In-vehicle sound device and in-vehicle sound control method

Abstract

An in-vehicle acoustic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a plurality of speakers (3) provided in a vehicle (200); a plurality of microphones (2) that are provided in the vehicle (200); and a controller (10) that controls the microphone (2) corresponding to the first seating position of the first occupant and the speaker (3) corresponding to the second seating position of the second occupant such that the voice of the first occupant inputted from the microphone (2) is heard by the second occupant other than the first occupant via the speaker (3). The controller (10) controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker (3) corresponding to the second seating position on the basis of the positional relationship between the first seating position and the second seating position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an in-vehicle audio device and an in-vehicle audio control method. Background Art

[0002] In the past, a sound field control device that controls the sound field in a vehicle cabin to take care of non-participants in a conversation and facilitate conversation for participants is known (e.g., Patent Document 1). The sound field control device described in Patent Document 1 detects the seat positions of the passengers of the vehicle, detects the speaker and the receiver of the conversation in the vehicle cabin as participants from the passengers, and controls the sound field of a plurality of speakers of the vehicle that are arranged corresponding to the seat positions based on the seat positions of the participants and the seat positions of passengers who are not participants, i.e., non-participants, when a conversation is conducted in the vehicle cabin. Furthermore, the sound field control device controls the sound field so that the volume at the seat positions of the non-participants does not decrease compared to before the control, while the volume at the seat positions of the participants decreases.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2018 / 026704 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, the above-mentioned conventional sound field control device uniformly reduces the volume of speakers installed corresponding to the seated positions of participants in the conversation, and therefore has a problem of not being applicable to a conversation method in which passengers have a conversation through a microphone and speakers in a vehicle cabin.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle audio device and an in-vehicle audio control method that allow passengers to have a smooth conversation through a microphone and a speaker in a vehicle cabin.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem in the following way: when a second passenger other than the first passenger is to hear the voice of the first passenger input from the microphone via the speaker, the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position is controlled based on the positional relationship between the first seating position of the first passenger and the second seating position of the second passenger.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, passengers can smoothly communicate with each other through the microphone and the speaker in the vehicle cabin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle audio system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a top view of the vehicle.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a top view of the vehicle.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a top view of the vehicle.

[0017] Figure 5A This is a table for explaining the turning on and off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows.

[0018] Figure 5B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0019] Fig. 6A This is a table for explaining the turning on and off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows.

[0020] Figure 6B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0021] Fig. 7A This is a table for explaining the turning on and off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows.

[0022] Figure 7B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0023] Fig. 8A This is a table for explaining the turning on and off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows.

[0024] Figure 8B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0025] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart of a control flow executed by the controller of the in-vehicle audio system according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the in-vehicle audio system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1This is a block diagram of a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle sound system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-vehicle sound system includes a power switch 1, a microphone 2, a speaker 3, an on-vehicle switch 4, a camera 5, a communicator 6, and a controller 10. The in-vehicle sound system is a system for controlling conversations between passengers, conversations between passengers and users outside the vehicle, output of system sounds of the in-vehicle system, and / or the sound environment in a specific seat through speakers and / or microphones provided in the vehicle cabin. Moreover, a device including at least a microphone 2, a speaker 3, and a controller 10 is equivalent to the "in-vehicle sound device" of the present invention, and the control performed by the controller 10 is equivalent to the "in-vehicle sound control method" of the present invention.

[0027] The power switch 1 is a main switch of the vehicle 200 and is used to start the driving source of the vehicle 200 and start the electrical system. The in-vehicle audio system is started by turning on the power switch 1. When the vehicle 200 has an engine, the power switch 1 corresponds to an ignition switch.

[0028] The vehicle 200 is provided with a plurality of microphones 2, which convert the voice of the passengers and other sounds into electrical signals and output them to the controller 10. The microphones 2 have a noise cancellation function. The vehicle 200 is provided with a plurality of speakers 3, which output the voice of the passengers, the voice of users outside the vehicle, the system sound of the vehicle system, other music, etc. to each passenger of the vehicle 200.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 are provided in the vehicle 200 so as to correspond to the seated position (position of the seat) of the occupant. Figure 2 This is a diagram for explaining the positions of the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 , and shows a top view of the vehicle 200 .

