Peripheral Audio Encoder for Multichannel Signal Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal electronic devices, such as smartphones, often have limited discrete audio input channels, making it difficult to process and play multichannel audio signals effectively, as they typically have a single 3.5 mm audio connector that dedicates a single channel for audio input.
Innovation Solution
A peripheral audio device that encodes multichannel audio signals into a reduced number of channels by combining and processing the received audio signals, reducing bandwidth, and shifting frequency ranges to minimize spectral overlap, allowing for transmission over a single channel, which is then decoded by the mobile device to restore the original channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple audio input channels are used, then audio signal processing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple audio input channels into a single output channel by encoding them together. The encoder receives multiple audio signals and merges them into one composite signal that can be transmitted through a single connector, thereby maintaining multi-channel processing capability while simplifying the physical connection interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an encoder as an intermediary device that sits between the multiple audio inputs and the single output channel. This encoder performs the complex task of combining and encoding multiple audio streams into a format suitable for single-channel transmission, while the mobile device includes a decoder to separate the channels at the receiving end.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bandwidth is reduced to fit single channel transmission, then channel compatibility is improved, but audio signal quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions audio signals from the time domain to the frequency domain through Fourier transformation. By operating in the frequency domain, the system can allocate different frequency ranges to different audio channels, allowing multiple channels to coexist in a single transmission channel without significant quality loss. The inverse Fourier transformation then reconstructs the signals at the receiving end.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the representation parameters of audio signals by applying Fourier transformation, which converts time-domain signals into frequency-domain representations. This parameter transformation enables efficient packing of multiple channels into a single channel while preserving the essential information needed for high-quality reconstruction.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to enable audio applications for a mobile device that utilize more than one audio input, a peripheral audio device is provided for encoding multichannel audio signals into a reduced number of channels. The peripheral audio device receives audio signals from an audio input/output device, generates at least one output audio signal by combining the received audio signals, and transmits the at least one generated output audio signal to the mobile device. The number of received audio signals is greater than the number of generated output audio signals.