System and method for measuring audio path delay of amplifier based on control signal

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, an audio system is provided. The audio system includes an audio controller and a measurement controller. The audio controller is programmed to transmit a control signal and an audio input signal. An amplifier is programmed to process the control signal and transmit the processed control signal on a control bus. The amplifier is also programmed to execute the processed control signal at at least one processor to operate on the audio input signal. The measurement controller is programmed to determine a total time delay for operating the audio input signal at the amplifier. The total time delay corresponds to (i) a first time delay associated with processing at least the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least transmitting the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with at least executing the processed control signal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Aspects disclosed herein generally relate to systems and methods of measuring an audio path delay of an amplifier based on a control signal. This and other aspects will be discussed in greater detail below. BACKGROUND

[0002] An audio system typically includes an electronic control unit (“ECU”) (e.g., an audio head unit or an audio controller), an amplifier, and at least one speaker. An audio interface is provided and positioned between the ECU and the amplifier to communicate (or provide) an audio input signal to the amplifier. In turn, the amplifier can amplify the audio input signal such that the speaker transmits the amplified audio input signal into a listening environment. A data channel bus (or digital bus) can quickly transmit the audio input signal from the ECU to the amplifier in a digital manner. Additionally, control signals (or commands) can be transmitted on the digital bus. In this regard, the digital bus can be a control bus. However, the amplifier provides the amplified audio input signal to the speaker in an analog format. It can be desirable to measure an amount of time that the amplifier processes the audio input signal relative to a time that the amplified audio signal is played in the listening environment by the speaker. In another example, it can be necessary to measure an amount of time that the amplifier processes the control signals (or commands) to perform a desired operation. In some cases, these can be difficult to perform. SUMMARY

[0003] In at least one embodiment, an audio system is provided. The audio system includes an audio controller and a measurement controller. The audio controller is programmed to transmit a control signal and an audio input signal. An amplifier includes at least one processor. The amplifier is programmed to process the control signal and transmit a processed control signal on a control bus. The amplifier is further programmed to execute the processed control signal at the at least one processor to operate on the audio input signal. The measurement controller is programmed to determine a total time delay to operate on the audio input signal at the amplifier. The total time delay corresponds to (i) a first time delay associated with at least processing the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least transmitting the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with at least executing the processed control signal at the at least one processor.

[0004] In at least one embodiment, a method for measuring a delay in an audio system is provided. The method includes receiving a control signal and an audio input signal at an amplifier, and processing the control signal at the amplifier. The method includes transmitting the processed control signal on a control bus, and executing the processed control signal at a processor of the amplifier to operate on the audio input signal. The method also includes determining a total time delay for operating on the audio input signal at the amplifier. The total time delay corresponds to (i) a first time delay associated with at least processing the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least transmitting the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with at least executing the processed control signal at the processor.

[0005] In at least one embodiment, a computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium stored in a memory is provided, the computer program product programmed and executable by at least one controller in an audio system. The computer program product includes instructions for receiving a control signal and an audio input signal at an amplifier, and processing the control signal at the amplifier. The computer program product includes instructions for transmitting the processed control signal on a control bus, and executing the processed control signal at a processor of the amplifier to operate on the audio input signal. The computer program product also includes instructions for determining a total time delay for operating on the audio input signal at the amplifier. The total time delay corresponds to (i) a first time delay associated with at least processing the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least transmitting the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with at least executing the processed control signal at the processor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] Embodiments of the disclosure are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the attached claims. However, other features of various embodiments will become more fully apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 One example of an audio system is generally shown;

[0008] Figure 2 A more detailed implementation of a test apparatus for measuring a delay of an amplifier of an audio system is generally shown; Figure 1

[0009] Figure 3 A system for measuring an audio path delay according to one embodiment is generally shown; and​

[0010] Figure 4 A more detailed view of a system in accordance with one embodiment is generally shown. Figure 3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Detailed embodiments of the application are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the application. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application. The detailed description and drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the application, and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. Other embodiments of the application will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the application disclosed herein. It is understood that the detailed description and specific examples shown are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. The detailed description and drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the application, and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. Other embodiments of the application will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the application disclosed herein. It is understood that the detailed description and specific examples shown are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application.

