Vehicle Audio System Extraction for Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle audio systems are costly, bulky, heavy, and consume significant electrical power, making them inefficient and expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle audio system that receives audio information from portable media devices via a communications interface, processes it using audio control electronics, and provides the output signal to vehicle audio output devices without an integrated audio source, reducing component count, size, weight, and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional vehicle audio sources (CD players, radio tuners) are integrated into the vehicle, then audio functionality is provided, but cost, size, weight, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the audio source functionality from the vehicle's integrated audio system and relocates it to portable media devices carried by users. The vehicle audio system retains only the essential audio output components (amplifier, speakers) and adds a communication interface to receive audio signals from external portable devices, thereby eliminating the need for integrated audio sources while maintaining audio functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The communication interface is designed to accept audio signals from multiple types of portable media devices (MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, portable radios), making the vehicle audio system compatible with various external audio sources. This universal approach allows the system to perform multiple audio source functions through a single interface design
2Volume of moving object
If conventional vehicle audio sources are integrated, then audio playback capability is provided, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The audio source components (CD player mechanism, radio tuner, storage media) are extracted from the vehicle audio system and placed in portable media devices. The vehicle audio system is reduced to essential components: communication interface, audio amplifier, and speakers, dramatically reducing system volume while preserving audio playback capability through external device connection
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional vehicle audio sources are integrated, then audio functionality is provided, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy audio source components (CD mechanisms, radio tuners, storage media) are extracted and relocated to portable media devices that users already carry. The vehicle audio system weight is reduced to only the necessary audio output components (amplifier and speakers), eliminating unnecessary weight while maintaining full audio functionality through external device integration
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional vehicle audio sources are integrated, then audio processing is provided, but electrical power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power-intensive audio source processing functions (CD decoding, radio signal processing, digital-to-analog conversion) are extracted from the vehicle's electrical system and transferred to portable media devices that have their own power supplies. The vehicle audio system only needs to provide amplification and output, significantly reducing electrical power consumption while preserving complete audio processing capability through the portable device's processor
Data Source
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AI summary
An audio system for a vehicle includes a communications interface that receives audio information from a portable media device. The audio system also includes audio control electronics for processing the received audio information and for generating an audio output signal. The audio system further includes an audio system interface that provides the audio output signal used in controlling vehicle audio output devices. Additionally, in the audio system the communications interface, the audio control electronics, and the audio system interface are housed separately from any audio source that may be included with the vehicle.