Digital wireless audio transmission system and method for wireless audio transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9735917-B2
Application number	US-201013390812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2010
Priority date	Aug 17, 2009
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

An audio transmission system including a wireless digital microphone unit which detects audio signals and wirelessly transmits the detected audio signals based on adjustable transmission settings and transmission parameters, and a central unit. The central unit has a monitor unit for monitoring and analyzing a frequency spectrum of an available frequency band, a link adaptation unit which adapts the microphone's transmission settings and parameters based on the results of the monitor unit, and a transmitting/receiving unit for receiving wirelessly transmitted audio signals from the wireless microphone unit and for transmitting transmission settings and transmission parameters via a return channel to the wireless microphone unit. The microphone's transmission settings and parameters are modified based on the transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted via the return channel, which have a center frequency of a channel, a selection of a modulation method and parameters thereof, a data rate, and/or a channel encoding.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A digital wireless audio transmission system comprising:
at least two wireless digital microphone units for the detection of audio signals and for the wireless radio transmission of the detected audio signals based on adjustable radio transmission settings and transmission parameters;
a central unit which includes:
a monitor unit including:
a first analysis unit for monitoring and analyzing a frequency spectrum of an available frequency band; and
a second analysis unit for continuously monitoring and analyzing the wireless radio transmission from the at least two wireless microphone units and for performing a quality-of service identification for the radio transmission from the at least two wireless microphone units;

a link adaptation unit for adapting the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters of the wireless radio transmission of each microphone unit based on the results of the first and the second analysis units of the monitor unit; and
at least one transmitting/receiving unit for receiving wirelessly transmitted audio signals from the wireless microphone units and for transmitting radio transmission settings and transmission parameters by way of a return channel to the wireless microphone units;

wherein the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters of the wireless radio transmission of each wireless microphone unit are modified in accordance with the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted by way of the return channel;
wherein the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted by way of the return channel include at least one of:
a center frequency of a radio channel;
a selection of a modulation method and parameters of the modulation method;
a data rate; and
a channel encoding;

wherein a quality-of-service setting is associated to each microphone unit to associate the at least two microphone units with differing prioritization, such that a higher priority microphone is attributed with a higher quality-of-service setting; and
wherein the link adaptation unit is configured to adapt the radio transmission settings if the quality-of-service indication falls below a limit value.

2. The wireless audio transmission system as set forth in claim l;
wherein the link adaptation unit includes:
a modulation selection unit for selecting a modulation method and modulation parameters based on the results ascertained by the monitor unit;
a data rate selection unit for selecting a data rate based on the results of the monitor unit;
a channel encoder selection unit for selecting a channel encoding based on the results of the monitor unit;
an audio encoder selection unit for selecting an audio encoding based on the results of the monitor unit;
a channel distribution unit for distributing the data transmission to various channels based on the results of the monitor unit; and
a link setting unit for setting the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters based on the results of the monitor unit.

3. The wireless audio transmission system as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a position information unit including: a position determining unit for determining the position of the central unit; and
a database unit;
wherein the database unit has frequency band information associated with the position information; wherein a selection of the available frequency bands is configured to be effected based on the position information.

4. The wireless audio transmission system as set forth in claim 1 ;
wherein the frequency of the transmission onto the return channel corresponds to the frequency of the wireless transmission between each microphone unit and the central unit;
wherein the transmission is effected in a time division duplex mode; and
wherein a transmission onto the return passage is effected when sending is not effected on the main channel.

5. A digital wireless audio transmission method comprising:
wirelessly radio transmitting audio signals, based on adjustable radio transmission settings and/or parameters, via a wireless digital microphone unit or via a digital wireless pocket transmitter;
monitoring and analyzing a frequency spectrum of an available frequency band;
continuously monitoring and analyzing the wireless radio transmission from the wireless microphone unit or the pocket transmitter;
performing a quality-of-service identification for the radio transmission;
adapting the radio transmission settings and/or parameters of the wireless transmission of the microphone unit or the pocket transmitter based on the results of the monitoring and analyzing of the frequency spectrum and the quality-of-service identification;
at least one of:
receiving wirelessly transmitted audio signals from the microphone unit or the pocket transmitter; and
wirelessly sending audio signals to the microphone unit or the pocket transmitter; and

modifying the radio transmission settings and/or parameters of the microphone unit or the pocket transmitter in accordance with radio transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted by way of a return passage;
wherein the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted by way of the return channel include at least one of:
a center frequency of a channel;
a selection of a modulation method and parameters of the modulation method;
a data rate; and
a channel encoding; and

wherein the radio transmission settings are adapted if the quality-of-service indication falls below a limit value.

6. A digital wireless audio transmission system, comprising:
at least two wireless digital pocket transmitters for receiving audio signals and for wirelessly radio transmitting the received audio signals based on adjustable radio transmission settings and transmission parameters;
a central unit which has:
a monitor unit including
a first analysis unit for monitoring and analyzing a frequency spectrum of an available frequency band ; and
a second analysis unit for continuously monitoring and analyzing the wireless radio transmission from the at least two wireless digital pocket transmitters and for performing a quality-of-service identification for the radio transmission from the at least two wireless digital pocket transmitters;

a link adaptation unit for adapting the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters of the wireless transmission of the pocket transmitters based on the results of the first and the second analysis units of the monitor unit; and
at least one transmitting/receiving unit for receiving wirelessly transmitted audio signals from the wireless pocket transmitters and for transmitting radio transmission settings and transmission parameters by way of a return channel to the wireless pocket transmitters;

wherein the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters of the wireless transmission of each wireless pocket transmitter are modified in accordance with the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted by way of the return channel;
wherein the radio transmission settings and transmission parameters transmitted by way of the return channel include:
a center frequency of a channel;
a selection of a modulation method and parameters of the modulation method;
a data rate; and
a channel encoding;

wherein a quality-of-service setting is associated to each pocket transmitter to associate the at least two pocket transmitters with differing prioritization, such that a higher priority pocket transmitter is attributed with a higher quality-of-service setting; and
wherein the link adaptation unit is configured to adapt the radio transmission settings if the quality-of-service indication falls below a limit value.

Assignees

• Schmidt Axel
• Kleinsorge Mathias
• Buhe Gerrit
• Wolter Björn
• Bischoff Carsten
• Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schmidt Axel
• Kleinsorge Mathias
• Buhe Gerrit
• Wolter Björn
• Bischoff Carsten

Classifications

• H04L1/0001 Primary

  Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff (adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04) · CPC title