Vehicle audio system, audio control method and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle audio system, an audio control method and a vehicle. The vehicle audio system comprises an intelligent cabin domain controller, a power amplifier unit, a driving unit and at least one vibration motor, the input end of the power amplifier unit is connected with the intelligent cabin domain controller, the output end of the power amplifier unit is connected with the input end of the driving unit, and the output end of the driving unit is connected with at least one vibration motor; the intelligent cabin domain controller is used for acquiring a media audio signal; the power amplifier unit is used for generating a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal and converting the media audio tactile signal into a first analog signal; the media audio haptic signal is related to a low frequency portion of the media audio signal; the driving unit is used for receiving the first analog signal, converting the first analog signal into a media audio tactile signal, and driving the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the media audio tactile signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of vehicle control, and more specifically, to a vehicle audio system, an audio control method, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of intelligent cockpit technology, in order to improve the user experience, vibration motors can be set at positions such as the vehicle's steering wheel to form a haptic speaker. The haptic speaker system can generate vibration effects that match the rhythm and melody according to the vehicle's music media data.

[0003] Normally, most in-vehicle speaker systems use the Ethernet audio bridging technology A2B to send sound data to the power amplifier unit for sound effect processing and mixing operations, and finally drive the speakers to emit sound. For a haptic speaker, if the audio signal at the end of the power amplifier unit is used as the data source to be sent to the haptic system, many problems will be faced. The audio signal generated by the power amplifier unit is a vertical signal. If a digital signal is transmitted between the power amplifier unit and the driving unit of the vibration motor, in order to ensure signal synchronization, a high-speed clock spring needs to be set in the steering wheel, which will increase the system cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application mainly provides a vehicle audio system, an audio control method, and a vehicle. The technical solution of this application is realized as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, a vehicle audio system is provided, including an intelligent cockpit domain controller, a power amplifier unit, a driving unit, and at least one vibration motor; the input end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the intelligent cockpit domain controller, the output end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the input end of the driving unit, and the output end of the driving unit is connected to the at least one vibration motor; the intelligent cockpit domain controller is configured to obtain a media audio signal; the power amplifier unit is configured to generate a media audio haptic signal according to the media audio signal, and convert the media audio haptic signal into a first analog signal; the media audio haptic signal is related to the low-frequency part of the media audio signal; the driving unit is configured to receive the first analog signal, convert the first analog signal into the media audio haptic signal, and drive the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the media audio haptic signal.

[0006] According to the above technical means, by setting a vibration motor in the vehicle and using the vibration motor for haptic feedback, when the user listens to audio, not only can they hear the sound, but also feel the vibration related to the audio content through the vibration motor contacted by the body; on one side of the power amplifier unit, the media audio haptic signal is converted into an analog signal, and the analog signal can be transmitted through an ordinary clock spring without setting a high-speed clock spring between the power amplifier unit and the driving unit, which can save hardware costs.

[0007] In some embodiments, generating the media audio haptic signal according to the media audio signal includes: performing low-pass filtering on the media audio signal to generate the media audio haptic signal; the driving unit is further configured to: perform bass enhancement on the low-frequency part of the media audio haptic signal according to the frequency domain information of the media audio haptic signal; and, during the process of driving at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the audio haptic signal, monitor and adjust the operating frequency of the at least one vibration motor so that the operating frequency approaches the resonance frequency F0 of the vibration motor.

[0008] According to the above technical means, by performing bass enhancement on the media audio haptic signal and performing F0 tracking on the vibration motor, the intensity of haptic feedback can be improved, the immersion can be enhanced, and the user experience can be enhanced.

[0009] In some embodiments, the media audio haptic signal is obtained according to the low-frequency part of the media audio signal.

[0010] The power amplifier unit includes a digital-to-analog conversion unit for converting the media audio haptic signal into the first analog signal, and the driving unit includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit for converting the first analog signal into the media audio haptic signal. The digital-to-analog conversion unit and the analog-to-digital conversion unit are connected through a clock spring.

[0011] According to the above technical means, using the conversion unit to convert the signal form and using an ordinary clock spring to transmit the analog signal between the power amplifier unit and the driving unit can reduce costs on the premise of meeting the usage performance.

[0012] In some embodiments, the intelligent cockpit domain controller is further configured to obtain a prompt audio signal; the power amplifier unit is configured to generate a pulse width modulation signal according to the prompt audio signal; the driving unit is further configured to receive the pulse width modulation signal and drive at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the pulse width modulation signal.

[0013] According to the above technical means, the amplifier unit is used to convert the prompt signal into a PWM signal, and according to the different signal types, the amplitude, frequency and duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal are adjusted to achieve precise control of the vibration motor.

[0014] In some embodiments, the prompt audio signal includes at least one of the following: a turn signal prompt audio signal, a message prompt audio signal, a key touch prompt audio signal, and an intelligent driving prompt audio signal.

[0015] In some embodiments, the amplifier unit is connected to the driving unit through an automotive audio bus, and the driving unit is configured to receive the media audio tactile signal through the automotive audio bus.

