Audio power amplifier power supply voltage control method, device and audio equipment

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and a device for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier and an audio device. The method includes: obtaining the current control strategy of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier, where the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several levels according to the power consumption; the control strategy includes the level where the current operating frequency of the controller is located and the current change frequency of the supply voltage; determining the current power consumption of the controller, the amplifier control module, and the audio power amplifier according to the current operating frequency; performing a long-term statistical analysis on the past preset duration to obtain the current saved power consumption under the current control strategy; adjusting the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the current saved power consumption and the current power consumption to balance the power consumption overhead. Thus, it is possible to balance the working power consumption of the digital circuit and reduce unnecessary power consumption overhead.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of audio signal processing, and particularly to a method and device for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier and an audio device. Background Art

[0002] With the development and application of multimedia technology, personal audio devices are widely used, including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, audio players and other audio devices. The application of audio power amplifiers in such audio devices is becoming more and more extensive. Such audio devices usually include a circuit for driving headphones or speakers, and such a circuit usually includes a power amplifier for driving an audio output signal to the headphones or speakers. In consumer electronics products, battery power supply is mostly used to improve the portability of applications. The power output of the audio power amplifier in the audio device accounts for a large proportion of the total power consumption of the system and has a large power loss. Therefore, improving the power conversion efficiency of the amplifier is extremely crucial for improving the battery utilization rate of portable devices.

[0003] In a headphone amplifier, there is a method of using an analog circuit to detect an analog audio signal, and using the detection result as a basic control condition to control the power supply voltage of the power amplifier to change with the amplitude of the audio signal. There are the following two traditional schemes:

[0004] One implementation method is to adjust the supply power voltage of the power amplifier by controlling the output of the power supply voltage conversion circuit, which is generally used to supply power to class AB amplifiers or class G amplifiers. The amplitude of the audio signal is detected by an analog circuit to judge the magnitude of the supply power voltage of the headphone power amplifier. Generally, it is implemented as two-level voltage adjustment. The input audio signal amplitude is divided into two intervals. That is, when the amplitude of the audio signal is in a smaller interval, the supply voltage is adjusted to a lower first-level voltage; when the amplitude of the audio signal is in a larger interval, the supply voltage is adjusted to a higher second-level voltage.

[0005] One implementation method is to keep the supply power output by the power supply voltage conversion circuit to the amplifier circuit unchanged, and control the output voltage of the charge pump generation circuit. The charge pump circuit generates positive and negative power supplies to supply power to the power amplifier, which is generally used to supply power to class AB amplifiers or class G amplifiers. Currently, this method also detects the amplitude of the audio signal through an analog circuit to judge the magnitude of the positive and negative power supply voltages output by the charge pump circuit. Generally, it is implemented as two-level voltage adjustment. The input audio signal amplitude is divided into two intervals. That is, when the amplitude of the audio signal is in a smaller interval, the supply voltage is adjusted to a lower first-level voltage; when the amplitude of the audio signal is in a larger interval, the supply voltage is adjusted to a higher second-level voltage.

[0006] The traditional schemes have the following disadvantages:

[0007] 1. Inaccurate and unstable

[0008] Although the amplitude of the input audio signal can be detected through an analog circuit, and the basic detection function can be achieved, there are inherent consistency deviations in the analog circuit devices themselves, and they are greatly affected by the environment where the circuit is located, such as the power supply, temperature, external interference, etc. The detection results are uncertain.

[0009] 2. Severe EMI and newly introduced power consumption in the analysis unit itself

[0010] The analog circuit cannot perform signal analysis and statistics on a long time scale. The threshold comparison method simply divides into two levels, and there will be jitter phenomena when switching near the critical point. Due to the small analysis scale and jitter jumps, the power supply voltage will generate severe EMI.

[0011] 3. Limited energy saving and poor flexibility:

[0012] According to dividing the amplitude of the audio signal into two intervals to provide different supply voltages respectively, although the efficiency of the converter can be improved to a certain extent, in actual applications, it still cannot meet the requirement of fully improving the battery utilization rate of portable electronic products. Especially in the application of headphone amplifiers, within the volume range acceptable to the human ear, the amplitude of the audio signal changes greatly, and the application scenarios are diverse. In this case, simply using two-level voltage regulation to control the power of the amplifier cannot adjust the supply power voltage following the signal in the case of low signal amplitude. Therefore, the efficiency of the amplifier is also greatly limited.

[0013] Although some products also use digital analysis methods, in terms of signal analysis and voltage adjustment methods, they are still only short-frame analysis and simple jump-style voltage adjustment, which is not conducive to reducing the power consumption of the digital analysis unit itself.

[0014] The existing implementation methods of detection and control are fixed after the circuit design is completed. Its structure is simple, the adjustment strategy is single, and it cannot be modified and redefined later, and cannot meet the implementation of the scheme that needs to be adjusted according to different application requirements in actual applications.

[0015] Therefore, how to balance the working power consumption of the digital circuit and reduce unnecessary power consumption overhead has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0016] Based on the above situation, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and device for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier and an audio device to balance the working power consumption of the digital circuit.

