# US 2019/0379418 A1 · Method and apparatus to reduce communication device peak current > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0379418 A1 - Document ID: US20190379418A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/259,436 - Filed: 2019-01-28 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08 - Assignees: Motorola Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Motorola Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Wai Mun Lee; Muhamad Noorazuan Fakhir Md Dali; Peter J. Bartels; Syed Isa Syed Idrus; Yee Boon Fu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190379418A1 ## CPC - H04B 1/3833: {Hand-held transceivers} - H02H 9/008: {Intrinsically safe circuits} - H04W 4/10: Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services - H04W 52/0261: {managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level} - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A method and apparatus to reduce communication device peak current for alert tones are disclosed. A portable device may include a processor coupled to a transceiver and an alert tone controller coupled to the processor. The transceiver may be configured to process an audio signal representing an alert tone. The processor may be configured to determine whether an audio volume level setting exceeds a predetermined threshold. The alert tone controller may be activated based on the determination. The alert tone controller may be configured, based on the activation, to reduce an audio signal by adjustment to a peak-to-peak amplitude of the audio signal and generate an adjusted audio signal by a restriction on the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable two-way radio device, comprising: a transceiver configured to process an audio signal representing an alert tone; a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to determine whether an audio volume level setting exceeds a predetermined threshold; and an alert tone controller coupled to the processor, wherein the alert tone controller is activated based on a determination by the processor that the audio volume level setting exceeds the predetermined threshold and the alert tone controller is configured to: reduce an audio signal by an adjustment to a peak-to-peak amplitude of the audio signal, the adjustment based on the activation of the alert tone controller; and generate an adjusted audio signal by a restriction on the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal, the restriction based on the activation of the alert tone controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The portable two-way radio device of claim 1, further comprising: a battery configured to provide current to the portable two-way radio device, wherein the alert tone controller further comprises a limiting factor selector configured to: receive a value indicative of the current provided by the battery; and determine an alert tone adjustment level from a plurality of predetermined adjustment levels, the determination based on the value indicative of the current provided by the battery, wherein the restriction of the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal is based on the alert tone adjustment level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The portable two-way radio device of claim 1, further comprising: an audio amplifier circuit coupled to the alert tone controller, the audio amplifier configured to amplify the adjusted audio signal; and a speaker configured to output sound representing the alert tone, the sound based on the adjusted audio signal amplified by the audio amplifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The portable two-way radio device of claim 1, wherein the alert tone controller is configured to pass through the audio signal representing the alert tone based on at least one of: a determination, by the processor, that the transceiver is not in the transmit state; and a determination that the audio volume level setting does not exceed the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The portable two-way radio device of claim 1, wherein the alert tone controller is configured to restrict the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal by hard limiting the reduced audio signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The portable two-way radio device of claim 1, further comprising: a button, wherein the audio signal representing the alert tone is to be processed in response to an activation of the button. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The portable two-way radio device of claim 1, wherein the audio signal representing the tone is a digital signal. ### Claim 8 A method for generation of a current limited alert tone of a portable radio, comprising: reducing an audio signal representing an alert tone by adjusting a peak-to-peak amplitude of the audio signal based on an audio volume level setting of a portable radio exceeding a predetermined threshold; and generating an adjusted audio signal by restricting the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal based on the audio volume level setting exceeding the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a value indicative of current associated with the alert tone, the current provided by a battery; and determining an alert tone adjustment level from a plurality of predetermined adjustment levels, the determination based on the value indicative of the current provided by the battery, wherein the limitation of the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal is based on the alert tone adjustment level. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: amplifying the adjusted audio signal to generate an amplified audio signal; and outputting sound representing the alert tone, the sound based on the amplified audio signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: disabling the adjustment of the peak-to-peak amplitude of the audio signal and the limitation of the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal in response to at least one of: a determination that the transceiver is not in the transmit state; and a determination that the audio volume level setting does not exceed the threshold associated with the intensity of the alert tone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal is limited by hard limiting the reduced audio signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving an activation event corresponding to generation of the alert tone, wherein the determination that the transceiver is in a transmit state is performed in response to the receipt of the activation event. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the audio signal representing the alert tone is a digital signal. ### Claim 15 An audio generation unit for a portable communication device, comprising: an alert tone controller configured to: reduce an audio signal representing an alert tone by an adjustment to a peak-to-peak amplitude of the audio signal; and generate an adjusted audio signal by a restriction on the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal; and a current limit circuit coupled to the alert tone controller, the current limit circuit configured to activate the alert tone controller based on: a determination that a transceiver is in a transmit state, the transceiver to process the audio signal representing the alert tone; and a determination that an audio volume level setting exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The audio generation unit of claim 15, wherein the alert tone controller further comprises a limiting factor selector configured to: receive a value indicative of current provided by a battery to the audio generation unit; and determine an alert tone adjustment level from a plurality of predetermined adjustment levels, the determination based on the value indicative of the current provided to the audio generation unit, wherein the restriction on the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal is based on the alert tone adjustment level. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The audio generation unit of claim 16, wherein the adjustment to the peak-to-peak amplitude of the audio signal is based on the alert tone adjustment level. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The audio generation unit of claim 15, wherein the alert tone controller is further configured to pass through the audio signal representing the alert tone based on at least one of: a determination that the transceiver is not in the transmit state; and a determination that the audio volume level setting does not exceed the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The audio generation unit of claim 15, wherein the alert tone controller is configured to restrict the maximum amplitude of the reduced audio signal by hard limiting the reduced audio signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The audio generation unit of claim 15, wherein the audio signal representing the alert tone is a digital signal.