Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2004-03-09
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2635)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C340S870030, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06703940
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to audio systems having remote controllers, and more particularly audio systems having transceiving remote control with variable displays.
It is an important object of the invention to provide an improved remotely controllable audio system and to further provide improved remote controlling.
According to an aspect of the invention, an audio system includes a plurality of sound reproduction devices characterized by parameter values; a plurality of audio signal sources characterized by parameter values; a plurality of remote control devices; and a system controller, constructed and arranged to wirelessly receive command signals from the plurality of remote control devices and to wirelessly transmit the parameter values of the audio signal sources and of the sound reproduction sources to the remote control devices. The remote control devices are constructed and arranged for wirelessly transmitting the command signals to the system controller and for wirelessly receiving the parameter values and displaying the parameter values, and are further constructed and arranged to transmit the command signals to and receive the parameter values from a system controller that is separated from the remote control.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio device includes an enclosure having a volume of less than 60 cubic inches; input terminals accommodating input signal lines from a plurality of audio signal sources; output terminals accommodating output signal lines to a plurality of sound reproduction devices; a radio tuner, enclosed by the enclosure; circuitry, enclosed by the enclosure, for selectively intercoupling the input terminals and the output terminals; and a system controller enclosed by the enclosure, for wirelessly receiving control signals from a remote control device and for transmitting the control signals to the input terminals, the output terminals, and the radio tuner.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio device includes a radio tuner; input terminals constructed and arranged for accommodating input signal lines from a plurality of audio signal sources; output terminals constructed and arranged for accommodating output signal lines to a plurality of sound reproduction devices; a configurable signal router constructed and arranged for routing signals from the input terminals to the output terminals; and a system controller constructed and arranged for two-way communicating with a remote control device. The audio device is free of manual controls for the tuner and for devices coupled to the input terminals and the output terminals.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio system includes a system. controller, adapted to receive control signals from a remote control device and to transmit the control signals to a plurality of remote locations. The system controller includes output terminals adapted to accommodate intercoupling circuitry intercoupling the system controller and a sound reproduction device; and sensors for providing connection signals representative of which output terminals are connected to intercoupling circuitry. The remote control device includes illuminatable graphic figures corresponding to each of the terminals and illuminating circuitry responsive to the connection signals for illuminating only those graphic figures corresponding to output terminals to which intercoupling circuitry is connected.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio system includes a system controller, adapted to receive control signals from a remote control device and to transmit the control signals to a plurality of remote locations; a sound reproduction device; and sensors to sense if the sound reproduction device includes surround speakers. The remote control device includes illuminatable graphic figures corresponding to the sound reproduction device, the illuminatable graphic figures including graphic figures facilitating control of the surround speakers. The remote control device also includes illuminating circuitry for illuminating the graphic figures facilitating control of said surround speakers, the illuminating circuitry not illuminating the graphic figures facilitating control of the surround speakers if the sound reproduction device does not include surround speakers.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio system includes a plurality of audio signal sources, a plurality of sound reproduction devices, and volume setting circuitry for independently setting the volume of the plurality of the sound reproduction devices so that the selected plurality of sound reproduction devices may selectively have a volume offset. The audio system also includes a system controller, for selectively coupling the audio signal sources and the plurality of sound reproduction devices in a plurality of alternative configurations, the alternative configurations including a first configuration in which a selected plurality of the sound reproduction devices receives audio signals from a selected one of the audio signal sources and a second configuration in which the each of the selected plurality of the sound reproduction devices receives audio signals from another of the audio signal sources. The audio system further includes volume adjusting circuitry for adjusting the volume of the selected plurality of sound reproduction devices such that the if the selected plurality of sound sources is configured in the first configuration the offset is maintained and such that if the selected plurality of sound sources is configured in the second configuration, the offset is not maintained.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio system includes a plurality of audio signal sources, a plurality of sound reproduction devices, each having an on state and an off state, a system controller, for selectively coupling the audio signal sources and the plurality of sound reproduction devices such that a selected plurality of the sound reproduction devices can receive audio signals from a selected one of the audio signal sources, and a remote control device, for facilitating a user selecting the selected plurality of sound reproduction devices and the selected one of the audio signal sources and for transmitting user selections to the system controller. The remote control device includes a control for switching the sound reproduction devices from the off state to the on state, constructed and arranged so that the sound reproduction sources that receive audio signals from the same audio signal source are switched from the off state to the on state simultaneously.
In still another aspect of the invention, a remote control device includes a touch screen comprising a plurality of illuminatable graphic figures, command transmitting circuitry for responding to a touching of the graphic figures by transmitting a corresponding command, and disabling circuitry for responding to a touching of a predetermined one of the graphic figures by disabling the command transmitting circuitry for a period of time.
Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of an audio system according to the invention;
FIG. 2
is a view of an enclosure for certain elements of the audio system of
FIG. 1
;
FIGS. 3
a
-
3
c
are views of a remote control device according to the invention;
FIG. 4
is a block diagram of a remote controller according to the invention;
FIG. 5
is a diagram of the flow of control signals and information in the remote controller of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
is a block diagram of a system controller according to the invention;
FIG. 7
is a diagram of the flow of control signals and information in the microprocessor of
FIG. 6
; and
FIG. 8
is a block diagram of the flow of audio signals in an audio system according to the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5835093 (1998-11-01), Fujishita et al.
patent: 5900867 (1999-05-01), Schindler
patent: 5946343 (1999-08-01), Schotz et al.
patent: 5963624 (1999-10-01), Pope
patent: 2002/0057207 (2002-05-01)
Allen William A.
Knapp Herbert C.
L'Esperance Lauren
Lyons Kenneth S.
McElroy, Jr. James B.
Bose Corporation
Brown Vernal U
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Horabik Michael
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