GB2257317A - Automatic volume control for car stereo - Google Patents

Automatic volume control for car stereo Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2257317A
GB2257317A GB9113902A GB9113902A GB2257317A GB 2257317 A GB2257317 A GB 2257317A GB 9113902 A GB9113902 A GB 9113902A GB 9113902 A GB9113902 A GB 9113902A GB 2257317 A GB2257317 A GB 2257317A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
car
volume control
stereo
automatic volume
control unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9113902A
Other versions
GB9113902D0 (en
Inventor
Damian Rupert Lindley
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9113902A priority Critical patent/GB2257317A/en
Publication of GB9113902D0 publication Critical patent/GB9113902D0/en
Publication of GB2257317A publication Critical patent/GB2257317A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
    • H04B1/06—Receivers
    • H04B1/16—Circuits
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03G—CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION
    • H03G3/00—Gain control in amplifiers or frequency changers without distortion of the input signal
    • H03G3/20—Automatic control
    • H03G3/30—Automatic control in amplifiers having semiconductor devices
    • H03G3/32—Automatic control in amplifiers having semiconductor devices the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Control Of Amplification And Gain Control (AREA)
  • Circuit For Audible Band Transducer (AREA)

Abstract

An automatic volume control unit for oar stereo detects the noise level that is generated by the car using microphone 1 and variable band-pass filter 2. As the car's speed increases and decreases the control unit automatically adjusts the volume of the car stereo to compensate for the rise and fall in noise level, so that the driver can always comfortably hear the stereo at whatever speed he is travelling, without having to move his hands from the driving controls. <IMAGE>

Description

AUTOMATIC VOLUME CONTROL FOR CAR STEREO This invention relates to the automatic volume control of car stereo.
The modern driving conditions that exist today are such that most car journeys consist of periods of fast driving broken up with periods sitting in traffic that is travelling more slowly. As the speed of the car increases and decreases, so does the corresponding car noise generated from the engine, tyres and wind. As the noise level changes, the driver must adjust the volume of the car stereo accordingly: louder while travelling at high speed and quieter while driving more slowly.
According to the present invention, there is provided a microphone that picks up the background car noise and an electronic circuit adjusts the volume of the car stereo accordingly so that the music or speech can always be heard at a comfortable level.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a general layout of the controller as it is situated in the vehicle.
Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the controller.
A microphone 1 is situated in the centre of the vehicle so that it can sense all the same noises to which the driver is exposed.
The output of the microphone is fed directly into a bandpass filter 2 that will only allow the vehicular noise through its passband. Generally, the extra noise created by the car will be at a lower frequency than the music, but this passband is adjustable to allow for different background noise generated by different cars.
The output of the filter is then a representation of the unwanted noise and this is fed into the noise level detect circuit 3.
The output of this circuit controls the gain of an amplifier 4 that has a nominal gain of one when the output of the noise level detect is zero. The gain is increased as the car noise, and hence the control signal increase.
The input of the adjustable gain amplifier is the normal output of the car stereo 5 and so the controller is adjusting the signal that is fed directly into the speakers 6.
The switch 8 applies power to the controller and allows it to be switched out of circuit if necessary The whole controller 7 can be a separate unit, as illustrated, or can be implemented in the original construction of the car stereo.

Claims (4)

1. An automatic volume control unit for a car stereo comprising a microphone and filter that sense car noise, and an amplifier that amplifies or attenuates the output of the stereo as the level of car generated noise rises or falls.
2. An automatic volume control unit as in claim 1,wherein the filter can be adjusted so that the pass band is variable.
3. An automatic volume control unit as in claim 1, wherein the unit is not a separate device but integrated into the original design of the car stereo system.
4. An automatic volume control unit as described herein with reference to Figures 1-2 of the accompanying drawing.
GB9113902A 1991-06-26 1991-06-26 Automatic volume control for car stereo Withdrawn GB2257317A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9113902A GB2257317A (en) 1991-06-26 1991-06-26 Automatic volume control for car stereo

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9113902A GB2257317A (en) 1991-06-26 1991-06-26 Automatic volume control for car stereo

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9113902D0 GB9113902D0 (en) 1991-08-14
GB2257317A true GB2257317A (en) 1993-01-06

Family

ID=10697434

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9113902A Withdrawn GB2257317A (en) 1991-06-26 1991-06-26 Automatic volume control for car stereo

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2257317A (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0673113A1 (en) * 1994-03-16 1995-09-20 Laboratoires D'electronique Philips S.A.S. System for characterization of signal sources
US6078670A (en) * 1996-09-28 2000-06-20 Volkswagen Ag Method and arrangement for reproducing audio signals
US6529605B1 (en) 2000-04-14 2003-03-04 Harman International Industries, Incorporated Method and apparatus for dynamic sound optimization
US7302062B2 (en) 2004-03-19 2007-11-27 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system
US8116481B2 (en) 2005-05-04 2012-02-14 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system
US8170221B2 (en) 2005-03-21 2012-05-01 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system and method
US8571855B2 (en) 2004-07-20 2013-10-29 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system

Citations (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB520915A (en) * 1938-11-04 1940-05-07 Kolster Brandes Ltd Improvements in or relating to sound reproducing apparatus such as radio receivers
GB1518574A (en) * 1976-06-02 1978-07-19 Mueller U Sound reproducing system
GB2001220A (en) * 1977-07-15 1979-01-24 Eller D Controlling and/or regulating level of useful sound
GB1561895A (en) * 1975-10-28 1980-03-05 Orlik H Motor vehicle audio apparatus
GB2042295A (en) * 1979-02-16 1980-09-17 Eller F D Control of a source of desired sound
GB2044564A (en) * 1979-02-26 1980-10-15 Philips Nv Grain control systems
GB2050095A (en) * 1979-05-07 1980-12-31 Hitachi Ltd Sound volume control in an automobile
GB2051510A (en) * 1979-06-15 1981-01-14 Communications Patents Ltd Gain controlled audio amplifier system
EP0027519A1 (en) * 1979-10-19 1981-04-29 Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH Circuit arrangement for the automatic volume control of a loudspeaker in dependence upon an interference noise level prevailing at the loudspeaker's location
GB2093290A (en) * 1981-02-18 1982-08-25 Frickle Professor Dr Jobst Pet Audio signal amplifier circuit
GB2102225A (en) * 1981-06-29 1983-01-26 Hitachi Ltd Automatic volume control device for acoustic apparatus mounted in vehicle
GB2147166A (en) * 1983-09-26 1985-05-01 Graham Potter Apparatus and method for providing an undistorted output signal from a non-linear device
GB2170666A (en) * 1985-02-01 1986-08-06 Sanden Corp Audio system including an electromechanical vibrator controlled in accordance with ambient noise
GB2207313A (en) * 1987-07-18 1989-01-25 James Melville Buick Signal controlled by noise signal compensator
GB2214013A (en) * 1988-01-14 1989-08-23 Hazel Grove Music Co Ltd Sound level control equipment
US4891605A (en) * 1986-08-13 1990-01-02 Tirkel Anatol Z Adaptive gain control amplifier
GB2237463A (en) * 1989-10-16 1991-05-01 John Moffatt Automatic volume control system responding to ambient noise

Patent Citations (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB520915A (en) * 1938-11-04 1940-05-07 Kolster Brandes Ltd Improvements in or relating to sound reproducing apparatus such as radio receivers
GB1561895A (en) * 1975-10-28 1980-03-05 Orlik H Motor vehicle audio apparatus
GB1518574A (en) * 1976-06-02 1978-07-19 Mueller U Sound reproducing system
GB2001220A (en) * 1977-07-15 1979-01-24 Eller D Controlling and/or regulating level of useful sound
GB2042295A (en) * 1979-02-16 1980-09-17 Eller F D Control of a source of desired sound
US4322579A (en) * 1979-02-26 1982-03-30 U.S. Philips Corporation Sound reproduction in a space with an independent sound source
GB2044564A (en) * 1979-02-26 1980-10-15 Philips Nv Grain control systems
GB2050095A (en) * 1979-05-07 1980-12-31 Hitachi Ltd Sound volume control in an automobile
GB2051510A (en) * 1979-06-15 1981-01-14 Communications Patents Ltd Gain controlled audio amplifier system
EP0027519A1 (en) * 1979-10-19 1981-04-29 Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH Circuit arrangement for the automatic volume control of a loudspeaker in dependence upon an interference noise level prevailing at the loudspeaker's location
GB2093290A (en) * 1981-02-18 1982-08-25 Frickle Professor Dr Jobst Pet Audio signal amplifier circuit
GB2102225A (en) * 1981-06-29 1983-01-26 Hitachi Ltd Automatic volume control device for acoustic apparatus mounted in vehicle
GB2147166A (en) * 1983-09-26 1985-05-01 Graham Potter Apparatus and method for providing an undistorted output signal from a non-linear device
GB2170666A (en) * 1985-02-01 1986-08-06 Sanden Corp Audio system including an electromechanical vibrator controlled in accordance with ambient noise
US4891605A (en) * 1986-08-13 1990-01-02 Tirkel Anatol Z Adaptive gain control amplifier
GB2207313A (en) * 1987-07-18 1989-01-25 James Melville Buick Signal controlled by noise signal compensator
GB2214013A (en) * 1988-01-14 1989-08-23 Hazel Grove Music Co Ltd Sound level control equipment
GB2237463A (en) * 1989-10-16 1991-05-01 John Moffatt Automatic volume control system responding to ambient noise

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0673113A1 (en) * 1994-03-16 1995-09-20 Laboratoires D'electronique Philips S.A.S. System for characterization of signal sources
US6078670A (en) * 1996-09-28 2000-06-20 Volkswagen Ag Method and arrangement for reproducing audio signals
US6529605B1 (en) 2000-04-14 2003-03-04 Harman International Industries, Incorporated Method and apparatus for dynamic sound optimization
US7302062B2 (en) 2004-03-19 2007-11-27 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system
US8571855B2 (en) 2004-07-20 2013-10-29 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system
US8170221B2 (en) 2005-03-21 2012-05-01 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system and method
US8116481B2 (en) 2005-05-04 2012-02-14 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system
US9014386B2 (en) 2005-05-04 2015-04-21 Harman Becker Automotive Systems Gmbh Audio enhancement system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9113902D0 (en) 1991-08-14

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)