Mitigating audible acknowledgement volume in a vehicle security system

• US 8,195,095 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chavez, Timothy R., Kirkland, Dustin
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US11/437,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20070269020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 455/641, 455/25, 455/501, 455/63.1, 455/67.13, 455/550.1, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/570, 455/254, 455/278.1, 455/283, 455/296, 455/344, 455/345, 455/355, 455/461, 455 15- 16
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-usable medium for mitigating audible acknowledgement volume in a vehicle security system. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes measuring an amplitude of a valid signal, in response to receiving the valid signal; in response to determining the amplitude of the valid signal, comparing the amplitude to a first predetermined threshold; in response to the comparison, adjusting a volume setting of an audible acknowledgement; further adjusting the volume setting in response to measuring ambient noise of a surrounding location; and emitting the audible acknowledgement.

Claims

1. In a data processing system, a computer-implementable method comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) receiver of a receiver assembly receiving a valid signal emitted by a RF transmitter, wherein said valid signal corresponds to a selected function;

in response to receiving said valid signal, measuring an amplitude of said valid signal;

in response to determining said amplitude of said valid signal, comparing said amplitude of said valid signal to a first predetermined threshold;

in response to said comparison, performing a first adjustment of a volume setting of an audible acknowledgement, according to said comparison;

measuring, via a microphone at said RF receiver, an ambient noise of a surrounding location;

calculating a signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location from said ambient noise measurement and said amplitude of said valid signal;

comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location with a second predetermined threshold;

performing a second adjustment of said volume setting in response to comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location with said second predetermined threshold; and

emitting an adjusted audible acknowledgement via a speaker of the receiver assembly based on the first and second adjustments of said volume setting of said audible acknowledgement.

2. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, wherein said performing said first adjustment further includes:

reducing said volume setting in response to determining said amplitude meets or exceeds said first predetermined threshold; and

increasing said volume setting in response to determining said amplitude does not meet or exceed said first predetermined threshold.

3. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, wherein said performing said second adjustment further includes:

increasing said volume setting in response to determining said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location meets or exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

reducing said volume setting in response to determining said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location is below the second predetermined threshold.

4. A system comprising:

a processor;

a radio frequency (RF) receiver;

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer usable medium being embodied in hardware and coupled to said processor, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured to cause the system to;

receive a valid signal emitted by a RF transmitter, wherein said valid signal corresponds to a selected function;

in response to receiving said valid signal, measure an amplitude of said valid signal;

in response to determining said amplitude of said valid signal, compare said amplitude of said valid signal to a first predetermined threshold;

in response to said comparison, perform a first adjustment of a volume setting of an audible acknowledgement, according to said comparison;

measure, via a microphone at said RF receiver, an ambient noise of a surrounding location;

calculate a signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location from said ambient noise measurement and said amplitude of said valid signal;

compare said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location with a second predetermined threshold;

perform a second adjustment of said volume setting in response to comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location with said second predetermined threshold; and

emit an adjusted audible acknowledgement via a speaker of the receiver assembly based on the first and second adjustments of said volume setting of said audible acknowledgement.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said instructions that causes the system to perform said first adjustment are further configured for causing to cause the system to:

reduce said volume setting in response to determining said amplitude meets or exceeds said first predetermined threshold; and

increase said volume setting in response to determining said amplitude does not meet or exceed said first predetermined threshold.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said instructions are further configured to cause the system to:

increase said volume setting in response to determining said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location meets or exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

decrease said volume setting in response to determining said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location is below the second predetermined threshold.

7. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium embodying computer program code, said computer program code comprising computer-executable instructions configured for causing a computer system to perform functions comprising:

receiving a valid signal emitted by a RF transmitter, wherein said valid signal corresponds to a selected function;

in response to receiving said valid signal, measuring an amplitude of said valid signal;

in response to determining said amplitude of said valid signal, comparing said amplitude of said valid signal to a first predetermined threshold;

in response to said comparison, performing a first adjustment of a volume setting of an audible acknowledgement, according to said comparison;

measuring, via a microphone at said RF receiver, an ambient noise of a surrounding location;

calculating a signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location from said ambient noise measurement and said amplitude of said valid signal;

comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location with a second predetermined threshold;

performing a second adjustment of said volume setting in response to comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location with said second predetermined threshold; and

emitting an adjusted audible acknowledgement via a speaker of the receiver assembly based on the first and second adjustments of said volume setting of said audible acknowledgement.

8. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein said computer-executable instructions for performing said first adjustment are further configured for:

reducing said volume setting in response to determining said amplitude meets or exceeds said first predetermined threshold; and

increasing said volume setting in response to determining said amplitude does not meet or exceed said first predetermined threshold.

9. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein said computer-executable instructions for performing said second adjustment are further configured for:

increasing said volume setting in response to determining said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location meets or exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

reducing said volume setting in response to determining said signal-to-noise ratio of said surrounding location does not meet or exceed a second predetermined threshold.