Dynamic acoustic control and vehicle auditory optimization

• US 10,481,857 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Club Car Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Club Car Incorporated
• Inventors: Edwards, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US15/799,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20190129682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 381 86, 381105, 381107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

An auditory optimization system that provides a plurality of acoustic arrangements that can specify a plurality of acoustic parameters implementable by respective acoustic control systems of one or more vehicles. The acoustic parameters can be implemented by a controller of the vehicle(s) to control an audio characteristic of a sound emitted through the speaker(s) of the vehicle, such as a volume range, based on the acoustic category associated with the sound. Operation of the system can include the selection of one of the plurality of acoustic arrangements, as well as a selection of the vehicle(s) to receive the acoustic parameter(s) associated with the selected acoustic arrangement. The acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement can be transmitted via a telematics network to a controller of the identified vehicle(s), which can implement the transmitted acoustic parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting an acoustic arrangement that specifies one or more acoustic parameters for one or more acoustic categories, the one or more acoustic parameters including a geo-fencing setting responsive to a proximity of the vehicle to another vehicle, the acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement being implementable by an acoustic control system of a vehicle;

transmitting, via a telematics network, the one or more acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement to the acoustic control system;

receiving, by the acoustic control system, the transmitted one or more acoustic parameters;

applying, by the acoustic control system, the received one or more acoustic parameters to control one or more characteristics of an audio for the one or more acoustic categories that is emitted from one or more speakers of the vehicle; and

regulating volume of the audio based on the proximity of the vehicle to another vehicle, wherein the regulating includes initiating a change in intensity of volume of the audio when the vehicle enters within a geo-fencing proximity to the another vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more acoustic parameters include at least a volume range setting.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the volume range setting is different for at least two of the one or more acoustic categories.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the vehicle comprises one or more golf cars of a plurality of golf cars, each of the plurality of golf cars having an acoustic control system.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the step of selecting one or more golf cars of the plurality of golf cars that are to receive, via the transmitting and receiving steps, the one or more acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the acoustic arrangement comprises selecting one of a plurality of acoustic arrangements, each of the plurality of acoustic arrangements having one or more acoustic parameters, and wherein the acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement is different than the acoustic parameters of at least another one of the plurality of acoustic arrangements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more acoustic categories comprises at least one of the following:

streaming music, streaming video, social media, audiobooks, podcasts, and operator announcements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected acoustic arrangement further includes at least one acoustic configuration, the at least one acoustic configuration having one or more acoustic parameters that are configured to adjust the applied one or more acoustic parameters of the one or more acoustic categories.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more acoustic parameters of the at least one acoustic configuration includes at least a volume setting, and further wherein the at least one acoustic configuration includes one or more of the following:

a fleet-timed audio, a fleet master volume, and a fleet volume mute.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of acoustic arrangements, each of the plurality of acoustic arrangements specifying at least one acoustic parameter implementable by respective acoustic control systems of one or more of a plurality of vehicles to control one or more acoustic categories, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

selecting an acoustic arrangement from the plurality of acoustic arrangements;

identifying one or more vehicles of the plurality of vehicles to receive the at least one acoustic parameter of the selected acoustic arrangement, wherein the at least one acoustic parameter includes a geo-fencing related to a proximity of the one or more vehicles to at least one other vehicle of the plurality of golf cars such that the acoustic parameter is operative to limit an intensity of an audio volume of the at least one other vehicle when the at least one other vehicle enters within a geo-fencing proximity to the another vehicle;

generating an acoustic package operable to update one or more non-transitory computer-readable memory media of respective acoustic control systems of the identified one or more of vehicles with the at least one acoustic parameter of the selected acoustic arrangement; and

transmitting the acoustic package to the identified one or more of vehicles, the transmission being completed upon receipt by the respective acoustic control systems of the identified one or more vehicles with the at least one acoustic parameter of the selected acoustic arrangement.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the at least one acoustic parameter includes a volume range setting for the one or more acoustic categories, and further wherein the volume range setting is different for at least two of the one or more acoustic categories.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of vehicles comprises a plurality of golf cars.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the step of identifying one or more vehicles is based, at least in part, on at least one of the following:

a geographic location of the one or more vehicles, a time of day, and a date.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of acoustic arrangements includes acoustic arrangements based on one or more of:

a fleet-timed volume audio, a fleet master volume, a fleet volume mute, streaming music, streaming video, social media, audiobooks, podcasts, and operator announcements.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of acoustic arrangements are predetermined acoustic arrangements.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the at least one acoustic parameter includes one or more of the following:

a volume setting of fleet-timed audio, a volume setting fleet master volume, a volume setting of fleet volume mute, a volume setting of geo-fencing, a volume setting of streaming music, a volume setting of streaming video, a volume setting of social media, a volume setting of audiobooks, a volume setting of podcasts, or a volume setting of operator announcements.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more acoustic categories include:

streaming video, streaming music, social media, audiobooks, podcasts, announcements.

18. An auditory optimization system comprising:

a first computer system comprising;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of acoustic arrangements specifying a plurality of acoustic parameters implementable by respective acoustic control systems of one or more vehicles to control one or more characteristics of an audio for one or more acoustic categories that is emitted from one or more speakers of the vehicle;

at least one processor; and

program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and configured upon execution by the at least one processor to select one of the plurality of acoustic arrangements and an identify the vehicle to receive one or more acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement;

generate, in response to the selected acoustic arrangement and the identification of the vehicle, an acoustic package operable to update one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of the acoustic control system of the identified vehicle with at least some of the one or more acoustic parameters of the selected acoustic arrangement, the one or more acoustic parameters including a geo-fencing setting structured to control a volume of the acoustic control systems of the one or more vehicles based on position of another vehicle such that the geo-fencing setting is operative to facilitate a change in intensity of an audio volume of the one or more vehicles when the another vehicle enters within a geo-fencing proximity to the one or more vehicles; and

transmit the acoustic package to the identified vehicle.

19. The auditory optimization system of claim 18, wherein the identified vehicle is one or more golf cars of a plurality of golf cars.

20. The auditory optimization system of claim 19, further comprising a second computer system, wherein the second computer system is configured to provide the selected acoustic arrangement and identify the vehicle via a remotely accessible web portal maintained by the first computer system.