Method and system for visual indication of the function of wireless receivers and a wireless receiver

• US 8,531,267 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Andersen, Marinus
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US11/882,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.7, 340/5.33, 340/7.2, 340/7.61, 340/7.62, 340/4.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.16, 340/539.24, 340/573.1, 340/635, 340/815.47
• US Class Current: 340/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means

Abstract

A method for visual indication of the function of wireless receivers where a wireless signal is transmitted to a group of receivers, and where each receiver intermittently flashes a visual indicator when a wireless signal is received, whereby the intermittence and flashing of the visual indicators of the receivers are synchronized.

Claims

1. A method for visual confirmation of the functioning of wireless receiver in a classroom, the method comprising:

generating a wireless FM signal comprising a carrier signal in a teacher unit including a transmitter;

transmitting from the transmitter said wireless FM signal to a group of student units, each including a receiver;

receiving said wireless FM signal by the receivers in the student units;

detecting presence of said carrier signal in the received wireless FM signal;

initiating a timer in each receiver of the group of receivers responsive to the detected presence of said carrier signal;

intermittently flashing a visual indicator of each receiver that has initiated its respective timer, based on an output signal of said respective timer; and

synchronizing the flashing with the activation of said signal indicating the presence of the carrier signal, wherein

the intermittence and flashing of the visual indicators of the receivers are synchronized with each other based on the detected carrier signal indicating the presence of the carrier signal, and

the timer is based on a clock of an FM system in each receiver.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the wireless FM signal transmitted to the group of receivers includes a control signal used by each receiver to control the flashing of the visual indicator.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an LED light is provided as the visual indication.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating comprises:

modulating the carrier signal with an audio signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

activating an audio output device of each receiver responsive to the detected presence of said carrier signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the audio output device of each receiver is muted in the absence of the carrier signal.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initiating a timer comprises:

resetting a counter to an initial value.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scaling an output of an FM clock in each receiver; and

providing the scaled output of the FM clock in each receiver to a counter in each receiver.

4. A classroom amplification system, comprising:

a teacher unit including a transmitter for wireless transmission of an FM wireless signal comprising a carrier signal, the transmitter configured to transmit the FM wireless signal; and

a group of individual student units, each including a receiver, each receiver including

a receiving unit configured to receive the FM wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter,

a detector configured to detect presence of said carrier signal in the FM wireless signal,

a timer configured to receive a result from the detector indicating the presence of said carrier signal and configured to be initiated responsive to said result, and

a visual indicator configured to flash intermittently in response to a signal from the timer, wherein

the intermittence and flashing of the visual indicators of the student units are synchronized with each other based on the detected carrier signal indicating the presence of the carrier signal, and

the timer used for controlling the flashing of the visual indicator in each receiver is configured to receive a signal from a clock of an FM system in each receiver.

5. The classroom amplification system as claimed in claim 4, wherein

a control signal is provided from the transmitter for controlling the flashing of the visual indication in each receiver.

6. The classroom amplification system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a LED light is provided in each receiver as the visual indicator.

13. The classroom amplification system according to claim 4, wherein

the transmitter modulates the carrier signal with an audio signal to generate the FM wireless signal,

the detector or each receiver converts the received FM wireless signal to an audio signal, and

each receiver outputs the audio signal as sound perceivable to a user of the receiver.

14. The classroom amplification system according to claim 13, wherein

each receiver activates an audio output device responsive to the detected presence of said carrier signal.

15. The classroom amplification system according to claim 14, wherein

the audio output device of each receiver is muted in the absence of the carrier signal.

7. A sound amplification unit, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a wireless FM signal comprising a carrier signal, the receiver including

a receiving unit configured to convert the wireless FM signal to an audio signal which is servable to an individual in a manner perceivable as sound;

a detector configured to detect presence of the carrier signal in the FM wireless signal;

a timer configured to receive a result from the detector indicating the presence of said carrier signal and configured to be initiated responsive to said result;

a visual indicator configured to flash intermittently in response to a signal from the timer, wherein

the timer is initiated at the reception of said initiation signal,

the intermittence and flashing of the visual indicator of the sound amplification unit is synchronized with visual indicators of other sound amplification units based on the detected carrier signal indicating the presence of the carrier signal,

the receiver is an FM receiver,

the receiver further comprises an FM clock, and

the timer comprises a counter, which is clocked by a signal from the FM clock.

16. The sound amplification unit according to claim 7, wherein the receiver further comprises:

an audio output device configured to output an audio signal modulating the carrier signal in the wireless FM signal, wherein

the audio output device is muted responsive to a lack of a detection of the carrier signal by the detector.