Control for vehicle sound output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10324683-B2
Application number	US-201615391330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for outputting audio according to a simulated listening environment. An example computing device for adjusting audio output in a physical listening environment includes a display configured to present a user interface, a communication interface coupled to one or more speakers, a processor, and a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to generate the user interface for presentation via the display, receive user input to the user interface requesting one or more adjustments to the audio output in the physical listening environment, the one or more adjustments including a geometric parameter of a simulated listening environment, and transmit, via the communication interface, instructions for performing the one or more requested adjustments to audio output by the one or more speakers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing device for adjusting audio output in a physical listening environment, the computing device comprising:
a display configured to present a user interface;
a communication interface coupled to one or more speakers;
a processor; and
a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to:
generate the user interface for presentation via the display;
receive user input to the user interface requesting one or more adjustments to the audio output in the physical listening environment, the one or more adjustments including a geometric parameter of a simulated listening environment;
transmit, via the communication interface, instructions for performing the one or more requested adjustments to the audio output by the one or more speakers; and
control a selected parameter of one or more lights in the physical listening environment in response to the one or more requested adjustments to the audio output.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the physical listening environment includes a cabin of a vehicle, wherein the computing device comprises an in-vehicle computing system in the vehicle or a mobile computing device, and wherein the one or more lights in the physical listening environment include at least one of one or more interior or exterior lights of the vehicle.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the simulated listening environment includes a configurable venue, and wherein the user interface includes a control for changing a size of the configurable venue.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the simulated listening environment includes a configurable venue, and wherein the user interface includes a control for changing a distance from a stage of the configurable venue at which output audio is simulated to be perceived, the stage including a sound source location of the configurable venue.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a first control and a second control for changing different geometric parameters of the simulated listening environment, the first and second controls being displayed as concentric circles, a size of the circle associated with the first control being adjustable to change a size of the simulated listening environment, and a size of the circle associated with the second control being adjustable to change a distance from a virtual stage of the simulated listening environment, and wherein the user input includes user input changing the size of one or both of the concentric circles.

6. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein the user interface further includes a third control for changing a sound characteristic of the audio output by the one or more speakers.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the user interface further includes a fourth control for directly changing one or more of treble, bass, balance, and volume of the audio output in the physical listening environment.

8. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the third control includes an arc extending around the first and second controls concentrically.

9. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein a fill color of one or more of the first, second, and third controls is selected according to a current setting of one or more of the first, second, and third controls.

10. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable to transmit instructions to a vehicle control system to control one or more lights within a vehicle to emit light having a color that is the same as a fill color of one or more controls of the user interface, the fill color of the one or more controls of the user interface being selected according to a current setting of the one or more of the controls of the user interface.

11. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes one or more selectable preset elements, the one or more selectable preset elements corresponding to one or more pre-configured audio settings, wherein the selected parameter of the one or more lights is a first parameter, and wherein a second, different parameter of the one or more lights is controlled based on at least one of a state of the physical listening environment or a media parameter of a currently-output media item.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein a first preset element of the one or more selectable preset elements corresponds to a selected model or type of speaker, wherein, responsive to the user input including a selection of the first preset element, the instructions for performing the one or more requested adjustments to the audio output by the one or more speakers include adjusting the audio output by the one or more speakers to simulate audio output by the selected model or type of speaker, and wherein the first parameter is a hue of the one or more lights and the second parameter is an intensity of the one or more lights.

13. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a geometric representation of the simulated listening environment including one or more selectable regions of the simulated listening environment, and wherein each selectable region is associated with a different simulated listening location within the simulated listening environment.

14. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable to receive user input including a volume adjustment gesture, and transmit instructions for performing a requested volume adjustment responsive to receiving the gesture.

15. A method for adjusting audio output in a vehicle, the method comprising:
presenting a user interface via a display in the vehicle;
receiving user input to the user interface requesting one or more adjustments to the audio output in the vehicle, the one or more adjustments including a geometric parameter of a simulated listening environment;
in response to the user input, transmitting instructions to one or more speakers of the vehicle for performing the one or more requested adjustments to the audio output in the vehicle; and
transmitting instructions to control one or more lights of the vehicle to emit one or more colors selected for at least one of a feature of a currently-played media item or a state of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the simulated listening environment includes a configurable venue, and wherein the user interface includes a first control for changing a size of the configurable venue and includes a second control for changing a distance from a stage of the configurable venue at which output audio is simulated to be perceived.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first control and the second control include concentric circles, a size of the circle associated with the first control being adjustable to change the size of the configurable venue, and a size of the circle associated with the second control being adjustable to change the distance from the stage of the configurable venue, and wherein the user input includes user input changing the size of one or both of the concentric circles.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the user interface further includes a third control for changing a sound characteristic of the audio output by the one or more speakers, the third control including an arc extending around the first and second controls concentrically.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising selecting a fill color of one or more of the first, second, and third controls according to a current setting of one or more of the first, second, and third cont

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Winton Riley
• Ludwig Chris

Classifications

• H04S2400/01

  Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• H03G3/3005

  in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers (H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03G3/32

  the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level · CPC title