Microphone arrangement and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a microphone arrangement comprising a carrier (1), a turntable (2) rotatable relative to the carrier (1) and at least one microphone (3).The microphone arrangement according to the invention is characterized by a cover (4) for the microphone (3), which at least partially separates the microphone (3) from the environment when the cover (4) is in an at least partially closed position (S2), wherein the cover (4) has a recess (5) or, in the partially closed position (S2), an opening (6) is formed between the cover (4) and the turntable (2), through which opening sound (7) from the environment can penetrate to the microphone (3), wherein the cover (4) is fastened to the turntable (2) in such a way that the recess (5) or the opening (6) is rotatable in the circumferential direction (U) together with the turntable (2) about a first axis of rotation (R1) running through the center of the turntable (2) and perpendicular to a base surface of the turntable (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a microphone arrangement of the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1 and to a vehicle with such a microphone arrangement.

[0002] In road traffic, situations often arise that require increased vigilance from drivers. One example is the presence of an emergency vehicle nearby. Emergency vehicles can be identified by visual cues, such as flashing blue lights, or by audible cues, such as the sound of a siren. A driver can detect an emergency vehicle using such a siren even if it is in an area obscured from the driver's view, for example, behind a building corner.

[0003] Vehicles can be equipped with sensors to detect the presence of emergency vehicles. This involves identifying emergency vehicles based on characteristic visual features or their dimensions, as well as capturing their siren sounds using microphones. Beyond simply detecting the proximity of an emergency vehicle, these sensors can also pinpoint its location relative to the vehicle. This allows for determining the direction from which an emergency vehicle is approaching and calculating its distance from the vehicle itself.

[0004] Methods and means for detecting emergency vehicles are known, for example, from DE 10 2023 001 179 A1, DE 10 2023 000 266 B3 and DE 10 2018 217 891 A1.

[0005] The acoustic detection of the presence of emergency vehicles is particularly relevant for vehicles that are at least partially automated or even autonomously controlled, in order to detect emergency vehicles early, even if they are in an area that cannot be scanned or detected by corresponding cameras, radar sensors or LiDARe included in the respective vehicle.

[0006] DE 10 2019 211 580 A1 further describes a device for a vehicle which can be used to reduce wind noise in the sensor signals generated by external microphones attached to the vehicle.

[0007] Furthermore, US 2,526,604 A discloses a microphone support device with a mechanism for rotating the microphone about a vertical axis. The microphone is attached to a rotating disc via a U-shaped support. The rotating disc can be set in motion by means of a cable pulley. A spring-loaded return movement is provided.

[0008] Furthermore, KR 10-2198939 B1 discloses a microphone arrangement rotatable around a vertical axis. The microphone is located in a housing which has openings for sound transmission.

[0009] Furthermore, CN 1794881 A discloses a directional microphone for a mobile device. The microphone is connected to a jack plug and has a cylindrical housing with an opening on the side facing away from the jack plug. An elastic bellows allows the housing to be swiveled in various directions.

[0010] Furthermore, DE 102 59 543 A1 discloses a sound projector. This is a directional loudspeaker in which a sound source is arranged in a housing which has an opening on the side opposite the sound source. The opening is fitted with a cover that directs sound away from the sound projector. By rotating the cover, the direction in which the sound is deflected can be adjusted.

[0011] Furthermore, KR 10-2009-0041516 A discloses a rotatable microphone arrangement for a mobile phone.

[0012] Furthermore, DE 10 2018 214 898 A1 discloses a sensor device for detecting acoustic signals in the vicinity of a vehicle, with the help of which it is possible to determine the direction and / or position of an acoustic signal source relative to the vehicle.

[0013] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a microphone arrangement that is improved compared to the prior art.

[0014] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a microphone arrangement having the features of claim 1, and a vehicle with an improved microphone arrangement. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are described in the dependent claims.

