Personal audio recorder in a vehicular entertainment sound system using recommended audio signals

• US 7,027,602 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Goodman, Bryan Roger, Varnum, Kenneth James
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T.
• Application Number:
  US10/063,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20030185406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 709/219, 709/203, 709/229, 369/30.1, 369/7, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/003 with radio receiver

Abstract

A method of recording a recommended plurality of audio signals (40) in an entertainment sound system (42) associated with an automotive vehicle (12)includes a central server (14) for processing a plurality of data (16) associated with a plurality of audio signals (18). A data input (22) within the vehicle (12) receives the plurality of data (16). An audio input (20) within the vehicle (12) receives the plurality of audio signals (18). The plurality of data (16) is transmitted from the central server (14) through said data input (22) to a controller (24) within the automotive vehicle (12). Furthermore, the plurality of data (16) is transmitted through the data input (22) to the controller (24). A preferred plurality of audio signals (34) received from the audio input (20) is acoustically played on the entertainment sound system (42). Then, a preferred plurality of data (36) associated with the preferred plurality of audio signals (34) is recorded onto a user profile stored on an electronic medium (30). Finally, a recommended plurality of audio signals (40) having a preference vector congruent to the user profile is recorded onto the electronic medium (30).

Claims

1. A method of recording a recommended plurality of audio signals in an entertainment sound system associated with an automotive vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a central server for processing a plurality of data associated with a plurality of audio signals;

providing a data input for receiving said plurality of data;

said data input being associated with the automotive vehicle;

providing an audio input for receiving said plurality of audio signals, said audio input being associated with the automotive vehicle;

transmitting said plurality of data from said central server through said data input to a controller within the automotive vehicle, said plurality of data being at least one of a program schedule, a program description, a recommendation, and a preference vector;

transmitting said plurality of data through said data input to said controller;

acoustically playing a preferred plurality of audio signals on the entertainment sound system, said preferred plurality of audio signals received from said audio input;

recording a preferred plurality of data associated with said preferred plurality of audio signals, recording said preferred plurality of data onto a user profile stored on an electronic medium; and

recording the recommended plurality of audio signals onto said electronic medium, the recommended plurality of audio signals having a preference vector congruent to said user profile.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of recording said preferred plurality of audio signals comprises:

encoding said preferred plurality of audio signals to a digital format, said digital format being at least one of an MP3 format or an MPEG format.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user profile is stored on said electronic medium Within the automobile.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting said user profile to said central server for generating at least one of said user profile and the recommended plurality of audio signals.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the plurality of audio signals from said audio input to a controller within the automotive vehicle;

actuating a recorder to record said preferred plurality of audio signals onto an electronic medium within said vehicle;

recording said preferred plurality of audio signals for a recording time period onto said electronic medium within said vehicle;

halting an acoustical play of said preferred plurality of audio signals received from said audio input at a halting point; and

resuming said acoustical play from said halting point concurrently as the plurality of audio signals is being recorded, resuming said acoustical play from said electronic medium within said vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said recording time period is selectively determined by a user.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said recording lime period is a predetermined time period.

8. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said step of actuating a recorder to record the plurality of audio signals comprises:

designating a programmable recording signal, said programmable recording signal being at least one of a selectively chosen time, a selectively chosen word, and a selectively chosen phrase.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said step of actuating a recorder to record the plurality of audio signals comprises:

detecting a programmable recording signal within the plurality of audio signals, said programmable recording signal being at least one of a selectively chosen time, a selectively chosen word, and a selectively chosen phrase.

10. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of resuming said acoustical play of said preferred plurality of audio signals from said electronic medium comprises:

decoding said preferred plurality of audio signals.

11. A personal audio recording system associated with an automotive vehicle, the personal audio recording system comprising:

an audio input associated with the automotive vehicle, said audio input transmitting a plurality of audio signals;

a data input associated with the automotive vehicle, said data input transmitting a plurality of data, said plurality of data comprising at least one of a program schedule, a program description, a recommendation, and a preference vector;

a controller receiving said plurality of audio signals and said plurality of data, said controller being within the automotive vehicle,

an entertainment sound system acoustically playing a preferred plurality of audio signals received from said audio input, said entertainment sound system disposed within the automotive vehicle; and

a recorder actuated by said controller to record a preferred plurality of data of said preferred plurality of audio signals, said recorder records said preferred plurality of data onto a user profile stored on an electronic medium within the automotive vehicle, said recorder actuated by said controller to record a recommended plurality of audio signals having said preference vector congruent to said user profile.

12. The personal audio recording system as recited in claim 11 wherein said controller actuates a recorder to record said preferred plurality of audio signals for a recording time period upon detecting a programmable recording signal, said programmable recording signal being at least one of a selectively chosen time, a selectively chosen word, and a selectively chosen phrase.

13. The personal audio recording system as recited in claim 11 wherein said controller selectively transmits a preferred plurality of audio signals from said audio input, said controller encodes said preferred plurality of audio signals, said controller selectively actuates a recorder to record said preferred plurality of audio signals onto an electronic medium;

said controller decodes said preferred plurality of audio signals, said controller selectively transmits said preferred plurality of audio signals from said electronic medium concurrently as said recorder records said plurality of audio signals.

14. The personal audio recording system as recited in claim 11 wherein said user profile is stored on said electronic medium within the automotive vehicle.

15. The personal audio recording system as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of transmitting said preferred plurality of data to said central server for generating at least one of said user profile and said recommended plurality of audio signals.