Infrared audio systems and related methods

Abstract

A transmitter for transmitting audio signals via infrared light includes a first mounting board and a first plurality of narrow angle LED emitters and a first plurality of wide angle LED emitters attached to a front surface of the first mounting board. The first plurality of narrow angle LED emitters and the first plurality of wide angle LED emitters are configured to emit a beam of infrared light having a wide portion and a narrow portion, the wide portion being proximate the LED emitters and the narrow portion being distal to the LED emitters. An infrared audio system includes a transmitter and an expansion transmitter. The expansion transmitter may include a second plurality of narrow angle LED emitters and a second plurality of wide angle LED emitters. A method of making a transmitter includes attaching a plurality of narrow angle LED emitters and a plurality of wide angle LED emitters to a mounting board of a transmitter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An infrared audio system, comprising:
 a transmitter configured to generate an audio signal using infrared (IR) light having a footprint, the transmitter comprising:
 a mounting board within an enclosure including a plurality of narrow angle LED emitters and a plurality of wide angle LED emitters, wherein:
 each narrow angle LED emitter of the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters has a viewing angle less than about 45° to emit IR light of the footprint having a narrow portion distal to the transmitter; and 
 each wide angle LED emitter of the plurality of wide angle LED emitters has a viewing angle greater than about 45° to emit IR light of the footprint having a wide portion proximate the transmitter. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each narrow angle LED emitter of the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters has a viewing angle within a range of 5° to 35°. 
     
     
         3 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each narrow angle LED emitter of the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters has a viewing angle within a range of 30° to 45°. 
     
     
         4 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each narrow angle LED emitter of the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters has a viewing angle within a range of 20° to 45°. 
     
     
         5 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each wide angle LED emitter of the plurality of wide angle LED emitters has a viewing angle within a range of 50° to 70°. 
     
     
         6 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each wide angle LED emitter of the plurality of wide angle LED emitters has a viewing angle within a range of at least 120°. 
     
     
         7 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each narrow angle LED emitter and each wide angle LED emitter includes a lens configured to focus the IR light according to its respective viewing angle. 
     
     
         8 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein each narrow angle LED emitter includes a lens configured to focus the IR light according to its respective viewing angle, and each wide angle LED emitter does not include a lens. 
     
     
         9 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters includes individual narrow angle LEDs that have viewing angles that differ from each other. 
     
     
         10 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wide angle LED emitters includes individual wide angle LEDs that have viewing angles that differ from each other. 
     
     
         11 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wide angle LED emitters and the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters are interspersed with each other. 
     
     
         12 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wide angle LED emitters and the plurality of narrow angle LED emitters are arranged in one of a linear, circular, rectangular, or triangular, fashion. 
     
     
         13 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is configured to operate in either a single channel mode having a single channel active or a multiple channel mode having multiple channels active. 
     
     
         14 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the footprint of the IR light during the single channel mode is smaller than the footprint of IR light during the multiple channel mode. 
     
     
         15 . The infrared audio system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one expansion output in a rear panel of the enclosure of the transmitter for attaching at least one expansion transmitter to the transmitter. 
     
     
         16 . The infrared audio system of  claim 15 , further comprising the at least one expansion transmitter attached to the at least one expansion output, the at least one expansion transmitter including a mounting board and a plurality of narrow angle LED emitters and a plurality of wide angle LED emitters configured the same as the transmitter. 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a transmitter for transmitting audio signals via infrared (IR) light having a footprint, the method comprising:
 mixing, via a processor, audio signals to generate an outgoing signal;   transmitting the outgoing signal as IR light through a plurality of narrow angle LED emitters of a transmitter having a viewing angle less than about 45° to emit IR light of the footprint having a narrow portion distal to the transmitter; and   transmitting the outgoing signal as IR light through a plurality of wide angle LED emitters of the transmitter having a viewing angle greater than about 45° to emit IR light of the footprint having a wide portion proximate the transmitter.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transmitting the outgoing signal as IR light through another plurality of narrow angle LED emitters of an expansion transmitter connected to the transmitter; and   transmitting the outgoing signal as IR light through a plurality of wide angle LED emitters of the expansion transmitter connected to the transmitter.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising positioning the transmitter and the expansion transmitter to face in the same direction and spaced laterally from each other. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising positioning the transmitter and the expansion transmitter to face in different directions and located proximately to each other.