[0015] A microphone arrangement of this type, comprising a support, a rotating disc rotatable relative to the support, at least one microphone, and a cover for the microphone which at least partially delimits the microphone from the environment when the cover is in an at least partially closed position, wherein the cover has a recess or, in the partially closed position, an opening is formed between the cover and the rotating disc through which sound from the environment can penetrate to the microphone, wherein the cover is attached to the rotating disc in such a way that the recess or the opening is rotatable in the circumferential direction together with the rotating disc about a first axis of rotation extending through the center of the rotating disc and perpendicular to a base surface of the rotating disc.wherein the cover is rotatably connected to the turntable about a second axis of rotation extending orthogonally to the first axis of rotation through the turntable, wherein the cover is movable by rotation about the second axis of rotation between a retracted position and the at least partially closed position, is further developed according to the invention in that the cover is completely recessed relative to the turntable in the retracted position.

[0016] The microphone arrangement according to the invention is characterized by a cover that can be rotated around the microphone. This cover has an opening or recess through which sound can penetrate to the microphone. This allows for several positive effects. Firstly, the cover protects the microphone from environmental influences such as dirt, damage, or water ingress. The cover acts as a sound reflector, thereby increasing the microphone's sensitivity. Furthermore, sound emitted from a sound source located behind the cover cannot penetrate to the microphone, or can only do so in a weakened form, thus enabling direction-dependent acoustic detection. Since the cover, and therefore the opening or recess, is rotatable, this directionality can be adjusted to suit specific situations.This facilitates the localization of sound sources relative to the microphone arrangement, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0017] The microphone assembly includes a suitable actuator for moving the turntable. All common actuator types are suitable for this purpose, such as electric motors, piezo actuators, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, magnetic actuators, and the like.

[0018] The rotating disc can be solid or perforated. It can therefore also be referred to as a rotating ring. The microphone can be positioned on or within the rotating disc. In the case of a perforated rotating disc, the microphone can also protrude through the hole. This allows for rigid mounting of the microphone to the support. However, the microphone can also be designed to rotate together with the rotating disc. Microphones often already feature direction-dependent acoustic pickup. It is particularly preferred that the microphone is oriented relative to the rotating disc and the cover such that the direction in which the microphone exhibits the highest sensitivity correlates with the recess or opening.

[0019] The cover can be made from any common material, such as plastic, glass, wood, metal and the like.

[0020] The cover may have a recess. This means that a kind of hole is incorporated into the cover. This "hole" can have any cross-sectional shape. For example, the hole can be circular, oval, square, rectangular, or the like. The cross-sectional shape can be any polygon. The recess extends only over a portion of the cover's circumference to allow for the aforementioned directional dependency in acoustic detection. Instead of a recess, the cover can also be designed or positioned relative to the rotating disc in such a way that an opening is formed between the cover and the rotating disc.

[0021] The cover can also be designed in such a way that it can be moved beyond the at least partially closed position, for example by translation, rotation, a screwing motion and / or tilting.

[0022] In other words, the microphone arrangement according to the invention represents a kind of imitation of an animal ear that can be oriented towards its surroundings. For example, cats or rabbits can move their ears or their ear flaps to better perceive sounds from specific regions of a room. This is implemented in a technical sense by means of the microphone arrangement according to the invention.

[0023] As previously described, the cover is designed to be rotatably connected to the turntable about a second axis of rotation running orthogonally to the first axis of rotation through the turntable. The cover can be moved between a retracted position and a partially closed position by rotating it about this second axis. Moving the cover allows the opening area of ​​the opening between the cover and the turntable to be adjusted.

[0024] To move the cover around the second axis of rotation, the microphone assembly can include additional actuators. The retracted position and the at least partially closed position differ in that the opening area can be varied between a relatively small and a large value.

[0025] According to the invention, the cover is completely recessed relative to the turntable in the retracted position. This also allows the microphone, viewed from the turntable, to be hemispherically exposed to its surroundings. Thus, sound from the corresponding hemisphere can reach the microphone equally from all directions.

