Sound system for a motor vehicle and method for defining a functional scope of a sound system

• US 6,157,725 A
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becker GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Becker GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Becker, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Application Number:
  US08/987,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 381/77, 381/86, 381/119, 381/56, 381/58, 381/82, 381/302, 340/901, 340/902, 340/500
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/207 with an audio or audio/video bus for signal distribution H04B1/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/00 Two-channel systems H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

A sound system for a motor vehicle and a method for defining a functional scope of a sound system include a control unit, an input unit for operating the system, a display unit, a unit for generating source data in the form of audio data, an amplifier unit for amplifying the source data, one or more speakers, and a bus system that assures transmission of the source data and control data for controlling the units among the individual units. At least one unit other than the control unit of the system has a memory assigned to it, in which the functional scope of that unit is represented. The functional scope can be transmitted through the bus to the control unit, and the transmitted functional scope can be used in the control unit for at least partially forming the functional scope of the entire system. The control unit, the input unit and the display unit are connected to one another in such a way that through the use of the display unit, operating menus required for operating the entire system can be shown in accordance with the functional scope of the entire system, and the operation of the system can be performed with the aid of the input unit on the basis of displays in the display unit.

Claims

1. A multimedia system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a control unit with a control unit memory;

a display and input unit having a changeable operating menu for operating a multimedia system;

at least one individual multimedia unit with an associated individual multimedia unit memory containing a functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit; and

a bus system connected to said control unit, said display and input unit, and said at least one individual multimedia unit, said control unit formed to detect the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit connected to said bus system, to store the detected functional scope in said control unit memory, and to automatically display an operating menu responsive to a sum of the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit connected to said bus system.

2. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said individual multimedia unit memory is part of said at least one individual multimedia unit.

3. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, including a computer unit with a computer unit memory, said computer unit spatially separated from said control unit, said display and input unit, and said at least one individual multimedia unit, connected through said bus system to said at least one individual multimedia unit.

4. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said associated individual multimedia unit memory is formed to be writable with an altered functional scope in said computer unit.

5. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said bus system has a prepared interface for disconnectably connecting said computer unit.

6. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control unit and said display and input unit are connected to one another for displaying operating menus required for operating the entire multimedia system on said display and input unit in accordance with a functional scope of the entire multimedia system and for operating the multimedia system with a plurality of displays in said display and input unit.

7. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said display and input unit has individual keys allocated to associated operating functions of the multimedia system, and is subdivided into individual segments spatially associated with said individual keys and representing a particular operating function, and said control unit selects a display of the operating function in the various segments on the basis of the functional scope of the entire multimedia system.

8. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit generates audio data.

9. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit generates video data.

10. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit includes a DVD player.

11. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit includes a plurality of multimedia units that generate at least one of audio and multimedia data.

12. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit generates audio source data, and including a plurality of speakers, and a plurality of amplifier units for amplifying the audio source data, each of said plurality of amplifier units being spatially associated with and connected to at least one of said plurality of speakers for triggering only said plurality of speakers with specifically amplified audio source data.

13. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, including a timer for tripping a formation of the functional scope of the entire multimedia system from the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

14. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined period of time for forming the functional scope of the entire multimedia system is adjustable.

15. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the formation of the functional scope of the entire multimedia system is trippable from the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit when said at least one individual multimedia unit is turned on.

16. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said display and input unit trips an output of a status of the functional scope of at least one of the entire multimedia system and said at least one individual multimedia unit through said display and input unit.

17. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control unit trips the formation of the functional scope of the entire multimedia system from the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit.

18. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control unit, said display and input unit, and said at least one individual multimedia unit are disposed in a mobile home.

19. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit is a plurality of individual multimedia units and each of said plurality of individual multimedia units are located in separate housings.

20. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit is a plurality of individual multimedia units each formed to automatically transmit the respective functional scope of each of said plurality of individual multimedia units stored in said associated individual multimedia unit memories over said bus system to said control unit and at least temporarily store the respective functional scope in said control unit memory.

21. The multimedia system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit is a plurality of individual multimedia units each formed to automatically transmit the respective functional scope of each of said plurality of individual multimedia units stored in said associated individual multimedia unit memories over said bus system to said control unit and continuously store the respective functional scope in said control unit memory.

22. A multimedia system for a house or an apartment, comprising:

a control unit with a control unit memory;

a display and input unit having a changeable operating menu for operating a multimedia system;

at least one individual multimedia unit with an associated individual multimedia unit memory containing a functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit; and

a bus system connected to said control unit, said display and input unit, and said at least one individual multimedia unit, said control unit formed to detect the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit connected to said bus system, to store the detected functional scope in said control unit memory, and to automatically display an operating menu responsive to a sum of the functional scope of said at least one individual multimedia unit connected to said bus system.

23. The multimedia system for a house or an apartment according to claim 22, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit is a plurality of individual multimedia units and each of said plurality of individual multimedia units are located in separate housings.

24. The multimedia system for a house or an apartment according to claim 22, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit is a plurality of individual multimedia units each formed to automatically transmit the respective functional scope of each of said plurality of individual multimedia units stored in said associated individual multimedia unit memories over said bus system to said control unit and at least temporarily store the respective functional scope in said control unit memory.

25. The multimedia system for a house or an apartment according to claim 22, wherein said at least one individual multimedia unit is a plurality of individual multimedia units each formed to automatically transmit the respective functional scope of each of said plurality of individual multimedia units stored in said associated individual multimedia unit memories over said bus system to said control unit and continuously store the respective functional scope in said control unit memory.

26. A method for defining a functional scope of a multimedia system, which comprises:

providing a control unit that provides control data, at least one individual multimedia unit for generating source data, an amplifier unit for amplifying the source data, at least one speaker, display and input unit for operating the multimedia system, and a bus system assuring transmission between the at least one individual multimedia unit and the control unit;

providing the control and the at least one individual multimedia units spaced apart from each other and providing the at least one individual multimedia unit with an associated memory representing a unit-specific functional scope of the at least one individual multimedia unit defining a variety of functions of the at least one individual multimedia unit;

transmitting the functional scope through the bus system to the control unit;

using the transmitted functional scope in the control unit at least partially for forming a functional scope of the entire multimedia system;

furnishing the control unit with a unit-specific functional scope from the memory associated with the at least one individual multimedia unit upon a modification of the multimedia system for generating source data and upon an attendant modification of the functional scope of the multimedia system;

at least partly combining the unit-specific functional scope into a new total functional scope of the entire multimedia system; and

subsequently triggering the at least one individual multimedia unit with the control unit in accordance with the total functional scope, and allocating the generated source data to the at least one individual multimedia unit.

27. The method for defining the functional scope of a multimedia system according to claim 26, which comprises performing the step of modifying the multimedia system by adding a second individual multimedia unit.

28. The method for defining the functional scope of a multimedia system according to claim 26, which comprises supplying data from the control unit to the display and input unit in accordance with the total functional scope of the multimedia system for permitting a user of the multimedia system to individually adjust various parameters of the functions of the entire multimedia system.

29. The method for defining the functional scope of a multimedia system according to claim 28, which comprises selecting the parameters from the group consisting of volume, base, treble, fade, balance and equalize.

30. The method for defining the functional scope of a multimedia system according to claim 26, which comprises supplying data from the control unit to the display and input unit in accordance with the total functional scope of the multimedia system for permitting a user of the multimedia system to call up individual functions of the at least one individual multimedia unit for generating source data of the multimedia system.

31. The method for defining the functional scope of a multimedia system according to claim 30, which comprises selecting the individual functions to be called up from the group consisting of play, change track, repeat, fast forward, rewind, change frequency, change frequency band, mute, activate/deactivate traffic radio reports, start station scan, and activate/deactivate RDS functions, through operating menus.

32. The method for defining the functional scope of a multimedia system according to claim 26, wherein the step of providing at least one individual multimedia unit for generating source data generates source data type selected from a group consisting of audio and video data.