Method and system for utilizing spread spectrum techniques for in car applications

• US 20160180856A1
• Filed: 12/24/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Jaisimha, Shree, Hickerson, Dallas, Fujisawa, Tatsuya
• Application Number:
  US14/998,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/0204 using subband decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/30 on the same track as the main recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information

Abstract

A method of operating an audio system in an automobile includes identifying a user of the audio system. An audio recording playing on the audio system is identified. An audio setting entered into the audio system by the identified user while the audio recording is being played by the audio system is sensed. The sensed audio setting is stored in memory in association with the identified user and the identified audio recording. The audio recording is retrieved from memory with the sensed audio setting being embedded in the retrieved audio recording as a watermark signal. The retrieved audio recording is played on the audio system with the embedded sensed audio setting being automatically implemented by the audio system during the playing.

Claims

1. A method of operating an audio system in an automobile, comprising the steps of:

identifying a user of the audio system;

identifying an audio recording playing on the audio system;

sensing an audio setting entered into the audio system by the identified user while the audio recording is being played by the audio system;

storing the sensed audio setting in memory in association with the identified user and the identified audio recording;

retrieving the audio recording and the associated sensed audio setting from memory;

playing the retrieved audio recording on the audio system with the sensed audio setting being automatically implemented by the audio system during the playing;

providing a set of audio recordings;

identifying which of the audio recordings in the set that the user skips while listening to the set; and

storing in memory the audio recordings in the set that the user skips while listening to the set.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the embedded sensed audio setting is automatically implemented by the audio system only if the identified user is again identified as being a current user of the audio system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio setting is a volume setting, a bass setting, a treble setting, a balance setting, and/or a fade setting.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio recording is stored in memory with the sensed audio setting being embedded in the stored audio recording as a watermark signal.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of modulating the sensed audio setting with pseudorandom code.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of automatically skipping the audio recordings previously skipped by the user when playing the set of audio recordings.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the audio recordings are automatically skipped only if it is determined that a same user that previously skipped the audio recordings is currently using the audio system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensed audio setting is embedded in the retrieved audio recording as a watermark signal.

9. A method of operating a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

sensing a problem with the operation of the vehicle;

playing an audible alert signal within the vehicle in response to the sensing of the problem;

embedding a watermark signal within the audible alert signal, the watermark signal including information about the problem; and

decoding the watermark signal from the alert signal to thereby obtain the information about the problem.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the audible alert signal is a chime or beep indicating a safety belt is not fastened, a door is open, or that the vehicle is low on energy on which to operate.

11. The method of claim 9 comprising the further steps of:

using a microphone on a personal electronic device to sample the audible alert signal;

using the personal electronic device to extract the information in the watermark signal; and

playing the extracted information in the form of audible speech on the personal electronic device, displaying the extracted information in the form of text on the personal electronic device, and/or activating a vibrating device within the personal electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the audible alert signal comprises a vehicle engine diagnostic signal, comprising the further steps of:

using a microphone on a decoder to sample the vehicle engine diagnostic signal; and

using the decoder to extract the information in the watermark signal.

13. The method of claim 9 comprising the further steps of:

emitting an audible vehicle approach signal directed away from the vehicle;

embedding a watermark signal within the vehicle approach signal; and

detecting an electronic copy of the vehicle approach signal by identifying the watermark signal in the copy.

14. A method of operating an audio system in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

storing a signal in association with an audio recording, the signal including metadata information associated with the audio recording;

enabling a user to request the metadata information via a user interface;

in response to the request from the user, retrieving the metadata information; and

playing the retrieved metadata information and the audio recording on the audio system, the retrieved metadata information being played in the form of audible speech.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the signal is a watermark signal embedded within the audio recording.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the user interface is associated with a rear seat of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the retrieved metadata information is played simultaneously with the audio recording.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the metadata information includes a title and/or artist of the audio recording.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the audio recording is broadcast from a station, the metadata information including an identification of the station.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a plurality of stations broadcast respective said audio recordings via the Internet, the method comprising the further step of extracting the station identifications from the audio recordings carried on a backbone of the Internet to thereby measure a respective number of listeners of each of the broadcasting stations.