[0012] It should be understood that the following description of the embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the application, as described. The division of functionality between the functional blocks, controllers, units, or other devices shown in the drawings should not be construed as indicating that such functionality blocks, control units, units, or other devices must be realized as physically separate units. It will be recognized that these functional blocks, controllers, units, or other devices shown or described can be combined in any manner or separated in any manner. It will also be recognized that the functional blocks, controllers, units, or other devices can be realized as circuits, electronic chips, or circuit elements. One or more of the blocks shown in the drawings can also be realized in a common circuit, chip, circuit element, or unit.

[0013] The use of singular terms, such as but not limited to "a," is not intended to limit the quantity of the item. When used in the written description, relational terms such as but not limited to "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," "down," "up," "horizontal," "first," "second," ("third," etc.), "end," "edge," "side," "or the like are used for clarity in the description and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or the appended claims unless otherwise indicated. The terms "including" and "such as" are open-ended and are intended to mean "including, but not limited to," and the term "may" means "may, but not necessarily." Although any other language can be used in this disclosure, the embodiments shown in the drawings are given as examples for the purposes of illustration and explanation, and not as the only embodiments of the subject matter herein.

[0014] Figure 1 ​One example of an audio system 100 is generally shown. The system 100 generally includes a host (HU) 102 (e.g., an audio controller 102), an amplifier 104, and a plurality of speakers 106a-b (or "106"). Generally, the audio controller 102 transmits an audio input signal to the amplifier 104. In turn, the amplifier 104 processes the audio input signal and transmits an amplified audio output signal to the speakers 106 for playback of the input audio signal in a listening environment 108. In one example, the speakers 106 can be configured to playback the input audio signal in a vehicle cabin (not shown). It should be appreciated that the audio system 100 can be used in vehicle applications, home theater applications, etc.

[0015] A digital communication bus 110 (or control bus 110) is positioned between the audio controller 102 and the amplifier 104. Thus, in this regard, the audio controller 102 transmits audio input channels to the amplifier 104 in a digital manner (e.g., an audio input signal 111) on the control bus 110. In addition, the audio controller 102 can transmit one or more control signals (or commands) over the control bus 110. The amplifier 104 processes and amplifies the audio input signal 111 to generate a processed and amplified audio input signal. The amplifier 104 transmits the processed and amplified audio input signal as an analog signal to the speakers 106 for playback. Similarly, the amplifier 104 processes control signals (or commands) received from the host 102 via the control bus 110 to perform various operations. Various examples of operations will be exemplified below. It is generally desirable to determine the manner in which the amplifier 104 processes control signals to perform a requested operation in terms of the amount of time (e.g., a delay d) required.

[0016] An automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can require an audio provider to provide measurement information attributed to a delay of an amplifier 104 in a vehicle. For example, the OEM can require the amplifier 104 to execute a command (or control signal) that corresponds to muting / unmuting an audio input signal within tl ms. In another example, the OEM can require the amplifier 104 to execute another command or control signal that corresponds to the amplifier 104 generating an audio output signal (e.g., generating a tone) within t2 ms. In another example, the OEM can require the amplifier 104 to execute another command or control signal that corresponds to outputting the audio output signal with a specific sound sequence within t3 ms. The specific sound output sequence can correspond to a user command that instructs the amplifier 104 to output a predetermined audio output sequence. In one example, the predetermined sequence can correspond to an audio output signal that provides a 300 ms beep, followed by 200 ms of silence, and then stop transmitting the audio output signal. In another example, the predetermined sequence can correspond to an audio output signal that provides a first tone audio output, followed by muting the first tone audio output for a duration of 100 ms, then providing a second tone audio output, followed by muting the second tone audio output for a duration of 200 ms and repeating the above playback and muting operations. In another example, the OEM can require the amplifier 104 to execute another command or control signal that corresponds to stopping or interrupting the output of the audio output signal within t4 ms and starting the output of the audio output signal within t5 ms. Thus, in view of these requirements, the OEM can require the audio provider to confirm that one or more of the above commands are executed within the above durations. Thus, as noted above, it is desirable to determine a manner in which the amplifier 104 processes and executes at least the amount of time (e.g., delay d) of the above commands.

