System and method of IP sound console without limiting number of audio signals

Abstract

The invention provides an IP sound console system and method without limiting the number of audio signals. The system comprises a tuning control panel, a sound console control module, an audio input module, an audio mixing module and an audio output module. When the system is started, the sound console control module inquires all audio signals in a target network and notifies the audio input module to subscribe the signals. And after receiving the notification, the audio input module subscribes all audio signals in the network from the switch, and sends the received data packet to the audio mixing module. The tuning operation of a user is responded through the tuning control panel, an instruction is sent to the control module to be analyzed, and then the control module informs the sound mixing module to carry out sound mixing processing on a corresponding audio channel. And finally, outputting the processed audio data through the audio output module. According to the invention, the design is not limited by the number of input audio signals, so that the expansibility and flexibility of the sound console system are enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of broadcasting and audio production, and in particular to a system and method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals. Background Art

[0002] Traditional broadcast and media production environments often rely on dedicated SDI (Serial Digital Interface) infrastructure, which performs well in terms of reliability and signal quality, but has limitations in flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. With the increase in video resolution (such as 4K and 8K) and the maturity of IP (Internet Protocol) technology, the media industry has begun to seek a more flexible, cost-effective solution that can leverage existing IT infrastructure. The SMPTE ST 2110 standard suite is a set of standards developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) to define a new IP-based real-time media transmission framework for the professional broadcast and media industry. The development of this set of standards began in 2016, with the main goal of addressing the limitations of traditional SDI-based video and audio signal transmission systems. The introduction of the SMPTE ST 2110 standard marks a major shift in the broadcast and television industry from traditional SDI infrastructure to IP-based media transmission. This shift not only improves the efficiency and flexibility of media production, but also reduces operating costs and promotes the digital transformation of the media industry.

[0003] Traditional analog signal-based mixing consoles are a core device in the field of professional broadcasting and audio production, used for real-time switching and mixing between multiple audio sources. Analog signal-based mixing consoles have the following defects: (1) The number of audio signal inputs is limited. The number of physical interfaces for audio signal inputs is fixed. One physical interface corresponds to one audio signal, which cannot meet the application scenarios with more audio signal sources; (2) Limited scalability. The device relies on physical connections, which means that increasing input or output capacity requires more cables and devices, which will increase wiring complexity and cost; (3) Low flexibility. The configuration and effects of analog mixing consoles are usually fixed and hardware-based, making it difficult to make instant changes or save presets. Once the signal path or effect is set, it is troublesome to modify it. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, which can overcome the limitations of traditional mixers based on analog signals.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0006] A system of an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, comprising: a mixer control panel, a mixer control module, a mixer audio input module, a mixer audio mixing module and a mixer audio output module;

[0007] The mixer control module is used to query all audio signals in the target network at startup, and notify the mixer audio input module to subscribe to audio signals; the mixer audio input module is used to subscribe to all audio signals in the target network to a preset switch after receiving the notification from the mixer control module, and send the received audio data packets to the mixer mixing module; the tuning control panel is used to respond to the user's tuning operation, and send the responded tuning instructions to the mixer control module; the mixer control module is used to parse the tuning instructions, and notify the mixer mixing module to mix the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels; the mixer mixing module is used to perform audio mixing calculations, and output the mixed audio data packets through the mixer audio output module.

[0008] A method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, applied to the above system, the method comprising:

[0009] When the mixer control module is started, the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels in the target network are obtained, and the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels are pushed to the mixer audio input module;

[0010] When the mixer audio input module receives the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels pushed by the mixer control module, it sends a subscription instruction to the preset switch to subscribe to the audio signals of all audio channels. After receiving the subscription instruction, the switch forwards the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels to the mixer audio input module, and forwards the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels to the mixer mixing module again through the mixer audio input module;

[0011] Receiving a user's tuning operation on the tuning control panel, and sending a tuning instruction for controlling the audio channel number and volume value of the corresponding audio channel to the mixer control module;

[0012] After the mixer control module receives the tuning command sent by the tuning control panel, it notifies the mixer mixing module to perform audio mixing calculation on the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels;

[0013] After the audio mixing module of the audio mixer completes the audio mixing calculation processing, it notifies the audio output module of the audio mixer to output the audio data packets after the mixing processing.

