Vehicle communication system

• US 8,036,715 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Inc., Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tropp, Michael, Haulick, Tim, Buck, Markus, Schmidt, Gerhard Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarwar; Babar
• Application Number:
  US11/492,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/99, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/245.1, 455/230, 455/422.1, 455/3.06, 455/431, 455/575.9, 455/575.6, 4555561-557, 455/550.1, 455334-345, 455/350, 381/302, 381/79, 381 85- 86, 340/425.5, 3404261-4262
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/001 Two-way communication systems between a limited number of parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A vehicle communication system detects the presence of a passenger wearable communication device. The system receives audio signals from multiple sources inside or outside of a vehicle. The system processes the signals before routing the signals to multiple destinations. The destinations may include wearable personal communication devices, front and/or rear speakers, and/or a remote mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of communicating through a vehicle communication system, comprising:

detecting a wearable personal communication device within a vehicle, the wearable personal communication device including an acoustic input device and output device;

receiving an acoustic signal at a signal processor logic within the vehicle;

decoupling both a vehicle microphone proximate to the wearable personal communication device, and a vehicle mounted speaker proximate to the wearable personal communication device while coupling to the signal processing logic the input device and the output device of the wearable personal communication device, and a vehicle speakers not proximate to the wearable personal communication device; and

generating, by the signal processing logic, an acoustic output to the vehicle speakers not proximate to the wearable personal communication device, the acoustic output based on the received acoustic signal.

2. The method of claim 1, where the received acoustic signal is received from the an acoustic input device that is part of the wearable personal communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the received acoustic signal is received from a source external to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by the signal processing logic, an acoustic output signal to the output device of the wearable personal communication device, the acoustic output signal based on the received acoustic signal.

5. A method of communicating within a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a first wearable personal communication device within a vehicle, the first wearable personal communication device including an acoustic input device and output device;

decoupling both a vehicle microphone proximate to the first wearable personal communication device, and a vehicle speaker proximate to the detected first wearable personal communication device while coupling to the signal processing logic the input device and the output device of the first wearable personal communication device, and a vehicle speakers not proximate to the detected first wearable person communication device;

receiving a first audio data from the input device of the first wearable personal communication device; and

outputting data representative of the received first audio data to the vehicle speakers not proximate to the detected first wearable personal communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a second wearable personal communication device, and outputting first audio data representative data to the second wearable personal communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, where the act of detecting a first wearable personal communication device comprises receiving a control data and comparing some or all of the control data to pre-stored data.

8. The method of claim 5, where the pre-stored data comprises wireless protocol information.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying a location of the detected first wearable communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, where the act of identifying the location of the detected first wearable communication device comprises comparing audio data received from the detected first wearable communication device with audio data received from a vehicle microphone.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a second wearable personal communication device with the vehicle and outputting data representative of the received first audio data to an output device of the second wearable personal communication device.