Mechanism and method for audio system synchronization
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a) a bus, the bus transmitting a bus signal;
b) a first audio device coupled to the bus; and
c) a second audio device having a clock, the second audio device coupled to the bus and receiving the bus signal, the second audio device comparing the bus signal to the clock and adjusting the clock in response to the comparison.
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Abstract
A synchronization mechanism and method for synchronizing remote audio devices that are coupled together with a bus is provided. The synchronization mechanism compares a signal on the bus with a clock signal on the audio device and adjusts the clock in response to the comparison. This allows the synchronization mechanism to accurately synchronize remote audio devices without requiring high precision clocks or other complicated solutions. The synchronization mechanism and method are particularly applicable to synchronizing remote audio devices in a distributed audio system that digitally sample and broadcast for communication purposes. In this application, the synchronization mechanism improves audio quality by synchronizing the sampling and outputting of each audio device on the bus. This improves audio quality by reducing the distortion that occurs as a result of varying sample times.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a) a bus, the bus transmitting a bus signal;
b) a first audio device coupled to the bus; and
c) a second audio device having a clock, the second audio device coupled to the bus and receiving the bus signal, the second audio device comparing the bus signal to the clock and adjusting the clock in response to the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of remote audio devices, each of the plurality of audio devices coupled to a bus and receiving a bus signal, each of the plurality of audio devices including;
i) a microphone input, the microphone input selectively sampling sound for distribution on the bus;
ii) a speaker for outputting sound distributed on the bus;
iii) a clock, the clock having a clock rate; and
iv) a synchronization mechanism, the synchronization mechanism receiving the bus signal and comparing to the bus signal to the clock, the synchronization mechanism adjusting the clock rate of the clock to synchronize the sampling of sound with sampling of sound on other of the plurality of audio devices. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for synchronizing first and second audio devices connected by a bus, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) comparing the time of arrival of a bus signal to the second audio device with a clock signal on the second audio device; and
b) adjusting the clock signal on the second audio device in response to the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for synchronizing a plurality of remote audio devices, wherein each of the plurality of remote audio devices includes a microphone device, the microphone device selectively sampling sound for distribution on the bus, a speaker for broadcasting sound distributed on the bus, and a clock, the clock having a clock rate, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the bus signal at each of the plurality of audio devices;
comparing the received bus signal to the clock at each of the plurality of audio devices; and
adjusting the clock rate of the clock at each of the plurality of audio devices to synchronize the sampling of sound with other of the plurality of devices. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification