Wireless audio distribution system with range based slow muting

• US 7,937,118 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Unwired Technology, LLC (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Dauk, Michael A., Coutinho, Roy S., Mu, Chenpeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/933,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/570, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/90.3, 455/550.1, 455/3.01, 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A wireless audio distribution system includes a wireless headset for receiving a serial, digital bitstream including control data interspersed with digital data related to the audio channels, a manual audio channel selector switch; a manual volume adjustment control, an error detector and a muting circuit selectively reducing the volume level of the audio reproduced by the wireless headset in multiple steps based on errors detected by the error detector.

Claims

1. A wireless audio distribution system, comprising:

a source of multiple audio channels;

a source of control data related to reproduction of audio represented by the audio channels;

a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a serial, digital bitstream including the control data interspersed with digital data related to the audio channels;

a wireless headset for receiving the bitstream;

an audio channel selector switch mounted on the wireless headset for manual selection of one of the multiple audio channels to be reproduced by the wireless headset as audio in accordance with the control data related thereto;

a volume adjustment control mounted on the wireless headset for manual adjustment of a volume level of the audio reproduced by the wireless headset;

an error detector; and

a muting circuit selectively reducing the volume level of the audio reproduced by the wireless headset in multiple steps based on errors detected by the error detector.

2. A wireless audio distribution system, comprising:

a transmitter system, wherein the transmitter system comprises;

a signal processor, wherein the signal processor is configured to combine control data with a plurality of channels of audio data to form a serially encoded digital bitstream; and

a transmitter communicably connected to the signal processor, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the serially encoded digital bitstream; and

a receiver system wirelessly connected to the transmitter system, wherein the receiver system comprises;

a multi-channel headset, wherein the headset comprises;

a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted serially encoded digital bitstream;

an error detector communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the error detector is configured to detect one or more errors in the received bitstream;

a switch communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the switch is configured to select amongst the plurality of channels of audio data in the received bitstream;

a sound producing device communicably connected to the switch, wherein the sound producing device is configured to produce sound based on a selected channel of audio data; and

a muting device communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the muting device is configured to incrementally reduce a volume level of the sound produced by the sound producing device based on the one or more errors detected by the error detector.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal processor comprises an encoder.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal processor comprises a digital signal processor.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the transmitter system further comprises a second receiver communicably connected to the signal processor and wirelessly connected to the receiver system.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the error detector comprises a digital signal processor.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the muting device comprises a digital signal processor.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the headset further comprises a second switch communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the second switch is configured to adjust the volume level of the sound produced by the sound producing device.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the headset further comprises a second transmitter communicably connected to the error detector and wirelessly connected to the transmitter system.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the headset further comprises a noise cancellation system communicably connected to at least one of the following:

the receiver;

the switch; and

the sound producing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the noise cancellation system comprises a correction table generator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the noise cancellation system further comprises a microphone communicably connected to the correction table generator.

13. A multi-channel headset, comprising:

a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a wirelessly transmitted serially encoded digital bitstream, the bitstream comprising control data interspersed with a plurality of channels of audio data;

an error detector communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the error detector is configured to detect one or more errors in the received bitstream;

a switch communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the switch is configured to select amongst the plurality of channels of audio data in the received bitstream;

a sound producing device communicably connected to the switch, wherein the sound producing device is configured to produce sound based on a selected channel of audio data; and

a muting device communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the muting device is configured to incrementally reduce a volume level of the sound produced by the sound producing device based on the one or more errors detected by the error detector.

14. The headset of claim 13, wherein the error detector comprises a digital signal processor.

15. The headset of claim 13, wherein the muting device comprises a digital signal processor.

16. The headset of claim 13, wherein the headset further comprises a second switch communicably connected to the receiver, wherein the second switch is configured to adjust the volume level of the sound produced by the sound producing device.

17. The headset of claim 13, wherein the headset further comprises a transmitter communicably connected to the error detector, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit information.

18. The headset of claim 13, wherein the headset further comprises a noise cancellation system communicably connected to at least one of the following:

the receiver;

the switch; and

the sound producing device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the noise cancellation system comprises a correction table generator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the noise cancellation system further comprises a microphone communicably connected to the correction table generator.