METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AMPLIFIERS

• US 20110299696A1
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Holmgren, Steve F., MacFarlane, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/52 Circuit arrangements for protecting such amplifiers monitoring arrangements G01R31/28; increasing reliability in communication systems, e.g. using redundancy H04B1/74
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/03 the amplifier being designed for audio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/183 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/0088 using discontinuously variable devices, e.g. switch-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for controlling one or more audio amplifiers in or associated with a device coupled on a local area network are disclosed. The device receives at least one selected source from other devices also coupled on the network According to one aspect of the techniques, an automatic shutdown control module is provided in the device to power down the audio amplifiers when there is no audio data flow coming to the device or power up the audio amplifiers when there is audio data flow coming to the device. In one embodiment, the procedure to power down or power up the amplifiers is in accordance with a hysteresis, wherein the hysteresis, being lagging of an effect behind its cause, protects the amplifiers and makes the powering-down or powering-up procedure unnoticeable to a user.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an audio amplifier, the method comprising:

receiving, by a network interface, a data packet over a network;

determining by a control module whether the received data packet either consists of non-audio data or comprises audio data; and

responsively

powering on the audio amplifier from a powered off state when the first data packet is determined to comprise audio data; and

maintaining the audio amplifier in the powered off state when the data packet is determined to consist of non-audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering down the audio amplifier from a powered on state when the data packet is determined to consist of non-audio data and a predefined time has lapsed for which no audio data has been received.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising deactivating the audio amplifier prior to the powering down of the audio amplifier.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the predefined time from a set of data collected over time.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising powering down the audio amplifier and powering on the audio amplifier in accordance with a hysteresis.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the non-audio data while the audio amplifier is in the powered off state.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the audio data to produce an audio signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying the audio signal to drive playback of the audio signal through one or more speakers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising unmuting the audio amplifier after powering on the amplifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising setting a status of the audio amplifier to on.

11. An apparatus for controlling an audio amplifier, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface for receiving a data packet over a network;

a control module, coupled to the network interface, configured to determine whether the data packet either consists of non-audio data or comprises audio data, configured to power on the audio amplifier from a powered off state when the first data packet is determined to comprise audio data, and further configured to maintain the audio amplifier in the powered off state when the data packet is determined to consist of non-audio data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an audio processing circuit, wherein the audio processing circuit receives and processes the audio data to produce an audio signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising the audio amplifier, wherein the audio amplifier powers the audio signal to drive playback of the audio signal through one or more speakers.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control module is further configured to power down the audio amplifier from a powered on state when the data packet is determined to consist of non-audio data and a predefined time has lapsed for which no audio data has been received.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to deactivate the audio amplifier prior to the powering down of the audio amplifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a processor that executes a set of instructions to cause the control module to cause the audio amplifier to be powered down or on.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control module is further configured to unmute the audio amplifier after powering on the amplifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control module is further configured to set a status of the audio amplifier to on.

19. A tangible computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by a network interface, a data packet over a network;

determining by a control module whether the received data packet either consists of non-audio data or comprises audio data; and

responsively

powering on the audio amplifier from a powered off state when the first data packet is determined to comprise audio data; and

maintaining the audio amplifier in the powered off state when the data packet is determined to consist of non-audio data.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising activating the audio amplifier after powering on the amplifier and setting a status of the audio amplifier to on.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising processing the non-audio data while the audio amplifier is in the powered off state.