Patent ID: 8774425

Claim:
A method for controlling gain in a multiple audio channel system in which a signal is transmitted on each the multiple audio channels, comprising: detecting whether signals that are similar to or correlated with each other are present on different ones of the multiple audio channels; and when signals that are similar to or correlated with each other are detected on different ones of the multiple audio channels, using a first Automatic Gain Control (AGC) unit to process the signals that are similar to or correlated with each other, and using one or more second AGC units to process the signals on the multiple audio channels that are not similar to or correlated with each other; wherein: an AGC unit is allocated to signals on each audio channel beforehand; the step of using a first AGC unit to process the signals that are similar to or correlated with each other comprises: using the first AGC unit corresponding to one of the signals that are similar to or correlated with each other to process the signals; and synchronizing state information of the first AGC unit to the one or more second AGC units.