Audio home network system

• US 8,725,277 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: NetStreams LLC (Clearone Incorporated)
• Inventors: Braithwaite, Michael, Cardenas, Herman
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ping
• Application Number:
  US12/015,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,309 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/77, 381 80- 82, 381/85, 381/55
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network

Abstract

This disclosures describes an audio home network system 20. The system 20 includes the following: a home network backbone 200; a plurality of network speakers 100 operating in a multi speaker session; and an audio source device 300 that provides digital audio to the network speakers wherein the digital audio is in a compressed format. The network speakers 100 further include a microphone that may be used for receiving and or gathering control information from said network speakers surroundings. And, the network speakers 100 send control information to other devices on the home network backbone 200. In addition, the network speakers 100 operate in either a master mode or a slave mode where a first network speaker operates in the master mode and a second or subsequent network speaker operates in the slave mode. The audio home network system 20 optimizes the audio for the network speakers 100 current location.

Claims

1. An audio home network system that includes a plurality of network speaker nodes operating in a multi speaker session with a first master network speaker and a second or subsequent slave network speaker, comprising:

a home network backbone;

a plurality of network speaker nodes operating in a multi speaker session with a first master network speaker and a second or subsequent slave network speaker that couple to said home network backbone;

said network speaker nodes further comprise;

an embedded controller with memory and which is programmed to function as a web server;

a pre-amplifier that couples to a digital signal processor and adjusts and filters the analog audio signal and an amplifier that couples to said pre-amplifier and amplifies the analog audio signal, said pre-amplifier further comprises an electronic crossover for frequency division;

speaker sensors that include a microphone used for receiving and or gathering control information that enables internal auto adjustment by frequency separation to enhance speaker protection and performance from said network speaker nodes surroundings;

a speaker/microphone driver that couples to said amplifier and provides the external connection to the speaker/microphone components for the analog audio signal;

said network speaker nodes send control information to other devices on said home network backbone; and

wherein said network speaker nodes operate in either a master mode or a slave mode wherein;

said first master network speaker node operates in the master mode and originates, calculates and distributes multi session clock information for control; and

said second or subsequent slave network speaker node that operates in the slave mode and receives the multi session clocking information from said first master network speaker node; and

an audio source device that couples to said home network backbone, said audio source device provides digital audio to said network speaker nodes wherein the digital audio is in a compressed format;

wherein the audio home network system optimizes the audio for said network speaker nodes current location.

2. The claim according to claim 1 wherein said audio source device further comprises a legacy audio source device and or a digital audio source device.

3. The claim according to claim 1 wherein the compressed format of the digital audio uses one of the following digital audio compression techniques:

MPEG Layer-III (MP3), MPEG-2 AAC, ATRACK3, WMA, (WMAPro) Ogg Vorbis, Corona, Dolby Digital, MPSPro, G2, ATRACK3, or MP3PRO.

4. The claim according to claim 1 wherein said audio source device and or said network speaker nodes are controlled by an IR, RF, or voice commands.

5. The claim according to claim 1 wherein said network speaker nodes couple to said home network backbone through a wired and or a wireless interface.

6. The claim according to claim 1 wherein said control information comprises differential masking information.

7. The claim according to claim 1 wherein said audio source device is located on the Internet and couples to said home network backbone through an internet interface.

8. A method to make an audio home network system that includes a plurality of network speaker nodes operating in a multi speaker session with a first master network speaker and a second or subsequent slave network speaker, comprising:

providing a home network backbone;

coupling a plurality of network speaker nodes operating in a multi speaker session with a first master network speaker and a second or subsequent slave network speaker to said home network backbone;

said network speaker nodes further comprise;

said network speaker nodes further comprise;

an embedded controller with memory and which is programmed to function as a web server;

a pre-amplifier that couples to a digital signal processor and adjusts and filters the analog audio signal and an amplifier that couples to said pre-amplifier and amplifies the analog audio signal, said pre-amplifier further comprises an electronic crossover for frequency division;