[0016] According to the above technical means, when the vibration motor is disposed at a position other than the steering wheel, or when the vibration motor is disposed on the steering wheel and its connection line is a high-speed clock spring, digital signal transmission can be directly performed without performing digital-to-analog conversion and analog-to-digital conversion, reducing the complexity of system processing while ensuring the synchronization of the media audio signal and the media audio tactile signal.

[0017] In some embodiments, the at least one vibration motor is disposed on a multifunctional steering wheel of the vehicle; and / or, the at least one vibration motor is disposed on the seat of the vehicle.

[0018] According to the above technical means, by disposing vibration motors at different positions of the vehicle, the interaction between the user and the vehicle can be enhanced, the interaction mode can be made more diverse and intuitive, and the user experience is improved.

[0019] In a second aspect, an audio control method is provided. The method is applied to a vehicle audio system, and the vehicle audio system includes an intelligent cockpit domain controller, an amplifier unit, a driving unit, and at least one vibration motor; an input end of the amplifier unit is connected to the intelligent cockpit domain controller, an output end of the amplifier unit is connected to an input end of the driving unit, and an output end of the driving unit is connected to the at least one vibration motor; the method includes: obtaining a media audio signal by using the intelligent cockpit domain controller; generating a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal by using the amplifier unit, and converting the media audio tactile signal into a first analog signal, where the media audio tactile signal is related to a low-frequency part of the media audio signal; receiving the first analog signal by using the driving unit, converting the first analog signal into the media audio tactile signal, and driving the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the media audio tactile signal.

[0020] In some embodiments, generating a media audio haptic signal based on the media audio signal includes: performing low-pass filtering on the media audio signal to generate the media audio haptic signal; the method further includes: using the driving unit to perform bass enhancement on the low-frequency part of the audio haptic signal according to the frequency-domain information of the audio haptic signal; and, during the process of driving at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the audio haptic signal, monitoring and adjusting the operating frequency of the at least one vibration motor so that the operating frequency approaches the resonance frequency F0 of the vibration motor.

[0021] In a third aspect, a vehicle is provided, including the vehicle audio system as described in the first aspect. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a vehicle audio system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a vehicle audio system provided by another embodiment of the present application

[0024] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a vehicle audio system provided by yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 Architecture diagram of a vehicle audio system applying the audio control system provided by the embodiment of the present application

[0026] Figure 5 For Figure 4 the control timing diagram of the vehicle audio system in;

[0027] Figure 6 Schematic flowchart of the audio control method provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 Schematic structure diagram of a vehicle provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 Schematic structure diagram of the audio control device provided by the embodiment of the present application. Detailed Embodiments

[0030] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0031] In the context of the rapid development of current automotive technology, vehicles have become an indispensable tool for users to travel. With the continuous development of intelligent cockpit technology, users' requirements for the intelligence of vehicles are also getting higher and higher. Currently, the interaction between users and vehicles mainly stays in the auditory and visual dimensions; for example, playing music through the speakers in the cockpit or displaying various vehicle information on the vehicle's screen. With the continuous increase in the number and power of in-vehicle speakers, the tuning difficulty and cycle also increase accordingly. Due to the introduction of more speakers and greater power, when users increase the volume, due to acoustic-related problems such as low-frequency standing waves, the listening experience becomes uncomfortable, and the performance of the speaker system cannot be fully reflected.

[0032] In some related technologies, to enhance the user experience, vibration motors can be integrated on the vehicle's steering wheel or seat to bring users a brand-new tactile dimension of interaction experience. The vibration motor integrated in the steering wheel mentioned above is part of the vehicle audio system, also known as a tactile speaker, which can work independently for different sound sources in the vehicle or work together with the vehicle's speakers.

[0033] For prompt sound sources, they cover prompt information in numerous driving scenarios. For example, in the vehicle navigation scenario, when the driver needs to perform a steering operation, intuitive prompts can be given to the driver through the tactile feedback of the vibration motor, avoiding missing the opportunity due to visual negligence or auditory interference; another example is that for various notifications pushed by the vehicle, including reminders of abnormal vehicle states, message prompts of instant messaging software, etc., the user can be reminded through the tactile feedback of the vibration motor; another example is that when the driver operates the vehicle using the buttons on the steering wheel, the tactile speaker can simulate the buttons, and a slight vibration can be felt when touching the buttons to confirm that the current operation has been received, thus improving the accuracy of interaction; yet another example is that when the vehicle is performing intelligent assisted driving, when the intelligent assisted driving system issues prompts such as too close following distance, lane departure, and prompting the driver to take over, combined with tactile vibration, the driver can receive the above prompts and make a response in the first time.

[0034] In addition to the above prompt sound sources, there are also media sound sources in the vehicle, which meet the entertainment needs of the driver during vehicle driving and add fun to the driving process. Such sound sources can include various types such as online music, radio stations, and in-vehicle USB music. When playing music, the tactile speaker can generate regular vibrations following the rhythm of the music, increasing the user's immersion.

[0035] When the vehicle's audio system processes prompt sound sources, since the tactile speaker system needs to accurately master the detailed information of the current prompt sound event, including the specific type and start and end time nodes, it is necessary to access the vehicle's domain control system to obtain these key event data.

[0036] The connection between the haptic speaker system and the vehicle's domain controller can be based on the CANFD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol.

