Wireless digital transmission system for loudspeakers

• US 8,428,273 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nathan, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): FAULK, DEVONA E
• Application Number:
  US11/714,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20070160224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: 381 77- 85, 381/117, 340/310.1, 340/310.12, 340/310.01, 340/310.02
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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

This invention relates to a wireless digital transmission system for loudspeakers comprising:

• • compression means for the file representing the digital audio signal of the “compact disc” type, a transmission device comprising means of converting this compressed signal into a series signal moving by packets going to a modulator circuit with phase quadrature and means of transmitting the signals exiting the modulator circuit with phase quadrature to the domestic network for feeding electricity;
  • a receiving device comprising means of connecting to this domestic network and of extracting from the feed electrical signal, by a demodulator with phase quadrature, data packets moving the digital audio signal to convert it into a parallelized digital signal sent to a decompression circuit;
  • means of converting the decompressed digital signals into an analog signal intended to feed a loudspeaker after adequate amplification.

Claims

1. A method of activating loudspeakers in a loudspeaker system including a transmitting unit and a plurality of loudspeakers, each said loudspeaker having an individual receiving unit and an individual address associated therewith, the method comprising:

converting output information to be transmitted into packets, the packets including digital data having been compressed, serialized, and modulated for subsequent transmission;

addressing plural different audio signals to plural different loudspeakers;

transmitting, over AC power lines, the packetized information including packetized data corresponding to the plural different audio signals to the plural different loudspeakers;

receiving the packetized information via the receiving units provided to the loudspeakers;

comparing the addresses associated with the packetized information with the address associated with the receiving units receiving the information; and

when one of the addresses associated with the packetized information corresponds to the address associated with the receiving unit receiving the information, processing the packetized information in order to (a) demodulate, parallelize, and decompress the digital data, (b) convert the digital data from the packetized information into analog data, and (c) feed the analog data to the at least one loudspeaker for output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the output information converted into packets includes audio information and the method further comprises reproducing the audio information included in the packetized information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output information converted into packets includes commands for controlling a loudspeaker and the processing includes adjusting the loudspeaker in accordance with the commands for controlling a loudspeaker included in the packetized information.

4. The method of claim 3, further including receiving commands from a remote control unit, wherein the commands from the remote control unit are included in the information converted into packets and wherein the responding further includes controlling the loudspeaker in accordance with the commands from the remote control unit included in the packetized information.

5. A method of activating loudspeakers in a loudspeaker system including a transmitting unit and a plurality of loudspeakers, each said loudspeaker having an individual receiving unit and an individual address associated therewith, the method comprising:

converting output information to be transmitted into packets, the packets including digital data having been compressed, serialized, and modulated for subsequent transmission;

addressing plural different audio signals to plural different loudspeakers;

transmitting, over AC power lines, the packetized information including packetized data corresponding to the plural different audio signals to the plural different loudspeakers; and

causing the receiving units provided to the loudspeakers to each;

receive the packetized information,

compare the addresses associated with the packetized information with the address associated with the respective receiving unit receiving the information, and

when one of the addresses associated with the packetized information corresponds to the address associated with the receiving unit receiving the information, process the packetized information in order to (a) demodulate, parallelize, and decompress the digital data, (b) convert the digital data from the packetized information into analog data, and (c) feed the analog data to the at least one loudspeaker for output.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the output information converted into packets includes audio information, and the loudspeakers are configured to reproduce the audio information included in the packetized information as a result of the processing.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the output information converted into packets includes commands for controlling a loudspeaker and the processing includes adjusting the loudspeaker in accordance with the commands for controlling a loudspeaker included in the packetized information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving units provided to the loudspeakers are further caused to respond to commands from a remote control unit, wherein the commands from the remote control unit are included in the information converted into packets and wherein the responding further includes controlling the loudspeaker in accordance with the commands from the remote control unit included in the packetized information.

9. A method of activating loudspeakers in a loudspeaker system including a transmitting unit and a plurality of loudspeakers, each said loudspeaker having an individual receiving unit and an individual address associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving over AC power lines packetized information via the receiving units provided to the loudspeakers, the packetized information including packets corresponding to converted output information and digital data having been compressed, serialized, and modulated for subsequent transmission, the packetized data being addressed with the address of one or more loudspeakers;

comparing the one or more addresses associated with the packetized information with the address associated with the receiving units receiving the information; and

when one of the one or more addresses associated with the packetized information corresponds to the address associated with the receiving unit receiving the information, processing the packetized information in order to (a) demodulate, parallelize, and decompress the digital data, (b) convert the digital data from the packetized information into analog data, and (c) feed the analog data to the at least one loudspeaker for output,

wherein plural different audio signals are addressed to plural different loudspeakers and packetized data corresponding to the plural different audio signals is addressed to the plural different loudspeakers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the output information converted into packets includes audio information and the method further comprises reproducing the audio information included in the packetized information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the output information converted into packets includes commands for controlling a loudspeaker and the processing includes adjusting the loudspeaker in accordance with the commands for controlling a loudspeaker included in the packetized information.

12. The method of claim 11, further including receiving commands from a remote control unit, wherein the commands from the remote control unit are included in the information converted into packets and wherein the responding further includes controlling the loudspeaker in accordance with the commands from the remote control unit included in the packetized information.