[0014] Preferably, after notifying the audio output module of the mixing console to perform audio output on the audio data packet after the mixing process, the method further includes:

[0015] The audio output module of the mixer is used to send the mixed audio data packets to the target network through UDP multicast.

[0016] Preferably, the UDP multicast addresses and port numbers of the audio signals of all audio channels in the target network are obtained through the NMOS IS-04 protocol.

[0017] Preferably, the audio channel number and volume value of the corresponding audio channel are sent to the mixer control module through the TCP protocol.

[0018] Preferably, the step of audio mixing calculation includes:

[0019] Loop through the audio data packets of all corresponding audio channels to read the current audio signal Y and volume X;

[0020] For each audio channel whose volume X is greater than 0, Z=Y*X is performed; Z represents the value of the processed audio signal. By multiplying the original audio signal Y by the volume X, the intensity or loudness of the audio signal can be adjusted.

[0021] The Z values ​​of all audio channels whose volume X is greater than 0 are added, and then the result of the addition is divided by the number of audio channels whose volume X is greater than 0 to obtain Average_Z; Average_Z is the output audio signal in the audio data packet after audio mixing.

[0022] Preferably, the volume X has a value range of 0-1.

[0023] Preferably, the current audio signal Y is a 24-bit signed integer, and its value range is -8388608 to 8388607.

[0024] According to the specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0025] The present invention provides a system and method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, the system comprising: a tuning control panel, a mixer control module, a mixer audio input module, a mixer audio mixing module and a mixer audio output module; the mixer control module is used to query all audio signals in the target network at startup, and notify the mixer audio input module to subscribe to audio signals; the mixer audio input module is used to subscribe to all audio signals in the target network to a preset switch after receiving a notification from the mixer control module, and send the received audio data packet to the mixer mixing module; the tuning control panel is used to respond to the user's tuning operation, and send the responded tuning instruction to the mixer control module; the mixer control module is used to parse the tuning instruction, and notify the mixer mixing module to perform audio mixing on the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels; the mixer mixing module is used to perform audio mixing calculation, and output the audio data packets after mixing through the mixer audio output module. The present invention can realize the IP tuning function that is not limited by the number of audio signal inputs, so that the mixer system has stronger scalability and flexibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of system signal transmission provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a technical route provided for an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 1-mixing control panel; 2-mixing console control module; 3-mixing console audio input module; 4-mixing console audio mixing module; 5-mixing console audio output module, 6-switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, which can realize an IP tuning function that is not limited by the number of audio signal inputs, so that the mixer system has stronger scalability and flexibility.

[0035] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a system of an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, comprising: a mixer control panel 1, a mixer control module 2, a mixer audio input module 3, a mixer audio mixing module 4 and a mixer audio output module 5;

[0037] The mixer control module 2 is used to query all audio signals in the target network at startup, and notify the mixer audio input module 3 to subscribe to audio signals; the mixer audio input module 3 is used to subscribe to all audio signals in the target network to the preset switch 6 after receiving the notification from the mixer control module 2, and send the received audio data packets to the mixer mixing module; the tuning control panel 1 is used to respond to the user's tuning operation, and send the responded tuning instructions to the mixer control module 2; the mixer control module 2 is used to parse the tuning instructions, and notify the mixer mixing module to mix the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels; the mixer mixing module is used to perform audio mixing calculations, and output the mixed audio data packets through the mixer audio output module 5.

[0038] Specifically, Figure 2As shown, when the mixer control module 2 is started, it queries all audio signals in the network and notifies the mixer audio input module 3 to subscribe to the audio signal. After receiving the notification, the mixer audio input module 3 subscribes to all audio signals in the network from the network switch 6, and then sends the received audio signal to the mixer mixing module. The tuning control panel 1 responds to the user's tuning operation and sends the tuning instruction to the mixer control module 2. The mixer control module 2 parses the tuning instruction and then notifies the mixer mixing module to mix the audio signals whose current volume value is not 0. After completing the audio mixing, the mixer mixing module outputs the audio signal through the mixer audio output module 5.

