QUIET-ALL INPUT FOR TWO OR MORE AUDIO SOURCES IN A VEHICLE

• US 20180285058A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Stewart, Andrew F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,489,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Arrangements described herein can control audio within a vehicle by stopping sound from two or more audio sources based on one quiet-all input. Systems can output sound via one or more speakers in response to audio signals from two or more audio sources. A quiet-all input can be received via a user interface, where the quiet-all input is a single input to stop sound from the two or more audio sources. Responsive to receiving the quiet-all input, all sound output through the one or more speakers from the two or more audio sources can be stopped or reduced to a predetermined volume.

Claims

1. A method for controlling audio within a vehicle, the method comprising:

outputting sound via one or more speakers in response to audio signals from two or more audio sources;

receiving a quiet-all input via a user interface, whereby the quiet-all input is a single input to quiet all sound from the two or more audio sources; and

responsive to receiving the quiet-all input, quieting all sound output via the one or more speakers from the two or more audio sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein quieting all sound output via the one or more speakers includes stopping all sound output or reducing a volume of sound output to a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more audio sources comprises two or more of the group consisting of:

an entertainment system, a safety system, a communication system, and a navigation system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more entertainment systems include one or more of a radio, a video player, and an external media player.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more safety systems include one or more of an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system, a lane keeping assist (LKA) system, and a restraint indicator system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the quiet-all input is one of a button, a switch, and a touch screen input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a display alert or a haptic alert for one or more of the two or more audio sources responsive to receiving the quiet-all input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein quieting all sound output via the one or more speakers from the two or more audio sources includes quieting all sound output via the one or more speakers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more speakers are arranged to create two or more sound zones in a vehicle, and the quieting all sound output through the one or more speakers from the two or more audio sources includes quieting all sound output in the two or more sound zones.

10. An audio control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

two or more audio sources;

a speaker located within the vehicle;

a user interface having a quiet-all input, the quiet-all input being a single input to quiet all sound from the two or more audio sources; and

a processor communicatively linked to the two or more audio sources, the speaker, and the user interface, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

outputting sound via one or more speakers in response to audio signals from two or more audio sources; and

responsive to receiving the quiet-all input via the user interface, quieting all sound output via the speaker from the two or more audio sources,

wherein quieting all sound output includes stopping all sound out or reducing a volume of sound output to a predetermined threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the two or more audio sources comprises two or more of the group consisting of:

an entertainment system, a safety system, a communication system, and a navigation system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the entertainment system comprises a radio, a video player, or an external media player.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the safety system comprises an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system, a lane keeping assist (LKA) system, or a restraint indicator system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication system comprises a phone and an internet device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the quiet-all input is one of a button, a switch, and a touch screen input.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting a display alert or a haptic alert for one or more of the two or more audio sources responsive to receiving the quiet-all input.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a display alert is outputted for a navigation system and a haptic alert is outputted for a safety system.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more speakers are arranged to create two or more sound zones in a vehicle, and the stopping all sound output through the one or more speakers from the two or more audio sources includes stopping all sound output in the two or more sound zones.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein stopping all sound output via the one or more speakers from the two or more audio sources includes stopping all sound output via the one or more speakers.

20. A method for controlling audio within a vehicle, the method comprising:

outputting sound via one or more speakers in response to audio signals from an entertainment system and a navigation system;

receiving a quiet-all input via a user interface, whereby the quiet-all input is a single input to stop all sound; and

responsive to receiving the quiet-all input, stopping all sound output via the one or more speakers.