may1206 project plan audio processor
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MAY1206 PROJECT PLAN: AUDIO PROCESSOR
Iowa State University
Senior Design
CLIENT
Texas Instruments
FACULTY ADVISOR
Dr. Randall Geiger
TEAM MEMBERS
Matthew Rench Morgan Hodge Max Jablonski Xuetong Mao Brian Joyce
CONTENTS Problem/Need Statement ............................................................................................................................. 1
Concept Sketch ............................................................................................................................................. 1
System description ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Operating environment ................................................................................................................................ 2
User interface description ............................................................................................................................ 3
Requirements statement .............................................................................................................................. 3
Functional requirement ................................................................................................................................ 3
Non-functional requirement ......................................................................................................................... 3
Market/Literature Survey ............................................................................................................................. 4
Deliverables................................................................................................................................................... 4
Design Specifications ................................................................................................................................ 4
Engineering Report ................................................................................................................................... 5
Operating Prototype ................................................................................................................................. 5
Work Plan ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Work breakdown structure ....................................................................................................................... 5
Research 35% ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Design 20% ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Implementation 20% ............................................................................................................................. 6
Blind testing 10%................................................................................................................................... 6
Debugging/validation 15% .................................................................................................................... 6
Resource Requirements ................................................................................................................................ 6
Project Schedule ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Risks .............................................................................................................................................................. 9
1
PROBLEM/NEED STATEMENT
Cable TV channels frequently and intentionally increase the audio level of commercial content to garner
attention. This is an annoyance to consumers, and they wish for a solution. While some TVs include audio
processing to mitigate this problem, it is believed improvements can be made. The objective of this project
is to develop a prototype audio processor with amplitude-leveling capability. According to the requirements,
the implementation could be analog, digital, or any combination between.
CONCEPT SKETCH In a specific use case, the device is connected between the television and the receiver of the speakers using
RCA cords. The setup is shown below in Figure 1.
The device targets commercials that have a higher average peak amplitude than the television program, as
seen in Figure 2. The device will then adjust the gain of the signal to create a more level amplitude.
Figure 1. Use of Device Concept Sketch
Figure 2. Modification of Signal
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SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The audio signal is input to the device. If the user has the device turned on, the signal is then analyzed to
determine if the signal exceeds a specific design level. The signal is then modified if necessary and then
output to the auxiliary component. If the device is turned off, the original signal will be output. This logic is
shown below in Figure 3.
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Users that purchase the device will be people who care about the television “experience”. They are annoyed
by the commercials and actively sought out a solution to fix it. Therefore, the device is expected to be used
with high quality audio speakers and equipment in addition to the standard TV speakers. The device will
need to be able to limit the unwanted distortion so it can be used with all ranges of audio equipment from
high end to low end.
In order to be used, the device will be paired with a TV at all times. It is expected that it can be used
anywhere television streams are watched. This means the device will be indoors or weather protected with
access to an AC power source. Thus, running on battery power or weatherproofing will not be addressed.
Figure 3. Block Diagram
Decide if the signal exceeds
the designed level Input Signal
Process with volume
leveler
Keep original signal
Output signals
Is device
turned on? If Yes
If No
If No
If Yes
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USER INTERFACE DESCRIPTION Installation will be the only major part of user interaction of this device. The device will have a set of RCA
audio inputs and outputs. The television audio will be connected to the inputs, and the user’s sound system
will be connected to the audio output.
The control for the system will consist of an on/off switch on the device.
During operation, the device will function automatically. One of the goals of the device is to allow the user
to become more immersed in the television program without being annoyed by commercials. Therefore, the
device will function for the majority of the time without needing any user input.
REQUIREMENTS STATEMENT To allow the design to be applied into daily life and actually lower the amplitude of the commercial signals
which are annoying, the functional requirements need to be set.
The audio leveling device is developed for stabilizing the volume of the commercials relative to the
television program to allow the customers to enjoy consistent volume levels for all the viewing duration. In
other words, the device will make commercials less annoying.
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENT Ability to take in an audio signal using RCA stereo cables
Process the input audio signal to obtain a more desirable sound (judged by a poll of potential
consumers)
Output the processed audio signal using RCA cables
Control the output to be either the processed or original signal
Adjust the maximum gain to the modified signal
Make length/width/height of the device a reasonable range so it can be easily carried inside a room
and easily connected to televisions
NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENT Legal and Regulatory Requirements:
Before the devices are put into the market, it should have passed relative quality and legality test or
certification. However, this audio leveling device, solely being a proof of concept, does not need to
meet these requirements.
Maintainability Requirements:
The device should be encased in a durable shell to avoid being affected by the outside environment
or accidental damage.
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MARKET/LITERATURE SURVEY The customer base for a device similar to this project is quite large; almost everyone is annoyed by loud
commercials at one point or another. There are a few options already on the market that target a similar
customer base. Three competing products were purchased and observed.