[0017] It should be appreciated that the commands are not limited to those described above, and that these commands can be associated with any number of operations performed by the amplifier 104. However, there is a challenge in obtaining a delay attributed to the amplifier 104 because the received control signals are transmitted digitally from the audio controller 102 to the amplifier 104, and because the detected output from the amplifier 104 is in the analog domain. In one implementation, there can be at least two measurement points 113, 115 in the system 100. In this case, a monitor can be electrically coupled to the system 100 at the measurement point 113, and an oscilloscope 156 (see FIG. 1) can be electrically coupled to the system 100 at the measurement point 115. In this case, the monitor can be configured to detect the control signals transmitted from the audio controller 102 to the amplifier 104, and the oscilloscope 156 can be configured to detect the output from the amplifier 104. In another implementation, there can be only one measurement point 113 in the system 100. In this case, the monitor can be electrically coupled to the system 100 at the measurement point 113, and the monitor can be configured to detect the control signals transmitted from the audio controller 102 to the amplifier 104 and the output from the amplifier 104. Figure 2The amplifier 104 can be operatively coupled to system 100 at measurement point 115. Therefore, in this respect, the timing of providing a command to amplifier 104 at measurement point 113 can be monitored or measured, the command being provided in digital format via control bus 110 (e.g., Media-Oriented System Transmission (MOST), INICnet, or Automotive Audio Bus (A2B)). Similarly, the timing of the desired action indicated by the command output by amplifier 104 at measurement point 115 can be monitored or measured via an oscilloscope 156 in analog format. Based on the measurements performed at measurement points 113 and 115, system 100 can determine the total amount of time it takes for amplifier 104 to execute the desired command, to determine whether this amount of time corresponds to an OEM-based requirement.

[0018] Figure 2 The general diagram shows the measurements. Figure 1 A more detailed implementation of the delay test device 150 for the amplifier 104 of the audio system is shown in the figure. Figure 2 The system includes an audio controller 102, an amplifier 104, a speaker 106, and a test device 150. The test device 150 is implemented to determine a delay d associated with the amplifier 104. The test device 150 includes a network analyzer 152, a network analyzer display 154, and an oscilloscope 156. The network analyzer 152 is operatively coupled to a control bus 110. It should be understood that the digital communication bus 110 may communicate via Media-Directed System Transport (MOST) or an automotive audio bus (“A2B”). The network analyzer 152 is configured to monitor bus activity between the audio controller 102 and the amplifier 104 when the audio controller 102 and the amplifier 104 are communicating digitally. As described above, the network analyzer 152 is operatively coupled to a measurement point 113 in the system 100. The display 154 shows the bus activity on the control bus 110 to the user.

[0019] An oscilloscope 156 can be electrically coupled to the output (or measurement point 115) of the amplifier 104 to monitor signal transmission and other aspects related to transmitting the amplified audio output to the speaker 106. As mentioned above, the amplifier 104 transmits the amplified audio output signal in the analog domain. In this regard, the oscilloscope 156 can be triggered based on a change in the output of the amplifier 104. Given that two different measurement sources (e.g., the network analyzer 152 and the oscilloscope 156) are being used, it can be difficult to measure the amount of delay or time required for the amplifier 104 to process the control signal. Other reasons for the difficulty in measuring the delay include, but are not limited to: (i) the two devices (e.g., the network analyzer 152 and the oscilloscope 156) are manufactured by different manufacturers or belong to different tool vendors, (ii) there are challenges in synchronizing the time stamp on the digitized audio input signal with the output based on the analog audio output signal, (iii) scaling range, and / or (iv) it is difficult for the oscilloscope 156 to set a trigger to measure the output provided by the amplifier 104. In particular, using the oscilloscope 156 to measure the output of the amplifier 104 is different from using the network analyzer 152 to measure the control signal on the control bus 110, and thus there can not be an effective way to synchronize the measured audio signal (or output of the amplifier 104) between the network analyzer 152 and the oscilloscope 156.

