Patent Application
20180098165
The present disclosure relates, generally, to battery life testing of battery-powered audio system, and more particularly to a method which utilises an amplitude regulated audio signal for estimating and assessing the battery life of such products.
One of the challenges in measuring the playtime duration of battery-equipped audio products is that there is no particular test signal that has the appropriate characteristics of music regarding its dynamic behaviour. A signal like that would not only present an energy distribution, within the typical audible spectrum, similar to the one found in music but would also simulate its dynamics.
A conventional method for estimating the playtime duration of battery-equipped audio products employs a preprocessed white noise signal, shaped in frequency according to the average of the power spectral density of music, as test signal. Nevertheless, in time-domain, white noise exhibits a long-term constant envelope, such characteristic do not well represent the dynamic behaviour of music and that is why this conventional method may provide inaccurate results. This inaccuracy relies upon the fact that when music is played on battery-equipped audio systems, with a relatively high volume, compressors and/or limiters are internally engaged to adjust or limit the output level and consequently, the energy consumed from the battery decreases. However, a white noise signal containing the same amount of energy as the high-volume music signal mentioned before, will unlikely engage any compressor or limiter, which leads the system to consume more energy.
Therefore, heretofore unaddressed needs still exist in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for estimating the battery life of battery-powered audio products. This method employs a preprocessed test signal which, not only presents the typical power spectral distribution found in music, but also simulates its dynamic behaviour by modulating, in a particular manner, its amplitude. In certain embodiments, the method may include: storing into an specified media player the prerecorded test signal, transmitting it to the audio product under evaluation either by using a physical or a wireless connection; reproduce the test signal through the product which is set into a specific mode, battery-wise and settings-wise; conduct the test until the product runs off battery and is switched off; and record the playtime duration.
In a preferred embodiment, the generation of the test signal may include: extracting, two or more general characteristics of music focused on describing its typical power spectral distribution and dynamic behaviour; converting the extracted general characteristics of music into frequency-domain and time-domain parameters; generating a filter function and an amplitude modulating signal according to the parameters produced in the previous step; processing a white noise signal, using the frequency-domain and time-domain products; and storing the resulting test signal into an storage system.
In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a signal generator which generates the test signal with which the battery life of battery-powered audio products can be estimated with higher accuracy. In certain embodiments, the test signal generator includes: one or more music characteristic extractors, a graphical user interface, a white noise generator, one or more music characteristic simulators, a test signal output device, and a test signal generation controller. The one or more music characteristic extractors may extract one or more general characteristics of music from a specific music data base. The graphical user interface may receive one or more general characteristics of music. The white noise generator may be used to generate white noise. The one or more music characteristic simulators may process the white noise signal using the parameters extracted from music. The test signal output device may be used to provide the test signal generated. The test signal generation controller performs and manages operations of the test signal generator.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for assessing the thermal behaviour of battery-powered audio product. This method employs a preprocessed test signal which, not only presents the typical power spectral distribution found in music, but also simulates its dynamic behaviour by modulating, in a particular manner, its amplitude. In certain embodiments, the method may include: storing into an specified media player the prerecorded test signal, transmitting it to the audio product under evaluation either by using a physical or a wireless connection; reproduce the test signal through the product which is set into a specific mode; conduct the test for a specified amount of time during which one or more thermal sensors provide information about the temperature at one or more points of the product. This information is registered and stored for analysis.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only because numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers, if any, indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, titles or subtitles may be used in the specification for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, some terms used in this specification are more specifically defined below.
The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the present disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used to describe the present disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in the specification, to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that same thing can be said in more than one way. Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significance to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms discussed herein is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions will control.
As used herein, “plurality” means two or more. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to.
The apparatuses and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer programs may also include stored data. Non-limiting examples of the non-transitory tangible computer readable medium are nonvolatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.
The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings
As described in the background, one of the challenges in measuring the playtime duration of battery-equipped audio products is that there is no particular test signal that has the appropriate characteristics of music. In order to effectively measure the playtime duration of battery-equipped audio products, a test signal should embody general characteristics of a large collection of music recordings. The general characteristics of music may include, but not limited to: frequency characteristics (pitch), intensity characteristics (loudness), tempo characteristics (pace or beats per minutes), and timbre characteristics (tone colour or tone quality). The more closely the test signal imitates general characteristics of music, the more accurate the playtime duration measurement will be. The test signal should carry the same amount of energy as well as the dynamics of that average musical content has.
