VEHICULAR SOUND PROCESSING APPARATUS AND VEHICULAR APPARATUS

• US 20130121502A1
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: FUJII, Masahiro, Masuda, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US13/662,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121502A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00

Abstract

A vehicular apparatus receives music data from a portable terminal through a first communication device and stores the music data to a memory unit. The vehicular apparatus then outputs the music data stored to a music playback apparatus. The vehicular apparatus continues the output of the music data stored in the memory unit even after disconnection of the first communication device with the portable terminal, and the vehicular apparatus output the music data when the vehicular apparatus receives the music data from the portable terminal through a second communication device, without interrupting the playback of the music data over the switching of communication devices.

Claims

1. A vehicular sound processing apparatus for connecting communication to a portable terminal by a plurality of communication devices, the apparatus comprising:

a first communication device receiving sound data from the portable terminal;

a second communication device receiving sound data from the portable terminal;

a memory unit storing the sound data; and

a control unit outputting the sound stored in the memory unit to a sound playback apparatus, wherein

the control unit continuously outputs the sound data from the memory unit when communication by the first communication device with the portable terminal is disconnected, and the output of the sound data stored is switched to the output of the sound data received by the second communication unit when the second communication unit receives the sound data from the portable terminal.

2. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

the control unit outputs the sound data from the memory unit after storing the sound data received by the first communication device for an amount of a predetermined time of playback.

3. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first communication device performs communication through a wire medium, and

the second communication device performs communication through a wireless medium.

4. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

the control unit transmits a request for transmission of the sound data to the portable terminal when communication with the portable terminal is started by the second communication device after communication disconnection of the first communication device.

5. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

the control unit performs an authentication procedure in advance for enabling communication via the second communication device when communication with the portable terminal is connected via the first communication device.

6. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

the control unit gradually decreases an output volume of sound signal based on the sound data stored in the memory unit, when communication with the portable terminal by the first communication device is disconnected, and

the control unit gradually increases the output volume of the sound signal, when the sound data is received via a communication connection between the portable terminal and the second communication device.

7. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a setting unit setting whether or not to perform a sound data output continuation function according to a user preference, wherein

the function controls (i) storage of the sound data to the memory unit upon receiving the sound data from the portable terminal by the first communication unit and (ii) continuation of output of the sound data stored in the memory unit at a time of disconnection of communication with the portable terminal by the first communication device.

8. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the control unit transmits a request for transmission of the sound data by a high-speed transmission to the portable terminal and the sound data received is stored at the high-speed transmission to the memory unit until an amount of the sound data stored reaches a predetermined threshold, in which the high-speed transmission is faster than a normal-speed transmission, and

the control unit transmits a request for transmission of the sound data by the normal-speed transmission to the portable terminal and the received sound data is stored at the normal-speed transmission to the memory unit, when the amount of the sound data reaches the predetermined threshold.

9. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein

the control unit self-recognizes an operation state as a sound playback state when a playback instruction of the sound data is received or when the sound data is received, and

the control unit self-recognizes the operation state as a sound stop state when a playback stop instruction of the sound data is received or when the sound data is interrupted for more than a predetermined period.

10. The vehicular sound processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the control unit transmits a request for transmission of the sound data to the portable terminal when the second communication device begins communication with the portable terminal after the first communication unit disconnects communication with the portable terminal with the operation state as the sound playback state.

11. A vehicular apparatus comprising:

a vehicular display unit disposed in a vehicle, the vehicular display unit being coupled with a portable terminal having a display unit;

a vehicular sound processing apparatus including

a first communication device and a second communication device receiving sound data from the portable terminal; and

a memory unit storing the sound data; and

a control unit outputting the sound data stored in the memory unit to a sound playback apparatus, wherein the control unit continuously outputs the sound data from the memory unit when communication by the first communication device with the portable terminal is disconnected, and the output of the sound data stored is switched to the output of the sound data received by the second communication unit when the second communication unit receives the sound data from the portable terminal, wherein

the vehicular sound processing apparatus displays a screen image of the display unit of the portable terminal on the vehicular display unit based on the pixel information acquired from the portable terminal,

the vehicular sound processing apparatus sends a signal representing a target operation area to the portable terminal upon identifying the target operation area, the target operation area being a pixel area of the display unit of the portable terminal corresponding to a user operated pixel area of the vehicular display unit based on a user operation performed in association with the screen image of the portable terminable displayed on the vehicular display unit, and

the vehicular sound processing apparatus self-recognizes an operation state as a sound playback state or a sound stop state based on at least one of the user operation performed in association with the screen image of the portable terminal displayed on the vehicular display unit and a reception state of the sound data.

12. The vehicular apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the vehicular sound processing apparatus self-recognizes the sound playback state upon receiving the sound data, and

the vehicular sound processing apparatus self-recognizes the sound stop state upon detecting an interruption of the sound data for more than the predetermined time.

13. The vehicular apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the vehicular sound processing apparatus self-recognizes the sound playback state upon receiving the sound data when the receiving of the sound data is within a preset period from the user operation in association with the screen image that is displayed on the vehicular display unit, and

the vehicular sound processing apparatus self-recognizes the sound stop state upon detecting an interruption of the sound data when the interruption of the sound data is within a preset period from the user operation in association with the screen image that is displayed on the vehicular display unit.

14. The vehicular apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the vehicular display unit displays a dedicated input operation screen for receiving an input operation that controls a playback or a stop of playback of the music data stored in the memory unit, in a manner of one of (i) replacing the display of the screen image of the screen of the portable terminal and (ii) superposing on the display of the screen image of the screen of the portable terminal.