Wireless audio system

• US 20050031127A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eleven Engineering Game Control LLC (Eleven Engineering Incorporated), Eleven Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eleven Engineering Game Control LLC (Eleven Engineering Incorporated), Eleven Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Hampson, Kip, Kruszewski, Lee, Gosior, Jason, Sobota, John
• Application Number:
  US10/936,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20050031127A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6072 of an input signal, e.g. pitch and rhythm extraction, voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A system for wireless transmission between a device such as a game controller and a base transceiver linked with a host device. Multiple controllers can be linked with the base transceiver through radio frequency transmission, and audio signals can be selectively transmitted therebetween. Audio commands can be introduced with manual controls at the controller for transmission to the base transceiver. Audio signals can be generated, mixed or otherwise processed by the combination of the host device and base transceiver for selective transmission to one or more controllers. The combination of manual switches, audio commands, and radio frequency transmission provides unique combinations of interaction between a person and the host device.

Claims

1. A system for wireless interaction between one or more operators and a program, said system comprising:

(a) a host device for supporting the program;

(b) a base transceiver engaged with or integrated within the host device, wherein the base transceiver comprises a processor core and a radio frequency transceiver; and

(c) one or more controllers each operable by an operator, each controller comprising;

c.1 a processor core;

c.2 a radio frequency transceiver for wireless communication with the base transceiver;

c.3 one or more control input and output interfaces; and

c.4 one or more audio input and output interfaces;

wherein;

(d) the base transceiver enables two or more controllers to be in radio frequency communication with the base transceiver;

(e) the radio frequency communication is bi-directional and carries all information in digital form;

(f) the radio frequency communication transports both the bi-directional control information and the bi-directional audio information between the base transceiver and the controller; and

(g) each audio interface comprises one or more analog-to-digital converters, one or more digital-to-analog converters, one or more microphones, and one or more speaker transducers.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein one or more error correction methods are used to improve the reliability of the radio frequency communication.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein digital audio compression techniques are used to reduce the required radio frequency communication data rate.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the processor cores is adapted to use multiple hardware threads to perform real time parallel tasks.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein the host is adapted to use the base transceiver to send different digital audio information to each controller.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to dynamically vary the audio data throughput rate of the digital audio information between two or more devices in one or both directions.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication link between the base transceiver and at least one of the controllers may optionally be bypassed with a hard wire connection.

8. A system for wireless interaction between one or more operators and a program, say system comprising:

(a) a host device for supporting the program;

(b) a base transceiver engaged with or integrated within said host device, said base transceiver comprising a processor core and a radio frequency transceiver;

(c) one or more controllers each operable by an operator, each controller comprising;

c.1 a processor core;

c.2 a radio frequency transceiver for wireless communication with said base transceiver; and

c.3 a control input and output interface or interfaces; and

(d) one or more headsets each operable by an operator, each headset comprising;

d.1 a processor core;

d.2 a radio frequency transceiver for wireless communication with said base transceiver;

d.3 one or more control input and output interfaces; and

d.4 at least one audio input and output interface;

wherein;

(e) the base transceiver enables two or more controllers to be in radio frequency communication with said base transceiver;

(f) the base transceiver enables two or more headsets to be in radio frequency communication with said base transceiver;

(g) the radio frequency communication is bi-directional and carries all information in digital form;

(h) the radio frequency communication transports both the bi-directional control information and the bi-directional audio information between the base transceiver and the controllers, and between the base transceiver and the headsets; and

(i) each audio interface comprises one or more analog-to-digital converters, one or more digital-to-analog converters, one or more microphones, and one or more speaker transducers.

9. A system as in claim 8, adapted to allow use one or more error correction methods to improve the reliability of the radio frequency communication.

10. A system as in claim 8, adapted to allow use of digital audio compression techniques to reduce the required radio frequency communication data rate.

11. A system as in claim 8, wherein at least one of the processor cores is adapted to use multiple hardware threads to perform real time parallel tasks.

12. A system as in claim 8, wherein the host is adapted to use the base transceiver to send different digital audio information to each headset.

13. A system as in claim 8, wherein the system is adapted to dynamically vary the audio data throughput rate of the digital audio information between two or more devices in one or both directions.

14. A system as in claim 8, wherein the radio frequency communication link between the base transceiver and at least one of the controllers may be bypassed with a hard wire connection, and wherein the radio frequency communication link between the base transceiver and at least one of the headsets may be bypassed with a hard wire connection.

15. A system as in claim 8, wherein the base transceiver logically associates each headset with a single controller, and wherein the association between each headset and the controller may be controlled by the operator.

16. A system for wireless interaction between one or more operators and a program, said system comprising:

(a) a host device for supporting the program;

(b) a base transceiver engaged with or integrated within the host device, said base transceiver comprising a processor core and a radio frequency transceiver;

(c) one or more controllers each operable by an operator, each controller comprising;

c.1 a processor core;

c.2 a radio frequency transceiver for wireless communication with the base transceiver; and

c.3 one or more control input and output interfaces; and

(d) one or more headsets each operable by an operator, each headset comprising;

d.1 a processor core;

d.2 a radio frequency transceiver for wireless communication with its corresponding controller;

d.3 one or more control input and output interfaces; and

d.4 one or more audio input and output interfaces;

wherein;

(e) the base transceiver enables two or more controllers to be in radio frequency communication with the base transceiver;

(f) the radio frequency communication is bi-directional and carries all information in digital form;

(g) the radio frequency communication transports both the bi-directional control information and the bi-directional audio information between the base transceiver and the controllers;

(h) the radio frequency communication transports both the bi-directional control information, if present, and the bi-directional audio information between each controller and its corresponding headset; and

(i) each audio interface comprises one or more analog-to-digital converters, one or more digital-to-analog converters, one or more microphones, and one or more speaker transducers.

17. A system as in claim 16, adapted to allow use one or more error correction methods to improve the reliability of the radio frequency communication.

18. A system as in claim 16, adapted to allow use of digital audio compression techniques are used to reduce the required radio frequency communication data rate.

19. A system as in claim 16, wherein at least one of the processor cores is adapted to use multiple hardware threads to perform real time parallel tasks.

20. A system as in claim 16, wherein the host is adapted to use the base transceiver to send different digital audio information to each headset via its associated controller.

21. A system as in claim 16, wherein the system is adapted to dynamically vary the audio data throughput rate of the digital audio information between two or more devices in one or both directions.

22. A system as in claim 16, wherein the radio frequency communication link between the base transceiver and at least one of the controllers may be bypassed with a hard wire connection, and wherein the radio frequency communication link between at least one of the controllers and its associated headset may be bypassed with a hard wire connection.