Automotive Audio Playback Verification Using Embedded ID Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring safety-related audio signals in automotive applications are complex and prone to errors due to ambient noise and changing signal path conditions, failing to reliably verify the correct playback of audio signals beyond the digital domain.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that combines an audio signal with an identification signal, using frequency-shift keying to overlay a modulated carrier frequency, allowing for simple verification of the identification signal's presence in the played-back sound, reducing processing complexity and increasing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full frequency domain analysis is used to monitor audio signals, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential verification information from the audio signal by using digital signal processing to identify specific acoustic features (frequency, duration, energy levels) rather than analyzing the entire signal. This extraction approach maintains detection accuracy while significantly reducing processing complexity compared to full frequency domain analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring process is segmented into distinct stages: signal acquisition, feature extraction, verification against expected parameters, and failure detection. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision through focused analysis at each step.
2Reliability
If ambient noise and changing signal path conditions are accounted for, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by comparing the verified audio signal characteristics against pre-stored expected values and adjusting the verification process accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt to changing conditions (ambient noise, signal path variations) without requiring complex real-time environmental modeling, thereby improving reliability while controlling system complexity.
3Device complexity
If digital domain checksum verification is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from purely digital domain verification to incorporating acoustic domain verification by analyzing actual audio signal characteristics (frequency, duration, energy). This dimensional change from digital data checking to physical acoustic measurement enables monitoring of analog signal integrity while maintaining manageable complexity through focused feature extraction rather than full signal analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes the impact of ambient noise and changing signal conditions, providing reliable verification of audio signal playback with reduced complexity, ensuring accurate detection of errors in the audio chain.
Implementation Method 1
using frequency-shift keying to overlay a modulated carrier frequency
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3A
Figure 3B~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (1) for playback and monitoring of playback of audio signals (8), comprising: an audio signal generating module (2) configured to generate an audio signal (8); an identification signal generating module (3) configured to generate an identification signal (9) associated with the audio signal (8); a combining module (4) configured to combine the audio signal (8) and the identification signal (9) into a combined audio signal (10); a playback module (5) configured to play back a sound based on the combined audio signal (10); and a verifying module (6) configured to process the played back sound in order to verify that the played back sound contains the identification signal (9). The invention also relates to a corresponding method.