Wireless multi-user audio system

• US 8,744,087 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revolabs, Inc. (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: REVO Labs Incorporated
• Inventors: Bodley, Martin Reed, Carney, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US13/147,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20120014534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 381/10, 381/27, 381/77, 381/80, 381/85, 379/399.01, 375/227, 700/94, 455450-455
• US Class Current: 381/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

Various methods and devices are provided for a wireless audio system for a number of users. The system includes a base unit that is adapted to removably store, recharge and communicate with various communication modules, including personal microphone modules, table-top microphones, and audio adapters. The system also includes a plurality of personal microphone modules that are each adapted to be removable and coupled, for example, to a user'"'"'s clothing, and further, are adapted to communicate wirelessly with the base unit, and table-top microphones that are adapted to communicate wirelessly with the base unit.

Claims

1. A wireless audio system, comprising:

a base unit configured to support a fixed number of audio channels and to removably store, recharge, and communicate with each one of a plurality of wireless microphones, the base unit having a channel density controller operating to control the number of audio channels available to an uplink separately from the number of audio channels available to a downlink in a bi-directional wireless audio link assigned to each one of the plurality of the wireless microphones;

wherein the number of wireless microphones that can communicate with the base unit at a point in time is determined by the number of audio channels available to each of the bi-directional links.

2. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein the wireless microphone is adapted to be removably coupled to a user, and to communicate wirelessly with the base unit.

3. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein a wireless audio adapter is configured to removably couple to the wireless microphone and to communicate wirelessly with the base unit.

4. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein each wireless microphone is mutable.

5. The wireless audio system of claim 4, wherein the mutable wireless microphone is a directional microphone.

6. The wireless audio system of claim 4, wherein the wireless microphone is automatically muted when the wireless microphone is removed from the base unit.

7. The wireless audio system of claim 4, wherein each wireless microphone further comprises a microphone mute-status indicator.

8. The wireless audio system of claim 7, wherein the microphone mute-status indicator comprises an indicator light carried by the wireless microphone.

9. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein a wireless link is automatically established between the wireless microphone and the base unit when the wireless microphone is removed from the base unit.

10. The wireless audio system of claim 9, wherein the wireless link is automatically terminated when the wireless microphone that had been removed from the base unit is returned to the base unit.

11. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein the base unit performs audio mixing and automatic gain control for the wireless microphones that are wirelessly linked to the base unit.

12. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein each wireless microphone uniquely registers with the base unit, is inactivated, and uniquely registers with a further base unit.

13. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a muting controller that is configured to select a muting scheme to control an audio channel to each wireless microphone to selectively mute the wireless microphone.

14. The wireless audio system of claim 13, wherein the muting controller mutes one or more of the wireless microphones by blocking the audio signal from the wireless microphone.

15. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein each wireless microphone includes a battery that can be charged wirelessly.

16. The wireless audio system of claim 15, wherein the base unit includes an inductive antenna configured to wirelessly communicate with an inductive receiver in the wireless microphone to allow for wireless charging of the wireless microphone.

17. The wireless audio system of claim 1, wherein the number of channels available to each one of the wireless microphones is user selectable.