Vehicle and Its Control Method

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle that minimizes the difference in output intensity between the left and right headrest speakers by adjusting the output intensity of the headrest speakers based on the position of the passenger's ears. The headrest speakers include a left speaker disposed on the left side of the headrest of a seat inside the vehicle to output sound and a right speaker disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound. A pressure sensor measures the force applied to the headrest, and a controller adjusts the output intensity of the left and right speakers based on the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2020 - 0037706, filed on March 27, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle and a control method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle and a control method thereof, in which the output intensity of a headrest speaker provided inside the vehicle is automatically changed according to the position of a passenger's ear. Background Art

[0004] A vehicle is a device that can transport people or objects to a destination while traveling on a road or a track. The vehicle can mainly move to various positions using one or more wheels mounted on the vehicle body. Such vehicles can include three - wheel or four - wheel vehicles, two - wheel vehicles (e.g., motorcycles, construction machinery, bicycles, and trains running on rails (arranged on tracks)).

[0005] In addition, the vehicle performs navigation functions, telephone functions, audio functions, radio functions, broadcast functions, text message service functions, Internet functions, etc., and in recent years, software for performing more diverse and complex functions has been built - in. The demand level of drivers or passengers in the vehicle is continuously increasing, and in order to adapt to this, the level of interlocking technology between the vehicle and an external terminal such as a smart phone is also increasing.

[0006] A driver or a passenger of a vehicle may expect to listen to desired music through interaction with the vehicle's audio - video navigation (AVN) device or an external terminal, and the expectations for listening to music between the driver and the passenger may be different. In addition, when making a call using a Bluetooth connection inside the vehicle, others inside the vehicle may also hear the content of the call, thus violating personal privacy.

[0007] In addition, with the development of various vehicle - related technologies, various sounds such as warning sounds, navigation guidance sounds, and beeping sounds may be output inside the vehicle, and a driver or a passenger may also need to listen to unnecessary sounds. Therefore, in recent years, research has been conducted on technologies for separating the sound output area or the sound arrival area, so that by differentiating areas inside the vehicle, only passengers located in a predetermined area can hear the sounds (e.g., music or call sounds) output inside the vehicle. In addition, methods for separating the sound output area and simultaneously outputting the sound to the separated areas are being actively discussed.

[0008] As a method for separating the sound output area, research on headrest speakers is actively underway. When using headrest speakers, there is a problem: when the passenger's head moves, the distance between the passenger's ear and the speaker changes, resulting in a difference in the left and right volumes. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention provides a vehicle and a control method thereof for adjusting the output intensity of a headrest speaker based on the position of a passenger's ear, thereby minimizing the difference in the left and right volumes felt by the passenger.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes: a headrest speaker having: a left speaker disposed on the left side of a headrest of a seat inside the vehicle to output sound; and a right speaker disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound; a pressure sensor configured to measure a force applied to the headrest; and a controller configured to adjust the output intensity of the left speaker and the right speaker based on a point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor.

[0011] The controller may be configured to: when the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor is in a first direction based on a vertical line passing through the center of the headrest, reduce the output intensity of the speaker disposed in the first direction among the left speaker and the right speaker, and increase the output intensity of the speaker disposed in a second direction opposite to the first direction among the left speaker and the right speaker. The controller may be configured to: determine a change amount of the output intensity of the left speaker or the right speaker in proportion to a distance between the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor and the vertical line passing through the center of the headrest.

[0012] The vehicle may further include: a vibration sensor configured to detect vibration of the seat; and the controller may be configured to: calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor based on a horizontal vibration among the vibrations detected by the vibration sensor. Additionally, the controller may be configured to: when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction, calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor in the left direction, and may be configured to: when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the right direction, calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor in the right direction.