[0017] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0018] The first aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier, which is applied to a controller. The controller is used to generate a digital signal of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier according to the received audio signal. The amplifier control module is used to generate the supply voltage according to the digital signal and output the supply voltage to the audio power amplifier. The audio power amplifier is used to amplify the audio signal. The control method includes:

[0019] Obtain the current control strategy of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier. Among them, the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several levels according to the power consumption. The control strategy includes the level where the operating frequency of the controller is located and the change frequency of the supply voltage;

[0020] Determine the current power consumption of the controller, the amplifier control module and the audio power amplifier according to the current operating frequency;

[0021] Conduct power consumption statistical analysis for a preset past duration to obtain the current saved power consumption under the current control strategy;

[0022] Adjust the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the current saved power consumption and the current consumed power consumption to balance the power consumption overhead.

[0023] In a specific embodiment, the adjusting the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the current saved power consumption and the current consumed power consumption includes:

[0024] When the current saved power consumption is less than the current consumed power consumption, determine whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the lowest frequency level;

[0025] If the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level, provide a fixed supply voltage to the audio power amplifier and control the controller to enter the sleep mode;

[0026] If the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency level, lower the operating frequency of the controller by one level and reduce the change frequency of the supply voltage.

[0027] In a specific embodiment, if the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level, it further includes:

[0028] Set the wake-up threshold of the controller;

[0029] When the amplitude of the input audio signal is greater than the wake-up threshold, wake up the controller.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, adjusting the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the power supply voltage based on the currently saved power consumption and the currently consumed power consumption includes:

[0031] When the currently saved power consumption is greater than the currently consumed power consumption, compare the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption with a preset ratio;

[0032] If the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is less than the preset ratio, determine whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the highest frequency level;

[0033] If the current operating frequency is at the highest frequency level, keep the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keep the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged;

[0034] If the current operating frequency is not at the highest frequency level, increase the operating frequency of the controller by one level and increase the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is greater than the preset ratio, keep the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keep the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged.

[0036] The second aspect of the present invention provides a power supply voltage control device for an audio power amplifier, which is applied to a controller. The controller is used to generate a digital signal of the power supply voltage of the audio power amplifier according to the received audio signal. The amplifier control module is used to generate the power supply voltage according to the digital signal and output the power supply voltage to the audio power amplifier. The audio power amplifier is used to amplify the audio signal. The control device includes:

[0037] A current strategy acquisition module, which is used to acquire the current control strategy of the power supply voltage of the audio power amplifier. Among them, the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several levels according to the power consumption level. The current control strategy includes the level where the current operating frequency of the controller is located and the current change frequency of the power supply voltage;

[0038] A current cost determination module, which is used to determine the currently consumed power consumption of the controller, the amplifier control module and the audio power amplifier according to the current operating frequency;

[0039] A current benefit determination module, which is used to perform power consumption statistical analysis on a past preset time period to obtain the currently saved power consumption under the current control strategy;

[0040] A strategy adjustment module, configured to adjust the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the power supply voltage based on the currently saved power consumption and the currently consumed power consumption, so as to balance the power consumption overhead.

[0041] In a specific embodiment, the strategy adjustment module includes: a lowest frequency level judgment unit, a fixed power supply unit, a sleep control unit, and a frequency reduction unit, where:

[0042] When the currently saved power consumption is less than the currently consumed power consumption, the lowest frequency level judgment unit judges whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the lowest frequency level;

[0043] If the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level, the fixed power supply unit is configured to provide a fixed power supply voltage to the audio power amplifier, so that the audio power amplifier operates at the fixed power supply voltage; the sleep control unit is configured to control the controller to enter the sleep mode;

[0044] If the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency level, the frequency reduction unit reduces the operating frequency of the controller by one level and reduces the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

[0045] In a specific embodiment, the strategy adjustment module further includes: a wake-up setting unit, configured to set a wake-up threshold of the controller if the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level; when the amplitude of the input audio signal is greater than the wake-up threshold, wake up the controller.

[0046] In a specific embodiment, the strategy adjustment module includes: a benefit-cost ratio judgment unit, a highest frequency judgment unit, a frequency holding unit, and a frequency increasing unit, where:

[0047] When the currently saved power consumption is greater than the currently consumed power consumption, the benefit-cost ratio judgment unit compares the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption with a preset ratio; if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is less than the preset ratio, the highest frequency judgment unit judges whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the highest frequency level;

[0048] If the current operating frequency is at the highest frequency level, the frequency holding unit keeps the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keeps the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged;

[0049] If the current operating frequency is not at the highest frequency level, the frequency increasing unit increases the operating frequency of the controller by one level and increases the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

[0050] In a specific embodiment, if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is greater than a preset ratio, the frequency holding unit keeps the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keeps the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged.

[0051] A third aspect of the present invention provides an audio device having an audio data processing function, including:

[0052] The audio power amplifier power supply voltage control device as described above.

[0053] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program stored in the storage medium is used to be executed to implement the method described above.

