System for operating in-cabin speakers of vehicle

Abstract

An audio system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a first speaker of a plurality of speakers configured to transmit a first audio test signal comprising at least one first audio characteristic into a listening environment; one or more microphones, the one or more microphones being configured to capture the first audio test signal; and at least one controller programmed to: employ a beamforming operation to adjust a direction of the microphone toward the first speaker; storing information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic indicating normal operation of the first speaker; comparing the at least one first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal with the first predetermined audio characteristic; and transmitting a message indicating that the first speaker exhibits a failure based on the at least one first audio characteristic being not similar to the first predetermined audio characteristic.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system and method for testing a loudspeaker within a vehicle cabin and performing an operation in response to detecting a fault. These and other aspects will be discussed in greater detail below. BACKGROUND

[0002] Modern vehicles can be provided with multiple loudspeakers to output audio sound within the vehicle cabin. The multiple loudspeakers can be located at various positions within the vehicle cabin and configured as stereo loudspeakers. In some cases, one or more such loudspeakers can fail to output a desired sound due to various reasons such as, for example, loudspeaker hardware failure, wiring failure, audio controller issues, etc. SUMMARY

[0003] In one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure, an audio system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a first loudspeaker of a plurality of loudspeakers configured to transmit a first audio test signal comprising at least one first audio characteristic into a listening environment; one or more microphones configured to capture the first audio test signal; and at least one controller programmed to employ a beamforming operation to adjust a direction of the microphones to be toward the first loudspeaker; store information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic indicative of proper functioning of the first loudspeaker; compare the at least one first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal to the first predetermined audio characteristic; and transmit a message indicating that the first loudspeaker exhibits a fault based on the at least one first audio characteristic not resembling the first predetermined audio characteristic.

[0004] In one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for a vehicle audio system comprising: transmitting, by a first loudspeaker of a plurality of loudspeakers, a first audio test signal comprising at least one first audio characteristic into a listening environment; capturing, by at least one microphone, the first audio test signal; employing, by at least one controller, a beamforming operation to adjust a direction of the microphones to be toward the first microphone; storing, by the at least one controller, information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic indicative of proper functioning of the first loudspeaker; comparing, by the at least one controller, the at least one first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal to the first predetermined audio characteristic; and transmitting, by the at least one controller, a message indicating that the first loudspeaker exhibits a fault based on the at least one first audio characteristic not resembling the first predetermined audio characteristic.

[0005] In one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by at least one controller of an audio system, cause the audio system to: receive, from a first speaker of a plurality of speakers, a first audio test signal including at least one first audio characteristic; employ a beamforming operation to adjust a direction of a microphone to be toward the first speaker; store information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic indicative of normal operation of the first speaker; compare the at least one first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal to the first predetermined audio characteristic; and transmit a message indicating that the first speaker exhibits a fault based on the at least one first audio characteristic not resembling the first predetermined audio characteristic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] For a better understanding of the application, and to show how it can be carried into effect, embodiments of the application will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0007] Figure 1 An example block topology of a vehicle system of one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 An example top view of a vehicle cabin including a vehicle audio system of one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 An example flowchart of a process for testing an audio system of one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 An example flowchart of a process for testing an audio system of another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Embodiments are described herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale. Some features can be exaggerated or minimized for the purpose of clarity and illustration.

[0012] The various features referred to in relation to any one of the drawings can be combined with features shown in one or more other drawings to produce embodiments that are not explicitly shown or described. The combinations of features shown provide representative embodiments for typical applications. However, various combinations and modifications of features, consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure, can be desired for particular applications or implementations.

[0013] The present disclosure proposes, among other things, a system and method for testing a speaker within a vehicle cabin of a vehicle and adjusting operation of the speaker in response to detecting a fault.

[0014] Referring Figure 1 , an example block topology of a system 100 of one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the vehicle 102 can include various types of motor vehicles, crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), sport utility vehicles (SUVs), trucks, recreational vehicles (RVs), watercraft, aircraft, or other mobile machinery for transporting people or cargo. In many cases, the vehicle 102 can be powered by an engine. As another possibility, the vehicle 102 can be a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powered by both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, such as a series hybrid electric vehicle (SHEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a parallel / series hybrid electric vehicle (PSHEV), or a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). It should be noted that the system 100 shown is merely an example and that more, fewer, and / or differently located elements can be used.

[0015] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 102 can be provided with a vehicle system 104 that includes one or more processors 106 configured to execute instructions, commands, and other routines to support the processes described herein. For example, the vehicle system 104 can be configured to execute instructions of an application 108 to provide functionality such as vehicle operation control, multimedia, and the like. Such instructions and other data can be maintained in a non-volatile manner using a variety of types of computer-readable storage media 110. The computer-readable media 110 (also referred to as processor-readable media or storage) includes any non-transitory medium that participates in providing instructions to be executed by a processor 106 of the vehicle system 104 or other data that is used by the vehicle system 104. Computer-executable instructions can be compiled or interpreted, from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and / or technologies, including without limitation, C, C++, C#, Java, Python, Pascal, Visual Basic, assembly language, etc. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations can be made in a computer program written in software and still be functional, versatile, and maintain within the scope of the relevant patents.

[0016] The vehicle system 104 can be provided with one or more in-vehicle networks 105 configured to enable communication between various components of the vehicle 102. The in-vehicle networks 105 can be configured to support a variety of communication protocols. For example, as some examples, the in-vehicle networks 105 can be configured to support, without limitation, one or more of an I2C network, a controller area network (CAN), an Ethernet network, and a media oriented systems transport (MOST). Further, the in-vehicle networks 105 or portions of the in-vehicle networks 105 can be wireless networks implemented over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, and the like.

[0017] The vehicle system 104 can be provided with various features that allow a vehicle user to interact with the vehicle system 104. For example, the vehicle system 104 can receive input from human-machine interface (HMI) controls 112 that are connected to the in-vehicle network 105 and configured to allow user interaction with the vehicle 102. As an example, the vehicle system 104 can interface with one or more buttons, switches, knobs, touchscreens, or other HMI controls that are configured to invoke functions on the vehicle system 104 (e.g., navigation, audio / video playback, etc.).

[0018] Any number of controllers (not shown) within the vehicle system 104 can also drive or otherwise communicate with one or more displays 114 that are configured to provide visual output to a vehicle user over the in-vehicle network 105 by way of a video controller 116. In some cases, the display 114 can be a touchscreen that is further configured to receive user touch input by way of the video controller 116, while in other cases the display 114 can simply be a display without touch input capabilities. Further, any number of controllers of the vehicle system 104 can also drive or otherwise communicate with one or more cameras 117 that are configured to provide video input over the in-vehicle network 105 by way of the video controller 116. The cameras 117 can include one or more in-cabin cameras that are configured to capture images within a cabin of the vehicle 102 such that the vehicle system 104 can determine an occupancy of the vehicle 102 (e.g., a number of users and locations of users within the vehicle cabin).

[0019] The audio controller 120 can also drive or otherwise communicate with one or more speakers 118 that are configured to provide audio output to a vehicle user. The audio controller 120 can be capable of coupling with one or more microphones 121 to receive audio input. The microphones 121 can employ beamforming techniques and be configured to focus on one or more specific sound sources to reduce background noise. For example, a beamforming microphone 121 can focus on sound received from one or more directions and suppress sound received from other directions. The audio controller 120 in combination with the speakers 118 and microphones 121 make up an audio system 123 of the vehicle 102.

[0020] The vehicle system 104 can also be provided with navigation and route planning features through a navigation controller 122 connected to the in-vehicle network 105 and configured to calculate a navigation route in response to user input through, for example, the HMI controls 112, and output the planned route and instructions through the speakers 118 and / or the display 114 through an audio controller 120 and / or a video controller 116. Location data required for navigation can be determined through communication with multiple satellites. Map data for route planning can be stored in the storage device 110 as part of the vehicle data 125. Navigation software can be stored in the storage device 110 as one of the vehicle applications 108.

