WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEM
A wireless speaker system including one or more self-propelled speaker device is provided. The self-propelled speaker device includes a processing unit, a wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit, a speaker unit, a tracking unit, and an actuator. The wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit is coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive an audio signal via a wireless transmission interface. The speaker unit is coupled to the processing unit and configured to produce sound according to the audio signal. The tracking unit is coupled to the processing unit and configured to track a location of a mobile device. The actuator is coupled to the processing unit. The processing unit controls the actuator according to the location of the mobile device. The actuator drives the self-propelled speaker device to move along with the mobile device.
This application claims the benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/275,289, filed on Jan. 6, 2016, and Taiwan application Serial No. 105109053, filed on Mar. 23, 2016, the subject matters of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe disclosure relates to a wireless speaker system, and more particularly, to a wireless speaker system including a self-propelled speaker device.
BACKGROUNDMultimedia players, such as a speaker device capable of playing music, have become very popular entertainment equipment in our lives. However, transmitting audio signals through audio signal lines may make it difficult to setup or move the speaker devices. As the progress of wireless transmission technology, wireless signal transmission has been applied to speaker devices. Thus, there is a need for designing a wireless speaker system that is easy to use.
SUMMARYThe disclosure relates to a wireless speaker system, including a self-propelled device that is able to move along with a user.
According to one embodiment, a wireless speaker system including one or more self-propelled speaker device is provided. The self-propelled speaker device includes a processing unit, a wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit, a speaker unit, a tracking unit, and an actuator. The wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit is coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive an audio signal via a wireless transmission interface. The speaker unit is coupled to the processing unit and configured to produce sound according to the audio signal. The tracking unit is coupled to the processing unit and configured to track a location of a mobile device. The actuator is coupled to the processing unit. The processing unit controls the actuator according to the location of the mobile device. The actuator drives the self-propelled speaker device to move along with the mobile device.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe first processing unit 100 may be a microcontroller, a central processing unit (CPU), or a digital logic circuit. The first processing unit 100 acts as a core control unit of the first self-propelled speaker device 10 to control operations of other units. For example, the first processing unit 100 may include a processor and a memory. The control related to operations of the first self-propelled speaker device 10 may be accomplished by programs that are stored in the memory. The processor may load the program from the memory to perform related control operations.
The first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 receives the first audio signal S1 via the wireless transmission interface. There may be several implementations for the wireless transmission interface, including Bluetooth, wireless local area network (such as Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), and other wireless transmission technologies. The first audio signal S1 may refer to an encoded signal after encoding the original audio signal, and the encoded signal may be transmitted via the wireless transmission interface. Therefore the frequency range of the first audio signal S1 is not restricted by the frequency limits of human hearing. Taking Bluetooth communication as an example, the communication protocol adopted may be Bluetooth 4.0, the first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 may be a Bluetooth transceiver including a Bluetooth antenna, and the first audio signal S1 may be an encoded signal that conforms to Bluetooth protocol, such as being encode by sub-band coding (SBC) or advanced audio coding (AAC). In addition to receiving an audio signal, the first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 may also transmit an audio signal via the wireless interface to other devices.
The first processing unit 100 may decode the encoded first audio signal S1, and transmit the decoded signal to the first speaker unit 104. The first speaker unit 104 converts the electrical signal received from the first processing unit 100 to a sound to be played. The first speaker unit 104 may include a digital to analog converter (DAC) and a power amplifier.
The first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 may receive the first audio signal S1 from an electronic device that supports Bluetooth protocol. In one embodiment, the first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 receives the first audio signal S1 from a mobile device M1 that supports Bluetooth protocol. The mobile device M1 may be a cellphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a wearable device. For example, a user may operate a cellphone to select a song such that the song may be played by the first self-propelled speaker device 10.
