# US 2014/0153726 A1 · Communication of Diagnostic Information from Satellite to Host > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153726 A1 - Document ID: US20140153726A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/693,345 - Filed: 2012-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: Bose Corporation - Inventors: Remco Terwal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153726A1 ## CPC - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A vehicle sound system includes a subwoofer system having a subwoofer, a satellite amplifier for driving the subwoofer, a host amplifier for receiving an audio signal, a noise management processing unit for providing, to the host amplifier, information to be used for achieving a desired audio environment, a sensor for providing information to the noise management processing unit concerning the ambient audio environment, a control line between the satellite amplifier and the host amplifier for transmission of control signals to the satellite amplifier, and a signal line between the satellite amplifier and the host amplifier for transmission of audio signals to the satellite amplifier, the satellite controller being configured to cause a diagnostic signal to be placed on the control line, the diagnostic signal being indicative of an operating condition of the subwoofer system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for controlling an ambient audio environment, said apparatus comprising a vehicle sound system comprising a subwoofer system having a subwoofer, a satellite amplifier for driving said subwoofer, a host amplifier for receiving an audio signal, a noise management processing unit for providing, to said host amplifier, information to be used for achieving a desired audio environment, a sensor for providing information to said noise management processing unit concerning said ambient audio environment, a control line between said satellite amplifier and said host amplifier for transmission of control signals to said satellite amplifier, and a signal line between said satellite amplifier and said host amplifier for transmission of audio signals to said satellite amplifier, said satellite controller being configured to cause a diagnostic signal to be placed on said control line, said diagnostic signal being indicative of an operating condition of said subwoofer system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising additional speakers connected to be driven by said host amplifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said satellite controller is configured to generate, as a diagnostic signal, a pulse width modulated signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said satellite controller is configured to generate, as a diagnostic signal, a pulse code modulated signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said satellite controller is configured to generate a diagnostic signal having a duty cycle that indicates a particular operating condition of said subwoofer system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said diagnostic signal is indicative of an operating condition selected from a plurality of operating conditions of said subwoofer system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising diagnostic circuitry for determining an operating condition of said subwoofer system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a register for storing information indicative of said operating condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said satellite controller is configured to impress said diagnostic signal on said control line only during selected diagnostic intervals interspersed between listening intervals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pull-up transistor between said control line and a DC bus, and wherein said satellite controller comprises an output connected to a gate of said pull-up transistor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transistor connected to said control line, and wherein said satellite controller comprises an output connected to a gate of said transistor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motor vehicle for supporting and providing power to said vehicle sound system. ### Claim 13 A method of communicating between a host amplifier and a satellite amplifier in a vehicle sound system, said method comprising at said satellite amplifier, receiving a control instruction from said host amplifier via a communication link, receiving, from a subwoofer system, diagnostic information indicative of an operating condition of said subwoofer system, based on said information, generating a diagnostic signal indicative of said operating condition, and transmitting said diagnostic signal to said host amplifier on said communication link. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein generating a diagnostic signal comprises generating a signal that is modulated in a manner that depends upon said information indicative of an operating condition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein generating a diagnostic signal comprises generating a pulse width modulated signal having a duty cycle indicative of an operating condition. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising determining that said communication link is in one of a diagnostic interval and a listening interval. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting said diagnostic signal comprises commencing transmission of said diagnostic signal in response to detecting commencement of a diagnostic interval. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, at said host amplifier, carrying out a noise reduction algorithm based at least in part on said diagnostic signal received from said satellite amplifier. ### Claim 19 An apparatus for generating a sound field within a vehicle, said apparatus comprising a satellite amplifier, a host amplifier, a communication link between said satellite amplifier and said host amplifier for transmitting control instructions from said satellite amplifier to said host amplifier, and means for transmitting, on said communication link, diagnostic information indicative of an operating condition of a subwoofer system driven by said satellite amplifier. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said means for transmitting comprises means for generating a modulated signal having a duty cycle indicative of an operating condition of said subwoofer system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for causing said diagnostic signal to be transmitted only during a diagnostic interval.