In certain embodiments, in order to estimate the frequency and time characteristics of music, a large collection of music recordings is used. In one embodiment, the music collection includes over 2000 music tracks, containing various exemplary music genres, such as Alternative Music, Blues, Classical Music, Country Music, Dance Music, Easy Listening, Electronic Music, European Music, Hip Hop/Rap, Indie Pop, Inspirational/Gospel, Asian Pop, Jazz, Latin Music, New Age, Opera, Popular music, R&B/Soul, Reggae, various Rock music, World Music and etc.
In order to generate the test signal having the typical power density distribution of music, a frequency characteristics simulator may generate a filter function according to the frequency characteristics extracted from the music collection and apply such filter to the white noise signal.
In certain embodiments, root mean square (RMS) values of the normalised intensity levels are calculated and analysed to obtain the average RMS values of all the music recordings measured. In one embodiment, the average RMS value of all the music recordings is approximately 0.2 relative to 0 to 1 level scale. This intensity value may be used as a reference to determine/adjust the amplitude values of the test signal.
In order to generate a test signal which, apart from the frequency characteristics of music also has its dynamic characteristics, an amplitude characteristics simulator may generate a amplitude-modulating function according to the dynamic characteristics of music extracted from the music collection.
In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the music characteristics extracted from the music collection is related to the amount of energy saved by the compressors and/or limiters implemented in the battery-powered audio products when reproducing music tracks at relative high volumes. Also, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure this amount of energy saved is calculated and estimated to be around the 20% of the total energy of a music track. This parameter may be used as guidance to create the dynamic regions and can be adjusted depending on the initial requirements and methods for extracting it from the music collection as part of the music characteristics. In accordance with these embodiments, the dynamic regions exhibited in
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a test signal generator 400. Referring now to
The graphical user interface 401 may be used by a user to receive one or more general characteristics of music, to control the generation of the test signal according to the one or more general characteristics of music received, to make manual or automatic adjustment to the process of generation of the test signal.
The white noise generator 403 may be used to generate white noise as a base for the test signal before going through a series of signal conditioning process. In one embodiment, the white noise generator 403 may be a hardware analog white noise generator. In another embodiment, the white noise generator 403 may be a computer algorithm to generate white noise in digital form.
In certain embodiments, the general characteristics of music may include: frequency characteristics, intensity characteristics, tempo characteristics, and timbre characteristics. In order to simulate the music in the music collection, one or more music characteristics simulators may be used to process the white noise generated by the white noise generator 403 according to the one or more general characteristics of music received to generate a test signal.
In certain embodiments, a frequency characteristics simulator 405 may be used to simulate the frequency characteristics. The frequency characteristics simulator 405 may be designed to have the frequency characteristics 202 as shown in
In certain embodiments, an amplitude characteristics simulator 407 may be used to simulate the amplitude characteristics introducing dynamic regions into the white noise signal. Based on the measurements taken from the collection of music, the intensity characteristics of music have an overall RMS value of approximately 0.2 for normalised music recording. Therefore, the amount of energy for a white noise with an overall intensity value in RMS of approximately 0.2 may be used as a reference. When the amplitude characteristics simulator 407 introduces the dynamic regions it also may decrease the amplitude of the steady white noise regions so that the total amount of energy of the test signal is kept the same. In an exemplary embodiment depicted in
In addition to the frequency characteristics simulator 405, and the amplitude characteristics simulator 407, other simulators may also be used to improve the simulation of music signal. In certain embodiments, tempo characteristics and/or timbre characteristics may be extracted from the music collection similar to the approach to extract the frequency characteristics and the intensity characteristics. These tempo characteristics and timbre characteristics may be used as basis for a tempo characteristics simulator, and/or a timbre characteristics simulator.
