Digital Audio Filter Phase Tuning to Reduce Pre-Ringing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern digital audio filters become complex in attempting to compensate for room acoustics, leading to pre-ringing in audio outputs, which can be disturbing for listeners.

Innovation Solution

A method to configure digital audio filters by determining and modifying poles outside the unit circle, incorporating phase modification components based on frequency-dependent phase responses to reduce pre-ringing effectively while maintaining sound quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complex signal processing is used to compensate for room acoustics, then compensation effectiveness is improved, but pre-ringing is introduced which disturbs the listener

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation effectivenessVSAvoidpre-ringing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the transfer function into multiple components (minimum phase component and non-minimum phase component) based on pole locations relative to the unit circle. By separating poles inside and outside the unit circle, the compensation function is divided into parts that cause pre-ringing and parts that do not, allowing selective handling of each component to reduce pre-ringing while maintaining compensation effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies parameters of the transfer function by adjusting pole positions and adding phase modification components. Specifically, poles outside the unit circle are moved or compensated through phase modification to reduce pre-ringing effects while preserving the magnitude response and compensation characteristics of the original transfer function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If poles outside the unit circle are modified to reduce pre-ringing, then pre-ringing is reduced, but sound quality may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepre-ringingVSAvoidsound quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality modification by introducing subset-specific phase modification components that affect only specific frequency ranges associated with poles outside the unit circle. This localized approach reduces pre-ringing in problematic frequency regions while leaving other frequency regions unchanged, thereby preserving overall sound quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of poles outside the unit circle (which cause pre-ringing) into a benefit by using their phase information to create phase modification components. These components are designed to cancel or reduce the pre-ringing effects while maintaining the useful compensation characteristics, thus transforming a harmful element into a tool for improvement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP3985999B1Method for configuring a digital audio filter, digital audio filter, and sound system
Publication Date: 2024.08.21 ALPS ALPINE CO LTD
  • EP3985999B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3985999B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3985999B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method for configuring a digital audio filter (8)includes: determining the poles of an initial transfer function of the digital audio filter in the z-domain, with the initial transfer function comprising a target function component and a compensation function component; selecting at least one subset of the poles (40, 42, 44, 46) of the transfer function that are outside the unit circle; for each of the at least one subset of the poles (40, 42, 44, 46) of the transfer function that are outside the unit circle: determining a subset-specific partial transfer function, determining a subset-specific, frequency-dependent phase response of the subset-specific partial transfer function, and determining a subset-specific phase modification component, with the subset-specific phase modification component being dependent on the subset-specific, frequency-dependent phase response of the subset-specific partial transfer function; and providing a modified transfer function, comprising the target function component, the compensation function component, and at least one subset-specific phase modification component.