[0037] Among them, CANFD, with its high data transmission rate and flexibility, can quickly and stably transmit the beep event information in the domain control to the haptic speaker system, ensuring the timeliness of feedback; while LIN, as a low-cost and low-rate serial communication protocol, can also meet the basic access requirements in some scenarios with slightly lower requirements for data transmission real-time performance, providing diverse choices for the system.

[0038] For media sound sources, in order for the haptic speaker system to cooperate with music and produce vibration effects that match the rhythm and melody, it must obtain the music media data of the entire vehicle. Usually, in-vehicle speaker systems mostly use the Audio over Ethernet AVB Bridge (A2B) technology to send sound data to the power amplifier for sound effect processing and mixing operations, and finally drive the speakers to emit sound. However, if the analog signal at the end of the power amplifier is used as the data source and sent to the haptic system, many problems will be faced.

[0039] On the one hand, if digital data transmission is adopted, although audio digital transmission methods such as Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Inter-IC Sound (IIS) are feasible in terms of technical principles, due to their electrical performance limitations, they are only applicable to short-distance transmission scenarios and are difficult to meet the requirements of complex in-vehicle wiring and long-distance transmission.

[0040] Therefore, the A2B or Ethernet method becomes a more ideal choice. Moreover, in current in-vehicle systems, the intelligent cockpit domain controller, power amplifier, and microphone mostly use the A2B method for connection. From multiple factors such as compatibility, scalability, and transmission performance, the A2B transmission signal has obvious advantages for digital transmission.

[0041] However, when the vibration motor is integrated into the steering wheel, it needs to be connected to other vehicle body components by a clock spring. If the A2B transmission method is adopted, due to its strict electrical performance requirements for differential transmission, a high-speed clock spring must be equipped, which will undoubtedly greatly increase the production cost and pose challenges to the actual implementation of the technology.

[0042] On the other hand, it is necessary to avoid abnormal amplitudes and the inclusion of unwanted audio data; for example, when the navigation makes a sound, the tactile system should not respond. In this case, it is not possible to simply reuse the channels of the speaker to send data, as this will mix audio sources that do not require tactile feedback, such as navigation voices, which will affect the accuracy and user experience of the tactile speaker system. In addition, when simply reusing the channels of the in-vehicle speaker to send data, the tactile speaker will respond to the entire frequency band of the in-vehicle speaker data channel, which will result in insufficient tactile vibration force and obvious trailing phenomena.

[0043] In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a vehicle audio system, an audio control method, and a vehicle. The technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings below.

[0044] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle audio system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 The vehicle audio system 100 in FIG. 1 includes an intelligent cockpit domain controller 110, a power amplifier unit 120, a driving unit 130, and at least one vibration motor 140.

[0045] Among them, the input end of the power amplifier unit 120 is connected to the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110, the output end of the power amplifier unit 120 is connected to the input end of the driving unit 130, and the output end of the driving unit 130 is connected to at least one vibration motor 140. It should be noted that, for the convenience of subsequent description, Figure 1 FIG. 1 also shows a speaker 200.

[0046] The intelligent cockpit domain controller 110 plays a core control and signal acquisition role in the vehicle audio system. It has a wide range of communication interfaces and data processing capabilities, and can establish connections with various audio sources in the vehicle. For example, it can receive the audio stream of an online music platform through the in-vehicle network, or it can accurately obtain the media audio signal by reading the music files in the local USB storage device.

[0047] The input end of the power amplifier unit 120 is connected to the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110, and it is usually used to amplify the power of the audio signal to drive the speaker 200 to generate sound.

[0048] In the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the power amplifier unit 120 can also receive the media audio signal sent by the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110, and generate a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal. The media audio tactile signal is related to the low-frequency part of the media audio signal. That is to say, in addition to amplifying the audio signal, the power amplifier unit 120 also has the ability to analyze the audio signal and extract the low-frequency components in the audio signal, and convert the low-frequency part into a signal form suitable for driving the vibration motor 140.

[0049] By extracting and processing these low-frequency components, the power amplifier unit 120 can convert these key elements in the audio into tactile signals. For example, during music playback, the low-frequency signal corresponding to a strong bass drumbeat is processed by the power amplifier unit 120 and converted into a tactile signal that can drive the vibration motor 140 to generate strong and rhythmic vibrations, enabling the user to feel the rhythm and power of the music through touch and enhancing the three-dimensional and immersive nature of the audio experience.

[0050] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the above-mentioned media audio tactile signal. For example, the media audio tactile signal can be the low-frequency part itself extracted from the media audio signal; or, the media audio tactile signal can also be a signal obtained by further processing the low-frequency part in the media audio signal.

[0051] It should also be noted that audio signals usually contain various frequency components, which together constitute audible sounds, and their frequencies are usually 20 Hz - 20 kHz; the above-mentioned low-frequency part usually refers to components with lower frequencies, and low-frequency signals often contain important information such as rhythm, rhythm, and strength in audio. According to the common understanding in the art, the frequency range of the above-mentioned low frequency can be 20 Hz - 200 Hz.

