GB2477634A - Audio interface device - Google Patents

Audio interface device Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2477634A
GB2477634A GB1101816A GB201101816A GB2477634A GB 2477634 A GB2477634 A GB 2477634A GB 1101816 A GB1101816 A GB 1101816A GB 201101816 A GB201101816 A GB 201101816A GB 2477634 A GB2477634 A GB 2477634A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
wireless internet
interface device
audio
internet interface
analogue
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB1101816A
Other versions
GB201101816D0 (en
Inventor
John Crawford
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of GB201101816D0 publication Critical patent/GB201101816D0/en
Publication of GB2477634A publication Critical patent/GB2477634A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H1/00—Details of electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/0033—Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/0083—Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H1/00—Details of electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/32—Constructional details
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H3/00—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means
    • G10H3/12—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument
    • G10H3/14—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means
    • G10H3/18—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means using a string, e.g. electric guitar
    • G10H3/186—Means for processing the signal picked up from the strings
    • G10H3/188—Means for processing the signal picked up from the strings for converting the signal to digital format
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
    • H04B1/06—Receivers
    • H04B1/16—Circuits
    • H04B1/20—Circuits for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H2240/00—Data organisation or data communication aspects, specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2240/171—Transmission of musical instrument data, control or status information; Transmission, remote access or control of music data for electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H2240/201—Physical layer or hardware aspects of transmission to or from an electrophonic musical instrument, e.g. voltage levels, bit streams, code words or symbols over a physical link connecting network nodes or instruments
    • G10H2240/205—Synchronous transmission of an analog or digital signal, e.g. according to a specific intrinsic timing, or according to a separate clock
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H2240/00—Data organisation or data communication aspects, specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2240/171—Transmission of musical instrument data, control or status information; Transmission, remote access or control of music data for electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H2240/281—Protocol or standard connector for transmission of analog or digital data to or from an electrophonic musical instrument
    • G10H2240/295—Packet switched network, e.g. token ring
    • G10H2240/305—Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Transmitters (AREA)

Abstract

An interface device for connecting audio equipment comprises a transmitter device 1 with an audio connector jack plug 2 for attaching the device 1 to an analogue signal-generating device. Device 1 further comprises an audio codec 4, integrating an analogue to digital converter, a wireless internet MAC controller and baseband processor 5, a WLAN radio 6, and a signal conditioning circuit 3 to adapt the voltage and impedance from the signal generating device. A receiver device 7 has an audio connector jack plug 12 for attaching the device 7 to an analogue signal-receiving device. Device 2 further comprises a WLAN radio 8, a wireless internet MAC controller and baseband processor 9 connected to the digital-to-analogue converter within an audio codec 10, and a signal conditioning circuit 11 to adapt the voltage and impedance to the signal receiving device.

