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US 8,712,066 B1Granted
Audio signal clip detection
AssigneeRockford Corporation
InventorsDavid D. Baker, James C. Strickland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for audio signal clip detection are disclosed. The clip detectors may receive audio signals, from which peak reference signals, indicative of the highest voltage of the received audio signals, may be derived. The received audio signals may also be differentiated and phase-lagged to produce differentiated audio signals which may, in turn, be rectified to produce rectified differentiator signals. The rectified differentiator signals and the peak reference signals may be compared to thereby produce clip detect signals indicative of whether the received audio signals are clipped. The clip detect signals may then be used to indicate whether the received audio signal are clipped.
Claims18
An audio signal clip detector, comprising:
- an audio input for receiving the audio signal;
- a peak hold circuit, electrically associated with the audio input, for generating a peak reference signal indicative of the highest voltage of the audio signal received by the audio input;
- a differentiator circuit, electrically associated with the audio input, for differentiating and phase-lagging the audio signal received by the audio input to thereby produce a differentiated audio signal and for rectifying the differentiated audio signal to thereby produce a rectified differentiator signal, wherein the differentiator phase-lags the audio signal received by the audio input by between about 2 degrees and about 0 degrees;
- a comparator circuit, electrically associated with the peak hold circuit and the differentiator circuit, for comparing the rectified differentiator signal and the peak reference signal to thereby produce a clip detect signal indicative of whether the audio signal received by the audio input is clipped;
- and
- an indicator, responsive to the clip detect signal, for indicating whether the audio signal received at the audio input is clipped.
3 more elements
An audio signal clip detector, consisting essentially of:
- an audio input for receiving the audio signal;
- a peak hold, electrically associated with the audio input, for generating a peak reference signal indicative of the highest voltage of the audio signal received by the audio input;
- one differentiator, electrically associated with the audio input, for differentiating and phase-lagging the audio signal received by the audio input to thereby produce one differentiated audio signal and a rectifier for rectifying the one differentiated audio signal to thereby produce one rectified differentiator signal;
- a comparator, electrically associated with the peak hold and the differentiator, for comparing the one rectified differentiator signal and the peak reference signal to thereby produce a clip detect signal indicative of whether the audio signal received by the audio input is clipped;
- and
- an indicator, responsive to the clip detect signal, for indicating whether the audio signal received at the audio input is clipped.
3 more elements
A method of detecting audio signal clipping, comprising:
- receiving an audio signal;
- generating a peak hold reference signal indicative of the highest voltage of the received audio signal;
- differentiating and phase-lagging the received audio signal to thereby produce a differentiated audio signal, wherein the step of differentiating and phase-lagging phase-lags the audio signal received by the audio input by between about 2 degrees and about 0 degrees;
- rectifying the differentiated audio signal to thereby produce a rectified differentiator signal;
- comparing the rectified differentiator signal and the peak reference signal to thereby produce a clip detect signal indicative of whether the received audio signal is clipped;
- and
- responsive to the clip detect signal indicating that the received audio signal is clipped, indicating whether the received audio signal is clipped.
4 more elements
An audio signal clip detector, comprising:
- an audio input for receiving the audio signal;
- a peak hold circuit, electrically associated with the audio input, for generating a peak reference signal indicative of the highest voltage of the audio signal received by the audio input;
- a differentiator circuit, electrically associated with the audio input, for differentiating and phase-lagging the audio signal received by the audio input to thereby produce a differentiated audio signal and for rectifying the differentiated audio signal to thereby produce a rectified differentiator signal;
- a comparator circuit, electrically associated with the peak hold circuit and the differentiator circuit, for comparing the rectified differentiator signal and the peak reference signal to thereby produce a clip detect signal indicative of whether the audio signal received by the audio input is clipped;
- an indicator, responsive to the clip detect signal, for indicating whether the audio signal received at the audio input is clipped;
- and
- a buffer electrically disposed between the audio input and the peak hold circuit for buffering the audio signal received by the audio input, the buffer comprising a negative feedback loop with a rectifier in the loop.
4 more elements
An audio signal clip detector, comprising:
- an audio input for receiving the audio signal;
- a peak hold circuit, electrically associated with the audio input, for generating a peak reference signal indicative of the highest voltage of the audio signal received by the audio input;
- a differentiator circuit, electrically associated with the audio input, for differentiating and phase-lagging the audio signal received by the audio input to thereby produce a differentiated audio signal and for rectifying the differentiated audio signal to thereby produce a rectified differentiator signal, wherein the differentiator has a resistance, a reactance, and an operating frequency range that is between about 3.5 times the ratio of the resistance divided by the reactance and about 9.0 times the ratio of the resistance divided by the reactance;
- a comparator circuit, electrically associated with the peak hold circuit and the differentiator circuit, for comparing the rectified differentiator signal and the peak reference signal to thereby produce a clip detect signal indicative of whether the audio signal received by the audio input is clipped;
- and
- an indicator, responsive to the clip detect signal, for indicating whether the audio signal received at the audio input is clipped.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.