Sharing public addressing system using personal communication devices in an ad-hoc network

• US 9,131,317 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheth, Soham V., Trando, Huey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thinh T
• Application Number:
  US13/275,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 381/82, 381/80, 381/81, 381/91, 434/350, 455/517, 455/435, 455/422
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic
• 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 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• 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

A method, system, and computer program product for using a personal communication device as a microphone in a seminar or conference setting. A client is electrically connected to a PA system and one of many hosts can access the PA system by associating with the client. The association can be transferred by the client or the host. Tokens can be generated for each transfer and a map can be created and stored.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage media comprising program instructions which are computer-executable to implement a use of a personal communication device as a microphone in a public addressing system, the public addressing system enabling a speaker to address multiple persons located in a single venue via a loudspeaker and at least one first host, the non-transitory storage media comprising:

program instructions that provide a configuration of a client electrically connected to an audio system of the public addressing system;

program instructions that cause an association of the client with the at least one first host;

program instructions that request association between the client and at least one second host;

program instructions that cause a generation of a permission to transfer the association from the at least one first host to the at least one second host;

program instructions that cause the association to be handed over by the at least one first host to the at least one second host; and

program instructions that cause audio and data to be sent by the at least one second host to the client, and audio to the audio system of the public addressing system for transmission over the loudspeaker;

wherein the program instructions that cause the association to be handed over comprises program instructions that cause a first token to be sent to the at least one second host.

2. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the at least one first host and the at least one second host are designated hosts.

3. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the at least one first host comprises a designated host and the at least one second host comprises a non-designated host.

4. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 further comprising program instructions that cause a disassociation of the at least one first host from the client.

5. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the program instructions that cause a permission to be generated comprises program instructions that cause the at least one second host to request the permission from the at least one first host.

6. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the program instructions that cause a permission to be generated comprises program instructions that cause the client to request the permission from the at least one first host.

7. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the program instructions that cause the association to be handed occupy a predetermined time interval.

8. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the program instructions that cause the association to be handed over comprises a termination instruction.

9. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the client generates the first token and sends the first token to the at least one second host.

10. The non-transitory storage media of claim 9 further comprising program instructions that cause a map to be created of the sent first token, the at least one first host and the at least one second host.

11. The non-transitory storage media of claim 10 wherein the program instructions that cause a map to be created comprises program instructions that cause the map to be updated upon transfer of the association.

12. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 further comprising program instructions that cause a termination of the association of the at least one second host and a handover of the association to at least one third host.

13. The non-transitory storage media of claim 12 further comprising program instructions that cause the client to generate a second token and to send the second token to the at least one third host and to update a map.

14. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 further comprising program instructions that cause the at least one first host to retrieve the association at will.

15. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 further comprising program instructions that cause a callback of the at least one second host upon receipt of a response from the at least one first host.

16. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 further comprising program instructions that cause the requests for the association to be stored in a database.

17. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 wherein the program instructions that cause the association to be requested further comprises program instructions that cause a profile to be sent of the at least one second host.

18. The non-transitory storage media of claim 1 further comprising program instructions that cause the at least one first host to call back the client to allow the access to the at least one second host.

19. A system for using a personal communication device as a microphone in a public addressing system, the public addressing system enabling a speaker to address multiple persons located in a single venue via a loudspeaker and at least one first host, the system comprising:

a client electrically connected to an audio system of the public addressing system;

means for causing an association of the client with the at least one first host;

means for requesting association between the client and at least one second host;

means for causing a generation of a permission to transfer the association from the at least one first host to the at least one second host;

means for causing the association to be handed over by the at least one first host to the at least one second host; and

means for causing audio and data to be sent by the at least one second host to the client, and audio to the audio system of the public addressing system for transmission over the loudspeaker;

wherein the means for causing the association to be handed over comprises means for causing a first token to be sent to the at least one second host.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the at least one first host and the at least one second host are designated hosts.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the at least one first host comprises a designated host and the at least one second host comprises a non-designated host.

22. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for disassociating the at least one first host from the client.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for causing the generation of the permission comprise means for causing the at least one second host to request the permission from the at least one first host.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for causing the generation of the permission comprise means for causing the client to request the permission from the at least one first host.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for causing the first host to hand over the association employs a termination instruction.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the client is configured to generate the first token and send the first token to the at least one second host.

27. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for creating a map of the sent first token, the at least one first host and the at least one second host.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the means for creating the map are configured to update the map upon transfer of the association.

29. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for terminating the association of the at least one second host and handing over the association to at least one third host.

30. The system of claim 19 wherein the client is further configured to generate a second token and to send the second token to the at least one third host and to update a map.

31. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for causing the at least one first host to retrieve the association at will.

32. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for causing a callback of the at least one second host upon receipt of a response from the at least one first host.

33. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for storing the requests for the association in a database.

34. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for causing the at least one first host to call back the client to allow the access to the at least one second host.

35. A method for using a personal communication device as a microphone in a public addressing system, the public addressing system enabling a speaker to address multiple persons located in a single venue via a loudspeaker and at least one first host, comprising:

providing a configuration of a client electrically connected to an audio system of the public addressing system;

causing an association of the client with the at least one first host;

requesting association between the client and at least one second host;

causing a generation of a permission to transfer the association from the at least one first host to the at least one second host;

causing the association to be handed over by the at least first host to the at least one second host; and

causing audio and data to be sent by the at least one second host to the client, and audio to the audio system of the public addressing system for transmission over the loudspeaker;

wherein causing the association to be handed over comprises causing a first token to be sent to the at least one second host.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the at least one first host and the at least one second host are designated hosts.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the at least one first host comprises a designated host and the at least one second host comprises a non-designated host.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising causing a disassociation of the at least one first host from the client.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein causing the generation of the permission comprises causing the at least one second host to request the permission from the at least one first host.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein causing the generation of the permission the permission to transfer comprises causing the client to request the permission from the at least one first host.

41. The method of claim 35 further comprising creating a map of the sent first token, the at least one first host and the at least one second host.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein creating the map comprises updating the map upon transfer of the association.

43. The method of claim 35 further comprising terminating the association of the at least one second host and handing over the association to at least one third host.

44. The method of claim 35 further comprising generating a second token at the client, sending the second token to the at least one third host, and updating a map.

45. The method of claim 35 further comprising causing the at least one first host to retrieve the association at will.

46. The method of claim 35 further comprising causing a callback of the at least one second host upon receipt of a response from the at least one first host.

47. The method of claim 35 further comprising storing the requests for the association in a database.

48. The method of claim 35 further comprising sending a profile of the at least one second host.

49. The method of claim 35 further comprising causing the at least one first host to call back the client to allow access to the at least one second host.

50. The method of claim 35 wherein causing the handing over of the association occupies a predetermined time interval.

51. The method of claim 35 wherein causing the first token to be sent comprises generating the first token by the client and sending the first token by the client to the at least one second host.