[0030] exist Figure 2In the example of , six seats are provided in the vehicle 200, which are three rows of seats with two seats in each row. The microphone 2 is composed of six microphones 21 to 26, and the speaker 3 is composed of 16 speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, and 36b. The microphone 21 and the speakers 31a and 31b are provided in a manner corresponding to the position of the driver's seat (the seat on the right side of the first row of seats). The microphone 22 and the speakers 32a and 32b are provided in a manner corresponding to the position of the passenger seat (the seat on the left side of the first row of seats). The microphone 23 and the speakers 33a to 33d are provided in a manner corresponding to the position of the seat on the right side of the second row of seats, and the microphone 24 and the speakers 34a to 34d are provided in a manner corresponding to the position of the seat on the left side of the second row of seats. The microphone 25 and the speakers 35a and 35b are arranged in a manner corresponding to the position of the seat on the right side of the third row of seats, and the microphone 26 and the speakers 36a and 36b are arranged in a manner corresponding to the position of the seat on the left side of the third row of seats. That is, the microphone 2 is assigned to the seat in a manner that makes it easy to receive the voice when the seated passenger speaks. In addition, the speaker 3 is assigned to the seat in a manner that makes it easy for the seated passenger to hear the voice when the seated passenger hears the voice.

[0031] The speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33c, 33d, 34c, 34d are provided on the headrest, and the speakers 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b are provided on the seat body. In addition, the speakers 31a, 32a, 33a, 33c, 34a, 34c, 35a, 36a are provided on the right side of the corresponding seat so that the sound can be heard from the right side of the passenger sitting on the seat. The speakers 31b, 32b, 33b, 33d, 34b, 34d, 35b, 36b are provided on the left side of the corresponding seat so that the sound can be heard from the left side of the passenger sitting on the seat. In addition, the microphones 21 to 26 and the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b do not need to be arranged in a manner corresponding to one seat position, and may be arranged in a manner corresponding to a plurality of seat positions. In addition, the correspondence between the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b and the seat position is not limited to the position of the speaker relative to the seat position, and the speaker and the seat position may be matched by changing the pitch of the sound output from the speaker under the control of the controller 10. In addition, in the following description, the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 corresponding to the seat position of the passenger are also referred to as "the passenger's microphone" and "the passenger's speaker". In the case of recording the microphone of a speaker as a specific example of the passenger, it means the microphone corresponding to the seat position of the speaker. For example, if it is the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the driver, they correspond to the microphone 21 and the speakers 31a and 31b.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 The vehicle switch 4 is a switch for transmitting operation instructions for controlling the in-vehicle audio system. The passenger can select a seat to be the object of the conversation, a seat to block the surrounding sounds, and a seat to block the input of sounds by operating the vehicle switch 4. For example, the vehicle switch 4 is set near the driver's seat. When the driver selects a seat to block the input of sounds by operating the vehicle switch 4, the voice input from the microphone 2 of the selected seat can be controlled to be adjusted so that the voice of the passenger in the selected seat does not reach the driver through the speaker. The vehicle switch 4 can also be a touch panel in the navigation system, a switch around the instrument panel, or a switch within reach of other passengers except the driver.

[0033] The camera 5 is a camera device for photographing passengers in the vehicle. The communicator 6 is a device that can communicate with users outside the vehicle through a telephone line. In addition, the communicator 6 can also be connected to a portable terminal such as a smart phone owned by the passenger and communicate with the user outside the vehicle through the portable terminal. In this case, the call is made through the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 on the vehicle, not the microphone and the speaker of the portable terminal.

[0034] The controller 10 is a main controller of the vehicle 200 and is used to control various systems of the vehicle 200, such as the driving system and the navigation system. In addition, the controller 10 serves as a processor for controlling the in-vehicle sound system, and controls the speaker's microphone 2 and the listener's speaker 3 in such a way that the speaker's voice input from the microphone 2 is heard by the listener other than the speaker via the speaker 3. In addition, the controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the listener's speaker 3 based on the positional relationship between the speaker's seat position and the listener's seat position. In addition, in Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the control unit of the vehicle 200 is not limited to one controller 10, but may be composed of a plurality of control units. In addition, when an in-car audio system is embedded in an existing system of the vehicle 200, the controller 10 functions as a control unit for the in-car audio system.

[0035] The controller 10 includes a sound device setting unit 11, a voice control unit 12, a noise processing unit 13, a call control unit 14, and an in-vehicle device sound control unit 15 as function blocks, and a program for realizing each function in each function block is stored in a memory. Then, each function of the function block is realized by executing the program by a computer included in the controller 10. In addition, the function blocks are not limited to five, and may be one to four or more function blocks.

