Hearing Amplifier Voltage Compensation During Packet Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Amplifier systems in hearing devices experience variations in acoustical signal quality due to fluctuations in supply voltage, leading to degradation of sound quality and noise introduction, primarily caused by sudden increases in current draw during data or audio packet transmission/reception.
Innovation Solution
An amplifier system that includes a digital signal processor, a controller unit, and an analog-to-digital converter to measure and predict supply voltage variations, generating a compensating signal to minimize gain fluctuations by adjusting the acoustical signal processing, thereby stabilizing the output during voltage offset modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the amplifier operates during data or audio packet transmission/reception, then the data communication function is enabled, but the supply voltage fluctuates causing acoustical signal quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of supply voltage variations using an analog-to-digital converter before the voltage fluctuations affect the acoustical signal. The controller unit predicts upcoming voltage offsets based on these measurements and generates compensating signals in advance, allowing the digital signal processor to pre-adjust the acoustical signal to counteract anticipated gain variations in the amplifier.
2Power
If the amplifier gain is increased to improve sound output, then the acoustical signal strength is improved, but the variation in gain due to supply voltage fluctuation causes more significant signal quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the controller unit continuously monitors supply voltage measurements from the analog-to-digital converter, predicts voltage offsets, and generates compensating signals that are fed back to the digital signal processor. This closed-loop approach allows the system to dynamically adjust the acoustical signal based on actual supply voltage conditions, maintaining stable amplifier gain despite voltage fluctuations.
3Measurement precision
If the system continuously measures supply voltage to detect offset modes, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous measurement, the system uses periodic measurement of supply voltage at specific intervals or trigger events. The analog-to-digital converter measures supply voltage variations at discrete moments, and the controller unit processes these periodic measurements to predict voltage offsets, thereby reducing the energy consumption associated with continuous monitoring while maintaining adequate detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure presents a method and an amplifier system for minimizing variation in an acoustical signal caused by variation in gain of an amplifier, comprising a battery for providing a supply voltage to the amplifier, a digital signal processor for providing the acoustical signal to the amplifier, a controller unit receiving an enablement signal when the supply voltage is in an offset mode, and based on the enablement signal requesting a measured voltage during a time period, and a first analog-to-digital converter configured for measuring the supply voltage to the amplifier when receiving the request from the controller unit or the first analog-to-digital converter is configured for measuring the supply voltage to the amplifier continuously, and where variations in the measured voltage relates to variations in the supply voltage during the time period. Furthermore, the controller unit is configured to predict offset modes (i.e. changes) in the supply voltage based on the enablement signals and a fitting of the measured voltages, and wherein the controller unit is configured to generate a compensating signal based on the fitting and transmit the compensating signal to the digital signal processor, the digital signal processor is then configured to minimize variation in the acoustical signal at the output of the amplifier by compensating the variation in gain of the amplifier based on the compensating signal.