[0020] Figure 3 A system 200 for measuring an audio path delay of an audio system is generally shown in accordance with one embodiment. The system 200 includes the audio controller 102, the amplifier 104, the plurality of speakers 106, and the test equipment 150. As described above, the audio controller 102 transmits a control signal (or command) to the amplifier 104 via the control bus 110 in the digital domain. In addition, the amplifier 104 processes and amplifies the received audio input signal. Then, the amplifier 104 outputs the audio output signal in the analog domain. The test equipment 150 includes the network analyzer 302 and the oscilloscope 156. The network analyzer 302 (e.g., a first digital-to-analog converter) includes a sniffer circuit (or sniffer interface block) 350, a select command block 352, and a decoded output block 354. The network analyzer 302 can be a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert digital data corresponding to information about the control signal to an analog signal. Figure 1 Similarly, the audio controller 102 transmits a control signal (or command) to the amplifier 104 via the control bus 110 in the digital domain. In addition, the amplifier 104 processes and amplifies the received audio input signal. Then, the amplifier 104 outputs the audio output signal in the analog domain. The test equipment 150 includes the network analyzer 302 and the oscilloscope 156. The network analyzer 302 (e.g., a first digital-to-analog converter) includes a sniffer circuit (or sniffer interface block) 350, a select command block 352, and a decoded output block 354. The network analyzer 302 can be a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert digital data corresponding to information about the control signal to an analog signal.

[0021] In this regard, the test equipment 150 can be used to measure the delay of the amount of time required for the amplifier 104 to process the control signal and perform the operation identified in the control signal. The system 200 further includes at least one measurement controller 201 (hereinafter referred to as "measurement controller 201") that can be operably coupled to the test equipment 150 for providing the delay or amount of time for the amplifier 104 to process the control signal and perform the operation specified on the control signal. This will be discussed in greater detail below. It should be appreciated that the measurement controller 201 can be part of the audio controller 102, the amplifier 104 and / or the test equipment 150.

[0022] The amplifier 104 includes a network physical layer 310, an audio processor 312 and an output circuit 314. The network physical layer 310 receives the audio input signal from the audio controller 102 and pre-processes the data information regarding the audio input signal before sending this information to the audio processor 312. The network physical layer 310 also receives the control signal from the audio controller 102 and pre-processes the data information regarding the control signal before sending this information to the audio processor 312. The network physical layer 310 generally converts the control signal to a digital synchronous clock-based signal. In one example, the network physical layer 310 receives and decodes the control signal and provides network management and control signals. The network physical layer 310 receives the control signal and the audio input signal and transmits the control signal and the audio input signal between an internal portion of the audio controller 102 and a digital audio network. The network physical layer 310 transmits the audio data on the audio input signal to a control bus (or audio bus) 320, where the audio bus 320 is primarily internal to an electronic control unit (not shown) in the amplifier 104. It should be appreciated that the control bus 320 can be referred to herein as an audio bus and vice versa. In the network physical layer 310, data indicative of commands on the control signal are transmitted to a network analyzer 302. The audio input signal, once processed by the network physical layer 310, can include a bit clock and frame synchronization as well as digital data corresponding to the desired audio data to be played back. The audio bus 320 can facilitate communication according to the following protocols: I 2 S, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), etc. The audio bus 320 can also facilitate communication regarding the control signal according to the following protocols: I 2 S, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), etc.

[0023] The audio processor 312 can perform any number of audio processing operations such as, but not limited to, providing surround sound audio, providing immersive sound, muting, equalization, etc. In other words, the audio processor 312 can perform any one or more of the above operations based on the command identified on the control signal. The type of audio processing operation performed by the audio processor 312 can vary based on different customer requirements. The network analyzer 302 is coupled to the audio bus 320. Generally, the network analyzer 302 operates as a digital-to-analog converter and converts digital data transmitted on the audio bus 320 between the network physical layer 310 and the audio processor 312 into the analog domain. The output circuit 314 includes a digital-to-analog converter 313 (or second digital-to-analog converter) to convert digital data prior to output of the audio output signal to the speaker 106. An oscilloscope 156 can be connected to the output of the network analyzer 302 302 (e.g., at the measurement point 117) and the output of the amplifier 104 (e.g., at the measurement point 115). The oscilloscope 156 obtains measurements from the measurement points 115 and 117.