[0013] The controller may be configured to: when the vibration sensor continuously detects vibration in the horizontal direction within a predetermined time, calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor to the center of the headrest. The controller may be configured to: when the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor does not change within a predetermined time, turn off the output of the headrest speaker.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle may include: a headrest speaker, including: a left speaker disposed on the left side of the headrest of a seat inside the vehicle to output sound; and a right speaker disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound; a camera configured to acquire an image of a passenger sitting in the seat of the vehicle; and a controller configured to determine the position of the passenger's ears based on the image acquired from the camera, and adjust the output intensities of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the position of the passenger's ears.

[0015] The controller may be configured to reduce the output intensity of the speaker when the left or right ear of the passenger is closer to the left or right speaker, and increase the output intensity of the speaker when the left or right ear of the passenger is farther from the left or right speaker. The controller may be configured to determine the output intensity of the left or right speaker in proportion to the distance between the left or right ear of the passenger and the left or right speaker.

[0016] The vehicle may further include: a vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of the seat; and the controller may be configured to: calibrate the position of the passenger's ears based on the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by the vibration sensor. The controller may be configured to: calibrate the position of the passenger's ears in the left direction when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction, and calibrate the position of the passenger's ears in the right direction when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the right direction.

[0017] The controller may be configured to: calibrate the position of the passenger's ears when the vibration sensor continuously detects horizontal vibration within a preset time, so that the distance between the right speaker and the right ear of the passenger is equal to the distance between the left speaker and the left ear of the passenger. The controller may be configured to: detect the eyes of the passenger based on the image of the passenger, and turn off the output of the headrest speaker when the eyes of the passenger are closed for a predetermined period of time.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control method for a vehicle including a headrest speaker, the headrest speaker having: a left speaker disposed on the left side of the headrest of a seat inside the vehicle to output sound; and a right speaker disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound, the method may include: determining the position of the ears of a passenger sitting in the seat; and adjusting the output intensities of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the position of the passenger's ears.

[0019] Determining the position of a passenger's ear may include: determining the position of the ear of a passenger sitting in a seat based on the point of application of a force measured by a pressure sensor configured to measure the force applied to a headrest. Based on the position of the passenger's ear, adjusting the output intensities of a left speaker and a right speaker may include: when the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor is in a first direction based on a vertical line passing through the center of the headrest, decreasing the output intensity of the speaker among the left speaker and the right speaker that is arranged in the first direction; and increasing the output intensity of the speaker among the left speaker and the right speaker that is arranged in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0020] Determining the position of the ear of a passenger sitting in a seat may include: determining the position of the passenger's ear based on an image acquired by a camera configured to acquire an image of a passenger sitting in the seat; and based on the position of the passenger's ear, adjusting the output intensities of a left speaker and a right speaker may include: when the left ear or the right ear of the passenger is closer to the left speaker or the right speaker, decreasing the output intensity of the speaker; and when the left ear or the right ear of the passenger is farther from the left speaker or the right speaker, increasing the output intensity of the speaker;

[0021] In addition, determining the position of the ear of a passenger sitting in a seat may include: calibrating the position of the passenger's ear based on horizontal vibrations in vibrations detected by a vibration sensor configured to detect vibrations of the seat. Calibrating the position of the passenger's ear based on horizontal vibrations in vibrations detected by a vibration sensor configured to detect vibrations of the seat may include: when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction, calibrating the position of the passenger's ear in the left direction; and when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the right direction, calibrating the position of the passenger's ear in the right direction. The method may further include: when the position of the passenger's ear does not change within a predetermined time, turning off the output of the headrest speaker.

[0022] The method and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that will become apparent or be more particularly described by the accompanying drawings incorporated herein and the following detailed description that sets forth certain principles of the present invention. Figure 1 and the following detailed description that sets forth certain principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a seat of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a diagram for illustrating a process of controlling the output of a headrest speaker based on the point of application of a force measured by a pressure sensor according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a diagram for illustrating a process of calibrating the output of a headrest speaker based on vibrations measured by a vibration sensor according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 7 It is a flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an image of a passenger obtained by a camera according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing a situation where the output of a headrest speaker is turned off according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Embodiments

[0033] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms used herein generally include ordinary motor vehicles, such as passenger vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including various boats and ships, and aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels obtained from resources other than petroleum).