[0036] The sound device setting unit 11 sets the sound device to be controlled in order to control the sound environment at each seat. The sound device corresponds to the microphone 2 and the speaker 3. The sound device setting unit 11 sets the sound device to be controlled (the control target device) based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4, the camera image of the camera 5, and the external instruction received by the communicator 6. For example, when the passenger in the third row operates the vehicle switch 4 to select a specific seat in order to have a conversation with the passenger in the first row, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 corresponding to the position of the seat of the conversation object as the control target device. In addition, when the sound environment is controlled according to the seat position of the speaker and the seat position of the listener in the vehicle, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the speaker and the listener as the control target devices. For example, Figure 2In the example of FIG. 1 , when passengers are seated in all seats, all microphones 2 and speakers 3 become control target devices.

[0037] In addition, the sound device setting unit 11 may also set the control target device based on the camera image of the camera 5. For example, the sound device setting unit 11 detects a passenger who is having a conversation from the facial image included in the camera image, and sets the microphone 2 and speaker 3 of the detected passenger as the control target device. In addition, when the sound device setting unit 11 detects that the passenger is sleeping from the camera image, the control target speaker is set in such a way that the speaker 3 of the sleeping passenger is turned off. In addition, when the sound device setting unit 11 detects that the passenger is a child and is making noise from the camera image, the control target speaker is set in such a way that the microphone 2 of the child is turned off.

[0038] The audio device setting unit 11 sets the control target device based on the external command received by the communicator 6. For example, when the communicator 6 receives a call command based on a phone call to the driver from the outside of the vehicle 200, the audio device setting unit 11 sets the driver's microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b as the control target devices so that the driver can talk through the microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b.

[0039] The voice control unit 12 controls the voice input and output from the control target device set by the sound device setting unit 11. The control of the voice is equivalent to the adjustment of the volume and / or pitch. In addition, the adjustment of the pitch can be adjusted by the volume of the speaker 3 provided for the seat (for example, the speakers 31a, 31b in the case of the driver's seat), or it can also be adjusted by the volume output from one speaker 3. For example, when the passengers in the third row have a conversation with the passengers in the first row through the microphone 2 and the speaker 3, the voice control unit 12 increases the volume from the speaker 3 in the third row when the voice of the first row as the speaker is output from the speaker 3 in the third row.

[0040] The noise processing unit 13 generates a noise reduction sound for reducing the noise input from the microphone 2. The noise input to the microphone 2 is road noise, engine roar, sound from a motor, inverter, etc. In the noise processing, for example, the noise detection function (noise elimination function) possessed by the microphone 2 is used to detect the noise through the microphone 2, and noise processing is performed on the detected noise. The noise processing, for example, enhances the original voice drowned by the noise and outputs it from the speaker 3. In addition, the noise processing, for example, can also superimpose a signal of the opposite phase on the detected noise waveform to eliminate sounds other than the original voice. In this way, the noise processing unit reduces the noise in real time according to the changes in the noise inside and outside the vehicle 200.

[0041] The call control unit 14 uses the communicator 6 to control the call between the passenger and the user outside the vehicle. When the communicator 6 receives a call from the user outside the vehicle, the call control unit 14 determines the passenger who is the other party to the call. The call control unit 14 determines the passenger, for example, by facial authentication using the camera image of the camera 5 and / or authentication using the key ID. The call control unit 14 sends the information of the determined passenger to the sound device setting unit 11. The sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the passenger determined by the call control unit 14 as the control target device. In addition, when the user outside the vehicle is talking on the phone with the passenger, the call control unit 14 controls the call between the user outside the vehicle and the passenger.

[0042] The vehicle-mounted device sound control unit 15 outputs the notification sound generated by the vehicle-mounted device from the speakers 31a and 31b of the driver of the vehicle 200. The notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device is, for example, the guidance voice of the navigation system. The information represented by the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device is necessary for the driver, but may not be necessary for passengers other than the driver. Therefore, when outputting the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device, the vehicle-mounted device sound control unit 15 outputs the notification sound from the driver's speakers 31a and 31b and does not output it from the other speakers 32a, 32b, 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, and 36b. In addition, the vehicle-mounted device sound control unit 15 may change the output destination of the notification sound according to the type of information represented by the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device. For example, when the information represented by the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted equipment is store information, etc. and is preferably provided to passengers other than the driver, the vehicle-mounted equipment sound control unit 15 can also output the notification sound from other speakers 32a, 32b, 33a~33d, 34a~34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, and 36b.

[0043] Next, a specific example will be given to explain the control of the acoustic environment by the controller 10. The control of the acoustic environment when the passengers in the first row and the passengers in the third row have a conversation will be explained. Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle 200, showing a situation in which the passengers in the third row hear the voices from the passengers in the first row and the passengers in the second row. Figure 3 The icons in the figure represent the voices of the passengers. The solid line represents the voices of the passengers in the first row, and the dotted line represents the voices of the passengers in the second row.