[0026] A further advantageous embodiment of the microphone arrangement according to the invention provides that the cover can be moved beyond the partially closed position into a fully closed position, in which the cover completely isolates the microphone from its surroundings, except for any recess that may be present. If the cover has no recess, the microphone can thus be completely isolated from its surroundings. Appropriate sealing elements can be provided on the cover and / or the rotating disc, thereby enabling a hermetic seal of the microphone from the environment. This allows the microphone to be protected particularly reliably from environmental influences. It is also conceivable that the cover in this movable embodiment is provided with a recess.However, since this recess is relatively small compared to the rest of the cover's surface, the penetration of dirt, dust, water, and the like to the microphone is at least made more difficult when the cover is closed.

[0027] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the microphone arrangement according to the invention, the cover is also provided to have, at least in part, the shape of a solid of revolution, in particular a sphere or hemisphere. Generally, all possible shapes are suitable for the cover, as long as the microphone can be partially isolated from its surroundings. Solids of revolution, however, offer particular advantages. Solids of revolution such as cylinders, spheres, and the like, or corresponding semi-solids, are easy to manufacture, and the rounded shape allows sound to be reflected back to the microphone particularly effectively. This is especially true for a cover designed as a hemisphere. This makes it particularly effective to increase the sensitivity of the microphone by extending or providing a suitably shaped cover.

[0028] A vehicle according to the invention has a microphone arrangement attached to or integrated into the outer skin. The microphone arrangement is therefore a so-called external microphone.The microphone arrangement comprises a support, a rotating disc rotatable relative to the support, at least one microphone, and a cover for the microphone which at least partially delimits the microphone from the environment when the cover is in an at least partially closed position, wherein the cover has a recess or, in the partially closed position, an opening is formed between the cover and the rotating disc through which sound from the environment can penetrate to the microphone, wherein the cover is attached to the rotating disc in such a way that the recess or the opening is rotatable in the circumferential direction together with the rotating disc about a first axis of rotation extending through the center of the rotating disc and perpendicular to a base surface of the rotating disc.

[0029] Particularly preferably, the microphone arrangement is a microphone arrangement according to the invention as already described above.

[0030] The vehicle in question could be a road vehicle such as a car, truck, van, bus, or similar. However, it could also be a rail vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft.

[0031] According to an advantageous embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, it comprises a processing unit, which is configured to identify a defined acoustic signal by evaluating sensor signals generated by at least one microphone arrangement. To execute the corresponding process steps, the processing unit has read access to a computer-readable storage medium comprising machine-interpretable instructions which, when executed by a processor of the processing unit, cause it to perform the corresponding task. In this way, corresponding signals can be defined that are to be recognized by the processing unit. These include, in particular, the sirens or the noise emitted by the horns of emergency vehicles. The procedure for identifying corresponding acoustic signals in the sensor data recorded by microphones is well known to those skilled in the art.All usual methods for identifying the respective acoustic patterns can be used for this purpose.

[0032] A further advantageous embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention further provides that the computing unit is also configured to locate the acoustic signal relative to the vehicle; and / or, if the microphone arrangement is movable between the different positions, to move the cover between the retracted position and the at least partially closed position depending on the detection of the acoustic signal, a type of road being traveled and / or a speed of travel of the vehicle.

[0033] Established methods can also be used to locate the defined acoustic signal relative to the vehicle. In particular, multiple microphone arrays or microphones can be positioned on the vehicle, allowing the localization of corresponding sound sources relative to the vehicle based on triangulation. This can take into account factors such as the time difference between the respective sound signals, a Doppler-induced frequency shift, volume differences, and the like.

