This disclosure provides a method for gain control in a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver comprises a first receiver chain adapted to receive a first signal in a first frequency range, a second receiver chain adapted to receive a second signal in a second frequency range, and a common amplifier module operatively connected to the first receiver chain and the second receiver chain. The method comprises determining a first target gain level for a first path comprising the common amplifier module and the first receiver chain, and determining a second target gain level for a second path comprising the common amplifier module and the second receiver chain. The method comprises setting a gain GA of the common amplifier module and a gain GRx1 in the first receiver chain and a gain GRx2 in the second receiver chain based on the first target gain level and the second target gain level.

Exemplary multipath digital microphones described herein can comprise exemplary embodiments of automatic gain control and multipath digital audio signal digital signal processing chains, which allow low power and die size to be achieved as described herein, while still providing a high DR digital microphone systems. Further non-limiting embodiments can facilitate switching between multipath digital audio signal digital signal processing chains while minimizing audible artifacts associated with either the change in the gain automatic gain control amplifiers switching between multipath digital audio signal digital signal processing chains.

Increasing a dynamic range of a digital to analog converter (DAC). A signal analysis element is positioned prior to the DAC in a processing path. The element evaluates an instantaneous amplitude of a signal to be applied to the DAC. The DAC is capable of a first full scale value. An additional current source supports a second full scale value of the DAC, which is greater than the first full scale value. Upon the element determining that a condition is not satisfied, the element employs current steering to couple the additional current source to a current sink. However, upon the element determining that the condition is satisfied, the element employs current steering to couple the additional current source to an output of the DAC to support the second full scale value of the DAC.

Volume leveler controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, A volume leveler controller includes an audio content classifier for identifying the content type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting a volume leveler in a continuous manner based on the content type as identified. The adjusting unit may configured to positively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with informative content types of the audio signal, and negatively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with interfering content types of the audio signal.

The invention provides an efficient implementation of cross-product enhanced high-frequency reconstruction (HFR), wherein a new component at frequency Q+r.sub.0 is generated on the basis of existing components at and +.sub.0. The invention provides a block-based harmonic transposition, wherein a time block of complex subband samples is processed with a common phase modification. Superposition of several modified samples has the net effect of limiting undesirable intermodulation products, thereby enabling a coarser frequency resolution and/or lower degree of oversampling to be used. In one embodiment, the invention further includes a window function suitable for use with block-based cross-product enhanced HFR. A hardware embodiment of the invention may include an analysis filter bank, a subband processing unit configurable by control data and a synthesis filter bank.

Techniques for implementing dynamic volume adjustment by a virtual assistant are provided. In one embodiment, the virtual assistant can receive a voice query or command from a user, recognize the content of the voice query or command, process the voice query or command based on the recognized content, and determine an auditory response to be output to the user. The virtual assistant can then identify a plurality of criteria for automatically determining an output volume level for the response, where the plurality of criteria including content-based criteria and environment-based criteria, calculate values for the plurality of criteria, and combine the values to determine the output volume level. The virtual assistant can subsequently cause the auditory response to be output to the user at the determined output volume level.

Embodiments are described herein that provide a dedicated command device that is bonded to a zone player or zone to perform adjustments to the zone player or zone. In an example implementation, a command device receives an instruction to pair with a first playback device that is associated with a group of playback devices that includes the first playback device and at least one additional playback device. The group of playback devices is associated with at least one group variable controlling playback by the playback devices of the group. The command device receives an input to adjust a first group variable of the at least one group variable and transmits, via a wireless communications interface, a command that causes an adjustment of the first group variable for the group of playback devices.

The present invention is a modular signal converting apparatus and method, and particularly, discloses a signal converting apparatus, which is modularized for playback of digital contents and is usable while being combined with another electric device.

Provided are a method and a device for identifying a sound level of audio content, the method including receiving an audio signal and obtaining a first hash address based on a sound level of the audio signal, providing a hash address database in which the sound level of the audio signal is made to correspond to a hash address among a plurality of hash addresses, based on a first sound level corresponding to the first hash address and the sound level of the audio signal corresponding to the first sound level, cumulatively counting a first count value of the first hash address, and identifying the sound level of the audio content received during a first time period based on count information corresponding to a total amount of the first count value accumulated during the first time period.

Embodiments are provided for satellite volume control. An example method includes receiving an input at a playback device to adjust a volume for a plurality of playback devices that are grouped for synchronous playback of audio content, wherein the plurality of playback devices includes the playback device. The method also includes sending a first message over a network from the playback device to a device associated with the plurality of playback devices, the first message including information based on the input, wherein the information is used to adjust the volume of the plurality of playback devices. The method also includes receiving a second message at the playback device over the network, the second message including information for the volume of the playback device, wherein the volume is based on the adjusted volume of the plurality of playback devices.