System and methods for vehicle sound font creation, playback, and networking

• US 20060074645A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,501,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/226
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for the creation of vehicle sound fonts, for utilizing the vehicle sound fonts to augment the engine sounds of a vehicle, and for establishing a network for sharing and controlling the playback of vehicle sound fonts and other media. The systems install in automobiles and play simulated engine sounds of other recorded vehicles in a controlled manner synchronized with the engine spark frequency of the playback vehicle. Automobiles with these systems may network together to share media and to coordinate playback in a synchronized manner among all vehicles of the network.

Claims

1. A method for creating a vehicle sound font, comprising:

recording a vehicle sound source at a plurality of locations within or proximate a vehicle for a duration of at least one complete engine cycle, wherein the recording is made at a predetermined engine revolutions per minute (RPM) setting; and

storing the recordings from each location together as a vehicle sound font with descriptors identifying the vehicle sound source, each location of the plurality recorded, and RPM setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined RPM setting is variable over the duration of the recording.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each location of the plurality of locations is recorded simultaneously for the duration of the at least one complete engine cycle at the predetermined RPM setting utilizing a separate microphone for each location.

4. A system for utilizing vehicle sound fonts to augment the engine sounds of a vehicle, comprising:

memory for storing at least one vehicle sound font;

a processor operative to retrieve a vehicle sound font from the memory as a result of receiving a sound font selection corresponding to the vehicle sound font, and operative to initiate playback of at least one recording from the vehicle sound font in response to vehicle acceleration or deceleration;

an audio player operatively associated with the processor;

means for detecting vehicle acceleration and deceleration; and

means for transmitting vehicle acceleration and deceleration detections to the processor.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for transmitting the playback from the audio player to a car audio system for transfer through at least one component of the car audio system.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operative to modify playback of the selected sound font according to vehicle engine cycle frequency such that the processor is operative to dynamically increase and decrease the playback speed proportionally to corresponding increases and decreases to the vehicle engine cycle frequency.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operative to determine if more than one recording exists for a single recording location within a vehicle sound font, wherein each recording at the single location corresponds to a different RPM setting;

if more than one recording exists corresponding to different RPM settings, the processor is operative to continuously compare the vehicle engine cycle frequency to the RPM setting of each recording, so as to evaluate the numerical difference between the vehicle engine cycle frequency and the RPM setting for each recording; and

to initiate playback of the recording with the lowest numerical difference and to discontinue any other recording playback in progress.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operative to compare the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the recording at each RPM setting and to extrapolate between the characteristics at a plurality of RPM settings to create at least one additional recording corresponding to at least one new RPM setting between the plurality of RPM settings.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving vehicle sound fonts from sources other than the memory;

a transmitter for sending requested vehicle sound fonts that are stored in memory; and

wherein the processor is further operative to update a list of stored vehicle sound fonts upon receipt of vehicle sound fonts from sources other than the memory.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the audio player is further operative to simultaneously play more than one recording from a vehicle sound font corresponding to different recording locations and to transmit the simultaneous playbacks on separate channels for playback on separate speakers.

11. A method for establishing a media sharing network in an environment comprising a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle having a system for storing and sharing media, the method comprising:

receiving at a first receiver of a first vehicle a beacon transmission associated with at least a second vehicle announcing participation in a network;

at the first vehicle, establishing a communications link between at least the first receiver of the first vehicle and a second transmitter of the second vehicle and between a first transmitter of the first vehicle and a second receiver of the second vehicle;

determining if there is new media available through any established communications link of the network, wherein new media comprises media that is not stored at the first vehicle prior establishing the communications link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining if there is any new media available comprises:

receiving at least one list of available media through an established communications link;

comparing the at least one list of available media to a list of media stored at the first vehicle; and

if the comparison results in at least one media item that is not found on the list of media stored at the first vehicle, then determining that new media is available.

13. The method of claim 12, when it is determined that new media is available, the method further comprising:

displaying a list of available new media items;

displaying a selection choice for each available new media item, wherein the selection choice indicates a desire to download the new media item over the established communications link to the first vehicle;

receiving a selection of at least one new media item for downloading;

downloading the selected at least one new media item;

storing the at least one new media item; and

updating the list of media stored at the first vehicle to include the at least one new media item downloaded and stored.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein it is determined that new media is available, further comprising:

downloading each available new media item upon determining that new media is available;

storing each downloaded new media item; and

updating the list of media stored at the first vehicle to include each new media item downloaded and stored.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the media comprises vehicle sound fonts, the vehicle sound fonts comprising at least one recording of a vehicle sound source, wherein each of the at least one recording was recorded at a location within or proximate a vehicle for a duration of at least one complete engine cycle, and wherein the recording was made at a predetermined engine RPM setting.

16. The method of claim 15, when it is determined that new vehicle sound fonts are available, the method further comprising:

displaying a list of available new vehicle sound fonts;

displaying a selection choice for initiating receipt of audio from playback of at least one available new vehicle sound font over the communications link for playing through at least one speaker of the first vehicle;

receiving a selection of at least one new vehicle sound font for playback;

receiving audio from the selected at least one new vehicle sound font over the communications link; and

routing the audio playback through the at least one speaker of the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the media comprises video from a camera mounted on a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining which vehicle within the network of vehicles is a controlling vehicle, wherein the controlling vehicle controls playback of media in each vehicle of the vehicle network;

if the first vehicle is determined to be the controlling vehicle, transmitting at least one message via the communications link to at least the second vehicle of the vehicle network; and

if the first vehicle is not determined to be the controlling vehicle, receiving at least one message via the communications link from the controlling vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein determining which vehicle within the network of vehicles is a controlling vehicle comprises:

transmitting a request from the first transmitter of the first vehicle over the network of vehicles, wherein the request is for agreement that the first vehicle is the controlling vehicle;

receiving at least one agreement indication transmitted from at least the second vehicle of the vehicle network in response to the request from the first vehicle; and

determining that the first vehicle is the controlling vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the media comprises vehicle sound fonts, the vehicle sound fonts comprising at least one recording of a vehicle sound source, wherein each of the at least one recording was recorded at a location within or proximate a vehicle for a duration of at least one complete engine cycle, and wherein the recording was made at a predetermined engine RPM setting, wherein the at least one message comprises an instruction to a processor of the second vehicle to direct audio received from the first vehicle through at least one speaker at the second vehicle.