Amplifier Function Switching With Stable Volume Restoration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Amplification devices struggle to prevent unintended sound volume changes when switching between amplifier functions, leading to emission of sounds with inappropriate volumes.

Innovation Solution

The amplification device incorporates a microcontroller that stores sound volume set values and adjusts the volume-control knob position based on these values when switching between amplifier functions, ensuring consistent sound volumes by disabling volume adjustment during main amplifier operation and resetting the volume-control knob to previous settings when switching back to pre-amplifier or pre-main amplifier modes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the amplifier function is switched between pre-amplifier and main amplifier modes, then the device becomes more versatile and adaptable to different usage scenarios, but unintended sound volume changes occur and sound stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamplifier function switching capabilityVSAvoidsound volume stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The microcontroller stores the sound volume set value before switching to main amplifier mode and automatically restores it when switching back to pre-amplifier mode. This preliminary storage and restoration action prevents unintended volume changes, ensuring sound volume stability while maintaining the versatility of amplifier function switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If volume adjustment is allowed during main amplifier operation, then user control flexibility is improved, but unintended large sound volumes may be emitted and reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser control flexibilityVSAvoidunintended large sound volume emission
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the volume adjustment function during main amplifier operation by disabling the volume control in this mode. This prevents users from accidentally setting large volumes while maintaining full volume control flexibility when operating in pre-amplifier mode, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of unintended large sound volume emission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3605841B1Amplification device
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3605841B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3605841B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3605841B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An amplification device is configured to operate such that when a first amplifier function is switched to a second amplifier function (S13) and then the second amplifier function is switched to the first amplifier function (S15) and at this time a state of an operating member is a state corresponding to a second sound volume larger than a first sound volume that was output right before switching from the first amplifier function to the second amplifier function (S16), the amplification device causes the state of the operating member to change to a state corresponding to a third sound volume smaller than the second sound volume (S17), and controls an amplifying operation of a signal processing circuit to cause it to output the third sound volume (S18).