What is claimed is:
1. A method of automatically adjusting volume of speech generated by a text-to-speech application comprising the steps of:
measuring an ambient noise level of an audio environment;
calculating a target volume for speech output generated by a text-to-speech application based in part upon said ambient noise level; and,
automatically adjusting volume of speech generated by said text-to-speech application responsive to said calculating step.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step further comprising the step of:
adjusting an amplitude of a speech output via software configured to modify signals, wherein said software is a component of said text-to-speech application.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step adjusts an amplifier external to said text-to-speech application.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
detecting a sound pressure level for played speech;
comparing said sound pressure level with a sound pressure level associated with said target volume; and,
responsively adjusting said volume of speech generated by said text-to-speech application.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
limiting said target volume to a volume range.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating step further comprising the step of:
calculating said target volume based in part upon a signal-to-noise ratio value.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring step further comprising the step of:
receiving an input from a microphone configured to receive speech input for a voice recognition application.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
identifying output characteristics of at least one audio transducer that plays speech, wherein said calculating step utilizes said output characteristics.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one audio transducer comprises a plurality of audio transducers, said method further comprising the steps of:
selecting one of said plurality of audio transducers; and
adjusting said target volume based upon said output characteristics of said selected audio transducer.
10. A system for automatically adjusting a volume of speech generated by a text-to-speech application comprising:
a receiving transducer configured to detect an ambient noise level;
a text-to-speech application;
a calculation engine configured to calculate a target volume based in part upon said ambient noise level; and,
an audio transducer configured to play speech generated by said text-to-speech application, wherein an output level of said speech is automatically adjusted based upon said target volume.
11. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
measuring an ambient noise level of an audio environment;
calculating a target volume for speech output generated by a text-to-speech application based in part upon said ambient noise level; and,
automatically adjusting volume of speech generated by said text-to-speech application responsive to said calculating step.
12. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, wherein said adjusting step further comprising the step of:
adjusting an amplitude of a speech output via software configured to modify signals, wherein said software is a component of said text-to-speech application.
13. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, wherein said adjusting step adjusts an amplifier external to said text-to-speech application.
14. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
detecting a sound pressure level for played speech;
comparing said sound pressure level with a sound pressure level associated with said target volume; and,
responsively adjusting said volume of speech generated by said text-to-speech application.
15. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
limiting said target volume to a volume range.
16. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, wherein said calculating step further comprising the step of:
calculating said target volume based in part upon a signal-to-noise ratio value.
17. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, wherein said measuring step further comprising the step of:
receiving an input from a microphone configured to receive speech input for a voice recognition application.
18. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
identifying output characteristics of at least one audio transducer that plays speech, wherein said calculating step utilizes said output characteristics.
19. The machine-readable storage of claim 18, wherein said at least one audio transducer comprises a plurality of audio transducers, said method further comprising the steps of:
selecting one of said plurality of audio transducers; and
adjusting said target volume based upon said output characteristics of the selected audio transducer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1.-10. (canceled)
11. A device for cooling fuel for an internal combustion engine, comprising a heat pipe having an evaporation zone and a condensation zone, said evaporation zone being in thermal contact with fuel vapors for condensing a portion of the fuel vapors.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the evaporation zone is arranged inside a fuel tank of the internal combustion engine above a fuel level of the fuel tank.
13. The device of claim 11, wherein the evaporation zone is arranged in a boundary wall of a fuel tank above a fuel level.
14. The device of claim 11, wherein the evaporation zone is in thermal contact with the fuel vapors along a tank ventilation line which leads from a fuel tank to an activated carbon filter.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the evaporation zone is in thermal contact with the fuel vapors between the tank and a tank ventilation valve which is arranged in the tank ventilation line.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein the evaporation zone is in thermal contact with the fuel vapors via a metallic wall of the tank ventilation line.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein the evaporation zone of the heat pipe surrounds a section of the tank ventilation line.
18. The device of claim 14, wherein the section is made of metal.
19. The device of claim 14, further comprising a liquid trap for separating condensed fuel from the fuel vapors in the tank ventilation line.
20. The device of claim 11, wherein the condensation zone is arranged in a region cooled by a passing air flow.
21. The device of claim 11, wherein the condensation zone is arranged inside a fuel tank below a fuel level near a bottom of the fuel tank.
22. The device of claim 11, wherein the heat pipe is arranged in its entirety inside a fuel tank of the internal combustion engine, with the evaporation zone being arranged above a fuel level of the fuel tank, and with the condensation zone being arranged below a fuel level near a bottom of the fuel tank.