Vehicle-mounted device

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted device according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a storage circuit capable of storing a plurality of pieces of reference sound data indicating sounds that may be obstructing factors of driving operations by a driver; and a processing circuit capable of comparing the sound data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference sound data to determine whether or not the sound indicated by the sound data is likely to be a hindering factor of the driving operation, and can reduce a signal component included in the sound data, which may be a hindering factor of the driving operation, on the basis of the determination result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and for processing sound data. Background Art

[0002] A driver drives a vehicle while paying attention to, for example, the alarm sound of an emergency vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for determining whether an external sound includes a sound necessary for a driver, such as an alarm sound of an emergency vehicle, and for notifying the driver of a sound message and / or an image message when the external sound includes a sound necessary for the driver.

[0003] Prior Art Documents Patent Documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-004521 Summary of the Invention

[0004] An in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage circuit and a processing circuit. The storage circuit can store a plurality of reference sound data representing sounds that may be obstacles to a driver's driving operation. The processing circuit can determine whether the sound represented by the sound data may be an obstacle to the driving operation by comparing the sound data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference sound data, and can reduce the signal components included in the sound data that may be obstacles to the driving operation based on the determination result. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] The drawings are provided to further understand the present invention, and are incorporated into and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate an embodiment and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0006] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle on which an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted.

[0007] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A block diagram showing a configuration example of the in-vehicle device shown.

[0008] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A flowchart showing an operation example of the in-vehicle device shown.

[0009] Figure 4 It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a modified in-vehicle device. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0010] In recent years, so-called in-vehicle infotainment systems that provide information or entertainment to vehicle occupants have been installed in vehicles. In providing entertainment, various sounds can be output from in-vehicle speakers. Among the sounds included in such content, there are also sounds such as the alarm sounds of emergency vehicles that may become factors hindering the driving operation for the driver. Therefore, it is expected that the driver's driving operation will not be hindered by the sounds included in the content.

[0011] It is desired to provide an in-vehicle device that can prevent the driver's driving operation from being hindered.

[0012] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description shows a specific example of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. For example, each element including numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the positions of the components, and the connection methods of the components is only an example and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition, in the following exemplary embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims based on the most general concept of the present invention are optional and can be provided as needed. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to the original size. Throughout this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functions and substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, components not directly related to one embodiment of the present invention are not shown in the drawings.

[0013] <Embodiment> [Configuration Example] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle 1 equipped with an in-vehicle device according to one embodiment. The vehicle 1 can be a vehicle equipped with an advanced driver assistance system or a vehicle capable of achieving autonomous driving. The vehicle 1 has a steering wheel 2, a steering wheel touch sensor 3, and an in-vehicle device 10.

[0014] The steering wheel 2 is configured to steer the vehicle 1. The steering wheel 2 is held by the driver and steers the vehicle 1 based on the driver's steering operation.

[0015] The steering wheel touch sensor 3 is provided on the steering wheel 2 and is configured to detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 2.

[0016] The in-vehicle device 10 is an in-vehicle infotainment system mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0017] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a disc player 11, a tuner 12, a processing unit 20, a storage unit 13, an operation input unit 14, a display 15, and a speaker 16.

[0018] The optical disc player 11 is configured to play audio content and video content by playing optical discs such as CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and BDs (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Discs). Further, the optical disc player 11 supplies data of the played content to the processing unit 20.

[0019] The tuner 12 is configured to include, for example, a radio tuner, a television tuner, etc., and is configured to receive audio content and video content. Further, the tuner 12 supplies data of the received content to the processing unit 20.

[0020] The processing unit 20 is configured to perform processing based on the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12. The processing unit 20 is formed, for example, using one or more processors and one or more memories, and is configured to perform processing by executing a program. The processing unit 20 includes a comparison and analysis unit 21, a determination unit 22, and a masking processing unit 23.

[0021] The comparison and analysis unit 21 is configured to determine whether the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver by comparing the sound data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12 with a plurality of sound data included in the database DB stored in the storage unit 13. That is, for example, when the content includes the alarm sound of an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or the siren sound of a vehicle, the driver may mistakenly recognize these sounds as actual sounds emitted from the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and overly pay attention to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 being driven. Further, for example, when the content includes a warning sound in a vehicle equipped with an advanced driver assistance system, the driver may mistakenly recognize the sound as an actual sound emitted from the advanced driver assistance system of the vehicle 1 and erroneously perform a braking operation. Thus, the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver. Therefore, the comparison and analysis unit 21 uses the sound database DB in which a plurality of sound data that may be factors hindering the driving operation of the driver are pre-registered to determine whether the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver.

[0022] The determination unit 22 is configured to determine whether the driver has the intention to actively drive based on the detection result of the steering wheel touch sensor 3. That is, for example, when the driver performs a driving operation of the vehicle 1, since the driver holds the steering wheel 2, the steering wheel touch sensor 3 detects that the driver is holding the steering wheel 2. In addition, when the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking lot or the like, since the driver releases the hand from the steering wheel 2, the steering wheel touch sensor 3 detects that the driver is not holding the steering wheel 2. Thus, the determination unit 22 determines whether the driver has the intention to actively drive based on the detection result of the steering wheel touch sensor 3.

[0023] The shielding processing unit 23 is configured to perform shielding processing, which reduces the signal component of the sound that may be an obstacle to the driver's driving operation included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12.

[0024] The processing unit 20 also performs predetermined processing on the video data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12. And the processing unit 20 supplies a video signal corresponding to the processed video data to the display 15, and supplies a sound signal corresponding to the processed sound data to the speaker 16.

[0025] The storage unit 13 is configured to store the sound database DB. The storage unit 13 is constituted by, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Various sound data that may be an obstacle to the driver's driving operation are registered in advance in the sound database DB. The multiple sound data included in the sound database DB includes, for example, sound data such as the sirens of emergency vehicles such as ambulances, the sirens of vehicles, and warning sounds in vehicles equipped with an advanced driver assistance system.

[0026] The operation input unit 14 is configured to accept operations of the driver and other occupants, and is constituted by, for example, a touch panel and various buttons. The occupants can use the operation input unit 14 to perform, for example, a playback operation of the content of the optical disc player 11, a channel selection operation of the tuner 12, or a volume adjustment operation.

[0027] The display 15 is configured to display images of various information and content in the vehicle 1 based on the video signal supplied from the processing unit 20. The display 15 is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0028] The speaker 16 is configured to emit the sound of the content based on the sound signal supplied from the processing unit 20.

[0029] Here, the storage unit 13 corresponds to a specific example of the "storage circuit" in one embodiment of the present invention. The plurality of sound data registered in the sound database DB corresponds to a specific example of the "plurality of reference sound data" in one embodiment of the present invention. The processing unit 20 corresponds to a specific example of the "processing circuit" in one embodiment of the present invention. The steering wheel touch sensor 3 corresponds to a specific example of the "sensor" in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] [Operation and Function] Next, the operation and function of the in-vehicle device 10 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0031] (Overall Operation Outline) First, refer to Figure 1 、 2 to describe the operation of the in-vehicle device 10. The optical disc player 11 plays sound content and video content. The tuner 12 receives sound content and video content. The comparison and analysis unit 21 of the processing unit 20 determines whether the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver by comparing the sound data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12 with the plurality of sound data included in the database DB stored in the storage unit 13. The determination unit 22 determines whether the driver has the intention to actively drive based on the detection result of the steering wheel touch sensor 3. The shielding processing unit 23 performs shielding processing, which reduces the signal component of the sound that may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12. In addition, the processing unit 20 also performs predetermined processing on the video data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12. And, the processing unit 20 supplies a video signal corresponding to the processed video data to the display 15, and supplies a sound signal corresponding to the processed sound data to the speaker 16. The storage unit 13 stores the sound database DB. The operation input unit 14 accepts the operations of the driver and other occupants. The display 15 displays various information in the vehicle 1 and the video of the content based on the video signal supplied from the processing unit 20. The speaker 16 emits the sound of the content based on the sound signal supplied from the processing unit 20.

[0032] (Detailed Operation) Figure 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the in-vehicle device 10. If the power supply of the in-vehicle device 10 is turned on, the in-vehicle device 10 performs the following operations.

[0033] First, the processing unit 20 of the in-vehicle device 10 confirms whether to start supplying sound data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 (step S101).

