System for audio-related device communication

• US 7,689,305 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, John, Stevenson, Andrew, Kreifeldt, Richard Allen, Shuttleworth, Timothy J., Zollinger, Howard Scott, Plunkett, William A., Werf, Bruce Vander
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders; Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US11/089,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 369/4, 381/119
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• 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

Abstract

A system for communication among audio-related devices in an audio system includes a performance equipment manager that communicates with audio-related devices to monitor and control changeable parameters of a corresponding audio-related device. Each of the audio-related devices includes an audio node structure having components that are representative of the functionality of the respective audio-related device. Some of the components are representative of changeable parameters in the audio-related device. The performance equipment manager is configured to be selectively subscribed to one or more of the changeable parameters so that when a predefined condition occurs, the audio-related device is configured to automatically provide the current value of the changeable parameter(s) to the performance equipment manager.

Claims

1. An audio system comprising:

an audio-related device that includes a hierarchical audio node structure indicative of the functionality of the audio-related device, where the hierarchical audio node structure includes components representative of changeable parameters in the audio-related device; and

a performance equipment manager configured to communicate with the audio-related device and provide a user interface to monitor and control the changeable parameters of the audio-related device based on the hierarchal node structure;

where the performance equipment manager is further configured to generate and transmit a subscribe message to the audio related device, the subscribe message comprising specification of one or more of the changeable parameters and a request to receive a value of the specified one or more changeable parameters upon a change in the value; and

where the audio related device is configured to subscribe the performance equipment manager to only the one or more of the changeable parameters in the audio-related device included in the subscribe message so that when the value of any one of the one or more of the changeable parameters changes, the audio-related device is further configured to provide the changed value for receipt by the performance equipment manager.

2. The audio system of claim 1, where the audio-related device is a plurality of audio related devices, each of which include a venue table that comprises a plurality of groups of stored changeable parameters that represent settings specific to the respective one of the audio-related devices in which the venue table is included, each group of settings associated with one of a plurality of respective venue setting group identifiers, the respective venue setting group identifiers being common venue setting identifiers for all of the plurality of audio-related devices, and where the performance equipment manager is further configured to transmit one of the respective venue setting group identifiers to direct all of the audio-related devices to each select and implement a corresponding one of the groups of settings from the venue table, based on a user selected operation of the audio system.

3. The audio system of claim 1, where the one or more of the changeable parameters identified in the subscribe message is a set of changeable parameters included in the audio-related device, and the audio-related device is configured to transmit the set of changeable parameters to the performance equipment manager when any one of the changeable parameters in the set changes.

4. The audio system of claim 3, where the performance equipment manager is configured to query the audio-related device for a value indicative of whether any one of the changeable parameters in the set of changeable parameters have changed since the last query, and query again if the values have changed.

5. The audio system of claim 1, where the audio-related device is configured to transmit a new value of a changeable parameter in a human readable format that is capable of display without further processing by the performance equipment manager.

6. The audio system of claim 1, where the performance equipment manager is configured to direct the audio-related device to set one of the changeable parameters to a value having a datatype known by the performance equipment manager based on the audio node structure.

7. The audio system of claim 1, where the performance equipment manager is configured to direct the audio-related device to set one of the changeable parameters to a value based on communication of a percentage of the value to the audio-related device.

8. The audio system of claim 7, where the percentage of the value is an amount of change in percent to an existing percentage stored in the performance equipment manager.

9. The audio system of claim 7, where the performance equipment manager is configured to adjust an indicator in the user interface based on the percentage of the value communicated to the audio-related device.

10. The audio system of claim 1, where in response to the subscribe message, the one or more of the changeable parameters are communicable from the audio-related device for receipt by the performance equipment manager when a pre-defined condition occurs other than when the value of any one of the one or more of the changeable parameters changes.

11. The audio system of claim 1, where the performance equipment manager is configured to determine a data type of at least one of the one or more of the changeable parameters by querying the audio-related device.

