Digital Audio Bus Architecture for Simultaneous Voice and Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital audio convergence devices face limitations in system functionality due to the need for sharing audio transducer resources and the demands this places on the shared audio data bus, particularly when handling different audio processing requirements such as real-time voice calls and high-fidelity music playback.
Innovation Solution
A digital audio bus architecture with a pass device that allows for dual modes of operation, dividing the bus into sections to prevent interference between different types of audio communications, enabling simultaneous communications sessions and reducing the number of buses required, thus allowing for further miniaturization and increased flexibility in supporting multiple audio types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a shared audio data bus is used to reduce the number of conductors, then device size and cost are reduced, but system functionality is limited due to contention protocols preventing certain communication modes
Solution Approach 1:
The bus architecture dynamically switches between shared mode (reducing size) and dedicated mode (enabling functionality) based on operational requirements. The system can reconfigure bus assignments in real-time to accommodate different audio processing needs without physical hardware changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio data bus is designed to serve multiple functions and multiple processors through time-division and space-division multiplexing. The same physical bus infrastructure supports both telephony audio and device-centric audio applications, eliminating the need for separate dedicated buses for each function.
2Reliability
If separate processors are used for telephony and device-centric audio applications, then processing requirements are met, but the number of conductors and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple audio processing functions onto a single shared bus infrastructure, reducing the overall number of conductors needed. By implementing intelligent bus arbitration and time-division multiplexing, the system maintains separate processing capabilities while using a unified communication pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The bus system is segmented into different operational modes and time slots that can be assigned to different processors. This segmentation allows telephony audio and device-centric audio to be handled by different processors when needed, while sharing the physical bus infrastructure to reduce conductor count.
3Adaptability or versatility
If audio transducer resources are shared between communications and applications processors, then cost and size are reduced, but bus contention limits system functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The bus arbitration system uses periodic time-division multiplexing to allocate bus access to different processors in scheduled intervals. This periodic allocation ensures that shared audio transducer resources can be accessed by multiple processors without contention, maintaining both resource sharing and transmission efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary bus arbitration mechanism mediates access requests from multiple processors to the shared audio transducer resources. This mediator coordinates bus access, resolves contention, and ensures efficient data transmission while enabling multiple processors to share the same audio output resources.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a method of operating a digital audio device, the method comprising: receiving a voice call; receiving another digital audio signal which is not a voice call; mixing the two received signals; transmitting the mixed signal wirelessly to another device.