Abstract:
A karaoke device is included within an enclosure and having a voice pickup element integrated into the enclosure for converting sound waves into an electrical signal. An audio input signal from a DVD player passes into the enclosure and into an electronic circuit for amplifying the electrical signal, for controlling the amplitude of the electrical signal and for mixing the electrical signal and the audio input signal into a mixed audio signal. The resulting audio output signal is delivered to an output device such as a television.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 11/469,654 filed Sep. 1, 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a cable arrangement and more particularly to a three-way cable arrangement for connecting a music/video source to a karaoke system and a television. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Cable arrangements are well known in the industry. Most cable arrangements are point-to-point, connecting two devices. Some cable arrangements are three-way, often called a Y-connector. These arrangements connect one or more input connectors from a source to the same output connectors for multiple sink devices. For example, a stereo audio Y-cable arrangement can connect the audio outputs of a DVD player to both the inputs of an amplifier and the inputs of a VCR, simultaneously. 
   Likewise, karaoke devices are well known in the industry. Generally, these devices include a source of music and lyrics that are played/displayed while the user(s) sing along. Early karaoke devices included a magnetic tape or compact disc with music recorded thereon. The music recorded is without vocal sound track or the vocal track is significantly muted so that the user can sing along with the music. 
   A professional karaoke system includes a source of music and lyrics, one or more microphones, a sound processing/amplification system for enhancing the user&#39;s voice and a display system for displaying lyrics and cues for the user(s). Some sound processing and amplification systems includes circuitry for adding echo to the user&#39;s voice and possibly additional circuitry to enhance the user&#39;s voice. It may also include a mixer for mixing the sound track with the user&#39;s voice. The display system is for displaying video information about the music, lyrics and a cue (e.g., color changes of lyrics) to help keep the user&#39;s singing on track with the music. 
   Home karaoke players have become popular in recent years. These systems include a player that accepts a microphone input and a karaoke disc or tape and mixes the user&#39;s voice with music from the disc, amplifies the sound and reproduces the sound with a speaker. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,302 to Decker. There are several drawbacks to karaoke systems as described. The first drawback relates to having a separate device that duplicates many of the functions that are already performed by other components often found in homes and business. Many users already have a device that is capable of playing karaoke tapes or disks; for example, a CD player or DVD player. These users often have another device for amplifying and reproducing the music; for example, a stereo system or television. These users often have a device for displaying the lyrics and cues; for example, a television. Therefore, having another device that replicates many of these functions is wasteful and increases clutter. Another drawback to these types of systems is that the controls are often on the device, not the microphone. Being such, the user must approach the device with the microphone to adjust the volume, echo, etc, often causing undesirable feedback and noise. A third drawback is the requirement for a wire from the microphone to the karaoke device. 
   Recently, music players and music/video players have reached the market, often called MP3 players or “iPods.” One such player is the SanDisk Sansa® View Pocket Video Player. This player has audio and video outputs on a single, 4-conductor 3.5 mm headphone jack. Another such player is the iPod from Apple, Inc. The iPod also has audio and video outputs on a single, 4-conductor 3.5 mm headphone jack. Such music players are capable of storing and playing karaoke content. 
   In example of a cable assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,445 to Shah, et al. The described cable assembly is designed for connecting high-speed Serial Advanced Technology Attachment devices and does not have facilities for analog audio and video signals. 
   Another example of a cable assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,908 to Wu. The described cable assembly is designed to provide communications between electronic equipment and does not have facilities for analog audio and video signals. 
   Another example of a cable assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,360 to Yudashkin. The described cable assembly is designed to conduct audio signals but does not have facilities for video signals nor does it have three-way cababilities. 
   What is needed is a three-way cable assembly that interfaces with music/video sources, karaoke devices and display devices. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one embodiment, a three-way cable assembly is disclose with a first connector for connecting to an audio/video source and an input cable with audio input conductors and video input conductors connected to the first connector. An intermediate audio cable has a first set and a second set of audio conductors, the first set of audio conductors are connected to the audio conductors of the input cable. An output cable has output audio conductors; the output audio conductors are connected to the second set of audio conductors of the intermediate connector. The output cable also has video output conductors that connect to the video input conductors. 