The first actuator 108 provides moving power for the first self-propelled speaker device 10. The first actuator 108 receives control signal from the first processing unit 100 and converts the electrical signal to produce mechanical kinetic energy and drives the first self-propelled speaker device 10 to move correspondingly. There may be several implementations for the first actuator 108 to provide various sources of moving power for the first self-propelled speaker device 10. Depending on the moving region and environment of the first self-propelled speaker device 10, the first actuator 108 includes at least one of the following: a motor, a wheel, a continuous track, a propeller, and a paddle wheel.
The first tracking unit 106 is configured to track a location of the mobile device M1. The first tracking unit 106 and the mobile device M1 may communicate via wireless signal transmission, such that the first tracking unit 106 obtains the location of the mobile device M1. For example, the first tracking unit 106 and the mobile device M1 may use indoor positioning technologies, including Wi-Fi (such as Wi-Fi triangulation, Wi-Fi fingerprinting), Bluetooth (such as iBeacon), Zigbee, infrared, radio frequency identification (RFID), etc. Taking Bluetooth for example, the mobile device M1 may act as a Beacon to broadcast signal continuously. The first tracking unit 106 receives signal via a Bluetooth transmission interface to obtain the location information of the mobile device M1.
The first tracking unit 106 may transmit the location information of the mobile device M1 to the first processing unit 100. The first processing unit 100 controls the first actuator 108 according to the location of the mobile device M1. For example, the first processing unit 100 may calculate the required acceleration vector (including direction and magnitude) in order to follow the mobile device M1. The first actuator 108 drives the first self-propelled speaker device 10 to move according to the control signal from the first processing unit 100.
The first processing unit 100, the first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102, the first speaker unit 104, the first tracking unit 106, and the first actuator 108 may be implemented by hardware circuits. These units are depicted as separate modules in
Because the wireless speaker system described in the previous embodiments includes a self-propelled speaker device, which is able to move and play music, the wireless speaker system can provide users high level of entertainment. The self-propelled speaker device may move on the ground, in the air, or in the water, making it very convenient in practical use. In addition, because the self-propelled speaker device includes a tracking unit, when a user carries a mobile device, such as a cellphone, a wearable device, or a positioning tag, the tracking unit is able to recognize the location of this mobile device, such that the self-propelled speaker device can move along with the user. Therefore, no matter where the user goes, the self-propelled speaker device can automatically follow the user and play music at the same time, offering an excellent user experience.
The first environment detection unit 122 is coupled to the first processing unit 100 and configured to detect a geographical environment surrounding the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c. The first processing unit 100 controls the first actuator 108 according to the geographical environment surrounding the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c. The first environment detection unit 122 may include camera lens and/or proximity sensors. The camera lens may capture images of the surroundings to identify if there are obstacles or walls nearby, such that the first processing unit 100 is able to decide when to detour or make turns. The proximity sensors may detect the distance between the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c and the near objects, such that the first self-propelled speaker device 10 can avoid bumping into obstacles in the surrounding environment.
The first user control interface 124 is coupled to the first processing unit 100 and is configured to receive a control command. The first processing unit 100 controls the first actuator 108 according to the control command, and the first actuator 108 drives the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c to move according to the control command. In one embodiment, the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c has two operation modes, including auto and manual modes. In the auto mode, the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c may move along with the mobile device M1 according to the signals generated by the first tracking unit 106. In the manual mode, the user may instruct the first self-propelled speaker device 10 how to move. For example, the user may install a corresponding application program on the cellphone and give command via the application program on the cellphone. Therefore, the user may remotely control how the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c moves. As such, the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c may move to specific locations in response to the user's request.
The first light display unit 126, including a lighting device, is coupled to the first processing unit 100. The first processing unit 100 may be configured to analyze the first audio signal S1 to obtain first audio characteristic data. The first light display unit 126 is configured to adjust color and/or light intensity of the lighting device according to the first audio characteristic data. The lighting device may include multiple light emitting diodes (LED). The first processing unit 100 may include an audio analysis unit (either a software unit or a hardware unit) to analyze the first audio signal S1 to obtain first audio characteristic data. For example, the signal in time domain may be analyzed to generate a corresponding spectrum. Depending on the frequency components of the first audio signal S1, the first light display unit 126 may adjust the color of the lighting device. For example, red may be displayed when there are more high frequency components, while blue may be displayed when there are more low frequency components. In addition, depending on the magnitude on the spectrum of the first audio signal S1, the first light display unit 126 may adjust the light intensity of the lighting device. In this embodiment, the first self-propelled speaker device 10_c changes the lighting corresponding to the characteristics of the music, providing even richer entertaining effects.