[0039] Alternatively, if Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment also provides a method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, which is applied to the above system, and the method includes:

[0040] Step 100: When the mixer control module is started, the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels in the target network are obtained, and the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels are pushed to the mixer audio input module;

[0041] Step 200: When the mixer audio input module receives the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels pushed by the mixer control module, it sends a subscription instruction to a preset switch to subscribe to the audio signals of all audio channels. After receiving the subscription instruction, the switch forwards the audio data packet of the corresponding audio channel to the mixer audio input module, and forwards the audio data packet of the corresponding audio channel to the mixer mixing module again through the mixer audio input module;

[0042] Step 300: receiving a user's tuning operation on a tuning control panel, and sending a tuning instruction for controlling an audio channel number and a volume value of a corresponding audio channel to a mixer control module;

[0043] Step 400: after receiving the tuning instruction sent by the tuning control panel, the mixer control module notifies the mixer mixing module to perform audio mixing calculation on the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels;

[0044] Step 500: After the audio mixing module of the audio mixer completes the audio mixing calculation process, the audio output module of the audio mixer is notified to perform audio output on the audio data packet after the mixing process.

[0045] Furthermore, if Figure 4 As shown, the IP mixer method of this embodiment with unlimited number of audio signals includes the following steps:

[0046] ① When the mixer control module starts, it obtains the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signal of all channels in the network through the NMOS IS-04 protocol, and notifies the mixer audio input module for processing;

[0047] ② After receiving the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all channels pushed by the mixer control module, the mixer audio input module subscribes to the audio signals of all channels from the switch. After receiving the subscription information, the switch starts forwarding the audio data packets of the corresponding channels to the mixer audio input module;

[0048] ③The user performs tuning operations on the tuning control panel, and the tuning control panel sends the volume value of the audio channel to the mixer control module through the TCP protocol;

[0049] ④After receiving the audio channel number and volume value sent by the mixing control panel, the mixer control module notifies the mixer mixing module to process;

[0050] ⑤ After the mixer mixing module completes the audio mixing calculation and processing, it notifies the mixer audio output module to output the audio;

[0051] ⑥ The audio output module of the mixer sends the mixed audio data to the network via UDP multicast;

[0052] The algorithm of step ⑤ audio mixing calculation is specifically as follows:

[0053] I. Loop to read the current audio signal Y and volume X of all audio channels;

[0054] II. Execute Z=Y*X for each channel whose volume X is greater than 0;

[0055] III. Add the Z values ​​of all channels whose volume X is greater than 0, and then divide it by the number of audio channels whose volume X is greater than 0 to get Average_Z;

[0056] IV and Average_Z are the output audio signals after audio mixing;

[0057] Specifically, the value range of volume X is 0 to 1, 0 represents the lowest volume, and 1 represents the highest volume. The audio signal Y is a 24-bit signed integer, and the value range is -8388608 to 8388607.

[0058] Furthermore, the UDP (User Datagram Protocol) multicast in step ① is a communication method that allows one or more senders (multicast sources) to send a single data packet to a group of receivers (multicast group) without establishing a separate connection between each receiver. The UDP multicast address is located in the IPv4 special address range, specifically used for multicast communication, ranging from 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255. The multicast port number is used to identify a specific application or service at the receiving end. In an IP video switch system with an unlimited number of video signals, each video signal will be bound to a UDP multicast address and port number.

[0059] Furthermore, the NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) protocol in step ① is a set of open specifications proposed by AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association) for the management and control of professional media workflows on IP (Internet Protocol) networks. The IS-04 protocol is one of a set of standards developed by AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association) to promote interoperability between media devices based on IP networks. NMOS IS-04 focuses on device discovery and registration, and its full name is "Node Discovery & Registration". The NMOS IS-04 protocol provides a mechanism that allows media devices to self-announce and register their functions and existence on the network, so that the control layer software can discover, control and manage these devices. This greatly simplifies the deployment and management of network media workflows and reduces the need for manual configuration.

[0060] Specifically, the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) protocol in step ③ is a key protocol in the Internet Protocol Suite (commonly known as TCP / IP), which is mainly used to provide reliable, connection-oriented data transmission services in unreliable Internet networks. TCP is located in the transport layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model and works together with IP (Internet Protocol) to form the basis of modern Internet data communication.