   In another embodiment, three-way cable assembly is disclose including a 3.5 mm phone plug for connecting to an audio/video source and having contacts for left-audio, right-audio, video and ground. An input cable interfaces at one end to the 3.5 mm phone plug and has left audio input conductors connected to the 3.5 mm phone plug left-audio, right audio input conductors connected to the 3.5 mm phone plug right-audio, video input conductors connected to the 3.5 mm phone plug video and a ground conductor connected to the 3.5 mm phone plug ground. An intermediate audio cable has first left and right audio conductor and second left and right audio conductor and an intermediate ground, the first left audio conductors connected to the left audio conductors of the input cable and the first right audio conductors connected to the right audio conductors of the input cable. The intermediate ground is connected to the ground conductor of the input cable. An output cable with an output left audio conductor, an output right audio conductors, an output video conductor and an output ground has its output left audio conductors connected to the second left audio conductor of the intermediate connector, the output right audio conductors connected to the second right audio conductor of the intermediate connector, the video output conductor connected to the video input conductor, and the output ground connected to the input ground and the intermediate ground. 
   In another embodiment, a three-way cable assembly is disclosed with a device for connecting to an audio/video source. An input cable with audio input conductors and video input conductors is connected to the device for connecting. An intermediate audio cable with a first set and a second set of audio conductors is provided, the first set of audio conductors are connected to the audio conductors of the input cable. An output cable with output audio conductors is also provided; the output audio conductors are connected to the second set of audio conductors of the intermediate connector. The output cable also has video output conductors connected to the video input conductors and there is a way to physically join the input cable, the output cable and the intermediate cable. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of the present invention used with a first karaoke system. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of the present invention used with a second karaoke system. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of the present invention used with a third karaoke system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. In the following description, a music/video player is used as an example of a source of karaoke content (e.g., music with suppressed vocal tracks, lyrics and video) and a television or TV is used as an example of an output device that includes sound amplification and reproduction as well as video display. There are many other sources of karaoke content that can utilize the cable arrangement of the present invention such as personal computers, CD players, tape players, laser disc players, video cameras and MP3 players. The present invention is not limited in any way to its source of audio/video content. There are many other output devices that include sound amplification and reproduction as well as a display, either in an integrated package or in individual components. Examples of such are stereo systems, monitors, personal computers, etc. 
   For simplicity, the block diagrams exclude a source of operating power. Power supplies including batteries and transformers are well known in the industry. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of the present invention is shown connected to a portable music/video player  10 , a television  20  and a karaoke device  30 . In this example, a music/video player  10  has an output connector  8 , such as the 3.5 mm audio/video phone jack connector used in several audio/video players. A mating 3.5 mm phone plug  9  is inserted into the output connector  8  making contact with the video signal conductor  13 , the left  12  and right  14  audio signal conductors and a ground conductor  5 , which are routed in input cable  1  to a cable head  4 . The ground conductor is connected to a ground conductor  25  that passes out of the cable head  4  in the output cable  3  to the television  20 . The ground conductor is also connected to a ground conductor  15  that passes out of the cable head  4  in the intermediate cable  2 , and is connected to the karaoke device  30  with a connector  19 . The video signal  13  passes through the input cable  1 , through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the video input of a television  20 . The left  12  and right  14  audio outputs from the music/video player  10  passes through the input cable  1 , through the cable head  4  and out through an intermediate cable  2  and is connected to the karaoke device  30  with a connector  19 . The left  22  and right  24  audio outputs from the karaoke device pass through the connector  19 , through the intermediate cable  2 , through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the television  20 . The wires of the output cable  3  are preferably terminated with RCA phono plugs being that most standard televisions accept audio and video signals using RCA phono jacks. Although the cable assembly of the present invention is preferably used in conjunction with a karaoke device  30  that is hand-held and preferably shaped similar to a standard microphone, the intermediate cable works equally well with other karaoke devices or other audio processing devices. 