[0034] Furthermore, the processing unit can change the position of the cover depending on the detection of a specific acoustic signal. This allows, for example, the microphones to remain exposed to the surroundings while the vehicle is in motion. As soon as the processing unit detects the defined acoustic signal, such as a siren, the cover can be moved from the retracted position to a partially closed position. Due to the increased sensitivity, this makes it easier for the processing unit to validate the presence of emergency vehicles in the vicinity. The direction-dependent increase in sensitivity, achieved through the circumferentially limited opening, also facilitates the localization of emergency vehicles. The cover can also be completely closed.

[0035] The position of the cover can also be adjusted depending on the type of road being driven on. For example, a different position can be selected for driving in a city than for driving on a country road or highway. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle's speed can also be taken into account when adjusting the cover's position. Ideally, the cover can be closed further as the speed increases. For example, the cover could be half open at 30 km / h and a quarter open at 60 km / h. This reduces the influence of wind noise on the acoustic environment recorded by the microphone.

[0036] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the vehicle, the processing unit is also configured to rotate the cover of at least one microphone arrangement circumferentially to locate the acoustic signal, wherein the processing unit locates the acoustic signal in the angular range in which the sensor signal supplied by the microphone arrangement has a maximum amplitude. Thus, the microphone arrangement according to the invention enables an alternative method to triangulation for determining the direction of corresponding sound sources. It is particularly advantageous for the first axis of rotation to be aligned parallel to the vehicle's vertical axis. For this purpose, the respective microphone arrangements according to the invention are attached to the vehicle accordingly.

[0037] A further advantageous embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention provides for at least four microphone arrangements mounted at different locations, wherein the processing unit is configured to locate the acoustic signal by means of triangulation performed via a first and second microphone arrangement and coverage rotation-based direction determination performed via a third and fourth microphone arrangement, the processing unit fusing the results of the triangulation and the coverage rotation-based direction determination. This enables particularly reliable localization of corresponding sound sources relative to the vehicle. The pair consisting of the first and second microphones and the pair consisting of the third and fourth microphones can alternate their respective tasks.This allows for alternating triangulation using the third and fourth microphone arrays, and coverage rotation-based direction finding using the first and second microphone arrays. Thus, one pair of microphones or microphone arrays can continuously perform triangulation-based direction finding, while another pair performs coverage rotation-based direction finding. The assignment of microphone arrays to the respective pairs can also change, so that, for example, the first and third microphone arrays work together as a pair. The vehicle can also have more than four microphone arrays, in which case three, four, or even more microphone arrays can be used for triangulation or coverage rotation instead of just two.

[0038] Further advantageous embodiments of the microphone arrangement according to the invention also result from the exemplary embodiments which are described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0039] This shows: Fig. 1 a schematic sectional view through a microphone arrangement according to the invention in a partially closed position; Fig. 2 a schematic sectional view through the microphone arrangement according to the invention in a closed position; Fig. 3 a schematic perspective representation of the microphone arrangement in the partially closed position; Fig. 4 a schematic top view of a microphone arrangement according to the invention with a rotating disc designed as a ring; Fig. 5 a schematic perspective view of a microphone arrangement according to the invention with a cover in a retracted position; Fig. 6 a schematic representation of various covers with different cutouts; and Fig. 7 a schematic top view of a microphone arrangement according to the invention with a cover formed by a cylinder.

[0040] One in Fig. The microphone arrangement shown in Figure 1 according to the invention comprises a carrier 1, a rotating disk 2 which is rotatable relative to the carrier 1, a microphone 3 and a cover 4 attached to the rotating disk 2.

[0041] Cover 4 is closable. For this purpose, cover 4 is hinged or rotatably connected to a shaft (not shown) running through turntable 2. In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the cover 4 is a hemisphere, or more precisely, the shell of a hemisphere. The cover 4 is in a partially closed position S2.

[0042] Sound 7 is emitted from a sound source, for example, an emergency vehicle, and reaches the microphone 3. For this purpose, the microphone arrangement forms an opening 6 between the cover 4 and the rotating disc 2. The sound 7 striking the cover 4 from the inside is reflected or directed back towards the microphone 3, which improves the sensitivity of the microphone 3. This is indicated by arrows pointing towards the microphone 3 within the space enclosed by the hemisphere.