speaker sensors that include a microphone used for receiving and or gathering control information that enables internal auto adjustment by frequency separation to enhance speaker protection and performance from said network speaker nodes surroundings;

a speaker/microphone driver that couples to said amplifier and provides the external connection to the speaker/microphone components for the analog audio signal;

said network speaker nodes send control information to other devices on said home network backbone; and

wherein said network speaker nodes operate in either a master mode or a slave mode wherein;

said first master network speaker node operates in the master mode and originates, calculates and distributes multi session clock information for control; and

said second or subsequent slave network speaker node that operates in the slave mode and receives the multi session clocking information from said first master network speaker node; and

coupling an audio source device to said home network backbone, said audio source device provides digital audio to said network speaker nodes wherein the digital audio is in a compressed format;

wherein the audio home network system optimizes the audio for said network speaker nodes current location.

9. The claim according to claim 8 wherein said audio source device further comprises a legacy audio source device and or a digital audio source device.

10. The claim according to claim 8 wherein the compressed format of the digital audio uses one of the following digital audio compression techniques:

MPEG Layer-III (MP3), MPEG-2 AAC, ATRACK3, WMA, (WMAPro) Ogg Vorbis, Corona, Dolby Digital, MPSPro, G2, ATRACK3, or MP3PRO.

11. The claim according to claim 8 wherein said audio source device and or said network speaker nodes are controlled by an IR, RF, or voice commands.

12. The claim according to claim 8 wherein said network speaker nodes couple to said home network backbone through a wired and or a wireless interface.

13. The claim according to claim 8 wherein said control information comprises differential masking information.

14. The claim according to claim 8 wherein said audio source device is located on the Internet and couples to said home network backbone through an internet interface.

15. A method to use an audio home network system that includes a plurality of network speaker nodes operating in a multi speaker session with a first master network speaker and a second or subsequent slave network speaker, comprising:

operating a home network backbone that includes a plurality of network speaker nodes operating in a multi speaker session with a first master network speaker and a second or subsequent slave network speaker that couple to said home network backbone;

said network speaker nodes further comprise;

an embedded controller with memory and which is programmed to function as a web server;

a pre-amplifier that couples to a digital signal processor and adjusts and filters the analog audio signal and an amplifier that couples to said pre-amplifier and amplifies the analog audio signal, said pre-amplifier further comprises an electronic crossover for frequency division;

speaker sensors that include a microphone used for receiving and or gathering control information that enables internal auto adjustment by frequency separation to enhance speaker protection and performance from said network speaker nodes surroundings;

a speaker/microphone driver that couples to said amplifier and provides the external connection to the speaker/microphone components for the analog audio signal;

said network speaker nodes send control information to other devices on said home network backbone; and

wherein said network speaker nodes operate in either a master mode or a slave mode wherein;

said first master network speaker node operates in the master mode and originates, calculates and distributes multi session clock information for control; and

said second or subsequent slave network speaker node that operates in the slave mode and receives the multi session clocking information from said first master network speaker node; and

providing digital audio to said network nodes with an audio source device that couples to said home network backbone wherein the digital audio is in a compressed format;

wherein the audio home network system optimizes the audio for said network speaker nodes current location.

16. The claim according to claim 15 wherein said audio source device further comprises a legacy audio source device and or a digital audio source device.

17. The claim according to claim 15 wherein the compressed format of the digital audio uses one of the following digital audio compression techniques:

MPEG Layer-III (MP3), MPEG-2 AAC, ATRACK3, WMA, (WMAPro) Ogg Vorbis, Corona, Dolby Digital, MPSPro, G2, ATRACK3, or MP3PRO.

18. The claim according to claim 15 wherein said audio source device and or said network speaker nodes are controlled by an IR, RF, or voice commands.

19. The claim according to claim 15 wherein said network speaker nodes couple to said home network backbone through a wired and or a wireless interface.

20. The claim according to claim 15 wherein said control information comprises differential masking information.

21. The claim according to claim 15 wherein said audio source device is located on the Internet and couples to said home network backbone through an internet interface.