Control system and communication system for digital mixer

• US 7,979,609 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Kudo, Masaki, Aiso, Masaru, Hotta, Harumichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Titus
• Application Number:
  US12/487,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 846/15
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4291 using a clocked protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

In a control system of a digital mixer, first class devices are connected via a first class bus, and second class devices are connected to each first class device via a second class bus. The number of first class devices, which require a specific function for adding source and destination addresses to data, can be reduced by the number of the second class devices. Moreover, the second class device which does not require the specific function for adding source and destination addresses to data input/output operations is cheaper than the first class device, resulting in the implementation of simplified configuration and reduced production costs.

Claims

1. A control system for an apparatus having an operation panel and a plurality of controllable elements on the operation panel, said plurality of controllable elements specified by identification information and divided into a plurality of sections, the control system comprising:

a first class bus to transfer a first class packet, the first class packet being routed based on a destination address contained in the first class packet on the first class bus;

a parent device connected to the first class bus having an address unique on the first class bus;

a plurality of child devices connected to the first class bus, each child device having an address unique on the first class bus, and corresponding to one of said sections;

a plurality of second class buses, corresponding to said plurality of child devices, to transfer second class data, each of the second class buses being connected to a corresponding one of the child devices;

a plurality of grandchild devices, each grandchild being connected to one of the second class buses and corresponding to one of said sections; and

wherein said parent device comprises;

a first class transmitter to generate and transmit a first class packet, containing a destination address designating the unique address of one of the child devices, identification information designating one of the controllable elements, and control data to control the designated one of the controllable elements, via the first class bus to the designated one of the child devices to control the designated one of the controllable elements; and

a first class receiver to receive a first class packet, containing a destination address designating the unique address of the parent device, identification information designating one of the controllable elements, and control data of the designated one of the controllable elements, via the first class bus from one of the child devices to report a user operation on the designated one of the controllable elements;

wherein each of said child devices comprises;

the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the child device;

a first class receiver to receive a first class packet, containing the destination address designating the unique address of the child device, transmitted by the parent device via the first class bus;

a controller, in response to said first class packet received by said first class receiver of the child device, to control one of the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the child device if the identification information in the received first class packet designates any of the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the child device;

a second class transmitter, in response to said first class packet received by said first class receiver of the child device, to generate and transmit second class data containing identification information and control data being the same as the identification information and the control data in the received first class packet to one of the grandchild devices via the second class bus corresponding to the child device if the identification information in the received first class packet does not designate any of the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the child device;

a detector to detect a user operation on any controllable element of the one section corresponding to the child device;

a second class receiver for receiving second class data from one of the grandchild devices via the second class bus corresponding to the child device; and

a first class transmitter to, when said detector detects said user operation on a controllable element of the one section corresponding to the child device, generate and transmit a first class packet containing a destination address designating the unique address of the parent device, identification information designating the operated controllable element, and control data indicating the detected operation on the operated controllable element, to the parent device via the first class bus, and, when said second class receiver of the child device receives said second class data containing identification information and control data, said first class transmitter of the child device for generating and transmitting a first class packet containing an address designating the parent device, identification information and control data being the same as the identification information and the control data in the received second class data, to the parent device via the first class bus, and

wherein each of said grandchild devices comprises;

the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the grandchild device;

a second class receiver to receive second class data transmitted via the second class bus by the child device corresponding to the second class bus;

a controller, in response to said second class data received by said second class receiver of the grandchild device, to control one of the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the grandchild device if the identification information in the received second class data designates any of the controllable elements of the one section corresponding to the grandchild device;

a detector to detect a user operation on any controllable element of the one section corresponding to the grandchild device; and

a second class transmitter, when said detector detects said user operation on a controllable element of the one section corresponding to the grandchild device, to generate and transmit second class data containing identification information designating the operated controllable element, and control data indicating the detected operation on the operated controllable element, via the second class bus to the child device corresponding to the second class bus.

2. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein a plurality of said grandchild devices are connected via a second class bus to the child device corresponding to the second class bus,

wherein, when said first class receiver of said child device receives the first class packet containing the identification information designating the one controllable element of the one section corresponding to one of the plurality of grandchild devices, said second class transmitter of said child device generates designation information designating the one of the plurality of grandchild devices and transmits the second class data to the grandchild device designated by the designation information via the second class bus, and

wherein said second class receiver of the grandchild device, designated by the designation information, receives the second class data via the second class bus.

3. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein each of the first class packets further contains a source address designating the unique address of one of the parent device and the child devices connected to the first class bus that generates the first class packet.

4. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of the controllable elements on said operation panel are controls manually operable for manipulation and indicators controllable to indicate the state of the controls.

5. The control system as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said controls on said operation panel include switches, each of the switches having an LED indicating On/Off state of a parameter corresponding to the switch.

6. The control system as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said controls on said operation panel include rotary encoders.

7. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of the controllable elements on said operation panel include faders, each of the faders having a drive device.

8. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of the controllable elements on said operation panel include a touch-screen.

9. The control system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a second class inspection section contained in each of the plurality of grandchild devices connected to the child device via the second class bus, each second class inspection section to determine whether the second class data is outputted without an error to the second class bus even when the designation information generated by the child device does not designate the grandchild device containing the second class inspection section.

10. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of controllable elements are previously allotted with respected port numbers, the identification information in the first class packet received by the child device designates the one of the controllable elements by specifying the port number, and said controller of the child device and said second class transmitter of the child device determine, if the identification information in the received first class packet designates the one of the controllable elements of the one section or not, according to the port numbers specified by the identification information in the received first class packet.

11. The control system as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the plurality of controllable elements are previously allotted with respective port numbers, the identification information in the first class packet received by the child device designates the one of the controllable elements by specifying the port number, and the second class data transmitter generates the designation information according to the port number specified by the identification information in the received first class packet.

12. The control system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the second class bus corresponding to a child device contains an interrupt line connecting between the child device and a plurality of the grandchild devices connected to the second class bus, such that each grandchild device can send a request signal to the child device through the interrupt line for requesting transmission of the second class data at the initiative of the grandchild device.

13. The control system as set forth in claim 1, used for controlling a digital mixer.

14. A communication system including a master device and a plurality of slave devices for transferring data in a serial form from one of the slave devices to the master device and transferring data in a serial form from the master device to one of the slave devices, the communication system comprising:

a first connection line provided for connecting an output terminal of the master device in parallel to respective input terminals of the slave devices;

a second connection line provided for connecting an input terminal of the master device in parallel to respective output terminals of the slave devices;

a status information transmitter contained in the master device, for transmitting status information containing an address specifying one of the slave devices and a flag indicating a direction of data transfer, via the first connection line;

a status information receiver contained in the respective slave devices, for receiving the status information transmitted by said status information transmitter via the first connection line;

a master data transmitter contained in the master device for transmitting data following the status information via the first connection line, if the flag in the status information indicates data transfer from the master device to one of the slave devices,

a slave data receiver contained in the respective slave devices, for receiving the data transmitted by said master data transmitter following the status information via the first connection line if the flag in the status information, received by said status information receiver, indicates the data transfer from the master device to one of the slave devices, and the address in the status information specifies the slave device;

a slave data transmitter contained in the respective slave devices, for transmitting the data via the second line, following the status information if the flag in the status information, received by said status information receiver, indicates data transfer from one of the slave devices to the master device, and the address in the status information specifies the slave device; and

a master data receiver contained in the master device, for receiving the data transmitted by the slave data transmitter following the status information via the second connection line if the flag in the status information indicates the data transfer from one of the slave devices to the master device.

15. The communication system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the status information transmitter generates the status information including an error check code which is changed according to a predetermined rule whenever the status information is generated, the communication system further comprising an error check code verifier contained in each slave device, for verifying the error check code irrespective of whether the address information specifies the corresponding slave device or another slave device.

16. The communication system as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

a third connection line provided for transmitting a transmission request signal from each slave device to the master device;

a transmission request section contained in each slave device, for outputting the transmission request signal via the third connection line when transmission of data is required by each slave device; and

a slave device determination section contained in the master device, for determining one or more of the slave devices which has transmitted the transmission request signal to a target slave device such that address information of the target slave device is generated together with the status information.

17. The communication system as set forth in claim 14, used for controlling a digital mixer which is composed of a parent device, a plurality of child devices connected as the master device to the parent device through the first connection line, and a plurality of grandchild devices connected as the slave device to at least one of the child devices through the second connection line.