In-vehicle audio device and in-vehicle audio system

• US 20110110530A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kimura, Yousuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,705,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

An in-vehicle audio device and an in-vehicle audio system are disclosed. The in-vehicle audio device acquires and registers metadata of music data from multiple music possession devices, at least one of which is a portable music carrier device capable of performing wireless communication. Regarding the metadata acquired from the portable music carrier device, the in-vehicle audio device maintains the registration of the metadata after a communication connection between the portable music carrier device and the in-vehicle audio device is cut off. The in-vehicle audio device creates a playlist based on the registered metadata.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle audio device mounted to a vehicle, the in-vehicle audio device comprising:

a metadata acquisition section configured to acquire metadata of music data from each of a plurality of music possession devices, wherein each of the plurality of music possession devices includes a storage medium storing therein the music data, wherein at least one of the plurality of music possession devices is a portable music carrier device capable of performing wireless communication, wherein from the portable music carrier device, the metadata acquisition section acquires the metadata of the music data by the wireless communication, wherein the metadata includes track information of the music data;

a metadata registration section configured to register the metadata acquired by the metadata acquisition section, the metadata registration section being further configured so that as for the metadata acquired from the portable music carrier device, registration of the metadata acquired from the portable music carrier device is maintained after a communication connection between the portable music carrier device and the in-vehicle audio device is cut off;

a list creation section configured to create a list from the metadata registered in the metadata acquisition section so that the list includes at least tracks;

a list display section configured to display the list created by the list creation section;

a music data acquisition section configured to acquire, from the plurality of music possession devices, the music data corresponding to, the tracks in the list displayed by the list display section, wherein when acquiring the music data from the portable music carrier device, the music data acquisition section acquires the music data by the wireless communication; and

a playback output section configured to play back and output the music data acquired by the music data acquisition section.

2. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, wherein:

in addition to the track information, the metadata further includes retrieval source information indicating which of the plurality of music possession devices is a retrieval source of the metadata; and

based on the metadata registered in the metadata registration section, the list creation section creates the list in which the retrieval source information is added to each of the tracks.

3. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 2, wherein:

based on the metadata registered in the metadata registration section, the list creation section creates the list in which the metadata acquired from the plurality of music possession devices are integrated.

4. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 3, wherein:

the list display section displays the list through highlighting a group of tracks in the list, the group of tracks being originating from a retrieval source of the music data that is currently being played back by the playback output section.

5. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication connection determination section configured to make a determination of whether the in-vehicle audio device is having the communication connection to the portable music carrier device,

wherein;

in accordance with the determination made by the communication connection determination section, the list display section displays the list so that information, indicative of whether the in-vehicle audio device is having the communication connection to the portable music carrier device is added to a group of tracks originating from the portable music carrier device.

6. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rearrangement condition setting section configured to accept a user input that designates a rearrangement condition;

wherein;

in creating the list, the list creation section rearranges items in the list in accordance with the list rearrangement condition designated via the rearrangement condition setting section.

7. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 6, wherein:

the music data acquisition section acquires the music data while automatically switching a connection party between the plurality of music possession devices in accordance with an order of the items in the list, which is created by the list creation section through rearrangement of the items in the list.

8. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a track selection section configured to accept a user input that selects a target track from the tracks in the list, which is displayed by the list display section,

wherein;

the music data acquisition section acquires the music data corresponding to the target track from one of the plurality of music possession devices that has the music data corresponding to the target track.

9. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 8, wherein:

when the one of the plurality of music possession devices having the music data corresponding to the target track is other than a retrieval source of the music data that has been played back most recently, the music data acquisition section automatically switches a connection party between the plurality of music possession devices and acquires the music data corresponding to the target track.

10. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable music carrier device performs Bluetooth communication using Audio/Video Remote Control Profile; and

the metadata acquisition section acquires the metadata from the portable music carrier device by the Bluetooth communication using Audio/Video Remote Control Profile.

11. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 10, wherein:

if the Audio/Video Remote Control Profile allows acquisition of only the metadata of the music data that is being played back by the playback output section, the metadata acquisition section acquires the metadata of all of the music data in the storage medium of the portable music carrier device in such manner that the metadata acquisition section acquires the metadata while the playback output section is playing back only a piece of the music data.

12. An in-vehicle audio system comprising:

the in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1; and

the plurality of music possession devices according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of music possession devices is the portable music carrier device according to claim 1.

13. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of music possession devices other than the portable music carrier device is a wireline connection audio device, which performs the wireline communication.