[0043] Turntable 2 is extended by one in Fig. The first axis of rotation R1, as shown in Figure 3, can be rotated so that sound 7 from different regions of the room can be preferentially perceived. This can be used to locate a sound source relative to the microphone arrangement.

[0044] Fig. Figure 2 shows the microphone arrangement with a closed cover 4. The cover 4 is thus in a closed position S3. By closing the cover 4, the microphone 3 is protected from environmental influences such as dirt, moisture, or damage. Depending on the design of the cover 4, in particular the material and wall thickness of the cover 4, as well as the application of any damping material, sound 7 is still allowed to reach the microphone 3, at least in an attenuated form.

[0045] Fig. Figure 3 shows the microphone arrangement according to the invention again in a perspective view. The cover 4, in the shape of a hemisphere, is in the partially closed position S2. The mobility of the cover 4 about a second axis of rotation R2, orthogonal to the first axis of rotation R1, is indicated by a double arrow. Another double arrow illustrates the rotatability of the rotating disc 2 in a circumferential direction U. The cover 4 acts like a cat's or rabbit's ear as a reflector for the sound 7.

[0046] With the aid of suitable actuators, the turntable 2 can be moved about the first axis of rotation R1 and the cover 4 about the second axis of rotation R2. According to the invention, the cover 4 can also be completely recessed into or next to the turntable 2.

[0047] Fig. Figure 4 shows a further alternative embodiment of the microphone arrangement according to the invention from a top view. Fig. 4 The cover 4 is in a retracted position S1. The rotating disc 2 is designed as a ring. While the microphone 3 is in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. If 3 is arranged to rotate together with turntable 2 on the turntable 2, then it can be, as Fig. Figure 4 shows that the cover 4 can also be attached to the carrier 1. This allows the cover 4 to be moved around the microphone 3 together with the rotating disc 2 or the rotating ring. Alternatively, the cover 4 could be connected to the rotating ring at its inner radius or at any radial position within the rotating ring, contrary to the illustration.

[0048] Fig. Figure 5 shows another perspective view of a microphone arrangement according to the invention, in which the cover 4 is also in a retracted position S1. In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the microphone 3 is embedded in the turntable 2 itself. The microphone 3 can generally be arranged at any position on or within the base of the turntable 2. Thus, an eccentric arrangement is also possible instead of a central one. Instead of a single microphone 3, a microphone array consisting of several microphones 3 (not shown) can also be provided on or within the turntable 2. The microphones of such an array can be distributed across the turntable 2 in any symmetrical and / or asymmetrical pattern.

[0049] Fig. Figure 6 shows in sub-figures a) to d) various alternative embodiments of cover 4. In the case of the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the cover 4 is rigidly connected to the turntable 2. The cover 4 is in the closed position S3 and can only be moved together with the turntable 2 around the first axis of rotation R1. A recess 5 is provided in the cover 4. The recess 5 can have various cross-sectional shapes, such as a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, any polygon, and the like. It is important that the recess 5 only partially extends around the circumference of the cover 4 or the turntable 2 in order to allow for directional sensitivity in the acoustic detection. Fig. As shown in Figure 6d), the recess 5 can also be designed as a slot extending over the full height of the cover 4.

[0050] All possible shapes are suitable for the cover 4, as long as a corresponding opening 6 or recess 5 is provided that can move circumferentially around the microphone 3 in the direction U. Instead of a sphere or hemisphere, all conceivable types of solids of revolution are suitable, such as the one shown in Fig. 7 cylinders or hollow cylinders are shown. The base of the turntable 2 can also have a shape other than a circle; for example, the turntable 2 can be square, rectangular, star-shaped, or the like.

