Wireless environment method and apparatus

• US 7,502,604 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digital Stream IP, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dima Wireless, LLC
• Inventors: Knox, Gregory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUSSEF, ADEL Y
• Application Number:
  US10/878,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 455/306, 455/3.1, 455/6.3, 348/6, 348/7
• US Class Current: 455/306
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/79 using downlink of the CATV systems, e.g. audio broadcast via CATV network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/92 for local area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a first controlled device, such as a wireless local transmitter that accepts a plurality of digital audio signals and corresponding program information signals converted from a controlled source, such as the encoded digital data provided by a digital data signal source, typically a community antenna television (CATV) cable or direct broadcast satellite, then modulates said digital audio and corresponding program information signals on different carrier frequencies and transmits the modulated signals to a plurality of second controlled devices, such as remote digital receiver/tuners that demodulate said signals to output music in stereophonic sound and display the corresponding program information by means of an alphanumeric display. The first and second controlled devices contain microprocessor systems for communicating, controlling, storing, processing, and display of digital data within the operation of the respective system. A high speed, error free digital signal protocol is utilized for transmitting digital audio and corresponding program information signals to and from the digital receiver/tuner. The digital data transmitter and digital receiver/tuners utilize the 44.1 kilohertz (kHz) Compact Disc (CD) clock signal embedded in digital audio signals provided by an established delivery system to derive clocking signals for reception and processing of digital audio signals and for implementing the display information communications protocol.

Claims

1. A system of locally broadcasting and controlling a plurality of digital data signals, comprising;

a transmitter device transmitting digital audio and corresponding program information with control signals corresponding to selected commands to at least one remotely located second device;

at least one receiver/tuner device responsive to the digital audio and program information signals and corresponding control signals by the controlled device; and

a microprocessor circuit receiving and controlling an operator input corresponding to a selected command for delivery to the at least one remotely located second device and providing a command signal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising second transmitting means associated with the second device, the transmitting means being simultaneously operative for transmitting a digital audio request signal and for transmitting an information request signal from the second device to the first device, and wherein the first device is responsive to the digital audio request signal for transmitting the digital audio and the first device is responsive to the information request signal for transmitting the separated information signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data signal source is a multiplexed serial digital data stream.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein selected commands from first and second controlled devices identify and transfer digital audio, corresponding program and system information, national subscriber information, and control signals corresponding to the digital data signal.

5. A system wherein a first controlled device transmits a plurality of digital audio signals of audio source material corresponding to a selected set of digital data to at least one second controlled device, comprising:

(a) a first controlled device including;

first receiver means for receiving a plurality of the digital audio signals;

first processor means, coupled to the first receiving means, for processing the received digital signal to provide a selected one of the digital data signals and a selected one of the information signals;

clock signal generator means, coupled to the first processor means, for providing a clock signal having a first frequency;

means, coupled to the receiver means, for modulating a plurality of RF carriers with the digital audio using multilevel modulation to produce a plurality of RF channel signals;

means, coupled to the modulating means, for transmitting the RF channel signals;

(b) a second controlled device including;

second receiving means for receiving a plurality of the RF signals;

tuner means associated with the second receiving means for tuning a selected one of a plurality the digital audio signals;

digital demodulator means, coupled to an output of the tuner, for demodulating a multilevel modulated plurality of the digital audio signals; and

decoder means, coupled to the digital demodulator means, for processing the demodulated plurality of the digital audio signals into left and right stereo channels for audible reception.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the transmission protocol includes a starts text field, a message sequence field, a plurality of data definition fields, a plurality of data fields, a plurality of error detection fields, a message error detection field, and an end of text field.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the channels of audio source material comprises left and right stereo channels signals for digital transmission together in a channel allocation corresponding to the decoder means.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the RF signal is a digital data signal comprising digital audio, program information, and national subscriber information.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the clock frequency is 44.1 kHz.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the clock generator signal is simultaneously operative for providing the a clock signal and at the clock frequency for utilization of the digital audio signal and for utilization by the first transmitting means for transmitting the separated information signal.

9. A system wherein a first controlled device transmits information corresponding to a selected set of digital data to at least one second controlled device, comprising:

(a) a first device, comprising

first receiving means for receiving a digital data signal, the digital data signal provided by a remote signal source and containing a plurality of information signals and a plurality of digital audio signals, each of the information signals corresponding with one of the digital audio signals;

first processor means, coupled to the first receiving means, for processing the received digital signal to provide a selected one of the digital data signals and a selected one of the information signals;

clock signal generator means, coupled to the first processor means, for providing a clock signal having a first frequency; and

first transmitting means, coupled to the first processor means, for transmitting the selected one of the digital data signals and the selected one of the information signals at a rate defined by the first frequency; and

(b) a second device, remotely located from the first device, comprising;

second receiving means for receiving the digital data signal and the transmitted information signal;

second processor means, coupled to the second receiving means, for processing the received digital data signal and the received information signal;

communicating means, coupled to the second processor means, for communicating the received digital data signal and the received information signal;

receiving means, coupled to the second processor means, for audible output of the received digital data signal;

processing means, coupled to the second processor means, for storing and processing the receiving digital data signals and the received information signals; and

second transmitting means, coupled to the first processor means, for transmitting the selected one of the digital data signals and the selected one of the information signals at a rate defined by the first frequency to produce a transmitted information signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitted information signal comprises a message containing the information, the message having a transmission protocol defined by a plurality of fields.

13. A method for local wireless transmission and reception of digital audio and program information, comprising:

receiving a data stream that contains digital audio and program information at a transmitter;

converting the digital audio and program information to digital RF carrier frequencies; and

transmitting the digital RF carrier frequencies including audio and program information to a plurality of devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data stream received by the transmitter is provided by a delivery source selected from the group consisting of:

a digital audio source;

a coaxial cable system;

a satellite system;

the Internet or other computer network; and

a microwave system.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising demultiplexing, decrypting, and decoding the digital audio and program information before converting the digital audio and program information to digital RF carrier frequencies.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of devices comprise audio receivers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each receiver is configured to display program information corresponding to an audio program that is currently being transmitted to the receiver.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the program information includes information concerning a composer, an artist, and/or an album associated with the audio program.

19. A method for local wireless transmission and reception of digital audio and program information, comprising:

receiving a data stream that contains digital audio and program information at a transmitter;

demultiplexing, decrypting, and decoding the digital audio and program information converting the digital audio and program information to digital RF carrier frequencies; and

transmitting the digital RF carrier frequencies including audio and program information to a plurality of audio receivers, wherein each receiver is configured to display program information corresponding to an audio program that is currently being transmitted to the receiver.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the program information includes information concerning a composer, an artist, and/or an album associated with the audio program.