12. An audio system comprising:

a first audio-related device that includes a first audio node structure representative of functionality of the first audio-related device;

a second audio-related device in communication with the first audio-related device, where the second audio-related device includes a second audio node structure representative of functionality of the second audio-related device;

where the first and second audio node structures each include a plurality of components representative of changeable parameters in the respective first and second audio-related devices;

where a first changeable parameter included in the first audio-related device is configurable with a subscription request to be mapped to a second changeable parameter included in the second audio-related device so that a value of the second changeable parameter is communicated to the first changeable parameter in the first audio-related device;

where a third changeable parameter is included in the first audio-related device, and the first and third changeable parameters are configurable with the subscription request to be respectively mapped to the second changeable parameter and a fourth changeable parameter included in the second audio-related device so that a value of the second changeable parameter and the fourth changeable parameter are communicated to the first changeable parameter and the third changeable parameter, respectively, in the first audio-related device; and

where a data type of the second changeable parameter is a unit specific value unknown to the first audio-related device, the first changeable parameter is a percent, and the fourth changeable parameter is a human readable string format message indicative of the unit specific value.

13. The audio system of claim 12, where the second changeable parameter comprises a setpoint control input and the first changeable parameter comprises a setpoint configured to adjust an audio parameter in the first audio-related device.

14. The audio system of claim 12, where the second changeable parameter comprises an operational parameter of the second audio-related device and the first changeable parameter comprises a monitor value configured to be displayed with the first audio-related device to indicate the operational parameter of the second audio-related device.

15. The audio system of claim 13, where a fifth changeable parameter included in the first audio-related device is an output responsive to the first changeable parameter, where the fifth changeable parameter is configurable with the subscription request to be mapped to a sixth changeable parameter in the second audio-related device so that a value of the fifth changeable parameter is communicated to the sixth changeable parameter for display with the second audio-related device.

16. The audio system of claim 12, where the value of the second changeable parameter is communicated in response to a predetermined condition that is identified in the subscription request.

17. The audio system of claim 12, where the subscription request includes a component from the audio node structure of the first audio-related device to indicate a location of the first changeable parameter.

18. The audio system of claim 12, where the components of the audio node structure of each of the first and second audio-related devices are arranged in a three tier hierarchical structure comprising a state variable, and where the first changeable parameter and the second changeable parameter are each a respective state variable.

19. The audio system of claim 12, where the first changeable parameter is set to the value of the second changeable parameter in response to a pre-determined condition.

20. The audio system of claim 12, where the value of the second changeable parameter is a percentage, and the first changeable parameter is adjusted by the percentage.

21. The audio system of claim 12, further comprising a third audio-related device that includes a plurality of components representative of changeable parameters, where the second changeable parameter included in the second audio-related device is also configurable with a subscription request to be mapped to a fifth changeable parameter included in the third audio-related device so that the value of the second changeable parameter is also communicated to the fifth changeable parameter in the third audio-related device.

22. The audio system of claim 21, where the value of the second changeable parameter is mapped as a percentage to the first changeable parameter, and is mapped as a pre-determined data type to the fifth changeable parameter.

23. The audio system of claim 12, where the first audio related device is configured to transmit the subscription request in a subscription message to the second audio-related device.

24. The audio system of claim 12, where the second audio-related device is configured to convert the unit specific value to representation as a percentage and communicate the percentage and the human readable string format message to the respective first changeable parameter and the third changeable parameter of the first audio-related device based on the mappings, the first audio-related device configured to change a displayed indication of the second changeable parameter based on the percentage and display the human readable format message of the fourth changeable parameter without modification.

26. The audio system of claim 19, where the pre-determined condition is a change in the value.

27. The audio system of claim 19, where the pre-determined condition is expiration of a period of time.

28. The audio system of claim 19, where the pre-determined condition is communicated with a data type that is indicated in the subscription request.

25. An audio system comprising:

a first audio-related device that includes a first audio node structure representative of functionality of the first audio-related device; and

a second audio-related device in communication with the first audio-related device, where the second audio-related device includes a second audio node structure representative of functionality of the second audio-related device;

where the first and second audio node structures each include a plurality of components representative of changeable parameters in the respective first and second audio-related devices,

where the components of the audio node structure of the first and second audio-related devices are arranged in a three tier hierarchal structure comprising a virtual device in a first tier and a plurality of state variables that are each a changeable parameter in a third tier, and where the subscription request is mapped to all of the state variables when the virtual device is included in the subscription request; and

where a first changeable parameter included in the first audio-related device is configurable with a subscription request to be mapped to a second changeable parameter included in the second audio-related device so that a value of the second changeable parameter is communicated to the first changeable parameter in the first audio-related device.

