Audio adaptor and method

• US 9,699,564 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Brunswick Community College
• Original Assignee: New Brunswick Community College
• Inventors: McIver, Jr., William J., Daigle, Jonathan, Hay, Noah
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DAVID L
• Application Number:
  US14/953,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20170019736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 381119, 379 52, 379 8813, 379 8814, 379 9315, 37910013
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

An audio adaptor and method of communication is provided. The audio adaptor includes a first connector for connecting to a source of audio, a second connector for connecting to a telephone, a third connector for connecting to an audio output device, and an attenuator connected to the first connector and the second connector. The method involves receiving a first audio signal at a line level from the source of audio, receiving a second audio signal at the line level from a telephone, transmitting the first audio signal and the second audio signal at the line level to an audio output device, attenuating the first audio signal from the line level to a microphone level and transmitting the attenuated first audio signal.

Claims

1. An audio adaptor comprising:

a first connector for connecting to a source of audio, the first connector configured to receive a first audio signal at a line level from the source of audio;

a second connector for connecting to a telephone, the second connector configured to receive, from the telephone, a second audio signal at the line level from the telephone and to transmit, to the telephone, the first audio signal at a microphone level;

a third connector for connecting to an audio output device, the third connector configured to transmit the first audio signal and the second audio signal at the line level to the audio output device; and

an attenuator connected to the first connector and the second connector, the attenuator for attenuating the first audio signal from the line level to the microphone level.

2. The audio adaptor of claim 1, wherein the attenuator comprises a voltage reducer to reduce a voltage of the first audio signal.

3. The audio adaptor of claim 1, further comprising a mixer in communication with the first connector, the second connector and the third connector, the mixer configured to combine the first audio signal received from the first connector and the second audio signal received from the second connector to generate a combined audio signal for output to the third connector.

4. The audio adaptor of claim 3, further comprising an amplifier configured to amplify the combined audio signal.

5. The audio adaptor of claim 1, wherein the third connector is configured to connect to headphones.

6. The audio adaptor of claim 5, wherein the third connector is configured to provide stereo output to the headphones.

7. The audio adaptor of claim 6, wherein a first channel of the stereo output is configured to output the first audio signal and a second channel of the stereo output is configured to output the second audio signal.

8. The audio adaptor of claim 1, wherein the second connector is a four-conductor connector.

9. The audio adaptor of claim 1, wherein the first connector is configured to connect to a text-to-speech device.

10. The audio adaptor of claim 9, wherein the text-to-speech device is a tablet computer.

11. The audio adaptor of claim 1, further comprising a digital-signal processor for receiving a digital signal from the first connector.

12. A method of communication, the method comprising:

receiving a first audio signal at a line level from a source of audio via a first connector connected to the source of audio;

receiving a second audio signal at the line level from a telephone via a second connector connected to the telephone;

transmitting the first audio signal and the second audio signal at the line level to an audio output device via a third connector;

attenuating the first audio signal from the line level to a microphone level using an attenuator connected to the first connector and the second connector; and

transmitting the first audio signal at the microphone level to the telephone.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein attenuating comprises reducing a voltage of the first audio signal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising combining the first audio signal received from the first connector and the second audio signal received from the second connector to generate a combined audio signal for output to the third connector.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising amplifying the combined audio signal.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising connecting the third connector to headphones.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing stereo output to the headphones.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the first audio signal and the second audio signal comprises outputting the first audio signal to a first channel of the stereo output and outputting the second audio signal to a second channel of the stereo output.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising connecting the first connector to a text-to-speech device.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the first audio signal comprises receiving a digital signal.