Apple to Bring Messages Alerts to the iPad with Vibrator Mode
On March 21, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals an audio codec with vibrator support. A dual channel audio coder decoder (codec) chip that has two output pins, which can be used to drive a pair of speakers in stereo mode, or a vibrator and a single speaker in mono mode. Each channel has its own Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and audio power amplifier to receive an audio signal for driving a speaker. This invention will allow the iPad to finally deliver "original message alerts" that are available today on the iPhone.
Apple's Patent Background
Portable audio devices are used throughout society to play media, play games, place/receive phone calls, and various other actions that require the portable audio device to process digital audio. As portable audio devices become more immersed in user's everyday lives, there is a growing need for these devices to become smaller, thinner, and lighter. This move to increase portability is often in contrast with the desire to add more features and components to portable audio devices. Accordingly, the elements in portable audio devices should be used in an efficient manner such that space is conserved.
Additionally, portable audio devices are often provided in different varieties from the same designer/manufacturer. For example, Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. designs the iPhone, iPad and iPod portable audio devices. These devices process and output audio, but often include other components to perform non-audio tasks. For example, while the iPhone and iPod devices include a vibrator that is used for original message alerts to the user, the iPad device does not include a vibrator. The audio codec chip in the iPhone and iPod devices may include a dedicated signal channel to process a vibrator signal. However, using the same audio codec chip in the iPad device would be inefficient as the dedicated vibrator signal channel would not be used.
Apple Invents Multi-Channel Audio Coder Decoder Integrated Circuit Chip
Apple's invention generally relates to a multi-channel audio coder decoder (codec) integrated circuit chip that is capable of driving either a speaker and/or a vibrator simultaneously or a pair of speakers simultaneously, through the same output pins.
An embodiment of the invention is a multiple channel audio codec chip whose output pins can be "re-used", for alternately driving either a pair of speakers or a speaker and a vibrator, in an audio device.
Each of two channels in the audio codec chip can produce both an analog audio signal for driving a speaker and, alternately (one at a time, not both simultaneously), an analog vibrator signal for driving a vibrator.
Each channel has a multiplexer with a first input that is coupled to receive an audio out signal from the output of a DAC, a second input that is coupled to the output of a variable signal generator, and a control input to receive a selection signal. The selection signal determines whether the channel is to be used for an audio signal or whether it is to be used for a vibrator signal. The multiplexer output is coupled to a corresponding power amplifier of the channel. The selection signal may be received, via a digital communications interface of the codec, from a central processing unit in the audio device that determines whether the specified channel in the audio codec chip is to drive a speaker or a vibrator through the same output pin. The audio codec chip may include additional audio channels and output pins.
Apple's patent FIG. 1 shows two portable audio devices in the form of an iPad and an iPhone. As shown in FIG. 1, the iPad uses the speakers 3a and 3b to operate in a stereophonic mode by emitting a different channel of audio through each speaker 3a and 3b. For example, a music player application or game running on the iPad may emit two different channels of an audio source (e.g. a right channel and a left channel) through the speakers 3a and 3b. In contrast, the iPhone uses speaker 4 to operate in a monophonic mode by emitting a single channel of audio through the speaker 4. As also shown in FIG. 1, the iPhone is able to vibrate simultaneously, using an integrated vibrator.
Patent Credits
Apple credits Timothy Johnson as the inventors of patent application 20130073295 which was originally filed in Q3 2011. To review Apple's 16 patent claims and finer detailing, review this application.
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