Computer audio system and method

• US 7,813,823 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tempo Semiconductor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SigmaTel Incorporated (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Torrini, Antonio, Shkolnyy, Konstantin, Wheeler, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US11/333,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

A computer audio system and method is disclosed. The system includes an input to receive a digital audio input signal and a splitter to split the digital audio input signal into a plurality of digital audio signals. The system also includes a plurality of digital signal processing software modules corresponding to a detected number of hardware audio interfaces.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an input to receive a digital audio input signal;

a splitter to split the digital audio input signal into a plurality of digital audio signals; and

a plurality of digital signal processing (DSP) software modules corresponding to a detected number of hardware audio interfaces, wherein the plurality of DSP software modules are dynamically created such that a number of the DSP software modules that are dynamically created is equal to the detected number of hardware audio interfaces, wherein a first DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a first sample rate converter that adjusts a sample rate of a first digital audio signal, wherein a second DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a second sample rate converter that adjusts a sample rate of a second digital audio signal, and wherein the first sample rate converter and the second sample rate converter operate independently such that a first output signal associated with the first digital audio signal and a second output signal associated with the second digital audio signal have different sample rates.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an enumerator to detect the number of hardware audio interfaces.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of DSP software modules are dynamically created based on an output of the enumerator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sample rate converter adjusts the sample rate of the first digital audio signal by a first adjustment amount to generate the first output signal with a first adjusted sample rate.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second sample rate converter adjusts the sample rate of the second digital audio signal by a second adjustment amount to generate the second output signal with a second adjusted sample rate, wherein the second adjustment amount is different from the first adjustment amount.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first DSP software module includes a first digital filter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second DSP software module includes a second digital filter, and wherein one or more filter characteristics of the first digital filter are different from corresponding filter characteristics of the second digital filter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first DSP software module includes an audio virtualizer.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a third DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a virtualizer that performs operations on a third digital audio signal of the plurality of digital audio signals to create a virtual surround sound environment.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtualizer is a Dolby Headphone module.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtualizer is a Dolby Digital Live module.

18. The system of claim 4, wherein the first sample rate converter interpolates the first digital audio signal to increase the sample rate of the first digital audio signal.

19. The system of claim 4, wherein the first sample rate converter decimates the first digital audio signal to decrease the sample rate of the first digital audio signal.

20. The system of claim 5, wherein the first sample rate converter interpolates the first digital audio signal to increase the sample rate of the first digital audio signal, and wherein the second sample rate converter decimates the second digital audio signal to decrease the sample rate of the second digital audio signal.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a digital audio input signal;

detecting a number of hardware audio interfaces;

splitting the digital audio input signal into a plurality of digital audio signals corresponding to the detected number of hardware audio interfaces; and

dynamically creating a number of digital signal processing (DSP) software modules corresponding to the plurality of digital audio signals such that the number of DSP software modules that are dynamically created is equal to the detected number of hardware audio interfaces, wherein a first DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a first sample rate converter that adjusts a sample rate of a first digital audio signal, wherein a second DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a second sample rate converter that adjusts a sample rate of a second digital audio signal, and wherein the first sample rate converter and the second sample rate converter operate independently such that a first output signal associated with the first digital audio signal and a second output signal associated with the second digital audio signal have different sample rates.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

querying a hardware module to detect the number of hardware audio interfaces.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

filtering the first digital audio signal of the plurality of digital audio signals based on a first set of filtering characteristics.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

filtering the second digital audio signal of the plurality of digital audio signals based on a second set of filtering characteristics, wherein the second set of filtering characteristics is different from the first set of filtering characteristics.

13. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor;

a hardware module responsive to the processor, the hardware module including a plurality of hardware audio interfaces;

a device driver to control the processor, wherein the device driver comprises;

a splitter to split a received digital audio input signal into a plurality of digital audio signals; and

a plurality of digital signal processor (DSP) software modules corresponding to a detected number of the plurality of hardware audio interfaces, wherein the plurality of DSP software modules are dynamically created such that a number of the DSP software modules that are dynamically created is equal to the detected number of the plurality of hardware audio interfaces, wherein a first DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a first sample rate converter that adjusts a sample rate of a first digital audio signal, wherein a second DSP software module of the plurality of DSP software modules includes a second sample rate converter that adjusts a sample rate of a second digital audio signal, and wherein the first sample rate converter and the second sample rate converter operate independently such that a first output signal associated with the first digital audio signal and a second output signal associated with the second digital audio signal have different sample rates.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of hardware audio interfaces includes an analog speaker interface, a headphone interface, and a Sony/Philips Digital Interface (SPDIF).