Method and device for setting parameters of a plurality of light sources and audio sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346399-B2
Application number	US-201113581783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2011
Priority date	Mar 13, 2010
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A method and device for setting at least one parameter of at least one light source, wherein the light source is disposed in a vehicle, wherein the at least one parameter of the at least one light source and at least one parameter of at least one audio source are set by means of activation of a first functional profile, wherein the at least one audio source is disposed in the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for setting at least one function parameter of at least one light source and at least one function parameter of at least one audio source, wherein the at least one light source and at least one audio source are arranged in a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of an activation of a first function profile specifying the at least one function parameter of the at least one light source and the at least one function parameter of the at least one audio source, wherein
the first function profile is a group-specific profile that specifies parameters as a function of a group of users;

activating the first function profile including setting functionality of the at least one light source based on the at least one function parameter of the at least one light source and setting functionality of the at least one audio source based on the at least one function parameter of the least one audio source,
wherein the setting of the functionality of the at least one light source and the setting of functionality of at least one audio source comprise, respectively, setting functionality of all light sources which are assigned to a functional area of light sources corresponding to a functional area of the first function profile, and setting functionality of all audio sources which are assigned to a functional area of audio sources corresponding to the functional area of the first function profile, while
ensuring that light and audio sources exist whose parameters are not to be changed by the activation of the first function profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first function profile is activated using an operating element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the first function profile is received by receiving an indication of a selection of one of at least two function profiles.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the selection and activation of an appropriate first function profile increases driving safety as a result of better adaptation of the parameters to a driving situation or to the user for multiple driving situations or user groups.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after an activation of the first function profile, altering all or selected parameters of the light sources and/or the audio sources included in the functional area for the first function profile based on user input.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least the first function profile is configurable.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising permitting the activation of the first function profile in response to a determination that the vehicle is traveling at a permissible velocity for the first function profile.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring the parameters of the at least one light source and the parameters of the at least one audio source; and
preventing the parameters of the at least one light source and the parameters of the at least one audio source from falling outside a predetermined safety interval.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source includes changeable parameters and unchangeable parameters and the at least one audio source includes changeable parameters and unchangeable parameters, the method further comprising:
changing only the changeable parameters of the at least one light source and the changeable parameters of the at least one audio source in response to activating the first function profile.

10. A device for setting at least one parameter of at least one light source and setting at least one parameter of a least one audio source, the device comprising:
at least one operating element that is configured to enable activation of at least one first function profile, wherein
the first function profile is a group-specific profile that specifies parameters as a function of a group of users,
wherein at least one function parameter of the at least one light source and at least one function parameter of at least one audio source are settable by use of the at least one operating element to activate the first function profile,
wherein activating the first function profile includes setting functionality of the at least one light source based on the at least one function parameter of the at least one light source and setting functionality of the at least one audio source based on the at least one function parameter of the least one audio source,
wherein the at least one light source and the at least one audio source are arranged in a vehicle,
wherein the setting of the functionality of the at least one light source and the setting of functionality of at least one audio source comprise, respectively, setting functionality of all light sources which are assigned to a functional area of light sources corresponding to a functional area of the first function profile, and setting functionality of all audio sources which are assigned to a functional area of audio sources corresponding to the functional area of the first function profile, while ensuring that light and audio sources exist whose parameters are not to be changed by the activation of the first function profile.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the device further comprises at least one selection element, wherein the at least the first function profile is selectable from at least two function profiles using the selection element.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the selection and activation of an appropriate first function profile increases driving safety as a result of better adaption of the parameters to a driving situation or to the user for multiple driving situations or user groups.

13. The device of claim 10 , further comprising at least one setting element, wherein all or selected parameters of the light sources and/or the audio sources included in the functional area for the first functional profile are settable based on user input after an activation of the first function profile.

14. The device of claim 10 , further comprising at least one configuration element, wherein at least the first function profile is configurable using the configuration element.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one operating element is configured to enable activation of the first function profile only in response to a determination that the vehicle is traveling at a permissible velocity for the first function profile.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the device is configured to monitor the parameters of the at least one light source and the parameters of the at least one audio source and prevent the parameters of the at least one light source and the parameters of the at least one audio source from falling outside a predetermined safety interval.

17. The device of claim 10 , wherein
the at least one light source includes changeable parameters and unchangeable parameters and the at least one audio source includes changeable parameters and unchangeable parameters, and
only the changeable parameters of the at least one light source and the changeable parameters of the at least one audio source can be changed in response to activating the first function profile.

Assignees

• Ahlers Julia
• Gaus Imke
• Wald Stefanie
• Hengstenberg Oliver
• Lou Jian
• Baumgarten Thorb
• Althoff Frank
• Hamberger Werner
• Volkswagen Ag
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Ahlers Julia
• Gaus Imke
• Wald Stefanie
• Hengstenberg Oliver
• Lou Jian
• Baumgarten Thorb
• Althoff Frank
• Hamberger Werner

Classifications

• B60K35/26

  using acoustic output · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/21

  using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays · CPC title

• B60Q3/048

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0293 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic