Patent ID: 8275474

Claim:
An audio output system, comprising: a digital signal processor that processes a plurality of audio stream data and stores said plurality of processed audio stream data in a plurality of ring buffers; a buffer that stores data for a plurality of input source channels, a first of said plurality of input source channels being designed to receive processed audio stream data from one or more ring buffers that are linked to said first input source channel; a switching block that has a plurality of audio inputs, a plurality of mixers, and a crossbar coupled to said plurality of audio inputs and said plurality of mixers, each of said plurality of audio inputs being linked with one of said plurality of input source channels, at least one of said plurality of mixers being linked to a single audio output that is one of Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format, multi-format audio interface, Inter-IC Sound, and digital-to-analog converter, at least one of said plurality of mixers being operative to mix two or more of said plurality of audio inputs to produce an audio output, said crossbar capable of coupling one of said plurality of audio inputs to two or more of said plurality of mixers based on an operating mode of the audio output system, wherein said operating mode selectively routes an audio program on one of said plurality of audio inputs to two or more audio outputs.