Parallel DAC Audio Playback for Noise-Suppressed Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio playback technologies suffer from noise transmission during signal processing, which degrades the quality of playback due to noise generated by circuit components during digital to analog conversion.
Innovation Solution
An audio playback device and method featuring multiple signal processing paths connected in parallel, each with a DAC circuit, where the output analog signals are added and then amplified with a gain of 1/N to reduce noise, effectively suppressing noise by â(N) times through parallel processing and amplification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If signal processing is performed through a single DAC circuit, then the device complexity is low, but noise is generated during conversion which degrades playback quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single signal processing path into N parallel signal processing paths, each containing a separate DAC circuit. This segmentation allows the system to process the same input signal through multiple independent channels, and by combining the outputs, the noise is reduced while maintaining the audio signal quality.
2Reliability
If multiple parallel signal processing paths are used to reduce noise, then playback quality improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges N parallel signal processing paths by using an adding circuit to combine their outputs. The adding circuit sums the output analog signals from all N DAC circuits, and the amplifier circuit with gain 1/N scales the combined signal. This merging approach maintains the noise reduction benefits of parallel processing while consolidating the outputs into a single audio output channel.
3Power
If the gain is set to 1/N to maintain signal intensity, then the signal level is preserved, but the noise suppression effect is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the gain parameter of the amplifier circuit to 1/N to compensate for the signal addition from N parallel paths. This parameter adjustment ensures that the overall signal intensity remains consistent with a single processing path, while the noise reduction benefit is preserved through the parallel processing architecture. The key insight is that noise from independent DAC circuits combines differently than coherent signals, allowing noise suppression while maintaining signal level.
Data Source
AI summary
A device is provided that includes a plurality of signal processing paths coupled in parallel, an adding circuit and an amplifier circuit. The number of the signal processing paths is N and each of the signal processing paths receives a same input signal to generate an output analog signal after a signal processing is performed, wherein each of the signal processing paths at least includes a DAC circuit and the signal processing at least includes a digital to analog conversion corresponding to the DAC circuit. The adding circuit adds the output analog signal generated from each of the signal processing paths to generate a total output analog signal. The amplifier circuit receives the total output analog signal to adjust a signal intensity of the total output analog signal according to a gain to generate an output audio signal, wherein the gain is 1/N.