Digital Audio Codec Bus Switching for Simultaneous Audio Tasks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In audio convergence devices like smartphones, the need for separate processors for telephony and device-centric audio applications limits system functionality due to shared audio transducer resources and demands on the shared audio data bus, restricting the ability to perform multiple audio tasks simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A digital audio bus architecture with a pass device that allows the bus to operate in unitary or dual modes, enabling simultaneous communication sessions by dividing or uniting bus sections, reducing the number of required buses and enabling further miniaturization while supporting multiple audio types, such as telephony voice and hi-fi music.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate processors are used for telephony and device-centric audio applications, then processing requirements for each audio type are met, but system functionality is limited due to shared audio transducer resources and bus demands
Solution Approach 1:
The audio bus is designed to support multiple audio applications simultaneously through a universal interface that can handle different audio types (telephony and device-centric) without requiring separate dedicated buses. The bus architecture enables any combination of audio sources and destinations to share the same communication path, providing multi-functional capability while maintaining processing reliability for each audio type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple audio tasks are executed simultaneously, then system functionality and flexibility are improved, but the number of required buses and hardware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple audio communication paths are merged into a single shared audio bus that can simultaneously support multiple audio tasks. The bus architecture combines telephony audio paths and device-centric audio paths into one unified communication medium, enabling simultaneous execution of multiple audio applications without requiring separate dedicated buses for each function, thus reducing hardware complexity while maintaining task capability.
3Reliability
If separate audio buses are provided for different audio applications, then communication reliability is improved, but device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal audio bus replaces multiple separate audio buses while maintaining communication reliability through a robust protocol that ensures proper signal transmission and reception. The bus is designed to handle different audio types and applications simultaneously with appropriate signal routing and control mechanisms, achieving the functionality of multiple dedicated buses in a compact single-bus architecture that reduces device size.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an audio codec for converting digital audio signals to analogue audio signals, the audio codec comprising: two digital audio bus interfaces for coupling to respective digital audio buses; a digital-only signal path between the two digital audio bus interfaces, such that no analogue processing of the audio signals occurs in the digital-only signal path.