Sonic communication system and method

Abstract

Implementations are provided for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data through sonic communication. A transmit device having a sonic transducer transmits a sonic carrier signal through the air with a digital representation of the data with a modulation protocol using sonic transmission frequencies in accordance with present invention. The sonic transducer operates to transmit the one or more sonic carrier signals carrying the modulated data over the air with sufficient gain to carry the signal to a receiver device where the data is demodulated using at least one sonic transducer of a receive device. The receive device may be configured to perform the demodulation of the data at one or more sonic transmission frequencies and in accordance with a sonic modulation protocol to provide a binary representation of the data. Ambient noise captured by the receiver device is processed along with the data transmitted over the sonic carrier signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A processor implemented method of wirelessly transmitting data, comprising:
 receiving data suitable for digital signal processing on a transmit device having a sonic transducer to transmit a sonic carrier signal through air to a receive device;   modulating the data at using one or more sonic carrier signals; and   transmitting the one or more sonic carrier signals modulated with the data through the sonic transducer and over the air with sufficient gain to carry the sonic carrier signal to the receive device where the data from the one or more sonic carrier signal frequencies can be demodulated.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving data suitable for digital signal processing further comprises,
 receiving one or more symbols on a transmit device to be transmitted to the receive device; and 
 converting the symbols to be transmitted to the receive device into a digital stream of data. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein modulating the data over the sonic carrier signal further comprises:
 encoding the data over one or more frequencies of the sonic carrier signal in accordance with a frequency-shift keying (FSK) protocol. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising performing a sonic transmission strategy for transmitting a sonic carrier signal through the air that avoids existing noise in a geographic location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein performing the sonic transmission strategy further comprises:
 initializing a sonic transmission frequency for transmitting the sonic carrier signal through the air at the highest sonic frequency available in a communication system; 
 creating a noise characteristic over a predetermined time period that reflects a range of sonic frequencies and their gain in a geographic location; 
 determining whether the data from the sonic carrier signal could be demodulated at the sonic transmission frequency in consideration of the noise indicated from the noise characteristic; and 
 suspending transmission of the sonic carrier signal for a time interval when the determination indicates that the noise may interfere with demodulating data from the sonic carrier signal. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the noise characteristic in the geographic location changes during the time interval. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising identifying a sonic transmission frequency for transmitting a sonic carrier signal through the air to increase usability of the system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein identifying the sonic transmission frequency further comprises:
 initializing a sonic transmission frequency for transmitting the sonic carrier signal through the air at the highest sonic frequency available in a communication system; 
 determining whether reducing the sonic transmission frequency for the sonic carrier signal increases the usability of the sonic communication system; 
 reducing the sonic transmission frequency by a predetermined frequency interval to increase the usability of the communication system. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the increased usability of the communication system reduces the amount of irritation to a person hearing the sonic carrier signal transmission. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting data, comprising:
 a processor capable of executing instructions;   memory having stored instructions when executed by the processor, causes the processor to transmit data suitable for digital signal processing on a transmit device having a sonic transducer to transmit a sonic carrier signal through air to a receive device, modulate the data at using one or more sonic carrier signals, transmit the one or more sonic carrier signals modulated with the data through the sonic transducer and over the air with sufficient gain to carry the sonic carrier signal to the receive device where the data from the one or more sonic carrier signal frequencies can be demodulated.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising instructions when executed, perform a sonic transmission strategy for transmitting a sonic carrier signal through the air that avoids existing noise in a geographic location. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the instructions that perform the sonic transmission strategy further comprise instructions that,
 initialize a sonic transmission frequency for transmitting the sonic carrier signal through the air at the highest sonic frequency available in a communication system, 
 create a noise characteristic over a predetermined time period that reflects a range of sonic frequencies and their gain in a geographic location; 
 determine whether the data from the sonic carrier signal could be demodulated at the sonic transmission frequency in consideration of the noise indicated from the noise characteristic; and 
 suspending transmission of the sonic carrier signal for a time interval when the determination indicates that the noise may interfere with demodulating data from the sonic carrier signal.