Vehicle Rear Surround Audio Signal Mapping for Video Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle surround sound audio systems attenuate or omit surround sound audio signals when biasing sound towards the rear of the vehicle, failing to provide a true surround sound experience for passengers in the video viewing region.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a rear surround audio mode that dynamically re-maps surround sound speaker signals to ensure all signals are output to a subset of speaker nodes in the video viewing region, maintaining full audio power and maintaining the surround sound experience even when the fader is set to maximize rear sound output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fader is adjusted to bias sound toward the rear of the vehicle, then the sound output to rear speaker nodes is improved, but the surround sound audio signals are attenuated or omitted degrading the surround sound experience
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between normal audio mode and rear surround audio mode based on fader position. When the fader exceeds the threshold position, the system automatically transitions to rear surround audio mode, dynamically adjusting the mapping of surround sound signals to speaker nodes to maintain authentic surround sound experience while biasing sound to the rear.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the mapping parameter of surround sound speaker signals to speaker nodes based on fader position. In rear surround audio mode, the mapping is reconfigured so that all surround sound audio signals are output to the subset of speaker nodes in the video viewing region, rather than using the fixed normal mapping.
2Power
If the amplifier outputs attenuated audio signal power level to front speaker nodes at Fader Rear +x position, then the rear sound output is improved, but the front surround sound signals are reduced eliminating authentic surround sound
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the speaker nodes into two groups: front speaker nodes (A-C) and rear speaker nodes (D-H) in the video viewing region. In rear surround audio mode, the system applies different signal routing to each segment: attenuated or muted signals to front nodes while maintaining full-power surround sound signal output to rear nodes, preserving the surround sound experience for passengers in the video viewing region.
Solution Approach 2:
The head unit acts as an intermediary that receives surround sound audio signals and intelligently routes them to appropriate speaker nodes based on fader position. In rear surround audio mode, it serves as a mediator that preserves all surround sound information by routing it specifically to the subset of speaker nodes in the video viewing region, preventing information loss that would occur with simple attenuation.
3Device complexity
If the mapping of surround sound speaker signals to speaker nodes remains constant, then the system complexity is reduced, but the ability to provide authentic surround sound in rear bias mode is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The signal mapping is made dynamic rather than constant. The head unit monitors fader position and automatically switches between normal audio mode mapping and rear surround audio mode mapping. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to provide authentic surround sound experience in rear bias mode while maintaining simple constant mapping in normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker nodes serve multiple functions depending on the audio mode. The subset of speaker nodes in the video viewing region can function as both front speakers in normal audio mode and as surround sound speakers in rear surround audio mode. This multi-functionality allows the system to adapt to different audio modes without requiring additional hardware, maintaining simplicity while enhancing versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle rear surround sound audio system for a vehicle includes a plurality of speaker nodes, each of the speaker nodes including at least one speaker. A subset of the speaker nodes are located in a video viewing region of a vehicle. A head unit includes a DVD or other multi-channel surround sound source, a digital signal processor (DSP), an amplifier, and a fader. The head unit selectively implements: (i) a normal audio mode in which a plurality of different surround sound speaker signals are output to the plurality of speaker nodes according to a first mapping; or (ii) a rear surround audio mode in which all of the plurality of different surround sound speaker signals are output to only the subset of speaker nodes located in the video viewing region according to a second mapping such that the subset of speaker nodes are active to output all of the surround sound speaker signals.