[0034] Next, the comparison and analysis unit 21 of the processing unit 20 determines whether the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver by comparing the supplied sound data with the multiple pieces of sound data included in the sound database DB (step S102). Specifically, for example, the comparison and analysis unit 21 compares the main signal components included in the supplied sound data with the multiple signal components represented by the multiple pieces of sound data included in the sound database DB. For example, when the main signal components included in the supplied sound data are the same as or similar to the multiple signal components represented by the multiple pieces of sound data included in the sound database DB, the comparison and analysis unit 21 determines that the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver. That is, since various pieces of sound data that may be factors hindering the driving operation of the driver are registered in the sound database DB, the comparison and analysis unit 21 can use the sound database DB to determine whether the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver. When the sound included in the content cannot be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver ( "No" in step S103), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0035] The determination unit 22 of the processing unit 20 is configured to determine whether the driver has the intention to actively drive based on the detection result of the steering wheel touch sensor 3 when the sound included in the content may be a factor hindering the driving operation of the driver ( "Yes" in step S103) (step S104). When there is no intention to actively drive ( "No" in step S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0036] When the driver has the intention to actively drive ( "Yes" in step S104), the shielding processing unit 23 of the processing unit 20 reduces the signal components included in the supplied sound data (step S105). Specifically, for example, when the supplied sound data includes data of the alarm sound of an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, the shielding processing unit 23 reduces the signal components of the alarm sound.

[0037] Then, the processing unit 20 outputs a sound signal corresponding to the processed sound data (step S106). The speaker 16 emits the sound of the content based on the sound signal supplied from the processing unit 20.

[0038] The processing unit 20 confirms whether the supply of the sound data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 has ended (step S107). When the supply of the sound data has not ended ( "No" in step S107), the process returns to step S102, and the processing unit 20 repeatedly performs the processing of steps S102 to S107 until the supply of the sound data ends.

[0039] When the supply of the sound data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 ends (Yes in step S107), this process ends. Then, the processing unit 20 starts Figure 3 the process shown. Thus, each time the supply of the sound data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 is performed, the processing unit 20 performs this Figure 3 process shown.

[0040] Thus, it is assumed that the in-vehicle device 10 includes a storage circuit (storage unit 13) and a processing circuit (processing unit 20). The storage circuit (storage unit 13) can store a plurality of reference sound data (a plurality of sound data stored in the sound database DB) representing sounds that may be obstacles to the driving operation of the driver. The processing circuit (processing unit 20) can determine whether the sound represented by the sound data may be an obstacle to the driving operation by comparing the sound data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference sound data, and can reduce the signal component that may be an obstacle to the driving operation included in the sound data based on the determination result. Thus, in the in-vehicle device 10, since the signal component of the sound that may be an obstacle to the driving operation of the driver is reduced when the sound included in the content, for example, may be an obstacle, such a sound that may be an obstacle is not easily transmitted to the driver, and thus the driving operation of the driver can be prevented from being obstructed.

[0041] In addition, it is assumed that in the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit reduces the signal component that may be an obstacle to the driving operation included in the sound data. That is, it is assumed that the in-vehicle device 10 does not reduce the signal component that may be an obstacle to the driving operation by applying, for example, a sound with a reverse phase to the sound output from the speaker, but reduces the signal component that may be an obstacle to the driving operation in data processing. Thus, in the in-vehicle device 10, since the processing accuracy is not affected by, for example, ambient noise, etc., the processing accuracy when reducing the signal component can be improved.

[0042] In addition, it is assumed that in the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) can determine whether the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle 1 based on the detection result of a sensor (steering wheel touch sensor 3) capable of detecting whether the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle 1 equipped with the in-vehicle device 10, and can reduce the signal components included in the sound data based on the determination result. Thus, since the processing unit 20 reduces the sound that may be an obstacle to the driver's driving operation in the content when, for example, the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle 1, the driver's driving operation can be prevented from being obstructed. In addition, since the processing unit 20 does not reduce such sound when, for example, the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking lot or the like, the sound included in the content is not lost. Therefore, the driver and other passengers can enjoy the content. In addition, in an autonomous driving vehicle, since the driver does not perform a driving operation of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle is traveling using autonomous driving, the processing unit 20 does not reduce the sound that may be an obstacle to the driver's driving operation. Therefore, the driver and other passengers can enjoy the content. In this way, in the in-vehicle device 10, since the sound that may be an obstacle to the driver's driving operation is reduced when the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle 1, the driver's driving operation can be effectively prevented from being obstructed.

[0043] In addition, it is assumed that in the in-vehicle device 10, a sensor (steering wheel touch sensor 3) is provided on the steering wheel 2 of the vehicle 1 and can detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, and the processing circuit (processing unit 20) can determine that the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor. Thus, in the in-vehicle device 10, a simple method can be used to determine whether the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle.

