaker biasing, graphic equalization and volume controls.

6. The wireless surround sound speaker system of claim 3, wherein said receiver unit further comprises a signal conditioning means whereby said selected speaker channel received by said receiver unit is adjusted in terms of left-right loudspeaker biasing, front-rear loudspeaker biasing, graphic equalization and volume controls prior to amplification, said selected speaker channel being selected from said unconditioned surround sound audio signals.

7. The wireless surround sound speaker system of claim 3, wherein said unconditioned surround sound audio signals further comprise a front-left unconditioned surround sound audio signal, a front-right unconditioned surround sound audio signal, a rear-left unconditioned surround sound audio signal and a rear-right unconditioned surround sound audio signal.

8. The wireless surround sound speaker system of claim 3, wherein said conditioned surround sound audio signals further comprise a front-left conditioned surround sound audio signal, a front-right conditioned surround sound audio signal, a rear-left conditioned surround sound audio signal and a rear-right conditioned surround sound audio signal.

9. The wireless surround sound speaker system of claim 3, wherein said signal conditioning applied by said transmitter unit further comprises left-right loudspeaker biasing, front-rear loudspeaker biasing, graphic equalization and volume controls.

10. The wireless surround sound speaker system of claim 3, wherein said receiver unit is selectably powered by AC electricity supplied by a conventional wall socket or by a DC battery supply.