Accessory device for mixing audio streams from two portable audio units, and broadcasting device comprising said accessory device

• US 9,178,921 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xavier Senemaud
• Original Assignee: Xavier Senemaud
• Inventors: Senemaud, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, REGINA NEAL
• Application Number:
  US13/635,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio

Abstract

An accessory device for a first portable audio unit, for sharing audio data between the first audio unit and a second portable audio unit, the accessory device including communication means linked to the audio input and arranged in such a way as to send the inherent audio stream originating from the portable audio unit to an accessory device linked to the second portable audio unit and to receive a third-party audio stream from said accessory device of the second portable audio unit, and mixing means arranged in such a way as to receive as input the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream, and to send as output, to the audio output, a mixed audio stream corresponding to a combination of the inherent audio stream and of the third-party audio stream.

Claims

1. An accessory device removably connected to a first portable audio unit, for sharing audio data between the first portable audio unit and a second portable audio unit, the accessory device comprising:

an audio input arranged to receive an inherent audio stream from the first portable audio unit;

an audio output arranged to connect to audio broadcasting means;

a communication means connected to the audio input and arranged for;

sending the inherent audio stream originating from the first portable audio unit to an accessory device connected to the second portable audio unit, and

receiving a third-party audio stream from said accessory device of the second portable audio unit; and

a mixing means for receiving the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream to produce a mixed audio stream, and sending the mixed audio stream corresponding to a combination of both the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream simultaneously to the audio output.

2. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing means are further arranged to transmit the mixed audio stream to the communication means.

3. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the accessory device further comprises visual identification means recognizable by a user of the second portable audio unit.

4. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing means comprises:

two attenuators arranged to receive both the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream as input arranged to attenuate sound volume of the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream to allow regulation of the sound volume of the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream; and

an adder arranged to add the attenuated audio streams as output of the attenuators to form the mixed audio stream.

5. The accessory device according to claim 4, wherein, each attenuator is set up by an attenuation rate defining the attenuation of the sound volume of the audio stream received as input of said attenuator, and the mixing means include a distribution actuator arranged to control the value of the attenuation rates of the attenuators.

6. The accessory device according to claim 5, wherein, when the attenuation rate of a first attenuator is determined, the attenuation rate of the second attenuator is automatically calculated so that the sound volume of the mixed audio stream presents, as output of the mixing means, a predetermined value independent from the attenuation rate of the first attenuator.

7. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the communication means are wireless communication means and comprise a radio transmitter and a radio receiver-arranged to send and receive without preliminary identification between a transmitter and a receiver.

8. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises means for locating the second unit transmitting the third-party audio stream.

9. The accessory device according to claim 8, wherein the location means comprise a directional antenna, a reception lobe of which is arranged to move around the position of the device.

10. The accessory device according to claim 8, wherein the accessory device further comprises recognition means, connected to said location means, and arranged to indicate to a user the relative position of the third-party with regard to the position of the accessory device.

11. The accessory device according to claim 1, further comprising a downlink audio canal with a downlink audio input capable of receiving an audio stream from a microphone and a downlink audio output capable of connecting to an audio input of the first portable audio unit.

12. The accessory device according to the claim 11, wherein the microphone is connected to the downlink audio input.

13. The accessory device according to claim 11, wherein the mixing means are further arranged to mix the audio stream of the microphone with the inherent audio stream, the third-party audio stream, or both the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream.

14. An audio broadcasting unit comprising an accessory device according to claim 1.

15. The audio broadcasting unit according to claim 14, wherein a recognition means are provided on a visible part of the audio broadcasting unit in a usage position.

16. A remote accessory device for a portable audio unit, the accessory device comprising:

an audio input removably connected to the portable audio unit and receiving an inherent audio stream from the portable audio unit;

an audio output connected to a speaker;

a communication module connected to the audio input, the communication module transmitting the inherent audio stream received from the portable audio unit to another portable audio unit, and receiving a third-party audio stream from the another portable audio unit; and

a mixer receiving the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream to produce a mixed audio stream, and outputting the mixed audio stream to the audio output, the mixed audio stream comprising a combination of both the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream simultaneously.

17. The remote accessory device of claim 16, wherein the mixer comprises a first attenuator attenuating a sound volume of the inherent audio stream at a first attenuation rate, a second attenuator attenuating a sound volume of the third party audio stream at a second attenuation rate, an equalizer modulating the sound volume of the inherent audio stream, and modulating the sound volume of the third-party audio stream, such that both the sound volumes of the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio streams is equal to a global volume, an adder combining attenuated sound volumes of the inherent audio stream and the third-party audio stream, and a distribution actuator simultaneously controlling the first attenuator and the second attenuator to modify the first attenuation rate and the second attenuation rate.

18. The remote accessory device of claim 17, wherein the distribution actuator is adjustable by a user to modify the value of the attenuation rate of the second attenuator for the third-party audio stream from 0% to 100%, and the attenuation rate of the first attenuator is attenuated correspondingly such that the mixed audio stream is equal to the global volume.

19. The remote accessory device of claim 16, wherein the communication module comprise a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, arranged to send and receive without preliminary identification between another radio transmitter and another radio receiver of another portable unit.

20. The remote accessory device of claim 16, further comprising a downlink vocal audio communication channel with a downlink audio input receiving an audio stream from a microphone to the mixer.