Integrated light and microphone system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9303863-B2
Application number	US-201314104741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Integrated light and microphone systems are provided that include a microphone with directionality and a lighting device that emits a light beam. The light beam may be emitted in a direction substantially the same as the directionality of the microphone. The lighting device and the microphone can share a common interference tube to assist in aligning the directionalities of the microphone and the lighting device. The systems may be adjusted to enable visual calibration of the microphone to optimally detect sound from an audio source. The audio source can be simultaneously illuminated. The systems may be unobtrusive and more easily used to meet the aesthetic needs of an environment. Multiple integrated light and microphone systems can be in communication with an audio mixer to optimally detect sounds from multiple audio sources and create a desired audio mix that emphasizes a target audio source and suppresses other audio sources.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a transducer for detecting sound from an audio source and converting the sound to an audio signal, the transducer having a directionality; and
a lighting device integrated with the transducer, the lighting device capable of emitting a light beam in a direction substantially the same as the directionality of the transducer;
wherein the transducer and the lighting device are mechanically adjustable simultaneously to direct the light beam to illuminate an area associated with the audio source.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a unidirectional microphone.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting device comprises one or more of a light-emitting diode, a halogen light, a fluorescent light, or an incandescent light.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting device is capable of illuminating the area associated with the audio source such that the transducer optimally detects the sound.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a common tube having the transducer and the lighting device disposed within.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is in communication with one or more of an audio recorder or an audio mixer for receiving the audio signal.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless audio transmitter in communication with the transducer, the wireless audio transmitter for modulating the audio signal into a radio frequency (RF) signal and wirelessly transmitting the RF signal to a wireless audio receiver.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the wireless audio receiver is in communication with one or more of an audio recorder or an audio mixer, the wireless audio receiver for wirelessly receiving the RF signal, demodulating the RF signal into a second audio signal, and transmitting the second audio signal to one or more of the audio recorder or the audio mixer.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning motor configured to physically adjust a position of the lighting device, the transducer, and the direction of the light beam.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a control device in communication with the positioning motor, the control device for enabling control of the positioning motor.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a housing for containing the transducer and the lighting device.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light beam emitted by the lighting device can be activated or deactivated independently of whether the transducer is activated or deactivated.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control device in communication with the lighting device and the transducer, the control device for enabling activation or deactivation of the light beam emitted by the lighting device and enabling activation or deactivation of the transducer.

14. A system, comprising:
a plurality of transducers each having a directionality, each of the plurality of transducers for detecting sound from an audio source and converting the sound to an audio signal;
a plurality of lighting devices each integrated with each of the plurality of transducers, each of the plurality of lighting devices capable of emitting a light beam in a direction substantially the same as the directionality of the respective transducer; and
an audio mixer in communication with each of the plurality of transducers, the audio mixer for receiving each of the audio signals, continuously monitoring the audio signals, and determining which of the plurality of transducers is active, based on the received audio signals;
wherein each of the plurality of transducers and each of the plurality of lighting devices are mechanically adjustable simultaneously to direct the respective light beam to illuminate an area associated with the audio source.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of transducers comprises a unidirectional microphone.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of lighting devices comprises one or more of a light-emitting diode, a halogen light, a fluorescent light, or an incandescent light.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of lighting devices is capable of illuminating the area associated with the audio source such that the respective transducer optimally detects the sound.

18. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of common tubes each having one of the plurality of transducers and one of the plurality of lighting devices disposed within.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the light beam emitted by each of the plurality of lighting devices can be activated or deactivated independently of whether the respective transducer is activated or deactivated.

Assignees

• Shure Acquisition Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Vaidya Avinash K

Classifications

• H04R29/004

  for microphones (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/083 Primary

  Special constructions of mouthpieces · CPC title

• F21V33/0056 Primary

  Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers · CPC title

• F21V14/02

  by movement of light sources {(in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657)} · CPC title