Vibration control device, vibration control method, vibration control program, and storage medium

Abstract

To generate vibrations that can obtain a desired awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect regardless of the contents of music being played.SOLUTION: A vibration control device 110 that controls a vibration device 120 that generates vibrations according to the music being played to stimulate a user includes a vibration signal acquisition unit 111 that acquires a vibration signal representing a vibration whose stimulus intensity falls within a predetermined stimulus intensity range, and an output unit 112 that outputs the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 to the vibration device 120.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration control device that controls a vibration device, a vibration control method, a vibration control program, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology is known in which a vibration device built into a seat of a moving object vibrates in response to music being played on an audio device, allowing the user to experience the vibration (for example, see Patent Document 1). The technology described in Patent Document 1 is configured to vibrate the vibration device with a signal that amplifies the low-frequency components of the music being played. By generating such vibrations and providing a bodily sensation to the music, entertainment value can be increased. Furthermore, by allowing the user to experience the vibrations as a stimulus, it is possible to obtain the effect of waking up a drowsy user, or conversely, to relax an excited user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-275668 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned technology, since vibrations are generated according to the music being played, it may be difficult to obtain the intended awakening effect and / or relaxing effect depending on the content of the music.

[0005] Therefore, one example of the objective of the present invention is to provide a vibration control device, a vibration control method, a vibration control program, and a storage medium that can generate vibrations that provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect in response to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the vibration control device of the present invention is a vibration control device that controls a vibration device that generates vibrations in accordance with the music being played to stimulate the user, and is characterized in that it comprises a vibration signal acquisition unit that acquires a vibration signal representing the vibration, the intensity of which falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range, and an output unit that outputs the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit to the vibration device.

[0007] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the vibration control method of the present invention is a vibration control method that controls a vibration device that generates vibrations corresponding to the music being played to stimulate the user, and is characterized in that it includes a vibration signal acquisition process that acquires a vibration signal representing the vibration, the intensity of which falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range, and an output process that outputs the vibration signal acquired in the vibration signal acquisition process to the vibration device.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a vibration control program of the present invention is characterized by causing a computer to execute the vibration control method of the present invention described above.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a storage medium according to the present invention is characterized in that it stores the vibration control program according to the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a vibration control device according to a first embodiment mounted on a moving object. [Diagram 2] 2 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a vibration control method executed by the vibration control device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing a vibration control device according to a second embodiment mounted on a moving object. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing, in table form, the data structure of the music / vibration correspondence data shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a vibration control method executed by the vibration control device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing a vibration control device according to a third embodiment, which is mounted on a moving object. [Figure 7] 7 is a schematic diagram showing, in table format, the data structure of the map data shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing, in map form, the data structure shown in table form in FIG. 7; [Figure 9] 7 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a vibration control method executed by the vibration control device shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing, in table form, a data structure of a modification to the data structures of the map data shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing, in map form, the data structure shown in table form in FIG. 10 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. A vibration control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a vibration control device that controls a vibration device that generates vibrations corresponding to music being played to stimulate a user, and includes a vibration signal acquisition unit and an output unit. The vibration signal acquisition unit acquires a vibration signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range. The output unit outputs the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit to the vibration device.

[0012] According to the vibration control device of this embodiment, a vibration signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range while responding to the music being played is acquired and output to the vibration device. Therefore, by setting the stimulation intensity range to a desired range that provides a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect, the vibration device can generate vibrations that provide such effects regardless of the content of the music being played. In this way, according to the vibration control device of this embodiment, it is possible to generate vibrations that provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect while responding to the music being played regardless of the content of the music.

[0013] In this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as the vibration signal, a signal that represents vibration whose vibration frequency falls within a predetermined frequency range.

[0014] When the user experiences vibration as a stimulus, an example of a frequency range suitable for providing an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect is a frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz. According to this embodiment, the vibration frequency of the vibration represented by the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit is limited to this frequency range, and vibration that provides an appropriate awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated.

[0015] In the present embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing vibration corresponding to at least one of the tempo of the music and the frequency of the sound constituting the chord included in the music. Get it.

[0016] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit corresponds to the tempo of the music being played and the frequency of the sounds that make up the chords, so the vibration generated by the vibration device is unlikely to spoil the flavor of the music being played. Thus, according to this embodiment, the vibration for obtaining the awakening effect and / or the relaxing effect can be generated without spoiling the flavor of the music being played.

[0017] In addition, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration that corresponds to the tempo of the music and whose occurrence frequency falls within a predetermined frequency range as the stimulation intensity range.

[0018] The frequency of vibration, which is determined according to the tempo of the music being played, can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation provided by the vibration. According to this embodiment, the frequency of vibration is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the frequency range, so that vibration that provides the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0019] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents vibration corresponding to the frequency of sounds that constitute a musical chord.

[0020] According to this embodiment, by generating vibrations corresponding to the frequencies of the sounds that make up the chords of music, it is possible to generate vibrations that have an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect without compromising the flavor of the music being played.

[0021] Further, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration whose vibration magnitude falls within a predetermined vibration magnitude range as a stimulation intensity range.

[0022] The vibration amount of the vibration can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation that the vibration provides. According to this embodiment, the vibration amount is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the vibration amount range, so that vibration that can provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0023] The vibration control device of the present embodiment further includes a first setting unit that sets a stimulation intensity range in response to a user's operation, and the vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within the stimulation intensity range set by the first setting unit.