In this embodiment, because the wireless speaker system 1 includes the first self-propelled speaker device 10 and the second self-propelled speaker device 20, the first speaker unit 104 may be a left channel speaker and the second speaker unit 204 may be a right channel speaker to produce a stereophonic sound. For example, the first audio signal S1 received by the first self-propelled speaker device 10 may come from the mobile device M1. After being processed by the first processing unit 100, the first audio signal S1 may be divided into a left channel audio signal and a right channel audio signal. The left channel audio signal may be played by the first speaker unit 104. The second audio signal S2 received by the second self-propelled speaker device 20 may come from the first self-propelled speaker device 10 and may be corresponding to the right channel audio signal. The first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 transmits the right channel audio signal to the second wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 202, and the second speaker unit 204 plays the right channel audio signal.
The second tracking unit 206 may also track the location of the mobile device M1, and thus the second self-propelled speaker device 20 can move along with the mobile device M1 as well. In one embodiment, the first tracking unit 106 is further configured to track the location of the second self-propelled speaker device 20. The first processing unit 100 controls the first actuator 108 according to the location of the second self-propelled speaker device 20. The second tracking unit 206 is further configured to track the location of the first self-propelled speaker device 10. The second processing unit 200 controls the second actuator 208 according to the location of the first self-propelled speaker device 10.
For example, the first tracking unit 106 may be a wireless transceiver. In addition to receiving wireless signals transmitted from other devices, the first tracking unit 106 may also broadcast wireless signals, such that the second tracking unit 206 may identify the location of the first tracking unit 106. Similarly, the second tracking unit 206 may also be a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals. As such, the first self-propelled speaker device 10 and the second self-propelled speaker device 20 know the location of each other and can automatically adjust the distance in-between accordingly. A better sound playing effect may be achieved because the distance between the first self-propelled speaker device 10 and the second self-propelled speaker device 20 can be kept in a reasonable range. Furthermore, the locations of these two self-propelled speaker devices may be adjusted according to the location of the mobile device M1. For example, the orientations of the first speaker unit 104 and the second speaker unit 204 may be adjusted automatically to make them both face the mobile device M1.
Similar to the first self-propelled speaker device 10_b shown in
The first self-propelled speaker device 10_d includes the first power supply unit 110, the first wireless charging unit 112, and the first wireless charging base 130. The second self-propelled speaker device 20_d includes the second power supply unit 210 and the second wireless charging unit 212. The first wireless charging unit 112 is inductively coupled to an external charger to charge the first power supply unit 110. The second wireless charging unit 212 is inductively coupled to the first wireless charging base 130 to charge the second power supply unit 210. For example, the second wireless charging unit 212 may stick to the first wireless charging base 130 by the magnetic force. When performing wireless charging, the first self-propelled speaker device 10_d and the second self-propelled speaker device 20_d may be tied together. The external charger provides energy to the first wireless charging unit 112, and the first wireless charging base 130 provides energy to the second wireless charging unit 212, achieving the effect of integrated wireless charging.
In one embodiment, the first speaker unit 104 may be a bass channel speaker (a woofer designed to produce low frequency sounds), the second speaker unit 204 may be a right channel speaker, and the third speaker unit 304 may be a left channel speaker to produce a stereophonic sound. Bass component of the sound can be enhanced in this embodiment. Because the base channel speaker may occupy larger space, the casing of the first self-propelled speaker device 10 may be larger than the casing of the second self-propelled speaker device 20 or the third the casing of the first self-propelled speaker device 30.
