Beamforming systems for personalized in-vehicle audio delivery to multiple passengers simultaneously

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12587782-B2
Application number	US-202318223440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2023
Priority date	Jul 18, 2023
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided herein for providing personalized audio for different users in a vehicle. This may be accomplished by a vehicle entertainment system determining the positions of one or more users within the vehicle. The vehicle entertainment system may then select a zone configuration based on the determined positions and output audio according to the selected zone configuration. For example, a first user sitting in the back of the vehicle may be located in a first zone of the selected zone configuration and a second user sitting in the back of the vehicle may be located in a second zone of the selected zone configuration. The vehicle entertainment system may output a first piece of audio to the first zone and a second piece of audio to the second zone using one or more techniques (e.g., beamforming).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a vehicle entertainment system, a first zone configuration associated with a vehicle, wherein the first zone configuration corresponds to a first number of zones within the vehicle; receiving, by the vehicle entertainment system, a second zone configuration associated with the vehicle, wherein the second zone configuration corresponds to a second number of zones within the vehicle; establishing, by the vehicle entertainment system, a first communication session with a first device within the vehicle; detecting, by the vehicle entertainment system, a first position of the first device based, at least in part, on establishing the first communication session; receiving a first input from the first device, wherein the first input identifies a first piece of audio content; establishing, by the vehicle entertainment system, a second communication session with a second device within the vehicle; detecting, by the vehicle entertainment system, a second position of the second device based, at least in part, on establishing the second communication session; receiving a second input from the second device, wherein the second input identifies a second piece of audio content; selecting, by the vehicle entertainment system, the first zone configuration based, at least in part, on the first position of the first device and the second position of the second device; determining that the first device is located within a first zone of the first zone configuration based, at least in part, on the first position of the first device; determining that the second device is located within the second zone of the first zone configuration based, at least in part, on the second position of the second device; and outputting, by the vehicle entertainment system, the first piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration and the second piece of audio content to the second zone of the first zone configuration.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first piece of audio content and the second piece of audio content are outputted using beamforming.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle entertainment system selects the first zone configuration because the vehicle entertainment system does not detect any devices in at least one zone of the second zone configuration.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the first device changed from the first position to a third position; and in response to determining that the first device changed from the first position to the third position, ceasing output of the first piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the third position is outside the vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising outputting, by the vehicle entertainment system, the first piece of audio content to a third zone of the first zone configuration, wherein the first position is within the first zone of the first zone configuration and the third position is within the third zone of the first zone configuration.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the vehicle entertainment system, an additional input; and in response to receiving the additional input, outputting, by the vehicle entertainment system, the first piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration and the second zone of the first zone configuration.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the vehicle entertainment system, an additional input, wherein the additional input identifies a third piece of audio content; and in response to receiving the additional input, outputting, by the vehicle entertainment system, the third piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration and the second zone of the first zone configuration.

9 . An apparatus, comprising:
control circuitry; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the control circuitry, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
receive a first zone configuration associated with a vehicle, wherein the first zone configuration corresponds to a first number of zones within the vehicle;
receive a second zone configuration associated with the vehicle, wherein the second zone configuration corresponds to a second number of zones within the vehicle;
establish a first communication session with a first device within the vehicle;
detect a first position of the first device based, at least in part, on establishing the first communication session;
receive a first input from the first device, wherein the first input identifies a first piece of audio content;
establish a second communication session with a second device within the vehicle;
detect a second position of the second device based, at least in part, on establishing the second communication session;
receive a second input from the second device, wherein the second input identifies a second piece of audio content;
select the first zone configuration based, at least in part, on the first position of the first device and the second position of the second device;
determine that the first device is located within a first zone of the first zone configuration based, at least in part, on the first position of the first device;
determine that the second device is located within the second zone of the first zone configuration based, at least in part, on the second position of the second device; and
output the first piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration and the second piece of audio content to the second zone of the first zone configuration.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus outputs the first piece of audio content and the second piece of audio content using beamforming.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is caused to select the first zone configuration because the apparatus does not detect any devices in at least one zone of the second zone configuration.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
detect that the first device changed from the first position to a third position; and in response to determining that the first device changed from the first position to the third position, cease output of the first piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the third position is outside the vehicle.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to output the first piece of audio content to a third zone of the first zone configuration, wherein the first position is within the first zone of the first zone configuration and the third position is within the third zone of the first zone configuration.

15 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive an additional input; and in response to receiving the additional input, output the first piece of audio content to the first zone of the first zone configuration and the second zone of the first zone configuration.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to:
receive a first zone configuration associated with a vehicle, wherein the first zone configuration corresponds to a first number of zones within the vehicle;

Assignees

• Adeia Guides Inc

Inventors

• Edwards Warren Keith
• Doken Serhad
• Harb Reda

Classifications

• H04S7/302

  Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation (H04S7/301 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04S7/303

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R1/406 Primary

  microphones · CPC title