[0052] It can be understood that the above-mentioned media audio tactile signal is a digital signal, and the above-mentioned driving unit and vibration motor are usually located on the vehicle's steering wheel. If it is necessary to transmit the media audio tactile signal between the power amplifier unit and the driving unit and ensure signal synchronization, a high-speed clock spring needs to be set on the steering wheel, which will increase the cost of the vehicle audio system.

[0053] In the technical solution of the present application, the power amplifier unit is further configured to convert the signal into a first analog signal after generating the media audio tactile signal, and the transmission of the first analog signal can be carried out through an ordinary clock spring.

[0054] The input end of the driving unit 130 is connected to the output end of the power amplifier unit 120, and its output end is connected to at least one vibration motor 140. As an intermediate link connecting the power amplifier unit 120 and the vibration motor 140, the driving unit 130 undertakes tasks such as signal conversion and power adaptation.

[0055] The driving unit 130 receives a first analog signal through an input end, converts the first analog signal into a media audio haptic signal, and precisely controls the vibration parameters of the vibration motor 140 according to the characteristics of the signal, such as vibration frequency, amplitude, and vibration duration. The above vibration parameters are closely related to the content of the media audio. The vibration of the vibration motor 140 can reflect the rhythm changes, melody undulations, and sound intensity of the media audio, enriching the user's audio perception experience. Moreover, since the vibration motor 140 only represents the low-frequency part of the media audio signal, it avoids the problems of insufficient somatosensory vibration force and obvious trailing phenomenon caused by direct driving.

[0056] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the number and layout of the foregoing at least one vibration motor 140. As a possible implementation, the number of the at least one vibration motor 140 is one and is arranged on the steering wheel. Or, the number of the at least one vibration motor 140 can be multiple, which can be respectively arranged at different positions on the steering wheel and the seat.

[0057] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific type of the above vibration motor 140. The vibration motor 140 can be, for example, any one of an eccentric rotor motor, a linear vibration motor, a piezoelectric vibration motor, and other types of vibration motors. Preferably, the vibration motor 140 is a linear vibration motor, which can provide a more precise and stronger vibration effect, and the vibration direction can be controlled more flexibly.

[0058] According to the above technical means, by setting a vibration motor in the vehicle and using the vibration motor for haptic feedback, when the user listens to the audio, not only can the user hear the sound, but also can feel the vibration related to the audio content through the vibration motor contacted by the body. The media audio haptic signal is converted into an analog signal on the side of the power amplifier unit, and the analog signal can be transmitted through an ordinary clock spring, without setting a high-speed clock spring between the power amplifier unit and the driving unit, which can save hardware costs.

[0059] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the power amplifier unit 120 includes a digital-to-analog conversion unit (DAC) 121, and the driving unit 130 includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit (ADC) 131. The power amplifier unit 120 and the driving unit 130 are connected through the above digital-to-analog conversion unit 121 and analog-to-digital conversion unit 131.

[0060] The aforementioned media audio tactile signal is the low-frequency part of the media audio signal. As mentioned above, the low-frequency part has unique characteristics and functions in audio. The low-frequency part of the media audio signal is extracted as a tactile signal because the characteristics of the low-frequency signal are more suitable for conversion into vibrations that can be perceived by the human sense of touch. The energy of the low-frequency signal is relatively strong, and its rhythm and rhythmic changes can be effectively transmitted to the user through the vibration motor, allowing the user to feel the rhythm, strength and other elements in the music or audio, thereby achieving a more vivid and immersive audio tactile experience.

[0061] The digital-to-analog conversion unit 121 is used to perform digital-to-analog conversion on the media audio tactile signal, that is, convert the digital signal into an analog signal. The generated first analog signal can accurately reflect the characteristics of the low-frequency tactile signal, such as frequency, amplitude, etc.

[0062] The analog-to-digital conversion unit 131 receives the first analog signal and converts the first analog signal back into digital form. This process involves the conversion of the signal form and the sampling and quantization optimization of the signal, which can ensure that the restored digital tactile signal can meet the requirements, thereby achieving a tactile feedback effect consistent with the low-frequency part of the original audio.

[0063] After receiving the restored media audio tactile signal, the driving unit 130 uses its internal circuit and control logic to generate a corresponding driving signal according to the characteristics of the tactile signal to drive the vibration motor 140 to work. It can accurately control the vibration frequency, amplitude, phase, vibration time and other parameters of the vibration motor 140 to synchronize the vibration of the vibration motor 140 with the media audio signal. For example, when the rhythm of the low-frequency drum beats in the audio speeds up, the driving unit 130 will adjust the driving signal accordingly to speed up the vibration frequency of the vibration motor 140, allowing the user to feel the vibration changes consistent with the audio rhythm through the sense of touch.

[0064] According to the above technical means, the signal form between the power amplifier unit and the driving unit is converted by using a digital-to-analog conversion unit and an analog-to-digital conversion unit, and the analog signal is transmitted through an ordinary clock spring, which can reduce costs while meeting the performance requirements.

[0065] In some embodiments, the aforementioned power amplifier unit generates a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal, further comprising: performing low-pass filtering on the media audio signal to generate the media audio tactile signal.

[0066] Among them, low-pass filtering is a filtering method that allows low-frequency signals to pass through and suppresses high-frequency signals. In tactile feedback, low-frequency vibrations are usually more easily perceived by the human body, while the vibration motor has weak feedback on high-frequency signals. Low-pass filtering can ensure that the tactile signal mainly contains low-frequency components, thereby improving the effect of tactile feedback.

[0067] The driving unit is further configured to: perform bass enhancement on the low-frequency part of the media audio haptic signal according to the frequency-domain information of the media audio haptic signal, and during the process of driving at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the audio haptic signal, detect and adjust the operating frequency of at least one vibration motor so that its operating frequency is close to the resonance frequency F0 of the vibration motor.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present application, the so-called bass enhancement may be to adjust the gain of the low-frequency part of the media audio haptic signal to make the bass stronger. Bass enhancement can improve the intensity and realism of haptic feedback and enhance the overall immersion. When the vibration motor operates at the resonance frequency F0, its amplitude is the largest and the frequency is the highest. By detecting and adjusting the frequency in real time, it can ensure that the motor operates in the best state.

[0069] According to the above technical means, by performing bass enhancement on the media audio haptic signal and tracking F0 of the vibration motor, the intensity of haptic feedback can be improved, the immersion can be enhanced, and the user experience can be enhanced.

[0070] In some embodiments, referring further to Figure 1 , the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110 is further configured to obtain a prompt audio signal, which may include various types of audio signals for conveying important information or operation feedback to the user, such as the left and right turn prompt sounds of the vehicle, system message prompt sounds, button touch prompt sounds, intelligent driving prompt sounds, etc.

[0071] The above prompt audio signals may come from different control modules or sensors of the vehicle. The intelligent cockpit domain controller 110 interacts with these components through the in-vehicle communication network to ensure accurate and timely acquisition of the prompt audio signals and transmit them to the subsequent processing unit.

[0072] As an implementation manner, as shown in Figure 3 , the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110 is connected to the vehicle gateway 150, and at the same time, the gateway 150 is connected to the aforementioned control module or sensor, and the control module may be the vehicle control unit (VCU) 160. When a prompt needs to be given to the user, the vehicle control unit 160 sends the prompt audio signal to the gateway 150, and the gateway 150 forwards it to the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110.

[0073] After receiving the prompt audio signal transmitted by the intelligent cockpit domain controller 110, the power amplifier unit 120 generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal according to the signal. In the technical solution of the present application, the power amplifier unit 120 generates a corresponding PWM signal according to the characteristics (such as frequency, amplitude, duration, etc.) of the prompt audio signal.

[0074] For example, for an emergency intelligent driving prompt tone, a PWM signal with a high duty cycle and high frequency can be generated to drive the vibration motor 140 to produce a strong and rapid vibration; while for an ordinary button touch prompt tone, a PWM signal with a relatively low duty cycle and low frequency is generated to produce a gentle and short vibration. Through the change of the PWM signal, the information in the prompt audio signal is converted into a signal form suitable for driving the vibration motor 140 to produce different tactile effects. In this embodiment, the PWM signal generated by the power amplifier unit 120 can also be referred to as a prompt audio tactile signal.

[0075] It can be understood that when presenting the foregoing media audio signal by using the vibration motor 140, it is necessary to ensure that the vibration of the vibration motor 140 is highly synchronized with the music played by the speaker 200 in the vehicle. In the foregoing technical solution, it is necessary to perform digital-to-analog conversion on the media audio tactile signal for easy transmission.

[0076] In this embodiment, however, the requirement for synchronization of the prompt audio signal is relatively low. Therefore, after generating the above PWM signal, the power amplifier unit 120 can directly send the PWM signal to the drive unit 130.

[0077] After receiving the above PWM signal, the drive unit 130 drives at least one motor to vibrate according to the PWM signal, thereby realizing the prompt audio tactile feedback. The drive unit 130 generates corresponding drive current or voltage signals according to parameters such as the pulse width and frequency of the PWM signal through internal circuits and control logic, so that the vibration motor 140 vibrates according to a predetermined mode. For example, when the duty cycle of the PWM signal increases, the drive unit 130 will increase the output voltage or current, so that the vibration amplitude of the vibration motor 140 increases; when the frequency of the PWM signal changes, the drive unit 130 will adjust the frequency of the drive signal, so that the vibration frequency of the vibration motor 140 changes accordingly. In this way, the user can tactilely perceive the vibration effect corresponding to the prompt audio signal, such as different types of prompt tones corresponding to vibrations of different intensities and rhythms, enhancing the user's perception ability of the prompt information and improving the interactivity between the vehicle and the user.

[0078] According to the above technical means, the prompt signal is converted into a PWM signal by using the power amplifier unit, and the amplitude, frequency, and duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal are adjusted according to different signal types to achieve precise control of the vibration motor.

[0079] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 3 , the drive unit 130 is also connected to the vehicle control unit 160. In the embodiments of the present application, the connection manner between the vehicle control unit 160 and the drive unit 130 is not specifically limited. As a possible implementation manner, it can be connected through a CAN bus or a LIN bus.

[0080] The vehicle control unit 160 can send a customer request through a bus connection with the drive unit, and the drive unit 130 can drive the vibration motor 140 to vibrate in response to the customer request according to the aforementioned PWM signal.