[0021] The vehicle system 104 can also be provided with wireless communication capabilities through a wireless transceiver 124 connected to the in-vehicle network 105 and configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile device 128 of a vehicle user through a wireless connection 126. The mobile device 128 can be any of various types of portable computing devices such as a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a smart watch, a smart fob, a laptop computer, a portable music player, or other device capable of communicating with the vehicle system 104. The wireless transceiver 126 can be configured to support multiple wireless communication protocols including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC), and communicate with a compatible wireless transceiver (not shown) of the mobile device 128 to enable various functions. For example, the vehicle user can conduct an audio and / or video phone call through the vehicle system 104 with the mobile device 128. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle system 104 can be configured to access a cloud network 130 through wireless connection technology such as a cellular network with the mobile device 128.

[0022] The vehicle system 104 can also be provided with a telematics control unit (TCU) 132 connected to the in-vehicle network 105 and configured to control telecommunications between the vehicle 102 and the cloud network 130 through a wireless connection 134 (e.g., using a modem) in addition to or instead of through the mobile device 128. For example, the vehicle system 104 can download data from and / or upload data to the cloud network 130 through the TCU 132 or through the mobile device 128. It is noted that the term cloud network is used as a general term in this disclosure and can include any computing network involving servers, operators, routers, computers, controllers, circuits, etc. configured to store data and perform data processing functions and facilitate communication between various entities.

[0023] The vehicle system 104 can also be provided with one or more sensors 138 configured to measure various vehicle data. For example, the sensors 138 can include one or more seat sensors configured to detect and determine the occupancy of the vehicle 102.

[0024] As described above, the vehicle system 104 can include a variety of components configured to perform different operations. Over time, one or more components can fail due to various issues. For example, the audio system 123 including the audio controller 120, the speakers 118, and the microphone 121 can fail after prolonged use, and the failure can be caused by a shorted / disconnected wire, a speaker hardware failure, etc. The failed audio system 123 can negatively impact the user experience. The present disclosure, among other things, presents a system and method for detecting a failure of a vehicle audio system 123 and performing operations to compensate for the failure.

[0025] Referring to Figure 2 , an example top view 200 of a vehicle cabin of a vehicle including a vehicle audio system of one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. With continued reference to Figure 1 The vehicle cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 can include various components to perform various accommodations. For example, a driver seat 204 can be located at the front left side of the vehicle cabin 202 and configured to accommodate a vehicle driver. A passenger seat 206 can be located at the front right side of the vehicle cabin 202 and configured to accommodate a vehicle passenger. A bench seat 208 (or rear seat 208) can be located at the rear of the driver seat 204 and the passenger seat 206 and configured to accommodate a plurality of vehicle users. Each vehicle seat can be provided with one or more seat sensors 138 configured to detect the vehicle occupancy (e.g., how many users are in the vehicle cabin 202 and where they are seated). The vehicle system 104 can adjust the vehicle operations based on the vehicle occupancy. For example, the audio controller 120 can be configured to adjust the audio output through the speakers based on the vehicle occupancy.

[0026] As Figure 2As shown, the vehicle 102 is provided with a plurality of speakers 118 located at various locations of the vehicle cabin 202. More specifically, the speakers 118 can include first and second speakers 118a and 118b located at a front of the vehicle cabin 202. For example, the first and second speakers 118a and 118b can be located at and / or integrated with a vehicle dashboard 210 and oriented rearward. The speakers 118 can further include third and fourth speakers 118c and 118d located at left and right sides of the vehicle cabin 202. For example, the third and fourth speakers 118c and 118d can be located at and / or integrated with vehicle door panels and oriented inward. The speakers 118 can further include fifth and sixth speakers 118e and 118f located at a rear of the vehicle cabin 202 rearward of the rear seats 208. For example, the fifth and sixth speakers 118e and 118f can be located at and / or integrated with a vehicle rear trim and oriented forward. The use of the plurality of speakers 118 can provide a stereo experience to a user of the vehicle that perceives audio sounds from multiple directions.