[0054]

Beneficial effects

[0055] According to an audio power amplifier power supply voltage control method, device and audio device disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention, the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several levels according to the level of power consumption. After obtaining the current operating frequency level of the controller and the current change frequency of the power supply voltage, the currently consumed power consumption of the digital circuit is determined according to the current operating frequency, and the currently saved power consumption is obtained through long-term statistical analysis. Then, the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the power supply voltage are adjusted according to the currently saved power consumption and the currently consumed power consumption, so that the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the power supply voltage can be adapted to the current power consumption change. That is, the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the power supply voltage are dynamically adjusted. Compared with the method of fixing the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the power supply voltage in the prior art, the solution of the embodiment of the present invention can balance the power consumption overhead of the controller and the power consumption overhead of the subsequent circuit based on the consumption and saving of the current power consumption. Therefore, the working power consumption of the digital circuit can be balanced and unnecessary power consumption overhead can be reduced.

[0056] Other beneficial effects of the present invention will be described in the specific embodiments through the introduction of specific technical features and technical solutions. Those skilled in the art should be able to understand the beneficial technical effects brought by the technical features and technical solutions through these introductions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] The following will describe embodiments according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the figures:

[0058] Figure 1 is a flowchart of an audio power amplifier power supply voltage control method disclosed in this embodiment;

[0059] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure principle of an audio power amplifier power supply voltage control circuit disclosed in this embodiment, where, Figure 2AA schematic diagram of the flow direction of an analog audio signal input Figure 2B Another schematic diagram of the flow direction of an analog audio signal input Figure 2C A schematic diagram of the flow direction of a digital audio signal input Figure 2D Another schematic diagram of the flow direction of a digital audio signal input;

[0060] Figure 3 A flowchart of a control strategy method for adjusting the supply voltage based on the currently saved power consumption B and the currently consumed power consumption A disclosed in this embodiment;

[0061] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method for adjusting the magnitude of the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier disclosed in this embodiment;

[0062] Figure 5 A waveform schematic diagram of dynamically adjusting the clearance voltage disclosed in this embodiment;

[0063] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a supply voltage control device for an audio power amplifier disclosed in this embodiment. Detailed implementation manners

[0064] In order to balance the working power consumption of digital circuits and reduce unnecessary power consumption overheads, this embodiment discloses a method for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier, which is applied to a controller. The controller is used to generate a digital signal of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier according to the received audio signal. The amplifier control module is used to generate the supply voltage according to the digital signal and output the supply voltage to the audio power amplifier. The audio power amplifier is used to amplify the audio signal. Please refer to Figure 1 , which is a flowchart of a method for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier disclosed in this embodiment.

[0065] Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of a supply voltage control circuit for an audio power amplifier disclosed in this embodiment. Among them, Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the flow direction of an analog audio signal input Figure 2B Another schematic diagram of the flow direction of an analog audio signal input Figure 2C A schematic diagram of the flow direction of a digital audio signal input Figure 2D Another schematic diagram of the flow direction of a digital audio signal input. In the figure, the thick arrow line indicates the signal direction. The supply voltage control circuit for this audio power amplifier includes: a controller 1, a programmable non-volatile memory 2, an audio power amplifier 3, and an amplifier control module 4, where:

[0066] The controller 1 receives an audio signal input. On the one hand, the controller 1 analyzes the audio signal and outputs a corresponding digital signal to the amplifier control module 4 to adjust the supply voltage output to the audio power amplifier 3. On the other hand, the controller 1 can cache the audio signal. When the controller 1 completes the adjustment of the supply voltage output to the audio power amplifier 3, it transmits the cached audio signal to the audio power amplifier 3, so that when the power supply arrives, the amplifier 3 starts to amplify the audio signal and outputs it to the speaker, avoiding the asynchrony between receiving the supply voltage and receiving the audio signal.

[0067] In this embodiment, the controller 1 is a digital processor, which can be a processor with digital processing capabilities such as a DSP. The processing object of the controller 1 is a digital audio signal. In an alternative embodiment, the audio power amplifier supply voltage control circuit includes: a control switch S1 for switching between an input analog audio signal and a digital audio signal. When the input audio signal is an analog signal, it needs to be AD-converted by an ADC, and then, through the control switch S1, it is connected and input to the controller 1.

[0068] Under the control of the controller 1, the amplifier control module 4 adjusts the supply voltage output by the power supply to the audio power amplifier 3.

[0069] The programmable non-volatile memory 2 stores control strategies. Specifically, the control strategies include: controlling the operating frequency of the controller 1 and the frequency of change of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier 3. In the specific implementation process, the operating frequency of the controller 1 is divided into several gears. Therefore, these gears can be stored in the programmable non-volatile memory 2. As an example of gear division, taking the operating frequency of the controller 1 being divided into several gears as an example, the full-load frequency is calibrated as M, gear 1: 100% * M main frequency, gear 2: 95% * M main frequency,..., gear n: 5% * M main frequency, sleep.

[0070] In this embodiment, by storing these gears in the programmable non-volatile memory 2, the controller 1 can directly call these control strategies, thereby reducing the computational complexity of the controller 1.

[0071] Please refer to Figure 1 , the audio power amplifier supply voltage control method includes: step S100, step S200, step S300, and step S400, where:

[0072] Step S100, obtaining the current control strategy of the audio power amplifier supply voltage. In this embodiment, the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several gears according to the power consumption level; the current control strategy includes the current operating frequency of the controller and the current frequency of change of the supply voltage. In this embodiment, the digital audio signal is input to the input end of the audio power amplifier via the controller.

