Vehicle-state based parameter adjustment system

• US 7,813,771 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: QNX Software Systems Company (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Escott, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khai M
• Application Number:
  US11/031,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20060145537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/570, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/575.9, 455/90.2, 701/1, 701/36, 701/49
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof

Abstract

The operation of a vehicle electronic module is influenced by vehicle-state received on a vehicle communication bus. The electronic module analyzes vehicle-state data that includes information about the vehicle'"'"'s environment. The electronic module improves or maintains electronic module performance by adjusting communication processing parameters to improve driver or passenger communication.

Claims

1. A vehicle electronic module comprising:

a vehicle interface;

a memory comprising multiple sound processing programs;

a processor coupled to the vehicle interface and the memory, the processor operable to;

receive a vehicle-state through the vehicle interface;

determine a selected sound processing program from the multiple sound processing programs based on the vehicle state; and

activate the selected sound processing program to adaptively change ongoing processing of audio signals.

2. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a mobile phone processing parameter.

3. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a hands-free phone processing parameter.

4. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a beamforming parameter.

5. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a noise reduction parameter.

6. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts an echo cancellation parameter.

7. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a programmable filter parameter.

8. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a frequency response parameter.

9. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises vehicle speed data.

10. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises aperture opening data.

11. The vehicle electronic module of claim 10, where the aperture opening data comprises window opening data or roof opening data or both.

12. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises climate control setting data.

13. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises audio system setting data.

14. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises occupancy data.

15. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a gain level parameter.

16. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle interface comprises a wireless interface.

17. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the multiple sound processing programs comprise an echo cancellation program and a noise suppression program, and where the processor is operable to determine the selected sound processing program from the echo cancellation program and the noise suppression program based on the vehicle state.

18. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the multiple sound processing programs comprise an echo cancellation program, a noise suppression program, and a beamformer program, and where the processor is operable to determine the selected sound processing program from the echo cancellation program, the noise suppression program, and the beamformer program based on the vehicle state.

19. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the multiple sound processing programs comprise an echo cancellation program, a noise suppression program, a beamformer program, and a wind buffet suppression program, and where the processor is operable to determine the selected sound processing program from the echo cancellation program, the noise suppression program, the beamformer program, and the wind buffet suppression program based on the vehicle state.

20. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the processor is operable to determine the vehicle-state from a vehicle bus message received through the vehicle interface.

21. The vehicle electronic module of claim 20, where the vehicle bus message comprises window data, speed data, climate control data, occupancy data, and audio system data.

22. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises climate control data that indicates an air-conditioning setting level, a heating setting level, or a fan setting level, and where the processor is operable to determine the selected sound processing program from the multiple sound processing programs based on the air-conditioning setting level, the heating setting level, or the fan setting level.

23. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state comprises occupancy data that indicates whether an occupant is present within a vehicle, and where the processor is operable to determine the selected sound processing program from the multiple sound processing programs based on the occupancy data.

24. The vehicle electronic module of claim 23, where the occupancy data indicates a position or location of the occupant within the vehicle.

25. The vehicle electronic module of claim 23, where the occupancy data indicates an identity of the occupant.

26. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the selected sound processing program adjusts a beamforming parameter to move a beamforming focus to a different location within a vehicle based on the vehicle-state.

27. The vehicle electronic module of claim 1, where the vehicle-state indicates a detected location of an occupant in a vehicle, and where the selected sound processing program adjusts a beamforming parameter to move a beamforming focus to the detected location of the occupant.

28. A communication module comprising:

means for interfacing to a first vehicle bus;

means for receiving a vehicle-state through the first vehicle bus;

means for determining a selected sound processing program from multiple sound processing programs based on the vehicle state; and

means for activating the selected sound processing program to adaptively change ongoing processing of audio signals.

29. The communication module of claim 28, further comprising means for interfacing to a second vehicle bus.

30. A vehicle electronic module comprising:

a first vehicle network interface;

a second vehicle network interface that automatically detects a protocol of a first vehicle network and a second vehicle network;

a processor coupled to the first vehicle network interface and the second vehicle network interface;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing;

a vehicle state, updated over time by one or more vehicle bus messages that comprise vehicle operation data, climate control setting data, and entertainment system data, received from the first vehicle network interface or the second vehicle network interface;

a hands-free communication processing parameter;

vehicle state analysis instructions;

an adjustment to the hands-free communication processing parameter, the adjustment determined by the vehicle state analysis instructions in response to updated vehicle states; and

modification instructions that initiate an adjustment of the hands-free communication processing parameter in accordance with the adjustment.

31. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the vehicle state comprises a vehicle speed.

32. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the vehicle state comprises window or roof opening data or climate control setting data, or both.

33. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the adjustment comprises a noise reduction parameter adjustment, amplification parameter adjustment, or a filter parameter adjustment, or a combination thereof.

34. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the adjustment comprises an echo cancellation parameter adjustment.

35. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the adjustment comprises a beamforming beam width or beam focus parameter adjustment or both.

36. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the memory further stores:

multiple sound processing programs, each comprising processing parameters; and

an analysis program operable to determine to modify the hands-free communication processing parameter from among the processing parameters for the multiple sound processing programs, and further operable to determine the adjustment.

37. The vehicle electronic module of claim 30, where the processor is operable to:

analyze window data received from the one or more vehicle bus messages to determine aperture opening information;

analyze speed data received from the one or more vehicle bus messages to determine a speed of a vehicle;

analyze the climate control setting data to determine an air-conditioning setting level, a heating setting level, or a fan setting level;

analyze occupancy data received from the one or more vehicle bus messages to determine a position or location of one or more occupants within the vehicle;

analyze the entertainment system data to determine an audio system volume level; and

calculate the adjustment to the hands-free communication processing parameter based on one or more of the window data, the speed data, the climate control setting data, the occupancy data, or the entertainment system data.

38. A vehicle electronic module comprising:

a memory comprising multiple sound processing programs;

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor operable to;

process data from a vehicle bus message that comprises window data, speed data, climate control data, occupancy data, and audio system data;

analyze the window data to determine aperture opening information;

analyze the speed data to determine a speed of a vehicle;

analyze the climate control data to determine an air-conditioning setting level, a heating setting level, or a fan setting level;

analyze the occupancy data to determine a position or location of one or more occupants within the vehicle;

analyze the audio system data to determine an audio system volume level;

determine one or more selected sound processing programs from the multiple sound processing programs based on one or more of the window data, the speed data, the climate control data, the occupancy data, or the audio system data; and

activate the one or more selected sound processing programs to adaptively change ongoing processing of audio signals.

39. The vehicle electronic module of claim 38, where the multiple sound processing programs comprise an echo cancellation program, a noise suppression program, and a beamformer program, and where the processor is operable to determine the selected sound processing program from the echo cancellation program, the noise suppression program, and the beamformer program based on the vehicle state.