[0027] Different speakers 118 can be configured to support different output audio configurations. For example, speakers can generally be configured to output audio sounds within one or more audio frequency ranges / bands. More specifically, the frequency ranges can include a bass frequency range between 20 Hz and 300 Hz, a midrange frequency range between 300 Hz and 4 kHz, and a treble frequency range 4 kHz and above. Each speaker 118 can be configured to output audio sounds within one or more of the three frequency ranges. In the present example, the first and second speakers 118a and 118b located at the front can be provided with hardware configured to support output of audio sounds within all of the three frequency ranges. The third and fourth speakers 118c and 118d located at the sides can be provided with hardware configured to support output of audio sounds within the treble and midrange frequency ranges but not the bass frequency range. The fifth and sixth speakers 118e and 118f located rearward of the rear seats 208 can be provided with hardware configured to output audio sounds within the midrange and bass frequency ranges but not the treble frequency range.

[0028] With continued reference to Figure 1The vehicle system 104 may further include one or more microphones 121 configured to receive audio input within the vehicle compartment 202. In this example, the microphones may be positioned approximately at the center of the vehicle compartment (e.g., mounted on the ceiling) and configured to collect audio input from various directions. The microphones 121 may be configured to support beamforming technology to focus sound received from one or more directions. The beamforming direction may be dynamically adjusted by the audio controller 120 based on various conditions. The audio controller 120 may adjust the beamforming direction of the microphones 121 based on vehicle occupancy detected by the seat sensor 138 and / or camera 117. For example, in response to detecting that the vehicle 102 is being driven solely by the driver in the driver's seat 204 and that no other passengers are present in the vehicle compartment 202, the audio controller 120 may adjust the beamforming direction of the microphones 120 to the left front towards the driver's seat 204 to better capture audio speech from the driver (e.g., during hands-free phone calls). In an alternative example, vehicle system 104 may be configured to perform a self-test process for audio system 123 by analyzing audio sounds received by the microphone. Audio controller 120 may be configured to adjust the beamforming direction of the microphone to facilitate the test process.

[0029] It should be noted that, although in reference Figure 2 The example shown includes one microphone 121 and six speakers 118, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The vehicle compartment 202 may be equipped with more or fewer speakers 118 and / or microphones 121, depending on the configuration of the vehicle 102. For example, more than one microphone 121 may be provided and configured to capture audio sounds from different directions and / or locations within the vehicle compartment 202. Additionally, multiple speakers 118 may be provided in a manner consistent with substantially the same principle. Figure 2 The examples shown are configured with different frequency ranges.

[0030] refer to Figure 3 This illustrates an example flowchart of a process 300 for testing an audio system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Continue to refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Process 300 can be implemented by one or more components of vehicle system 104. For example, process 300 can be implemented primarily by audio system 123 of vehicle system 104.

[0031] Test procedure 300 begins with operation 302, and the audio controller 120 communicates with multiple speakers 118 to determine if any speakers 118 are offline and unreachable by the audio controller 120. Since the speakers 118 and the audio controller 120 can be connected via one or more cables, a communication failure between them may indicate a cable / wiring problem. The audio controller 120 may send beacon signals to the speakers 118 and expect a response from each of the receiving speakers 118. If one or more receiving speakers 118 fail to provide a response signal, the audio controller 120 may mark the corresponding speaker as offline. Alternatively or concurrently, the audio controller may send DC and AC diagnostic signals and detect possible short circuits / open circuits by observing the resistance / impedance of the cables.

[0032] At operation 304, if any speaker in speaker 118 goes offline and / or any resistance / impedance anomaly is detected, the process proceeds to operation 306, and the audio controller 120 records the offline and / or abnormal speaker. Recorded entries may include, for example, the identity of the identified speaker and, for example, the potential problem detected, such as no response, high / low resistance / impedance, etc.

