Method and apparatus for improving a voice quality of a communication device coupled to a vehicle

A method for controlling a voice quality of a communications connection between a first communications device linked to a vehicle and a second communications device, in which the communications connection is controlled using the following steps:

• transmitting, using a vehicular communications device, a test sequence to a server, the test sequence being played using an audio playback device comprised within the vehicle;
• determining, by the server, a signal quality parameter of a first signal encoding the test sequence transmitted using the vehicular communications device;
• transmitting, using the first communications device, the test sequence to the server;
• determining, by the server, a signal quality parameter of a second signal encoding the test sequence transmitted using the first communications device;
• comparing, using the server, the signal quality parameter of the first signal encoding the test sequence transmitted by the vehicular communications device with reference to the signal quality parameter of the second signal encoding the test sequence transmitted by the first communications device;
• determining settings and/or signal processing methods for a hands-free device of the vehicle, wherein the settings and/or signal processing methods for the hands-free device of the vehicle are determined on the basis of the determined signal quality parameters of the test sequence transmitted by the vehicular communications device and the test sequence transmitted by the first communications device, and/or on the basis of differences determined through the comparison of the signal quality parameters of the test sequence transmitted by the vehicular communications device and the signal quality parameters of the test sequence transmitted by the first communications device, to improve a voice quality of a signal to be sent by the first communications device to the second communications device and/or to improve a signal to be reproduced by the hands-free device;
• transmitting the determined settings and/or signal processing methods for the hands-free device of the vehicle, to the vehicle;
• and
• adjusting the transmitted settings and/or signal processing methods on the hands-free device of the vehicle.

A computing device for determining a signal quality of a communications connection, wherein the computing device is configured to:

• receive a first signal of a test sequence of a first communications device, and a second signal of a test sequence of a second communications device connected to the first communications device and comprised within a vehicle;
• determine at least one signal quality parameter of the first signal and of the second signal;
• determine settings and/or signal processing methods for a hands-free device of the vehicle on the basis of a comparison of the determined at least one signal quality parameter of the respective first and second signals;
• transmit the settings and/or signal processing methods to the hands-free device of the vehicle, whereby a signal quality of a signal to be transmitted by the first communications device to an external communications device is improved.