CONFIGURABLE INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20070127734A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brulle-Drews, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,918,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/207 with an audio or audio/video bus for signal distribution H04B1/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

An information distribution system enhances a vehicle audio/video system. The system flexibly delivers audio and video, potentially obtained from many different sources, to different locations in the vehicle. Each passenger receives the audio or video that is of interest to them without distracting interruptions.

Claims

1. An information distribution system for a vehicle, comprising:

an input interface operable to receive first audio data and second audio data;

multiple audio output channels;

an audio distribution configuration;

a scaling configuration;

gain logic operable to scale the first audio data according to the scaling configuration to form scaled audio data;

a mixer operable to mix the scaled audio data and the second audio data into a mixed audio output; and

a router operable to distribute the mixed audio output and at least one of the first audio data and the second audio data among the multiple audio output channels according to the audio distribution configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, where the scaling configuration comprises a volume weighting for the first audio data.

3. The system of claim 1, where the first audio data comprises navigation audio data.

4. The system of claim 3, where the second audio data comprises music audio data.

5. The system of claim 4, where the scaling configuration comprises a volume reduction weighting for the music audio data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising data-to-audio conversion logic connected to the input interface, and where the data-to-audio conversion logic is operable to receive environmental sensor data.

7. The system of claim 6, where the environmental sensor data comprises temperature, speed, or road noise environmental data, or a combination thereof.

8. A method for information distribution in a vehicle, comprising:

receiving information source data streams;

reading configuration preferences;

scaling information in at least one of the information source data streams according to the configuration preferences;

mixing the information source data streams according to the configuration preferences to form a mixed data stream; and

distributing the mixed data stream among multiple output channels according to the configuration preferences.

9. The method of claim 8, where receiving comprises:

receiving a navigation audio data stream;

receiving a second audio data stream; and

where scaling comprises;

increasing volume of navigation information in the navigation audio data stream with respect to the second audio data stream; and

where mixing comprises;

mixing the navigation audio data stream and the second audio data stream to form the mixed data stream.

10. The method of claim 8, where reading comprises:

reading a scaling configuration comprising a weight; and

where scaling comprises;

scaling information in at least one of the information source data streams according to the weight.

11. The method of claim 8, where reading comprises:

reading an audio distribution configuration comprising a channel identifier; and

where distributing comprises;

distributing the mixed data stream among multiple output channels according to the channel identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the channel identifier specifies a wireless receiver; and

transmitting the mixed data stream to the wireless receiver.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the channel identifier specifies a telecoil; and

transmitting the mixed data stream to the telecoil.

14. The method of claim 8, where receiving comprises:

receiving environmental sensor data.

15. A product comprising:

a machine readable medium; and

instructions stored on the machine readable medium for execution by a processor in a vehicular information distribution system, the instructions comprising;

instructions operable to receive a first information source data stream and a second information source data stream;

instructions operable to read configuration preferences;

instructions operable to mix the information source data streams according to the configuration preferences to form a mixed data stream; and

instructions operable to distribute the mixed data stream to an output channel specified in the configuration preferences.

16. The product of claim 15, where the instructions operable to mix comprise:

instructions operable to mix video data streams.

17. The product of claim 15, where the instructions operable to mix comprise:

instructions operable to mix video data streams to form a picture-in-picture mixed data stream.

18. The product of claim 15, where the instructions operable to receive comprise:

instructions operable to receive a navigation audio data stream and a second audio data stream; and

further comprising;

instructions operable to increase volume of navigation information in the navigation audio data stream with respect to the second audio data stream.

19. The product of claim 18, where the instructions operable to mix comprise:

instructions operable to mix the navigation audio data stream and the second audio data stream to form the mixed data stream.

20. The product of claim 18, further comprising:

instructions operable to read a channel identifier from the configuration preferences;

instructions operable to determine that the channel identifier specifies a wireless receiver; and

instructions operable to initiate transmission of the mixed data stream to the wireless receiver.