Patents Assigned to Harman Becker Automotive Systems
  • Publication number: 20110040478
    Abstract: A navigation update system includes a key of a vehicle. The key includes a memory storage device storing data for a navigation device of the vehicle. The data includes instructions for execution by the navigation device and/or map data for use by the navigation device to provide navigation services to a user of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Ansgar Rinscheid
  • Publication number: 20110040438
    Abstract: A method is provided for estimating a propulsion-related operating parameter of a vehicle for a road segment, and for determining routes based on the estimate. The method may be employed, for example, in a vehicle navigation system. In one example method, at least one operating parameter of the vehicle is estimated for the road segment based on information corresponding to the road segment. The propulsion-related operating parameter is estimated for the road segment using the at least one estimated operating parameter and at least one vehicle specific parameter. The at least one vehicle specific parameter is determined by acquiring driving data to determine a plurality of vehicle operating parameters while the vehicle is in operation. At least two of the determined vehicle operating parameters are used in a predetermined relationship that includes the at least one vehicle specific parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Kluge, Alexey Pryakhin, Peter Kunath
  • Patent number: 7889871
    Abstract: The sound reproduction of a multichannel sound reproduction system with a plurality of speakers which is connected to the output of an FM stereo receiver is controlled by a control signal derived from the reception quality. Preferably, the control signal from the FM stereo receiver for controlling the stereo and mono components is also employed to control the multichannel sound reproduction system. For example, stereo, pseudo-stereo or mono reproduction are provided in the multichannel sound reproduction system in response to the stereo component within the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz, Hans-Juergen Nitzpon, Andreas Koerner
  • Patent number: 7885417
    Abstract: Active noise control system and method for controlling an acoustic noise generated by a noise source at a listening location, in which system and method sound is picked up in the surroundings of the listening location by a sound sensor; an electrical noise signal which corresponds to the acoustic noise of the noise source is generated and filtered adaptively in accordance with control signals. The adaptively filtered noise signal is irradiated into the surroundings of the listening location by a sound reproduction device, where a secondary path transfer function extends between the sound reproduction device and sound sensor. The noise signal is filtered with a transfer function that models the secondary path transfer function. The signals which are provided by the sound sensor after first filtering serve as control signals for the adaptive filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Christoph
  • Patent number: 7881482
    Abstract: An audio enhancement system is provided for compensating for distortions (e.g., linear distortions) of a sound signal reproduced by an audio system in a listening room. The audio enhancement system includes analysis filters that generate a plurality of analysis output signals from an audio signal to be enhanced. The system also includes synthesis filters that generate an enhanced audio signal from a number of synthesis input signals. The number of analysis output signals and the number of synthesis input signals preferably are equal. Signal processing elements between the analysis filters and the synthesis filters generate one of the synthesis input signals from a respective one of the analysis output signals to perform an inverse filtering for linearizing an unknown transfer function indicative of the audio system and the listening room in the respective frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Christoph
  • Patent number: 7876812
    Abstract: A system for transmitting a plurality of independent data signals between two modules connected to a communication link is provided. The communication link may be a two lead wired connection. A first data signal may be transmitted in form of a differential signal over the communication link. A second data signal may be transmitted between both connected modules by adding the second data signal identically to both leads of the communication link. The second data signal references a ground potential which is common to both connected modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Jurzitza, Matthias Rupprecht
  • Patent number: 7873471
    Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes an adaptive routing module (210) that allows a user to provide inputs that influence routes that are calculated to predetermined destinations. A route calculation module (204) executed by a navigation server (102) is operable to calculate a first route from the trip origin to the trip destination. An adaptive route calculation (204) executed by the navigation server (102) is operable to allow the user to enter a user modification of the first route. After the user modification is entered by the user, a second route to the trip destination is calculated as a function of the user modification. The second route is then transmitted to a vehicle navigation system (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Arnold Gieseke
  • Patent number: 7869947
    Abstract: A navigation system and method having a function of alerting the driver to potential wrong way driving comprises means 102 for determining a position of a vehicle 300, means 107 for calculating a driving route of the vehicle 300, means 108 for determining a driving manoeuvre in accordance with the predetermined driving route 305, means 104, 105, 110, 111 for outputting indications relating to the determined driving manoeuvre to a driver of the vehicle 300, and means 109 for alerting the driver to potential wrong way driving including means 201 for detecting a potential wrong way driving situation and means 202, 104, 105, 110, 111 for outputting an indication relating to the potential wrong way driving situation to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Harmut Schirmer, Karl-Friedrich Rauterberg
  • Patent number: 7864632
    Abstract: System and method for tracking of a head comprising generating and radiating at least one acoustical test signal; receiving the radiated acoustical test signal(s) at two locations at the head under investigation and generating electrical measurement signals therefrom; and evaluating the two measurement signals for determining the position and/or angle of rotation ? from the measurement signals; the evaluation step comprises a cross power spectrum operation of the test signal(s) and the signals from the receivers in the frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Pfaffinger
  • Publication number: 20100312418