[0034] Although the exemplary embodiments are described as using multiple units to perform the exemplary processing, it should be understood that the exemplary processing can also be performed by one or more modules. Additionally, it can be understood that the term controller / control unit refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor, and is specifically programmed to execute the processes described herein. The memory is configured to store modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more of the processes further described below.

[0035] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that when used in this specification, the words "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the phrase "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0036] Unless specifically stated or obvious from the context, the term "about" as used herein shall be understood to be within the normal tolerance in the art, e.g., within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "About" can be understood as being within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05% or 0.01% of the stated value. All numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about" unless clearly known otherwise from the context.

[0037] A detailed reference is now made to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalent forms and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0038] In the following description, throughout the specification, the same reference numerals always denote the same elements. This specification does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and there is no overlap in general content or embodiments within the field of the invention to which the exemplary embodiments of the present invention belong. Terms such as "unit", "module", "component" and "block" may be embodied as hardware or software. According to an embodiment, a plurality of "units", "modules", "components" and "blocks" may be implemented as a single component, or a single "unit", "module", "component" and "block" may include a plurality of components.

[0039] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other element, and its indirect connection includes "connected through a wireless communication network". Additionally, when a component "comprises" or "contains" an element, unless there is a specific description to the contrary, the component may also include other elements, without precluding other elements.

[0040] The terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by the above terms. Expressions in the singular form include the plural form unless they have a clearly different meaning in the context. The reference numerals used in the operations are for convenience of description and are not intended to describe the order of the operations, and the operations may be performed in a different order unless otherwise specified.

[0041] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a seat of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0042] For convenience of the following description, as Figure 1 shown, the direction in which the vehicle 1 generally moves forward is referred to as the frontward direction, and the left and right directions are distinguished based on the front. In addition, the direction with respect to the floor of the vehicle 1 is referred to as the vertical direction, and the direction parallel to the ground is defined as the horizontal direction.

[0043] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the vehicle 1 may include: at least one seat 300; a headrest speaker 600 provided on the headrest 300b of at least one seat 300; a pressure sensor 100 provided on the headrest 300b and configured to measure the force applied to the headrest 300b; a vibration sensor 200 provided in the seat 300 and configured to detect the vibration of the seat 300, and a camera 400 configured to acquire an image of a passenger inside the vehicle 1.

[0044] The at least one seat 300 may include a driver's seat 301, an auxiliary seat 302, a rear seat of the driver's seat 303, and a rear seat of the auxiliary seat 304, and a passenger may refer to a person sitting in any one of the driver's seat 301, the auxiliary seat 302, the rear seat of the driver's seat 303, and the rear seat of the auxiliary seat 304. The number or shape of the at least one seat 300 may vary based on the type of the vehicle 1.

[0045] Each seat 300 may include a backrest 300a for supporting a passenger's body and a headrest 300b for supporting a passenger's head. The headrest speaker 600 may include: a left speaker 600L provided on the left side of the headrest 300b to output sound and a right speaker 600R provided on the right side of the headrest 300b to output sound. The headrest speaker 600 may be configured to output music, output the sound of a video, or output a sound signal of a navigation device or an AVN device according to a control signal of the controller 500.

[0046] For example, the first headrest speaker 601 may be disposed in the driver's seat 301, and the first headrest speaker 601 may include a first left speaker 601L and a first right speaker 601R. The second headrest speaker 602 may be disposed in the passenger seat 302, and the second headrest speaker 602 may include a second left speaker 602L and a second right speaker 602R. Similarly, the third headrest speaker 603 may be disposed in the rear seat 303 of the driver's seat, and the third headrest speaker 603 may include a third left speaker 603L and a third right speaker 603R. Additionally, the fourth headrest speaker 604 may be disposed in the rear seat 304 of the passenger seat, and the fourth headrest speaker 604 may include a fourth left speaker 604L and a fourth right speaker 604R.

