Volume adjustment device, digital amplifier, and digital signal reproducing device

• US 7,049,885 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishizaki, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US10/500,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20050122162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 330/10, 330/207.A, 330/251
• US Class Current: 330/10
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/331 Sigma delta modulation being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2171 with field-effect devices H03F3/2173 - H03F3/2178 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2173 of the bridge type
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/0088 using discontinuously variable devices, e.g. switch-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/004 Control by varying the supply voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3021 by varying the duty cycle

Abstract

A digital amplifier causes a gate drive circuit to drive output transistors, and switches a power source voltage supplied from a variable voltage power source, thereby amplifying an amplitude of a 1-bit digital signal outputted from a ΔΣ block. A variable voltage power source varies a driving voltage, by which an upper gate drive circuit drives output transistors, as a voltage obtained by adding (i) a constant voltage supplied to a lower gate drive circuit to (ii) a power source voltage, so as to correspond to the power source voltage. Thus, the driving voltage is minimized without influencing a switching operation of the output transistors. As a result, it is possible to reduce power consumption of the upper gate drive circuit in turning down the volume.

Claims

1. A digital amplifier, in which a driving circuit drives switching elements in response to an audio signal that has been converted into a 1-bit signal, and an amplitude of the audio signal is amplified by switching a power source voltage, comprising:

variable power source voltage generating means for generating the power source voltage which is variable; and

driving voltage variation means for causing a driving voltage, by which the driving circuit drives the switching elements, to follow the power source voltage so as to vary the driving voltage.

2. The digital amplifier as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the variable power source voltage generating means includes a low pass filter for smoothing a pulse width modulation signal obtained by switching a predetermined direct current voltage in a duty variable manner, and

the driving voltage variation means includes;

a capacitor whose one terminal receives the pulse width modulation signal;

a diode for inputting a predetermined constant voltage into another terminal of the capacitor; and

a low pass filter for smoothing an output from the other terminal of the capacitor, wherein a voltage obtained by adding the constant voltage to the power source voltage is supplied to the driving circuit as the driving voltage.

3. A digital signal reproduction device, comprising:

a reproduction circuit for demodulating and developing sound data, obtained from a rewritable optical storage medium, which has been modulated and compressed for storage; and

an amplifier for amplifying the sound data, wherein

the amplifier is a digital amplifier that includes a driving circuit driving switching elements in response to an audio signal that has been converted into a 1-bit signal, and an amplitude of the audio signal is amplified by switching a power voltage,

a variable power source voltage generator generating the power source voltage which is variable, and

a driving voltage variator that causes a driving voltage, by which the driving circuit drives the switching elements, to follow the power source voltage so as to vary the driving voltage.

4. The digital signal reproduction device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the optical storage medium is a minidisk.

5. The digital signal reproduction device as set forth in claim 3, wherein

the variable power source voltage generating means includes a low pass filter for smoothing a pulse width modulation signal obtained by switching a predetermined direct current voltage in a duty variable manner, and

the driving voltage variation means includes:

a capacitor whose one terminal receives the pulse width modulation signal;

a diode for inputting a predetermined constant voltage into another terminal of the capacitor; and

a low pass filter for smoothing an output from the other terminal of the capacitor, wherein a voltage obtained by adding the constant voltage to the power source voltage is supplied to the driving circuit as the driving voltage.