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Audio device integration system

Audio device integration system description/claims

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/316,961 filed Dec. 11, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an audio device integration system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an audio device integration system for integrating after-market components such as satellite receivers, CD players, CD changers, MP3 players, Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) receivers, auxiliary audio sources, and the like with factory-installed (OEM) or after-market car stereo systems.

2. Related Art

Automobile audio systems have continued to advance in complexity and the number of options available to automobile purchasers. Early audio systems offered a simple AM and/or FM tuner, and perhaps an analog tape deck for allowing cassettes, 8-tracks, and other types of tapes to be played while driving. Such early systems were closed, in that external devices could not be easily integrated therewith.

With advances in digital technology, CD players have been included with automobile audio systems. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) often produce car stereos having CD players and/or changers for allowing CDs to be played while driving. However, such systems often include proprietary buses and protocols that do not allow after-market audio systems, such as satellite receivers (e.g., XM satellite tuners), digital audio broadcast (DAB) receivers, MP3 players, CD changers, auxiliary input sources, and the like, to be easily integrated therewith. Thus, automobile purchasers are frequently forced to either entirely replace the OEM audio system, or use same throughout the life of the vehicle or the duration of ownership. Even if the OEM radio is replaced with an after-market radio, the after-market radio also frequently is not operable with an external device.

A particular problem with integrating after-market audio systems with existing car stereos is that signals generated by the car stereo is in a proprietary format, and is not capable of being processed by the after-market system. Additionally, signals generated by the after-market system are also in a proprietary format that is not recognizable by the car stereo. Thus, in order to integrate after-market systems with car stereos, it is necessary to convert signals between such systems.

It known in the art to provide one or more expansion modules for OEM and after-market car stereos for allowing external audio products to be integrated with the car stereo. However, such expansion modules only operate with and allow integration of external audio products manufactured by the same manufacturer as the OEM/after-market car stereo. For example, a satellite receiver manufactured by PIONEER, Inc., cannot be integrated with an OEM car radio manufactured by TOYOTA or an after-market car radio manufactured by CLARION, Inc. Thus, existing expansion modules only serve the limited purpose of integrating equipment by the same manufacturer as the car stereo. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an integration system that allows any audio device of any manufacture to be integrated with any OEM or after-market radio system.

Moreover, it would be desirable to provide an integration system that not only achieves integration of various audio devices that are alien to a given OEM or after-market stereo system, but also allows for information to be exchanged between the after-market device and the car stereo. For example, it would be desirable to provide a system wherein station, track, time, and song information can be retrieved from the after-market device, formatted, and transmitted to the car stereo for display thereby, such as at an LCD panel of the car stereo. Such information could be transmitted and displayed on both hardwired radio systems (e.g., radios installed in dashboards or at other locations within the car), or integrated for display on one or more software or graphically-driven radio systems operable with graphical display panels. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide an audio integration system that allows a user to control more than one device, such as a CD or satellite receiver and one or more auxiliary sources, and to quickly and conveniently switch between same using the existing controls of the car stereo.

Accordingly, the present invention addresses these needs by providing an audio integration system that allows a plurality of audio devices, such as CD players, CD changers, MP3 players, satellite receivers, DAB receivers, auxiliary input sources, or a combination thereof, to be integrated into existing car stereos while allowing information to be displayed on, and control to be provided from, the car stereo.

The present invention relates to an audio device integration system. One or more after-market audio devices, such as a CD player, CD changer, MP3 player, satellite receiver (e.g., XM tuner), digital audio broadcast (DAB) receiver, or auxiliary input source, can be connected to and operate with an existing stereo system in an automobile, such as an OEM car stereo system or an after-market car stereo system installed in the automobile. The integration system connects to and interacts with the car stereo at any available port of the car stereo, such as a CD input port, a satellite input, or other known type of connection. If the car stereo system is an after-market car stereo system, the present invention generates a signal that is sent to the car stereo to keep same in an operational state and responsive to external data and signals. Commands generated at the control panel are received by the present invention and converted into a format recognizable by the after-market audio device. The formatted commands are executed by the audio device, and audio therefrom is channeled to the car stereo. Information from the audio device is received by the present invention, converted into a format recognizable by the car stereo, and forwarded to the car stereo for display thereby. The formatted information could include information relating to a CD or MP3 track being played, channel, song, and artist information from a satellite receiver or DAB receiver, or video information from one or more external devices connected to the present invention. The information can be presented as one or more menus, textual, or graphical prompts for display on an LCD display of the radio, allowing interaction with the user at the radio. A docking port is provided for allowing portable external audio devices to be connected to the interface of the present invention.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a dual-input device is provided for integrating both an external audio device and an auxiliary input with an OEM or after-market car stereo. The user can select between the external audio device and the auxiliary input using the controls of the car stereo. The invention can automatically detect the type of device connected to the auxiliary input, and integrate same with the car stereo.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an interface is provided for integrating a plurality of auxiliary input sources with an existing car stereo system. A user can select between the auxiliary sources using the control panel of the car stereo. One or more after-market audio devices can be integrated with the auxiliary input sources, and a user can switch between the audio device and the auxiliary input sources using the car stereo. Devices connected to the auxiliary input sources are inter-operable with the car stereo, and are capable of exchanging commands and data via the interface.

These and other important objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following Detailed Description of the Invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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