   In the embodiment where the cable arrangement of the present invention interfaces to a hand-held karaoke device, the hand-held karaoke device  30  has a voice pick-up element  32  situated on an outer surface in a location where it can receive sound waves corresponding to the user&#39;s voice. The voice pick-up element converts the sound waves into an electrical signal that is connected to an amplifier  38  that adjustably  39  amplifies the user&#39;s voice to a level compatible with the audio outputs  12 / 14  from the music/video player  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the amplifier&#39;s output is adjusted by a multi-position switch connected to a resistor ladder. In other embodiments, the amplifier&#39;s output is adjusted with a potentiometer or a digital potentiometer having a volume-up and a volume-down push button switch. For most music/video player, the audio output level is usually around 1 volt, peak-to-peak. The audio output signal from the adjustable amplifier  38  interfaces to a selector switch  46  and a sound processor  40 . The sound processor  40  enhances the user&#39;s voice by adding, for example, echo. The selector switch  46  lets the user select either audio from the voice pick-up element  32  or from the sound processor  40 . In some embodiments, the selector switch is integrated into an on/off power switch (not shown) having three positions such as off, on and on/echo. 
   The audio output from the selector switch is mixed with the left input  12  by amplifier  36  producing a mixed left audio signal and with the right input  14  by amplifier  34  producing a mixed right audio signal. The outputs of the amplifiers  34 / 36  pass to another selector switch  42  that selects to either pass the left  12  and right  14  audio from the music/video player  10  directly to the outputs  22 / 24  or pass the mixed audio to the outputs  22 / 24 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  a block diagram of the present invention is shown connected to a portable music/video player  10 , a television  20  and a wireless karaoke device  30 / 30 . As in the prior example, a music/video player  10  has an output connector  8 , such as the 3.5 mm audio/video phone jack connector used in several audio/video players. A mating 3.5 mm phone plug  9  is inserted into the output connector  8  making contact with the video signal  13  and the left  12  and right  14  audio signals, which are routed in input cable  1  to a cable head  4 . The video signal  13  passes through the input cable  1 , through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the video input of a television  20 . The left  12  and right  14  audio outputs from the music/video player  10  passes through the input cable  1 , through the cable head  4  and out through an intermediate cable  2  and is connected to the karaoke device  60  with a connector  21 A/ 21 B (one single connector shown split for clarity purposes). The left  22  and right  24  audio outputs from the karaoke device pass through the connector  19 , through the intermediate cable  2 , through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the television  20 . The wires of the output cable  3  are preferably terminated with RCA phono plugs being that most standard televisions accept audio and video signals using RCA phono jacks. In this example, the cable assembly of the present invention is used in conjunction with a wireless transmitter  60  that is wirelessly interfaced to a hand-held karaoke device  30 . The audio transceiver  60  has a modulator  62  (either analog or digital modulation) that modulates the left and right audio onto a wireless carrier such as a radio frequency or an infrared light frequency. Many methods of modulation such as Amplitude Modulation (AM), Frequency Modulation (FM) and Quadrature Modulation (QAM) are known in the industry and any can be used without veering from the present invention. In the example shown, the audio signals are modulated onto an RF signal that passes through an antenna mixer  66  to an antenna  68  where the modulated RF signal radiates and is picked up by an antenna  47  on the karaoke device  30 . 
   The karaoke device  30  is hand-held and preferably shaped similar to a standard microphone. The modulated audio signal from the antenna  47  passes through an antenna mixer  45  and is demodulated by a demodulator  41  into left and right audio signals representative of the left and right audio signals from the music/video player  10 . A voice pick-up element  32  is situated on an outer surface of the karaoke device  30  in a location where it can receive sound waves corresponding to the user&#39;s voice. The voice pick-up element is connected to an amplifier  38  that adjustably  39  amplifies the user&#39;s voice to a level compatible with the audio outputs  12 / 14  from the demodulator  41 . In the preferred embodiment, the amplifier&#39;s output is adjusted by a multi-position switch connected to a resistor ladder. In other embodiments, the amplifier&#39;s output is adjusted with a potentiometer or a digital potentiometer having a volume-up and a volume-down push button switch. For most music/video players, the audio output level is usually around 1 volt, peak-to-peak. 
   The audio output signal from the adjustable amplifier  38  interfaces to a selector switch  46  and a sound processor  40 . The sound processor  40  enhances the user&#39;s voice by adding, for example, echo. The selector switch  46  lets the user select either audio directly from the voice pick-up element  32  or from the sound processor  40 . In some embodiments, the selector switch is integrated into an on/off power switch (not shown) having three positions such as off, on and on/echo. 