[0081] In some embodiments, the aforementioned media audio haptic signal is the low-frequency part of the media audio signal; that is, the power amplifier unit 120 filters the received media audio signal to obtain the media audio haptic signal. The power amplifier unit 120 and the drive unit 130 are connected through an A2B bus, and the drive unit 130 can receive the media audio haptic signal through the A2B bus.

[0082] The technical solutions of the above embodiments can be applied to the following two usage scenarios: the vibration motor is arranged at a position other than the steering wheel, or, the vibration motor is arranged on the steering wheel and its connection line is a high-speed clock spring. In these two scenarios, digital signal transmission can be directly performed without digital-to-analog conversion and analog-to-digital conversion, reducing the complexity of system processing while ensuring the synchronization of the media audio signal and the media audio haptic signal.

[0083] In some embodiments, at least one vibration motor is arranged on the multifunctional steering wheel of the vehicle, and / or, the at least one vibration motor is arranged on the seat of the vehicle.

[0084] The multifunctional steering wheel usually integrates various control functions, such as volume adjustment, track switching, cruise control, vehicle information display switching, etc. When combined with the vibration motor, different operations or system events can trigger the vibration motor at the corresponding position to generate a specific vibration mode, or, when playing music, the vibration motor on the steering wheel can generate vibrations that are the same as the music rhythm, which can enhance the user experience. When the intelligent driving system of the vehicle issues a steering assistance prompt, the vibration motor on the corresponding side of the steering wheel can generate rhythmic vibrations to remind the driver to pay attention to the steering direction, enhancing the interactivity and safety of driving operations.

[0085] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific position of the vibration motor arranged on the multifunctional steering wheel. For example, it can be arranged inside the rim of the steering wheel, on both sides of the grip, etc. This distribution method enables the driver to directly perceive the vibration when the vibration motor works.

[0086] The vibration motors installed on the seat can enhance the user experience at the tactile level in addition to the traditional visual and auditory sensations. The vibration motors can be distributed in different areas of the seat cushion, backrest, headrest, etc. According to different application requirements, the vibration motors in each area can work independently or in cooperation. For example, installing vibration motors in the seat cushion area can provide tactile feedback related to the vehicle's driving state for the driver and passengers. When the vehicle accelerates, decelerates, or passes over bumpy roads, the vibration motors under the seat cushion can simulate the corresponding vibration sensations, allowing passengers to more intuitively feel the dynamic changes of the vehicle. The vibration motors in the backrest area can provide tactile stimulation to the back of the passengers when the vehicle safety system issues a warning (such as a warning that a vehicle is approaching rapidly from behind) or the entertainment system plays specific audio (such as surround sound in a movie), enhancing the immersion and warning effects. The vibration motors in the headrest area can provide gentle vibration reminders to the passengers in some special scenarios (such as during an in-vehicle call), avoiding interference to the passengers caused by overly strong sound prompts.

[0087] It can also be understood that the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the number of the above at least one vibration motor, and the vibration motor can be one or more.

[0088] In the embodiments of the present application, the vibration motor can be installed only on the multifunctional steering wheel, or only on the vehicle seat, or vibration motors can be installed on both the multifunctional steering wheel and the seat at the same time, and can be flexibly configured according to the needs of the vehicle.

[0089] According to the above technical means, by installing vibration motors at different positions of the vehicle, the interaction between the user and the vehicle can be enhanced, the interaction method can be made more diverse and intuitive, and the user experience is improved.

[0090] Figure 4 It is the architecture diagram of the vehicle audio system applying the audio control system provided by the embodiments of the present application. The following will be combined with Figure 4 to further illustrate the technical solutions of the present application.

[0091] As Figure 4 shown, the vehicle audio system 400 includes a gateway WG 410, a vehicle control unit VCU 420, a multifunctional steering wheel MFS 430, an intelligent cockpit domain controller CDC 440, a power amplifier unit AMP 450, a linear motor 460, and a speaker 470.

[0092] Among them, the gateway 410 is connected to the vehicle control unit 420 and the intelligent cockpit domain controller 440. The vehicle control unit 420 is connected to the multifunctional steering wheel 430. The intelligent cockpit domain controller 440 is also connected to the input end of the power amplifier unit 450. The output end of the power amplifier unit 450 is respectively connected to the multifunctional steering wheel 430 and the speaker 470.

[0093] The multifunctional steering wheel 430 has a first microcontroller MCU 431, which integrates a motor drive unit 4311, a first A2B interface 4312, and an analog-to-digital conversion unit ADC 4313.

[0094] The intelligent cockpit domain controller 440 includes a second microcontroller MCU 441 and a system-on-chip SOC 442. Among them, the SOC 442 is used to process tasks from multiple devices in the vehicle based on its computing and processing capabilities, such as running navigation software, processing voice instructions, etc. At the same time, the SOC supports various high-speed communication interfaces and can perform high-speed data transmission with other devices or units in the vehicle. For example, the SOC 442 can be connected to the power amplifier unit 450 based on the A2B protocol. The second microcontroller 441 can be used for power supply and timing management, data interaction, and peripheral control, etc. In the technical solution of this application, the second microcontroller 442 is connected to the power amplifier unit 450 through CANFD.

