Multiple channel wireless communication system

• US 7,233,769 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• 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:
  US11/282,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20060083393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 455/3.03, 455/42, 455/99, 455/150.1, 455/152.1, 455/142, 381/81, 381/14, 381/300, 381/309, 381/77
• 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 for hearing aids H04R25/43
• 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 may include a wireless transmitter transmititing an encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of a plurality of audio input channels and control data, a wireless receiver receiving the transmitted bitstream, a manual selector switch to for selecting one or more of the audio input channels and a sound producing device reproducing the selected audio channels in accordance with the control data. A system may include a wireless receiver receiving an encoded digital bitstream combining each of a plurality of audio input channels with control data disbursed therein, a manual selector switch for selecting audio input channels and a sound producing device for selectively decoding and demultiplexing the selected audio channels to be reproduced in accordance with the control data.

Claims

1. A wireless audio distribution system, comprising:

a wireless transmitter transmitting an encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of a plurality of audio input channels and control data disbursed therein;

a wireless receiver receiving the transmitted encoded digital bitstream;

a manual selector switch associated with the receiver for selecting one or more of the plurality of audio input channels; and

a sound producing device associated with the receiver and selectively decoding and demultiplexing the selected one or more selected audio channels and reproducing the decoded and demultiplexed one or more audio channels in accordance with the control data.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the wireless receiver further comprises:

a source of power; and

an auto-off circuit, responsive to the encoded digital bitstream, automatically disconnecting the wireless receiver from the source of power when reproducible data from none of the audio input channels has been received for a predetermined time period.

3. The invention of claim 2 further comprising:

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

4. The invention of claim 3 further comprising:

a circuit for muting the selectively decoded and demultiplexed one or more audio channels in response to a predetermined number of error events.

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

a header section; and

a body section including a plurality of fixed sequences of data representing audio from each of a plurality of audio input channels and control data positioned between at least some of the fixed sequences of data representing audio.

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

synchronization signals for synchronizing the decoding of the encoded digital 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 claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 further comprising:

a headphone in which the wireless receiver and sound producing device are mounted and on which the manual selector switch is mounted for operation by a headphone user.

9. A wireless audio reception system, comprising:

a wireless receiver for receiving an encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of a plurality of audio input channels and control data disbursed therein;

a manual selector switch associated with the receiver device operable by a system user to select one or more of the plurality of audio input channels; and

a sound producing device associated with the wireless receiver to selectively decode and demultiplex the selected one or more selected audio channels and to reproduce the decoded and demultiplexed one or more audio channels in accordance with the control data.

10. The invention of claim 9 further comprising:

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

11. The invention of claim 10 further comprising:

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

12. The invention of claim 11 further comprising:

a circuit for muting the selectively decoded and demultiplexed one or more audio channels in response to a predetermined number of error events.

13. The invention of claims 9, 10, 11, or 12 further comprising:

a headphone in which the wireless receiver and sound producing device are mounted and on which the manual selector switch is mounted for operation by a headphone wearer.