[0047] Each headrest speaker 600 may be configured to output the same sound, or may be configured to output different sounds. For example, the second headrest speaker 602 of the passenger seat 302 may be configured to output music, while the first headrest speaker 601 of the driver's seat 301 may be configured to output the sound of a navigation device. Each seat 300 may include: a pressure sensor 100 configured to measure the force applied to the headrest 300b. The pressure sensor 100 may cover all regions along the horizontal direction of the headrest 300b and may be configured to obtain information about the point of application of the force applied to the headrest 300b.

[0048] As the pressure sensor 100, any type of sensor configured to measure the force applied to the headrest 300b may be employed. Additionally, a vibration sensor 200 configured to measure the vibration of the seat 300 may be provided in each seat 300. As the vibration sensor 200, any type of sensor configured to detect the vibration of the seat 300 may be employed. Specifically, the vibration sensor 200 may be configured to measure the direction and intensity of the vibration applied to the seat 300.

[0049] The camera 400 may refer to any configuration capable of acquiring an image of a passenger. For example, the camera 400 may employ a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor. At least one camera 400 may be provided in the vehicle 1, and all images of the passengers sitting in each seat 300 may be acquired.

[0050] Figure 3 is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to Figure 3 , the pressure sensor 100 may be configured to send information related to the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 to the controller 500. For example, the pressure sensor 100 may be configured to send information related to the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 to the controller 500.

[0051] The vibration sensor 200 can be configured to detect the vibration of the seat 300 and send the sensed information to the controller 500. For example, the vibration sensor 200 can be configured to send information related to the direction, intensity, etc. of the vibration applied to the seat 300 to the controller 500. The camera 400 can be configured to acquire an image of the passenger and transmit the acquired image to the controller 500. The controller 500 can be configured to adjust the output of the headrest speaker 600 based on the information obtained from the pressure sensor 100 and / or the vibration sensor 200 and / or the camera 400.

[0052] Specifically, the controller 500 can be configured to adjust the output intensities of the left speaker 600L and the right speaker 600R of the headrest speaker 600 differently from each other. To this end, the controller 500 can include: at least one memory that stores programs for performing the above operations and the following operations; and at least one processor for executing the stored programs. When the controller 500 includes a plurality of memories and a plurality of processors, the plurality of memories and the plurality of processors can be directly connected to one chip or can be physically separated.

[0053] The pressure sensor 100, the vibration sensor 200, the camera 400, the controller 500, and the headrest speaker 600 according to the exemplary embodiment perform CAN (Controller Area Network) communication with each other to send their respective information. Additionally, each piece of information can be sent by performing wired communication. For example, in the vehicle 1, a communication network including a body network, a multimedia network, and a chassis network is configured to control various electrical loads installed on the vehicle 1 and the communication between the various electrical loads, and the controller 500 can connect the respective separated networks to send and receive CAN (Controller Area Network) communication messages.

[0054] The configuration of the vehicle 1 according to one exemplary embodiment, and the operations and structures of the respective configurations have been described above. Hereinafter, a control method of the vehicle 1 using the various configurations of the vehicle 1 will be described in detail.

[0055] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a process of controlling the output of a headrest speaker based on the point of action of a force measured by a pressure sensor according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining a process of calibrating the output of a headrest speaker based on vibration measured by a vibration sensor according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0056] Refer to Figures 4 to 6, the pressure sensor 100 can be configured to measure the force applied to the headrest 300b and send information about the force applied to the headrest 300b to the controller 500 (step 1000). The controller 500 can be configured to determine the position of the point of application (FP) of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 (step 1100). When no vibration of the seat 300 is detected (step 1150), the controller 500 can be configured to determine the position of the passenger's ear based on the position of the point of application (FP) of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 (step 1300).

