Audio routing for an automobile

• US 7,190,799 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Berneis, Paul Allen, Bray, Thomas J., Matson, Jeff, Melnyk, Borys Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): KURR, JASON RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US10/273,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20030081796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 381/110, 381/77, 381/80, 381/81, 381/119, 455/132, 455/137, 455/218, 455/518
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• 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: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

An audio signal processing system for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle has a plurality of audio output producing devices. The system includes an audio input circuit, a processor, an audio output circuit, and at lease one speaker. The audio input circuit receives a plurality of audio signals from the plurality audio output producing devices. The processor is in communication with the audio input circuit for combining the plurality of audio signals. The audio output circuit is in communication with the audio input circuit for receiving the combined plurality of audio output signals. The audio output circuit conditions the plurality of audio signals for output. The at least one speaker broadcasts the conditioned plurality of audio signals to a vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. An audio signal processing system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least two radios operating on at least two non-interfering radio frequencies to produce at least two radio audio output signals and at least two radio squelch control signals;

at least one microphone for receiving spoken audio and for producing a radio transmit control signal and a microphone audio output signal;

an audio router having a plurality of audio router output ports and a plurality of audio router input ports, wherein the audio router input ports are connected to the at least one microphone and the at least two radios for receiving the at least two radio audio output signals, the microphone audio output signal and the at least two radio squelch control signals;

a processor in communication with the audio router for monitoring the at least two radio squelch control signals and the radio transmit control signal to determine which of the at least two radio audio output signals and the microphone audio output signal received by the audio router to route to the plurality of audio router output ports and to determine which of the at least two radio squelch control signals and the radio transmit control signal the router should activate to one of the radios, in order to transmit the audio output signal that corresponds to the activated control signal;

an audio mixer connected to the plurality of audio router output ports for receiving and combining the at least two radio audio output signals, wherein the audio mixer spatially separates the at least two radio audio output signals and controls the volume of the at least two radio audio output signals; and

at least two speakers for broadcasting the at least two spatially separated radio audio output signals to a vehicle occupant.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio router further comprises a plurality of analog to digital converters.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio router further comprises a plurality of CODECS.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the audio router comprises twenty CODECS.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor further comprises a digital signal processor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least two speakers further comprises four speakers.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one microphone.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio mixer further comprises an audio amplifier.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein me audio router further comprises a microphone router circuit for directing a plurality of microphone inputs to a plurality of audio equipment.

10. A method for processing a plurality of audio signals having different non-interfering frequencies, the method comprising:

producing at least two radio audio output signals and at least two radio squelch control signals with at least two radios operating on the at least two non-interfering radio frequencies;

receiving spoken audio with at least one microphone to produce a radio transmit control signal and a microphone audio output signal;

receiving the at least two radio audio output signals, the microphone audio output signal and the at least two radio squelch control signals using an audio router having a plurality of audio router output ports and a plurality of audio router input ports, wherein the audio router input ports are connected to the at least one microphone and the at least two radios;

a processor in communication with the audio router for monitoring the at least two radio squelch control signals and the radio transmit control signal to determine which of the at least two radio audio output signals and the microphone audio output signal received by the audio router to route to the plurality of audio router output ports and to determine which of the at least two radio squelch control signals and the radio transmit control signal the router should activate to one of the radios, in order to transmit the audio output signal that corresponds to the activated control signal;

receiving and combining the at least two radio audio output signals using an audio mixer connected to the plurality of audio router output ports, wherein the audio mixer spatially separates the at least two radio audio output signals and controls the volume of the at least two radio audio output signals; and

broadcasting the at least two spatially separated radio audio output signals to a vehicle occupant using the at least two speakers.