Automatic volume control based on speech recognition

• US 9,508,344 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Srail, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Norman
• Application Number:
  US14/514,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20160111087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 381/92, 381/57, 381/94.1, 381/56, 381/71.1, 381/122, 381/365, 381/74.4, 381/104, 381/107, 381/317, 381/91, 381/106, 381/389, 381/58, 381/73.1, 381/110, 381/302, 381/71.11, 704/226, 704/225, 704/200, 704/208, 704/233, 379/22.08, 379/390.03, 379/392.01, 455/569.2, 455/570, 455/114.2, 455/296, 455/501, 455/63.1, 455/67.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0316 by changing the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/84 for discriminating voice from noise
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/24 Control dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3089 Control of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/342 Muting when some special characteristic of the signal is sensed which distinguishes it from noise, e.g. using speech detector H03G3/344, H03G3/345 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems

Abstract

An entertainment system suitable for use in a vehicle and configured to control an output volume of the system includes a microphone and a processor. The microphone is configured to detect sound in a cabin of the vehicle, and output a microphone signal indicative of the sound. The processor is configured to determine a difference signal based on a difference between the microphone signal and an output signal corresponding to sound being output by the system, determine if the difference signal corresponds to human speech, and decrease the output volume of the system when the difference signal corresponds to human speech.

Claims

1. An entertainment system suitable for use in a vehicle, said system configured to control an output volume of the system, said system comprising:

a microphone configured to detect sound in a cabin of the vehicle, and output a microphone signal indicative of the sound;

a processor configured to determine a difference signal based on a difference between the microphone signal and an output signal corresponding to sound being output by the system, determine if the difference signal corresponds to human speech, and decrease the output volume of the system when the difference signal corresponds to human speech, determine a difference magnitude of the difference signal if the difference signal does not correspond to human speech, and increase the output volume of the system when the difference signal does not correspond to human speech and the difference magnitude is greater than a difference threshold.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to increase the output volume to a previous level a delay time after the difference signal indicates that human speech has stopped.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the step of

increasing the output volume to a previous level a delay time after the difference signal indicates that human speech has stopped.

3. A method for controlling an output volume of an entertainment system suitable for use in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a microphone signal from a microphone configured to detect sound in a cabin of the vehicle;

determining a difference signal based on a difference between the microphone signal and an output signal corresponding to sound being output by the system, wherein the sound being output by the system is characterized by an output volume;

determining if the difference signal corresponds to human speech; and

decreasing the output volume of the system when the difference signal corresponds to human speech;

determining a difference magnitude of the difference signal if the difference signal does not correspond to human speech; and

increasing the output volume of the system when the difference signal does not correspond to human speech and the difference magnitude is greater than a difference threshold.