Distributed vehicle audio system

• US 10,056,872 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/295,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20170280242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58, 381 92, 381120, 381 74, 381 56, 381122
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3089 Control of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

A system for controlling an audio device that includes a memory storing an audio processing application and a processor that is coupled to the memory. When executing the audio processing application, the processor is configured to determine an amplifier parameter based on an audio signal, encode the amplifier parameter to generate an audio waveform, and transmit the audio waveform to an amplifier.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an audio device, the system comprising:

a memory storing an audio processing application;

a processor that is coupled to the memory and, when executing the audio processing application, is configured to;

determine an amplifier parameter based on an audio signal;

encode the amplifier parameter to generate an audio waveform; and

transmit the audio waveform to an amplifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the amplifier parameter comprises an amplifier voltage.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the amplifier voltage comprises a boosted voltage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein an amplitude of the audio waveform is proportional to the amplifier parameter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the audio signal to the amplifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein transmitting the audio waveform to the amplifier comprises transmitting the audio waveform via a first digital bus interface.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising the first digital bus interface, wherein the first digital bus interface is configured to convert the audio signal and the audio waveform into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to a second digital bus interface associated with the amplifier.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform the steps of:

determining a first amplifier voltage based on a first audio signal;

encoding the first amplifier voltage to generate a first audio waveform; and

transmitting the first audio waveform via a digital bus.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first amplifier voltage comprises a boosted voltage.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising determining a second amplifier voltage based on a second audio signal, wherein the first audio signal and the second audio signal comprise consecutive audio sample timeframes, and the first amplifier voltage is different than the second amplifier voltage.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising encoding the second amplifier voltage to generate a second audio waveform, and transmitting the second audio waveform via the digital bus, wherein the first amplifier voltage comprises a boosted voltage, and the second amplifier voltage comprises a non-boosted voltage.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein an amplitude of the first audio waveform is proportional to the first amplifier voltage.

13. An audio device, the audio device comprising:

a bus interface;

a power amplifier coupled to the bus interface; and

a control circuit coupled to the bus interface and the power amplifier, the control circuit configured to;

receive an audio waveform via the bus interface;

decode the audio waveform to generate an amplifier parameter associated with the power amplifier; and

transmit a control signal to the power amplifier based on the amplifier parameter.

14. The audio device of claim 13, wherein the amplifier parameter comprises an amplifier voltage.

15. The audio device of claim 13, wherein the bus interface is configured to receive a digital signal from a digital bus and convert the digital signal into the audio waveform and one or more audio signals.

16. The audio device of claim 15, wherein the bus interface is further configured to transmit the one or more audio signals to the power amplifier and transmit the audio waveform to the control circuit.

17. The audio device of claim 16, wherein, in response to the control signal, the power amplifier is configured to amplify the one or more audio signals based on a boost voltage.

18. The audio device of claim 13, wherein the control circuit comprises an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

19. The audio device of claim 13, wherein bus interface comprises a digital bus interface, and the digital bus interface is configured to receive a digital signal from a digital bus, convert a first portion of the digital signal to generate the audio waveform and one or more audio signals, and transmit a second portion of the digital signal to a second digital bus interface associated with a second audio amplifier.

20. The audio device of claim 13, wherein the audio amplifier does not include a microprocessor.