29. An audio system comprising:

a performance equipment manager; and

an audio-related device configured to communicate with the performance equipment manager;

where the audio-related device includes a plurality of audio-related settings represented with an audio node structure;

where the performance equipment manager is configured to be selectively subscribed to at least one of the audio-related settings with a subscription message indicative of a portion of the audio node structure that represents the at least one of the audio-related settings, and the audio-related device is configured to maintain a list of audio-related settings to which the performance equipment manager is subscribed; and

where the audio-related device is a plurality of audio-related devices that each include a different respective venue table, where each different respective venue table includes a plurality of groups of stored audio-related settings specific to a respective one of the audio-related devices, each of the groups of stored audio-related settings corresponding to different venue setting group identifiers that are common among the audio-related devices and are included in each different respective venue table of the audio-related devices.

30. The audio system of claim 29, where the audio-related device is further configured to communicate each of the audio-related settings in the list to the performance equipment manager when a predetermined condition is met.

31. The audio system of claim 30, where the predetermined condition is one of a change in the at least one of the audio-related settings and a predetermined period of time.

32. The audio system of claim 29, where the audio-related device is configured to prioritize the list of audio-related settings so that communication of more important audio-related settings occurs ahead of lower priority audio-related settings.

33. The audio system of claim 29, where a new value of one of the audio-related settings is provided to the performance equipment manager in a form of a percentage that is useable by the performance equipment manager to adjust an existing value of said one of the audio-related settings.

34. The audio system of claim 33, where the performance equipment manager is further configured to set one of the audio-related settings in the audio-related device with a feedback value in response to adjustment of the existing value.

35. The audio system of claim 29, where the subscription message configures the audio-related device to communicate the at least one of the audio-related settings to the performance equipment manager and further configures the performance equipment manager to store the at least one of the audio-related settings.

36. The audio system of claim 29, where in response to the subscription message, the at least one of the audio-related settings is communicable from the audio-related device to the performance equipment manager when a pre-defined condition occurs.

37. The audio system of claim 29, where the performance equipment manager is configured to determine a data type of the at least one of the audio-related settings by querying the audio-related device.

38. The audio system of claim 29, where the performance equipment manager is configured to receive percentages representative of the respective at least one of the audio-related settings.

39. The audio system of claim 29, where at least some of the respective audio related settings in each of the plurality of audio-related devices are set by the performance equipment manager to one of the groups of stored audio-related settings by transmission of a corresponding one of the different venue setting group identifiers to the plurality of audio-related devices.

40. An audio system comprising:

a performance equipment manager; and

an audio-related device configured to communicate with the performance equipment manager;

where the audio-related device includes a plurality of audio-related settings represented with an audio node structure; and

where the performance equipment manager is configured to be selectively subscribed to receive at least one of the audio-related settings of the audio-related device with a subscription request message indicative of the portion of the audio node structure that represents the at least one of the audio-related settings, where the at least one of the audio-related settings is a changeable value and the performance equipment manager includes a storage location for receipt of the changeable value, and the audio-related device is configured to maintain a list of audio-related settings to which the performance equipment manager is subscribed, and

where the performance equipment manager is configured generate the subscription request message to include identification of the changeable value and the storage location, the subscription request message transmittable to the audio-related device.

41. The audio system of claim 40, where the subscription request message comprises a request to receive the changeable value only upon a change in the changeable value.

42. The audio system of claim 40, where the subscription request message comprises a request to receive the changeable value only upon occurrence of a predefined condition other than a change in the changeable value.

43. The audio system of claim 40, where the subscription request message comprises a request to receive the changeable value upon occurrence of a predefined condition other than a change in the changeable value, and upon a change in the changeable value.

44. The audio system of claim 40, where the list of audio-related settings comprises identification of only the audio-related settings to be provided for receipt by the performance equipment manager upon occurrence of a predetermined condition.