The first technology that resembles this problem’s potential solution is Dolby Volume. This is a processor
that can be put in a standalone device, or integrated into a television or a receiver. It debuted in 2008, and
seems to have been quite successful, so this shows there is a profit to be made with this sort of technology.
The Dolby Volume technology is used in an external device called the GefenTV Auto Volume Stabilizer.
The advertisement for this product states, “The GefenTV Auto Volume Stabilizer product is a high-quality
volume stabilizer. It actually makes the volume adjustments in such a subtle way that you won't even notice
the change.”1 This product uses an analog audio RCA cable.
SRS Labs is another company that has produced a similar, but cheaper product. Like Dolby Volume, SRS
Labs has the option of integrating the technology into a television as well as an external device. Brands
already featuring this technology include: Dish Network, EchoStar, Philips, Samsung, Vizio, Numbericable,
and NXP. The technology is advertised to “provide the listener with a comfortable and consistent volume
level…The listener chooses the preferred volume level once and can rest assured it will remain constant.”2
SRS Labs offers this technology in two external device; one with a HDMI cable connection and the other
with an analog connection.
The third product found that resembles this project, is the Terk VR1 Automatic TV Volume Controller. This
is a lower quality and less expensive device than the Dolby Volume and SRS Labs. The Terk is an external
device that is connected from the receiver to the television with RCA connectors. It is describe as “a fully
automatic device that automatically adjusts loudness to proper listening levels.”3
In 2010 the CALM act was passed which is fully in effect starting in 2012. The FCC will regulate television
advertisements to follow a set of given guidelines. Perhaps given these, advertisers will find a new way to
annoy consumers, but that will have to be addressed after the act has been in effect for a few years.
These competing products are to be observed to see how they alter the signal, and determine where the
prototype device will lie in the market. The device will either sound better or be cheaper but still effective.
Either way, according to research, the product will be marketable up until late 2012.
DELIVERABLES
DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS The design specification is a document that will be used by TI to evaluate the plan of action before
production of the prototype begins, and used as an outline for how the device should function.
1 "GefenTV Auto Volume Stabilizer." Gefen, LLC. Web. 31 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8707>. 2 "TruVolume." SRS Labs: Solutions. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://www.srslabs.com/content.aspx?id=1953>
3 "Terk VR1 Automatic TV Volume Controller." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers,
Books, DVDs & More. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://www.amazon.com/Terk-VR1-Automatic-TV-Controller/dp/B00008VWOJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics>.
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Inside this document, the operation of the device will be strictly defined. This will list different settings that
could be changed on the device and their intended uses. For example: ‘The device can be enabled and
disabled by setting the ENABLE bit to 1’. Additionally, the design specification will describe how the audio
processor will function. This will include listing expected input signals and desired output signals.
Operating constraints and performance specifications will also be detailed in this document. These
performance specifications will ensure that the audio processor has the necessary characteristics that make it
compatible with a high quality TV. These constraints will be rigidly defined and may include topics such as
maximum power usage, maximum difference in delay between the audio and video, results of blind listening
tests, and cost.
Once a draft of the design specification has been completed, it will be submitted to TI for evaluation and
revision. In this way, the aspects of the design may be evaluated by the customer before production of the
prototype begins. The ultimate goal of this document is to define the characters of the design to ensure that
the delivered product is successful.
ENGINEERING REPORT The Engineering Report is a document for the client (Texas Instruments) that will be used to describe the
different methods and techniques used to solve the problem. This will include justification and description of
the type of implementation chosen. By describing the problem and the approach taken to solving the
problem, it will show that the implemented solution is the best. This report will refer to the constraints and
operations outlined in the design specification document. In this report, the results of the blind listening tests
will be described. Blind listening tests will objectify the subjective ‘annoyingness’ of commercials and show
user satisfaction with the device.
The Engineering report will also have a recommended path for improvements that can be made. This will
include ways to get better performance out of the device and a direction that further research should take as
well. Additionally, ways to lower the cost of production will included in this report.
OPERATING PROTOTYPE The operating prototype will be an audio processor with amplitude-leveling capability. It will be some form
of integrated circuits and digital logic that will have practical inputs and outputs allowing for various types
of signals to be passed through to speakers.
Once constructed, the prototype will be tested against the design document to ensure that it meets all of the
given constraints and has all the necessary features. The operating prototype will be used to perform blind
listening tests and the results will be included in the engineering report.
WORK PLAN
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
RESEARCH 35%
An essential part of designing a successful audio processor is understanding what commercials are doing to
garner attention. By fully understanding the techniques used by commercials, an effective design solution to
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mitigate them can be obtained. This includes recording and identifying examples of commercials that will
be used in the blind test. Even more essential is defining what an ‘annoying’ signal truly is, so it can be
eliminated anywhere the characteristic is found.
