# US 7,466,832 B2 · Seatback audio controller

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- Number: US 7,466,832 B2
- Document ID: US7466832B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/631,187
- Filed: 2003-07-31
- Published: 2004-02-05
- Granted: 2008-12-16
- Earliest claimed: 2002-07-31
- Assignees: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
- Inventors: William Neal House
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7466832B2

## CPC

- 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)}
- B60N 2/64: Back-rests {or cushions (B60N2/2222 takes precedence)}
- B60N 2/879: with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
- B60N 2/90: Details or parts not otherwise provided for
- H04R 2420/01: Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
- H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
- H04S 7/302: {Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation (H04S7/301 takes precedence)}
- 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)
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS

## Abstract

A vehicle seatback audio controller includes an entertainment interface that receives an entertainment audio signal from entertainment audio source, and a telematics interface that receives a telematics audio signal from a telematics audio source. The controller has an output that provides either the telematics audio signal to a seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is active or the entertainment audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is inactive. The controller may include an accelerometer or a microphone that generates a vibration signal and/or a noise signal. A level detector may receive the vibration signal and/or a noise signal, and adjust a level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the vibration signal and/or a noise signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle seatback audio controller, comprising:
a first input configured to receive an entertainment audio signal from an entertainment audio source;
a second input configured to receive a telematics audio signal from a telematics audio source;
a level detector electrically coupled to the first input;
a signal processor electrically coupled to the first input, the second input, the level detector, and a seatback speaker, the seatback speaker coupled to a seat of a vehicle;
where the signal processor provides the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is active, and provides the entertainment audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is inactive;
where a vehicle speaker receives an amplified signal of the entertainment audio signal while the telematics audio source is either inactive or active;
where telematics audio from the seatback speaker is directed to a first listener position in the seat, entertainment audio from the vehicle speaker is directed to the first listener position and a second listener position located elsewhere in the vehicle, and the telematics audio from the seatback speaker and the entertainment audio from the vehicle speaker are produced in a common listener space within the vehicle;
where the level detector determines an average gain signal as a function of the entertainment audio signal; and
where the signal processor adjusts a level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the average gain signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the signal processor determines whether the telematics audio source is active from the telematics audio signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, further comprising a third input configured to receive a control signal from the telematics audio source, where the signal processor determines whether the telematics audio source is active from the control signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the telematics audio source comprises a radar warning system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the telematics audio source comprises a navigation system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the telematics audio source comprises a mobile telephone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the entertainment audio source provides a digital audio signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the entertainment audio source comprises a compact disc player.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 1, where the level detector rectifies the entertainment audio signal to generate a rectified signal and integrates the rectified signal to determine the average gain signal.

### Claim 10

A method of controlling seatback audio, comprising:
receiving an entertainment audio signal from an entertainment audio source;
receiving a telematics audio signal from a telematics audio source;
providing the telematics audio signal to a seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is active, where the seatback speaker is coupled to a seat;
providing the entertainment audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio source is inactive;
providing the entertainment audio signal to a vehicle speaker regardless of whether the telematics audio source is active; and
adjusting a level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the entertainment audio signal, where telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker and entertainment audio produced by the vehicle speaker are produced in a common listener space, and the common listener space includes a first listener position located in the seat and a second listener position located elsewhere in the vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, where adjusting the level of the telematics audio signal includes:
receiving a vibration signal from an accelerometer positioned in a vehicle;
determining an average gain signal as a function of the entertainment audio signal and the vibration signal; and
adjusting the level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the average gain signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, where adjusting the level of the telematics audio signal includes:
receiving a vibration signal from a microphone positioned in a vehicle, where the microphone receives sounds produced by the vehicle speaker;
determining gain signal as a function of the entertainment audio and the vibration signal; and
adjusting the level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the gain signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, where adjusting the level of the telematics audio signal includes:
generating a rectified signal from the entertainment audio signal;
integrating the rectified signal to generate an average gain signal; and
adjusting the level of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the average gain signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether the telematics audio source is active based on whether the telematics audio signal received is above a threshold signal level.

### Claim 15

A vehicle seatback audio controller, comprising:
means for receiving an entertainment audio signal;
means for receiving a telematics audio signal;
a signal processor configured to transmit the telematics audio signal to a seatback speaker when the telematics audio signal is active and to transmit;
the entertainment audio signal to the seatback speaker when the telematics audio signal is inactive, where the seatback speaker is coupled to a seat of a vehicle, where the signal processor is also configured to adjust an amplitude of the telematics audio signal transmitted to the seatback speaker, where adjustment of the amplitude is based on the entertainment audio signal, where a vehicle speaker in the vehicle is configured to receive an amplified entertainment audio signal independent of whether the telematics audio signal is active, and where telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker and entertainment audio produced by the vehicle sneaker are both produced in a common listener space within the vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 15, comprising:
a microphone positioned in the vehicle, where the microphone is configured to generate a noise signal from audio received by the microphone, and the audio includes the entertainment audio produced by the vehicle speaker; and
a level detector coupled to the microphone, where the level detector is configured to receive the noise signal, the level detector determines an average gain signal as a function of the noise signal, and the signal processor is configured to increase the amplitude as a function of the average gain signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 15, comprising:
an accelerometer coupled to the vehicle, where the accelerometer is configured to generate a vibration signal; and
a level detector coupled to the accelerometer, where the level detector is configured to receive the vibration signal and the entertainment audio signal, the level detector is configured to determine an average gain signal as a function of the vibration signal and the entertainment audio signal, and the signal processor is configured to adjust the amplitude of the telematics audio signal to the seatback speaker as a function of the average gain signal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 15, comprising a level detector coupled to the signal processor, where the level detector is configured to determine an average gain signal as a function of the entertainment audio signal, and the signal processor is configured to adjust the amplitude of the telematics audio signal transmitted to the seatback speaker as a function of the average gain signal.

### Claim 19

A vehicle seatback audio controller, comprising:
a filter;
a level detector electrically coupled to the filter;
where the filter is configured to receive an entertainment audio signal from an entertainment audio source, and the filter is also configured to receive a telematics audio signal from a telematics audio source;
where the filter is configured to provide an output signal to a seatback speaker, and the seatback speaker is coupled to a seat of a vehicle;
where the filter is configured to provide the telematics audio signal as the output signal in response to the telematics audio source determined to be active, and is further configured to provide the entertainment audio signal as the output signal in response to the telematics audio source determined to be inactive;
where a vehicle speaker in the vehicle is configured to receive an amplified signal of the entertainment audio signal independently of whether the telematics audio source is active;
where entertainment audio produced by the vehicle speaker and telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker are produced in a common listener space within the vehicle;
where the level detector is configured to generate an average gain signal from the entertainment audio signal; and
where the filter amplifies the telematics audio signal provided to the output signal based on the average gain signal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 19, where the filter comprises a digital signal processor.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 19, where the level detector is configured to generate a rectified signal from the entertainment audio signal and is also configured to integrate the rectified signal to generate the average gain signal.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 19, where the telematics audio source comprises a mobile telephone.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 19, where the filter is configured to determine whether the telematics audio source is active from the telematics audio signal.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The vehicle seatback audio controller of claim 19, where amplification of the telematics audio signal increases the intelligibility of the telematics audio produced by the seatback speaker and received at a listener position in the seat without substantially disturbing the entertainment audio produced by the vehicle speaker and received at another listener position located elsewhere in the vehicle.