Audio processing system and method for automatically adjusting volume
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to an audio processing system and method for automatically adjusting volume. The method includes steps of: calculating a noise level as a reference noise level; periodically calculating a new noise level of a predetermined time period, and dividing the reference noise level by the new noise level to obtain a ratio; sampling digital audio signals generated by a decoding unit to obtain a plurality of amplitude values, periodically calculating an audio energy value of the predetermined time period; multiplying the audio energy value by the ratio to obtain a reference audio energy value; calculating a gain value according to the reference audio energy value and the default gain value; updating the default gain value with the gain value; and signaling the gain amplifier to amplify the analog audio signals received with the gain value, thereby protecting users' hearing.
1. An audio processing system for automatically adjusting volume, the system comprising:
a command input unit for generating a playing command and an adjusting command in response to operational inputs;
a storage unit for storing a plurality of audio files and a default gain value;
a processing unit for fetching one audio file from the plurality of audio files in response to the playing command;
a decoding unit for decoding the fetched audio file to generate digital audio signals;
a digital/analog converter for converting the digital audio signals to analog audio signals;
a microphone for collecting ambient noises and generating corresponding analog noise signals;
an analog/digital converter for converting the analog noise signals to digital noise signals; and
a gain managing unit comprising:
a gain adjusting module for adjusting the default gain value stored in the storage unit to an adjusted gain value, updating the default gain value with the adjusted gain value, and signaling a gain amplifier to amplify the analog audio signals converted by the digital/analog converter with the adjusted gain value, in response to the adjusting command;
a noise processing module for calculating a noise level of the digital noise signals, storing the noise level as a reference noise level, and periodically calculating a new noise level of the digital noise signals within a predetermined time period, and dividing the new noise level by the reference noise level to obtain a ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level;
an audio processing module for sampling the digital audio signals generated by the decoding unit to obtain a plurality of amplitude values, and periodically calculating an audio energy value of the predetermined time period according to the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period and the default gain value; and
a gain calculating module for multiplying the audio energy value by the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level to obtain a reference audio energy value, calculating a gain value according to the reference audio energy value and the default gain value, and updating the default gain value with the gain value;
wherein the gain adjusting module signals the gain amplifier to amplify the analog audio signals converted by the digital/analog converter with the gain value.
2. The audio processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the audio processing module calculates the audio energy value by: Q=[Σ(mi* V)2/N]1/2, wherein N represents a count of the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period, i is any natural number from 1 to N, V represents the default gain value, mi represents the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period, Q represents the audio energy value of the predetermined time period.
3. The audio processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the noise processing module and the audio processing module respectively recalculate the audio energy value of the predetermined time period and the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level, if the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level is equal to one.
4. An audio processing system for automatically adjusting volume, the system comprising:
a command input unit for generating a playing command and an adjusting command in response to operational inputs;
a storage unit for storing a plurality of audio files and a default gain value;
a processing unit for fetching one audio file from the plurality of audio files in response to the playing command;
a decoding unit for decoding the audio file to generate digital audio signals;
a digital/analog converter for converting the digital audio signals to analog audio signals;
a microphone for collecting ambient noises and generating corresponding analog noise signals;
an analog/digital converter for converting the analog noise signals to digital noise signals; and
a processing unit comprising:
a gain adjusting module for adjusting the default gain value stored in the storage unit to an adjusted gain value, updating the default gain value with the adjusted gain value, and signaling a gain amplifier to amplify the analog audio signals converted by the digital/analog converter with the adjusted gain value, in response to the adjusting command;
a noise processing module for calculating a noise level of the digital noise signals, storing the noise level as a reference noise level, and periodically calculating a new noise level of the digital noise signals within a predetermined time period, and dividing the new noise level by the reference noise level to obtain a ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level;
an audio processing module for sampling the digital audio signals generated by the decoding unit to obtain a plurality of amplitude values, and periodically calculating an audio energy value of the predetermined time period according to the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period and the default gain value; and
a gain calculating module for multiplying the audio energy value by the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level to obtain a reference audio energy value, calculating a gain value according to the reference audio energy value and the default gain value, and updating the default gain value with the gain value;
wherein the gain adjusting module signals the gain amplifier to amplify the analog audio signals converted by the digital/analog converter with the gain value.
5. The audio processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the audio processing module calculates the audio energy by: Q=[Σ(mi*V)2/N]1/2, wherein N represents a count of the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period, i is any natural number from 1 to N, V represents the default gain value, mi represents the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period, Q represents the audio energy value of the predetermined time period.
6. The audio processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the noise processing module and the audio processing module respectively recalculate the audio energy value of the predetermined time period and the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level, if the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level is equal to one.
7. An audio processing method for automatically adjusting volume, the method comprising steps of:
receiving an adjusting command;
adjusting a default gain value stored in a storage unit to an adjusted gain value, and updating the default gain value with the adjusted gain value;
signaling a gain amplifier to amplify analog audio signals converted by a digital/analog converter with the adjusted gain value;
calculating a noise level, and storing the noise level in the storage unit as a reference noise level;
periodically calculating a new noise level within a predetermined time period, and dividing the new noise level by the reference noise level to obtain a ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level;
sampling digital audio signals generated by a decoding unit to obtain a plurality of amplitude values, and periodically calculating an audio energy value of a predetermined time period according to the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period and the default gain value;
multiplying the audio energy value by the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level to obtain a reference audio energy value;
calculating a gain value according to the reference audio energy value and the default gain value;
updating the default gain value with the gain value; and
signaling the gain amplifier to amplify the analog audio signals converted by the digital/analog converter with the gain value.
8. The audio processing method according to claim 7 , wherein the audio processing module calculates the audio energy by: Q=[Σ(mi*V)2/N]1/2, wherein N represents a count of the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period, i is any natural number from 1 to N, V represents the default gain value, mi represents the amplitude values sampled within the predetermined time period, Q represents the audio energy value of the predetermined time period.
9. The audio processing method according to claim 7 , wherein the procedure goes to recalculate the audio energy value of the predetermined time period and the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level, if the ratio of the new noise level to the reference noise level is equal to one.