Abstract: A method for adjusting a loudness of an announcement sound signal relative to a loudness of an entertainment sound signal, the method including the steps of determining the loudness of the entertainment sound signal, and adjusting the loudness of the announcement sound signal relative to the entertainment sound signal by determining a self-adaptive gain offset of the announcement sound signal relative to the entertainment sound signal, the self-adaptive gain offset adapting to the auditory perception of a user to which the entertainment sound signal and the announcement sound signal are output.

Abstract: A method of operating a navigation system for a vehicle and a vehicle navigation system are provided, where an initial route to a destination is determined, the initial route that includes a plurality of links, each of which is associated with an initial cost. The initial route may be calculated such that it passes within a predetermined distance of one or more predetermined waypoints. One or more of the predetermined waypoints may be designated as an obligatory waypoint, which will be taken into account when calculating a new route. The initial cost associated with a link in the initial route may be decreased and a new route calculated in the event the vehicle deviates from the initial route.

Abstract: In order to be able to reliably trigger an emergency call from a vehicle with a radio telephone (T), even in the case of a heavy crash or collision, an autonomous emergency call unit (N) is arranged in a position in the vehicle particularly well protected from damage by collision or crash. An emergency call is triggered, for example, by a gyro (K), provided as a crash detector, which activates the emergency call unit (N) in a mechanical manner, which then transmits an emergency call to the radio telephone (T) over a short radio path according to the bluetooth standard for example, which then further transmits the emergency call to an emergency call exchange (Z) over a radio path (F). The autonomous emergency call unit (N) is provided with a bluetooth transceiver unit (BE), a battery (BA), a gyro (K) and a GSM transceiver (GSM) which transmits an emergency call to the emergency call exchange (Z) should the radio telephone (T) be damaged or destroyed.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for recognizing a speech input and selecting an entry from a list of entries. The method includes recognizing a speech input. A fragment list of fragmented entries is provided and compared to the recognized speech input to generate a candidate list of best matching entries based on the comparison result. The system includes a speech recognition module, and a data base for storing the list of entries and the fragmented list. The speech recognition module may obtain the fragmented list from the data base and store a candidate list of best matching entries in memory. A display may also be provided to allow the user to select from a list of best matching entries.

Abstract: A vehicle processing system exchanges data through a vehicle entertainment and information system, a service gateway, and a content provider. The vehicle processing system requests data from the content provider through a service gateway. The service gateway generates and transmits a downstream service packet to the vehicle entertainment and information system. The content provider may include a packet generation subsystem that forms the downstream data packets. The subsystem may encode the data and embed a data identifier that may identify the data format of the downstream data packets.

Abstract: The invention relates to speech signal processing that detects a speech signal from more than one microphone and obtains microphone signals that are processed by a beamformer to obtain a beamformed signal that is post-filtered signal with a filter that employs adaptable filter weights to obtain an enhanced beamformed signal with the post-filter adapting the filter weights with previously learned filter weights.

Abstract: A texturizing system for texturizing electronic representations of objects includes a texture library, a texture engine and a graphical user interface module. A source texture may be stored in the library with an associated unique identifier. The source texture may be manipulated with the graphical user interface module to form a complex texture. Manipulations to form the complex texture may be captured and stored in the texture library as a transformation procedure with a unique identifier. The unique identifier of either the complex texture or the source texture may be associated with a surface of an electronic representation of an image. When the electronic representation is displayed, the transformation procedure is performed and the surface associated with the transformation procedure may be texturized.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for receiving information via a mobile communication device including receiving a dialog script by the mobile communication device for performing a dialog between the mobile communication device and a user. The system runs the dialog script on the mobile communication device to perform a dialog between the mobile communication device and the user. The system also may include a server to provide a dialog script to the mobile communication device, for performing a dialog between the mobile communication device and a user.

