Car audio amplifier with remote control panel
OwnerClaudio Laraiainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A car audio system in which the gain, low/high pass filter, etc. controls are located on a separate control unit rather than on an external amplifier. The external amplifier can be mounted e.g. in the trunk, with the control unit being mounted in the dash with the head unit, enabling adjustment of the various settings from the actual listening position. Optionally, the control unit can be removed from its more convenient location and docked directly into the external amplifier, after an acceptable initial set of control settings is achieved.
Claims30
A car audio amplifier system comprising:
- (A) a control unit including,
- (1) at least one input connector for receiving at least one respective channel of audio signal from a source,
- (2) circuitry, coupled to receive the audio signal from the input connector, for modifying the received audio signal;
- (3) at least one control for determining a characteristic of the modifying;
- and
- (4) at least one output connector for outputting the modified audio signal;
- and
- (B) an amplifier unit physically separate from, and couplable to, the control unit and including,
- (1) an input connector for receiving the modified audio signal output from the control unit,
- (2) amplification circuitry coupled to the input connector for amplifying the modified audio signal, and
- (3) an output connector for outputting the amplified modified audio signal to a loudspeaker.
An amplifier system for use in a vehicle which includes a passenger compartment having a head unit providing a plurality of audio channel signals, the amplifier system comprising:
- (A) a control unit adapted to mount in the passenger compartment, and comprising,
- a control unit input connector for receiving the plurality of audio channel signals from the head unit,
- a plurality of controls including at least a gain control,
- circuitry, coupled to the control unit input connector, for modifying the plurality of audio signals in response to settings of the controls, and
- a control unit output connector for outputting the plurality of modified audio signals;
- and
- (B) an amplifier unit comprising,
- an amplifier input connector coupled to the control unit output connector to receive the modified audio signals,
- amplifier circuitry coupled to the amplifier input connector for amplifying the modified audio signals;
- and
- speaker terminals coupled to the amplifier circuitry for outputting the amplified modified audio signals.
A method whereby a person adjusts audio characteristics of an audio system, the audio system having a head unit, a control unit coupled to the head unit, an external amplifier coupled to the control unit, and loudspeakers coupled to the external amplifier, all channel gain controls for the amplifier being located on the control unit, wherein the head unit, the control unit, and the loudspeakers are located within a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- being positioned within the passenger compartment;
- operating the head unit to provide a plurality of audio channel signals to the control unit;
- while listening to sound produced by the loudspeakers which are driven by the external amplifier according to modified audio channel signals from the control unit,
- adjusting a control on the control unit, to control a modification by the control unit of one of the audio channel signals provided by the head unit, until a desired acoustic result is obtained by such adjusting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.