DISTRIBUTED WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEM WITH LIGHT SHOW

• US 20150215691A1
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Milne, James R., Richman, Steven Martin, Zustak, Frederick J., CARLSSON, Gregory Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0056 Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

In an audio speaker network, the individual speakers of the network have lamps on them that are controlled to present a light show in synchrony with the audio being played by the system.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by a processor;

at least one processor configured for accessing the computer readable storage medium to execute the instructions to configure the processor for;

sending lamp control signals to at least a first lamp on a housing of a first speaker in a network of speakers; and

sending lamp control signals to at least a second lamp on a housing of a second speaker in the network of speakers.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the lamp control signals cause the lamps to be energized and deenergized in synchrony with the a beat associated with audio played on the system.

3. The device of claim 1, comprising plural lamps on each housing.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the lamps are fixedly attached to the housings.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one lamp is removably attached to the respective housing, the lamp being removably attached in that it may be engaged and disengaged with the housing using hand pressure without the need for a tool.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the lamps are light emitting diodes (LED).

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each speaker is associated with a network address such that it may addressed separately from the other speakers in the network to energize its respective lamp independently of other lamps of other respective speakers in the network.

8. Method comprising:

establishing a lamp energization program at least in part based on audio played on plural audio speakers in a network of speakers; and

sending respective lamp control signals to respective lamps on respective speakers in the network of speakers according to the lamp energization program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the lamp energization program is based on a rhythm of the audio.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising sending lamp control signals to plural lamps on each speaker.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the lamps are fixedly attached to the speakers.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one lamp is removably attached to the respective speaker, the lamp being removably attached in that it may be engaged and disengaged with the speaker using hand pressure without the need for a tool.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the lamps are light emitting diodes (LED).

14. The method of claim 8, comprising addressing the lamp control signals to network addresses of the respective speakers.

15. System comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by a processor which is configured for accessing the computer readable storage medium to execute the instructions to configure the processor for;

controlling respective lamps on respective audio speakers in an audio speaker network to present a light show in synchrony with audio being played by the audio speaker network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to send to the lamps lamp control signals to cause the lamps to be energized and deenergized in synchrony with the a beat associated with audio played on the system.

17. The system of claim 15, comprising the speakers and plural lamps on each speaker.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the lamps are fixedly attached to the speakers.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one lamp is removably attached to the respective speaker, the lamp being removably attached in that it may be engaged and disengaged with the speaker using hand pressure without the need for a tool.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein each speaker is associated with a network address such that it may addressed separately from the other speakers in the network to energize its respective lamp independently of other lamps of other respective speakers in the network.