Voice Activated Microphone System

DESCRIPTION:

Multi-passenger vehicles have been developed since the dawn of the automobile age. Henry Ford built his first vehicle in 1896, and that was a two-seater intended for passengers. Ford did not build the first car, but as an example, the automobile was always envisioned to carry more than one person. The Ford Model T made the automobile affordable to many more people that had been available previously on the market. The Model T as with many other contemporary manufacturers models was a multi-passenger vehicle intended to give mobility to drivers and passengers alike. Trucks and buses were already on the market and were busy replacing the horse-drawn vehicles that were on the road. The speed and utility of the automobile, truck, and the bus were unsurpassed by anything on the road at that time. Most of these vehicles were open-air types and if they had any enclosures other than a roof it was usually side-curtains that performed much like the walls of a tent. The side curtains might keep out the rain if the owner bothered with the laborious process of putting them up. Usually, the passengers and driver were left to deal with the elements as best they could.

Multi-passenger vehicles have come a long way since the early days and have many added comforts such as fully enclosed cabins. One thing that hasn’t changed is the ability to speak to the driver and fellow passengers clearly. The older model vehicles that were open-air suffered from wind and road noise making communication difficult at best. The lack of insulation between the road and the passengers meant that the sound of the vehicle on the road is transmitted to the cabin. Modern vehicles still suffer from some form of road noise, depending on the make and models, due to higher speeds and various other distractions. An enclosed cabin and glass windows haven’t necessarily improved communication in the vehicle enclosure. Stereos, people talking, open windows, etc. all can contribute to difficulty in communications when traveling in a vehicle. Miscommunication or sometimes the lack of communication altogether is a source of frustration for many people driving and riding in vehicles especially from seats located behind the driver or other passengers.

The Voice Activated Microphone System is a clever and innovative product designed to improve communications inside a multi-passenger vehicle. The Voice Activated Microphone System places an intercom at the fingertips of each passenger in the vehicle creating clear communications for the driver and any passengers in the vehicle. The system places a microphone/speaker station on the back of the seats facing each passenger and a microphone/speaker station on the roof directly above the driver. Each unit will have a microphone and speaker volume adjustment to allow individuals to control the unit to their preference. The system would allow passengers to communicate with each other individually or as a group. The passenger or driver can also communicate independently with each other or as a group also. The driver would have complete control of the system and at any time can mute the system or shut it off. The Voice Activated Microphone System is hardwired into the vehicle’s electrical system with hidden wiring powering the units. The system can be intelligently controlled and directs voices to any or all persons in the vehicle. The Voice Activated Microphone System improves communications and allows persons who would normally not be able to converse to speak to each other easily. The system comes in various colors and can be matched to the interior décor of the vehicle. The Voice Activated Microphone System is available for various modes of transport including buses, passenger vans, SUVs, sedans, aircraft, etc. Virtually any form of transport that carries passengers can benefit from the Voice Activated Microphone System.

SPECIFIC, UNIQUE FUNCTIONS OF INVENTION:

• Installs in almost any type of passenger transport
• Allows passengers to communicate with driver or other passengers
• Attractive design that can be color coordinated for differing interior décor
• Volume controls at each station
• Makes conversation clear
• Driver has complete control of system
• Mounts on backs of seats in front of passengers
• Drivers unit mounts on roof above driver
• Hidden electrical wiring
• Solves communication problems in vehicles
• Powered by the vehicles electrical system

PRODUCT COMPONENT CLARIFICATION:

The “Voice Activated Microphone System” is an innovative communication product that has been designed to provide much superior communication between passengers in a multi-person van. The product is a voice activated system that allows the driver and selected passengers to speak effectively. The system can be tailored to the number of persons riding in the van through the driver’s panel. The communication is bi-directional and is quiescent until a passenger speaks. The system also employs noise cancellation microphones to improve the voice communication between each and all the passengers in the van. A station is mounted unobtrusively on the back of the seat in front of each passenger and the driver. Individual controls are mounted on the front surface of each speaker housing. The system operates using the vehicle’s power and ground.

• While a 10 passenger, multi-passenger vehicle system is described in this document, the system can be scaled to work on any multi-passenger vehicle, for example, buses, trains, airplanes, etc. These larger systems can be tailored to work in a per cabin space or even a multi-cabin train or flex-bus.

Currently, the driver of the multi-passenger van has to either shout or use a microphone and speaker to make sure they are heard all the way to the back of the van. The system with one loudspeaker in the front of the van allows the riders in the front of the van to hear well and those in the back to not hear so well. Or … the volume is turned up loud so the passengers in the back can hear clearly, but for those in front, the volume is uncomfortably loud.

The “Voice Activated Microphone System” resolves most of these problems by providing a noise cancelling, voice activated communication system that transfers voice communication in a hands-free method clearly to all selected passengers in a multi-person vehicle. This system has controls for each of the passengers that allows them to set a comfortable aural level at their seat. The high-fidelity speaker transmits the audible signal directly to the ears of the person, dramatically improving the communication between each and all riders, while reducing extraneous aural interference at each seat location. The noise cancelling electronics eliminates most of the ambient noise from being amplified and sent through the communication links. The system remains quiet unless someone speaks into their microphone, keeping the cabin noise down unless communication is attempted. Each of the passengers can speak normally and their voice is transmitted to the main control box, amplified, and then routed to each of the passengers that the driver has determined should receive the signal. The communication is enhanced and vastly improves the tranquility of the ride while conveying everyone’s comments to all.

