USING EXTERNAL SOUNDS TO ALERT VEHICLE OCCUPANTS OF EXTERNAL EVENTS AND MASK IN-CAR CONVERSATIONS
First Claim
1. A vehicular audio system comprising:
- an audio detector configured to sense ambient sounds external to a vehicle; and
an audio processing module configured to;
receive one or more signals representing the ambient sounds from the audio detector,process the ambient sounds to identify an event external to the vehicle and corresponding to at least one sound within the ambient sounds, wherein the at least one sound is generated by the event, andprovide an alert associated with the event to an occupant in the vehicle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An audio processing system may selectively identify certain environmental sounds and playing back these sounds, or a representation of these sounds, in the vehicle'"'"'s cabin. The audio processing system may filter the environmental sounds to identify a particular sound that matches an event such as a bouncing ball, squealing tires, footsteps, and the like. The audio processing system may then provide an audio alert to an occupant in the vehicle. For example, the system may process the identified sound (e.g., amplify and/or isolate the sound) and use a speaker to output the processed sound into the interior of the vehicle. In another embodiment, the audio processing system may use environmental sounds as an audio masking sound for creating privacy zones within the vehicle. The audio processing system may filter the environmental sounds to identify a continuous sound which is then output to generate the privacy zones.
61 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicular audio system comprising:
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an audio detector configured to sense ambient sounds external to a vehicle; and an audio processing module configured to; receive one or more signals representing the ambient sounds from the audio detector, process the ambient sounds to identify an event external to the vehicle and corresponding to at least one sound within the ambient sounds, wherein the at least one sound is generated by the event, and provide an alert associated with the event to an occupant in the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for processing ambient sounds external to a vehicle, the method comprising:
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receiving one or more signals representing the ambient sounds; processing the ambient sounds to identify an event corresponding to at least one sound within the ambient sounds, wherein the at least one sound is generated by the event; modifying at least one auditory characteristic of the at least one sound to enhance the ability of an occupant in the vehicle to identify the event associated with the at least one sound; and outputting the modified sound on a speaker in an interior of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product for processing ambient sounds external to a vehicle, the computer program product comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured to; receive one or more signals representing the ambient sounds; process the ambient sounds to identify an event corresponding to at least one sound within the ambient sounds; upon determining an alerting mode is active, provide an alert associated with the event using the speaker; process the ambient sounds to identify a continuous sound within the ambient sounds; process the continuous sound into a masking sound; and upon determining a masking mode is active, provide the masking sound using the speaker to generate a privacy zone within the interior of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification