Cognitive loudspeaker system

• US 9,282,418 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kit S. Tam
• Original Assignee: Kit S. Tam
• Inventors: Tam, Kit S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US13/098,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A cognitive loudspeaker system including a control station that communicates wirelessly and bi-directionally with a plurality of sound production stations. The control station and the sound production stations are initially synchronized to a conductor clock. Configuration information is then transmitted from the sound production stations to the control station. In response, the control station generates playback executables, which are transmitted to the sound production stations. The control station also transmits digital audio information to the sound production stations. Within each sound production station, the previously received playback executable is used to control the decoding and processing of the received digital audio information. Each sound production station generates digital audio output samples, which are converted to analog output signals. These analog output signals are amplified and are used to drive loudspeakers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting configuration information from a first sound production station to a first control station, wherein the configuration information defines operating characteristics of the first sound production station;

compiling a first playback executable in the first control station based on the configuration information and a playback source format of the first control station;

wirelessly transmitting a the first playback executable from a the first control station to a the first sound production station;

storing the first playback executable in the first sound production station;

wirelessly transmitting digital audio information from the first control station to the first sound production station; and

decoding the digital audio information with a playback processor within the first sound production station, wherein the first playback executable controls the playback processor to decode the digital audio information in accordance with the playback source format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating digital audio samples with the playback processor in response to the digital audio information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising converting the digital audio samples into an analog output signal within the first sound production station.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

amplifying the analog output signal; and

driving a speaker with the amplified analog output signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of decoding the digital audio information with the playback processor comprises extracting digital audio samples associated with a defined frequency range from the digital audio information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the digital audio information from the first control station in response to a first conductor clock signal generated within the first control station;

receiving the digital audio information with the first sound production station in response to a second conductor clock signal generated within the first sound production station; and

synchronizing the first conductor clock signal and the second conductor clock signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information identifies a playback channel of the first sound production station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes a processing delay associated with the first sound production station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the digital audio information using a complementary frequency hopping pulse modulation (CFHPM) scheme.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a second playback executable from the first control station to a second sound production station, wherein the first playback executable is generated based on the playback source format of the first control station;

storing the second playback executable in the second sound production station;

wirelessly transmitting the digital audio information from the first control station to the second sound production station; and

decoding the digital audio information with a second playback processor within the second sound production station, wherein the second playback executable controls the second playback processor to decode the digital audio information in accordance with the playback source format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first playback executable is different than the second playback executable.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising synchronizing decoded digital audio information provided by the first and second playback processors to a common clock.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein second playback executable is wirelessly transmitted from the first control station to the second sound production station after the first playback executable is wireless transmitted from the first control station to the first sound production station.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting configuration information from the first sound production station to the first control station; and

then

transmitting configuration information from the second sound production station to the first control station; and

generating the first and second playback executables in the first control station in response to the configuration information received from the first and second sound production stations.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a second playback executable from the first control station to the first sound production station, wherein the second playback executable is generated based on a second playback source format of the first control station;

storing the second playback executable in the first sound production station;

wirelessly transmitting second digital audio information from the first control station to the first sound production station; and

decoding the second digital audio information with the playback processor within the first sound production station, wherein the second playback executable controls the playback processor to decode the second digital audio information in accordance with the second playback source format.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising

wirelessly transmitting a second playback executable from a second control station to the first sound production station, wherein the second playback executable is generated based on a second playback source format of the second control station;

storing the second playback executable in the first sound production station;

wirelessly transmitting digital audio information from the second control station to the first sound production station; and

decoding the digital audio information transmitted by the second control station with the playback processor within the first sound production station, wherein the second playback executable controls the playback processor to decode the digital audio information transmitted by the second control station in accordance with the second playback source format.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing playback system information in the first control station, wherein the playback system information identifies parameters associated with the transmission of the digital audio information from the first control station to the first sound production station; and

transferring the playback system information from the first control station to the second control station.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the digital audio information in the first sound production station in response to a first clock signal; and

processing the digital information within the playback processor in response to a second clock signal, which is faster than the first clock signal.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a digital audio stream with the first control station, wherein the digital audio stream has a first coding format;

translating the digital audio stream from the first coding format to a second coding format within the first control station, thereby creating the digital audio information.

20. A cognitive loudspeaker system comprising:

a control station having a transceiver that wirelessly transmits digital audio information and a plurality of playback executables, and receives configuration information, wherein each of the plurality of playback executables is compiled by the control station based on a playback source format of the digital audio information and the received configuration information; and

a plurality of sound production stations, each having a transceiver that receives a corresponding one of the plurality of playback executables and the digital audio information wirelessly transmitted from the control station, and each having a playback processor controlled by the corresponding one of the plurality of playback executables to decode the digital audio information in accordance with the playback source format, wherein each of the sound production stations generates an audible output in response to the received digital audio information, and wherein each transceiver of the sound production stations wirelessly transmits configuration information defining operating characteristics of the corresponding sound production station to the control station.