Patent ID: 9584918
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: H03G,H04R,H04S

Claim:
1. A system for dynamically controlling the perceived volume of a stereo audio program including left (L) and right (R) channel signals and a center image, the system comprising: (A) a dynamic volume control (DVC) system operative to maintain a perceived constant volume level of the stereo audio program wherein the DVC system includes (i) a signal level sensor for sensing the average level of the sum of the left and right channel signal levels; and (ii) a signal averaging block operative to provide an attack time and a release time resulting in signal compression in accordance with a compression ratio, wherein the signal averaging block is operative to compute, and provide as an output signal for a gain value to be applied to the left and right channel signals, an average (AVG) of a reference (REF) signal relative to the attack and release times, wherein the reference (REF) signal represents the volume level of the input signal relative to a desired listening threshold; and (B) a pseudosurroundsound (PSS) signal processor operative to control the level of a difference signal, created as a function of the right channel signal subtracted from the left channel signal (L−R) relative to the level of a sum signal, created as a function of the right channel signal plus the left channel signal (L+R), wherein the processor is operative process the audio signals to control the difference (L−R) signal relative to the sum (L+R) signal;  wherein the pseudosurroundsound (PSS) signal processor is connected in series with the DVC system, and wherein the DVC system maintains an overall perceived constant level of the center image and difference (L−R) signals which make up the stereo audio program.