Description

An audio interface device This invention relates to an interface device for transmitting audio data from an analogue audio signal-generating device across a wireless internet link known as wireless local area network (WLAN) and for the reception of that WLAN signal and conversion back into analogue audio for output into an analogue audio signal-receiving device.
The invention uses standard audio connector jack plug or audio jack socket connections to connect an interface device which converts the analogue audio into digital data, processes this data into wireless internet format and enables WLAN transmission of the signal to a second interface device which will ensure the reception and re-conversion of said audio signal.
Examples of analogue audio signal-generating devices include electric guitars, electric music keyboards, televisions, personal computers and the like.
Examples of analogue audio signal-receiving devices include guitar amplifiers, televisions, personal computers, audio mixing desks and the like.
Some devices such as guitar effects pedals would be considered both analogue audio signal-generating and analogue audio signal-receiving devices as they receive analogue audio, alter the audio signal in either the analogue or digital domain before transmitting the audio to another device.
Background of invention
In existing analogue audio signal-generating devices, analogue audio is output to wired audio connector jack plug or audio jack socket connections.
Examples of existing audio connector jack plug or audio jack socket connections include headphones, earphones, guitar leads, RCA audio cables, XLR audio cables and the like.
Physical cables have limitations in terms of physical range and electrical and mechanical issues relating to the cable, including electrical impedance and resistance.
In this document, the following terms shall have the following meanings; "audio codec" means an electronic circuit, typically in the form of an integrated circuit (IC) comprising an analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC) and a digital to analogue converter (DAC); and "Transceiver" means a device capable of both transmitting and receiving.
Statement of invention
To overcome these problems the present invention proposes a wireless internet transmitter device; comprising an audio connector jack plug, an audio codec and a wireless internet transceiver; which will transmit audio data by wireless internet to a wireless internet receiver device; the receiver device also comprising a wireless internet transceiver, an audio codec and an audio connector jack plug.
To overcome the limitations of the physical cables, devices exist today which convert the analogue signal from an analogue signal-generating device into a digital signal for transmission by radio (FM/AM/UHF/VHF) . While the prior art provides cordless audio transmission, there are problems associated with these designs which the present invention overcomes.
Prior art systems do not use wireless internet signals and use conventional radio transmission systems such as FM, AM, UHF and VHF which are subject to electromagnetic interference. The present invention uses WLAN standards which include coding techniques, for example orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFUM) in IEEE 802.lla and 802.llg, which both increase the maximum data rate and greatly reduce interference by splitting the radio signal into several sub-signals before they reach the receiver.
Prior art systems require a dedicated transmitter device and a dedicated receiver device. Whilst the present invention compromises a transmitter device and a receiver device, unlike prior art, each "device" in the present invention can be used as either a transmitter device or a receiver device, which can then be reconfigured at any time, to become either a receiver or a transmitter. This allows flexibility in use of the devices which is not currently possible and makes the manufacture easier.
The present invention's use of WLAN provides easily configurable one-to-many and many-to-many connections. Possible uses of this feature include, a guitarist recording the guitar's output on a laptop computer while at the same time the output being played back through a guitar amplifier ("one-to-many") or two guitarists recording to the same iaptop and playing back through the same amplifier simultaneously ("many-to-many") . The use of wireless internet allows the proposed device to easily connect to a range of existing and future WLAN capable devices inciuding personal computers and wireless internet routers.
Prior art systems require large receiver devices, the present WLAN device will allow for physically smaller transmitter and receiver devices making the system more portable and therefore more convenient for use.
Prior art systems are unsecure (due to the relative ease of a radio signal being intercepted by a third party) . The use of WLAN in the invention provides a convenient method to network multiple devices together and integrates security features such as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption, ensuring only the intended recipients of the data can decode the signal.
Prior art systems exist for recording audio signals from electrical musical instruments on personal computers. These systems require hardware devices to be connected by cables between the instrument and the computer. The present invention will allow direct wireless connection of the invention to the WLAN devices inside personal computers.
Devices exist today such as network media centres and wireless base stations which receive digital audio data by means of WLAN Internet (for example transmitting data from a personal computer to a wireless networking device) . Such devices function as receiver only and require a digital server system, typically a personal computer. The present invention sits apart from this prior art as it allows an existing analogue audio signal-generating device (such as an electric guitar) to be connected by WLAN Internet through the connection of a simple, highly portable plug-in device. The present invention's form factor makes connection more convenient, highly portable and easily detachable allowing existing analogue audio signal-generating and signal-receiving devices to be operated back in a non-wireless internet form it desired.
Hence, there is the need for a device which:- * has a simple connection system to allow wireless internet transmission of audio data from existing non-wireless internet capable, analogue audio signal-generating devices.
* has a simple connection system to allow the wireless internet reception of audio data and the output of this audio data as analogue audio into existing non-wireless internet capable, analogue audio signal-receiving devices.
* is portable and easy to use and can be used in a multitude of audio devices * there is the additional need that the same device can be used as either the receiver device or the transmitter device.
* can wirelessly connect existing wired electrical instruments to existing wireless internet capable devices such as personal computers The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a transmitter device comprising an audio connector jack plug, an audio codec and a wireless internet transceiver system and a receiver device comprising a wireless internet transceiver system, an audio codec and an audio connector jack plug.
Figure 2 shows a transmitter device for connection to an electric guitar, to transmit the guitar's output signal to a receiver device for connection to a guitar amplifier.
Figure 3 shows one embodiment of the device in accordance with the present invention, illustrating a transmitter unit powered by an AA battery.
In figure 1, in the transmitter device 1, an audio connector jack plug 2, is connected to a signal conditioning circuit 3. The signal conditioning circuit 3 adjusts the incoming analogue signal to the required voltage amplitude for entry to the analogue to digital convertor within an audio codec 4, for conversion into digital audio data, At this point the digital data is passed to a WLAN Media Access Controller (MAC) controller and baseband signal processor 5, to format the digital signal into WLAN packets and to manage the connection and control of the wireless network. This digital data is passed to the WLAN radio 6 for transmission. In the receiver device 7, the signal is received by the WLAN radio 8, passed to the WLAN MAC controller and baseband signal processor 9, which decodes the signal into digital audio data. The digital audio data is then converted by the digital to analogue convertor within the audio codec 10, and the analogue signal output is altered to the required voltage and electrical conditions of the input system by the signal conditioning circuit 11, for output through the audio connector jack plug 12.
In figure 2, transmitter device 1, is connected to an audio connector jack socket 13, within an analogue audio signal-generating electric guitar 14.
The analogue signal from the guitar is converted into digital audio and then into wireless internet format for transmission by wireless internet 15, and received by the receiver device 7, for conversion to analogue audio which is output via an audio connector jack socket 16, into an analogue audio signal-receiving guitar amplifier 17.
In figure 3, one embodiment of a transmitter mode device 18, is powered by an AA battery 19. The device can be connected to an analogue signal-generating device by the audio connector jack plug 20, which is connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) 21, which includes the signal conditioning circuit, audio codec, WLAN MAC controller and baseband signal processor and WLAN radio. The embodiment has a removable battery cover 22, to allow replacement of the battery. User interface buttons 23, control the unit for example, power on/off.