[0033] Otherwise, if all speakers 118 are online and no anomalies are detected, the process proceeds from operation 304 to operation 308 to perform a sound test on each speaker 118. In this example, the sound testing process can be performed sequentially, with one speech tested at a time, ensuring that the sounds output by the respective speakers do not interfere with each other. Continue as referenced. Figure 2 In the example shown, the audio controller 120 may begin sound testing from the first speaker 118a, then continue sound testing from the second speaker 118b, until testing the sixth speaker 118f. At operation 308, the audio controller 120 instructs the first speaker 118a to output one or more predefined test sounds for testing. The predefined test sounds may include audio sounds within one or more frequency ranges supported by the respective speakers. As discussed above, the first speaker 118a may be configured to support output across all three frequency ranges (e.g., treble, midrange, and bass frequencies). In this case, the predetermined test sounds from the first speaker may include multiple components to cover testing across all three frequency ranges. The audio controller 120 may output these components simultaneously via the first speaker 118a to save time. Alternatively, the audio controller 120 may output the components of the test sounds sequentially to reduce interference (e.g., one component per second).

[0034] To better capture the predetermined sound, at operation 310, the audio controller 120 adjusts the beamforming direction of the microphone 121 to be towards the speaker under test, such that audio sounds received from other directions are suppressed. The audio controller 120 already knows the position and / or orientation of the position of each speaker 118 relative to the microphone 121. In the present example, the audio controller 120 can adjust the beamforming direction of the microphone 121 to be towards the left front direction in which the first speaker 118a is aligned, such that the microphone 121 captures the audio output by the first speaker 118a.

[0035] At operation 312, the audio controller 120 analyzes the audio sound captured by the microphone 121 to determine whether the speaker under test is operating properly. Due to the operating conditions of the vehicle 102, the captured sound can include noise (e.g., engine noise, wind noise, human speech), and thus the captured sound can not be identical to the test sound. However, due to the beamforming towards the speaker under test, the audio sound captured by the microphone 121 should be substantially identical (or substantially similar) to the test sound and include all components of the predefined test sound. The audio controller 120 can analyze the captured sound by comparing the captured sound to the predefined test sound of the corresponding speaker to determine whether the captured sound includes all components of the test sound.

[0036] At operation 314, the audio controller 120 determines whether any anomalies of the captured sound are detected. An anomaly can include various conditions that indicate a potential hardware failure of the speaker under test. For example, if one or more components and / or characteristics are missing from the captured sound, the audio controller 120 can flag an anomaly indicating that the hardware associated with the missing component has failed. The audio controller 120 can also flag an anomaly in response to detecting that a detected audio characteristic deviates from an original corresponding characteristic by more than a predefined threshold. For example, the characteristic can include one or more predetermined audio frequencies. The deviating frequency can indicate a hardware failure.

[0037] If an anomaly is detected, the process proceeds to operation 316 and the audio controller 120 records the speaker. Similar to operation 306, the recording can include various entries associated with the speaker under test. The entries of the recording can include the identity of the speaker to be addressed and information associated with the anomaly (e.g., missing component, deviating frequency).

[0038] At operation 308, the audio controller verifies whether all online speakers have been tested. If the answer is no, the process proceeds to operation 320 to proceed to the next speaker. The process returns to operation 308 to test the next speaker under the process as described above.

[0039] If all of the speakers have been tested, proceed from operation 318 to operation 322, and the vehicle system 104 reports the test results to the vehicle user. There are various ways to report the test results to the user. For example, the vehicle system 104 can output a message through the video controller 116 and / or the HMI controls 112. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle system 104 can send a message to the mobile device 128 associated with the user through the wireless transceiver 124. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle system 104 can report the test results to a cloud computing network (e.g., to a server).

[0040] At operation 324, the audio controller 120 adjusts the operation of one or more speakers 118 based on the test results to compensate for the failure. Depending on the specific failure detected, the operation of the remaining operating speakers can be adjusted so that the failure can be (at least partially) compensated for. Continuing with the example above Figure 2 If the test results indicate that the sixth speaker 118f experiences a failure in the bass frequency range (e.g., is unable to output sound in the bass frequency range), the audio controller 120 can adjust the other speakers that support the bass frequency range to compensate for the failure of the sixth speaker 118f, in the example shown. In this example, the audio controller 120 can increase the bass frequency volume of the remaining three speakers that support the bass frequency range (e.g., the first speaker 118a, the second speaker 118b, and the fifth speaker 118e) so that the user experience is not significantly impacted.

