Patent ID: 7929712

Claim:
An audio terminal including an electronic volume control apparatus which sets an amplification factor (Gamp) of a digital potentiometer in response to a requested sound volume value (Vreq) transmitted thereto from a remote controller, and the audio terminal sending an actual result sound volume value (Vrep) back to the remote controller in response to the requested sound volume value (Vreq), said electronic volume control apparatus comprising: storage means for defining a coordination relationship among M different requested sound volume values (Vreq) and M different actual result sound volume values (Vrep) as well as N (M≠N) different amplification factors (Gamp), each of the requested sound volume values (Vreq) and the amplification factors (Gamp) being a positive integer; means for receiving a requested sound volume value (Vreq) transmitted from said remote controller; means for searching for the amplification factor (Gamp) and the actual result sound volume value (Vrep) coordinated with the received requested sound volume value (Vreq) from within said storage means; means for controlling said potentiometer based on a result of the search of the amplification factor (Gamp); and responding means for sending the result of the search of the actual result sound volume value (Vrep) from the audio terminal back to the remote controller; said storage means including: means for coordinating a first requested sound volume value (Vreq), uniquely with a first predetermined amplification factor (Gamp), and a first predetermined actual result sound volume value (Vrep), and for coordinating each of successive requested sound volume values (Vreq) uniquely with successive amplification factors (Gamp) and successive actual result sound volume values (Vrep); ascending order coordination means for coordinating the amplification factors (Gamp) in an ascending order; and descending order coordination means for coordinating the amplification factors (Gamp) in a descending order, wherein said ascending order coordination means and said descending order coordination means are data tables in which coordination relationships of the requested sound volume values (Vreq), the actual result sound volume values (Vrep), and the amplification factors (Gamp) are different from each other, and since said coordination relationship of each of the requested sound volume values (Vreq) with the amplification factors (Gamp) and said actual result sound volume values (Vrep) is defined in the storage means, a load of a process for determining a specific one of the actual result sound volume values (Vrep), and a specific one of the amplification factors (Gamp) coordinated with each of the requested sound volume values (Vreq) received from said controller is minimized, and the specific actual result sound volume value (Vrep) produces a high fidelity sound output in a speaker of the audio terminal.