[0057] Referring to Figure 5 , when the point of application FP of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 is located on the right side with respect to the vertical line VL passing through the center of the headrest 300b, it can be determined that the position of the passenger's ear is biased to the right. Then, the controller 500 can be configured to adjust the output intensity of the headrest speaker 600 based on the position of the passenger's ear (step 1400). Specifically, when the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 is located on the right side based on the vertical line VL passing through the center of the headrest 300b, it can be determined that the position of the passenger's ear is to the right, and the controller 500 can be configured to decrease the output intensity of the right speaker 600R of the headrest speaker 600 and increase the output intensity of the left speaker 600L of the headrest speaker 600.

[0058] Conversely, when the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 is located on the left side with respect to the vertical line VL passing through the center of the headrest 300b, it can be determined that the position of the passenger's ear is to the left, and the controller 500 can be configured to decrease the output intensity of the left speaker 600L of the headrest speaker 600 and increase the output intensity of the right speaker 600R of the headrest speaker 600.

[0059] As described above, according to the control method of the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment, the output intensity of the speaker near the passenger's ear can be reduced, and the output intensity of the speaker far from the passenger's ear can be increased. Therefore, the passenger can listen to the sound more smoothly and naturally. The controller 500 can be configured to determine the change amount of the output intensity of the left speaker 600L or the right speaker 600R in proportion to the distance between the point of application FP of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 and the vertical line VL passing through the center of the headrest 300b.

[0060] For example, referring to Figure 5, as the distance d between the point of application FP of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 and the vertical line VL increases, the controller 500 can be configured to decrease the output intensity of the right speaker 600R. The output intensity of the left speaker 600L can be further increased. Conversely, assuming that the point of application (FP) of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 is on the left side with respect to the vertical line (VL), the controller 500 can be configured to increase the distance between the point of application (FP) of the force and the vertical line (VL). The output intensity of the speaker 600R can be further increased, and the output intensity of the left speaker 600L can be further decreased.

[0061] When adjusting the output intensity of the headrest speaker 600 based on the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 as described above, when a sudden vibration is applied to the seat 300, the speaker output may change suddenly. Therefore, the vibration sensor 200 provided on the seat 300 can be configured to detect the vibration of the seat 300 (step 1150). When the vibration of the seat 300 is detected (Yes in step 1150), the controller 500 can be configured to calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 based on the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 200 (step 1200).

[0062] Specifically, when the direction of the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 200 is the left direction, the controller 500 can be configured to calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 in the left direction, and when the direction of the vibration sensed by the vibration sensor 200 is the right direction, the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 can be calibrated in the right direction.

[0063] Referring to Figure 6 , the vibration of the seat 300 detected by the vibration sensor 200 is in the left direction. At this time, the position of the seat 300 may instantaneously move to the left, and correspondingly, the direction in which the passenger's head presses the headrest 300b may move to the right. In other words, when the vibration of the seat 300 detected by the vibration sensor 200 is in the left direction, even if the position of the passenger's head does not change, the output intensity of the headrest speaker 600 may change due to the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 moving to the right.

[0064] To prevent the output intensity of the headrest speaker 600 from changing according to the vibration of the seat 300 as described above, when the vibration of the seat 300 detected by the vibration sensor 200 is in the left direction, the controller 500 can be configured to calibrate the position of the force application point FP measured by the pressure sensor 100 to the left and determine the calibrated force application point (FPR). The controller 500 can be configured to determine the position of the passenger's ear based on the position of the calibrated force application point (FPR) and adjust the output intensity (1400) of the headrest speaker 600 based on the position of the passenger's ear.

[0065] The controller 500 can also be configured to determine the calibration amount of the position of the force application point FP measured by the pressure sensor 100 in proportion to the intensity of the vibration sensed by the vibration sensor 200. Specifically, as the intensity of the horizontal vibration detected by the vibration sensor 200 increases, the controller 500 can be configured to move the position of the force application point FP in the direction of the vibration. Additionally, when horizontal vibration in the vibration sensor 200 is continuously detected within a preset time period, the controller 500 can be configured to set the position of the force application point FP measured by the pressure sensor 100 to the center of the headrest 300b.

