Patent Application
20080226101
1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to an audio control system. In particular, this disclosure relates to an audio control system for a vehicle.
2. Related Art
Users may wish to upgrade factory-installed audio systems. Users may replace or upgrade the amplifiers associated with the factory-installed radios and CD players rather than replacing an original radio or CD player. Users sometimes attach additional devices or “sources” to the vehicle's audio system. Such sources may include navigation systems, cellular or wireless telephones, AM-FM radios, satellite radios, MP3-based players, DVD players and other devices.
It may be expensive and difficult to remove and replace existing factory-installed equipment. Dashboard modification and/or cosmetic changes may be required to accommodate new devices. Replacement devices may not fit in an existing dashboard resulting in less than a perfect appearance. Decorative face plates configured to hide poor fitting devices may not provide a professional or factory-installed look. Therefore, a need exists for an audio control system that can manage and control multiple audio sources without impacting the appearance of the vehicle's dashboard.
An audio control system may receive a plurality of audio input signals. A switch or multiplexer may switch one of the plurality of audio input signals from respective audio sources to a power amplifier. A controller in communication with the multiplexer may control switching of the multiplexer. A display may provide the user with information regarding the switching of the audio signal inputs. A user interface may permit the user to manually switch the audio source. A signal detector in communication with an audio input signal may detect a signal from a priority source. When the signal from the priority source is detected, the controller may direct the multiplexer to route the signal from the priority source to the power amplifier.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.
The system may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like-referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
The LCD display 128 may include backlighting and dimming capability. However, any suitable display device may be used, such as a flat panel display or an electro-luminescent display. The display module 122 may have a body formed of molded plastic to present an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The volume control 130 may provide user-adjustable volume settings and power on/off functions. The input control 132 may provide system set-up functions, input labeling and input switching functions for each of a plurality of audio signal sources 136 through a command line interface, menu driven interface, and/or graphical user interface.
The display module 122 may communicate with the input module 122. The input module 124 may be mounted in an enclosed area of the vehicle 112, such as in the trunk, kick panel, behind the dashboard, below a seat, etc. The input module 124 may receive analog audio signals from the various source devices 136. Such source devices 136 may include a navigation system 140, a cellular or wireless telephone 142, an AM-FM radio 144, a satellite radio 146, an MP3-based player 148, DVD player 150 and CD player 152. Other source devices may also be selected by the user.
The input module 124 may control switching of the various source devices 136 through commands from the display module 122. A wiring harness 154, which may be a unitary multi-wire cable, having connector hardware, may interface the display module 122 with the input module 124. Because a wiring harness 154 may be used, the display module 122 may be mounted near or on the dashboard of the vehicle 112 without diminishing its appearance. The display module 122 may control setting the input voltage levels and gain parameters for the audio control system 110 during installation, or through a user-selectable calibration process. The process may ensure compatibility between the various source devices 136 and the input module 124. The input module 124 may further include a volume processor 160 and a control processor 162. The input module 124 may provide audio output signals 166 to multiple power amplifiers 170 through an output connector block 172. The power amplifiers 170 may drive a plurality of vehicle loudspeakers 176.
A buffer amplifier 228 or pre-amplifier may receive the input from each of the inputs, respectively. Each buffer amplifier 228 may be an operational amplifier. A gain adjustment circuit 236 may receive output from some or all of the respective buffer amplifiers 228, and is thus shown in dashed lines. Note that each of the radio inputs 216 and 218 may be differential inputs. Accordingly, the corresponding buffer amplifier 230 for the radio inputs 216 and 218 may be arranged with a differential input. The differential inputs may reduce noise and increase signal quality. Some or all of the inputs and corresponding buffer amplifiers 228 and 230 may be arranged in a differential configuration.
The volume processor 160 may be programmed to control the respective gain adjustment circuits 236 to establish an appropriate input level for each corresponding audio source device 136. For example, the gain adjustment circuit 236 for the navigation input may be programmed to receive a signal in the range of about 100 millivolts to about 16 volts. The gain corresponding to each input may be individually programmed depending on the expected output levels of the various audio source devices 136.
A right channel multiplexer 240 and a left channel multiplexer 242 may receive the output from each gain adjustment circuit 236 respectively, or from the corresponding buffer amplifier 228 and 230 if no gain adjustment circuit is present. The right and left channel multiplexers 240 and 242 may be linear or analog multiplexers. The output of certain buffer amplifiers 228 or gain adjustment circuits 236 may be routed through additional pre-conditioning circuitry prior to routing to the multiplexers 240 and 242. The volume processor 160 may receive a right channel audio output signal 250 from the right channel multiplexer 240, and may receive a left channel audio output signal 252 from the left channel multiplexer 242. The volume processor 160 may control switching of the multiplexers 240 and 242 through a multiplexer control signal 244.
