Patent ID: 7110559

Claim:
A method for controlling audio output, comprising the steps of: inputting an audio signal and a voltage level signal; measuring the audio signal and the voltage level signal; mapping the audio signal against at least one table of predetermined corresponding gain targets; selecting at least one gain target for the audio signal, wherein said mapping step and said selecting step are based at least in part on the measurement of the voltage level signal and the measurement of the audio signal; and applying the gain targets to the audio signal, wherein at least a portion of the predetermined corresponding gain targets describes at least one transfer function that compresses the audio signal, which reduces clipping of the audio signal and wherein as the value of the audio signal increases as determined during said measuring step, the selection of the gain targets are such that the compression of the audio signal is increased; wherein said mapping step further comprises mapping the audio signal against one of a plurality of tables of predetermined corresponding gain targets, wherein at least a portion of the predetermined corresponding gain targets for a first table describe at least one transfer function that compresses the audio signal and the predetermined corresponding gain targets for the next table describe at least one transfer function that compresses the audio signal to a greater degree than transfer functions described by the corresponding gain targets of a previous table.