Audio video system with embedded wireless host and wireless speakers
View Patent ↗An audio video system is described that includes an AV receiver with a wireless audio module (WAM) host and without audio amplifier functionality. The system further includes a plurality of wireless speakers each having a WAM device to enable unidirectional or bidirectional communications with the WAM host. Each wireless speaker includes an amplifier that may be matched to a driver of the speaker to optimize the frequency response of the driver.
1. A system, comprising:
an audio video (AV) receiver with a wireless audio module (WAM) host and without a centralized audio amplifier functionality, the WAM host being implemented using a point-to-multipoint network topology using an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) host/device architecture,
wherein the WAM host including
a first microprocessor,
an audio-in first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer coupled with a digital audio input, the audio-in FIFO buffer coupled with a first input and a first output of the first microprocessor,
a first packet memory operative for packet storage and coupled with a second output of the first microprocessor, and
an UWB host coupled with an output of the first packet memory and bi-directionally coupled with the first microprocessor, the UWB host operative to wirelessly transmit digital audio received on the digital audio input; and
a plurality of wireless speakers each having a WAM device configured for bi-directional communication with the WAM host over a wireless link between each WAM device and the WAM host, wherein each wireless speaker includes an amplifier to amplify communications received from the WAM host and to which at least a part of the centralized audio amplifier functionality is distributed,
wherein each WAM device including
an UWB device operative to wirelessly receive the digital audio transmitted by the UWB host,
a second packet memory operative for packet storage and coupled with an output of the UWB device,
a second microprocessor bi-directionally coupled with the UWB device and with an output of the second packet memory, and
an audio-out FIFO buffer coupled with an input and an output of the second microprocessor, and the audio-out FIFO buffer coupled with a digital audio output operative to output the digital audio.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein functionality of the AV receiver is located in one of a TV, a DVD player, and an integrated TV/DVD player.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the AV receiver has a functionality of a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) AV receiver.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the functionality of the HDMI AV receiver is located in one of a HDMI TV, a HDMI DVD player, and an integrated HDMI TV/DVD player.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wireless speakers comprise a front left speaker, a front right speaker, a center speaker, a surround left speaker, a surround right speaker, and a first low frequency effect (LFE) speaker.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of wireless speakers further comprise a side left surround speaker, a side right surround speaker, and a second LFE speaker.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bi-directional communication comprises a plurality of digital channels.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each wireless speaker comprises an amplifier matched to a driver of the speaker to optimize the frequency response of each driver.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one wireless speaker comprises a plurality of drivers and a plurality of amplifiers with each amplifier being matched to a driver to optimize the frequency response of each driver.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein a wireless communication sent from each WAM device to the WAM host over the wireless link includes data selected from the group consisting of acknowledgement of data transfer, application specific information, and packet reception reliability statistics.
11. A method for optimizing wireless audio communications, comprising:
detecting at least one wireless audio module (WAM) device with each WAM device located in a wireless speaker, wherein each wireless speaker includes an amplifier matched to an associated driver to optimize frequency response of each driver,
wherein each WAM device including a first microprocessor, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) device bi-directionally coupled with the first microprocessor, and an audio-out first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer electrically coupled with a first input and a first output of the first microprocessor and electrically coupled with a digital audio output; and
sending at least one wireless audio signal from a WAM host located in a transceiver that is included in audio video (AV) receiver without a centralized audio amplifier functionality to the each WAM device, the WAM host being implemented using a point-to-multipoint network topology using the UWB host/device architecture, the each WAM device configured for bi-directional communication with the WAM host using a wireless link between the each WAM device and the WAM host,
wherein the WAM host including a second microprocessor, an UWB host bi-directionally coupled with the second microprocessor, and an audio-in FIFO buffer electrically coupled with an input and an output of the second microprocessor and electrically coupled with a digital audio input, and wherein at least a part of the centralized audio amplifier functionality is distributed to the wireless speaker.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one wireless speaker comprises a plurality of drivers and a plurality of amplifiers with each driver being matched to an amplifier to optimize the frequency response of the driver.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a wireless communication sent from each WAM device to the WAM host over the wireless link includes data selected from the group consisting of acknowledgement of data transfer, application specific information, and packet reception reliability statistics.
14. A system, comprising:
a display including an audio video (AV) receiver without a centralized audio amplifier functionality and having a wireless audio module (WAM) host and without a central audio amplifier, the WAM host being implemented using a point-to-multipoint network topology using an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) host/device architecture,
wherein the WAM host including
a first microprocessor,
an audio-in first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer coupled with a digital audio input, the audio-in FIFO buffer coupled with a first input and a first output of the first microprocessor,
a first packet memory operative for packet storage and coupled with a second output of the first microprocessor, and
an UWB host coupled with an output of the first packet memory and bi-directionally coupled with the first microprocessor, the UWB host operative to wirelessly transmit digital audio received on the digital audio input; and
a plurality of wireless speakers each having a WAM device configured for bi\-directional communications with the WAM host over a wireless link between each WAM device and the WAM host, each wireless speaker including an amplifier to amplify audio communications received from the WAM host and to which at least a part of the audio amplifier functionality is distributed,
wherein each WAM device including
an UWB device operative to wirelessly receive the digital audio transmitted by the UWB host,
a second packet memory operative for packet storage and coupled with an output of the UWB device,
a second microprocessor bi-directionally coupled with the UWB device and with an output of the second packet memory, and
an audio-out FIFO buffer coupled with an input and an output of the second microprocessor, and the audio-out FIFO buffer coupled with a digital audio output operative to output the digital audio.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of wireless speakers comprise a front left speaker, a front right speaker, a center speaker, a surround left speaker, a surround right speaker, and a first low frequency effect (LFE) speaker.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein each wireless speaker comprises an amplifier matched to a driver of the speaker to optimize the frequency response of the driver.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the display is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) display.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein a wireless communication sent from each WAM device to the WAM host over the wireless link includes data selected from the group consisting of acknowledgement of data transfer, application specific information, and packet reception reliability statistics.