Patent Application
20070298754
a-5d illustrate a process for modifying a vehicle sound system.
As shown in
The wireless personal area network receiver 107 may be any type of wireless personal area network receiver. As is well known, a wireless personal area network receiver is configured to receive wireless signals from a close distance, typically from only a few meters. A well known example of a wireless personal area network receiver is a Bluetooth receiver. Other examples include receivers that conform to the IEEE 802.11 standard and ultra-wide band receivers.
The wireless personal area network receiver 107 may be configured to communicate with a wireless personal area network transmitter that, in turn, may be connected to a media player, such as an MP3 player or an iPod. The wireless personal area network transmitter may in addition or instead be connected to a cell phone, a radio receiver, or to any other type of sound-generating device.
A wireless transmitter may be included along with the wireless personal area network receiver 107, either within the same housing or a different housing. Operating in conjunction with the wireless personal area network receiver 107, the wireless personal area network transmitter may transmit signals back to the device from which a wireless signal is received. The combination of a wireless personal area network receiver and a wireless personal area network transmitter is often referred to as a wireless personal area network transceiver. An example is using Bluetooth to communicate wirelessly with a cell phone. One purpose of such a wireless, bi-directional communication link may be broadcast sound that is received by the cell phone over a loud speaker in a vehicle and to deliver sound that is picked up by a hands-free microphone positioned within the vehicle (e.g., on a visor) back over the cellular network.
The wireless personal area network receiver 107 may include one or more user-operable controls, such as a power switch 111. It may include one or more user-accessible connections, such as a microphone jack 113. It may include one or more user-viewable indicators, such as an LED power indicator 115.
The wireless personal area network receiver 107 may include one or more output connectors to which cabling may be connected, such as audio cables connected to one or more amplifiers. These may be positioned at the rear of the receiver 107.
The wireless personal area network receiver 107 may include one or more power input connectors to which one or more power cables may be connected. These may be positioned at the rear of the receiver.
The mounting bracket 103 may be configured to include a cavity 121 into which the wireless personal area network receiver 107 may be inserted. The cavity 121 may have a shape that is substantially the same as an outer surface 123 of the wireless personal area network receiver, so as to ensure that the wireless personal area network receiver 107 fits snugly within the cavity 121.
The mounting bracket 103 may have a front-facing opening 123 through which a user may access user-operable controls, such as the user-operable control 111; user-accessible connections, such as the microphone jack 113; and/or to allow a user to view user-viewable indicators, such as the LED 115.
The spacer 105 may be configured to fit within the opening 121. The spacer 105 may be configured to insure that the wireless personal area network receiver 107 is spaced back from the opening 123 in the mounting bracket 103.
The cover plate 101 may include protruding tabs 127 and 129 configured to snap into corresponding openings 131 and 133 in the mounting bracket 103. This may allow the cover plate 101 to be easily attached to and detached from the mounting bracket 103. The cover plate 101 may be semi-transparent so as to allow a user to see user-visible indicators on the wireless personal area network receiver 107, such as the LED 115.
Several cover plates may be supplied with the kit, each in a different color. The user may select which looks best in view of the surrounding colors and use this for the cover plate 101.
A mechanism may be included to allow the back plate 109 to be attached to the mounting bracket 103. This may include holes 135, 137, 139, and 141 in the back plate 109, corresponding holes in the mounting bracket 103, including corresponding holes 143 and 145, and fastening means, such as screws (not shown), that may be inserted through the holes in the back plate 109 and screwed into the corresponding holes in the mounting bracket 103. Other attachment mechanisms, such as tabs and corresponding openings, may be used in addition or instead.
The back plate 109 may have an opening 151 oriented to provide access to connectors on the back of the wireless personal area network receiver 107, while at the same time ensuring that the wireless personal area network receiver 107 does not fall out of the cavity 121 in the mounting bracket 103.