    Abstract: A vehicle computing system is provided that includes a vehicle computing module mounted on a main system board. The vehicle computing module includes a computing module circuit board with conducting paths. Computing components are mounted to the computing module circuit board and include at least a central processing unit and a main memory. An edge connector is provided at an edge of the computing module circuit board and adapted to connect the computing module circuit board to an edge connector socket on the main system board. A plurality of computing function interfaces are connected to the edge connector. The plurality of computing function interfaces includes a configuration interface connected to the central processing unit and, via the edge connector, to a controller on the main system board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Guenther Kraft, Thomas Erforth
  • Patent number: 7842873
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting a refrain in an audio file having vocal components. The method and system includes generating a phonetic transcription of a portion of the audio file, analyzing the phonetic transcription and identifying a vocal segment in the generated phonetic transcription that is repeated frequently. The method and system further relate to the speech-driven selection based on similarity of detected refrain and user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Franz S. Gerl, Daniel Willett, Raymond Brueckner
  • Patent number: 7840741
    Abstract: An interface for transmitting messages between two bus systems including a receiver device for receiving a message from the first bus system, a classification device for classifying the message received from the first receiver device according to one of several predetermined classes, a translation device for translating the message based on a predetermined rule for each class into a message for transmission on the second bus system, and a transmitter device for transmitting the translated message on the second bus system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Bähren
  • Patent number: 7831231
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for automatically finding an AM radio program, by which an AM radio receiver is tuned through in discrete steps, such that, for each set AM frequency, the reception quality at the currently set AM frequency is determined, the field strength of the neighboring frequencies is measured. If a significant field strength is detected at the neighboring frequencies, these are taken into account in determining the overall reception quality, in that the reception quality is reduced by a noise value, and subsequently the overall reception quality is compared with an upper quality limit. If the upper quality limit is exceeded, the program search is interrupted, and the AM radio program with this high overall reception quality is played. This method succeeds in reducing the number of misjudgments of AM radio programs with actually poor quality, and thus improves the reproduction quality of an AM radio receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Albicker
  • Patent number: 7826799
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a hands-free system is provided. The hands-free system comprising a hands-free unit and a mobile phone, the method comprising the following steps of setting up a connection between the hands-free system and a distant terminal via a mobile telephony network of the mobile phone, transmitting a predetermined test signal from one of the hands-free system and the distant terminal to the other of the hands-free system and the distant terminal, the predetermined test signal being provided in both the hands-free system and the distant terminal as reference test signal, comparing the received test signal to the reference test signal stored in the other of the hands-free system and the distant terminal, and determining the calibration parameters of the hands-free system in accordance with the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Guido Kolano, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Walter Schnug, Michael Tropp
  • Patent number: 7822538
    Abstract: A system that communicates traffic data to a vehicle is presented. The system generally includes a method that communicates traffic data to an operator of the vehicle. The system provides location data to a computer-based system, and allocates attribute data to a subset of the location data. The allocation may be initiated by the operator. The traffic data is processed by the computer-based system, and/or communicated to the operator. The system may further include a device that provides traffic data to the operator. The traffic data device generally includes a locator for providing location data, an allocator for allocating attribute data to a subset of the location data, a storage medium for storing the generated traffic data, and an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Guido Hovestadt, Ralph Behrens, Grit Behrens
  • Patent number: 7804557
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control system for at least two light tubes connected to a common transformer circuit. The control system comprises a control circuit which is provided with at least two detection inlets (a2, a3) used for detecting lamp currents (I1, I2) passing through the first and second light tubes, respectively. The detected lamp currents (I1, I2) can be regulated to a day mode with a high current intensity, and in a night mode with a low current intensity by the control circuit. The lamp currents (I1, I2) can be detected individually in day mode and in a common manner in night mode. The control system reduces instability of the tubes, in particular flicker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Schanz, Matthias Rupprecht
  • Publication number: 20100239104
    Abstract: A noise attenuation system attenuates noise in an input signal. The system may estimate a power of the input signal, and determine a noise power value based on the input power estimate. The noise power value corresponds to an estimate of a noise power within the input signal. The system may determine an attenuation factor based on the noise power value, and attenuate the input signal by using the attenuation factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Schmidt, Mathias Roder
  • Patent number: 7800911
    Abstract: A fastening element for connecting a housing to a printed circuit board comprises a first surface having a through hole for receiving a connecting element for connecting the fastening element to the housing, at least one first mounting pin extending from the first surface for mounting the fastening element to the printed circuit board, a second surface from which a second mounting pin extends for mounting a fastening element to the printed circuit board and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Robby Rieger
  • Publication number: 20100235618
    Abstract: A computing device is provided that includes a computing unit, which has a working memory and a processing unit, and a boot memory having control instructions for operating the computing device. The control instructions are stored in boot memory and are to be transferred to the computing unit at start-up of the computing device. A boot control unit is connected to the computing unit by at least a first and a second interface and connected to the boot memory by a third interface. The boot control unit is configured to transfer a first part of the control instructions from the boot memory via the first interface to the computing unit and to transfer a second part of the control instructions from the boot memory via the second interface to the computing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Erforth, Peter Kies, Bruno Achauer, Arno Kutzki, Günther Kraft
  • Patent number: D624903
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Wlotzka