[0095] The power amplifier unit 450 includes a second A2B interface 451 and a digital-to-analog conversion unit DAC 452. Among them, the second A2B interface 451 is connected to the aforementioned first A2B interface 4312 based on the A2B protocol, and the digital-to-analog conversion unit 452 is connected to the analog-to-digital conversion unit 4313.

[0096] The power amplifier unit 450 receives the media audio signal through the connection with the intelligent cockpit domain controller 440 and converts the media audio signal into a media audio tactile signal. For this media audio tactile signal, the power amplifier unit 450 can directly send it through the A2B connection with the multifunctional steering wheel 430, so that the motor drive unit 4311 drives the linear motor 460 to vibrate according to the received signal; or, the power amplifier unit 450 can convert the media audio tactile signal into a first analog signal through the digital-to-analog conversion unit 452 and send it to the first microcontroller 431; after receiving the first analog signal, the first microcontroller 431 performs analog-to-digital conversion through the analog-to-digital conversion unit 4313 to obtain the aforementioned media audio tactile signal and drive the linear motor 460 to vibrate.

[0097] The power amplifier unit 450 is also used to play the received media audio signal through the speaker 470.

[0098] For the prompt audio signal, after receiving the prompt audio signal sent by the intelligent cockpit domain controller 440, the power amplifier unit 450 generates a pulse width modulation PWM signal according to the signal and sends the PWM signal to the motor drive unit, so that the motor drive unit drives the linear motor 460 to vibrate.

[0099] Figure 5 Yes Figure 4The control timing diagram of the vehicle audio system in Figure 5 Provide further explanation.

[0100] like Figure 5 As shown, in step S501, the smart cockpit domain controller CDC sends a media audio trigger signal to the gateway WG. The trigger signal may be generated in response to a user's music playing demand, for example.

[0101] Step S502: the gateway WG receives a trigger signal and sends the trigger signal to the vehicle control unit VCU.

[0102] In steps S503 and S504, the vehicle control unit VCU sends a trigger signal to the multi-function steering wheel MFS through the gateway.

[0103] Step S505, the multi-function steering wheel MFS processes the event corresponding to the trigger signal and generates a vibration motor control signal;

[0104] Step S506 : the multi-function steering wheel MFS sends a control signal to the vibration motor, so that the vibration motor vibrates accordingly in response to the trigger signal.

[0105] Step S507: the multi-function steering wheel MFS sends a feedback signal to the gateway WA.

[0106] Step S508, the gateway WA sends a feedback signal to the vehicle control unit VCU;

[0107] Step S509: The vehicle control unit VCU sends a feedback signal to the intelligent cockpit controller CDC.

[0108] The above is the transmission process of the media audio trigger signal. The processing process of the prompt audio signal is similar. The difference is that the trigger signal of the prompt audio is generated by the vehicle control unit. The timing after the trigger signal is generated is the same as the aforementioned steps S503-S509, which will not be repeated here.

[0109] To end playback with the vibration motor, follow these steps:

[0110] Step S510: the intelligent cockpit domain controller CDC sends an end signal to the vehicle control unit VCU.

[0111] In steps S511 and S512 , the vehicle control unit VCU sends a signal to the multi-function steering wheel MFS through the gateway WA.

[0112] Step S513, the multi-function steering wheel MFS sends an end instruction to the linear motor.

[0113] Combination of the above Figures 1 - 5The device embodiments of the present application are described in detail. Next, the method embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the device embodiments. Therefore, for the parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the foregoing device embodiments.

[0114] Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of an audio control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. This method is applied to a vehicle audio system, which includes an intelligent cockpit domain controller, a power amplifier unit, a driving unit, and at least one vibration motor; the input end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the intelligent cockpit domain controller, the output end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the input end of the driving unit, and the output end of the driving unit is connected to at least one vibration motor. The vehicle audio system can be the vehicle audio system 100 described in any of the foregoing embodiments. Figure 6 The method in FIG. 4 includes steps S610 - S630.

[0115] In step S610, the intelligent cockpit domain controller is used to obtain a media audio signal.

[0116] In step S620, the power amplifier unit is used to generate a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal, and convert the media audio tactile signal into a first analog signal. Among them, the media audio tactile signal is related to the low - frequency part of the media audio signal.

[0117] In step S630, the driving unit is used to receive the first analog signal, convert the first analog signal into a media audio tactile signal, and drive at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the media audio tactile signal.

[0118] In some embodiments, generating a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal includes: performing low - pass filtering on the media audio signal to generate a media audio tactile signal;

[0119] The above - mentioned method further includes: using the driving unit to perform bass enhancement on the low - frequency part of the audio tactile signal according to the frequency - domain information of the audio tactile signal; and, during the process of driving at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the audio tactile signal, monitoring and adjusting the operating frequency of at least one vibration motor so that the operating frequency is close to the resonant frequency F0 of the vibration motor.

[0120] Figure 7 FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle 700 includes a vehicle audio system 710, and the vehicle audio system 710 can be the vehicle audio system 100 described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0121] The embodiment of the present application also provides an audio control device. Figure 8The dashed line therein indicates that the unit or module is optional. The audio control device 800 can be used to implement the method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The audio control device 800 can be a chip or an electronic device. For example, the audio control device can be any intelligent terminal such as an in-vehicle computer in a vehicle.