[0073] In this embodiment, regarding the digital audio signal input to the input terminal of the audio power amplifier 3 via the controller 1, it should be noted that when controlled by the controller 1, the audio signal (including analog audio signal and digital audio signal) bypasses the controller 1 and is sent to the audio power amplifier 3. Taking Figure 2B as an example, the control switch S1 disconnects the analog audio signal input terminal from the controller 1, and the switch S2 connects the analog audio signal input terminal to the audio power amplifier 3, so that the analog audio signal bypasses the controller 1 and is transmitted to the audio power amplifier 3 via the switch S2 after that, that is, the analog audio signal bypasses the controller 1 and is sent to the audio power amplifier 3.

[0074] Similarly, in Figure 2C , when the DAC is directly connected to the digital audio decoder through a switch, it is also considered that the audio signal bypasses the controller 1.

[0075] Step S200, determine the current consumed power A of the controller, the amplifier control module, and the audio power amplifier according to the current operating frequency. After obtaining the current control strategy of the power supply voltage of the audio power amplifier, the current operating frequency of the controller can be obtained. In the specific implementation process, the current consumed power A of the digital circuit can be determined by querying the frequency-power consumption comparison table of the digital processing module. Among them, the digital processing module is the digital part of the controller, the amplifier control module, and the audio power amplifier. The example table is shown in Table 1. In the specific implementation process, the dynamic power consumption or the total power consumption can be selected according to actual needs to determine the consumed power.

[0076] Table 1: Reference of the frequency and power consumption comparison table of the digital processing module

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] Step S300, perform power consumption statistical analysis on the past preset duration to obtain the current saved power under the current control strategy.

[0080] In a specific embodiment, the power consumption within the preset duration T can be statistically analyzed to determine the saved power within the past preset duration T, that is, under the current control strategy, the average saved power of the controller and its subsequent digital circuit within the past preset duration T compared with the previous control strategy. Specifically, the preset duration T can be determined according to experience.

[0081] Step S400, adjust the operating frequency gear of the controller and / or the change frequency of the power supply voltage based on the current saved power and the current consumed power to balance the power consumption overhead. Specifically:

[0082] When the currently consumed power consumption A is greater than the currently saved power consumption B, it indicates that the current audio signal (digital audio signal or analog audio signal) is relatively stable, and there is no need for the controller 1 to adjust the supply voltage. At this time, please refer to Figure 2B 、 Figure 2D , the input of the audio signal (digital audio signal or analog audio signal) to the controller 1 can be cut off by controlling the switch S1, so that the audio signal (digital audio signal or analog audio signal) is input to the switch S2; at the same time, the switch S2 connects the audio signal (digital audio signal or analog audio signal) to the input terminal of the audio power amplifier 3, so that the audio signal (digital audio signal or analog audio signal) is directly input to the input terminal of the audio power amplifier 3. In this case, the controller 1 can enter the sleep mode to save power consumption.

[0083] On the contrary, when the currently consumed power consumption A is less than the currently saved power consumption B, it indicates that the current audio signal (digital audio signal or analog audio signal) is unstable, and its amplitude fluctuates. In order to adaptively adjust the supply voltage to the audio power amplifier 3, at this time, the controller 1 can be made to enter the working mode, so that an appropriate control strategy can be determined based on the current audio signal to balance the power consumption overhead and the sound quality effect. Specifically, as an example, when the change frequency of the audio signal is high, the controller 1 enters the normal working mode, so that the efficiency and power consumption of the audio power amplifier 3 can be avoided from being wasted too much; when the change frequency of the audio signal is low, the controller 1 enters the frequency reduction mode, so that the power consumption waste of the controller 1 itself can be avoided.

[0084] It can be seen that in this embodiment, by dynamically adjusting the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the supply voltage, compared with the method of fixing the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the supply voltage in the prior art, the solution of the present invention embodiment can balance the power consumption overhead of the controller and the power consumption overhead of the subsequent circuit based on the benefits and costs of the current power consumption, thereby realizing the balance of the working power consumption of the digital circuit and reducing unnecessary power consumption overhead.

[0085] Please refer to Figure 3 , which is a flowchart of a control strategy method for adjusting the supply voltage based on the currently saved power consumption B and the currently consumed power consumption A disclosed in this embodiment. Specifically, step S400 includes:

[0086] When the currently saved power consumption B is less than the currently consumed power consumption A, step S421 is executed;

[0087] Step S421, determine whether the current operating frequency of the controller 1 is at the lowest frequency gear. If the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency gear, then sequentially execute Step S422 and Step S423; if the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency gear, then execute Step S425.

[0088] Step S422, provide a fixed supply voltage to the audio power amplifier so that the audio power amplifier operates at the fixed supply voltage. Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, taking the audio signal input as a digital audio signal as an example, if the current operating frequency of the controller 1 is at the lowest frequency gear, then the controller 1 outputs a fixed voltage digital signal to the amplifier control module 4, so that when the amplifier control module 4 performs DCDC conversion on the power supply, it provides a fixed supply voltage to the audio power amplifier 3, thereby enabling the audio power amplifier to operate at the fixed supply voltage.