[0061] Optionally, the UDP multicast (multicast, one-to-many) in step ⑥ is a communication method for sending data packets to multiple receivers simultaneously in a network, and is particularly suitable for real-time media streaming, network conferencing, online games and other application scenarios that require sending data to a group of clients. Multicast is different from unicast (one-to-one) and broadcast (one-to-all) communication methods. It allows one or more senders to send data packets to a specific multicast address, which represents a group of interested receivers, rather than just a single destination or the entire network.

[0062] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0063] (1) Unlimited number of audio signals: IP-based mixers can receive and process any audio stream from the network, with no theoretical limit on the number of signals. This means that the system can be easily expanded to accommodate more audio sources without being limited by the number of physical interfaces.

[0064] (2) High scalability: IP architecture allows new inputs or outputs to be easily added by simply adding the corresponding devices to the network without adding additional physical lines. This not only simplifies wiring but also reduces costs.

[0065] (3) Flexibility and remote access: IP-based mixers are not restricted by physical location and can be accessed and controlled remotely, allowing the equipment to be deployed in different locations and centrally managed over the network. This is very beneficial for large venues or scenarios that require remote operation.

[0066] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0067] The principles and implementation methods of the present invention are described in this article using specific examples. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A system of an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, characterized in that: include: Mixing control panel, mixing console control module, mixing console audio input module, mixing console audio mixing module and mixing console audio output module; The mixer control module is used to query all audio signals in the target network when starting up, and notify the mixer audio input module to subscribe to audio signals; the mixer audio input module is used to subscribe to all audio signals in the target network from a preset switch after receiving the notification from the mixer control module, and send the received audio data packets to the mixer mixing module; the tuning control panel is used to respond to the user's tuning operation, and send the responded tuning instruction to the mixer control module; The mixer control module is used to parse the tuning instructions and notify the mixer mixing module to perform audio mixing on the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels; the mixer mixing module is used to perform audio mixing calculations and output the mixed audio data packets through the mixer audio output module.

2. A method for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, characterized in that: Applied to the system of claim 1, the method comprises: When the mixer control module is started, the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels in the target network are obtained, and the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels are pushed to the mixer audio input module; When the mixer audio input module receives the UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels pushed by the mixer control module, it sends a subscription instruction to the preset switch to subscribe to the audio signals of all audio channels. After receiving the subscription instruction, the switch forwards the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels to the mixer audio input module, and forwards the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels to the mixer mixing module again through the mixer audio input module; Receiving a user's tuning operation on the tuning control panel, and sending a tuning instruction for controlling the audio channel number and volume value of the corresponding audio channel to the mixer control module; After the mixer control module receives the tuning command sent by the tuning control panel, it notifies the mixer mixing module to perform audio mixing calculation on the audio data packets of the corresponding audio channels; After the audio mixing module of the audio mixer completes the audio mixing calculation processing, it notifies the audio output module of the audio mixer to output the audio data packets after the mixing processing.

3. The method of IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals according to claim 2, characterized in that: After notifying the audio output module of the mixer to output the audio data packet after the mixing process, it also includes: The audio output module of the mixer is used to send the mixed audio data packets to the target network through UDP multicast.

4. The method of claim 2 for an IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals, characterized in that: The UDP multicast address and port number of the audio signals of all audio channels in the target network are obtained through the NMOS IS-04 protocol.

5. The method of IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The audio channel number and volume value of the corresponding audio channel are sent to the mixer control module through the TCP protocol.

6. The method of IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The steps of audio mixing calculation include: Loop through the audio data packets of all corresponding audio channels to read the current audio signal Y and volume X; For each audio channel whose volume X is greater than 0, Z=Y*X is executed; Z represents the value of the processed audio signal; The Z values ​​of all audio channels whose volume X is greater than 0 are added, and then the result of the addition is divided by the number of audio channels whose volume X is greater than 0 to obtain Average_Z; Average_Z is the output audio signal in the audio data packet after audio mixing.

7. The method of IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The value range of the volume X is 0-1.

8. The method of IP mixer with unlimited number of audio signals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The current audio signal Y is a 24-bit signed integer with a value range of -8388608 to 8388607.

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