Wireless audio systems

• US 9,913,011 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Giuliani, Vincenzo, Jeon, David, Sanchez, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US14/599,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 381 77, 381 66, 381 81, 381 17, 381307, 381 717, 381 79, 381 80, 381 98, 381 2, 381 59
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A loudspeaker system can have first and second loudspeakers selectively operable in a single-channel mode or in a multi-channel mode. In the single-channel mode, the first and the second loudspeakers are configured to simultaneously reproduce a substantially identical signal. In the multi-channel mode, the first loudspeaker reproduces a first-channel signal and the second loudspeaker reproduces a second-channel signal. The first-channel signal and the second-channel signal can constitute respective portions of a multi-channel signal. Such loudspeaker systems can also have a mode selector configured to select one of the single-channel mode and the multi-channel mode. In some embodiments, such selection can occur in response to one or more detected proximities of another loudspeaker system. Multi-zone loudspeaker systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A wireless loudspeaker system selectively operable in a single-channel mode or in a multi-channel mode, the wireless loudspeaker system comprising:

a transceiver module configured to transmit and to receive wireless communication signals containing configuration information associated with the wireless loudspeaker system and/or another loudspeaker system; and

a configuration module configured to select one of a single-channel mode and a multi-channel mode based in part on configuration information contained in a wireless communication signal received from the other loudspeaker system.

2. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver module is configured to detect a presence of the peer transceiver module when the transceiver modules are spaced apart by no more than about 4 cm.

3. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 1, further comprising a link activator configured to establish a first peer-to-peer wireless communication link between the transceiver module and the other loudspeaker system, wherein the configuration module is further configured to configure a second peer-to-peer wireless communication link suitable for wirelessly communicating media information to the wireless loudspeaker system.

4. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 3, wherein the second peer-to-peer wireless communication link is further suitable for wirelessly communicating media information to the other loudspeaker system, and wherein the configuration module is further configured to at least partially configure the second peer-to-peer wireless communication link with regard to the other loudspeaker system.

5. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration module is further configured to select the single-channel mode or the multi-channel mode responsively to a number of times the transceiver module detects a presence of the other loudspeaker system.

6. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 1, further comprising first and second loudspeakers, wherein the loudspeakers synchronously reproduce a substantially identical signal in the single-channel mode, and wherein the first loudspeaker reproduces a first channel signal synchronously with a second-channel signal reproduced by the second loudspeaker in the multi-channel mode.

7. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver module is further configured to receive and/or to transmit a wireless signal containing media information.

8. A wireless loudspeaker system according to claim 7, wherein the configuration module is further configured to select the multi-channel mode responsive to the wireless loudspeaker system being paired with a wireless media player.

9. A loudspeaker system comprising

first and second loudspeakers selectively operable in a single-channel mode or in a multi-channel mode, wherein, in the single-channel mode, the first and the second loudspeakers are operatively coupled to each other such that each loudspeaker simultaneously reproduces a substantially identical signal, and wherein, in the multi-channel mode, the first and the second loudspeakers are operatively coupled to each other such that the first loudspeaker reproduces a first-channel signal and the second loudspeaker reproduces a second-channel signal, wherein the first-channel signal and the second-channel signal constitute respective portions of a multi-channel signal;

and

a mode selector configured to select one of the single-channel mode and the multi-channel mode in response to a proximity of another loudspeaker system being detected.

10. A loudspeaker system according to claim 9, further comprising a transceiver configured to receive and/or to transmit a wireless signal containing media information.

11. A loudspeaker system according to claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to pair with a wireless media player in response to a detected proximity of a wireless media player when the transceiver is not already paired with a media player, and wherein the mode selector is further configured to select the multi-channel mode when the transceiver is initially paired with the wireless media player.

12. A loudspeaker system according to claim 11, wherein the mode selector is further configured to select one of the single-channel mode and the multi-channel mode in response to the proximity of the other loudspeaker system being detected a respective number of times within a predetermined duration.

13. A loudspeaker according to claim 11, wherein, when paired with wireless media player, the transceiver is further configured to pair with the other loudspeaker system in response to a detected proximity of the other loudspeaker system.

14. A loudspeaker system according to claim 13, wherein the mode selector is further configured to select one of the single-channel mode and the multi-channel mode in response to the proximity of the other loudspeaker system being detected a selected number of times, respectively, within a predetermined duration.

15. A loudspeaker system according to claim 14, wherein the substantially identical signal simultaneously reproduced by the first and the second loudspeakers comprises a signal corresponding to one channel of a multi-channel signal received from the wireless media player.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing environment associated with a loudspeaker system to perform a method comprising:

wirelessly coupling the loudspeaker system to a wireless media player positioned at least temporarily within a close proximity of the loudspeaker system;

configuring the loudspeaker system to operate in a single-channel mode or in a multi-channel mode in correspondence with a detecting a proximity of another loudspeaker system.

17. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the act of configuring the loudspeaker system comprises configuring the loudspeaker system to reproduce a multi-channel audio signal received from the media player.

18. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the act of configuring the loudspeaker system comprises configuring the loudspeaker system to reproduce one channel of a multi-channel audio signal received from the media player.

19. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the act of configuring the loudspeaker comprises selecting the multi-channel mode responsive to the act of wirelessly coupling the loudspeaker system to the wireless media player.

20. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the act of configuring the loudspeaker comprises selecting the single-channel mode responsively to detecting the proximity of the other loudspeaker system a respective number of times within a predetermined time duration.