Virtual wireless multitrack recording system

• US 7,711,443 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zaxcom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zaxcom Incorporated
• Inventors: Sanders, Glenn Norman, Stark, Howard Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elbin; Jesse A
• Application Number:
  US11/181,062
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 455/351, 455/352, 700/94, 381/77, 381/80, 348/14.02, 348/14.05, 714/6, 714/20, 714/748
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 25/02 by signalling back receiving station to transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for wirelessly recording multi-track audio files without the data corruption or loss of data that typically occurs with wireless data transmission. In some aspects of the present invention, each performer is equipped with a local audio device capable of locally recording the respective performer'"'"'s audio while also transmitting it to a master recorder. The locally recorded audio may then be used to repair or replace any audio lost or corrupted during transmission to the master recorder. Such repair or replacement may be performed electronically or via playback of the locally recorded audio. In other aspects of the present invention, a master recorder is not required since all locally recorded audio may be combined or otherwise processed post-recording. A multi-memory unit is provided in another aspect of the present invention to facilitate manipulation and processing of audio files.

Claims

1. A system for recording locally generated audio comprising:

at least one master timecode generator for generating a plurality of master timecodes; and

at least one local audio device wearable by a creator of said locally generated audio including;

at least one local audio device receiver for wirelessly receiving said master timecodes;

at least one audio input port for receiving locally generated audio from an audio input device;

at least one memory;

at least one control unit in communication with said local audio device receiver, said audio input device, and said memory for creating local audio data from said locally generated audio and storing said local audio data in said memory; and

at least one local audio device wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting said local audio data in real time, said at least one local audio device wireless transmitter in communication with said at least one control unit;

wherein said local audio data includes stamped local audio data and unstamped local audio data;

wherein said stamped local audio data includes at least one timestamp to reference at least a portion of said local audio data to at least one of said master timecodes; and

wherein said unstamped local audio data does not include a reference to said master timecodes.

2. A system according to claim 1, said system further comprising:

at least one remote control unit having an RCU transmitter capable of transmitting digital commands;

wherein said remote control unit controls at least one function of said at least one local audio device via transmission of at least one of said digital commands.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one function includes at least one of the group consisting of playing of said locally generated audio data from said memory, enabling and disabling recording by said at least one local audio device, adjusting a transmitter frequency of said at least one local audio device, adjusting a frequency of said at least one local audio device receiver, enabling and disabling said at least one local audio device wireless transmitter of said at least one local audio device, adjusting a gain of said at least one audio input port, adjusting a high pass filter of said at least one local audio device, selecting record mode of said at least one local audio device, entering at least one master timecode value, storing data in protected areas of said at least one memory, requesting status of said at least one local audio device, and combinations thereof.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one remote control unit includes an external interface port for connection of said at least one remote control unit to an external interface selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a dumb terminal, a recorder, a receiver, and combinations thereof.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein connection of said at least one remote control unit to said external interface allows a user of said system to execute complex playback scenarios of said local audio data.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one function includes initiating audio playback of said local audio data of a plurality of said at least one local audio devices starting at the same time reference.

7. A system according to claim 1, said system further comprising:

at least one of the group consisting of a recorder, a receiver, and combinations thereof, said at least one of the group consisting of said recorder, said receiver, and combinations thereof coupled wirelessly to said at least one local audio device;

wherein said at least one local audio device transmits said local audio data to said at least one of the group consisting of said recorder, said receiver, and combinations thereof wirelessly via said at least one local audio device wireless transmitter.

8. A system according to claim 7, said system further comprising:

at least one remote control unit having an RCU transmitter capable of transmitting digital commands;

wherein said remote control unit controls at least one function of at least one of the group consisting of said at least one local audio device, said receiver, said recorder, and combinations thereof via transmission of at least one of said digital commands.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said remote control unit includes an external interface port for connection of said remote control unit to an external interface selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a dumb terminal, a recorder, a receiver, and combinations thereof.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein connection of said remote control unit to said external interface allows a user of said system to execute complex playback scenarios of said local audio data.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one function includes initiating audio playback of said local audio data of said at least one local audio device starting at a first time reference and initiating recording of said audio playback by said at least one of the group consisting of said receiver, said recorder, and combinations thereof in correct sequence with previously recorded local audio data.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said initiating of said audio playback and said initiating of said recording replaces data lost during recording of an audio event by said at least one of the group consisting of said receiver, said recorder, and combinations thereof.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein said initiating of said audio playback and said initiating of said recording is triggered automatically upon sensing an error in transmission.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said initiating of said audio playback and said initiating of said recording is performed immediately after sensing an error in transmission or at a conclusion of an audio event.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein said local audio data is combined electronically to create a single multi-track data file.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one memory is removable.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one control unit is a digital signal processor.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one local audio device further includes at least one audio output port for outputting said locally generated audio to an audio output device.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one local audio device is a body pack.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one local audio device receives said master timecodes via at least one of the group consisting of said local audio device receiver, said audio input port, said audio input device, and combinations thereof.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said at least one memory is one of the group consisting of a flash memory card, a compact flash memory card, a Universal Serial Bus thumb disk, and combinations thereof.

22. A system according to claim 1,

wherein said local audio data is stored in said at least one memory as an audio file;

and

wherein said first timestamp is implemented via storage of data of said master timecode in a header of said audio file.

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one local audio device receiver stores said master timecode in a buffer of said at least one local audio device receiver.

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one local audio device transmits said local audio data in digital form.

25. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one local audio device receiver wirelessly receives at least one of the group consisting of digital commands, said master timecodes, remotely generated audio, and combinations thereof.

26. A system according to claim 25, said system further comprising:

at least one remote control unit having an RCU transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting said at least one of the group consisting of said master timecodes, said digital commands, said remotely generated audio, and combinations thereof.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein said master timecode generator is integral to said remote control unit.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein said master timecode generator is coupled to said remote control unit via at least one of the group consisting of a wireless connection, a cable, and combinations thereof.