Audio Gain Control Hardware for Low-Power Signal Metrics

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional audio processing systems face bandwidth constraints and high power consumption due to the use of automatic gain control software, which is not viable for low-cost systems-on-chip, and digital signal processing engines are expensive.

Innovation Solution

Employing hardware accelerators in a pulse density modulation system to calculate audio signal metrics and provide them to a processor, reducing the need for processor resources and enabling efficient gain control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If automatic gain control software is used to analyze audio bit streams, then gain adjustment capability is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases and power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegain adjustment capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A dedicated gain control circuit is introduced as an intermediary component between the audio processing pipeline and the processor. This circuit independently performs gain control functions including RMS calculation and audio level detection, preventing these computations from consuming processor bandwidth and power resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The gain control functionality is extracted from the main processor software and implemented as a separate hardware circuit. This extraction removes the computational burden of gain control from the processor, reducing both bandwidth consumption and power usage while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If automatic gain control software is used to analyze audio bit streams, then gain adjustment capability is improved, but processor bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegain adjustment capabilityVSAvoidprocessor bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A dedicated gain control circuit is introduced as an intermediary component between the audio processing pipeline and the processor. This circuit independently performs gain control functions including RMS calculation and audio level detection, preventing these computations from consuming processor bandwidth and power resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The gain control functionality is extracted from the main processor software and implemented as a separate hardware circuit. This extraction removes the computational burden of gain control from the processor, reducing both bandwidth consumption and power usage while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If digital signal processing engine is used to perform signal processing, then processing efficiency is improved, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using an expensive digital signal processing engine, the patent employs a simpler, lower-cost gain control circuit that performs the necessary signal processing functions. This approach sacrifices some processing versatility but achieves adequate performance at a lower cost point suitable for mass-market devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies specialized processing only where needed - the gain control circuit is designed to handle specifically the RMS calculation and audio level detection functions rather than providing general-purpose signal processing. This localized approach reduces cost while maintaining processing efficiency for the required tasks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12580540B2Gain control of audio data using hardware accelerators

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC

AI summary

Various examples disclosed herein relate to digital signal processing, and more particularly, to identifying metrics of audio samples to dynamically adjust the gain of audio data. In an example embodiment, a pulse density modulation system is provided that includes sample generation circuitry and gain control circuitry coupled to the sample generation circuitry. The sample generation circuitry is configured to sample audio data to produce samples of the audio data and output the samples to a processor and to the gain control circuitry. The gain control circuitry is configured to determine one or more metrics based on the samples of the audio data and output the one or more metrics to the processor.