Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Motor Company Limited

Gregory Roger Hamel

John Elliott Whitecar

Andrew Cyril Krochmal

David S Cheney

Jack Auflick

Jorge Morales

Michael R Remenak

Sylvester P Porambo

Robert J Burnham

Paul A DeVries

Richard D Zerod

Robert H Benedict

Robert Kelly Cadena

Jadranko Soc

An automobile head unit display system including an antenna, a lightbox assembly and a circuit board is described therein. The antenna is attached to the lightbox system, while the lightbox assembly is attached to the circuit board. The antenna and the lightbox assembly are in communication with the circuit board.

Integrated antenna in display or lightbox

An audio multimedia player has dual access modes for navigating between track selections contained in a large storage media, such as a compact disc CD-ROM having compressed audio files. The disc may includes numerous directories for organizing the audio files, but the player has insufficient display resources to show the directories themselves. In a flat file mode, all target audio file on the disc are included in a sequential numbering scheme which ignores any directory structure. In a directory mode, all directories are collapsed onto a single directory level in which subdirectories are moved up to the same top level as all other directories. The directories are sequentially numbered and then the target audio files within each directory are sequentially numbered.

Track access management for large playlists in a vehicular multimedia player

The presence or absence of a speaker connected to an output terminal of an audio system is determined based on the electro-generator properties of the speaker. The audio system includes an output amplifier coupled to the output terminal. The method includes driving the output amplifier with a predetermined drive signal sufficient to produce a predetermined speaker excursion if a speaker is connected to the output terminal. The output amplifier is then isolated from the output terminal. A signal at the output terminal is sensed after the output amplifier is isolated. The sensed signal is compared with a predetermined reference for determining whether a speaker back-EMF is present. A speaker detection signal is generated indicating absence of a speaker if the back-EMF is not present.

Audio loudspeaker detection using back-EMF sensing

A multimedia player having a limited user interface achieves quick and easy navigation within a large playlist of stored digital audio files by employing the rotary volume control knob in a separate mode to advance or rollback sequentially through the playlist. Thus, an MP3 player can be implemented for an automotive or vehicular multimedia player without increasing the number of user control elements, such as buttons, knobs, or other switches.

Rotary control for quick playlist navigation in a vehicular multimedia player

The masking-effect of loud audio passages is utilized to reduce the audibility of the fan noise from a cooling fan in an audio system. A power monitor determines an output power of an audio amplifier and generates a power signal proportional to the output power. A switchable cooling fan is positioned to provide a cooling flow of air within the audio system when the cooling fan is turned on. A fan control is coupled to the power monitor and the switchable cooling fan. The fan control compares the power signal with a predetermined threshold and turns on the switchable cooling fan in response to the comparison indicating that reproduction of the amplified audio signals is at an output power level that will substantially mask audible noise created by the switchable cooling fan.

Cooling fan control strategy for automotive audio system

A method of detecting a DC offset in an audio signal provided by an audio processing unit to an audio power amplifier, wherein the audio amplifier provides a clip detect signal back to the audio processing unit, wherein the method comprises the steps of sampling the clip detect signal to determine if the clip detect is active. Detecting a power level of the audio amplifier if the clip detect is active. Next, comparing the power level to a predetermined power threshold. Then, identifying a dc offset if the power level is less than the predetermined power threshold.

Method of detecting a DC offset in an automotive audio system

An automatic identification of the features associated with an audio system for a vehicle based on the selection of the associated bezel (,). The audio system includes a printed circuit board (,) having at least one finger pad (,) thereon in communication with a microprocessor (,). The microprocessor (,) includes programming sequences for various possible features for the audio system. The bezel (,) may have no, one or multiple programming tabs (,) in alignment with corresponding finger pads depending upon the model of bezel chosen. Contact of the finger pads due to the programming tabs will indicate to the microprocessor which programming sequence needs to be initiated to activate the appropriate features corresponding to that particular bezel installed on the audio assembly.

Audio bezel automatic identification

An automatic identification of the features associated with an audio system for a vehicle based on the selection of the associated bezel (14). The audio system includes a printed circuit board (34) having at least one finger pad (30) thereon in communication with a microprocessor (16). The microprocessor (16) includes programming sequences for various possible features for the audio system. The bezel (14) may have no, one or multiple programming tabs (36) in alignment with corresponding finger pads depending upon the model of bezel chosen. Contact of the finger pads due to the programming tabs will indicate to the microprocessor which programming sequence needs to be initiated to activate the appropriate features corresponding to that particular bezel installed on the audio assembly.

Automatic identification of audio bezel

A digital signal processing automotive audio system uses an analog audio source providing stereo output signals. One of the stereo signals is mixed to a distinct frequency band and summed with the other stereo signal to form a composite signal which can be digitized in a single analog-to-digital converter. Separate digital stereo signals are recovered using digital signal processing.

Composite signal generation and decoding in digital signal processing

A power device assembly comprises a circuit board sub-assembly and a protective housing enclosing the circuit board sub-assembly. The circuit board sub-assembly includes a heat sink frame around the periphery of a circuit board. Heat generating power devices and, optionally, other circuit devices are mounted in thermally conductive contact with the heat sink frame. Electrical leads extend from the power devices to the circuit board where a solder connection is formed. The heat sink frame extends outwardly beyond the circuit board, at least a portion extending outwardly from the protective housing to provide cooling means for the assembly. According to a method of the invention, a sub-assembly comprising the circuit board, heat sink frame and power device is assembled and the heat sink frame is used as a palette to support and carry the circuit board through a wave soldering process.

Power device assembly and method

An audio system having a main chassis including an audio preamplifier and a remote chassis including a power amplifier has a clipping level detector circuit in the remote chassis for detecting the onset of clipping by the power amplifier and has a gain control element in the main chassis for controlling the gain of the preamplifier. An extra control line in the wiring harness connecting the main chassis and the remote chassis is avoided by multiplexing the clipping signal and the mute control signal on a single control wire.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Gregory Roger Hamel