Apparatus and method of reproducing audio data using low power

• US 9,378,750 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Son, Chang Yong, Lee, Kang Eun, Kim, Do Hyung, Lee, Shi Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Desir, Pierre-Louis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shin, Seong Ah A
• Application Number:
  US13/584,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 704/201, 704/203, 704/211, 704/500, 381/22, 381/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/16 Vocoder architecture

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reproducing audio data using low power are provided. The apparatus may reproduce the audio data by determining a power mode based on a memory resource of an internal memory, and an amount of a memory required for reproducing the audio data, controlling a power based on the determined power mode, and decoding the audio data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reproducing audio data, the apparatus comprising:

a top system to transfer compressed audio data and comprise a central processing unit (CPU); and

a subsystem, distinct from the top system, to receive the compressed audio data, and

wherein, the subsystem comprises;

an audio input buffer to store the compressed audio data;

an audio decoding unit to decode the compressed audio data;

an audio output buffer to store the decoded audio data;

a mode determining unit to determine a power mode of the top system between a first mode corresponding to the audio input buffer and a second mode corresponding to the audio output buffer based on a memory resource of the subsystem and an amount of a memory required for reproducing an audio data; and

a power controlling unit to control a power supplied to the top system based on at least one of an amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed and the amount of audio data stored in the audio output buffer that is consumed when the determined power mode corresponds to the second mode,

wherein the mode determining unit adjusts a size of the audio input buffer and a size of the audio output buffer based on the determined power mode, and

wherein when the determined power mode corresponds to the first mode, the mode determining unit adjusts the size of the audio input buffer to be greater than the size of the audio output buffer, and when the determined power mode corresponds to the second mode, the mode determining unit adjusts the size of the audio output buffer to be greater than the size of the audio input buffer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mode determining unit adjusts a speed of an operation clock to be increased or decreased based on the determined power mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the power controlling unit is configured to control the power supplied to the top system based on the amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed when the determined power mode corresponds to the first mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power controlling unit increases an amount of time in which the top system is temporarily powered down in proportion to the size of the audio input buffer.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controlling unit wakes up the top system by re-supplying the power to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed to a reference amount of input buffer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power controlling unit increases an amount of time in which the top system is temporarily powered down when at least one of the size of the audio output buffer and a speed of an operation clock increases.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power controlling unit powers down the top system by interrupting the power supplied to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio output buffer that is consumed to a power-down reference amount.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power controlling unit wakes up the top system by re-supplying the power to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio output buffer that is consumed to a wake-up reference amount.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power controlling unit wakes up the top system by re-supplying the power to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed to a reference amount of input buffer.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a speed of an operation clock of the first mode is slower than a speed of an operation clock of the second mode, among power modes.

11. A method of reproducing audio data, the method comprising:

receiving compressed audio data from a separately provided top system including a central processing unit (CPU), and storing the compressed audio data in an audio input buffer;

decoding the compressed audio data using an audio decoding unit, and storing the decoded audio data in an audio output buffer; and

determining a power mode of the compressed audio data top system between a first mode corresponding to the audio input buffer and a second mode corresponding to the audio output buffer based on a memory resource of subsystem and an amount of a memory required for reproducing an audio data, and;

controlling a power supplied to the top system based on at least one of an amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed and the amount of audio data stored in the audio output buffer that is consumed when the determined power mode corresponds to the second mode,

wherein the subsystem comprises the audio input buffer, the audio decoding unit, and the audio output buffer, and is distinct from the top system,

wherein the determining comprises adjusting a size of the audio input buffer and a size of the audio output buffer based on the determined power mode, and

wherein when the determined power mode corresponds to the first mode, the size of the audio input buffer is adjusted to be greater than the size of the audio output buffer, and when the determined power mode corresponds to the second mode, the size of the audio output buffer is adjusted to be greater than the size of the audio input buffer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining comprises adjusting a speed of an operation clock to be increased or decreased based on the determined power mode.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling the power supplied to the top system based on the amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed when the determined power mode corresponds to the first mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling comprises increasing an amount of time in which the top system is temporarily powered down in proportion to the size of the audio input buffer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling comprises waking up the top system by re-supplying the power to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed to a reference amount of input buffer.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises increasing an amount of time in which the top system is temporarily powered down when at least one of the size of the audio output buffer and a speed of an operation clock increases.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises powering down the top system by interrupting the power supplied to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio output buffer that is consumed to a power-down reference amount.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises waking up the top system by re-supplying the power to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio output buffer that is consumed to a wake-up reference amount.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises waking up the top system by re-supplying the power to the top system based on a result of comparing the amount of audio data stored in the audio input buffer that is consumed to a reference amount of input buffer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein a speed of an operation clock of the first mode is slower than a speed of an operation clock of the second mode, among power modes.