[0051] A vehicle according to the invention has at least one microphone arrangement on or in the outer skin, in particular a microphone arrangement according to the invention, advantageously having at least four microphone arrangements. By rotating the cover 4 or the recess 5 or opening 6 about the first axis of rotation R1, sound sources can be specifically located. A sound source is thereby assumed by a vehicle-internal processing unit to be at the spatial angle position for which, when the respective recess 5 or opening 6 is located at this position, a maximum amplitude is present in the corresponding sound signal.

Claims

[1] Microphone arrangement comprising a support (1), a rotating disk (2) rotatable relative to the support (1), and at least one microphone (3), a cover (4) for the microphone (3) which at least partially delimits the microphone (3) from the environment when the cover (4) is in an at least partially closed position (S2), wherein the cover (4) has a recess (5) or, in the partially closed position (S2), an opening (6) is formed between the cover (4) and the rotating disk (2) through which sound (7) from the environment can pass to the microphone (3), wherein the cover (4) is attached to the rotating disk (2) such that the recess (5) or the opening (6) is rotatable in the circumferential direction (U) together with the rotating disk (2) about a first axis of rotation (R1) extending through the center of the rotating disk (2) and perpendicular to a base surface of the rotating disk (2),wherein the cover (4) is rotatably connected to the turntable (2) about a second axis of rotation (R2) extending orthogonally to the first axis of rotation (R1) through the turntable (2), wherein the cover (4) is movable by rotation about the second axis of rotation (R2) between a retracted position (S1) and the at least partially closed position (S2), characterized by , that the cover (4) is completely recessed in the retracted position (S1) relative to the turntable (2). [2] Microphone arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by , that the cover (4) can be moved beyond the partially closed position (S2) into a closed position (S3) in which the cover (4) completely separates the microphone (3), with the exception of any recess (5) that may be present, from the environment. [3] Microphone arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the cover (4) has at least in some areas the shape of a body of revolution, in particular a sphere or hemisphere. [4] vehicle, comprising at least one microphone arrangement, the microphone arrangement in turn comprising a support (1), a rotating disk (2) rotatable relative to the support (1), at least one microphone (3), a cover (4) for the microphone (3) which at least partially delimits the microphone (3) from the environment when the cover (4) is in an at least partially closed position (S2), wherein the cover (4) has a recess (5) or, in the partially closed position (S2), an opening (6) is formed between the cover (4) and the rotating disk (2) through which sound (7) from the environment can penetrate to the microphone (3), wherein the cover (4) is attached to the rotating disk (2) such that the recess (5) or the opening (6) is rotatable in the circumferential direction (U) together with the rotating disk (2) about a first axis of rotation (R1) extending through the center of the rotating disk (2) and perpendicular to a base surface of the rotating disk (2), characterized by , that which has at least one microphone array attached to or integrated into the outer skin. [5] Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized by that the at least one microphone arrangement is a microphone arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3. [6] Vehicle according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by a computing unit, wherein the computing unit is configured to identify a defined acoustic signal by evaluating sensor signals generated by at least one microphone arrangement. [7] Vehicle according to claim 6, characterized by , that The processing unit is further configured to locate the acoustic signal relative to the vehicle; and / or when the microphone arrangement is designed according to one of claims 1 to 3, the cover (4) is moved between the retracted position (S1) and the at least partially closed position (S2) depending on the detection of the acoustic signal, a type of road travelled on and / or a speed of travel of the vehicle. [8] Vehicle according to claim 7, characterized by , that the computing unit is further configured to rotate the cover (4) of at least one microphone arrangement in a circumferential direction (U) in order to locate the acoustic signal, wherein the computing unit locates the acoustic signal in the angular range in which the sensor signal supplied by the microphone arrangement has a maximum amplitude. [9] Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized byat least four microphone arrangements placed at different locations, wherein the computing unit is configured to locate the acoustic signal by means of triangulation performed via a first and second microphone arrangement and coverage rotation-based direction determination performed via a third and fourth microphone arrangement, wherein the computing unit fuses the result of the triangulation and the coverage rotation-based direction determination.

Images