[0044] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 sets the microphones 22, 24, 26 and the speakers 32a, 32b, 34a to 34d, 36a, 36b of the passengers in the first to third rows of seats located on the left side as control target devices. The voice control unit 12 of the controller 10 receives the voice information of the passengers in the first and second rows through the microphones 22 and 24. The voice control unit 12 outputs the reproduced voice of the passengers in the first row from the speaker 36b, and outputs the reproduced voice of the passengers in the second row from the speaker 36a. At this time, the voice control unit 12 makes the volume of the speaker 36a that outputs the reproduced voice of the passengers in the second row louder than the volume of the speaker 36b that outputs the reproduced volume of the passengers in the first row. That is, when the passengers in the third row hear the voices of the passengers in the first and second rows, the volume of the passengers in the second row is louder than the volume of the passengers in the first row. As such, the longer the distance between the speaker's seat and the listener's seat, the lower the volume of the playback volume. Thus, in this embodiment, the sense of distance between the seats can be generated by the size of the playback volume heard by the third row passengers.

[0045] Next, the control of the acoustic environment when the left-side passenger in the third row and the right-side passenger in the first row have a conversation will be described. Figure 4 1 is a top view of the vehicle 200, showing a situation in which a right-side passenger in the first row hears a voice uttered by a left-side passenger in the third row.

[0046] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 sets the microphones 21, 26, speakers 31a, 31b, 36a, 36b of the passengers in the first and second rows as control target devices. The voice control unit 12 of the controller 10 receives the voice information of the left passenger in the third row through the microphone 26. The voice control unit 12 outputs the reproduced voice of the left passenger in the third row from the speaker 31b instead of the speaker 31a. That is, the voice control unit 1 makes the reproduced volume of the speaker 31b close to the seat position of the left passenger in the third row among the speakers 31a and 31b of the right passenger in the first row larger than the reproduced volume of the speaker 36a far from the seat position of the left passenger in the third row, so that when the left passenger in the third row speaks, the right passenger in the first row can hear the voice from the left speaker 31b. In this way, the controller 10 makes the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker close to the seat position of the speaker among the multiple speakers 3 larger. Thus, in the present embodiment, a sense of direction can be generated by the magnitude of the reproduction volume output from the left and right speakers provided at each seat.

[0047] Next, refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5B The control of the acoustic environment when all passengers are having a conversation will be described. Figure 5AThis is a table for explaining the opening and closing of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows. Figure 5B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0048] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 sets the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the passengers in the first to third rows as the control target devices. In addition, the sound device setting unit 11 may also use the camera 5 or the seat sensor provided on the seat to detect whether the passenger is seated in the seat, and only set the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 corresponding to the position of the seat where the passenger is seated as the control target devices. When the passengers are seated in the seats in the first to third rows respectively, the sound device setting unit 11 turns on the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the passengers in the first to third rows. When the voice control unit 12 of the controller 10 receives voice information from the turned-on microphone, it controls the volume of the reproduced voice according to the positional relationship between the position of the microphone that receives the voice information and the position of the speaker 3 that outputs the reproduced voice. For example, Figure 5B As shown, when the passengers in the first row hear the voices of the passengers in the second row and the voices of the passengers in the third row, respectively, the voice control unit 12 makes the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b that output the reproduced voices of the passengers in the second row louder than the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b that output the reproduced voices of the passengers in the third row (the reproduced volume of the passengers in the second row is set to a high level, and the reproduced volume of the passengers in the third row is set to a low level). In addition, when the passengers in the third row hear the voices of the passengers in the first row and the voices of the passengers in the second row, respectively, the voice control unit 12 makes the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b that output the reproduced voices of the passengers in the second row louder than the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b that output the reproduced voices of the passengers in the first row (the reproduced volume of the passengers in the second row is set to a high level, and the reproduced volume of the passengers in the first row is set to a low level). When the passengers in the second row hear the voices of the passengers in the first row and the third row respectively, the voice control unit 12 sets the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b that output the reproduced voice of the passengers in the first row and the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b that output the reproduced voice of the passengers in the third row to the same level (setting the reproduced volume of the passengers in the first and third rows to a normal level).

[0049] That is, the longer the distance between the seat position of the speaker's seat and the seat position of the listener's seat is, the smaller the volume of the reproduced volume is. Thus, a sense of distance between the seats can be generated by the size of the reproduced volume. In addition, for example, when the passengers in the first and second rows are having a conversation, there is a situation where the passengers in the third row cannot participate in the conversation and feel alienated. In this embodiment, the passengers in the third row can easily hear the voices of the passengers in the first and second rows through the microphone 2 and the speaker 3, so they can smoothly participate in the conversation.

