Audio system for an aircraft

• US 9,712,684 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Cotdeloup, Fabrice, Gauduin, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US15/056,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 379156, 379164, 379165, 379166, 37916701, 37916702, 37926713, 37916714, 37916715, 379171, 379172, 379173, 379160, 455500, 455509, 455511, 455515, 455516
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/02 with bell or annunciator systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An audio system for an aircraft of the type which includes radiocommunications units and a management unit to which are connected by cables, pieces of audio equipment. Each audio equipment piece includes a generator which, under control of the control unit, is configured to generate a pulsed coded audio signal and inject the signal into a same cable as that used for conveying the audio signals coming from the audio unit of the audio equipment, each code formed by a pulsed coded audio signal being representative of a piece of audio equipment. The audio system includes a decoder for receiving and decoding a coded audio signal generated by a piece of audio equipment and for generating a logic control signal to activate the radiocommunications unit which has previously been associated with the audio equipment represented by the code of the coded audio signal received and decoded.

Claims

1. An audio system for an aircraft, comprising:

a management unit to which are connected, by cables, at least one piece of audio equipment and at least one radiocommunications unit;

each piece of audio equipment comprising an audio unit for generating audio signals and a control unit;

wherein each piece of audio equipment comprises a generator which, under control of the control unit, is configured to generate a pulsed coded audio signal and to inject the signal into a same cable as that used for conveying the audio signals coming from the audio unit of the audio equipment, each code formed by a pulsed coded audio signal being representative of a piece of audio equipment; and

wherein the audio system comprises a decoder which, on reception of a coded audio signal generated by a piece of audio equipment, is configured to decode the coded audio signal and generate a logic control signal to activate the radiocommunications unit which has previously been associated with the audio equipment represented by the code of the coded audio signal received and decoded.

2. The audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pulsed coded audio signal is constituted by at least one fundamental audio signal of predetermined frequency from among a set of different frequencies transmitted over a predetermined duration.

3. The audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pulsed coded audio signal is constituted by a sequence of several combinations of a number of fundamental audio signals of different frequencies transmitted simultaneously for each combination over a predetermined duration.

4. The audio system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each fundamental audio signal corresponds to a symbol belonging to an alphabet, and each combination of fundamental audio signals corresponds to a word and each sequence of combinations of fundamental audio signals corresponds to a code word, each code word corresponding to a specified piece of audio equipment or to a particular action of a specified piece of audio equipment.

5. The audio system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pulsed coded audio signal comprises a sequence of two combinations of two fundamental audio signals having different frequencies transmitted simultaneously for each combination over a predetermined duration.

6. The audio system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the decoder is a selective calling system and a code word corresponding to a specified piece of audio equipment or to a particular action of a piece of audio equipment comprises a same symbol in each combination of the same sequence forming the code word.

7. The audio system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each combination of fundamental audio signals corresponds to a symbol belonging to an alphabet and in that each sequence of combinations of fundamental audio signals corresponds to a code word, each code word corresponding to a specified piece of audio equipment or to a particular action of a specified piece of audio equipment.

8. The audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a duration of the pulsed coded audio signals is less than 100 ms.

9. The audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the management unit comprises the decoder.

10. The audio system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of decoders each associated with a respective radiocommunications unit of a plurality of radiocommunications units.