Vehicle display device having a wireless transmitter

• US 7,839,355 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Malone, Thomas C., Lavelle, Patrick M., Tranchina, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/926,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/156, 345/204, 455/345, 455/569.2
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

There is provided a display device for a vehicle having a seat. The display device includes an assembly housing adapted to mount at a rear portion of the seat. A receiver is adapted to receive at least one of video and audio signals from at least one external input device. At least one wireless transmitter operatively coupled to the receiver, is adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio signals to at least one wireless headphone set. The display device is adapted to reproduce the video signals. In some embodiments of the invention, the at least one wireless transmitter is adapted to transmit the audio signals based on Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

Claims

1. A display device for a vehicle having a seat, comprising:

an assembly housing, wherein at least a portion of the assembly housing is adapted to be mounted in the seat;

at least one media source operatively coupled to the display device for providing at least one of video and audio signals from the at least one media source to the display device; and

at least one wireless transmitter adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio signals to at least one wireless receiver or speaker, wherein the assembly housing includes a face portion and a rear portion, the face portion has a larger area than the rear portion, and the rear portion is positioned in a hole in the seat having an area substantially equal to that of the rear portion and the face portion rests outside of the hole on an outside surface of the seat, wherein the face portion protrudes beyond the outside surface of the seat, and wherein the rear portion is secured to an internal support structure of the seat.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the assembly housing is mounted in a headrest of the seat.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the assembly housing is mounted in a body of the seat.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion is mounted in the seat and the face portion is substantially flush with the outside surface of the seat.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the face portion has a smaller thickness than the rear portion.

6. The display device according claim 4, further comprising a receiver located on the rear portion, wherein the receiver is operatively coupled to the at least one media source through at least one wire positioned in the seat.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the receiver receives at least one of the video and audio signals from the at least one media source.

8. The display device according claim 4, further comprising a receiver located on the rear portion, wherein the receiver is operatively coupled to a vehicle power supply through at least one wire positioned in the seat.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless transmitter is positioned on the face portion.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the audio signals are wirelessly transmitted as at least one of radio frequency and infrared signals.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one media source includes at least one of a television tuner, a video cassette player (VCP), a compact disk (CD) player, a digital video disk (DVD) player, an AM/FM radio, a video game player, global navigation data, and e-mail.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device employs one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diodes (LEDs), gas plasma and an organic electroluminescent display (OELD).

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless transmitter is adapted to transmit the audio signals based on Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

14. A display device for a vehicle having a seat, comprising:

an assembly housing, wherein at least a portion of the assembly housing is adapted to be mounted in the seat;

at least two media sources operatively coupled to the display device for providing at least one of audio and video signals from the at least two media sources to the display device; and

a wireless transmitter adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio signals from the at least two media sources to at least one wireless receiver or speaker, wherein the assembly housing includes a face portion and a rear portion, the face portion has a larger area than the rear portion, and the rear portion is positioned in a hole in the seat having an area substantially equal to that of the rear portion and the face portion rests outside of the hole on an outside surface of the seat, wherein the face portion protrudes beyond the outside surface of the seat, and wherein the rear portion is secured to an internal support structure of the seat.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the wireless transmitter simultaneously transmits the audio signals from the at least two media sources to the at least one wireless receiver or speaker.

16. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the wireless transmitter simultaneously transmits the audio signals from the at least two media sources to the at least one wireless receiver or speaker and to at least one other wireless receiver or speaker.

17. The display device according to claim 14, further comprising at least one multiplexer adapted to select a media source of the at least two media sources whose audio output is to be wirelessly transmitted to the at least one wireless receiver or speaker.

18. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the portion of the assembly housing is mounted in a headrest of the seat.

19. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the portion of the assembly housing is mounted in a body of the seat.

20. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the rear portion is mounted in the seat and the face portion is substantially flush with the outside surface of the seat.