[0050] Next, refer to Fig. 6A , Figure 6B The control of the acoustic environment in which the volume of a specific passenger's voice is reduced so that other passengers cannot hear it is described. Such an acoustic environment can be applied to the following scenarios. For example, a child in the vehicle 200 is making noise and the child's voice needs to be eliminated. In addition, when the conversation between the second and third rows is intense and loud, the driver needs to concentrate on driving or the passenger in the front passenger seat needs to concentrate on listening to music. Fig. 6A This is a table for explaining the opening and closing of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows. Figure 6B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0051] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 determines the seat position where the volume of a specific passenger is to be reduced based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4 and / or the camera image of the camera 5. For example, it is assumed that the driver wants to operate the vehicle switch 4 to eliminate the voice of the child in the second row when the child sitting in the second row is noisy. In this case, the driver operates the vehicle switch 4 to eliminate the voice of the child, and the sound device setting unit 11 sets at least the microphones 23 and 24 of the passengers in the second row and the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b of the passengers in the first and third rows as the control target speakers based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4. Then, the voice control unit 12 reduces the volume of the voice of the passengers in the second row when the voice information of the passengers in the second row is received by the microphone 23 or the microphone 24 and output from the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b of the first and third rows. Furthermore, the control of decreasing the volume includes a control of adjusting the level of the volume downward or a control of setting the volume to zero.

[0052] In addition, when the passengers in the first row and the third row have a conversation, the controller 10 controls the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 corresponding to each seat position in the same manner as the control of the acoustic environment described above. Fig. 6A As shown, the speakers 3 in the first and third rows output the voices of each other's seats, but eliminate the voices of the seats in the second row. Figure 6B As shown, the passengers in the first and third rows can hear each other's voices, but cannot hear the voices of the passengers in the second row. In addition, the passengers in the second row can hear the voices of the passengers in the first and third rows from the speakers 33a to 33d and 34a to 34d. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the passengers in the second row cannot participate in the conversation between the passengers in the first and third rows and feel alienated.

[0053] As described above, the vehicle switch 4 has a function of adjusting the volume of a specific voice input from the microphone 2 corresponding to a specific seating position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle. Moreover, the passenger operates the vehicle switch 4 to select the seat for which the volume is to be reduced. The controller 10 reduces the volume of the specific voice when it is output from the speaker based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4. Alternatively, the controller 10 may also set the microphone provided in a specific seat (for example, the microphone in the second row) to be invalid. Thus, a sound environment in which other passengers cannot hear the voice of the specific passenger can be provided. Furthermore, since the sound environment between the seats other than the specific seating position becomes the most suitable for conversation, a smooth conversation can be conducted.

[0054] The controller 10 is not limited to the operation instruction based on the vehicle switch 4, and can also reduce the volume of a specific passenger based on the camera image of the camera 5. For example, the controller 10 detects that a child is making noise from the camera image. At this time, the controller 10 can also detect the noisy situation based on the voice detected by the child's microphone 2. Then, the controller 10 reduces the volume of the child's voice when the child's voice input from the child's microphone 2 is output from the speaker 3. In this way, it is possible to provide a sound environment in which other passengers cannot hear the child's voice.

[0055] In addition, as a modification of this embodiment, Fig. 6A , Figure 6BIn the example, the controller 10 controls to reduce the volume of the voice input from the occupant of a specific seat, but can also be controlled to increase the volume of the voice output from the speaker corresponding to the specific seat position. For example, in a conversation in the car, if you want to increase the volume of your own voice to transmit the voice to the occupant of a distant seat, the controller 10 can also perform control as in the modified example. Specifically, the vehicle switch 4 has a function of increasing the volume of the voice output from the speaker 3 corresponding to a specific seat position among multiple seats in the car. Moreover, the occupant operates the vehicle switch 4 to increase his own voice output from the speaker. At this time, the speaker to output his own voice with the increased volume can also be selected for each seat by operating the vehicle switch 4. Moreover, when reproducing the voice of the speaker, the controller 10 increases the volume of the reproduced voice when output from the speaker 3 based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4. As a result, it is easy for a specific occupant to hear the voice of other occupants through switch operation.