Some of the inputs corresponding to the respective audio source devices 136 may be prioritized. For example, the navigation input 212 and the telephone input 214 may have a higher priority than the other inputs. If the audio control system 110 detects an audio signal originating from the navigation input 212, the navigation input may receive priority over all of the other inputs. Accordingly, if the radio 144 or CD player 152 is operating, and a signal from the navigation system 140 becomes active, the audio control system 110 may control the right and left channel multiplexers 240 and 242 to immediately switch the navigation system input 212 through the multiplexers and to the volume processor. The navigation input 212 may be assigned a highest priority so that the user will not fail to hear an audio navigation prompt. Thus, the navigation input 212 may “interrupt” or deselect all other inputs, regardless of which input is in use at the time.
A navigation signal detection circuit 260 may receive an output 254 from the amplifier 228 or the gain adjustment circuit 236 corresponding to the navigation input 212 to determine if a navigation device signal is present. The navigation signal detection circuit 260 may issue a navigation detection signal 262 to inform the control processor 162 if a navigation signal is present on the navigation input 212. The user may also select the navigation source 140 manually or through voice-command or other telemetric-based device linked to the display module 122.
If a signal on the navigation input 212 caused de-selection of another audio signal, the navigation detection circuit 260 may also detect when the navigation signal has terminated, and may restore the deselected audio signal. The navigation detection circuit 260 may delay restoration of the interrupted signal so as to make a smooth transition during switching. Such a delay may be, for example, about one to about two seconds.
The wireless telephone input 214 may be assigned to a second highest priority. Accordingly, receipt of a cellular or wireless telephone audio signal on the telephone input 214 may deselect all other sources in use, except for the navigation source 140. In this way, the radio 144, the CD player 152 or other audio source devices 136 may be deselected when the user receives a telephone call.
A telephone detection circuit 166 may receive a telephone output signal 264 from the respective buffer amplifier 228 (or gain adjustment circuit 236) corresponding to the telephone input 214, and determine if a wireless telephone signal is present. The telephone detection circuit 266 may issue a telephone detection signal 268 to inform the control processor 162 that the telephone signal is present on the telephone input 214. The user may also select the telephone source 142 manually or automatically through voice-command or through a telemetric-based device linked to the display module 122.
A short-range wireless decoder 270, such as a Bluetooth® decoder, may couple the telephone input 214 to the multiplexers 240 and 242 to link the telephone 142. The decoder 270 may include an antenna 272 and wireless transceiver circuit 274 configured to receive short-range radio signals. Various wireless telephone devices may be used, such as a Bluetooth® enabled cellular telephone. Other short-range cable-free decoders may be in communication with certain unallocated input sources to accommodate high-fidelity audio signals. Some of the decoders may be Bluetooth® decoders, such as an A2DP (advanced audio distribution protocol) decoder.
In some systems, the connections between the navigation input 212 and the telephone input 214 may be manually switched so that the telephone 142 may receive the highest priority, and the navigation system 140 may receive the second highest priority. The user may also select the wireless telephone source 214 manually using the input control 132 on the display module 122 to control the input source.
Alternatively, priority levels between some of the inputs may be reassigned under software control. The user may reprogram the priority levels by selecting the appropriate function using the volume control 130 or input control 132. Additional signal detection circuits similar to the navigation detection circuit 260 may be provided. Signals provided to and from the additional signal detection circuits may be re-routed using transmission gates or mechanical relays, such as a reed relay, when the priority levels are modified under software control so as to maintain a correspondence with the priority input to which it is associated. Accordingly, the user may have complete control over which input source device 136 is selected via the input control 132 located on the display module 122. Thus, the user may chose between the various input sources.
A signal summing circuit 280 may combine the telephone audio output signal 264 and the navigation audio output signal 254 to provide a summed signal. The signal summing circuit 280 may be an operational amplifier arranged in a summing configuration. This may permit the user to hear both audio signals so that the user does not miss the navigation information or a telephone call.
A connector arrangement or jack 319 may couple the control processor 162 to the display module 122 using a minimal number of wires. A standard DIN type connector may be used. A serial communication format may be used to minimize the number of wires.
The volume processor 160 may provide volume control 320 for all audio devices 136. The user may adjust the volume using the volume control 130 located on the display module 122. The volume processor 160 may also provide basic pre-amplification functions, such as tone control 322 (bass, treble, midrange), balance control 324, as well as fader control 326. The volume processor 160 may perform digital signal processing or may include a separate digital signal processor 330 to filter or provide graphic or band-specific equalization of the audio signals. The volume processor 160 may provide “phantom” imaging to shift the perceived audio “image” to the right or to the left. The inputs from the various audio source devices 136 may be controlled by the audio control system 110 to effect selection of a particular input and the corresponding audio volume level.
The control processor 162 may communicate with the volume processor 160 and may also receive the navigation detection signal 262 and the telephone detection signal 268. The control processor 162 may effect control of the navigation input 212 and the telephone input 214 to interrupt other source devices 136 in a priority-mode state. The control processor 162 may also provide a mute control signal 340 to the output buffer amplifiers 314.