[0024] Generally, the amount of time that the network physical layer 310 processes the control signal and outputs the control signal on the audio bus 320 can generally be defined by a first time period (or first time delay) such as T1. The first time period T1 can be a known or fixed value (i.e., deterministic) as the manufacturer of the network physical layer 310 can provide information regarding the amount of time that the network physical layer 310 takes to process the control signal and output the control signal on the audio bus 320. In other examples, if such information regarding a known or fixed value is not available or inaccurately provided by the manufacturer, the oscilloscope 156 can be used to measure the first time period T1. The measurement controller 201 can determine (or store) information corresponding to the first time period T1.

[0025] The amount of time that the network analyzer 302 (e.g., digital-to-analog converter) converts digital data on the control signal from the audio bus 320 into an analog format can be fixed (or known) and generally defined by a second time period (or second time delay) such as T2. Information regarding the second time period T2 can also be known or fixed (i.e., deterministic) based on information provided by the manufacturer of the network analyzer 302. In other examples, if such information regarding a known or fixed value is not available or inaccurately provided by the manufacturer, the oscilloscope 156 can be used to measure the second time period T2. The measurement controller 201 can determine (or store) information corresponding to the second time period T2. This aspect will be discussed in more detail below.

[0026] The amount of time that the amplifier 104 (e.g., the output circuit 314) takes to process and amplify the audio input signal or to perform any operations indicated by the control signal and provided by the output circuit 314 is generally defined by a third time period (or third time delay), such as T3. In one example, the output circuit 314 includes any number of amplifiers (e.g., software and / or hardware-based amplifiers) to amplify and output the audio output signal in the analog domain to the speaker 105. As discussed above, the measurement controller 201 can store information corresponding to the first time period Tl and the second time period T2, as these values can be known a priori or fixed. After the oscilloscope 156 measures this value and provides it to the measurement controller 201, the measurement controller 201 can also store information corresponding to the third time period T3. The measurement controller 201 adds the first time delay Tl, the second time delay T2, and the third time delay T3 to provide a total time delay for the amplifier 104 to perform the required operations indicated by the control signal.

[0027] As discussed above, the oscilloscope 156 can be coupled to the output of the network analyzer 302 (e.g., at the measurement point 117) to receive an analog version of the control signal and coupled to the output of the amplifier 104 (e.g., at the measurement point 115) to receive an analog version of the audio output signal. Given that the output of the network analyzer 302 outputs an analog signal and the amplifier 104 outputs an analog signal, the oscilloscope 156 measures these two analog signals to determine the second time period T2 and the third time period T3. As discussed above, the first time period Tl can be fixed and known and stored in the measurement controller 201. The oscilloscope 156 can transmit the measurements or calculations of the second time period T2 and the third time period T3 to the controller 201. In turn, the measurement controller 201 can then add the first time period Tl, the second time period T2, and the third time period T3 (e.g., Tl + T2 + T3) to determine the total amount of time (or delay) taken by the amplifier 104 to process the control signal, perform the commands indicated by the control signal, and output the audio output signal to the speaker 106. The measurement controller 201 can report the delay attributed to the amplifier 104 to a user via a display (not shown) or other mechanism. It should be recognized that various automobile manufacturers can have strict requirements on the total delay taken by the amplifier 104 to receive the control signal, perform the operations indicated by the control signal, and output the audio output signal to the speaker 106. The disclosed system 200 enables an audio provider to accurately calculate this delay.