[0066] When the vehicle 1 is traveling on a bumpy road such as an unpaved road, if the output of the headrest speaker 600 continuously changes according to the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 200, it may cause inconvenience to the passenger. Therefore, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a bumpy road, the output of the headrest speaker 600 can be kept constant. Thus, a preset time period can be preset as the time when the vehicle 1 can be determined to be traveling on a bumpy road (e.g., an unpaved road). For example, the preset time can be set to about 2 seconds. Although not shown in Figure 4 the controller 500 can be configured to turn off the output of the headrest speaker 600 when the position of the force application point measured by the pressure sensor 100 does not change within the preset time period.

[0067] If the position of the force application point measured by the pressure sensor 100 does not change within a certain time period, it is very likely that the passenger has fallen asleep. Therefore, to protect the passenger's hearing, the output of the headrest speaker 600 can be turned off. At this time, the preset time period can be set to a long enough time to reasonably assume that the passenger has fallen asleep. For example, the preset time can be set to about 10 minutes.

[0068] The above has been described with reference to Figures 4 to 6 the control method of the vehicle 1 according to an exemplary embodiment. Hereinafter, the control method of the vehicle 1 according to another exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9 the description. Figure 7A flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 A diagram showing an image of a passenger obtained by a camera according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 9 A diagram showing a case where the output of a headrest speaker is turned off according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0069] Referring to Figure 7 , the camera 400 may be configured to obtain an image of a passenger sitting on the seat 300. Specifically, image data regarding the face of the passenger may be obtained (step 2000). The controller 500 may be configured to identify the ears of the passenger based on the image of the passenger obtained from the camera 400 and determine the positions of the passenger's ears (step 2100). When the vibration of the seat 300 is not detected (No in step 2150), the controller 500 may be configured to adjust the output intensities of the left speaker 600L and the right speaker 600R of the headrest speaker 600 based on the positions of the passenger's ears (step 2300).

[0070] Specifically, the controller 500 may be configured to: decrease the output intensity of the left speaker 600L as the passenger's ear gets closer to the left speaker 600L, and increase the output intensity of the left speaker 600L as the passenger's ear gets farther from the left speaker 600L. At this time, the controller 500 may be configured to determine the output intensity of the left speaker 600L in proportion to the distance between the passenger's ear and the left speaker 600L. For example, the smaller the distance between the left speaker 600L and the passenger's ear, the more the output intensity may be decreased. The larger the distance between the left speaker 600L and the passenger's ear, the greater the output intensity.

[0071] Conversely, the controller 500 may be configured to: decrease the output intensity of the right speaker 600R as the passenger's ear gets closer to the right speaker 600R, and increase the output intensity of the right speaker 600R as the passenger's ear gets farther from the right speaker 600R. At this time, the controller 500 may be configured to determine the output intensity of the right speaker 600R in proportion to the distance between the passenger's ear and the right speaker 600R. For example, the smaller the distance between the right speaker 600R and the passenger's ear, the more the output intensity may be decreased. The larger the distance between the right speaker 600R and the passenger's ear, the greater the output intensity.

[0072] Referring to Figure 8 , the distance d1 between the passenger's right ear and the right speaker 600R is smaller than the distance d2 between the passenger's left ear and the left speaker 600L. Referring to Figure 8 , the controller 500 may be configured to decrease the output intensity of the right speaker 600R and increase the output intensity of the left speaker 600L.

[0073] As described with reference to Figure 4 above, when vibration of the seat 300 is detected (Yes in step 1150), the controller 500 can be configured to: calibrate the position of the passenger's ears based on the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 200 (step 2200). Specifically, if the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor 200 is the left direction, the controller 500 can be configured to calibrate the position of the passenger's ears in the left direction. If the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor 200 is in the right direction, the position of the passenger's ears can be calibrated in the right direction.