[0056] In addition, in the above-mentioned modification, the controller 10 increases the volume of the reproduced voice when output from the speaker 3 based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4 when reproducing the voice of the speaker, but it is not limited to the operation instruction based on the vehicle switch 4. For example, the target passenger whose voice is to be increased can be detected based on the camera image of the camera 5, and the volume is increased when the reproduced volume of the detected passenger is output by the speaker 3 of other seats. Specifically, the sound device setting unit 11 performs image processing on the camera image of the camera 5, for example, detects the passenger wearing a mask, and sets at least the microphone 2 of the passenger wearing the mask and the speaker of the other passenger who is talking to the passenger as the control target speaker. Moreover, the voice control unit 12 increases the volume of the reproduced voice when output from the speaker 3 of other passengers when reproducing the voice of the passenger wearing a mask. In this way, the controller 10 increases the volume of the specific voice when the specific voice input from the microphone 2 corresponding to the specific seat position among the multiple seats is output from the speaker 3. As a result, for example, even in a state where the passenger wears a mask and it is difficult to hear the voice, the voice can be easily heard. Furthermore, the voice control unit 12 may also increase the sensitivity of the microphone 2 for an occupant wearing a mask.

[0057] Next, refer to Fig. 7A , Figure 7B The control of the acoustic environment in which a specific occupant cannot hear the voices of other occupants will be described. Such an acoustic environment is applied, for example, when the occupant is sleeping and wants to reduce the surrounding sound. Fig. 7A This is a table for explaining the opening and closing of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows. Figure 7B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0058] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 determines the seating position at which the volume of a specific passenger is to be reduced based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4 and / or the camera image of the camera 5. For example, suppose that the passenger sitting in the second row is sleeping, and other passengers want to operate the vehicle switch 4 to eliminate the voice output from the speakers in the second row. In this case, the other passengers operate the vehicle switch 4 to eliminate the voice output of the second row, and the sound device setting unit 11 sets at least the speakers 33a~33d, 34a~34d of the passengers in the second row as the control target speakers based on the operation instruction of the vehicle switch 4. Moreover, the voice control unit 12 reduces the volume of the voice output from the speakers 33a~33d, 34a~34d in the second row. In addition, the control of reducing the volume includes the control of lowering the volume level or the control of setting the volume to zero. In addition, when the passengers between the first row and the third row are talking, the controller 10 controls the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 corresponding to each seating position in the same way as the control of the above-mentioned sound environment. As Fig. 7A As shown, for the seats in the second row, the volume of the speaker 3 is reduced, or the speaker 3 is turned off, and the speakers 3 in the first and third rows output the voices of the passengers in other seats. The microphones 2 in the first to third rows are turned on. Figure 7B As shown, the passengers in the second row cannot hear the voices from the speaker 3 , while the passengers in the first and third rows can hear the voices of the passengers in other rows from the speaker 3 .

[0059] As such, the vehicle switch 4 has a function of adjusting the volume of a specific voice input from the microphone 2 corresponding to a specific seated position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle. Moreover, the passenger operates the vehicle switch 4 to select the seat for which the volume is to be reduced. In the example of FIG. 7 , the microphone 2 that is the object of volume adjustment is the microphone of the first row or the third row, and the speaker 3 whose volume is reduced is the speaker of the second row. Moreover, in the example of FIG. 7 , the controller 10 reduces the volume when input from the microphones 21, 22, 25, 26 of the passengers in the first row or the third row and output from the speakers 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d of the passengers in the second row. Thus, a sound environment in which the voices of other passengers cannot be heard can be provided to a specific passenger.

[0060] In addition, the controller 10 may also determine whether the passenger in the vehicle is sleeping based on the camera image of the camera 5. The determination of whether the passenger is sleeping may be made using a well-known monitoring system. Furthermore, when the controller 10 determines that the passenger is sleeping, the volume of the reproduced voice of other passengers output from the speaker 3 of the sleeping passenger is reduced. Thus, a comfortable sleeping environment can be provided for the passenger.

[0061] In addition, as a variation of the present embodiment, the noise processing unit 13 of the controller 10 may also increase the noise reduction sound output from the speaker 3 of the sleeping occupant when it is determined that the occupant is sleeping. By increasing the noise reduction sound, the noise around the sleeping occupant is blocked, thereby providing a comfortable sleeping environment for the occupant.

[0062] Next, refer to Fig. 8A , Figure 8B The control of the acoustic environment when a call is received from a user outside the vehicle will be described. Fig. 8A This is a table for explaining the opening and closing of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows. Figure 8B This is a table showing the correlation between the seat position of the occupant and the sounds that the occupant can hear.

[0063] For example, when the communicator 6 receives a call instruction based on a phone call to the driver from outside the vehicle 200, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b of the passenger as the control target device so that the driver can talk through the microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b. In addition, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphones 23 to 26 and speakers 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b as the control target device so that the passengers in the second row and the third row can talk. In addition, when the call target of the external phone call is a passenger other than the driver, the sound device setting unit 11 can set the control target device so that the passenger who is the call target can talk to the external user through the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 and other passengers can talk.