Abstract: A sampling rate conversion system reduces the signal processing burdens carried by cellular phones, headsets, and other electronic devices. Because the system consumes fewer resources to convert between signal sampling rates, the system may significantly reduce processing time and resource requirements in the device. As a result, the device may instead devote resources to performing other useful tasks, such as interacting with the user through a graphical user interface and performing selected processing tasks.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing information from a server via a mobile communication device. One implementation of a method includes the acts of automatically determining a preferred language of the mobile communication device by the server, and providing information in a preferred language for the mobile communication device by the server.

Abstract: A system is provided for conveying information to an occupant of a motor vehicle. In one example of an implementation, driving-relevant information is obtained for example using sensors or a navigation system. An audio message is determined based on the obtained driving-relevant information. Spatial characteristics for the audio message are also determined. The audio message is output in the motor vehicle with the determined spatial characteristic via loudspeakers.

Abstract: A head-tracking system and a method for operating a head-tracking system in which a stationary reference point is detected are provided. A detector for detecting the position of a head is calibrated based on the detected stationary reference point. In one example implementation, the detection of the stationary reference point is used to determine the position of the head.

Abstract: A data transfer interface is provided which enables a plurality of data processing devices to access a single data storage drive. The data processing device includes a switch connected to the plurality of data processing devices and the data storage drive. A control device drives the switch so that only one of the data processing devices accesses the data storage drive at a time.

Abstract: This invention provides a diversity system with identification and evaluation of antenna properties. The application also provides a method for selecting an external receiving broadcast diversity antenna. The invention makes a selection of one of the diversity antennas as efficient as possible and is able to adapt the solution found to a variety of practical situations that may arise regarding diversity reception in a vehicle. This may be accomplished by the antenna characteristics being detected and antenna selection made based on the antenna characteristics. Thus, the best reception signal will be automatically selected by the mobile broadcast receiver without human intervention or prolonged waiting time.

Abstract: A receiver may receive and process broadcasting signals in digital and analog forms. The receiver may include an amplifying input stage, a digital signal processing stage and an analog signal processing stage. The input stage may receive a broadcast signal. The digital signal processing stage may process a received broadcast signal and output a first quality information signal. The analog signal processing stage may process a received analog broadcast signal and outputs a second quality information signal. An evaluation unit may evaluate at least one of the first and second quality information signals and output a control signal to the amplifying input stage.

Abstract: A method is provided for estimating a reverberation signal component of an acoustic signal detected by a microphone where the acoustic signal is comprised of a direct sound component and a reverberation signal component. A method for dereverberation of an acoustic signal is further provided.

Abstract: A controller device having a rotary-push-button switch is arranged on a frame and the rotary-push-button switch is movable with respect to the frame between at least a first operating position and a second operating position. A position detecting element is used to determine whether the rotary-push-button switch is in the first or second positions. When the position detecting element indicates that the switch is in the first position, the rotary-push-button switch is operated in a first mode. Similarly, the rotary-push-button switch is operated in a second mode when the position detecting element indicates that the switch is in the second position.

Abstract: A system is provided for recognizing speech for searching a database. The system receives speech input as a spoken search request and then processes the speech input in a speech recognition step using a vocabulary for recognizing the spoken request. By processing the speech input words recognized in the speech input and included in the vocabulary are obtained to form at least one hypothesis. The hypothesis is then utilized to search a database using the at least one hypothesis as a search query. A search result is then received from the database and provided to the user.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system (100; FIG. 1) that includes a route calculation module (204; FIG. 2) that is operable to use marked diversions to avoid traffic events. The navigation system includes a simulation module (212) that is used to simulate traffic events that may occur along a route to a trip destination. A diversion module (214) is used to calculate a plurality of marked diversions that avoid the traffic events that may occur along the route. If a traffic event occurs along the route, the route calculation module only searches roads that contain a marked diversion to determine an alternative route around the traffic event.

Abstract: In a system for providing visual information of a remote location to a user of a vehicle, one or more resources provide visual information of the remote location. Through an input unit, the user may select a remote location for which the visual information is to be requested and input a request for the visual information. A transmitting unit transmits the visual information from the resource to the user, and a display displays the requested visual information to the user. The system may also include a resource determining unit that determines the resource or the resources that are able to provide the requested visual information on the basis of positioning information of the remote location.