45. An audio system comprising:

a performance equipment manager; and

an audio-related device configured to communicate with the performance equipment manager;

where the audio-related device includes a plurality of audio-related settings represented with an audio node structure; and

where the performance equipment manager is configured to be selectively subscribed to at least one of the audio-related settings with a subscription message indicative of the portion of the audio node structure that represents the at least one of the audio-related settings, and the audio-related device is configured to maintain a list of audio-related settings to which the performance equipment manager is subscribed, and

where the performance equipment manager is further configured to generate the subscription message to include identification of a storage location where the at least one of the audio-related settings is storable upon receipt by the performance equipment manager.

46. The audio system of claim 45, where the performance equipment manager is further configured to receive a subscription response message that includes a value of the at least one of the audio-related settings.

47. The audio system of claim 45, where the list of audio-related settings comprises identification of only the audio-related settings to be provided for receipt by the performance equipment manager upon occurrence of a predetermined condition.

48. An audio system comprising:

a first audio-related device that includes a first audio node structure representative of functionality of the first audio-related device, where the first audio node structure includes a first state variable;

a second audio-related device in communication with the first audio-related device, where the second audio-related device includes a second audio node structure representative of functionality of the second audio-related device, where the second audio node structure includes a second state variable with a data type unknown to the first audio related device;

where, based on a subscription message, the first audio related device is configured to set the second state variable, and the second audio-related device is configured to output a value of the second state variable responsive to the second state variable being set, and where the value is a human readable string since the data type of the second state variable is unknown to the first audio-related device.

49. The audio system of claim 48, where the second state variable is set with a percentage since the data type of the second state variable is unknown by the first audio-related device.

50. The audio system of claim 48, where the first audio related device is configured to query the second audio related device to determine the data type of the second state variable, and then set the second state variable with the predetermined data type.

51. The audio system of claim 49, where the second audio-related device is configured to determine a unit specific value of the second state variable from the percentage and to-output the unit specific value as the value of the second state variable.

52. An audio system comprising:

a first audio-related device that includes a first audio node structure representative of functionality of the first audio-related device;

a second audio-related device in communication with the first audio-related device, where the second audio-related device includes a second audio node structure representative of functionality of the second audio-related device;

where the first and second audio node structures each include a plurality of components representative of changeable parameters in the respective first and second audio-related devices; and

where a first changeable parameter included in the first audio-related device is configurable with a subscription request to be mapped to a second changeable parameter included in the second audio-related device so that a value of the second changeable parameter is communicated to the first changeable parameter in the first audio-related device; and

a performance equipment manager in communication with the first audio-related device and the second audio-related device,

where the first audio-related device further includes a first venue table having a first group of venue settings associated with a venue setting group identifier, and the second audio-related device further includes a second venue table having a second group of venue settings associated with the venue setting group identifier;

where the first group of venue settings are pre-stored parameters that correspond to at least some changeable parameters in the first audio node structure, and the second group of venue settings are pre-stored parameters that correspond to at least some changeable parameters in the second audio node structure, where at least some changeable parameters are different in the first and second audio-related devices; and

where at least some changeable parameters in the first audio node structure are set to the first venue settings, and at least some changeable parameters in the second audio node structure are set to the second venue settings in response to receipt by the performance equipment manager of a user entry of the venue setting group identifier.

53. An audio system comprising:

a performance equipment manager; and

an audio-related device configured to communicate with the performance equipment manager;

where the audio-related device includes a plurality of audio-related settings represented with an audio node structure;

where the performance equipment manager is configured to be selectively subscribed to at least one of the audio-related settings with a subscription message indicative of a portion of the audio node structure that represents the at least one of the audio-related settings, and the audio-related device is configured to maintain a list of audio-related settings to which the performance equipment manager is subscribed; and

where the subscription message is a percent subscribe message since a data type of the at least one of the audio related settings is unknown to the performance equipment manager, and where a change in a value of the at least one of the audio-related settings and a human readable format message indicative of the changed value in a unit specific format is provided by the audio-related device to the performance equipment manager, the change in the unit specific value represented with a percentage determined by the audio-related device from the unit specific value and used by the performance equipment manager to adjust an indicator of the one of the audio-related settings based on the percentage, and where the performance equipment manager is further configured to display the human readable format message in an as-received format.