Abstract: The technology can be embodied in a headrest that includes an enclosure that includes one or more acoustic transducers. The headrest includes a bar for mounting on a backrest of the seat, such that the mounted headrest is movable with respect to the backrest to different positions over an adjustable range. The bar includes one or more wires each of which is coupled to an electrical contact at one end, and an acoustic transducer at an opposite end, the one or more wires disposed within a hollow interior portion of the bar. The bar also includes an opening for permitting an electrical connection to be established between an electrical connector coupled to an external source, and the electrical contact coupled to the one or more wires. The connection is maintained over the adjustable range of the headrest by a mechanical bias on either the electrical connector or the electrical contact.

Abstract: A vehicle headrest includes a main body portion having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user. The main body portion includes first and second speakers which are disposed within the main body portion, and a cushion layer that is configured to surround the speakers and provide cushioning for a user's head. The cushion layer includes acoustic channels for controlling a radiation pattern of acoustic energy radiated from the speakers.

Abstract: A system for a seat in a motor vehicle that has a cabin audio system and a bass loudspeaker that is able to generate sound in the cabin. The system includes a seat active suspension system with a vibration sensor coupled to the seat, and a controller that is responsive to the vibration sensor and that outputs control signals that are provided to an electromagnetic actuator that reduces seat vibrations. The active suspension system is arranged such that it can cause a change in the audio system.

Abstract: A vehicle headrest includes a passive directional acoustic device. The passive directional acoustic device includes an acoustic driver, a pipe acoustically coupled to the acoustic driver. The pipe includes an elongated opening along at least a portion of the length of the pipe through which acoustic energy is radiated to the environment. The radiation is characterized by a volume velocity. The pipe and the opening are configured so that the magnitude of the volume velocity is substantially constant along the length of the pipe.

Abstract: A vehicle headrest includes a main body portion having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user. The main body portion includes first and second speakers which are disposed within the main body portion, and a cushion layer that is configured to surround the speakers and provide cushioning for a user's head. The cushion layer includes acoustic channels for controlling a radiation pattern of acoustic energy radiated from the speakers.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in a seat headrest that includes an interior chamber that accommodates an acoustic transducer, and an acoustic channel disposed between the interior chamber and an external opening in the seat headrest. The headrest also includes a soft outer layer disposed around at least a portion of a periphery of the external opening, and a grill mount. The grill mount is disposed in or attached to the outer layer, the grill mount extending, at least in part, around the periphery of the acoustic channel, and configured to engage with a portion of a speaker grill-assembly in a mating configuration.

Abstract: The technology described in this document is embodied in a speaker grill configured to be attached to a speaker system disposed in a portion of a vehicle seat. The speaker grill includes a base that includes perforations to allow acoustic energy from the speakers to pass through the grill, a sidewall extending from the base such that the sidewall and the base define a cavity, and a structural feature configured to allow the speaker grill to be to be attached to a substantially rigid portion of the vehicle seat. The speaker grill is attached in an acoustic path of the speaker system, and is removable from the substantially rigid portion of the vehicle seat following attachment.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in an acoustic enclosure for a speaker system disposed in a portion of a vehicle seat. The acoustic enclosure includes a rigid plate configured to be attached to a frame, a first section, and a second section. The rigid plate configured to support a speaker disposed in part within the acoustic enclosure. The first section is constructed from expanded resin, and disposed in contact with the rigid plate. The second section is disposed in contact with the first section, between the second section and the rigid plate. The first and second section together define a housing of the acoustic enclosure that includes at least one cavity configured to accommodate a portion of the speaker.

Abstract: A method of creating in situ an acoustic enclosure in a space that is between body panels of a motor vehicle, wherein the space defines an empty volume, the method comprising placing into the space between body panels a molding tool that comprises a solid barrier that divides the space between body panels into an interior portion on an inside of the molding tool and an exterior portion that is external to an outside of the molding tool, where the outside of the molding tool is exposed to the space between body panels, and while the molding tool is in the space between the panels, introducing a fluid material into the exterior portion of the space between the body panels, wherein the fluid material is configured to cure into a solid shell.

Abstract: A planar magnetic component includes a printed circuit board, a coil formed on one or more electrically conductive metal layers of the printed circuit board, terminals electrically connected to the coil for energizing the coil, and a magnetic core mounted to the printed circuit board for confining magnetic flux of the coil. The printed circuit board defines an alignment feature for engaging with a mating feature on a mating circuit board, thereby to align the planar magnetic component with the mating circuit board.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in an acoustic enclosure for a speaker system disposed in a portion of a vehicle seat. The acoustic enclosure includes a rigid plate configured to be attached to a frame, a first section, and a second section. The rigid plate configured to support a speaker disposed in part within the acoustic enclosure. The first section is constructed from expanded resin, and disposed in contact with the rigid plate. The second section is disposed in contact with the first section, between the second section and the rigid plate. The first and second section together define a housing of the acoustic enclosure that includes at least one cavity configured to accommodate a portion of the speaker.

