Remotely powered wireless microphone

• US 20070105524A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 2Wire, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 2Wire, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fullam, Scott, Hinman, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/268,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/343.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits

Abstract

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a remotely powered wireless microphone are described. The remotely powered wireless microphone circuit includes a resonant circuit tuned to a transmit frequency of a receiver station. The resonant circuit captures signal bursts from the receiver station. The resonant circuit includes a capacitive microphone element to modulate a resulting ringing of the circuit upon being energized by the signal bursts. The wireless microphone circuit also includes a transmitter circuit to transmit the modulated signal.

Claims

1. A wireless microphone circuit, comprising:

a resonant circuit tuned to a transmit frequency, the resonant circuit to capture and modulate signal bursts at the first transmit frequency; and

a re-transmitter circuit to transmit the modulated signal, wherein the wireless circuit receives energy needed to operate the resonant circuit solely via the captured signal bursts independent of a locally pre-stored power supply.

2. The circuit recited in claim 1, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitive microphone element to modulate the captured signal.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transmitter circuit comprises at least one non-linear component to create a second harmonic of the modulated signal.

4. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the capacitive microphone element modulates the captured signal through a change in capacitance of the microphone element.

5. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the capacitive microphone element modulates the captured signal by altering the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.

6. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the transmitter circuit comprises two diodes to form a full-wave rectifier circuit.

7. The circuit of claim 6, further comprising a battery source to forward bias the diodes.

8. The circuit of claim 7, further comprising a step up transformer circuit to drive the diodes.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the signal bursts from the receiver station are generated by spreading a single carrier signal over a wide band.

10. A communication system comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a re-occurring series of signal bursts at a transmit frequency;

a wireless microphone circuit to capture the transmitted signal bursts, modulate the captured signal, and transmit the modulated signal, wherein the wireless microphone circuit receives energy needed to operate solely via the captured signal bursts independent of a local power supply; and

a receiver to receive the modulated signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless microphone circuit comprises a resonant circuit tuned to a transmit frequency of the transmitter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the resonant circuit modulates the captured signal through a change in capacitance of a capacitive microphone element.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the capacitance of the capacitive microphone element changes as a function of sound pressure within a proximity of the microphone.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the resonant circuit modulates the captured signal by altering the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.

15. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the receiver is tuned to the frequency of the signal transmitted by the wireless microphone circuit.

16. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the wireless microphone circuit comprises two diodes, the diodes to create a second harmonic of modulated signal prior to transmission.

17. A method comprising:

transmitting a re-occurring series of signal bursts at a transmit frequency;

capturing and modulating the transmitted signal bursts prior to transmission, wherein the capture, modulation and transmission are conducted a wireless microphone circuit receives energy needed to operate solely via the captured signal bursts independent of a local power supply; and

receiving the modulated signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless microphone circuit comprises a resonant circuit to modulate the captured signal through a change in capacitance of a capacitive microphone element in the resonant circuit.

19. A communication system comprising:

a remote control comprising a wireless microphone circuit, comprising;

a resonant circuit tuned to a transmit frequency of a receiver station, the resonant circuit to capture signal bursts from the receiver station, the resonant circuit to modulate the captured signal; and

a transmitter circuit to transmit the modulated signal, wherein the resonant circuit receives energy needed to operate the resonant circuit solely via the captured signal bursts independent of a local power supply; and

a set top box comprising the receiver station.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the resonant circuit modulates the captured signal through a change in capacitance of a capacitive microphone element.