Method and apparatus for multiple audio outputs

• US 8,875,192 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Wadey, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US13/556,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 725 78- 85, 348563-565, 348731-738, 348/906, 333 78- 85, 333/133, 333/141
• US Class Current: 725/80
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/607 for more than one sound signal, e.g. stereo, multilanguages H04N5/602 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method for transmitting audio signals. The method of transmitting audio signals may include separately transmitting a video signal and an audio signal. Further, the method of transmitting audio signals may include transmitting a first video signal and a first audio signal to one component, transmitting a second video signal to the same component and separately transmitting a second audio signal to a second component.

Claims

1. A device for transmitting an audio stream separately from a video stream, comprising:

an input operative to receive a first and a second signal;

a signal processing section configured to generate a first video signal and a first audio signal from the first signal, and to generate a second video signal and a second audio signal from the second signal;

a first output configured to transmit a first output audio signal, the first video signal and the second video signal to at least a first display device;

a second output configured to transmit a second output audio signal; and

an interface section configured to select the first audio signal as the first output audio signal and to select the second audio signal as the second output audio signal, and the interface section further configured to select the second audio signal as the first output audio signal and the first audio signal as the second output audio signal upon receiving a first user command.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein the interface section is further configured to display the first video signal on a first region of the first display device and to display the second video signal on a second region of the first display device, and the interface section is further configured to display the first video signal on the second region of the first display device and to display the second video signal on the first region of the first display device upon receiving a second user command.

3. The device in claim 1, wherein the second output audio signal is a wireless transmission.

4. The device in claim 1, wherein the first video signal is associated with the first audio signal and the second video signal is associated with the second audio signal.

5. A device for transmitting information, the device comprising:

an enclosure surrounding at least a processing section and an interface section;

a first output from the enclosure, the first output configured to transmit a first output audio signal to a first receiving device; and

a second output from the enclosure, the second output configure to transmit a second output audio signal to a second receiving device;

wherein the processing section is configured to receive a toggle command;

wherein the interface section is configured to select a first audio signal as the first output audio signal and to select a second audio signal as the second output audio signal, and

wherein the interface section is further configured, in response to the toggle command, to select the second audio signal as the first output audio signal and to select the first audio signal as the second output audio signal.

6. The device in claim 5, wherein the first receiving device is a television and the second receiving device is a wireless headphone, and wherein the second output audio signal is a wireless signal.

7. The device in claim 5, wherein the first output is further configured to transmit a first video signal and a second video signal to the first receiving device, and wherein the first video signal is associated with the first audio signal and the second video signal is associated with the second audio signal.

8. An audio video system comprising:

a television configured to display a first video in a first region of a screen of the television and a second video on a second region of the screen, the television including;

at least an input connector configured to receive a first video signal, a second video signal and a first output audio signal, and

an audio speaker, the audio speaker configured to output the first output audio signal;

a device for transmitting audio and video stream, the device including

at least an output connector to transmit the first video signal, the second video signal and the first audio output signal to the television,

an output port configured to transmit a second output audio signal to an audio receiving device, and

a processing section configured to associate the first output audio signal with the first video and the second output audio signal with the second video; and

the audio receiving device configured to receive the second output audio signal,

wherein the processing section is further configured, upon receiving a toggle command, to associate the first output audio signal with the second video and the second output audio signal with the first video.

9. The system in claim 8, wherein the second output audio signal is a wireless signal.

10. The system in claim 8, wherein the first video is derived from the received first video signal and the second video is derived from the received second video signal.