Bose Corporation

Charles Terence Henry Oswald

Bradford Kyle Subat

Nicholas K Lade

Michael Scott Dublin

Jeffery Robert Vautin

Eduardo T Salvador

Muhammad Haris Usmani

Tobe Zetelmo Barksdale

Christopher B Ickler

Ryan C Struzik

Michael James Tiene

Daniel Ross Tengelsen

Remco Terwal

Binu K Oommen

John Leslie Benton

Eben Andrew Kunz

Nicolas K Lade

Various implementations include seats and related systems for detecting user proximity and controlling one or more functions based on that proximity detection. In particular cases, the seats include an upper seat section with at least one two-dimensional (2D) contrast indicator that is detectable by a sensor system to indicate a position of the upper seat section.

Upper seat position tracking

Various implementations include seats and related loudspeakers. In particular cases, a seat includes: a seat headrest portion; a seat backrest portion; and a loudspeaker assembly including: at least one driver for generating an acoustic output; and an acoustic exit fixed in the seat backrest portion and angled to provide the acoustic output to a location below a nominal ear position of an occupant of the seat, wherein an angle of the at least one driver provides the acoustic output to achieve a consistent frequency response across a range of positions deviating from the nominal ear position, wherein the consistent frequency response is characterized by a low frequency (LF) consistency equal to or greater than a LF consistency for an acoustic output provided to the nominal ear position.

Seatback speakers

Various implementations include computer-implemented methods and related systems for controlling the phantom center image of an audio output in an automobile. In one implementation, a method includes: receiving at least one user interface command to modify a phantom center image of audio output from the audio system in the automobile, wherein the phantom center image of the audio output includes a designated position of sound produced by a set of speakers in the audio system other than physical locations of the set of speakers in the audio system; and adjusting a perceived location of the phantom center image of the audio output from the audio system based upon the at least one user interface command to modify the phantom center image of the audio output.

Automobile audio soundstage control

Various implementations include vehicle headrest configurations and related audio systems. In some cases, a headrest includes: a main body having a front surface to support a back of a user's head and a pair of acoustic channels each formed in part by a side wall having a front edge that is offset from the front surface, the main body having a portion configured to receive first and second transducers, where a transducer mount in each of the pair of acoustic channels for mounting respective ones of the first and second transducers, where a dimension (Dimension C) is defined by a rotation angle of the transducer mount relative to a centerline of the vehicle headrest, wherein Dimension C is approximately −20 degrees to approximately zero degrees.

Vehicle headrest

Various implementations include seats and related loudspeakers. In particular cases, a seat includes: a seat headrest portion; a seat backrest portion; and a loudspeaker assembly. The loudspeaker assembly includes at least one driver for generating an acoustic output; and an acoustic exit fixed in the seat backrest portion and angled to provide the acoustic output to a location below a nominal ear position of an occupant of the seat, wherein a firing angle of the at least one driver provides the acoustic output to achieve a consistent frequency response across a range of positions deviating from the nominal ear position.

Various implementations include vehicle headrest configurations and related audio systems. In some cases, a headrest includes: a main body having a front surface to support a back of a user's head and a pair of acoustic channels each formed in part by a side wall having a front edge that is offset from the front surface, the main body having a portion configured to receive first and second transducers, where a transducer mount in each of the pair of acoustic channels for mounting respective ones of the first and second transducers, wherein a dimension (Dimension C) is defined by a rotation angle of the transducer mount relative to a centerline of the vehicle headrest, wherein Dimension C is approximately &#x2212;20 degrees to approximately zero degrees.

Various implementations include seats and related loudspeaker assemblies. In particular cases, a seat includes: a seat headrest portion; a seat backrest portion; and a loudspeaker assembly associated with the backrest portion. The loudspeaker assembly can have an acoustic directivity angled upward above a nominal ear position of an occupant.

Backrest speakers

Various implementations include seats and related systems for detecting user proximity and controlling one or more functions based on that proximity detection. In particular cases, the seats include capacitive sensors for detecting user proximity. In some particular aspects, an automobile seat includes: a core section; a cover over at least a portion of the core section, the cover having a set of capacitive sensors across a front of the seat; and a processor for processing signals from the set of capacitive sensors to detect a proximity of a user.

Automobile seat with user proximity tracking

Various implementations include vehicle headrest configurations and related audio systems. In some cases, a headrest includes: a main body having a front surface to support a back of a user's head and a pair of acoustic channels each formed in part by a side wall having a front edge that is offset from the front surface, the main body having a portion configured to receive first and second transducers having a center-to-center spacing of approximately 130 millimeters (mm) to approximately 240 mm, where a dimension (Dimension K) is defined by a distance between respective inside surfaces of side walls of the pair of acoustic channels, a dimension (Dimension F) is defined by an amount that the front edge of each side wall is recessed from the front surface and, the first and second transducers are oriented at an outward firing angle relative to the centerline of the vehicle headrest.

Various implementations include vehicle headrest configurations and related audio systems. In some particular implementations, a vehicle headrest includes: a main body having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user and a pair of acoustic channels each formed in part by a side wall having a front edge that is offset from the front surface, the main body having a portion configured to receive first and second transducers having a center-to-center spacing of approximately 130 millimeters (mm) to approximately 240 mm, where a dimension (Dimension K) defined by a distance between respective inside surfaces of the side walls of the pair of acoustic channels is related to a dimension (Dimension F) defined by an amount that the front edge of each side wall is recessed from the front surface.

In some implementation, a method includes: receiving at least one user interface command to modify a phantom center image of audio output from the audio system in the automobile, wherein the user interface command comprises a user profile command or a preset command attributed to a user of the automobile, wherein the user profile command or the preset command is obtained from an identification file attributed to the user, wherein the phantom center image of the audio output comprises a designated position of sound produced by a set of speakers in the audio system other than physical locations of the set of speakers in the audio system; and adjusting a perceived location of the phantom center image of the audio output from the audio system based upon the at least one user interface command to modify the phantom center image of the audio output.

Phantom center image control

Various implementations include systems and approaches for binaural testing. In one implementation, a system includes a binaural test dummy including a body having: a head-and-neck region; and a set of head-mounted microphones coupled with the head-and-neck region at anatomically correct ear locations; and a control system coupled with the binaural test dummy for incrementally modifying a position of the binaural test dummy across a range of motion.

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Salem, NY, United States of America

Charles Terence Henry Oswald