The kit may be assembled by attaching the cover plate 101 to the mounting bracket 103, inserting the spacer 105 into the cavity 121 of the mounting bracket 103, inserting the wireless personal area network receiver 107 into the cavity 121 of the mounting bracket 103, and attaching the back plate 109 to the rear of the mounting bracket 103 by inserting screws through the holes 135,137,139, and 141 and screwing them into corresponding holes in the mounting bracket 103, including holes 143 and 145. A different assembly sequence may be used instead. For example, the cover plate 101 need not be attached first.
The DIN sleeve 203 may be a standard, off-the-shelf DIN sleeve. The sleeve may be configured to snap into a cavity behind an opening in a vehicle panel. The size and configuration of the DIN sleeve 203 may vary.
The assembly 201 may be inserted and snapped into a locked position in the DIN sleeve 203. The assembly 201 may be configured so as to fit snugly within the DIN sleeve 203. The assembly 201 may include openings 205 and 207 that are sized and oriented to snap onto corresponding inwardly-protruding tabs on the DIN sleeve 203, such as a tab 209. The DIN sleeve may include other openings, tabs, and/or other mechanisms to facilitate engagement of the DIN sleeve 203 in a cavity behind an opening in a vehicle panel.
a-5d illustrate a process for modifying a vehicle sound system.
As shown in
The panel 501 may have a radio receiver and/or media player 503 mounted on it. The radio receiver and/or media player 503 may be connected to a power cable 505, to an antenna cable (not shown), and to one or more audio cables 507. The audio cables 507 may be connected to one or more audio amps 509 that may be connected to one or more loudspeakers (not shown).
The radio receiver and/or media player 503 may include one or more user controls 505 and 507, and may be configured to tune in one or more radio stations, such as one or more AM, FM, and/or satellite stations. The radio receiver and/or media player 503 may be configured to deliver sound from the selected station to the one or more audio cables 507. The radio receiver and/or media player 503 may in addition or instead be configured to play media containing sound information, such as a CD, DVD, floppy disk, cassette, and/or memory stick.
The panel 501 may include other user-accessible controls, displays or devices (not shown).
The radio receiver and/or media player 503 may extend rearwardly behind the panel 501 through an opening in the panel 509 (see
The radio receiver and/or media player 503 may be removed from the cavity 511, as shown in
Either before or after the radio receiver and/or media player 503 is removed from the cavity 511, the power cable 505 and the one or more audio cables 507 may be disconnected from the radio receiver and/or media player 503, as shown in
The power cable 505 and the one or more audio cables 507 may then be connected to a wireless personal area network receiver that is part of a wireless personal area network receiver assembly 513. This wireless personal area network receiver assembly 513 may contain one or more of the components that were discussed above in connection with
The modified vehicle sound system shown in
The portable device with which the wireless personal area network receiver communicates may instead or in addition include a radio receiver, such as an FM, AM, and/or satellite radio receiver. With this configuration, there may no longer be a need for the vehicle to have a radio receiver connected by wires to either the source of power or the audio amplifiers to which the wireless personal area network receiver is connected.
The wireless personal area network receiver assembly 513 may include a front plate 515 that contains no user-accessible controls, connections, and/or displays. The front plate 515 may be configured to be removable by a user to expose user-accessible controls, connections, and/or displays.
The components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages that have been discussed are merely illustrative. None of them, nor the discussions relating to them, are intended to limit the scope of protection in any way. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated, including embodiments that have fewer, additional, and/or different components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages. The components and steps may also be arranged and ordered differently.
In short, the scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended to be as broad as is reasonably consistent with the language that is used in the claims and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is recited in the claims.
The phrase “means for” when used in a claim embraces the corresponding structure and materials that have been described and their equivalents. Similarly, the phrase “step for” when used in a claim embraces the corresponding acts that have been described and their equivalents. The absence of these phrases means that the claim is not limited to any corresponding structures, materials, or acts.
