Microphone head connector adapter
A handheld wireless microphone body may be connected to an assortment of microphone heads, providing compatibility between models from differing manufactures including accommodating differing attachment threads and electrical/audio output contact configurations without the need for hardware or software substitution.
1 . A handheld wireless microphone apparatus:
a main body;
an RF antenna located in a bottom portion of the main body;
an array of plug connectors attached to a top end of the main body, said array of plug connectors being arranged to receive electrical audio signals from at least a first type of microphone head and from a second type of microphone head, said first type of microphone head having audio output conductors in a first physical configuration, and said second type of microphone head having audio output conductors in a second physical configuration which is different from the first physical configuration of audio output conductors for the first type of microphone head;
processing means located within the main body to receive said electrical audio signals from the array of plug connectors and provide audio transmission signals to the RF antenna for wireless RF transmission;
a collar that includes means for mechanically attaching the collar to the said first type of microphone head, means for mechanically attaching the collar to the said second type of microphone head, and means for mechanically attaching the collar to the top end of the main body such that plug connectors on the top end of the main body connect electrically with the output connectors of the first type of microphone when the collar is attached to the first type of microphone head and the plug connectors on the top end of the main body connect electrically with the output connectors of the second type of microphone head when the collar is attached to the second type of microphone head.
2 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the collar is reversible and the means on the collar for mechanically attaching the collar to the said first type of microphone head comprises threads on a first of the collar configured to fit threads on the first type of microphone head, and means on the collar for mechanically attaching the collar to the said second type of microphone head comprises threads on a second side of the collar configured to fit threads on the second type of microphone head, and wherein the threads on second side of the collar are incompatible with the threads on the first type of microphone head and the threads on first side of the collar are incompatible with the threads on the second type of microphone head.
3 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means on the collar for mechanically attaching the collar to the said first type of microphone head comprises a clip-on, a snap-on, or a magnetic connection mechanism, and means on the collar for mechanically attaching the collar to the said second type of microphone head comprises a clip-on, a snap-on, or a magnetic connection mechanism.
4 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for mechanically attaching the collar to the top end of the main body includes keys extending inward from the inside surface of the collar and spread circumferentially on the inside surface of the collar, and the top end of the main body further comprises an entry notch and a peripheral key slot for each key on the collar.
5 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a compression ring located between the collar and the main body when the collar is attached to the main body.
6 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plug connectors have resilient or spring mounted pins.
7 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the audio output conductors on said first and second type of microphone heads comprise a series of annular contacts.
8 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the processor determines whether the first type of microphone head or the second type of microphone head is attached by determining whether one or more plugs are shorted together.
9 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 7 wherein at least some of the plug connectors in the array are located at different radial distances from a center axis of the annular contacts on the first or second type of microphone heads when the respective head is attached to the collar and the top end of the main body.
10 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the processor determines whether the first type of microphone head or the second type of microphone head is attached by taking measurements from defined pin locations of the plug connectors.
11 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 10 wherein analog switches are positioned according to the determination of whether the first type of microphone head or the second type of microphone head is attached.
12 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the array of plug connectors attached to the top end of the main body are arranged to receive electrical audio signals from a third type of microphone head, said third type of microphone head having audio output conductors in either the first physical configuration or the second configuration; and
the collar is able to connect the third type of microphone head to the microphone body using either said means for mechanically attaching the collar to the said first type of microphone head or said means for mechanically attaching the collar to the said second type of microphone head.
13 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the processor determines whether the first type of microphone head, the second type of microphone head or the third type of microphone head is attached by taking measurements from defined pin locations of the plug connectors.
14 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 13 wherein analog switches are positioned according to the determination of whether the first type of microphone head, the second type of microphone head or the third type of microphone head is attached.
15 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the processing means comprises a field programmable gate array and the handheld microphone apparatus further comprising:
a. a preamplifier which receives the analog audio signal and outputs amplified analog audio signal;
b. an analog to digital converter which digitizes the amplified analog signal that is transmitted to the field programmable gate array;
c. an RF upconverting circuit which receives an audio output signal from the field programmable gate array and output an RF audio signal to a power amplifier, which in turn is connected to the antenna.
16 . The handheld microphone apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a battery and power conversion circuitry.