Accelerometer-based external sound monitoring

• US 10,049,654 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Joshua, Amman, Scott Andrew, Thornburg, Doug B., Bennie, Brian, Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): McCormack, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/675,182
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17837 by retaining part of the ambient acoustic environment, e.g. speech or alarm signals that the user needs to hear
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/04 Sound-producing devices G10K15/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 Automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based external sound monitoring. A vehicle includes accelerometers, speakers, and an infotainment head unit. The accelerometers are affixed to windows of the vehicle. The speakers are located inside the vehicle in the vicinity of the accelerometers. Each of the speakers is uniquely associated with one of the accelerometers. The infotainment head unit, when the vehicle is not in motion and when a signal is received from one of the accelerometers, plays the signal only on the associated one of the speakers.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

accelerometers affixed to windows of the vehicle;

speakers located inside the vehicle in a vicinity of the accelerometers, each of the speakers uniquely associated with one of the accelerometers; and

an infotainment head unit to, when the vehicle is not in motion and when a signal is received from one of the accelerometers, play the signal only on the associated one of the speakers.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, including at least six of the accelerometers, each one of the accelerometers affixed to a different one of the windows.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, including at least six of the speakers, two of the speakers embedded in a first interior side of a cabin, two of the speakers embedded in a second interior side of the cabin, one of the speakers embedded in as interior front of the vehicle, and one of the speakers embedded in an interior rear of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the accelerometers are to measure vibrations perpendicular to a glass surface of the windows.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the infotainment head unit is to, when the vehicle is not in motion, disable sound from other audio sources.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the speakers are positioned in the vehicle to provide sound in an interior of a cabin of the vehicle from a direction of an originator of the sound on an exterior of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a police vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the speakers are ribbon speakers positioned in a headliner of the vehicle.

9. A system comprising:

speakers positioned in an interior of a vehicle;

audio channels, each one of the audio channels associated with only one of the speakers;

accelerometers affixed to windows of the vehicle, each one of the accelerometers associated with only one of the audio channels; and

an infotainment head unit to, when a signal is received from one of the accelerometers, drive the signal onto the corresponding one of the audio channels.

10. The system of claim 9, including at least six of the accelerometers, each one of the accelerometers affixed to a different one of the windows.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a first one of the speakers is embedded in a left front door, a second one of the speakers is embedded in a left backseat door, a third one of the speakers is embedded in a right front door, a fourth one of the speakers is embedded in a right backseat door, a fifth one of the speakers is embedded in a dashboard, and a sixth one of the speakers is embedded in a rear panel.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the accelerometers are to measure vibrations perpendicular to a glass surface of the windows.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the infotainment head unit is to drive the signal onto the corresponding one of the audio channels only when the vehicle is not in motion.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the infotainment head unit is to, when the vehicle is not in motion, disable sound from other audio sources.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the speakers are positioned in the vehicle to provide sound in an interior of a cabin of the vehicle from a direction of an originator of the sound on an exterior of the vehicle.