[0044] [Effect] As described above, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that a storage circuit and a processing circuit are provided. The storage circuit can store a plurality of reference sound data representing sounds that may be obstacles to the driver's driving operation, and the processing circuit can determine whether the sound represented by the sound data may be an obstacle to the driving operation by comparing the sound data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference sound data, and can reduce the signal components included in the sound data that may be obstacles to the driving operation based on the determination result. Thus, the driver's driving operation can be prevented from being obstructed.

[0045] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the processing circuit can determine whether the driver is performing a driving operation of a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device based on the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting whether the driver is performing a driving operation, and can reduce the signal components included in the sound data based on the determination result. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the driver's driving operation from being hindered.

[0046] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the sensor is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle and can detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, and the processing circuit can determine that the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor. Thus, in the in-vehicle device, it is possible to determine whether the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle by a simple method.

[0047] [Variant Example] In the above embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, a steering wheel touch sensor 3 is provided on the vehicle 1, but it is not limited thereto. For example, as Figure 4 shown, an image sensor 4 capable of capturing an image inside the vehicle 1 may be provided on the vehicle 1 instead of the steering wheel touch sensor 3. The vehicle 1 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 10A. The in-vehicle device 10A includes a processing unit 20A, and the processing unit 20A has a determination unit 22A. The determination unit 22A is configured to determine whether the driver has the intention to actively drive by performing image processing based on the captured image generated by the image sensor 4. Specifically, the determination unit 22A can determine whether the driver has the intention to actively drive based on the driver's posture, the orientation of the driver's face, and whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 2.

[0048] As described above, an example has been described with reference to the drawings for several embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is by no means limited to the above embodiments. As long as those skilled in the art can understand that without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims, various modifications and changes can be made. As long as such various modifications and changes fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the present invention is intended to include these.

[0049] For example, in the above embodiment, the determination unit 22 is provided, and when the determination unit 22 determines that the driver has the intention to actively drive, the shielding processing unit 23 reduces the signal components included in the supplied sound data, but it is not limited thereto. Instead of the above method, for example, the determination unit 22 may not be provided. In this case, when the comparison and analysis unit 21 determines that the sound included in the content may be a hindrance factor for the driver's driving operation, the shielding processing unit 23 reduces the signal components included in the supplied sound data.

[0050] The effects described in this specification are merely exemplary, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in this specification. Therefore, other effects can also be obtained with respect to the present invention.

[0051] In addition, the present invention can be implemented in the following manner. (1) A vehicle-mounted device includes: a storage circuit that can store a plurality of reference sound data representing sounds that may be obstacles to a driver's driving operation; and a processing circuit that can determine whether the sound represented by the sound data may be an obstacle to the driving operation by comparing the sound data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference sound data, and can reduce the signal component included in the sound data based on the determination result. (2) The vehicle-mounted device according to (1) above, wherein the processing circuit can determine whether the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device is installed based on the detection result of a sensor that can detect whether the driver is performing a driving operation, and can reduce the signal component included in the sound data based on the determination result. (3) The vehicle-mounted device according to (2) above, wherein the sensor is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle and can detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, and when the driver is holding the steering wheel, the processing circuit can determine that the driver is performing a driving operation of the vehicle. (4) The vehicle-mounted device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the processing circuit can supply a sound signal corresponding to the sound data with the signal component reduced to a speaker.

[0056] Figure 2 The processing unit 20 shown can be implemented by a circuit of at least one semiconductor integrated circuit including at least one processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. At least one processor can execute by reading instructions from at least one non-temporary and tangible computer-readable medium. Figure 2It is constituted by all or part of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown. Such a medium can take various forms including various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories (i.e., semiconductor circuits) such as volatile memories or non-volatile memories, but is not limited to these. Volatile memories can include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memories can include ROM and NVRAM. ASIC is specifically used to execute Figure 2 all or part of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown. An FPGA is an integrated circuit (IC) designed to be configured after manufacturing to execute Figure 2 all or part of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device, characterized in that, it includes: a storage circuit capable of storing a plurality of reference sound data representing sounds that may be obstacles to the driving operation of the driver; and a processing circuit capable of determining whether the sound represented by the sound data may be an obstacle to the driving operation by comparing the sound data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference sound data, and capable of reducing the signal components that may be obstacles to the driving operation included in the sound data based on the determination result.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the processing circuit can determine whether the driver is performing the driving operation of the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device based on the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting whether the driver is performing the driving operation of the vehicle, and can reduce the signal components included in the sound data based on the determination result.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the sensor is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle and can detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, the processing circuit can determine that the driver is performing the driving operation of the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the processing circuit can supply a sound signal corresponding to the sound data with the signal components reduced to a speaker.

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