Control device and control method for fixing an information output order for several information sources, especially audio sources
First Claim
1. A control device comprising:
- a storage device for storing an audio-output matrix having a plurality of matrix elements, each matrix element associated with a pair of audio sources from a plurality of different audio sources, including at least first, second and third matrix elements, wherein the first matrix element indicates if a first audio source can interrupt a second audio source, the second matrix element indicates if the second audio source can interrupt a third audio source, and the third matrix element indicates if the third audio source can interrupt the first audio source; and
an arrangement for outputting a selected one of the plurality of audio sources to a common output device,wherein the control device is configured to manage audio output interruption requests from the plurality of different audio sources as a function of the matrix elements of the audio-output matrix, wherein the managing includes a non-linear mode in which, if indicated by the matrix elements, the first audio source can interrupt the second audio source, the second audio source can interrupt the third audio source, and the third audio source can interrupt the first audio source.
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Abstract
A control device and a corresponding control method are provided for establishing an information-output ranking of a plurality of information sources, in particular audio sources. In order to output the information of the information sources to a common information-output device, the information-output ranking is established in pairs for the audio sources which is in the form of an audio-output matrix having a nonlinear order with respect to the matrix elements, and wherein each matrix element of the information-output matrix is used to determine the priority of a corresponding information source with respect to another information source. A conflict among competing information outputs is solved in this manner.
148 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A control device comprising:
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a storage device for storing an audio-output matrix having a plurality of matrix elements, each matrix element associated with a pair of audio sources from a plurality of different audio sources, including at least first, second and third matrix elements, wherein the first matrix element indicates if a first audio source can interrupt a second audio source, the second matrix element indicates if the second audio source can interrupt a third audio source, and the third matrix element indicates if the third audio source can interrupt the first audio source; and an arrangement for outputting a selected one of the plurality of audio sources to a common output device, wherein the control device is configured to manage audio output interruption requests from the plurality of different audio sources as a function of the matrix elements of the audio-output matrix, wherein the managing includes a non-linear mode in which, if indicated by the matrix elements, the first audio source can interrupt the second audio source, the second audio source can interrupt the third audio source, and the third audio source can interrupt the first audio source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A control method comprising:
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storing an audio-output matrix having a plurality of matrix elements, each matrix element associated with a pair of audio sources from a plurality of different audio sources, including at least first, second and third matrix elements, wherein the first matrix element indicates if a first audio source can interrupt a second audio source, the second matrix element indicates if the second audio source can interrupt a third audio source, and the third matrix element indicates if the third audio source can interrupt the first audio source; outputting a selected one of the plurality of audio sources to a common output device; and managing audio output interruption requests from the plurality of different audio sources as a function of the matrix elements of the audio-output matrix, wherein the managing includes a non-linear mode in which, if indicated by the matrix elements, the first audio source can interrupt the second audio source, the second audio source can interrupt the third audio source, and the third audio source can interrupt the first audio source. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification