Interactive vehicle synthesizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9648416-B2
Application number	US-201514830958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A method of operating an audio entertainment system in a vehicle includes detecting an operating parameter of the vehicle. A sensor signal corresponding to the detected operating parameter is transmitted. Music that is audibly produced within the vehicle is musically modified dependent upon the sensor signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an audio entertainment system in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
detecting an operating parameter of the vehicle;
transmitting a sensor signal corresponding to the detected operating parameter to a processor arrangement; and
using the processor arrangement to modify music that is produced within the vehicle, the modifying being dependent upon the sensor signal, wherein the modifying comprises adding a percussion sound to the music, the percussion sound having a beat, the percussion sound is dependent upon the sensor signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter comprises a windshield wiper speed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying comprises selecting a song to play within the vehicle dependent upon the sensor signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the music that is produced within the vehicle comprises a pre-recorded song.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying comprises adding a percussion sound having a beat that is dependent upon the sensor signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying includes applying a voltage signal to a speaker such that a coil and a cone of the speaker move.

7. A method of operating an audio entertainment system in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a sensor within a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
using the sensor to detect a user input, the user input including the user in the passenger compartment rhythmically moving at least one of his body parts;
transmitting a signal corresponding to the detected user input from the sensor to a processor arrangement; and
using the processor arrangement to modify music that is produced on a speaker within the vehicle, the modifying comprising adding to the music a beat that is dependent upon the signal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the sensor comprises a camera, a touch sensor, Theremin, seat sensor, or Wii type input device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the modifying comprises adding to the music a beat that matches a rhythm of the movement of the user's at least one body part.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the modifying further comprises modifying a tempo or playback speed of the music that is produced on the speaker within the vehicle such that the tempo or playback speed matches a rhythm of the movement of the user's at least one body part.

11. A method of operating an entertainment system in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one non-audio outside environmental sensor associated with the vehicle;
using the at least one non-audio outside environmental sensor to detect a non-audio environmental condition outside of the vehicle; and
using a processor arrangement to modify musical entertainment content that is produced within the vehicle and/or video entertainment content that is produced within the vehicle, the modifying being dependent upon the detected non-audio outside environmental condition, wherein the modifying includes:
modifying a tempo or playback speed of the musical entertainment content or video entertainment content that is produced within the vehicle; and/or
adding an audio beat to the musical entertainment content or video entertainment content that is produced within the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the musical entertainment content that is produced within the vehicle comprises a pre-recorded song.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the modifying comprises selecting a song or music video to play within the vehicle dependent upon the detected non-audio outside environmental condition.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the modifying comprises adding a percussion sound to music or to a music video that is audibly presented within the vehicle, the percussion sound having the audio beat, the percussion sound being dependent upon the detected non-audio outside environmental condition.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the musical entertainment content and/or video entertainment content is pre-recorded.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the modifying includes applying a voltage signal to a speaker such that a coil and a cone of the speaker move with a rhythm that matches a rhythm of the detected non-audio outside environmental condition.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-audio outside environmental sensor comprises a camera or light sensor.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-audio outside environmental sensor comprises a rain sensor.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-audio outside environmental sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

Assignees

• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co America Division Of Panasonic Corp North America

Inventors

• Davis Gerald Clinton

Classifications

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• B60W50/14 Primary

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• G06F3/01

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10K11/1788

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04R3/00 Primary

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title