Claims (20)

  1. Claims 1. A wireless internet interface device for wireless internet transmission and reception of an audio signal from an electric analogue audio signal-generating device to an electric analogue audio signal-receiving device, comprising; an audio connector jack plug or a jack socket in communication with a wireless internet transceiver system and connectable to an audio connector jack plug or a jack socket of an electric analogue audio signal-generating device or a jack plug or a jack socket of an electric analogue audio signal-receiving device.
  2. 2. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 further comprising an audio codec, a Media Access Controller (MAC) and baseband processor and a wireless internet radio.
  3. 3. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein the electric analogue audio signal-generating device is an electric guitar, an electric bass guitar, an electrically amplified acoustic guitar, a guitar multi-effect device, an electric music keyboard, an audio mixing desk, a radio player, a mp3 player, a CD player, a personal computer, a television set, a cable or satellite set top box, a MP3 docking station, a mobile telephone, a video games system or a DVD player.
  4. 4. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 such that when operated in a transmitter mode is embedded withTh the body of any of said electric analogue audio signal-generating device according to claim 3.
  5. 5. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein the electric analogue audio signal-receiving device is a guitar amplifier, an audio mixing desk, a MP3 docking station, an audio amplifier system, a headphone, a speaker system, a hi-fi system, a mobile telephone, a video games system, a personal computer or a guitar multi-effect device.
  6. 6. A wire]ess Internet interface device according to c]aim 1 such that when operated in receiver mode it is embedded within the body of any of said electric analogue audio signal-receiving device according to claim 5.
  7. 7. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein the wireless internet system can transmit to multipie devices.
  8. 8. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein the wireless internet system can receive data from multiple devices.
  9. 9. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is used to prevent unauthorised access.
  10. 10. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 incorporating an electrical switch to power the device on or off.
  11. 11. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 incorporating an electrical circuit to configure the device into transmit or receive mode.
  12. 12. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 comprising a dedicated analogue to digital convertor without the capability to convert digital audio to analogue audio to effect transmitter mode only.
  13. 13. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 comprising a dedicated digital to analogue convertor without the capability to convert analogue audio to digital audio to effect receiver mode only.
  14. 14. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 incorporating an electrical circuit to configure the device as a member of a wireless network.
  15. 15. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 incorporating a software program to configure the device as a member of a wireless network.
  16. 16. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 further comprising a battery or wired power supply.
  17. 17. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein all the components except the audio connector jack plug or audio connector jack socket are integrated into a single integrated circuit.
  18. 18. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein the wireless internet transceiver system converts digital signals into the IEEE 802.11 wireless signal format.
  19. 19. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 wherein the audio signal is sampled at a rate of at least 44.1kHz.
  20. 20. A wireless internet interface device according to claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor to configure and control the wireless internet transceiver system.
GB1101816A 2010-02-04 2011-02-03 Audio interface device Withdrawn GB2477634A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB1001823.2A GB201001823D0 (en) 2010-02-04 2010-02-04 An audio interface device

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB201101816D0 GB201101816D0 (en) 2011-03-16
GB2477634A true GB2477634A (en) 2011-08-10

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GBGB1001823.2A Ceased GB201001823D0 (en) 2010-02-04 2010-02-04 An audio interface device
GB1101816A Withdrawn GB2477634A (en) 2010-02-04 2011-02-03 Audio interface device

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GBGB1001823.2A Ceased GB201001823D0 (en) 2010-02-04 2010-02-04 An audio interface device

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2493344A (en) * 2011-07-29 2013-02-06 Ingenious Audio Ltd A wireless audio interface device
GB2503024A (en) * 2012-06-14 2013-12-18 Editions Penguin Cafe Ltd Musical instrument with inductively charged wireless audio transmitter
US9699578B2 (en) 2011-08-05 2017-07-04 Ingenious Audio Limited Audio interface device
WO2019201624A1 (en) * 2018-04-16 2019-10-24 Noatronic Ivs Electrical stringed instrument

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB768088A (en) * 1954-02-24 1957-02-13 Truvox Ltd Improvements in or relating to sound reproducing or recording apparatus
EP0366442A2 (en) * 1988-10-27 1990-05-02 Airjack Wireless Systems Incorporated Cordless R.F. transmitter
GB2236643A (en) * 1989-09-28 1991-04-10 Dudley Lloyd Rumfitt Radio transmitter for musical instruments
US5025704A (en) * 1989-04-14 1991-06-25 Airjack Wireless Systems Incorporated Cordless guitar transmitter
US7818078B2 (en) * 2005-06-06 2010-10-19 Gonzalo Fuentes Iriarte Interface device for wireless audio applications

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB768088A (en) * 1954-02-24 1957-02-13 Truvox Ltd Improvements in or relating to sound reproducing or recording apparatus
EP0366442A2 (en) * 1988-10-27 1990-05-02 Airjack Wireless Systems Incorporated Cordless R.F. transmitter
US5025704A (en) * 1989-04-14 1991-06-25 Airjack Wireless Systems Incorporated Cordless guitar transmitter
GB2236643A (en) * 1989-09-28 1991-04-10 Dudley Lloyd Rumfitt Radio transmitter for musical instruments
US7818078B2 (en) * 2005-06-06 2010-10-19 Gonzalo Fuentes Iriarte Interface device for wireless audio applications

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2493344A (en) * 2011-07-29 2013-02-06 Ingenious Audio Ltd A wireless audio interface device
US9699578B2 (en) 2011-08-05 2017-07-04 Ingenious Audio Limited Audio interface device
GB2503024A (en) * 2012-06-14 2013-12-18 Editions Penguin Cafe Ltd Musical instrument with inductively charged wireless audio transmitter
WO2019201624A1 (en) * 2018-04-16 2019-10-24 Noatronic Ivs Electrical stringed instrument
US20210142770A1 (en) * 2018-04-16 2021-05-13 Noatronic ApS Electrical stringed instrument

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB201001823D0 (en) 2010-03-24
GB201101816D0 (en) 2011-03-16

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)