System, method and apparatus for volume control
View Patent ↗An application for a system for controlling speaker volume of externally amplified speakers connected to a television includes a television with one or more external amplifiers, each driving one or more speakers. There is a channel for connecting the external amplifiers to the television providing an audio signal to the external amplifiers and a channel for communicating commands from the television to the externally amplifiers, which in some embodiments is the same channel. Responsive to a signal (e.g. remote control command) to the television indicating a request to change the volume of one or more of the external amplifiers, a volume change command is sent to one or more of the external amplifiers over the channel for communicating.
1. A system for controlling speaker volume of externally amplified speakers connected to a television, the system comprising:
a television;
a first connection on the television to a first external amplified audio system outputting a first audio signal to said first external amplified audio system;
a second connection on the television to a second external amplified audio system, outputting a second audio signal to said second external amplified audio system said first external amplified audio system being separate from the first external amplified audio system;
a processor, operating for controlling operation of the television, including receiving a request to change volume of the television from a remote control, and to translate said request to change volume from said remote control into output commands to change an amount of amplification by said external audio systems, said output commands including first signals in a format that change an amount of amplification of said first audio signal by the first external amplified audio system and said output commands also include second signals in a different format, that change an amount of amplification of said second audio signal by the second external amplified audio system, and wherein the processor uses a digital interface to send the volume change command to the one or more of the external audio systems, and where the amounts of amplification by said first and second external audio systems are different levels;
wherein the television includes a display screen, that displays television content, and also displays output levels of both said first and second external amplified audio systems, where said output levels of said first and second external amplified audio systems are displayed at levels that are different than one another.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein first connection is a composite audio connection.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first connection is a digital audio output.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first connection is a network connection.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said processor also includes a user interface that receives commands to change a volume level of said first external amplified audio system relative to said second external amplified audio system, and thereafter automatically maintains output volumes of said first external amplified audio system at a set level relative to said second external amplified audio system.
6. The system of claim 1 , where the output commands do not change the level of the audio signals.
7. A method of controlling volume of external devices on a television, the method comprising:
providing a first connection of a first audio signal of a television to a first external amplified audio system and a second connection of a second audio signal of the television to a second external amplified audio system, separate from the first external amplified audio system;
presenting a user interface on a display of the television, the user interface indicating both of the first volume level output on the connection to the first amplified audio system and a second volume level output on the second connection to the second amplified external audio system;
receiving a volume change command from a remote control to the television;
responsive to the volume change command, translate the volume change command from said remote control into output commands to change an amount of amplification by said external audio systems, said output commands including first signals in a format that change an amount of amplification of said first audio signal by the first external amplified audio system and said output commands also include second signals in a different format, that change an amount of amplification of said second audio signal by the second external amplified audio system where the amounts of amplification by said first and second external amplified audio systems are different levels; using a digital interface to send the volume change command to the one or more of the external amplified audio systems;
and where the user interface shows the output levels of said first and second external amplified audio systems are displayed at levels that are different than one another.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first connection is a digital audio output of the television connected to a digital audio input of the one or more of the amplifiers.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first connection is a composite audio output of the television connected to an audio input of the one or more of the amplifiers.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first connection is a network connection from the television connected to the one or more of the amplifiers.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the digital audio output is selected from the group consisting of SPDIF, TOSLINK, Bluetooth and Universal Serial Bus.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the network connection is selected from the group consisting of Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the television has an infra red emitter and uses the infra red emitter to send the volume change command to the one or more of the external amplifiers.
14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising using a network connection to send the volume change command to the one or more of the external amplifiers.
15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the digital interface is selected from the group consisting of Universal Serial Bus and Firewire.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the network connection is selected from the group consisting of Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
17. The method of claim 7 , where the output commands do not change the level of the audio signals.
18. A television system comprising:
a television having a display;
a first connection on the television to a first external amplified audio system which is an analog audio system, said first connection outputting a first audio signal to said first external amplified audio system;
a second connection on the television to a second external amplified audio system, which is a digital audio system and is separate from the first external amplified audio system , said second connection outputting a second audio signal to said second external amplified audio system;
a communications interface between the television and the first external amplified audio system and the second external amplified audio system;
a user interface presented on the display, the user interface accepting volume change commands from a remote control device and responsive to the volume change commands, the television translating said commands to change volume from said remote control into output commands to change an amount of amplification by said external audio systems, said output commands including first signals in a format that change an amount of amplification of said first audio signal by the first external amplified audio system and said output commands also include second signals in a different format, that change an amount of amplification of said second audio signal by the second external amplified audio system, and also to produce a visual indication of a first level of the first external amplified audio system and a second level of the second external amplified audio system that is different than the first level; and a digital interface to send the volume change command to the one or more of the external audio systems.
19. The television system of claim 18 , wherein user interface that receives commands to change a volume level of said first external amplified audio system relative to said second external amplified audio system, and thereafter automatically maintains output volumes of said first external amplified audio system at a set level relative to said second external amplified audio system.
20. The television system of claim 18 , wherein the first connection in the second connection are selected from the group consisting of composite audio, SPDIF, TOSLINK, Firewire, Universal Serial Bus, Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth.
21. The system of claim 18 , where the output commands do not change the level of the audio signals.