The individual speaker housings: These housings are injection molded from ABS-polycarbonate plastic. This plastic is very durable, is highly resistant to household and vehicle chemicals, is highly resistant to drop shocks and scratching, and is typically used in this type of application. The housings are molded in 2 sections, which are mated and secured with stainless steel fasteners. All electronics and subcomponents are mounted in the housings, which are subsequently mounted on the back of seats in front of the passenger. The housings are typically supplied in one of 3 colors, i.e., beige, gray, or black. Upon request, they can be supplied in almost any vibrant color, so a distinctive color may be chosen to enhance the product recognition factor, which can dramatically improve the market adoption of the product. These housing contain the noise-cancelling microphone electronics and a knob controlled on/off switch and audio amplifier. These controls allow the user to tailor the speaker’s output to their own requirements.

The driver’s housing: This housing is also injection molded from ABS polycarbonate plastic. It is attached up above the driver’s head and can be much smaller, if required. The controls are the same for the microphone and speaker level but it has additional controls for the operation of the system. It is supplied with a system on/off switch and a touch screen that allows tailoring the system to the number of passengers in the vehicle. It is permanently wired to the main control box. The software provides a menu driven selection process on the touch screen once the desired operational icons are selected.

• As an option: This system control housing can also be supplied with GPS chipset and firmware so the system cannot be operated unless the vehicle is at a standstill. This forces the driver to set up the system before they begin driving, preventing accidents from distracted driving.

The main control housing: This housing is also injection molded from ABS polycarbonate plastic. It is shaped in a rectangular form factor so it can fit under any one of the passenger’s seats. It will have a 15-pin cable input and a 15-pin cable out, plus power and ground wires. It will be fitted with 4 tabs that allow it to be secured to the floor of the vehicle. This main control box has the basic amplifier and speaker selection circuitry in it. It is permanently cabled to the driver’s speaker console and uses solid state switching modules to direct the audible signal to and the microphone signals from each of the installed speaker housings. The standard main control box can handle up to 10 speaker housings and 1 driver’s console.

• The 15-pin cable: This is a series of 28-gauge wires on a 0.05” pitch. The 300-volt insulation is quite sufficient for this low voltage application. The durable cable is easy to run within the seat back and under the carpet to the back of each seat. The cable is terminated with IDC connectors, allowing permanent attachment to the main control box and the back of the speaker housings.
• More than 10 seats: Main control boxes for vehicles with more than 10 seats can be supplied upon request. The driver’s and passenger’s housings remain the same, regardless of the number of seats serviced. Different cabling is supplied for use with higher count seating applications.

The printed circuit boards (PCBs): The PCBs for all devices are fabricated to the final assembler’s requirements in a world class contract electronic assembler facility. The standard thickness, double sided FR4 circuit board material is populated with surface mounted components where possible. Any through-hole devices are inserted after the surface mounted assembly, soldering, and cleaning. Both circuit boards are designed to have all the components oriented so they can be mounted with the LED illuminators projecting out of the lenses mounted in the housings and knobs protruding through the housings for easy control. After assembly, the PCBs are protected with a moisture adsorption preventive conformal coating.

The “Voice Activated Microphone System” is designed to be aesthetic and effective in the application. The relative ease of manufacture and the reasonably inexpensive components provide good marketability for the manufacturer. The user benefits from improved aural control and understanding of all passenger’s communication throughout the multi-passenger vehicle, which should provide considerable market interest in the product.

The invention is illustrated in the following drawings of the essential points as explained to us in the documentation.

Drawing 1, Block 1: Voice Activated Microphone System – Front, Side, And Rear View Of Standard Module

(1) Each unit has an on/off switch and volume control integrated into a knob.

(2) The molded plastic housing is supplied in 3 standard colors with nonstandard colors being supplied upon request.

(3) The unit is designed to fit snugly on the seat ahead of each passenger in the multi-seat van.

(4) The thin, high fidelity speaker allows each of the passengers to hear others in the van with very good quality.

(5) The volume being heard by the occupant of the van is adjustable to tailor thee volume to road noise and the user’s hearing.

(6) The 15-wire flat cable is routed down the channel in the speaker housing and then down the seat back to the central module located under one of the seats.

(7) The 15-pin connector allows each module to operate independently and the whole system is powered using the vehicle’s 12 V system.

(8) The rugged cable can be routed under the seat’s rear upholstery and under the carpet so it is not readily visible and hidden so as to not degrade the décor.

(9) The rear of the speaker cabinet is populated with multiple mold nuts for easy attachment to the seat back.

Drawing 1, Block 2: Voice Activated Microphone System – Microphone Detail

(10) The noise cancelling microphones work together to reproduce the voices with optimum clarity. The system does not even come on until it senses pressure from the spoken word (voice activation) and then the noise cancellation is engaged to provide a crystal-clear voice signal.

(11) The front microphone captures the voice and the bottom microphone captures the ambient noise to the subtracted from the audible signal.

(12) The small electronics module in the speaker housing provides the noise cancelling technique.

(13) The analog signal is then passed along to the main module where it is directed to the selected speakers.

Drawing 1, Block 3: Voice Activated Microphone System – Driver Module And Controls

(14) The driver’s module employs the same volume control and noise cancelling electronics as the other speaker enclosures.

(15) The speaker housing also contains the system power controls and the touch screen speaker select functions, which run from the driver’s housing to the main control module.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the above detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment developed herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications,
substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

This document has been prepared for the manufacturer’s elucidation. The manufacturer’s decision makers should consider this product for licensing (providing intellectual property protection for their sales of the product in return for a royalty payment for a period of years) or an outright purchase of the patent for a negotiated fee. The inventor and his team are standing by to consider offers for
licensing or outright purchase of the patent.