Audio power monitoring system

• US 20050047605A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monster LLC (Atlantic Acquisition, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Monster LLC (Atlantic Acquisition, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Noel, Martin, Demian
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40

Abstract

An audio power display provides a signal and an update rate. An audio power monitoring system comprises a digital display unit including at least one light-emitting display element and a rapid update rate. The digital display unit displays signal levels at the rapid update rate to emphasize the dynamic nature of music. In one embodiment, the display update rate is varied to increase proportionally to increases in signal level, and decrease proportionally to decreases in signal level to further represent the dynamic nature of music.

Claims

1. An audio power monitoring system comprising:

at least one signal level;

a digital display unit for displaying said at least one signal level; and

a display update rate for said digital display unit, wherein said display update rate is functionally related to discrete signal sample points.

2. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said display update rate increases and decrease are adjustable by a user.

3. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said display rate varies as a function of said at least one signal level.

4. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said digital display unit includes at least one light-emitting display element.

5. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said at least one light-emitting display element is one selected from a group consisting of a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a 7 segment LED, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a Nixie Tube, and a laser diode.

6. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said light-emitting display element has a color selected from a group consisting of blue, green, red and a combination of blue and green.

7. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said at least one light-emitting display element is oval shaped.

8. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said digital display unit includes a plurality of light-emitting display elements wherein the display update rate of each of said plurality of light-emitting display elements is independently controlled.

9. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said display update rate is proportional to a difference between a present at least one signal level and a prior at least one signal level.

10. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one signal level is a power for an audio channel selected from a group consisting of right, left, center, rear, average of right and left, and an average of multiple channels, and wherein said digital display unit includes a multiplicity of oval shaped light-emitting display elements wherein each light emitting display element of said multiple oval shaped light-emitting display elements is independently user selectable to display at least one of said at least one signal level.

11. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said display update rate increases if said signal level is increasing;

and said display update rate decreases if said signal level is decreasing.

12. An audio power monitoring system comprising:

a signal level of an audio channel selected from a group consisting of;

right, left, center, rear, average of right and left, and an average of multiple channels;

a digital display unit adapted to display the signal level; and

an display update rate for the digital display unit, wherein said display update rate varies as one of the group consisting of a function of the at least one signal level and proportional to discrete signal sample points

13. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said display update rate varying as a function of at least one signal level, wherein said display update rate increases proportionally to increases in said signal level, and said display update rate decreases proportionally to decreases in said signal level.

14. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said digital display unit includes at least one light-emitting display element, wherein said at least one light-emitting display element has a color is selected from a group consisting of blue, green, red and a combination thereof.

15. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said at least one light-emitting display element is oval shaped.

16. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said at least one light-emitting display element comprises at least two light-emitting display elements having display update rates which are independently controlled.

17. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said signal level comprises the maximum instantaneous power that may be transferred to a load.

18. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said digital display unit is adapted to instantaneously respond to a nominal peak signal level and to display an envelope of a nominal peak level that limits the rate of fall from said nominal peak level.

19. An audio power monitoring system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said signal level comprises the maximum instantaneous power that may be transferred to a load wherein said maximum instantaneous power is displayed as a envelope of a nominal peak level.

20. A method for monitoring digital audio power, comprising:

measuring a signal power level of at least one of a group consisting of right, left, center, average of right and left, and average of multiple channels;

determining if said signal power level is increasing;

if the signal power level is increasing, computing an display update rate proportional to increases in said signal power level;

determining if said signal power level is decreasing;

if the signal power level is decreasing, computing the display update rate proportional to decreases in said signal power level; and

displaying the signal power level at said display update rate using a plurality of light-emitting display elements.