System and method of arbitrating audio source streamed by mobile applications

• US 9,146,899 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Xia, Yiping, VanDagens, Douglas, Pleet, Edward Andrew, Marchwicki, Julius, Elliott, Doron M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US13/761,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20140221033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 455/515, 455/434, 455/557, 455/569.2, 455/452.1, 455/517, 455/3.06, 455/67.11, 455/42.2, 701/2, 381/104, 381/107, 381/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3089 Control of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

A system for attenuating vehicle audio for mobile application audible statements, the system comprising a vehicle computing system having one or more processors for playing audio in the vehicle from a plurality of different audio sources. The system also includes a wireless transceiver for communicating signals from a mobile computing device for processing by the vehicle computing system. The vehicle computing system is configured to receive a wireless signal from the mobile computing device representative of an audible statement to be played in the vehicle. If the vehicle computing system is playing audio in the vehicle at the time the wireless signal is received from the mobile computing device, determine an amount to attenuate the audio based on the source of the audio. Attenuate the audio and play the audible statement based on the determination.

Claims

1. A system for attenuating vehicle audio for mobile application audible statements, the system comprising:

a vehicle computing system having one or more processors for playing audio in the vehicle from a plurality of different audio sources; and

a wireless transceiver for communicating signals from a mobile computing device for processing by the vehicle computing system;

wherein the vehicle computing system is configured to;

receive a wireless signal from the mobile computing device representative of an audible statement to be played in the vehicle;

if the vehicle computing system is playing audio in the vehicle at the time the wireless signal is received from the mobile computing device, determine an amount to attenuate the audio based on the source of the audio; and

attenuate the audio and play the audible statement.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the amount to attenuate the audio is zero.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle computing system is further configured to receive a caller identification from the mobile computing device identifying the mobile application.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the caller identification includes a calling line identification presentation.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the caller identification contains an alpha-numeric number that is incapable of making an operable phone-call to a phone line.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal from the mobile computing device includes an AT command.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the AT command is a list current call command.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle computing system is further configured to receive an audio video remote control profile message indicating the mobile device is requesting to output an audible statement.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is received from the mobile computing device utilizing an enhanced synchronous connection-oriented link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is received from the mobile computing device utilizing a synchronous connection-oriented link.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle computing system is further configured to ignore the audible statement if the source of the audio is a phone call.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the amount to attenuate is greater than zero based on the source of the audio being either AM, FM, CD or USB.

13. A method for attenuating an audio source in a vehicle for playback of mobile application statements in a vehicle computing system, the method comprising:

playing audio in the vehicle from one of a plurality of different audio sources;

receiving a wireless signal at the vehicle from the mobile computing device representative of an audible statement to be played in the vehicle;

determining an amount to attenuate the audio based on the audio source when the vehicle computing system is playing audio in the vehicle at the time the wireless signal is received from the mobile computing device; and

attenuating the playing audio and playing the audible statement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the amount to attenuate is zero.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the wireless signal from the mobile computing device utilizes an enhanced synchronous connection-oriented link.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the wireless signal from the mobile computing device is accomplished via a synchronous connection-oriented link.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes receiving a caller identification from the mobile computing device identifying the mobile application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the caller identification includes a calling line identification presentation.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes eliminating the attenuation of the playing audio after playing the audible statement.

20. A vehicle computing system (VCS) comprising:

a wireless transceiver communicating with a mobile device; and

a processor configured to;

play audio from multiple audio sources;

receive an instruction from the mobile device representative of an audible statement to be output by the VCS;

attenuate the playing audio a determined amount based upon the audio source that the VCS is playing in the vehicle at a time the instruction is received; and

play the audible statement.