   The audio output from the selector switch is mixed with the left input by amplifier  36  and with the right input by amplifier  34 . The outputs of the amplifiers  34 / 36  pass to another selector switch  42  that selects to either pass the left and right audio from the music/video player  10  to the outputs or pass the mixed audio to the outputs. The outputs of the karaoke device  30  are modulated in a similar way to the modulator in the audio transceiver  60  modulator  62  by another modulator  43 . The modulated signal passes through the antenna mixer  45  and is radiated by the antenna  47 . The radiated modulated audio signals are received by the audio transceiver&#39;s  60  antenna  68  and pass through the antenna mixer  66  and are demodulated by a demodulator  64 . The audio output  22 / 24  of the demodulator  64  passes in the intermediate cable  2  through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the television  20 . Again, it is preferred to have RCA phono jacks on the end of the wires of output cable  3  for compatibility with most televisions. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , a block diagram of the present invention is shown connected to a portable music/video player  10 , a television  20  and a different karaoke device  70 . In this example, a music/video player  10  has an output connector  8 , such as the 3.5 mm audio/video phone jack connector used in several audio/video players. A mating 3.5 mm phone plug  9  is inserted into the output connector  8  making contact with the video signal  13  and the left  12  and right  14  audio signals, which are routed in input cable  1  to a cable head  4 . The video signal  13  passes through the input cable  1 , through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the video input of a television  20 . The left  12  and right  14  audio outputs from the music/video player  10  passes through the input cable  1 , through the cable head  4  and out through an intermediate cable  2  and is connected to the karaoke device  70  with a connector  19 . The left  22  and right  24  audio outputs from the karaoke device  70  pass through the connector  19 , through the intermediate cable  2 , through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the television  20 . The wires of the output cable  3  are preferably terminated with RCA phono plugs being that most standard televisions accept audio and video signals using RCA phono jacks. Although the cable assembly of the present invention is preferably used in conjunction with a karaoke device  70  that includes a wireless microphone, the intermediate cable works equally well with other karaoke devices or other audio processing devices. 
   In this embodiment, the cable arrangement of the present invention interfaces to a karaoke device  70  that has a wireless microphone  47 . A voice pick-up element  32  is situated on an outer surface of a wireless microphone  47  in a location where it can receive sound waves corresponding to the user&#39;s voice. The voice pick-up element converts the sound waves into an electrical signal that is connected to an amplifier and modulator  11  that amplifies the user&#39;s voice and modulates the audio signal onto a wireless signal (e.g., Radio Frequency or Infrared), emitting the wireless signal on an external antenna  49  or IR transducer (not shown). As discussed previously, any known method of modulation can be used to wirelessly send the user&#39;s voice (audio) to the base station karaoke device  70 . 
   The wireless signal is picked up by a matching antenna (or IR transducer)  51  at the base station karaoke device  70  and demodulated by a demodulator  55  producing an electrical audio signal similar to the user&#39;s voice. This electrical signal is amplified by an amplifier  38  with volume control  39  to a level compatible with the audio outputs  12 / 14  from the music/video player  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the amplifier&#39;s output (volume) is adjusted by a multi-position switch connected to a resistor ladder. In other embodiments, the amplifier&#39;s output is adjusted with a potentiometer or a digital potentiometer having a volume-up and a volume-down push button switch. For most DVD players, the audio output level is usually around 1 volt, peak-to-peak. 
   The audio output signal from the adjustable amplifier  38  interfaces to a selector switch  46  and a sound processor  40 . The sound processor  40  enhances the user&#39;s voice by adding, for example, echo. The selector switch  46  lets the user select either audio from the voice pick-up element  32  or from the sound processor  40 . In some embodiments, the selector switch is integrated into an on/off power switch (not shown) having three positions such as off, on and on/echo. 
   The audio output from the selector switch is mixed with the left input  12  by an amplifier  36  and with the right input  14  by amplifier  34 . The outputs of the amplifiers  34 / 36  pass to another selector switch  42  that selects to either pass the left  12  and right  14  audio from the music/video player  10  directly to the outputs or pass the mixed audio to the outputs. The outputs of the base station karaoke device  70  passes in the intermediate cable  2  through the cable head  4  and through the output cable  3  to the television  20 . Again, it is preferred to have RCA phono jacks on the end of the wires of output cable  3  for compatibility with most televisions. 
   Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
   It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.