Audio data communications
First Claim
1. Data communications apparatus comprising:
- a master device for processing digital audio data; and
a plurality of slave devices connected in a ring network with the master device, each slave device having a plurality of data channels associated therewith and being arranged to supply audio data from the ring network to the data channels associated with the slave device and/or to supply audio data to the ring network from the data channels associated with the slave device;
wherein the master and slave devices are arranged for serial communication via the ring network of frames of digital audio data, each frame comprising a plurality of data blocks which contain audio sample data corresponding to respective audio signals; and
wherein the master and slave devices are further arranged for communication via the ring network of set-up data comprising set-up commands transmitted by the master device to the slave devices and set-up responses transmitted by the slave devices to the master device, whereby the master device determines the arrangement of slave devices around the ring network and the number of data channels associated with each slave device, and, in dependence upon the arrangement and the number of data channels, allocates to a slave device, which is arranged to supply audio data from the network to the data channels associated with the slave device, a sequence of data blocks within each frame of the digital audio data format in which audio data will be transmitted to that slave device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Data communications apparatus comprises a master device for processing digital audio data and a plurality of slave devices connectable in a ring network with the master device. Each slave device has a plurality of data channels associated therewith and is arranged for supply, in use, of audio data from the ring network to its associated data channels and/or to the ring network from its associated data channels. The master and slave devices are arranged for serial communication via the ring network in use of digital audio data formatted in frames, each frame comprising a plurality of data blocks which data blocks contain audio sample data corresponding to respective audio signals. The master and slave devices are further arranged for communication via the ring network in use of set-up data comprising set-up commands transmitted by the master device to the slave devices and set-up responses transmitted by the slave devices to the master device, whereby the master device determines the arrangement of slave devices around the ring network and the number of data channels associated with each slave device, and, in dependence upon the said arrangement and numbers of data channels, allocates to any slave device which is arranged for supply of audio data from the network to its associated data channels a sequence of data blocks within each frame of the digital audio data format in which sequence of data blocks audio data will be transmitted to that slave device for supply to its associated data channels.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Data communications apparatus comprising:
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a master device for processing digital audio data; and a plurality of slave devices connected in a ring network with the master device, each slave device having a plurality of data channels associated therewith and being arranged to supply audio data from the ring network to the data channels associated with the slave device and/or to supply audio data to the ring network from the data channels associated with the slave device; wherein the master and slave devices are arranged for serial communication via the ring network of frames of digital audio data, each frame comprising a plurality of data blocks which contain audio sample data corresponding to respective audio signals; and wherein the master and slave devices are further arranged for communication via the ring network of set-up data comprising set-up commands transmitted by the master device to the slave devices and set-up responses transmitted by the slave devices to the master device, whereby the master device determines the arrangement of slave devices around the ring network and the number of data channels associated with each slave device, and, in dependence upon the arrangement and the number of data channels, allocates to a slave device, which is arranged to supply audio data from the network to the data channels associated with the slave device, a sequence of data blocks within each frame of the digital audio data format in which audio data will be transmitted to that slave device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Data communications apparatus comprising:
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a master device for processing digital audio data; a plurality of slave devices connected in a ring network with the master device, each slave device having a plurality of data channels associated therewith and being arranged to supply audio data from the ring network to the data channels associated with the slave device and/or to supply audio data to the ring network from data channels associated with the slave device; wherein the master and slave devices are arranged for serial communication via the ring network of frames of digital audio data, each frame comprising a plurality of data blocks which contain audio sample data corresponding to respective audio signals; and wherein the master and slave devices are further arranged for communication via the ring network of set-up data comprising set-up commands transmitted by the master device to the slave devices and set-up responses transmitted by the slave devices to the master device, whereby the master device determines the arrangement of slave devices around the ring network and the number of data channels associated with each slave device, and, in dependence upon the arrangement and the number of data channels, allocates to a slave device, which is arranged to supply audio data from the network to the data channels associated with the slave device, a sequence of data blocks within each frame of the digital audio data format in which audio data will be transmitted to that slave device; a control console for controlling operation of the master device in the ring network; and a work station for storage and reproduction of automation data defining a processing operation performed by the master device in the ring network; wherein the master device, console and work station are connected in a process control ring network and arranged for serial communication via the process control ring network of process control data comprising process control commands transmitted by the console to the master device for controlling operation of the master device in the ring network, process control responses transmitted by the master device to the console indicating the status of slave devices in the ring network, and said automation data reproduced by the work station and transmitted by the work station to the master device and console, the reproduced automation data comprising said process control commands and responses transmitted by the console and master device during a previous processing operation performed by the master device in the ring network; and wherein the master device, console and work station are further arranged for communication of said process control data formatted in frames corresponding to the frames of the digital audio data format, the process control commands, process control responses and reproduced automation data occupying respective sequences of data blocks within said frames. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for communication of digital audio data between a master device, for processing digital audio data, and a plurality of slave devices connected in a ring network with the master device, each slave device having a plurality of data channels associated therewith and being arranged to supply audio data from the ring network to the data channels associated with the slave device and/or to supply audio data to the ring network from the data channels associated with the slave device, which method comprises:
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transmitting frames of the digital audio data serially between the master and slave devices, each frame comprising a plurality of data blocks which contain audio sample data corresponding to respective audio signals; transmitting between the master and slave devices via the ring network set-up data comprising set-up commands transmitted by the master device to the slave devices and set-up responses transmitted by the slave devices to the master device; determining the arrangement of slave devices around the ring network and the number of data channels associated with each slave device; and
, in dependence upon the arrangement and the number of data channels,allocating to a slave device, which is arranged to supply audio data from the network to the data channels associated with the slave device, a sequence of data blocks within each frame of the digital audio data format in which audio data will be transmitted to that slave device; and transmitting serially on a process control ring network, in which a master device is connected with a control console, for controlling operation of the master device in the ring network, and a work station, for storage and reproduction of automation data defining a processing operation performed by the master device in the ring network, process control data comprising process control commands transmitted by the console to the master device for controlling operation of the master device in the ring network, process control responses transmitted by the master device to the console indicating the status of slave devices in the ring network, and said automation data reproduced by the work station and transmitted by the work station to the master device and console, the reproduced automation data comprising said process control commands and responses transmitted by the console and master device during a previous processing operation performed by the master device in the ring network; wherein the process control data communicated via the process control ring network is formatted in frames corresponding to the frames of the digital audio data format, and the process control commands, process control responses and reproduced automation data occupy respective sequences of data blocks within said frames. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method for communication of digital audio data between a master device, for processing digital audio data, and a plurality of slave devices connected in a ring network with the master device, each slave device having a plurality of data channels associated therewith and being arranged to supply audio data from the ring network to the data channels associated with the slave device and/or to supply audio data to the ring network from the data channels associated with the slave device, which method comprises:
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transmitting frames of the digital audio data serially between the master and slave devices, each frame comprising a plurality of data blocks which contain audio sample data corresponding to respective audio signals; transmitting between the master and slave devices via the ring network set-up data comprising set-up commands transmitted by the master device to the slave devices and set-up responses transmitted by the slave devices to the master device; determining the arrangement of slave devices around the ring network and the number of data channels associated with each slave device; and
, in dependence upon the arrangement and the number of data channels,allocating to a slave device, which is arranged to supply audio data from the network to the data channels associated with the slave device, a sequence of data blocks within each frame of the digital audio data format in which audio data will be transmitted to that slave device.
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Specification