[0064] When the voice of a telephone call from a user outside the vehicle is output, the voice control unit 12 controls the volume of the speaker 3 so that the telephone voice is output only from the speaker 3 of the passenger who is the target of the call. Fig. 8A As shown, the voice control unit 12 outputs the telephone voice from the speaker of the first row but does not output the voice of the passengers in the second and third rows. In addition, the voice control unit 12 outputs the voice of the passengers in the second and third rows but does not output the telephone voice from the speakers of the second and third rows. The microphones 2 of the first to third rows are turned on. Figure 8B As shown, the passengers in the first row can hear only the voice of the phone call from the speaker 3, and the passengers in the second and third rows can hear the voices of other passengers in the second and third rows from the speaker 3. As a result, the voice of the phone call from outside the vehicle can be provided only to the passengers who need it. In addition, for the seats of passengers not related to the phone call, a sound environment suitable for conversation can be provided.

[0065] The above specific examples are given to illustrate the control of the acoustic environment performed by the controller 10, but the following control can also be combined. In the process of the driver using the in-vehicle audio system involved in this embodiment to talk with other passengers, when the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device is emitted, the controller 10 can also output the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b in addition to the voices of other passengers from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b. At this time, the controller 10 can also make the volume of the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device louder than the volume of the voices of other passengers. In addition, in the case where the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device is only related to the driver, the controller 10 can also output the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device only from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b. In addition, the controller 10 can also reduce the volume of the passenger's voice when the volume of the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device is output from the speakers 31a, 31b. As a result, the driver can hear the notification sound of the vehicle-mounted device even when he is talking to the passenger.

[0066] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the system sound generated by the navigation system is output, the controller 10 may also output the system sound only from the speakers 31a and 31b of the driver. The information presented by the navigation system is mostly necessary information for the driver. Therefore, the system sound of the navigation system may also be output only from the speakers 31a and 31b of the driver. Thus, the system sound can be transmitted only to the passengers who need the information of the navigation system.

[0067] In addition, in the present embodiment, the noise processing unit 13 of the controller 10 may also perform noise processing when the voice of the passenger is output from the speaker 3. At this time, the voice control unit 12 may make the volume of the reproduced voice of the passenger's voice larger as the volume of the noise reduction sound generated by the noise processing unit 13 is larger. For example, when the frequency band of the noise reduction sound overlaps with the frequency band of the passenger's voice, there is a possibility that the volume of the passenger's voice becomes smaller due to the noise reduction sound. In such a case, it is possible to provide a sound environment suitable for passenger dialogue by increasing the volume of the reproduced voice according to the size of the noise reduction sound.

[0068] Next, refer to Fig. 9 The control flow executed by the controller 10 will be described. Fig. 9 1 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the in-vehicle audio control method executed by the controller 10 .

[0069] In step S1, when the power switch 1 is turned on, the controller 10 starts the in-vehicle audio system (system on). In step S2, the controller 10 sets the control target device based on the operation instruction of the in-vehicle switch 4, the camera image of the camera 5, and the external instruction received by the communicator 6. That is, the controller 10 determines the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 to be controlled under the in-vehicle audio system based on the operation instruction of the in-vehicle switch 4, etc., so as to provide the best sound environment corresponding to the conditions of the occupants and / or the vehicle. For example, when the occupants in the vehicle are talking, the controller 10 sets at least the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the occupants who are talking as the control target devices.

[0070] In step S3, the controller 10 receives a signal containing the voice of the speaker from the microphone 2 of the speaker among the passengers who are having a conversation. In step S4, when the signal containing the voice of the speaker contains noise, the controller 10 performs noise processing. In step S5, when the voice of the speaker is to be heard by other passengers, the controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker 3 of the other passengers based on the positional relationship between the seat position of the speaker and the seat position of the other passengers who hear the voice. For example, the controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice according to the distance between the seat position of the speaker and the seat position of the other passengers who hear the voice, and / or the direction of the seat position of the other passengers relative to the seat position of the speaker.

[0071] In step S6, the controller 10 outputs a signal including the controlled playback volume to the speaker 3 of the other passenger. In step S7, the controller 10 determines whether to turn off the in-car audio system. For example, when an operation command to turn off the system or an instruction to turn off the power switch 1 is input to the controller 10 by operating the in-car switch 4, the controller 10 turns off the in-car audio system and ends the operation. Fig. 9 On the other hand, if it is determined that the in-car audio system is not to be turned off, the control flow returns to step S2, and the controller 10 executes the control flow after step S2. Thus, during the conversation between the passengers, the acoustic environment of each seat is optimized under the control of the in-car audio system.

