Abstract: This invention provides a speaker system that minimizes the number of wires used to provide power and audio signal to all of the speakers. This is accomplished by without generating interference noises from shared signal wire implementations. The invention also provides a methodology for reducing power signals from being transmitted to headphones inserted into a headphone jack. The invention may use four wires to operate the speaker system. A first wire may be used to provide the control data signal common and control power common, and, if a headphone is used, the first wire may also serve as a common ground connection for the earpieces in the headphone. The second wire may provide a substantially constant current, so that constant current may be carried in the first wire regardless of the voltage on the second power/data wire. This way, the first wire may serve as a common control circuitry and the headphone as well.

Abstract: A capacitive touch switch system for use in an audio application includes a detecting circuit with a capacitive sensing device and a filtering circuit. The capacitive sensing device senses changes in capacitance. The filtering circuit filters external and/or internal interference that may affect the sensing of a capacitance change and/or the sound quality of an audio device. The capacitive touch switch system may be incorporated into a speaker and/or other components of the audio device. The capacitive touch switch system may control various audio parameters such as volume, bass, treble, balance, channel, and the like.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a system and method for isolating a failure in a speaker system. This is accomplished by providing diagnostic processing circuitry, which directs specific test signal(s) to the speakers of a speaker system. The test signals may be designed to allow a user to directionally localize a sound source to determine if a particular speaker is functional. The test signals also may be designed so a user or listener may distinguish sound emanating from a low frequency driver such as a subwoofer versus other speakers. The diagnostic processing circuitry may be located in any of the individual speakers or other common components of a speaker system.

Abstract: This invention provides a system capable of transitioning from surround sound effect to stereo sound effect, and then to a monophonic sound effect using front speakers. A user may control the amount of surround sound effect that is combined with stereo sound effect, and the amount of stereo sound effect that is combined with monophonic sound effect. The user may also control the system to hear pure surround sound effect, stereo sound effect, or monophonic sound effect. The system may allow a user to control the contribution of a particular sound effect by controlling the relative proportions of the filtered dipole signals and the attenuated unfiltered dipole signals. The signal processing may be also done through an analog device. The system may also process some audio channels in an inverted form and compensate for these inversions by reversing the polarity of that output to the speaker, as well as accept two-channel and four-channel audio inputs.

Abstract: A capacitive touch switch system for use in an audio application includes a detecting circuit with a capacitive sensing device and a filtering circuit. The capacitive sensing device senses changes in capacitance. The filtering circuit filters external and/or internal interference that may affect the sensing of a capacitance change and/or the sound quality of an audio device. The capacitive touch switch system may be incorporated into a speaker and/or other components of the audio device. The capacitive touch switch system may control various audio parameters such as volume, bass, treble, balance, channel, and the like.

Abstract: This invention provides a system capable of transitioning from surround sound effect to stereo sound effect, and then to a monophonic sound effect using front speakers. A user may control the amount of surround sound effect that is combined with stereo sound effect, and the amount of stereo sound effect that is combined with monophonic sound effect. The user may also control the system to hear pure surround sound effect, stereo sound effect, or monophonic sound effect. The system may allow a user to control the contribution of a particular sound effect by controlling the relative proportions of the filtered dipole signals and the attenuated unfiltered dipole signals. The signal processing may be also done through an analog device. The system may also process some audio channels in an inverted form and compensate for these inversions by reversing the polarity of that output to the speaker, as well as accept two-channel and four-channel audio inputs.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a system and method for isolating a failure in a speaker system. This is accomplished by providing diagnostic processing circuitry, which directs specific test signal(s) to the speakers of a speaker system. The test signals may be designed to allow a user to directionally localize a sound source to determine if a particular speaker is functional. The test signals also may be designed so a user or listener may distinguish sound emanating from a low frequency driver such as a subwoofer versus other speakers. The diagnostic processing circuitry may be located in any of the individual speakers or other common components of a speaker system.

Abstract: This invention provides a speaker system that minimizes the number of wires used to provide power and audio signal to all of the speakers. This is accomplished by without generating interference noises from shared signal wire implementations. The invention also provides a methodology for reducing power signals from being transmitted to headphones inserted into a headphone jack. The invention may use four wires to operate the speaker system. A first wire may be used to provide the control data signal common and control power common, and, if a headphone is used, the first wire may also serve as a common ground connection for the earpieces in the headphone. The second wire may provide a substantially constant current, so that constant current may be carried in the first wire regardless of the voltage on the second power/data wire. This way, the first wire may serve as a common control circuitry and the headphone as well.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to interface a device to a bus carrying power and a signal while simultaneously complying with bus-standard current draw limits, storing power for the device in an energy storage device located in the interface apparatus, and conditioning the bus signal as a function of the energy level of the signal received by the interface device from the bus and the level of energy measured in the energy storage device in the interface apparatus. As shown in FIG. 29, according to one aspect of the invention the interface apparatus (472) includes an input filter (480), a current limiter (482), a power converter (483), an energy storage device (484), a signal decoder/controller (486) and a signal conditioner (488). In operation, power flows from the bus through input filter (480) through the current limiter (482) to the power converter (483), which converts the power to a form suitable for charging the energy storage device (484).