FR2596224A1 - BROADCASTING METHOD AND APPARATUS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A BROADCASTING PROCESS AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS, WHICH APPLY IN PARTICULARLY TO THE RELAY AND BROADCASTING OF SOUND EFFECTS, SUCH AS THE VOICES OF REFEREES AND PLAYERS, WHICH OCCUR IN THE FIELD DURING THE SPORTS EVENTS. THE PROCESS CONSISTS OF EQUIPPING ONE OR MORE PERSONS, SUCH AS PLAYERS, REFEREES OR COMMISSAIRES INVOLVED IN THE EVENT, WITH A PRIMARY BROADCASTING RADIO-TRANSMITTER 10 AND AN ASSOCIATED MICROPHONE 16 IN ORDER TO BROADCAST, ON A FREQUENCY OF PRIMARY BROADCASTING, SOUND SIGNALS OCCURING IN THE MICROPHONE SENSITIVITY AREA. THE PRIMARY BROADCASTS 12 ARE RECEIVED BY ONE OR MORE PRIMARY RECEPTION STATIONS 14 AND THE SIGNALS FROM THE RECEPTION STATIONS ARE MIXED AND CHECKED 18 IN A SECONDARY BROADCASTING STATION 26 WHERE A CHECKED SIGNAL IS BROADCAST ON A FREQUENCY BROADCAST, SECONDARY BROADCASTING DIFFERENT FROM PRIMARY BROADCASTING FREQUENCIES, TO SEVERAL RECEIVERS 28, 30 SEATS IN THE NEARBY OF A NUMBER OF SPECTATORS OF THE EVENT.

Description

The present invention relates to a broadcasting method and the apparatus

associated with it.

  The invention is particularly applicable to the relay and broadcasting of sound effects, such as the voices of referees and players, which occur on the field during sports events and which will be taken as

application example.

  The broadcasting method according to the invention comprises The operations consisting in placing a radio transmitter in the vicinity of one or more persons or of one or more radio stations or primary broadcast stations, for example players, referees, controllers or control positions located on or near the field, the radio transmitter being connected to a microphone which allows the primary transmitter to broadcast sound signals such as those produced within the

  microphone sensitivity zone, to receive the signal or signals transmitted from one or more primary transmitters, and to retransmit or broadcast the received signal to several compatible radio transmitters placed in the vicinity of a predetermined number of spectators of the demonstration.

  In its simplest form, the process would consist of direct broadcasting from the primary transmitter to the receivers

spectators.

  The radio transmitter of the main transmitter 25 and the spectator receivers may be small and portable enough to be carried on the respective persons of the primary transmitter and the spectators. Alternatively, receivers intended for spectators can be mounted in one or more places where spectators are located, for example 30 cabins in the grandstand or accommodation with private use. In such a case, the spectator's receiver will, in

  suitable cases, fitted with loudspeaker mounting.

  In the application of the invention to the broadcasting of sports events such as rugby, American football, boxing, football or basketball, the transmitter performing primary broadcasting may be worn on the person of the umpire or the commissioner who is closest to the event. This would have the effect that everything that happens on the pitch in the vicinity of the referee or the commissioner will be received and finally broadcast in order to give spectators the feeling of being immediately involved in the excitement of the event. The primary broadcast may be performed on a first primary broadcast frequency, while the broadcast or broadcast to spectators may be performed on a second broadcast frequency or

  secondary broadcasting frequency.

  In the preferred form of the invention, where several primary transmitters are used, several primary radio broadcasts can be made to

  corresponding primary receiving stations each comprising a receiver, the primary broadcasts being transmitted on frequencies different from a set of primary broadcasting frequencies, the signal from each primary receiving station being added and monitored at a central secondary broadcasting station d o a controlled signal may be broadcast on a secondary broadcasting frequency which is different from the primary broadcasting frequencies. This prevents the viewer from having access to the primary broadcast, if this is desirable, and allows effective control of the broadcasting system.

  The operator in the secondary broadcasting station can select a signal from any one or more receivers of receiving stations

  primary in order to rebroadcast it, depending on the interest of. 30 the event thus reported. For example, when several events occur practically at the same time, for example athletics events, some events may be less interesting than others. The most interesting event or events can thus be selected to be broadcast by the operator of the secondary broadcasting station.

  The invention comprises a primary broadcasting apparatus comprising one or more radio transmitters each connected to a microphone and intended to be placed in the vicinity of one or more primary transmitters with respect to an event, one or more primary radio receivers designed to receive the primary broadcasting signal or signals transmitted, a secondary broadcasting device connected to the primary receiving device and designed to rebroadcast one or more signals chosen according to a secondary broadcasting intended for several radio receivers placed in the vicinity of a number predetermined

spectators of the event.

  The secondary radio station may include a facility for adding additional signals, for example signals recorded on magnetic tape or microphone signals, to the signals of secondary broadcasting. This allows the inclusion of entertaining or advertising announcements as well as comments on the event.

  The following description, intended to illustrate the invention, aims to give a better understanding of its characteristics and advantages; she relies on the single figure

  next which is a simplified representation of the device of

  broadcasting of sporting events according to the invention.

