ON-BOARD DEVICE POSITIONING APPARATUS, METHOD AND ON-BOARD EQUIPMENT CONTROL SYSTEM BASED ON MIXED AUDIO

• US 20180199135A1
• Filed: 01/10/2018
• Published: 07/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nio Co. Ltd. (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Original Assignee: Nio Co. Ltd. (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Inventors: PAN, Rongkai
• Granted Patent: US 10,390,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle is provided. The positioning apparatus comprises: at least two sets of MICs, including at least one set of MICs provided at a first position and at least another set of MICs provided at a second position which is different from the first position, the at least two sets of MICs are used for gathering mixed audio corresponding to an object to be positioned, and wherein the mixed audio contains at least a first audio and a second audio; and a control unit which is capable of determining position of the object within the vehicle in accordance with the first audio and identifying the object in accordance with the second audio.

Claims

1. A positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio, comprising:

at least two sets of MICs, including at least one set of MICs provided at a first position and at least another set of MICs provided at a second position which is different from the first position, wherein the at least two sets of MICs are used for gathering mixed audio corresponding to an object to be positioned, and wherein the mixed audio contains at least a first audio and a second audio; and

a control unit which is capable of determining on-board position of the object to be positioned in accordance with the first audio based on the at least one set of MICs at the first position and the at least another set of MICs at the second position;

and the control unit is also capable of identifying the object to be positioned in accordance with the second audio.

2. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 1, wherein a set of MICs is provided at each of the first and second positions, with each set of MICs including two MICs, and the first position is at a B column of either side of the vehicle while the second position is at inner ceiling of the vehicle.

3. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 2, wherein the control unit calculates the position of the object to be positioned within the vehicle in accordance with angles of the first audio reaching each set of MICs.

4. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 3, wherein the second audio contains ID of the object to be positioned, the control unit is capable of obtaining the ID of the object to be positioned, and

the control unit sends the position of the object to be positioned within the vehicle to the object in accordance with its ID.

5. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object to be positioned is a terminal device which is capable of sending out mixed audio.

6. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 5, wherein the terminal device is a cell phone or a pad;

and/or

the terminal device is installed with an APP for operating equipment within the vehicle, the terminal device is capable of sending out mixed audio during or after opening of the APP.

7. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 6, wherein in case of the position of the terminal device being determined, the terminal device is capable of obtaining right to operate equipment within the vehicle.

13. A control system for controlling devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio, wherein the system includes:

a positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

an object to be positioned for operating equipment within the vehicle;

authorizing module for entitling the object to be positioned with right to control equipment within the vehicle in accordance with its position within the vehicle.

14. The control system for controlling devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 13, wherein the authorizing module entitles the object to be positioned only with right to control those equipment near itself.

15. The control system for controlling devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 13, wherein the object to be positioned is a cell phone or a pad;

and the cell phone or pad is installed with an APP for operating equipment within the vehicle, the cell phone or pad is capable of sending out mixed audio during or after opening of the APP.

16. The control system for controlling devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 14, wherein the object to be positioned is a cell phone or a pad;

and the cell phone or pad is installed with an APP for operating equipment within the vehicle, the cell phone or pad is capable of sending out mixed audio during or after opening of the APP.

17. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 2, wherein the object to be positioned is a terminal device which is capable of sending out mixed audio.

18. The positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 3, wherein the object to be positioned is a terminal device which is capable of sending out mixed audio.

20. A control system for controlling devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio, wherein the system includes:

a positioning apparatus for locating devices within a vehicle as defined in claim 3;

an object to be positioned for operating equipment within the vehicle;

authorizing module for entitling the object to be positioned with right to control equipment within the vehicle in accordance with its position within the vehicle.

8. A positioning method for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio, comprising the following steps:

providing at least two sets of MICs, including at least one set of MICs provided at a first position and at least another set of MICs provided at a second position which is different from the first position;

gathering mixed audio corresponding to an object to be positioned by means of the at least two sets of MICs, wherein the mixed audio contains at least a first audio and a second audio;

determining position of the object to be positioned within the vehicle in accordance with the first audio based on the at least one set of MICs at the first position and the at least another set of MICs at the second position; and

identifying the object to be positioned in accordance with the second audio.

9. The positioning method for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 8, wherein a set of MICs is provided at each of the first and second positions, with each set of MICs including two MICs, and the first position is at a B column of either side of the vehicle while the second position is at inner ceiling of the vehicle.

10. The positioning method for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 9, wherein in the step of determining position of the object to be positioned within the vehicle in accordance with the first audio received, the position of the object to be positioned within the vehicle is calculated in accordance with angles of the first audio reaching each set of MICs;

and

the second audio contains ID of the object to be positioned, in the step of identifying the object to be positioned in accordance with the second audio, the ID of the object to be positioned is obtained and the position of the object to be positioned within the vehicle is sent to the object in accordance with its ID.

11. The positioning method for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 8, wherein the object to be positioned is a cell phone or a pad;

and/or the cell phone or pad is installed with an APP for operating equipment within the vehicle, the cell phone or pad is capable of sending out mixed audio during or after opening of the APP.

12. The positioning method for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in of claim 11, wherein in case of the position of the object being determined, it is capable of obtaining right to operate equipment within the vehicle.

19. The positioning method for locating devices within a vehicle based on mixed audio as set forth in claim 9, wherein the object to be positioned is a cell phone or a pad;

and/or the cell phone or pad is installed with an APP for operating equipment within the vehicle, the cell phone or pad is capable of sending out mixed audio during or after opening of the APP.