[0089] Step S423, control the controller to enter the sleep mode and directly send the received digital audio signal to the audio power amplifier. Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, taking the audio signal input as a digital audio signal as an example, if the current operating frequency of the controller 1 is at the lowest frequency gear, then the controller 1 controls itself to enter the sleep mode, and controls the switches S1 and S2 to switch on so that the digital audio signal is directly input to the audio power amplifier 3, that is, the digital audio signal sequentially passes through the switch S1, DAC, and switch S2 and reaches the input end of the audio power amplifier 3. It should be noted that although the audio signal is not input to the controller 1, in this embodiment, it should be understood that the audio signal is input to the audio power amplifier via the controller.

[0090] Step S425, lower the operating frequency of the controller by one gear and reduce the change frequency of the supply voltage. In this embodiment, if the currently saved power consumption B is less than the currently consumed power consumption A, it indicates that under the premise of meeting the current sound quality effect, the currently controlled strategy consumes more power, and the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency gear, then the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the supply voltage can be considered to be reduced.

[0091] When the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency gear, in order to avoid the inability of the fixed supply voltage to adapt to the change in the audio signal amplitude due to the change in the audio signal amplitude, in an optional embodiment, if the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency gear, it further includes:

[0092] Step S424, set the wake-up threshold of the controller. When the amplitude of the input audio signal is greater than the wake-up threshold, wake up the controller. Specifically, a high-level wake-up threshold and a low-level wake-up threshold can be set. When the amplitude of the audio signal is higher than the high-level wake-up threshold, or when the amplitude of the audio signal is lower than the low-level wake-up threshold, the controller 1 is woken up, so that the controller 1 starts to work, and thus adjusts the power supply voltage input to the audio power amplifier 3 according to the amplitude of the audio signal.

[0093] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the execution order between step S422 and step S424 is not limited.

[0094] In an alternative embodiment, step S400 further includes:

[0095] When the currently saved power consumption B is greater than the currently consumed power consumption A, step S411 is executed.

[0096] Step S411, compare the ratio of the currently saved power consumption B to the currently consumed power consumption A with a preset ratio. The preset ratio can be, for example, 130% - 170%. In a specific embodiment, by setting the preset ratio, it can be determined whether the benefit brought by the current control strategy is too low or too high. In this embodiment, if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption B to the currently consumed power consumption A is less than the preset ratio, it indicates that the operating frequency of the controller 1 can be further increased, and step S412 is executed; otherwise, the current operating frequency is maintained.

[0097] Step S412, determine whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the highest frequency gear; if the current operating frequency is at the highest frequency gear, step S413 is executed; if the current operating frequency is not at the highest frequency gear, step S414 is executed.

[0098] Step S413, keep the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keep the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged to maintain the current control strategy.

[0099] Step S414, increase the operating frequency of the controller by one gear and increase the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

[0100] In an alternative embodiment, if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption (B) to the currently consumed power consumption (A) is greater than the preset ratio, keep the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keep the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged to maintain the current control strategy.

[0101] During the power supply process of the audio power amplifier, when the voltage between the power supplies is higher than the minimum operating voltage, the circuit operates normally. If the peak-to-peak value of the input signal is equal to the positive and negative power supply voltages, due to the load, a load current will be generated. Since the power transistor is not an ideal device, there will inevitably be a voltage loss when driving the load current. Therefore, in order to make the peak-to-peak value of the input signal less than the voltage between the positive and negative power supplies by a certain value, that is, to leave a certain margin for the supply voltage and reduce the distortion of the output signal, this is the meaning of the headroom voltage.

[0102] After research by the applicant, it is found that if the headroom voltage always maintains the same difference, when the amplitude of the input signal increases, the signal distortion will increase. For example, when the peak value of the input signal is 1.6V and the positive and negative power supplies (supply voltage) are less than or equal to 1.6V, the output signal will have clipping distortion. On the contrary, when the amplitude of the input signal is small and the amplitude of the supply voltage is large, that is, the supply voltage is greater than the amplitude of the input signal, the total harmonic distortion (THD) index will be better, but the signal power consumption will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the relationship between sound distortion and power consumption.

[0103] In order to adaptively adjust the supply voltage output to the audio power amplifier to balance the relationship between sound distortion and power consumption, please refer to Figure 4 , which is a flowchart of a method for adjusting the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier disclosed in this embodiment. In an alternative embodiment, before step S300, it further includes:

[0104] Step S110, receiving and caching the current digital audio signal. Please refer to Figure 2. A buffer (not shown) is set in the controller 1. When the input audio signal is a digital audio signal, the digital audio signal can be decoded by the digital audio decoder and then cached in the buffer; when the input audio signal is an analog audio signal, the analog audio signal can be converted from analog to digital by the ADC and then cached in the buffer.

[0105] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the execution order between step S100 and step S110 is not limited.

[0106] Between step S110 and step S400, it further includes:

[0107] Step S120, performing amplitude analysis on the current digital audio signal to obtain the envelope voltage of the current digital audio signal in each interval. Please refer to Figure 5 , which is a waveform diagram of dynamically adjusting the headroom voltage disclosed in this embodiment. Figure 5 In it, the wavy curve is the cached digital audio signal. In the specific implementation process, each envelope peak value of the digital audio signal can be determined based on the long and short time.

[0108] In an alternative embodiment, the digital audio signal can be divided into several intervals. In each interval, the maximum value of the envelope peak can be used as the envelope voltage of that interval. In the specific implementation process, the envelope voltage of each interval can also be determined based on long and short time: when the conversion efficiency of the power amplifier is low, the envelope voltage of the interval can be determined by long-time analysis, that is, extending the current digital audio signal interval (e.g., 3 s) and increasing the delay duration of the digital audio signal; when the conversion efficiency of the power amplifier is high, the envelope voltage of the interval can be determined by short-time analysis, that is, shortening the current digital audio signal interval (e.g., 1 s) and reducing the delay duration of the digital audio signal, so as to avoid wasting the efficiency and power consumption of the amplifier too much.

[0109] Step S130: Determine the headroom voltage of each interval according to the envelope voltage of each interval to dynamically adjust the headroom voltage. Specifically, after determining the envelope voltage of the current interval, the headroom voltage of this interval can be determined based on the envelope voltage of the current interval, so that the supply voltage of the power amplifier is adapted to the audio signal of the current interval. In a specific embodiment, for each interval, the following formula is used to obtain the headroom voltage of this interval:

[0110] y 1 = p·x 2 + q

[0111] where y 1 is the headroom voltage of the interval, x is the envelope voltage of the interval, and p and q are constants related to the circuit process and load impedance. Please refer to Figure 5 , v1, v2, v3... v5 are the headroom voltages corresponding to each interval.

[0112] Step S140: Superimpose the corresponding headroom voltage on the envelope voltage to obtain the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier corresponding to each interval. Specifically, the following formula can be used to superimpose the headroom voltage to obtain the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier corresponding to each interval:

[0113] y = x + y 1

[0114] where y is the supply voltage of the interval, y 1 is the headroom voltage of the interval, and x is the envelope voltage of the interval.

[0115] It should be noted that in the specific implementation process, step S120, step S130, and step S140 can be combined and executed simultaneously in step S300; or step S120, step S130, and step S140 can be executed first, and then step S300; or step S300 can be executed first, and then step S120, step S130, and step S140.

[0116] In this embodiment, by caching the current digital audio signal, then calculating the headroom voltage adapted to this interval based on the cached audio signal, and superimposing the corresponding headroom voltage on the envelope voltage, the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier can be dynamically adjusted according to the amplitude of the input audio signal, thereby balancing the sound effect and the efficiency and power consumption of the power amplifier.

[0117] This embodiment also discloses a device for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier, which is applied to a controller. The audio input end of the controller is connected to an audio signal input module; the digital signal output end of the controller is connected to an amplifier control module 4; the audio output end of the controller is connected to an audio power amplifier 3; the amplifier control module 4 is used to adjust the supply voltage output to the audio power amplifier 3. Please refer to Figure 6 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a device for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier disclosed in this embodiment. The device for controlling the supply voltage of an audio power amplifier includes: a current strategy acquisition module 100, a current cost determination module 200, a current benefit determination module 300, and a strategy adjustment module 400, where:

[0118] The current strategy acquisition module 100 is used to acquire the current control strategy of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier. Among them, the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several gears according to the power consumption level, and the control strategy includes the gear where the current operating frequency of the controller is located and the current change frequency of the supply voltage;

[0119] The current cost determination module 200 is used to determine the current consumed power A of the controller, the amplifier control module 4, and the audio power amplifier 3 according to the current operating frequency;

[0120] The current benefit determination module 300 is used to perform long-term statistical analysis on the past preset duration to obtain the currently saved power consumption B under the current control strategy;

[0121] The strategy adjustment module 400 is used to adjust the operating frequency gear of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the currently saved power consumption B and the currently consumed power A to balance the power consumption overhead.

[0122] In an alternative embodiment, the strategy adjustment module 400 includes: a lowest frequency gear judgment unit, a fixed power supply unit, a sleep control unit, and a frequency reduction unit, where:

[0123] When the currently saved power consumption B is less than the currently consumed power consumption A, the lowest frequency gear judgment unit judges whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the lowest frequency gear;

[0124] If the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level, the fixed power supply unit is used to provide a fixed power supply voltage to the audio power amplifier so that the audio power amplifier operates at the fixed power supply voltage; the sleep control unit is used to control the controller to enter the sleep mode;

[0125] If the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency level, the frequency reduction unit reduces the operating frequency of the controller by one level and reduces the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

[0126] In an optional embodiment, the policy adjustment module 400 further includes: a wake-up setting unit, which is used to set the wake-up threshold of the controller if the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level; when the amplitude of the input audio signal triggers the wake-up threshold, the controller is woken up.