In one embodiment, the third wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 302 may receive the third audio signal S3 from the mobile device M1. After being processed by the third processing unit 300, the third audio signal S3 may be divided into a left channel audio signal, a right channel audio signal, and a bass channel audio signal. The third speaker unit 304 may play the left channel audio signal. The first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 102 may receive the first audio signal S1 from the third self-propelled speaker device 30 (such as being transmitted by the third wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 302). The first audio signal S1 may be corresponding to the bass channel audio signal. The second wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 202 may also receive the second audio signal S2 from the third self-propelled speaker device 30 (such as being transmitted by the third wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit 302). The second audio signal S2 may be corresponding to the right channel audio signal. The signal transmission method disclosed herein is just exemplary rather than limiting. There may be other different implementation methods for signal transmission between these three self-propelled speaker devices.
Because the third tracking unit 306 may also track the location of the mobile device M1, the third self-propelled speaker device 30 may also move along with the mobile device M1. In one embodiment, the first self-propelled speaker device 10, the second self-propelled speaker device 20, and the third self-propelled speaker device 30 track the locations of each other by the first tracking unit 106, the second tracking unit 206, and the third tracking unit 306, respectively. The first processing unit 100, the second processing unit 200, and the third processing unit 300 may accordingly control the first actuator 108, the second actuator 208, and the third actuator 308, respectively. In other words, the first tracking unit 106, the second tracking unit 206, and the third tracking unit 306 know the locations of each other, and thus the three self-propelled speaker devices may be adjusted automatically according to, for example, the distances between these three self-propelled speaker devices to achieve the best surround sound effect. In addition, based on the location of the mobile device M1, the orientations of the first speaker unit 104, the second speaker unit 204, and the third speaker unit 304 may be adjusted automatically to make them all face the mobile device M1. Taking Bluetooth positioning for example, the first tracking unit 106, the second tracking unit 206, and the third tracking unit 306 may all receive the positioning signal from the mobile device M1, and these three tracking units may also communicate to each other. Accurate positioning effect may be achieved by an appropriate calculation based on locations of multiple points in the space.
Similar to the embodiment shown in
The second self-propelled speaker device 20 and the third self-propelled speaker device 30 shown in
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A wireless speaker system, comprising:
- a first self-propelled speaker device, comprising: a first processing unit; a first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit, coupled to the first processing unit, configured to receive a first audio signal via a wireless transmission interface; a first speaker unit, coupled to the first processing unit, configured to produce sound according to the first audio signal; a first tracking unit, coupled to the first processing unit, configured to track a location of a mobile device; and a first actuator, coupled to the first processing unit, wherein the first processing unit controls the first actuator according to the location of the mobile device, and the first actuator drives the first self-propelled speaker device to move along with the mobile device.
2. The wireless speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the first self-propelled speaker device further comprises:
- a first power supply unit, configured to supply power to the first self-propelled speaker device; and
- a first wireless charging unit, coupled to the first power supply unit, and inductively coupled to an external charger to charge the first power supply unit.
3. The wireless speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the first self-propelled speaker device further comprises:
- a first environment detection unit, coupled to the first processing unit, configured to detect a geographical environment surrounding the first self-propelled speaker device, wherein the first processing unit controls the first actuator according to the geographical environment surrounding the first self-propelled speaker device.
4. The wireless speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the first self-propelled speaker device further comprises:
- a first user control interface, coupled to the first processing unit, configured to receive a control command, wherein the first processing unit controls the first actuator according to the control command, and the first actuator drives the first self-propelled speaker device to move according to the control command.
5. The wireless speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the first self-propelled speaker device further comprises:
- a first light display unit, coupled to the first processing unit, the first light display unit comprising a lighting device, wherein the first processing unit is configured to analyze the first audio signal to obtain first audio characteristic data, and the first light display unit is configured to adjust color and/or light intensity of the lighting device according to the first audio characteristic data.