[0074] In addition, the controller 500 can be configured to: determine the calibration amount of the position of the passenger's ears in proportion to the vibration intensity detected by the vibration sensor 200. In addition, when the controller 500 continuously detects horizontal vibration in the vibration sensor 200 within a preset time period, the position of the passenger's ears can be calibrated such that the distance between the right speaker 600R and the passenger's right ear is equal to the distance between the left speaker 600L and the passenger's left ear.

[0075] As described above, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a bumpy road such as a dirt road, if the output of the headrest speaker 600 continuously changes according to the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 200, it may cause inconvenience to the passenger. Therefore, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a bumpy road, the output of the headrest speaker 600 can be kept constant. Then, the controller 500 can be configured to: adjust the output intensity of the headrest speaker 600 based on the calibrated position of the passenger's ears (step 2300).

[0076] Although not shown in Figure 7 it, the controller 500 can be configured to sense the state of the passenger's eyes based on an image of the passenger, and when the passenger's eyes are closed for a predetermined time period, turn off the output of the headrest speaker 600. As Figure 9 shown, the passenger's eyes are closed, and if the passenger's eyes are closed for a certain time period, since the passenger is likely to be asleep, the controller 500 can be configured to protect the passenger's hearing by turning off the output of the headrest speaker 600.

[0077] The control method of the vehicle 1 according to another exemplary embodiment has been described above with reference to Figures 7 to 9 The control method of the vehicle 1 shown in Figure 4 and the control method of the vehicle 1 shown in Figure 7 are not mutually exclusive, and the output of the headrest speaker 600 according to the accurate position and state of the passenger's ears can be used interchangeably to adjust the intensity.

[0078] In other words, the controller 500 can be configured to more accurately determine the position of the passenger's ear based on the information obtained from both the pressure sensor 100, the camera 400, and the vibration sensor 200. For example, even if the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 is biased to one side, based on the image of the passenger obtained from the camera 400, if the position of the passenger's ear has not changed significantly, the output of the headrest speaker 600 can be adjusted based on the image of the passenger obtained from the camera 400. Additionally, even if the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor 100 does not change within a preset time period, based on the image of the passenger obtained from the camera 400, if the passenger's eyes are not closed, the headrest speaker 600 can be kept on.

[0079] As described above, various exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can be implemented in forms different from the disclosed exemplary embodiments without changing the technical spirit or basic characteristics of the present invention. The disclosed exemplary embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as restrictive.

[0080] On the other hand, the disclosed embodiments can be implemented in the form of a recording medium for storing instructions executable by a computer. The instructions can be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, can generate program modules to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium can be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

[0081] The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording media in which the instructions can be decoded by a computer. For example, there can be read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disk, flash memory, optical data storage devices, etc.

[0082] As described above, various exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments can be changed without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, wherein the scope of the present invention is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

[0083] By adjusting the output intensity of the headrest speaker according to the position of the passenger's ear, there is an effect that the passenger can listen to the sound more effectively. Additionally, when the passenger does not move, the output of the speaker can be turned off to protect the passenger's hearing.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: A headrest speaker, comprising: a left speaker disposed on the left side of the headrest of the seat inside the vehicle to output sound; and a right speaker disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound; A pressure sensor configured to measure the force applied to the headrest; A vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of the seat; and A controller configured to adjust the output intensities of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to: calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor to the left or right based on whether the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction or the right direction, wherein the controller is configured to: when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction, calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor to the left, and when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the right direction, calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor to the right.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to: when the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor is in the first direction with respect to the vertical line passing through the center of the headrest, reduce the output intensity of the speaker disposed in the first direction among the left speaker and the right speaker, and increase the output intensity of the speaker disposed in the second direction opposite to the first direction among the left speaker and the right speaker.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is configured to: determine the amount of change in the output intensity of the left speaker or the right speaker in proportion to the distance between the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor and the vertical line passing through the center of the headrest.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to: when the vibration sensor continuously detects vibration in the horizontal direction within a predetermined time, calibrate the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor to the center of the headrest.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to: in response to determining that the position of the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor has not changed within a predetermined period, turn off the output of the headrest speaker.

