Method of manufacturing an automotive sound system

• US 5,175,926 A
• Filed: 07/05/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Chapman, Max C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US07/726,442
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 364/480, 364/925, 29/830, 361/922, 340/825.5, 340/825.32
• US Class Current: 29/830
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases

Abstract

An automotive sound system achieves manufacturing flexibility by joining a common chassis which implements radio functions with additional boards that are specific to either a cassette, CD, or DAT mechanism which is to be joined with the radio as an integral unit. Each board is controlled by a microcontroller and the separate microcontrollers are connected by a shared bus.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an automotive sound system comprising the steps of:

installing a main board into a chassis, said main board performing audio functions common to a group of players for playback of pre-recorded media, said group comprising a cassette player and a compact disc player;

selecting a player from said group of players for completing said automotive sound system;

installing a mechanism sub-assembly corresponding to said selected player into said chassis, said mechanism sub-assembly including a mechanism microprocessor for controlling a player mechanism;

installing a bezel sub-assembly corresponding to said selected player into said chassis, said bezel sub-assembly including a bezel microprocessor responsive to operator inputs and controlling a display for said selected player; and

interconnecting said main board, said mechanicm microprocessor, and said bezel microprocessor via a common bus.