[0127] In an optional embodiment, the policy adjustment module 400 includes: a benefit-cost ratio judgment unit, a highest frequency judgment unit, a frequency holding unit, and a frequency increasing unit, where:

[0128] When the currently saved power consumption B is greater than the currently consumed power consumption A, the benefit-cost ratio judgment unit compares the ratio of the currently saved power consumption B to the currently consumed power consumption A with a preset ratio; if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption B to the currently consumed power consumption A is less than the preset ratio, the highest frequency judgment unit judges whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the highest frequency level;

[0129] If the current operating frequency is at the highest frequency level, the frequency holding unit keeps the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keeps the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged to maintain the current control strategy;

[0130] If the current operating frequency is not at the highest frequency level, the frequency increasing unit increases the operating frequency of the controller by one level and increases the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

[0131] In an optional embodiment, if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption B to the currently consumed power consumption A is greater than the preset ratio, the operating frequency holding unit.

[0132] In an optional embodiment, it further includes:

[0133] A signal caching module, which is used to receive and cache the current digital audio signal;

[0134] An amplitude analysis module, which is used to perform amplitude analysis on the current digital audio signal to obtain the envelope voltage of the current digital audio signal in each interval;

[0135] A clearance voltage determination module, which is used to determine the clearance voltage of each interval according to the envelope voltage of each interval to dynamically adjust the clearance voltage;

[0136] A power supply voltage determination module, configured to superimpose a corresponding clearance voltage on an envelope voltage to obtain a power supply voltage corresponding to each interval of the audio power amplifier.

[0137] In an alternative embodiment, in the clearance voltage determination module, for each interval, the following formula is used to obtain the clearance voltage of the interval:

[0138] y 1 = p·x 2 + q

[0139] where y 1 is the clearance voltage of the interval, x is the envelope voltage of the interval, and p and q are constants.

[0140] This embodiment also discloses an audio device having an audio data processing function. Please refer to Figures 2A - 2D , the audio device includes: an audio signal input module (not shown with reference numerals), a controller 1, a control switch S1, a switch S2, and an amplifier control module 4, where:

[0141] The audio signal input module is configured to input an analog audio signal or a digital audio signal;

[0142] The controller 1 includes the audio power amplifier power supply voltage control device disclosed in the above embodiment;

[0143] The control switch S1 is configured to selectively input the analog audio signal or the digital audio signal input by the audio signal input module to the controller 1;

[0144] The switch S2 is configured to selectively conduct the audio signal input module and the power amplifier 3, or conduct the controller 1 and the power amplifier 3;

[0145] The amplifier control module 4 is connected to the controller 1 and receives the transition voltage sequence output by the controller 1, so that the power supply voltage unit of the audio power amplifier generates and outputs a transition voltage to the audio power amplifier according to the transition voltage sequence, so that the power supply voltage corresponding to the current interval of the audio power amplifier smoothly transitions to the power supply voltage corresponding to the next interval. This embodiment also discloses a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program stored in the storage medium is used to be executed to implement the method disclosed in the above embodiment.

[0146] This embodiment also discloses a chip of an audio device, on which an integrated circuit is provided, and the integrated circuit is designed to implement the method disclosed in the above embodiment.

[0147] An audio power amplifier power supply voltage control method, device and audio equipment disclosed according to an embodiment of the present invention. The operating frequency of the controller is divided into several levels according to the power consumption level. After obtaining the level where the current operating frequency of the controller is located and the current change frequency of the power supply voltage, the power consumption currently consumed by the digital circuit is determined according to the current operating frequency, and the power consumption saved currently is obtained through long-term statistical analysis. Then, the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the power supply voltage are adjusted according to the currently saved power consumption and the currently consumed power consumption, so that the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the power supply voltage can be adapted to the current power consumption change. That is, the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the power supply voltage are dynamically adjusted. Compared with the method of fixing the operating frequency of the controller and the change frequency of the power supply voltage in the prior art, the solution of the embodiment of the present invention can balance the power consumption overhead of the controller and the power consumption overhead of the subsequent circuit based on the benefits and costs of the current power consumption. Thus, the working power consumption of the digital circuit can be balanced and unnecessary power consumption overhead can be reduced.

[0148] It should be noted that in the present invention, step numbers (letter or digital numbers) are used to refer to certain specific method steps only for the purpose of convenient and concise description, and by no means to limit the order of these method steps by letters or numbers. Those skilled in the art can understand that the order of relevant method steps should be determined by the technology itself and should not be unduly restricted due to the existence of step numbers.

[0149] Those skilled in the art can understand that on the premise of no conflict, the above preferred solutions can be freely combined and superimposed.

[0150] It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary and not restrictive. Without departing from the basic principles of the present invention, various obvious or equivalent modifications or substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the above details will be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An audio power amplifier supply voltage control method is applied to a controller. The controller is used to generate a digital signal of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier according to the received audio signal. The amplifier control module is used to generate the supply voltage according to the digital signal and output the supply voltage to the audio power amplifier. The audio power amplifier is used to amplify the audio signal. Characterized in that, The control method includes: Obtain the current control strategy of the supply voltage of the audio power amplifier. Among them, the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several gears according to the power consumption level. The control strategy includes the gear where the operating frequency of the controller is located and the change frequency of the supply voltage; Determine the current power consumption of the controller, the amplifier control module and the audio power amplifier according to the current operating frequency; Conduct power consumption statistical analysis on the past preset duration to obtain the current saved power consumption under the current control strategy; Adjust the operating frequency gear of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the current saved power consumption and the current consumed power consumption to balance the power consumption overhead.