[0041] Additionally, the audio controller 120 can further consider the vehicle occupancy as measured by the seat sensors 138 and / or the cameras 117 to adjust the operation of the speaker operation. Continuing with the example above where the bass frequency range of the sixth speaker 118f on the right rear side fails, if the vehicle system 104 detects that the driver is operating the vehicle alone on the driver seat 204 and there are no other passengers in the vehicle cabin 202, the audio controller 120 can refrain from increasing the bass frequency volume of the remaining three speakers because the failing speaker 118f is far from the driver seat and can not significantly impact the driver’s audio experience.

[0042] Note that although the present disclosure is discussed above with reference to the context of a vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to various other scenarios that utilize multiple speakers under substantially the same concept. For example, the present disclosure can be used in a home theater, an office / conference room where there are multiple speakers and their locations are known.

[0043] Referring to Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows an example flowchart of a process 400 for testing an audio system of another embodiment of the present disclosure. Continuing with the example above Figures 1 to 3 The operations of the process 400 can be implemented by various components of the vehicle system 104.

[0044] At operation 402, a first speaker 118a of the plurality of speakers 118 transmits a first audio test signal including at least one first audio characteristic into a listening environment. In the present example, the listening environment can be a vehicle cabin. The first audio characteristic can include at least one audio frequency.

[0045] At operation 404, the microphone 121 captures the first audio test signal transmitted by the first speaker 118a.

[0046] At operation 406, at least one controller of the vehicle system 104 employs a beamforming operation to adjust a direction of the microphone 121 to be oriented toward the first speaker 118a. In one example, the beamforming operation can be employed to adjust the direction of the microphone 121 to be oriented toward the first speaker, then the first speaker 118a transmits the first audio test signal into the listening environment.

[0047] At operation 408, at least one controller of the vehicle system 104 stores information corresponding to the at least one first predetermined audio characteristic indicating that the first speaker is functioning properly. The information can be stored in the storage device 110 as part of vehicle data. The at least one first predetermined audio characteristic can include at least one audio frequency.

[0048] At operation 410, at least one controller of the vehicle system 104 compares the at least one first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal to the first predetermined audio characteristic.

[0049] At operation 412, at least one controller of the vehicle system 104 sends a message indicating that the first speaker 118a exhibits a fault based on the at least one first audio characteristic not resembling the first predetermined audio characteristic. For example, if a frequency difference between the at least one first audio characteristic and the first predetermined audio characteristic is greater than a predefined threshold, a fault can be detected.

[0050] It should be appreciated that a controller as disclosed herein can include various microprocessors, integrated circuits, memory devices (e.g., flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or other suitable variants thereof), and software that cooperate with one another to perform the operations disclosed herein. Moreover, such a controller as disclosed can utilize one or more microprocessors to execute a computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium programmed to perform any number of the functions as disclosed. Furthermore, a controller as provided herein includes a housing and various numbers of microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory devices (e.g., flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)) positioned within the housing. The controller(s) as disclosed also include hardware-based inputs and outputs to respectively receive data from and transmit data to other hardware-based devices as discussed herein.

[0051] While the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the claims. The words used in this specification are words of description, not limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The words "processor" and "multiple processors" can be used interchangeably herein, as can the words "controller" and "multiple controllers."

[0052] As previously described, features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the present application that can not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments can be described as providing advantages or being superior to other embodiments or prior art implementations, it should be appreciated that one or more features or characteristics of a particular embodiment can be interchanged and the embodiments can be directed to other implementations having different combinations of features or characteristics. These attributes can include, but are not limited to, strength, durability, salability, appearance, packaging, size, suitability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. Accordingly, embodiments described as being less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations in one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the present disclosure and can be desirable for certain applications.