DESIGN 20%
After identifying the annoyances of commercials, a system can be designed to remove the objectionable
characteristics. This may include filters, automatic gain controls, and non-linear compressing.
IMPLEMENTATION 20%
Once the desired audio processing algorithm is obtained, a method of physically constructing it can be
chosen. This will depend heavily on the different signal processing designed. For example, a non-linear
filter is significantly more difficult to implement in an analog system, so a digital solution would be pursued.
BLIND TESTING 10%
This will involve playing commercials and regular TV programming for a blind audience and evaluating the
performance of our implementation.
DEBUGGING/VALIDATION 15%
In this section, our design and implementation will be evaluated to make sure it works as desired and meets
the characteristics outlined in the design specification.
Figure 4. Work Breakdown Structure
RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS Access to information regarding commercial audio techniques
o This includes the internet, journal articles on audio manipulation, interviews with experts in
the field: professors in the journalism college or employees at a television station.
Information regarding completive productions
Research
Design
Implementation
Blind Testing
Debugging/Validation
7
o Limited information is publically available through the manufacture’s website, thus
alternative methods need to be identified such as purchase or reverse engineering of one or
two competitors.
Access and ability to record TV streams including audio and video
o Importing audio streams into Matlab or some other audio processing software, such as
Audacity, to evaluate and test different filters is needed.
Audio processing programs (Audacity)
o Once the audio streams have been recorded, they need to be imported into Audacity so that
the characteristics of the signals may be evaluated. The application of different design
aspects should tested in the software so that potential solutions can be evaluated without
implementation.
Integrated circuits to implement the design
o These could be digital or analog depending on the final design. Once a concept is finalized,
a way to execute it in real-time to perform blind testing and evaluate the effectiveness is
needed.
A sample of blind test subjects to participate in trials once the prototype audio processor has been
designed
o There will have to be enough to give a statistically significant estimate of the effectiveness
of the product. A good sample group would represent a wide range of ages, as well as
technological backgrounds.
A quiet environment where blind testing can take place without being corrupted by external noises
PROJECT SCHEDULE To keep the team more organized and driven, milestones have been established in a Gantt chart format. This
allows members to easily see where a given task stands; where it is in terms of date, and what to what degree
it has been completed. Microsoft Project can be used to gradually change the completion rate of a job,
allowing for an easy showcase of where the group itself stands, and if more time needs to be spent on a task
to ensure it is completed.
The layout for the schedule of the first and second semester of the project is shown below in Tables 1 -2 and
Figures 5-6.
Table 1. First Semester Schedule
Task Name Duration Start Finish % Complete
Meet With Advisor
1 day Tue 8/30/11 Tue 8/30/11 100%
Research
Competetive Products
15 days Tue 8/30/11 Mon 9/19/11 100%
Research Commercial
Techniques
41 days Tue 8/30/11 Tue 10/25/11 100%
Record Commercials
41 days Tue 8/30/11 Tue 10/25/11 100%
8
Establish
Contact with TI 56 days Mon 9/19/11 Sat 12/3/11 100%
First Draft of Project Plan
15 days Tue 9/27/11 Mon 10/17/11 100%
First Draft Of
Design Spec 12 days
Mon
10/17/11 Tue 11/1/11 100%
Analyze Commercials in
Database
4 days Tue 11/29/11
Fri 12/2/11 100%
Complete Blind Tests and
Analysis of Competing Devices
6 days Wed 11/30/11
Wed 12/7/11 100%
Create Working
MATLAB Program
34 days Tue 11/1/11 Fri 12/16/11 75%
Complete Final
Design Document and
Project Plan
6 days Mon 11/28/11
Mon 12/5/11 100%
Prepare Final Presentation
7 days Mon 11/28/11
Tue 12/6/11 100%
9
Table 2. Second Semester Schedule
Figure 6. Second Semester Ganntt Chart of Schedule
WORK BREAKDOWN The breakdown of each team member’s contribution for the first semester of the project is summarized in
Table 3.
Table 3. Team's contribution
Team
Member Documents
Competitive
Devices
Research Programming Website Recordings Presentations Meetings Total
Max 7 7 10 2 0 7 3 30 66
Morgan 10 0 10 2 0 10 3 30 65
Matt 8 7 10 1 15 2 3 30 76
10
Brian 7 5 5 20 0 3 1 30 71
Amy 7 3 10 1 0 2 3 30 56
Total 39 22 43 28 15 24 13 150 334
RISKS Subjectivity of blind testing
Backlash from TV stations/advertising companies
Similarity to existing audio processors
REFERENCES
"GefenTV Auto Volume Stabilizer." Gefen, LLC. Web. 31 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8707>.
"TruVolume." SRS Labs: Solutions. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. http://www.srslabs.com/content.aspx?id=1953
"Terk VR1 Automatic TV Volume Controller." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel,
Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://www.amazon.com/Terk-VR1-
Automatic-TV-Controller/dp/B00008VWOJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics>.
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