Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/USPTO drawing
When it’s not busy teaching people how to fill up a tank, General Motors comes up with all kinds of new-generation ideas that could eventually make their way to its vehicles.
One of them is a vehicle audio control system to adjust settings based on physical changes in the car.
It sounds like rocket science at first, but the goal of this new technology is pretty simple: General Motors wants to keep the music listening experience unaltered during the entire time you spend in its vehicles.
As described in a recent patent, GM’s system relies on one or multiple sensors installed in the cabin specifically to detect changes in the vehicle configuration. The sensors are connected to the infotainment system, so when such changes are spotted, they transmit data to adjust the audio. GM says this technology would be able to control settings like balance, tremble, bass, and volume in such a way that no audio quality difference is spotted by passengers.
The easiest way to understand how GM’s new concept would work is a convertible car.
When the top is unfolded, the passengers would be provided with a standard music listening experience based on their audio settings. Once the top is removed, the audio output quality is significantly altered by external factors, such as the wind and nearby noises.
The sensors can detect the change and control the sound settings to prevent the vehicle occupants from perceiving a modification in audio quality.
The system can be optimized for a wide variety of vehicle changes that can occur while driving. The company says the same automatic vehicle audio control can be triggered in cars with sunroofs or when the cabin seating configuration is changed (such as in a 7-seater). Eventually, it can maintain the same sound quality even when you open a window.
The technology envisioned by General Motors isn’t only aimed at music lovers, but also prepares the company’s transition to the next generation of cars. The work aimed at turning the cabin into a living room is gaining traction, and given technology companies themselves are eyeing an expansion in the automotive market, this concept is expected to make rapid progress in the short term.
With a system that can detect changes inside the vehicle and adjust the audio quality accordingly, General Motors is making an important step on this front as well. An essential part of the living room experience would be a flawless audio experience, either for listening to music or for watching video content on the screens in the cabin. As such, an advanced audio control system is also required.
GM’s new technology is currently in the patent stage, so we might be years away from its debut on production vehicles.
It sounds like rocket science at first, but the goal of this new technology is pretty simple: General Motors wants to keep the music listening experience unaltered during the entire time you spend in its vehicles.
As described in a recent patent, GM’s system relies on one or multiple sensors installed in the cabin specifically to detect changes in the vehicle configuration. The sensors are connected to the infotainment system, so when such changes are spotted, they transmit data to adjust the audio. GM says this technology would be able to control settings like balance, tremble, bass, and volume in such a way that no audio quality difference is spotted by passengers.
The easiest way to understand how GM’s new concept would work is a convertible car.
When the top is unfolded, the passengers would be provided with a standard music listening experience based on their audio settings. Once the top is removed, the audio output quality is significantly altered by external factors, such as the wind and nearby noises.
The sensors can detect the change and control the sound settings to prevent the vehicle occupants from perceiving a modification in audio quality.
The system can be optimized for a wide variety of vehicle changes that can occur while driving. The company says the same automatic vehicle audio control can be triggered in cars with sunroofs or when the cabin seating configuration is changed (such as in a 7-seater). Eventually, it can maintain the same sound quality even when you open a window.
The technology envisioned by General Motors isn’t only aimed at music lovers, but also prepares the company’s transition to the next generation of cars. The work aimed at turning the cabin into a living room is gaining traction, and given technology companies themselves are eyeing an expansion in the automotive market, this concept is expected to make rapid progress in the short term.
With a system that can detect changes inside the vehicle and adjust the audio quality accordingly, General Motors is making an important step on this front as well. An essential part of the living room experience would be a flawless audio experience, either for listening to music or for watching video content on the screens in the cabin. As such, an advanced audio control system is also required.
GM’s new technology is currently in the patent stage, so we might be years away from its debut on production vehicles.
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