21. The display device according to claim 20, wherein the face portion has a smaller thickness than the rear portion.

22. The display device according claim 20, further comprising a receiver located on the rear portion, wherein the receiver is operatively coupled to the at least two media sources through at least one wire positioned in the seat.

23. The display device according to claim 22, wherein the receiver receives at least one of the video and audio signals from the at least two media sources.

24. The display device according claim 20, further comprising a receiver located on the rear portion, wherein the receiver is operatively coupled to a vehicle power supply through at least one wire positioned in the seat.

25. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the wireless transmitter is positioned on the face portion.

26. A display device for a vehicle having a seat, comprising:

an assembly housing, wherein at least a portion of the assembly housing is adapted to be mounted in the seat;

at least two media sources operatively coupled to the display device for providing at least one of audio and video signals from the at least two media sources to the display device; and

at least two wireless transmitters adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio signals from the at least two media sources to a plurality of wireless receivers or speakers, wherein the assembly housing includes a face portion and a rear portion, the face portion has a larger area than the rear portion, and the rear portion is positioned in a hole in the seat having an area substantially equal to that of the rear portion and the face portion rests outside of the hole on an outside surface of the seat, wherein the face portion protrudes beyond the outside surface of the seat, and wherein the rear portion is secured to an internal support structure of the seat.

27. The display device according to claim 26, wherein a first wireless transmitter is adapted to wirelessly transmit audio signals from one of the at least two media sources to a first wireless receiver or speaker, and wherein a second wireless transmitter is adapted to wirelessly transmit audio signals from another of the at least two input sources to a second wireless receiver or speaker.

28. The display device according to claim 27, wherein the first and second wireless transmitters simultaneously transmit the audio signals from the at least two media sources to the first and second wireless receivers or speakers.

29. The display device according to claim 27, wherein each of the first and second wireless transmitters are operatively coupled to a multiplexer for selecting the one or the other of the two input sources whose audio signals are to be wirelessly transmitted.

30. The display device according to claim 26, wherein the portion of the assembly housing is mounted in a headrest of the seat.

31. The display device according to claim 26, wherein the portion of the assembly housing is mounted in a body of the seat.

32. The display device according to claim 26, wherein the rear portion is mounted in the seat and the face portion is substantially flush with the outside surface of the seat.

33. The display device according to claim 32, wherein the face portion has a smaller thickness than the rear portion.

34. The display device according claim 32, further comprising a receiver located on the rear portion, wherein the receiver is operatively coupled to the at least two media sources through at least one wire positioned in the seat.

35. The display device according to claim 34, wherein the receiver receives at least one of the video and audio signals from the at least two media sources.

36. The display device according claim 32, further comprising a receiver located on the rear portion, wherein the receiver is operatively coupled to a vehicle power supply through at least one wire positioned in the seat.

37. The display device according to claim 26, wherein the at least two wireless transmitters are positioned on the face portion.

38. A display device for a vehicle having a seat, comprising:

an assembly housing, wherein the assembly housing is adapted to be mounted in the seat;

at least one media source operatively coupled to the display device for providing at least one of video and audio signals from the at least one media source to the display device; and

at least one wireless transmitter adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio signals to at least one wireless receiver or speaker, wherein the assembly housing includes a face portion and a rear portion, the face portion has a larger area than the rear portion, and the rear portion is positioned in a hole in the seat having an area substantially equal to that of the rear portion and the face portion rests outside of the hole on an outside surface of the seat, wherein the face portion protrudes beyond the outside surface of the seat, and wherein the rear portion is secured to an internal support structure of the seat.

39. The display device according to claim 38, wherein the assembly housing is mounted in a headrest of the seat.

40. The display device according to claim 38, wherein the assembly housing is mounted in a body of the seat.

41. The display device according to claim 38, wherein the internal support structure is a vertical support member within the seat.

42. The display device of according to claim 38, wherein the internal support structure is a horizontal support member within the seat.