6. The wireless speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the first actuator comprises at least one of a motor, a wheel, a continuous track, a propeller, and a paddle wheel.
7. The wireless speaker system according to claim 1, further comprises:
- a second self-propelled speaker device, comprising: a second processing unit; a second wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit, coupled to the second processing unit, configured to receive a second audio signal via the wireless transmission interface; a second speaker unit, coupled to the second processing unit, configured to produce sound according to the second audio signal; a second tracking unit, coupled to the second processing unit, configured to track the location of the mobile device; and a second actuator, coupled to the second processing unit, wherein the second processing unit controls the second actuator according to the location of the mobile device, and the second actuator drives the second self-propelled speaker device to move along with the mobile device.
8. The wireless speaker system according to claim 7, wherein the first tracking unit is further configured to track a location of the second self-propelled speaker device, the first processing unit is further configured to control the first actuator according to the location of the second self-propelled speaker device, the second tracking unit is further configured to track a location of the first self-propelled speaker device, and the second processing unit is further configured to control the second actuator according to the location of the first self-propelled speaker device.
9. The wireless speaker system according to claim 7, wherein the first self-propelled speaker device further comprises: wherein the second self-propelled device further comprises:
- a first power supply unit, configured to supply power to the first self-propelled speaker device;
- a first wireless charging unit, coupled to the first power supply unit, and inductively coupled to an external charger to charge the first power supply unit; and
- a first wireless charging base;
- a second power supply unit, configured to supply power to the second self-propelled speaker device; and
- a second wireless charging unit, coupled to the second power supply unit, and inductively coupled to the first wireless charging base to charge the second power supply unit.
10. The wireless speaker system according to claim 7, further comprises:
- a third self-propelled speaker device, comprising: a third processing unit; a third wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit, coupled to the third processing unit, configured to receive a third audio signal via the wireless transmission interface; a third speaker unit, coupled to the third processing unit, configured to produce sound according to the third audio signal; a third tracking unit, coupled to the third processing unit, configured to track the location of the mobile device; and a third actuator, coupled to the third processing unit, wherein the third processing unit controls the third actuator according to the location of the mobile device, and the third actuator drives the third self-propelled speaker device to move along with the mobile device.
11. The wireless speaker system according to claim 10, wherein the first self-propelled speaker device, the second self-propelled speaker device, and the third self-propelled speaker device track locations of each other by the first tracking unit, the second tracking unit, and the third tracking unit, respectively, and the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and the third processing unit accordingly control the first actuator, the second actuator, and the third actuator, respectively.
12. The wireless speaker system according to claim 10, wherein
- the first self-propelled speaker device further comprises: a first power supply unit, configured to supply power to the first self-propelled speaker device; a first wireless charging unit, coupled to the first power supply unit, and inductively coupled to an external charger to charge the first power supply unit; and a first wireless charging base;
- the second self-propelled device further comprises: a second power supply unit, configured to supply power to the second self-propelled speaker device; and a second wireless charging unit, coupled to the second power supply unit, and inductively coupled to the first wireless charging base to charge the second power supply unit;
- the third self-propelled device further comprises: a third power supply unit, configured to supply power to the third self-propelled speaker device; and a third wireless charging unit, coupled to the third power supply unit, and inductively coupled to the first wireless charging base to charge the third power supply unit.
13. The wireless speaker system according to claim 10, wherein the first speaker unit is a bass channel speaker, the second speaker unit is a right channel speaker, and the third speaker unit is a left channel speaker.
14. The wireless speaker system according to claim 10, wherein the first wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit receives the first audio signal from the third self-propelled speaker device, the second wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit receives the second audio signal from the third self-propelled speaker device, and the third wireless audio transmitter/receiver unit receives the third audio signal from the mobile device.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 15, 2016
Publication Date: Jul 6, 2017
Inventors: Heng-Chih Lin (Hsinchu), Wen-Sheng Hou (Taoyuan City), Chien-Chen Lin (Hsinchu County)
Application Number: 15/182,643