DYNAMIC MICROPHONE SWITCHING

• US 20160080861A1
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Helm, Sean L., Pierfelice, Jeffrey E., Schmidt, Eric R.
• Application Number:
  US14/487,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080861A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• 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 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Disclosed are computer devices, systems, and methods for dynamic microphone switching for a vehicle. A plurality of microphones can be located throughout the vehicle cabin, each biased toward a different seat. When audio is received from the microphones, the volumes of the audio input for each respective microphone can be compared. The microphone with the loudest audio input can be activated and the audio input can be sent to an application, such as a telephone application. The other microphones can be muted and their audio inputs discarded. A baseline threshold can be used to determine if audio input detected by a microphone is intentional or is merely ambient noise. Weight sensors in each seat can also be used to determine whether a microphone should be activated. For example, if nobody is sitting in a particular seat, then that microphone can automatically be muted.

Claims

1. A computing device for a vehicle comprising:

one or more processors for controlling operations of the computing device; and

a memory storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive a first audio input from a first microphone biased toward a first seat within the vehicle;

receive a second audio input from a second microphone biased toward a second seat within the vehicle;

compare the first audio input and the second audio input to determine which is louder and which is quieter; and

discard the quieter of the first audio input and the second audio input.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to send the louder of the first audio input and second audio input to telephone application.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each of the first audio input and the second audio input is discarded if it is quieter than a predefined minimum volume threshold.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the quieter of the first audio input and second audio input is discarded only if a variance between the quieter of the first audio input and second audio input and the louder of the first audio input and second audio input exceeds a predefined volume gap.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the predefined volume gap is an absolute volume difference.

6. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the predefined volume gap is based on a proportion of the louder of the first audio input and the second audio input.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

determine whether an occupant is present in each of the first seat and the second seat based on data received from one or more sensors associated with each seat; and

discard each of the first audio input and the second audio input if there is no occupant in the corresponding seat.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to display a visual indication identifying the louder of the first audio input and second audio input.

9. A computer-implemented method for a vehicle comprising:

receiving a first audio input from a first microphone biased toward a first seat within the vehicle;

receiving a second audio input from a second microphone biased toward a second seat within the vehicle;

comparing the first audio input and the second audio input to determine which is louder and which is quieter; and

discarding the quieter of the first audio input and the second audio input.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending the louder of the first audio input and second audio input to a telephone application.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first audio input and the second audio input is discarded if it is quieter than a predefined minimum volume threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the quieter of the first audio input and second audio input is discarded only if a variance between the quieter of the first audio input and second audio input and the louder of the first audio input and second audio input exceeds a predefined volume gap.

13. The computing device method of claim 12, wherein the predefined volume gap is an absolute volume difference.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the predefined volume gap is based on a proportion of the louder of the first audio input and second audio input.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether an occupant is present in each of the first seat and the second seat based on data received from one or more sensors associated with each seat; and

discarding each of the first audio input and the second audio input if there is no occupant in the corresponding seat.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a visual indication identifying the louder of the first audio input and second audio input.

17. A system comprising:

a vehicle;

at least a first microphone biased toward a first seat within the vehicle and a second microphone biased toward a second seat within the vehicle;

a computing device in communication with the first microphone and the second microphone, the computing device comprising one or more processors for controlling operations of the computing device and a memory storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive a first audio input from the first microphone;

receive a second audio input from the second microphone;

compare the first audio input and the second audio input to determine which is louder and which is quieter; and

discard the quieter of the first audio input and the second audio input.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to send the louder of the first audio input and second audio input to a telephone application.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the quieter of the first audio input and second audio input is discarded only if a variance between the quieter of the first audio input and second audio input and the louder of the first audio input and second audio input exceeds a predefined volume gap.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

determine whether an occupant is present in each of the first seat and the second seat based on data received from one or more sensors associated with each seat; and

discard each of the first audio input and the second audio input if there is no occupant in the corresponding seat.