IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,254,240
Granted Patent B2
US 12,254,240 · App. 17/968,965 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Controlling audio output in a vehicle

Inventors: Roberto Speranza (Mississauga, CA); Pierre Pierre Blais (Kanata, CA)
Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
G06F3/165H04R3/00H04R2430/01H04R2499/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,254,240
App. No.
17/968,965
Granted
Mar 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and software can be used to control audio output of a vehicle. In some aspects, a method includes: determining, at a vehicle, a current driving mode of the vehicle; determining, at the vehicle, a plurality of audio output levels based on the current driving mode and one or more preconfigured audio zone profiles; and controlling, by the vehicle, audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels.

Claims (32)

1. A method, comprising:

determining, at a vehicle, a current driving mode of the vehicle;

determining, at the vehicle, a plurality of audio output levels based on the current driving mode and one or more preconfigured audio zone profiles; and

controlling, by the vehicle, audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels, wherein the controlling audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels comprise setting values of the plurality of audio output levels by using a signal structure defined by a standardized signaling protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the standardized signaling protocol is specified according to Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the controlling audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels further comprises sending the values of the plurality of audio output levels to the audio equipment by using the signal structure defined by VSS.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the signal structure is based on the VSS of Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio output levels include at least one of volume, fade, or balance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio equipment includes at least one of a front speaker or a rear speaker.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current driving mode include at least one of a nap mode or a highway mode.

8. A vehicle, comprising:

audio equipment;

at least one hardware processor, and

a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one hardware processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one hardware processor, wherein the programming instructions, when executed, cause the vehicle to perform operations comprising:

determining a current driving mode of the vehicle;

determining a plurality of audio output levels based on the current driving mode and one or more preconfigured audio zone profiles; and

controlling the audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output, wherein the controlling the audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels comprise setting values of the plurality of audio output levels by using a signal structure defined by a standardized signaling protocol.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the standardized signaling protocol is specified according to Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS).

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the controlling the audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels further comprises sending the values of the plurality of audio output levels to the audio equipment by using the signal structure defined by VSS.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the signal structure is based on the VSS of Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA).

12. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the audio output levels include at least one of volume, fade, or balance.

13. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the audio equipment includes at least one of a front speaker or a rear speaker.

14. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the current driving mode include at least one of a nap mode or a highway mode.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining, at a vehicle, a current driving mode of the vehicle;

determining, at the vehicle, a plurality of audio output levels based on the current driving mode and one or more preconfigured audio zone profiles; and

controlling, by the vehicle, audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels, wherein the controlling audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels comprise setting values of the plurality of audio output levels by using a signal structure defined by a standardized signaling protocol.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the standardized signaling protocol is specified according to Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS).

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the controlling audio equipment of the vehicle to output audio according to the plurality of audio output levels further comprises sending the values of the plurality of audio output levels to the audio equipment by using the signal structure defined by VSS.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the signal structure is based on the VSS of Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA).

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the audio output levels include at least one of volume, fade, or balance.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the audio equipment includes at least one of a front speaker or a rear speaker.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2022
From: SPERANZA, ROBERTO; BLAIS, PIERRE PIERRE
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061840/0620 →
Continuity (2)
Related Publication 20240134593A1 · Apr 25, 2024
Related Publication 20240231747A9 · Jul 11, 2024
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