[0028] The disclosed system 200 can generally measure the delay associated with the amplifier 104 in processing the control signal, performing the operations on the control signal, and outputting the audio output signal to the speaker 106. The disclosed system 200 can also enable the user to view the network control signal (e.g., mobile fixed delay) and can also view the output of the amplifier 104 at the same scale. Generally, both the network analyzer 302 and the output of the amplifier 104 are analog, thus the oscilloscope 156 can measure the time delay associated with the analog output of the network analyzer 302 and the amplifier 104. In this case, the oscilloscope 156 has >= 2 input channel capability. The disclosed system 200 can also perform a trigger so that the oscilloscope 156 triggers the measurement of the output of the network analyzer 302 and the amplifier 104. The oscilloscope 156 can receive an input from the user to set a particular signal level as a trigger and then start the time measurement of the output from the audio bus 320 to the network analyzer 302 and the amplifier 304. Similarly, the disclosed system 200 can also extend the disclosed operations to make general cross signal measurements. In short, with this extension, the delay measurement can be extended to digital network A input, digital network B output, or analog input and digital network output.

[0029] As described above, the network analyzer 302 includes a sniffer interface block 350, a select command block 352, a set trigger block 359, and a decode output block 354. The network analyzer 302 is generally configured to receive a trigger signal 360 from the set trigger block 359. The set trigger block 359 can include an interface that supports UART, SPI, etc. The set trigger block 359 is generally configured to output the command (or trigger signal) 360 in response to a similar command input into (or set by) the audio controller 102. Thus, the audio controller 102 and the set trigger block 359 output the required command to be performed or made by the amplifier 104. Generally, the audio controller 102 can send the command to the amplifier 104 and the network analyzer 302. In this case, the trigger block 359 can also provide the command on the signal 360 to the network analyzer 302. The network analyzer 302 is programmed to detect (or look for) the command transmitted by the audio controller 102 to the amplifier 104 based on the command received on the signal 360 and provided by the set trigger block 359.

[0030] The trigger signal 360 generally corresponds to a particular operation to be performed by the amplifier 104 (or a command instructing the operation). In this regard, the measurement controller 201 can determine the delays (e.g., Tl, T2, and T3) of the amplifier 104 to (i) process the control signal at the network physical layer 310 (e.g., Tl), (ii) convert the processed control signal to a first processed control signal (e.g., T2), and (iv) output an audio output signal required by the desired operation to be performed by the amplifier 104 identified by the trigger signal 360 (e.g., T3). The trigger signal 360 can correspond to any number of operations performed by the amplifier 104 and generally corresponds to a control signal provided by the host 102. Such operations can correspond to (i) a mute or un-mute operation, (ii) generating an audio output signal, and (iii) outputting an audio output signal in a particular sound sequence, (iv) stopping or interrupting the transmission or output of an audio output signal, etc. The trigger signal 360 is generally used as a trigger for the network analyzer 302 to monitor the command indicated by the control signal output by the network physical layer 310 and as a trigger for the oscilloscope 156 to initiate capturing the output provided by the network analyzer 302 (i.e., corresponding to the control signal). Thus, the delay T2 generally corresponds to the amount of time the network physical layer 310 outputs the control signal and the amount of time the network analyzer 302 outputs the analog signal. The analog signal is used as a trigger for the oscilloscope 156 to capture the delay T2. In view of the foregoing, the measurement controller 201 can also determine the total delay of the particular operation to be performed by the amplifier 104 by accounting for the delays Tl, T2, and T3. Thus, the system 200 can report the delay based on any number of operations performed by the amplifier 104 to demonstrate that the amplifier 104 meets the customer’s requirements.

[0031] The sniffer interface block 350 is generally used to receive the control signal over the audio bus 320. The sniffer interface block 350 provides an audio network physical layer (PHY) to support (i.e., receive) the control signal provided over the audio bus 320 (such as an internal integrated circuit (I 2 C) interface, a spherical peripheral interface (SPI), a general input / output (GIPO), an internal IC sound (I2C), time-division multiplexing (“TDM”), etc.). One or more of the aforementioned buses can operate with the network physical layer 310. In response to the network analyzer 302 receiving the trigger signal 360, the sniffer interface block 350 begins monitoring the control signal provided over the audio bus 320.