[0072] As described above, the in-vehicle audio device according to the present embodiment includes a controller 10 that controls the microphone 2 corresponding to the seat position of the speaker (equivalent to the "first passenger" of the present invention) and the speaker 3 corresponding to the seat position of the listener (equivalent to the "second passenger" of the present invention) so that the voice of the speaker (equivalent to the "first passenger" of the present invention) input from the microphone 2 is heard by the listener (equivalent to the "second passenger" of the present invention) via the speaker 3. The controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker 3 corresponding to the seat position of the listener based on the positional relationship between the seat position of the speaker and the seat position of the listener. As a result, the passengers can have a smooth conversation through the microphone and the speaker in the vehicle.

[0073] In addition, in reference Figure 3 A. Figure 3 B. Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B , Fig. 8A , Figure 8B In the specific example described below, for ease of description, the control is performed for each of the first to third rows. However, in the specific example, the control of the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 may be performed for each seat.

[0074] In addition, the above-described embodiments are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above-described embodiments is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0075] Description of Reference Numerals

[0076] 1: power switch; 2: microphone; 3: speaker; 4: vehicle-mounted switch; 5: camera; 6: communicator; 10: controller; 11: sound device setting unit; 12: voice control unit; 13: noise processing unit; 14: call control unit; 15: vehicle-mounted device sound control unit; 200: vehicle.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle audio device, provided in a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of speakers, the plurality of speakers being disposed in the vehicle; a plurality of microphones, the plurality of microphones being disposed on the vehicle; as well as a controller that controls the microphone corresponding to the first seat position of the first seat member and the speaker corresponding to the second seat position of the second seat member in such a manner that the voice of the first seat member input from the microphone is heard by a second seat member other than the first seat member via the speaker, The controller controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker corresponding to the second seat position based on the positional relationship between the first seat position and the second seat position.

2. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller reduces the volume of the reproduced voice as the distance between the first seated position and the second seated position is longer.

3. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The plurality of speakers are arranged corresponding to the second seat positions, The controller makes the volume of the reproduced voice output from a speaker close to the first seated position among the plurality of speakers louder.

4. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The controller causes a notification sound generated by an in-vehicle device to be output from the speaker corresponding to a driver's seat of the vehicle.

5. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The in-vehicle audio device includes a noise processing unit that generates a noise reduction sound for reducing the noise input from the microphone. The controller increases the volume of the reproduced voice as the volume of the noise reduction sound increases.

6. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The in-vehicle audio device includes an in-vehicle switch for adjusting the volume of a specific voice input from the microphone corresponding to a specific seated position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle compartment. The controller reduces the volume of the specific voice when output from the speaker based on an operation instruction of the on-vehicle switch.

7. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The controller increases the volume of the voice when the voice input from the microphone corresponding to a specific seating position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle compartment is output from the speaker.

8. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The controller reduces the volume of the voice when the voice input from the microphone corresponding to the seating position of the child in the plurality of seats in the vehicle compartment is output from the speaker.

9. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The controller performs the following processing: Determine whether the occupants in the vehicle are sleeping; and When it is determined that the occupant is sleeping, the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker corresponding to the seat position of the sleeping occupant is reduced.

10. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The in-vehicle audio device includes a noise processing unit that generates a noise reduction sound for reducing the in-vehicle noise input from the microphone. The controller performs the following processing: Determine whether the passengers in the car are sleeping; as well as When it is determined that the occupant is sleeping, the noise reduction sound output from the speaker corresponding to the seat position of the sleeping occupant is increased.

11. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The in-vehicle audio device includes an in-vehicle switch for increasing the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker corresponding to a specific seating position among a plurality of seats in a vehicle compartment.

12. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: When the system sound generated by the navigation system is output, the controller causes the system sound to be output only from the speaker corresponding to the driver's seat.

13. The in-vehicle audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: When outputting a voice of a telephone call from a user outside the vehicle, the controller causes the telephone voice to be output only from the speaker corresponding to the seat position of the occupant who is the subject of the call.

14. A method for controlling an in-vehicle audio system, executed by a processor, for controlling an in-vehicle audio system, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: receiving a signal including a voice of the first passenger from the microphone corresponding to the first seat position of the first passenger among a plurality of microphones provided in the vehicle; When a second passenger other than the first passenger is to hear the voice of the first passenger input from the microphone via the speaker, based on the positional relationship between the first seat position and a second seat position of the second passenger, controlling the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker corresponding to the second seat position; as well as A signal including the controlled reproduced voice is transmitted to the speaker corresponding to the second seat position.

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