In one embodiment, the frequency characteristics simulator 405, the amplitude characteristics simulator 407, the tempo characteristics simulator, and the timbre characteristics simulator may be used in a serial form, but not necessarily in that order. The white noise signal generated by the white noise generator 403 are conditioned through at least one of the frequency characteristics simulator 405, the amplitude characteristics simulator 407, the tempo characteristics simulator, and the timbre characteristics simulator to generate the test signal.
In certain embodiments, the test signal generated through at least one of the frequency characteristics simulator 405, the amplitude characteristics simulator 407, the tempo characteristics simulator, and the timbre characteristics simulator is provided to an device through the test signal output device 409.
In certain embodiments, the test signal generation controller 410 may include a non-transitory computer readable memory 4103 and a processor 4101. The non-transitory computer readable memory 4103 stores an operating system 41032, and computer executable instructions 41034. When the computer executable instructions 41034 are executed by the processor 4101, the computer executable instructions 41034 cause the processor 4101 to perform: extracting, by the test signal generation controller 410, the one or more general characteristics of music, transmitting, by the test signal generation controller 410, the one or more general characteristics of music extracted to the graphical user interface 401 of the test signal generator 400, generating, by the white noise generator 403 of the test signal generator 400, a white noise signal, processing, by the one or more music characteristics simulators, the white noise signal generated according to the one or more general characteristics of music to generate the test signal, and providing, by the test signal output device 409 of the test signal generator 400, the generated test signal.
In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for estimating the battery life of battery-powered audio products by means of a test signal simulating the characteristics of music according to its frequency and dynamic behaviour. Referring now to
At block 502, a test signal generation controller 410 extracts one or more general characteristics of music from a collection of music recordings. In certain embodiments, the collection of music recordings may be over 2000 music recordings of a wide variety of music genres. In order to simulate generic music, the music genres may include Alternative Music, Blues, Classical Music, Country Music, Dance Music, Easy Listening, Electronic Music, European Music, Hip Hop/Rap, Indie Pop, Inspirational/Gospel, Asian Pop, Jazz, Latin Music, New Age, Opera, Popular music, R&B/Soul, Reggae, various Rock music, World Music and etc.
In certain embodiments, the one or more music characteristics may include frequency characteristics, intensity characteristics, tempo characteristics, and timbre characteristics.
At block 504, the test signal generation controller 410 may transmit the one or more general characteristics of music generated to a graphical user interface 401 of a test signal generator 400. The one or more general characteristics of music are the basis for generate the test signal.
At block 506, a white noise generator 403 of the test signal generator 400 generates a white noise signal as a base for the test signal. In one embodiment, the white noise generator 403 is a hardware white noise generator to generate the white noise signal in an analog form. In another embodiment, the white noise generator 403 is a white noise generation module to generate the white noise signal in a digital form.
At block 508, one or more music characteristics simulators process the white noise signal generated according to the one or more general characteristics of music extracted to generate the test signal. In certain embodiments, the one or more music characteristics simulators may include frequency characteristics simulator, amplitude characteristics simulator, tempo characteristics simulator, and timbre characteristics simulator.
At block 510, a test signal output device 409 of the test signal generator 400 provides the generated test signal as output.
In one embodiment, the output generated by the signal generator 400 is stored digitally for estimating the battery life of battery-powered audio products. When performing the battery life test, the test signal is transmitted by a music player, using physical or wireless transmission supports, to the product which is set in a specify reproduction mode which may imply the battery fully charged and a determined output volume. The product plays the test signal until the battery is discharged and the system switches off. The playtime is recorded and stored for further analysis.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a computer program product. In certain embodiments, the computer program product may be operable on a processor 4101 of a test signal generation controller 410. The test signal generation controller 410 may include a non-transitory computer readable memory 4103 storing computer executable instructions 41034 and a processor 4101. When executed by the processor 4101, the computer executable instructions 41034 cause the processor 4101 to perform: extracting, by a test signal generation controller 410, one or more general characteristics of music, transmitting, by the test signal generation controller 410, the one or more general characteristics of music generated to a graphical user interface 401 of a test signal generator 400, generating, by a white noise generator 403 of the test signal generator 400, a white noise signal, processing, by one or more music characteristics simulators, the white noise signal generated according to the one or more general characteristics of music to generate the test signal, and providing, by a test signal output device 409 of the test signal generator 400, the generated test signal.
Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions or hardware.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