[0122] The audio control device 800 may include one or more processors 810. The processor 810 can support the audio control device 800 to implement the method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor 810 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0123] The audio control device 800 may further include one or more memories 820. A program is stored on the memory 820, and the program can be executed by the processor 810, so that the processor 810 executes the method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The memory 820 can be independent of the processor 810 or integrated in the processor 810.

[0124] The audio control device 800 may further include a transceiver 830. The processor 810 can communicate with other devices or chips through the transceiver 830. For example, the processor 810 can perform data transceiver with other devices or chips through the transceiver 830.

[0125] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method in the embodiment of the present application is implemented.

[0126] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a program, and the program causes a computer to execute the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0127] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program, and the computer program causes a computer to execute the method of the embodiment of the present application.

[0128] It should be understood that the "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mentioned throughout the specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the appearances of "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the magnitudes of the serial numbers of the above steps / processes do not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each step / process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. The serial numbers of the embodiments of the present application are only for description and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0129] It should be understood that the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. in the specification, claims and drawings of the present application are used to distinguish different objects and not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0130] It should be noted that in this article, the term "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "including one..." does not exclude the existence of another identical element in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0131] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0132] In various embodiments of the present application, the magnitudes of the serial numbers of the above processes do not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0133] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wire (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wirelessly (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more integrated available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (such as a solid state disk (SSD)), etc.

[0134] As described above, the above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and all of them should be covered by the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle audio system, characterized in that: It includes an intelligent cockpit domain controller, a power amplifier unit, a drive unit and at least one vibration motor; The input end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the smart cockpit domain controller, the output end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the input end of the drive unit, and the output end of the drive unit is connected to the at least one vibration motor; The smart cockpit domain controller is used to obtain media audio signals; The power amplifier unit is used to generate a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal, and convert the media audio tactile signal into a first analog signal; the media audio tactile signal is related to a low-frequency part of the media audio signal; The driving unit is used to receive the first analog signal, convert the first analog signal into the media audio tactile signal, and drive the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the media audio tactile signal.

2. The vehicle audio system according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of generating a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal comprises: Performing low-pass filtering on the media audio signal to generate the media audio tactile signal; The drive unit is also used for: According to the frequency domain information of the media audio tactile signal, bass enhancement is performed on the low frequency part of the media audio tactile signal; and In the process of driving the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the audio tactile signal, the operating frequency of the at least one vibration motor is monitored and adjusted so that the operating frequency is close to the resonant frequency F0 of the vibration motor.

3. The vehicle audio system according to claim 1, characterized in that The media audio tactile signal is obtained based on the low-frequency part of the media audio signal; The power amplifier unit includes a digital-to-analog conversion unit for converting the media audio tactile signal into the first analog signal, the driving unit includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit for converting the first analog signal into the media audio tactile signal, and the digital-to-analog conversion unit and the analog-to-digital conversion unit are connected via a clock spring.

4. The vehicle audio system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The smart cockpit domain controller is also used to obtain a prompt audio signal; The power amplifier unit is used to generate a pulse width modulation signal according to the prompt audio signal; The driving unit is further configured to receive the pulse width modulation signal and drive the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the pulse width modulation signal.

5. The vehicle audio system according to claim 4, characterized in that The prompt audio signal includes at least one of the following: Turn signal prompt audio signal, message prompt audio signal, button touch prompt audio signal and intelligent driving prompt audio signal.

6. The vehicle audio system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The power amplifier unit is connected to the driving unit via a car audio bus, and the driving unit is used to receive the media audio tactile signal via the car audio bus.

7. The vehicle audio system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The at least one vibration motor is arranged on a multi-function steering wheel of the vehicle; and / or, The at least one vibration motor is disposed on a seat of the vehicle.

8. An audio control method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a vehicle audio system, which includes an intelligent cockpit domain controller, a power amplifier unit, a drive unit, and at least one vibration motor; the input end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the intelligent cockpit domain controller, the output end of the power amplifier unit is connected to the input end of the drive unit, and the output end of the drive unit is connected to the at least one vibration motor; The method comprises: Acquiring a media audio signal using the smart cockpit domain controller; generating a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal using the power amplifier unit, and converting the media audio tactile signal into a first analog signal, wherein the media audio tactile signal is related to a low-frequency portion of the media audio signal; The driving unit is used to receive the first analog signal and convert the first analog signal into the media audio tactile signal, and the at least one vibration motor is driven to vibrate according to the media audio tactile signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Generating a media audio tactile signal according to the media audio signal includes: performing low-pass filtering on the media audio signal to generate the media audio tactile signal; The method also includes: using the driving unit to perform bass enhancement on a low-frequency portion of the audio tactile signal according to frequency domain information of the audio tactile signal; and, in the process of driving the at least one vibration motor to vibrate according to the audio tactile signal, monitoring and adjusting an operating frequency of the at least one vibration motor so that the operating frequency is close to a resonant frequency F0 of the vibration motor.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: A vehicle audio system comprising the vehicle audio system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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