Abstract: There is provided a headrest with speakers capable of exhibiting an excellent sound effect. The headrest with speakers includes: a headrest frame; a pair of left and right enclosures supported by the headrest frame; speaker units supported in the enclosures respectively; and a headrest cushion member supported by the headrest frame to support a head, the headrest cushion member including: a net member having a pair of left and right acoustically transparent parts at places substantially facing the respective speaker units; and soundproof parts disposed between the pair of left and right acoustically transparent parts in the net member and between the pair of left and right enclosures respectively.

Abstract: The technology described in this document is embodied in a speaker grill configured to be attached to a speaker system disposed in a portion of a vehicle seat. The speaker grill includes a base that includes perforations to allow acoustic energy from the speakers to pass through the grill, a sidewall extending from the base such that the sidewall and the base define a cavity, and a structural feature configured to allow the speaker grill to be to be attached to a substantially rigid portion of the vehicle seat. The speaker grill is attached in an acoustic path of the speaker system, and is removable from the substantially rigid portion of the vehicle seat following attachment.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in an acoustic enclosure for a speaker system disposed in a portion of a vehicle seat. The acoustic enclosure includes a rigid plate configured to be attached to a frame, a first section, and a second section. The rigid plate configured to support a speaker disposed in part within the acoustic enclosure. The first section is constructed from expanded resin, and disposed in contact with the rigid plate. The second section is disposed in contact with the first section, between the second section and the rigid plate. The first and second section together define a housing of the acoustic enclosure that includes at least one cavity configured to accommodate a portion of the speaker.

Abstract: A system for a seat in a motor vehicle that has a cabin audio system and a bass loudspeaker that is able to generate sound in the cabin. The system includes a seat active suspension system with a vibration sensor coupled to the seat, and a controller that is responsive to the vibration sensor and that outputs control signals that are provided to an electromagnetic actuator that reduces seat vibrations. The active suspension system is arranged such that it can cause a change in the audio system.

Abstract: The technology described in this document is embodied in a speaker grill configured to be attached to a speaker system disposed in a portion of a vehicle seat. The speaker grill includes a base that includes perforations to allow acoustic energy from the speakers to pass through the grill, a sidewall extending from the base such that the sidewall and the base define a cavity, and a structural feature configured to allow the speaker grill to be to be attached to a substantially rigid portion of the vehicle seat. The speaker grill is attached in an acoustic path of the speaker system, and is removable from the substantially rigid portion of the vehicle seat following attachment.

Abstract: An automobile headrest includes a main body portion having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user. The main body portion includes first and second speakers which are disposed within the main body portion, and a core that is configured to support the speakers. The automobile headrest also includes a pair of support rods that are connected to the core. The core is configured such that at least a portion of the speakers is disposed directly behind the head of the user when the back of the user's head rests against the front surface of the main body portion and is centered relative to the main body portion. The core defines a portion of one or more acoustic chambers for the first and second speakers.

Abstract: There is provided a headrest with speakers capable of exhibiting an excellent sound effect. The headrest with speakers includes: a headrest frame; a pair of left and right enclosures supported by the headrest frame; speaker units supported in the enclosures respectively; and a headrest cushion member supported by the headrest frame to support a head, the headrest cushion member including: a net member having a pair of left and right acoustically transparent parts at places substantially facing the respective speaker units; and soundproof parts disposed between the pair of left and right acoustically transparent parts in the net member and between the pair of left and right enclosures respectively.

Abstract: A method for crest-factor based gain modification comprises sampling audio inputs to determine an energy for each input. The inputs are amplified to produce output channels. An average energy is determined for each frame by adding a percentage of a last average energy to a residual percentage of the energy. The last average energy is equal to zero for a first sampling of the audio inputs. The residual percentage is equal to one hundred minus the percentage of the last average energy. The amplifier gain is iteratively reduced by a decrease-step for a fixed period until a number of exceeding-inputs is less than or equal to a maximum. The exceeding-inputs have an average energy that exceeds a maximum-energy. The amplifier gain is iteratively increased by an increase-step for another fixed period until a number of exceeding-inputs is greater than a maximum.

Abstract: A headliner assembly for a vehicle includes a headliner and a microphone. The headliner is configured for attachment to the vehicle such that the headliner separates a passenger cabin of the vehicle from a roof panel of the vehicle and such that a first surface of the headliner faces the roof panel, and an opposite, second surface of the headliner faces the passenger cabin. The microphone is mounted along the second surface of the headliner such that, when installed in the vehicle, the headliner is disposed between the microphone and the roof panel.