[0032] The selection command block 352 includes OEM-based specification-defined communication protocol analyzer logic and trigger setting receiving logic for receiving a trigger signal 360 indicating the desired operation to be performed by amplifier 104. The selection command block 352 also interfaces with sniffer interface block 350 to monitor control signals provided by sniffer interface block 350. In this regard, the selection command block 352 may also include via I... 2 Interfaces such as C, SPI, and GPIO communicate with the sniffer interface block 350. The selection command block 352 can receive trigger signal 360 and control signals (output by the sniffer interface block 350). As described above, the selection command block 352 includes (or executes) the communication protocol analyzer logic defined in the OEM specification and knows what commands can be sent by the audio controller 102. The selection command block 352 also includes trigger setting receiving logic corresponding to the setting trigger block 359. In this case, in response to receiving a command about signal 360 from the setting trigger block 359, the selection command block 352 is notified of the command and parameters of interest, and the network analyzer 302 can monitor this command on the audio bus 302. Therefore, in response to the selection command block 352 detecting a match between the command transmitted on the audio bus 320 and the command provided on the trigger signal 360, the selection command block 352 can transmit a match signal to the decoding output module 360. The decoding output module 360 ​​can transmit an output signal indicating that a command has been detected. The output signal can be a pulse or level signal (e.g., an edge-based signal, where any rising or falling edge can be used) to trigger the oscilloscope 156 to perform a time measurement on the second time delay T2.

[0033] Alternatively or concurrently, the decoding output block 354 may also include a connection via an audio bus 320 (e.g., I...). 2 The interface for data (or control signals) communication via sniffer interface block 350 (e.g., C, SPI, GPIO, etc.) is used to monitor control signals transmitted by sniffer interface block 350 and select command block 352. Similarly, decode output block 354 can also receive information corresponding to the command indicated by trigger signal 360. Decode output block 354 decodes the information about the control signal and the trigger signal 360 to determine whether the information corresponds to the same command. If the information about the control signal and the trigger signal 360 corresponds to the same information, decode output block 354 outputs a pulse or level signal to trigger oscilloscope 156 to capture delay T2. As described above, delay T2 typically corresponds to the amount of time for the network physical layer 310 to output control signals and the amount of time for the network analyzer 302 to output analog signals.

[0034] Figure 4A more detailed view of the system 200 is depicted in accordance with one embodiment. Generally, the host 102 includes at least one first processor 402 and a network physical layer 404. The at least one processor 402 can be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a system on a chip (SoC), or the like. The at least one processor 402 can send one or more control signals (or commands) (e.g., CI, C2, C3) to the network physical layer 404. The network physical layer 404 can be implemented as an A2B physical layer to support bidirectional communication with the amplifier 104 and transmit the one or more control signals (or commands) to the physical layer 310 (or A2B physical layer) of the amplifier 104.

[0035] The amplifier 104 includes at least one second processor 406. The at least one second processor 406 can also be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a system on a chip (SoC), or the like. The A2B physical layer 404 can transmit the one or more control signals (or commands) to the at least one second processor 406. The at least one second processor 406 is programmed to perform or conduct operations identified by one or more of the control signals or commands (e.g., CI, C2, C3).

[0036] As described above, the network analyzer 302 is coupled to the audio bus 320 of the amplifier 320. The network analyzer 302 is configured to provide an output to enable the oscilloscope 156 to detect the delay T2. The delay T2 generally corresponds to an amount of time for the network physical layer 310 to output a control signal and an amount of time for the network analyzer 302 to output an analog signal. The set trigger block 359 generally provides a control signal to the amplifier 104 similar to the control signal (or command) provided by the host 102. In this case, the network analyzer 302 monitors for information corresponding to the control signal on the audio bus 320 within the amplifier 104. Upon detecting the information corresponding to the control signal on the audio bus 320, the network analyzer 302 outputs an edge-based signal (e.g., a rising edge or a falling edge) at the measurement point 117. The oscilloscope 156 detects the change in the signal (e.g., a rising edge or a falling edge) to trigger the oscilloscope 156 to obtain a measurement corresponding to the delay time T2. In Figure 4 The signal output by the network analyzer 302 has a rising edge in the example shown. Generally, as Figure 4 The "data" shown in relation to the audio bus 320 generally corresponds to raw data associated with the control signal (or command) transmitted over the audio bus 320. This raw data can be sniffed or retrieved by the sniffer interface block 302 and then passed to the select command block 352 for further analysis.

[0037] It should be appreciated that a controller as disclosed herein can include various microprocessors, integrated circuits, memory devices (e.g., flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or other suitable variants thereof), and software that cooperate with one another to perform the operations disclosed herein. Additionally, such a controller as disclosed herein can utilize one or more microprocessors to execute a computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium programmed to perform any number of the functions disclosed. Further, a controller as provided herein includes a housing and various numbers of microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory devices (e.g., flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)) positioned within the housing. The one or more controllers as disclosed also include hardware-based inputs and outputs to respectively receive data from and transmit data to other hardware-based devices as discussed herein.

[0038] While the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the application. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Additionally, features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the application.

Claims

1. An audio system comprising: An audio controller, which is programmed to transmit control signals and audio input signals; An amplifier, comprising at least one processor, is programmed to: Process the control signal; Transmit processed control signals on the control bus; and The processed control signal is executed at the at least one processor to operate on the audio input signal; as well as A measurement controller, programmed to determine the total time delay of the operation on the audio input signal at the amplifier, wherein the total time delay corresponds to: (i) a first time delay associated with at least processing the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least the transmission of the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with the execution of the processed control signal at at least the at least one processor.

2. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the amplifier includes a first network physical layer for processing the control signal prior to execution of the processed control signal at the at least one processor.

3. The audio system of claim 2, wherein the first time delay is further associated with processing the control signal at the first network physical layer.

4. The audio system of claim 2, wherein the amplifier further includes a control bus located between the first network physical layer and the at least one processor.

5. The audio system of claim 4, wherein the second time delay is further associated with the transmission of the processed control signal on the control bus.

6. The audio system of claim 1, further comprising a network analyzer programmed to provide a first output signal to trigger an oscilloscope to measure the second time delay.

7. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the control signal corresponds to one of the following: (i) a command to mute or unmute the audio input signal by the amplifier, (ii) a command to output an audio output signal by the amplifier, and (iii) a command to output the audio output signal by the amplifier in sound sequence.

8. A method for measuring delay in an audio system, the method comprising: The amplifier receives control signals and audio input signals. The control signal is processed at the amplifier. Transmit processed control signals on the control bus; The processed control signal is executed at the processor of the amplifier to operate on the audio input signal; as well as Determine the total time delay for performing the operation on the audio input signal at the amplifier, wherein the total time delay corresponds to (i) a first time delay associated with at least processing the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least the transmission of the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with at least the execution of the processed control signal at the processor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising processing the control signal at a first network physical layer before executing the processed control signal at the at least one processor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time delay is further associated with processing the control signal at the first network physical layer.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising positioning a control bus between the first network physical layer and the processor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second delay is further associated with the transmission of the processed control signal on the control bus.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a first output signal to trigger an oscilloscope to measure the second time delay.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the control signal corresponds to one of the following: (i) a command to mute or unmute the audio input signal by the amplifier, (ii) a command to output an audio output signal by the amplifier, and (iii) a command to output the audio output signal by the amplifier in sound sequence.

15. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium stored in a memory, the computer program product being programmed and executable by at least one controller in an audio system, the computer program product comprising instructions for: The amplifier receives control signals and audio input signals. The control signal is processed at the amplifier. Transmit processed control signals on the control bus; The processed control signal is executed at the processor of the amplifier to operate on the audio input signal; and Determine the total time delay for performing the operation on the audio input signal at the amplifier, wherein the total time delay corresponds to (i) a first time delay associated with at least processing the control signal; (ii) a second time delay associated with at least the transmission of the processed control signal; and (iii) a third time delay associated with at least the execution of the processed control signal at the processor.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising processing the control signal at a first network physical layer before executing the processed control signal at the processor.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first time delay is further associated with processing the control signal at the first network physical layer.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising positioning a control bus between the first network physical layer and the processor.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second delay is further associated with the transmission of the processed control signal on the control bus.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising providing a first output signal to trigger an oscilloscope to measure the second time delay.

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