  The sports event broadcasting device shown in the single figure illustrates the use of several primary broadcasting transmitters 10 transmitting on a first set of primary broadcasting radio frequencies 12 intended for several receivers 14 of primary reception stations. Each primary broadcasting transmitter 10 is provided with a microphone 16 which picks up sounds emanating from the vicinity of the primary broadcasting station. These sounds are then emitted to

  destination of the receiver 14 of a primary reception station.

  The primary broadcasting transmitter 10 is light and portable and is intended to be worn on the person of an arbitrator or a commissioner during the event. Almost everything that is said by and in the vicinity of the referee, for example by players involved in the sporting event, will be picked up by the microphone 16 and sent to the receiver

  of the corresponding primary receiving station 14.

  In the embodiment shown, several 05 commissioners are provided with primary broadcasting transmitters 10, while the receivers 14 of primary reception stations are placed in a central control station, for example a secondary broadcasting station located in the stadium itself. The signals received by the various receivers 14 of the 10 primary reception stations are added and controlled in a

  central control station 18, into which a spoken commentary coming from a microphone 20 and external signals coming for example from a console 22 of magnetic tape can be incorporated. In this way it is possible to introduce comments as well as advertisements.

  The signal thus controlled is then transmitted via a secondary broadcasting transmitter 24 on a secondary broadcasting radio frequency 26, which is different from those of the primary broadcasting frequency set 12, for several small portable radio receivers 28. Those These can be carried by predetermined spectators who, for example, will pay to have the advantage of receiving broadcasting. Alternatively, secondary broadcasting could be relayed by radio to a number of receiver and speaker systems 30 mounted in spectator housing for private use. This could be achieved

  by means of a cable distribution network.

  By using a secondary broadcast frequency 26 different from the primary broadcast frequency or frequency set 30, receivers 28 and spectators can be prevented from accessing primary broadcast programming before control is exercised over it and the mixture of these emissions. It is possible to relay by radio or cable the 35 primary as well as secondary broadcasts to a

  or more radio or television broadcasting systems for the purpose of controlling, mixing and broadcasting the program to the viewers and listeners of these stations.

  It will be understood that the number of primary broadcast radio05 transmitters 10 and receivers 14 of the primary reception stations which are shown in the single figure can be

  different from that chosen in the example shown.

  Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to imagine, from the method of the apparatus, the description of which has just been given by way of illustration only and in no way limitative, various variants and modifications which do not depart from the frame of

the invention.

Claims (9)

  1. A broadcasting method carried out in connection with an event, characterized in that it comprises the operations 05 consisting in placing one or more primary radio transmitters (10) in the vicinity of one or more primary broadcasting stations located in the zone where the event takes place, each primary transmitter being connected to a microphone (16) which allows the primary transmitter to emit a primary broadcast (12) of 10 sound signals produced inside the sensitivity zone from the microphone, to receive (14) the primary broadcast from one or more primary transmitters, and rebroadcast (24) the received signal in a secondary broadcast (26) to more than one radio receiver of compatible viewers (28, 30) placed in the vicinity of a predetermined number of spectators of the event.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the secondary broadcasting is transmitted on a frequency different from that taken by any of the primary broadcasting radio20 frequencies.   3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that, for several primary broadcasting stations, several primary broadcasting broadcasts are transmitted by several primary transmitters intended for corresponding primary reception stations each comprising a receiver, the primary broadcasts being transmitted on different frequencies belonging to a set of primary broadcasting frequencies, and the signal from each primary receiving station being added and monitored in a secondary broadcasting station from which an adjusted signal is broadcast on a different secondary broadcasting frequency primary broadcasting frequencies. 4. Broadcasting apparatus, characterized in that it comprises one or more primary radio transmitters (10) each connected to a microphone (16) and intended to be placed in the vicinity of one or more primary transmitting persons being in report with an event, a primary radio receiver (14) corresponding to each primary transmitter and being intended to receive the signal transmitted by the latter, a secondary broadcasting station 05 (18, 24) connected to the primary reception device is intended transmitting, in secondary broadcasting (26) to several radio receivers (28, 30) in the vicinity of a predetermined number of spectators of the event, one or more signals   received by primary radio receivers.   5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that   that the secondary broadcasting station includes means (20, 22) for adding signals external to the secondary broadcasting.   6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one of the primary broadcast transmitters and at least some of the spectator receivers are light enough to be worn on the respective people themselves   primary broadcasters and spectators.   7. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one of the spectator receivers is placed inside spectator housing for exclusive use and is connected to loudspeaker systems designed to broadcast   audibly the secondary broadcasting received.   8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that each primary broadcasting transmitter is designed to transmit on a different primary broadcasting frequency and the secondary broadcasting transmitter is designed to transmit on a different frequency frequencies of primary broadcasting.   9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, for several primary broadcasting stations, the apparatus is designed so that the primary broadcasting transmitters transmit, each on a different frequency in a set of primary broadcasting frequencies, and comprise a corresponding number of receivers of primary reception stations which are each intended to receive the signal from a single primary broadcasting transmitter and a secondary broadcasting station connected to the primary reception stations and comprising means making it possible to add the signals received of the various 05 receivers of the primary reception stations, the secondary broadcasting station being designed to broadcast to several receivers of radio signals for spectators on a secondary broadcasting frequency different from the   primary broadcasting frequencies.