Multiple channel wireless communication system

• US 6,987,947 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Unwired Technology, LLC (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Dauk, Michael A., Richenstein, Lawrence, Withoff, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/691,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20040157555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 455/3.03, 455/142, 455/150.1, 455/152.1, 455/154.1
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/89 using three or more audio channels, e.g. triphonic or quadraphonic
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/36 specially adapted for stereophonic broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 : Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 : Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/004 : For headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 : in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 : Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows

Abstract

A wireless audio distribution system having a wireless transmitter, responsive to a plurality of audio input channels, for transmitting a encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of the audio input channel, the encoded digital bitstream further including control data disbursed therein, a receiver, responsive to the transmitted encoded digital bitstream, for decoding and demultiplexing the digital bitstream, a manual selector switch, connected to the receiver device for selecting one or more of the audio input channels to be reproduced, and a sound producing device for selectively reproducing the one or more selected audio channels in accordance with the control data.

Claims

1. A wireless audio distribution system, comprising:

a wireless transmitter, responsive to a plurality of audio input channels, for transmitting an encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of the audio input channel, the encoded digital bitstream further including control data disbursed therein;

a receiver, responsive to the transmitted encoded digital bitstream, for decoding and demultiplexing the digital bitstream, the receiver including;

a manual selector switch for selecting one or more of the audio input channels to be decoded and demultiplexed by the receiver from the transmitted encoded digital bitstream; and

a sound producing device for selectively reproducing the one or more selected audio channels in accordance with the control data.

2. The invention of claim 1 further comprising:

an auto-off circuit automatically disconnecting power from the receiver when reproducible data from none of the audio input channels has been received for a predetermined time period.

3. The invention of claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiver further comprises:

a comparator for comparing two segments in different fixed positions within the bitstream to detect an error event.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein the receiver further comprises:

a circuit for muting the selected audio input channels in response to a predetermined number of error events.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the encoded bitstream further comprises:

a header section; and

a body section including a plurality of fixed sequences of data representing audio from each of the audio input channels, the sequences separated by control data.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the header further comprises:

synchronization signals for synchronizing the decoding of the digital bitstream with the transmission of that bitstream.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the wireless audio distribution system is positioned in a vehicle including a headliner and the wireless transmitter is positioned behind the headliner.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the encoded bitstream further comprises:

a header section; and

a body section including a plurality of fixed sequences of data representing audio from each of the audio input channels, the sequences separated by control data.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein the header further comprises:

synchronization signals for synchronizing the decoding of the digital bitstream with the transmission of that bitstream.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein the wireless audio distribution system is positioned in a vehicle including a headliner and the wireless transmitter is positioned behind the headliner.

11. The invention of claim 1 wherein the wireless audio distribution system is positioned in a vehicle including a headliner and the wireless transmitter is positioned behind the headliner.