System and method for enhancing speech intelligibility utilizing wireless communication

A method of enhancing speech intelligibility utilizing wireless communication, the method utilizing a portable, battery-powered and entirely user-supportable communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting an audio signal received at a microphone of a user-supportable talker unit;
• receiving the audio signal at a receiver of a further user-supportable talker unit;
• mixing, automatically without requiring operator control, the audio signal with a further audio signal received at a microphone of the further user-supportable talker unit using a mixer located in the further user-supportable talker unit to generate a mixed audio signal;
• and
• transmitting the mixed audio signal using the transmitter of the further user-supportable talker unit to a receiver of a listener unit.

A method for enhancing speech intelligibility using wireless communication, the method utilizing a portable, battery-powered and entirely user-supportable communications system, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a microphone of each of a plurality of talker units, an audio input;
• transmitting, by a transmitter of each of the plurality of talker units, each of the transmitters operating independently on a separate frequency, an output corresponding to the audio input;
• receiving, by a multichannel receiver of a user-supportable receiver unit, the outputs from the plurality of talker units;
• mixing, automatically by a mixer of the receiver unit without requiring operator control, the mixed output signal;
• transmitting, by a transmitter of the receiver unit, the mixed output on a preselected frequency;
• and
• receiving, at a listener unit, the mixed output signal on the preselected frequency.

A portable, battery-powered and entirely user-supportable system for enhancing speech intelligibility using wireless communication, the system comprising:

• a user-supportable talker unit having a microphone and transmitter constructed and arranged so that an audio input received at the microphone is transmitted via the transmitter as an output;
• a further user-supportable talker unit having a microphone, a transmitter, a receiver constructed and arranged to receive the output and a mixer constructed and arranged to, automatically without requiring operator control, mix the output received from the user-supportable talker unit with a further audio input received at the microphone of the further user-supportable talker unit to form a mixed audio signal, the further user-supportable talker unit transmitting the mixed audio signal on a preselected frequency;
• and
• a listener unit tunable to receive the mixed audio signal transmitted on the preselected frequency.

A portable, battery-powered and entirely user-supportable system for enhancing speech intelligibility using wireless communication, the system comprising:

• a plurality of talker units, each having a microphone and a transmitter constructed and arranged so that an audio input received at the microphone is transmitted via the transmitter as an output, each output being transmitted on a separate frequency;
• a user-supportable receiver unit having a receiver constructed and arranged to receive the outputs of the plurality of talker units, a mixer constructed and arranged to automatically mix the outputs to form a mixed output signal without requiring operator control, and a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the mixed output signal on a preselected frequency;
• and
• a listener unit tunable to receive the mixed output signal transmitted on the preselected frequency.

A system for enhancing speech intelligibility using wireless communication, the system comprising:

• a first talker unit having a microphone and a transmitter constructed and arranged so that an audio input received at the microphone is transmitted via the transmitter as an output;
• a second talker unit having a microphone, a transmitter, a receiver constructed and arranged to receive the output and a mixer constructed and arranged to mix the output with an audio input received at the microphone of the second talker unit to form a first mixed audio signal, the second talker unit transmitting the first mixed audio signal;
• a third talker unit having a microphone, a transmitter, a receiver constructed and arranged to receive the first mixed audio signal and a mixer constructed and arranged to mix the first mixed audio signal with an audio input received at the microphone of the third talker unit to form a second mixed audio signal, the third talker unit transmitting the second mixed audio signal;
• and
• a listener unit tunable to receive the second mixed audio signal.

A system for enhancing speech intelligibility using wireless communication, the system comprising:

• a first talker unit having a microphone and a transmitter constructed and arranged so that an audio input received at the microphone is transmitted via the transmitter as an output;
• a second talker unit having a microphone, a transmitter, a receiver constructed and arranged to receive the output and a mixer constructed and arranged to mix the output with an audio input received at the microphone of the second talker unit to form a mixed audio signal, the second talker unit transmitting the mixed audio signal;
• a plurality of further talker units, each having a microphone, a transmitter, a receiver constructed and arranged to receive a mixed audio signal from a previous talker unit and a mixer constructed and arranged to mix the mixed audio signal received from the previous talker unit with an audio input received at the microphone of the further talker unit to form a further mixed audio signal, each of the plurality of further talker units transmitting the further mixed audio signal;
• and
• a listener unit tunable to receive one of the plurality of further mixed audio signals.