Automatic Sound Level Reduction for Conversation Enhancement
AssigneePanasonic Automotive Systems America, LLC.
InventorCHRISTOPHER LEE SULLIVAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sound volume control arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a source of audio content producing an audio signal. A loudspeaker receives the audio signal and produces audible sounds based on the audio signal. An audio processor detects whether a human conversation is occurring within the motor vehicle and, in response to detecting the human conversation, reduces a volume at which the loudspeaker produces the audible sounds based on the audio signal.
Claims20
A sound volume control arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
- a source of audio content configured to produce an audio signal;
- a loudspeaker configured to receive the audio signal and produce audible sounds based on the audio signal;
- and
- means for detecting a human conversation within the motor vehicle and, in response to detecting the human conversation, reducing a volume at which the loudspeaker produces the audible sounds based on the audio signal.
A sound volume control method for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
- producing an audio signal;
- producing audible sounds based on the audio signal;
- detecting a human conversation within the motor vehicle;
- and
- in response to detecting the human conversation, reducing a volume at which the audible sounds based on the audio signal are produced.
A sound volume control arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
- a source of audio content configured to produce an audio signal;
- a loudspeaker configured to receive the audio signal and produce audible sounds based on the audio signal;
- a microphone configured for detecting sounds within a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and producing a microphone signal based thereon;
- an audio processor configured to receive the microphone signal and determine based on the microphone signal whether a human conversation is occurring within the motor vehicle;
- and
- a sound system processor communicatively coupled to the audio processor and to the loudspeaker, the sound system processor being configured to reduce a volume at which the loudspeaker produces the audible sounds, the reducing of the volume being in response to the audio processor determining that the human conversation is occurring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.