2. The audio power amplifier supply voltage control method according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The adjusting the operating frequency gear of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the current saved power consumption and the current consumed power consumption includes: When the current saved power consumption is less than the current consumed power consumption, it is judged whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the lowest frequency gear; If the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency gear, a fixed supply voltage is provided to the audio power amplifier, and the controller is controlled to enter the sleep mode; If the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency gear, the operating frequency of the controller is reduced by one gear, and the change frequency of the supply voltage is reduced.

3. The audio power amplifier supply voltage control method according to claim 2, Characterized in that, If the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency gear, it further includes: Set the wake-up threshold of the controller; When the amplitude of the input audio signal is greater than the wake-up threshold, wake up the controller.

4. The audio power amplifier supply voltage control method according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The adjusting the operating frequency gear of the controller and / or the change frequency of the supply voltage based on the current saved power consumption and the current consumed power consumption includes: When the current saved power consumption is greater than the current consumed power consumption, compare the ratio of the current saved power consumption to the current consumed power consumption with a preset ratio; If the ratio of the current saved power consumption to the current consumed power consumption is less than the preset ratio, it is judged whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the highest frequency gear; If the current operating frequency is at the highest frequency gear, keep the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keep the current change frequency of the supply voltage unchanged; If the current operating frequency is not at the highest frequency level, increase the operating frequency of the controller by one level and increase the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

5. The method for controlling the power supply voltage of an audio power amplifier according to claim 4, characterized in that if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is greater than a preset ratio, keep the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keep the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged.

6. An apparatus for controlling the power supply voltage of an audio power amplifier, applied to a controller, the controller is used to generate a digital signal of the power supply voltage of the audio power amplifier according to the received audio signal, the amplifier control module is used to generate the power supply voltage according to the digital signal and output the power supply voltage to the audio power amplifier, and the audio power amplifier is used to amplify the audio signal, characterized in that the control device includes: a current policy acquisition module, configured to acquire the current control policy of the power supply voltage of the audio power amplifier, wherein the operating frequency of the controller is divided into several levels according to the power consumption level, and the current control policy includes the level where the current operating frequency of the controller is located and the current change frequency of the power supply voltage; a current cost determination module, configured to determine the currently consumed power consumption of the controller, the amplifier control module and the audio power amplifier according to the current operating frequency; a current benefit determination module, configured to perform power consumption statistical analysis on a past preset duration to obtain the currently saved power consumption under the current control policy; a policy adjustment module, configured to adjust the operating frequency level of the controller and / or the change frequency of the power supply voltage based on the currently saved power consumption and the currently consumed power consumption to balance the power consumption overhead.

7. The apparatus for controlling the power supply voltage of an audio power amplifier according to claim 6, characterized in that the policy adjustment module includes: a lowest frequency level judgment unit, a fixed power supply unit, a sleep control unit, and a frequency reduction unit, wherein: when the currently saved power consumption is less than the currently consumed power consumption, the lowest frequency level judgment unit judges whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the lowest frequency level; if the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level, the fixed power supply unit is configured to provide a fixed power supply voltage to the audio power amplifier so that the audio power amplifier operates at the fixed power supply voltage; the sleep control unit is configured to control the controller to enter the sleep mode; if the current operating frequency is not at the lowest frequency level, the frequency reduction unit reduces the operating frequency of the controller by one level and reduces the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

8. The apparatus for controlling the power supply voltage of an audio power amplifier according to claim 7, characterized in that the policy adjustment module further includes: a wake-up setting unit, configured to set a wake-up threshold of the controller if the current operating frequency is at the lowest frequency level; when the amplitude of the input audio signal is greater than the wake-up threshold, wake up the controller.

9. The apparatus for controlling the power supply voltage of an audio power amplifier according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The policy adjustment module includes: a benefit-cost ratio judgment unit, a highest frequency judgment unit, a frequency maintenance unit, and a frequency increase unit, where: When the currently saved power consumption is greater than the currently consumed power consumption, the benefit-cost ratio judgment unit compares the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption with a preset ratio; if the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is less than the preset ratio, the highest frequency judgment unit judges whether the current operating frequency of the controller is at the highest frequency gear. If the current operating frequency is at the highest frequency gear, the frequency maintenance unit keeps the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keeps the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged. If the current operating frequency is not at the highest frequency gear, the frequency increase unit increases the operating frequency of the controller by one gear and increases the change frequency of the power supply voltage.

10. The audio power amplifier power supply voltage control device according to claim 9, It is characterized in that If the ratio of the currently saved power consumption to the currently consumed power consumption is greater than the preset ratio, the frequency maintenance unit keeps the current operating frequency of the controller unchanged and keeps the current change frequency of the power supply voltage unchanged.

11. An audio device, It is characterized in that Comprising: The audio power amplifier power supply voltage control device according to any one of claims 6-10.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, It is characterized in that The computer program stored in the storage medium is used to be executed to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

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