Claims

1. An audio system for a vehicle, the system comprising: A first speaker among a plurality of speakers, the first speaker being configured to transmit a first audio test signal including at least one first audio characteristic to a listening environment; One or more microphones, the one or more microphones being configured to capture the first audio test signal; as well as At least one controller, said at least one controller being programmed to: Beamforming is used to orient the microphone toward the first speaker; Store information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic that indicates the first speaker is operating normally; The first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal is compared with the first predetermined audio characteristic; as well as The message indicating that the first speaker is exhibiting a malfunction is transmitted based on the fact that at least one first audio characteristic is not similar to the first predetermined audio characteristic.

2. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to control the first speaker to transmit the first audio test signal.

3. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to use the beamforming operation to orient the microphone toward the first speaker before the first speaker transmits the first audio test signal to the listening environment.

4. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the first audio characteristic includes audio frequency.

5. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to: In response to the detection of the fault, the operation of at least one of the plurality of speakers is adjusted to compensate for the fault.

6. The audio system of claim 1, further comprising a second speaker among the plurality of speakers, the second speaker being configured to transmit a second audio test signal including at least one second audio characteristic to the listening environment, wherein the second audio characteristic is different from the first audio characteristic.

7. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to: Attempting to communicate with the plurality of speakers; and In response to the failure to receive a response from the second speaker among the plurality of speakers, the second speaker is marked as offline.

8. A method for a vehicle audio system, comprising: A first audio test signal, including at least one first audio characteristic, is transmitted to the listening environment through the first speaker of a plurality of speakers. The first audio test signal is captured using at least one microphone; The microphone is oriented toward the first speaker by beamforming operation using at least one controller; The at least one controller stores information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic that indicates the normal operation of the first speaker; The at least one controller compares the at least one first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal with the first predetermined audio characteristic; as well as The at least one first audio characteristic is not similar to the first predetermined audio characteristic, so that the at least one controller transmits a message indicating that the first speaker is exhibiting a malfunction.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: The first speaker is controlled by the at least one controller to transmit the first audio test signal.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: Before the first speaker transmits the first audio test signal to the listening environment, the at least one controller uses the beamforming operation to adjust the direction of the microphone toward the first speaker.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first audio characteristic includes an audio frequency.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: In response to the detection of the fault, the operation of at least one of the plurality of speakers is adjusted by the at least one controller to compensate for the fault.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: A second audio test signal, including at least one second audio characteristic, is transmitted to the listening environment through a second speaker among the plurality of speakers, wherein the second audio characteristic is different from the first audio characteristic.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising: The at least one controller attempts to communicate with the plurality of speakers; as well as In response to the failure to receive a response from the second speaker among the plurality of speakers, the second speaker is identified as offline by the at least one controller.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one controller of an audio system, cause the audio system to: Receive a first audio test signal, including at least one first audio characteristic, from the first speaker among a plurality of speakers; Beamforming is used to orient the microphone toward the first speaker; Store information corresponding to at least one first predetermined audio characteristic that indicates the first speaker is operating normally; The first audio characteristic of the captured first audio test signal is compared with the first predetermined audio characteristic; as well as The message indicating that the first speaker is exhibiting a malfunction is transmitted based on the fact that at least one first audio characteristic is not similar to the first predetermined audio characteristic.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for causing the audio system to: The first speaker is controlled by the at least one controller to transmit the first audio test signal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for: The beamforming operation is used to orient the microphone toward the first speaker before the first speaker transmits the first audio test signal into the listening environment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for: In response to the detection of the fault, the operation of at least one of the plurality of speakers is adjusted to compensate for the fault.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for: The second speaker among the plurality of speakers transmits a second audio test signal including at least one second audio characteristic, wherein the second audio characteristic is different from the first audio characteristic.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for: Attempting to communicate with the plurality of speakers; and In response to the failure to receive a response from the second speaker among the plurality of speakers, the second speaker is marked as offline.

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