Audio apparatus, audio signal transmission method, and audio system

• US 8,705,780 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Yoon, Eung-sik, Kang, Yong-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin, Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US13/895,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20130251178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 381/311, 381/306, 381/307, 381/300, 381/2, 381/80, 381/105, 381/6, 381/16, 381/14, 381/77, 381/79, 381/18
• US Class Current: 381/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/005 of the pseudo five- or more-channel type, e.g. virtual surround

Abstract

An audio apparatus, an audio signal transmission method, and an audio system are provided. The audio signal transmission method includes: wirelessly receiving an audio signal from a first external device; converting the received audio signal into audio signals of multi-channels; and wirelessly transmitting an audio signal of at least one of the multi-channels to at least one of second external devices. Therefore, the audio apparatus wirelessly communicates with a plurality of external devices, and thus a user can connect an audio device to an external device without using wired cables.

Claims

1. An audio signal transmission method, comprising:

receiving an audio signal from a first external device;

converting a number of channels associated with the received audio signal to obtain audio signals of multi-channels; and

transmitting a first audio signal, of the audio signals of the multi-channels, to a second external device,

wherein the number of channels associated with the received audio signal is different from a number of channels associated with the audio signals of multi-channels.

2. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by a speaker, a second audio signal of the audio signals of the multi-channels, without externally transmitting the second audio signal.

3. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the audio signal received from the first external device is a stereo channel audio signal; and

the converting converts the received stereo channel audio signal into a 5.1-channel audio signal.

4. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second audio signal is of at least one of a center channel and a front channel.

5. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second external device comprises a speaker which outputs at least one of rear channel audio signals and a subwoofer channel audio signal comprised in the first audio signal.

6. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the receiving the audio signal comprises receiving the audio signal in a radio communication between an audio apparatus and the first external device using time division multiplexing; and

the transmitting the first audio signal comprises transmitting the first audio signal in a radio communication between the audio apparatus and the second external device using the time division multiplexing.

7. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first external device is at least one of a television (TV), a computer, and an MPEG layer 3 (MP3) player.

8. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a third audio signal, of the audio signals of the multi-channels, to a third external device.

9. The audio signal transmission method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first audio signal is of at least one rear channel, and the third audio signal is of a subwoofer channel.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program executable by a computer for performing an audio signal transmission method, the audio signal transmission method comprising:

receiving an audio signal from a first external device;

converting a number of channels associated with the received audio signal to obtain audio signals of multi-channels; and

transmitting a first audio signal, of the audio signals of the multi-channels, to a second external device,

wherein the number of channels associated with the received audio signal is different from a number of channels associated with the audio signals of multi-channels.

11. An audio apparatus comprising:

a transmission and reception unit which receives an audio signal from a first external device;

an audio signal processor which is operable to process the received audio signal by performing signal processing to convert a number of channels associated with the received audio signal in order to obtain audio signals of multi-channels; and

a controller which controls the transmission and reception unit to transmit a first audio data, of the audio signal of the multi-channels, to a second external device,

wherein the number of the channels associated with the received audio signal is different from a number of channels associated with the audio signals of multi-channels.

12. The audio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

an audio output unit which outputs, through a speaker, a second audio data of the processed audio data of multi-channels.

13. The audio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the audio signal received from the first external device is a stereo channel audio signal; and

the audio signal processor converts the received stereo channel audio signal into a 5.1-channel audio signal.

14. The audio apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second audio data is of at least one of a center channel and a front channel.

15. The audio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second external device comprises a speaker which outputs at least one of rear channel audio signals and a subwoofer channel audio signal comprised in the first audio data.

16. The audio apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the external device is at least one of a television (TV), a computer, and an MPEG layer 3 (MP3) player.