6. A vehicle, comprising: A headrest speaker, comprising: a left speaker disposed on the left side of the headrest of the seat inside the vehicle to output sound; and a right speaker disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound; A camera configured to acquire an image of a passenger sitting on the seat of the vehicle; A vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of the seat; and A controller configured to determine the position of the ears of the passenger based on the image acquired from the camera and adjust the output intensities of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the position of the ears of the passenger, wherein the controller is configured to: calibrate the position of the ears of the passenger to the left or right based on whether the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction or the right direction, Wherein, the controller is configured to: when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction, calibrate the position of the passenger's ear to the left, and when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the right direction, calibrate the position of the passenger's ear to the right.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is configured to: when the left ear or right ear of the passenger is closer to the left speaker or the right speaker, reduce the output intensity of the speaker, and when the left ear or right ear of the passenger is farther from the left speaker or the right speaker, increase the output intensity of the speaker.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, The controller is configured to: determine the output intensity of the left speaker or the right speaker in proportion to the distance between the left ear or right ear of the passenger and the left speaker or the right speaker.

9. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is configured to: when the vibration sensor continuously detects the horizontal vibration within a preset time period, calibrate the position of the passenger's ear so that the distance between the right speaker and the right ear of the passenger is equal to the distance between the left speaker and the left ear of the passenger.

10. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is configured to: detect the eyes of the passenger based on the image of the passenger, and in response to determining that the eyes of the passenger have been closed for a predetermined time period, turn off the output of the headrest speaker.

11. A vehicle control method, the vehicle including a headrest speaker, the headrest speaker comprising: A left speaker, disposed on the left side of the headrest of the seat inside the vehicle to output sound; and a right speaker, disposed on the right side of the headrest to output sound, the method comprising the following steps: determining, by a controller, the position of the ears of a passenger sitting in the seat of the vehicle; and adjusting, by the controller, the output intensities of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the position of the ears of the passenger, wherein the step of determining the position of the ears of the passenger sitting in the seat comprises: calibrating the position of the passenger's ears to the left or right based on whether the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by a vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of the seat is in the left direction or the right direction, wherein the step of calibrating the position of the passenger's ears based on the horizontal vibration in the vibration detected by a vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of the seat comprises: when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the left direction, calibrating the position of the passenger's ears to the left; and when the vibration direction detected by the vibration sensor is in the right direction, calibrating the position of the passenger's ears to the right.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein: the step of determining the position of the ears of the passenger comprises: determining the position of the ears of the passenger sitting in the seat based on the point of application of the force measured by a pressure sensor configured to measure the force applied to the headrest, and the step of adjusting the output intensities of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the position of the ears of the passenger comprises: when the point of application of the force measured by the pressure sensor is in a first direction with respect to a vertical line passing through the center of the headrest, reducing the output intensity of the speaker disposed in the first direction among the left speaker and the right speaker, and increasing the output intensity of the speakers provided in the second direction opposite to the first direction in the left speaker and the right speaker.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein: the step of determining the position of the ears of the passenger sitting in the seat includes: determining the position of the ears of the passenger based on an image acquired by a camera configured to acquire an image of the passenger sitting in the seat; and the step of adjusting the output intensity of the left speaker and the right speaker based on the position of the ears of the passenger includes: when the left ear or the right ear of the passenger is closer to the left speaker or the right speaker, reducing the output intensity of the speaker; and when the left ear or the right ear of the passenger is farther from the left speaker or the right speaker, increasing the output intensity of the speaker.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising: in response to determining that the position of the ears of the passenger has not changed within a predetermined period of time, turning off the output of the headrest speakers through the controller.

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