Retrofit digital network speaker system

A method for commissioning two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures in a retrofit digital speaker system, the method comprising:

• daisy-chain connecting each of the two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures using two wire analog audio cables;
• transmitting digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals over the daisy-chained two wire analog audio cables;
• receiving digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals at an analog-and-digital interface in a first retrofitted speaker enclosure;
• and
• preventing the received digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals from being transmitted to a second or subsequent retrofitted speaker enclosure by a normally open relay in series with the two wire daisy-chained analog audio cables.

A retrofit digital speaker system comprising two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures, each of the two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures (enclosures) comprising:

• at least one speaker;
• an analog-and-digital interface adapted to receive digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals, and wherein the digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals are transmitted over existing two wire analog audio cables, and further wherein the two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures are wired in a daisy chain fashion, via the existing two wire analog audio cables;
• and
• a commissioning computer, the commissioning computer including a commissioning software application (App), the App adapted to generate a plurality of commands adapted to
• generate a first test signal to a first enclosure,
• measure a data throughput rate in a first path between the commissioning computer and the first enclosure, wherein the first relay remains open,
• generate a command that closes the first relay,
• generate a second test signal to the second enclosure, and
• measure a data throughput rate in a second path between the commissioning computer and the second enclosure through the first enclosure, and subsequently generate additional commands and test signals to discover and measure paths between all of the subsequent enclosures that make up the digital network speaker system.

A method for commissioning two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures in a retrofit digital speaker system, the method comprising:

• daisy-chain connecting each of the two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures using two wire analog audio cables;
• transmitting digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals over the daisy-chained two wire analog audio cables;
• receiving digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals at an analog-and-digital interface in a first retrofitted speaker enclosure;
• receiving a first command at the first retrofitted speaker enclosure to report an identification number of the first retrofitted speaker enclosure;
• transmitting a first response to the first command that includes at least the first identification number of the first retrofitted speaker enclosure;
• receiving a first data path test message at the first retrofitted speaker enclosure;
• and
• determining a data through-put rate for a first path that comprises the path from a commissioning computer to the first retrofitted speaker enclosure, and storing the same based on the first identification number.

A method for commissioning two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures in a retrofit digital speaker system, the method comprising:

• daisy-chain connecting each of the two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures using two wire analog audio cables;
• transmitting digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals over the daisy-chained two wire analog audio cables;
• receiving digitally encoded audio signals, electrical power, and digital command signals at an analog-and-digital interface in a first retrofitted speaker enclosure;
• receiving audio signals by at least one microphone in two or more retrofitted speaker enclosures, and converting the same to an analog audio signal;
• converting the received analog audio signal into a return digital audio signal;
• and
• processing the return digital audio signal to perform one or more of
• (a) determining if an audio signal is being broadcast as intended,
• (b) determining a quality of the broadcast audio signal, wherein the quality includes one or more distortion levels, frequency response, and sound pressure levels,
• (c) providing full duplex intercom,
• (d) performing gunshot detection,
• (e) performing acoustic echo cancellation, and
• (f) performing ambient noise compensation.