A sub-woofer summing circuit 426 may combine or sum the right channel audio output signal 316 and the left channel audio output signal 318 from the volume processor 360 to generate a monaural subwoofer audio signal 428. The sub-woofer summing circuit 426 may be an operational amplifier arranged in a summing configuration.
The multiple RCA-type connectors 420 may include front speaker connectors 430, rear speaker connectors 432 and a subwoofer connector 434. Corresponding signals are provided to the JR45-type connectors 422, which may include front speaker connectors 436, rear speaker connectors 438 and a subwoofer connector 440. The RCA-type connectors 420 and the JR45-type connectors 422 may be functionally equivalent.
The output circuit 410 and connectors 420 and 422 may be configured in several different ways and may interface multiple power amplifier 170 and speaker 176 configurations.
A single harness, such as the DIN-type cable or connector 319, may connect the display module 122 and the input module 124. The display module 122 and the input module 124 may communicate using various command and control signals 830 transmitted through the connector 319. The display module 122 may include a separate microprocessor 832 and a backlighting circuit 834. The display module 122, including the LCD display 128, may receive power from the power supply located in the input module. Alternatively, the display module 122 may connect to the input module 124 wirelessly so as to eliminate the DIN-type cable and connector 319. In such a configuration, the input module 122 may receive power from an internal battery, or vehicle power bus, or another source.
A first rotary encoder 842 may receive input from the volume control 130 of the display module 122. A second rotary encoder 844 may receive input from the input control 132 of the display module 122. The encoded information may be transmitted to the control processor 162 of the input module 124 via serial lines through the connector 319. The rotary encoders 842 and 844 may additionally provide push and pus8hold notification corresponding to depression and holding of the corresponding controls 130 and 132.
In this configuration, the DVD player, for example, may provide a direct digital output. A digital attenuator 920 may receive the digital signals and scale the signals in accordance with user-selected volume parameters. The digital signal processor 330 may provide tone modification (bass, treble, midrange) in accordance with user-selected tone parameters. A digital-to-analog converter 930 may convert the signal to analog form, and provide the analog signals to the power amplifiers, such as the power amplifiers shown in
The logic, circuitry, and processing described above may be encoded in a computer-readable medium such as a CDROM, disk, flash memory, RAM or ROM, an electromagnetic signal, or other machine-readable medium as instructions for execution by a processor or controller. Alternatively or additionally, the logic may be implemented as analog or digital logic using hardware, such as one or more integrated circuits (including amplifiers, adders, delays, and filters), or one or more processors executing amplification, adding, delaying, and filtering instructions; or in software in an application programming interface (API) or in a Dynamic Link Library (DLL), functions available in a shared memory, or defined as local or remote procedure calls; or as a combination of hardware and software.
The logic may be represented in (e.g., stored on or in) a computer-readable medium, machine-readable medium, propagated-signal medium, and/or signal-bearing medium. The media may comprise any device that contains, stores, communicates, propagates, or transports executable instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may selectively be, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or infrared signal or a semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of a machine-readable medium includes: a magnetic or optical disk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM,” a Read-Only Memory “ROM,” an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (i.e., EPROM) or Flash memory, or an optical fiber. A machine-readable medium may also include a tangible medium upon which executable instructions are printed, as the logic may be electronically stored as an image or in another format (e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted or otherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in a computer and/or machine memory.
The systems may include additional or different logic and may be implemented in many different ways. A controller may be implemented as a microprocessor, microcontroller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), discrete logic, or a combination of other types of circuits or logic. Similarly, memories may be DRAM, SRAM, Flash, or other types of memory. Parameters (e.g., conditions and thresholds), and other data structures may be separately stored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory or database, or may be logically and physically organized in many different ways. Programs and instruction sets may be parts of a single program, separate programs, or distributed across several memories and processors. The systems may be included in a wide variety of electronic devices, including a cellular or wireless phone, a headset, a hands-free set, a speakerphone, communication interface, or an infotainment system.
The audio control system 110 may manage and switch multiple audio sources. The control system may receive audio source input from existing OEM provided devices 136, such as the radio and CD player. The control system 110 may also receive audio source input from additional audio sources, such as navigation systems 140, cellular or wireless telephones 142, satellite radios 146, MP3-based players 148, DVD players 150 etc. The control system 110 may be an aftermarket or “add-on” system. Accordingly, removal or replacement of the OEM provided devices may be obviated, which may preserve the cosmetic appearance of the dashboard. Certain audio input sources may be prioritized such that audio signals from a high priority device, such as a navigation system or wireless telephone, may interrupt audio signals from lower priority devices.
While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/918,508, filed Mar. 16, 2007, which is incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60918508 | Mar 2007 | US |