[0024] According to this embodiment, the user can adjust the stimulation intensity range, i.e., the intensity of the stimulation given by the vibration, to a desired intensity via the first setting unit, thereby effectively generating vibrations that can provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect.

[0025] The vibration control device of this embodiment also includes a bio-information acquisition unit and a second setting unit. The bio-information acquisition unit acquires bio-information representing a bio-condition of a user. The second setting unit sets a stimulation intensity range based on the bio-information acquired by the bio-information acquisition unit. The vibration signal acquisition unit acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within the stimulation intensity range set by the second setting unit.

[0026] According to the present embodiment, since an appropriate stimulus according to the biological state is given to the user, it is possible to generate vibrations that appropriately provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect. This can be done.

[0027] The vibration control device of this embodiment also includes a detection unit and a generation unit. The detection unit detects at least one of the tempo of music and the frequency of sounds constituting chords contained in the music as musical elements from the music. The generation unit generates a vibration signal based on the musical elements detected by the detection unit. The vibration signal acquisition unit then acquires the vibration signal generated by the generation unit.

[0028] According to this embodiment, by generating a vibration signal based on musical elements detected from the music being played, vibrations for achieving an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated without compromising the appeal of the music being played.

[0029] A vibration control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a vibration control method for controlling a vibration device that generates vibrations corresponding to music being played to stimulate a user, and includes a vibration signal acquisition step and an output step. The vibration signal acquisition step is a step of acquiring a vibration signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range. The output step is a step of outputting the vibration signal acquired in the vibration signal acquisition step to the vibration device.

[0030] According to the vibration control method of the present embodiment, a vibration signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range while responding to the music being played is acquired and output to the vibration device. Therefore, by performing an operation such as setting the stimulation intensity range to a desired range that provides a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect, the vibration device can generate vibrations that provide such effects regardless of the content of the music being played. In this way, according to the vibration control method of the present embodiment, it is possible to generate vibrations that provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect while responding to the music being played regardless of the content of the music.

[0031] A vibration control program according to an embodiment of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the vibration control method described above.

[0032] According to the vibration control program of this embodiment, by having a computer execute the above-mentioned vibration control method, it is possible to generate vibrations that provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect in response to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music.

[0033] Moreover, a storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention stores the above-mentioned vibration control program.

[0034] According to the storage medium of this embodiment, by having a computer execute the above-mentioned vibration control method using the stored vibration control program, it is possible to generate vibrations that provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect in response to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music. EXAMPLES

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments for solving the problem of generating vibrations that can provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect according to the music being played but regardless of the content of the music will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment will be described.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a vibration control device according to a first embodiment, which is mounted on a moving object.

[0037] In this embodiment, the moving body is a passenger car, and the vibration control device 110, the vibration device 120, and It is equipped with a car stereo 130.

[0038] The car stereo 130 reproduces music inside a moving body, and includes a music information output unit 131 and a vehicle speaker 132. The music information output unit 131 outputs music information acquired from a medium such as a CD (compact disc) or from a network via wireless communication to the vehicle speaker 132. The vehicle speaker 132 generates music represented by the music information. At this time, in this embodiment, the music information output unit 131 also outputs music information representing the music being reproduced to the vibration control device 110. At this time, the music information output to the vibration control device 110 may be digital information such as MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) or I2S (Inter-IC Sound), or may be analog information.

[0039] The vibration device 120 is a device embedded in a back panel 141 of a seat 140 of a moving object, and generates vibrations corresponding to music being played to stimulate the user. The vibration device 120 receives a vibration signal representing vibration from the vibration control device 110, and generates vibrations represented by the vibration signal. The vibration device 120 is basically powered on at the same time as music is played on the car stereo 130, and is powered off when music playback on the car stereo 130 ends. In addition, when a user issues an on / off command via an operation input unit 113 described later during music playback, the power is turned on / off in response to the command.

[0040] The vibration control device 110 controls the vibration device 120 by outputting the vibration signal, and is constructed in some kind of computer mounted on a moving object. The vibration control device 110 includes a vibration signal acquisition unit 111, an output unit 112, an operation input unit 113, a first setting unit 114, a biological information acquisition unit 115, a second setting unit 116, a detection unit 117, and a generation unit 118.

[0041] The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires a vibration signal representing a vibration in which the intensity of the generated stimulus falls within a predetermined stimulus intensity range. In this embodiment, this vibration signal is generated internally in the vibration control device 110, and the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires the internally generated vibration signal.

[0042] The output unit 112 outputs the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 to the vibration device 120 .

[0043] The operation input unit 113 receives operations from the user regarding turning on / off the vibration device 120 and increasing / decreasing the intensity of the vibration stimulus generated by the vibration device 120. When an instruction to turn off the vibration device 120 is given by the operation input unit 113, the output unit 112 stops outputting a vibration signal to the vibration device 120 and turns off the power supply of the vibration device 120. In addition, when an instruction to turn on the vibration device 120 is given by the operation input unit 113 after the power supply is once cut off during music playback, the output unit 112 turns on the power supply of the vibration device 120 and resumes outputting the vibration signal.

[0044] The first setting unit 114 sets a stimulation intensity range according to an increase / decrease operation received by the operation input unit 113. Here, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires a vibration signal representing intermittent vibration according to the tempo of the music being played. In this embodiment, two indices are used to indicate the intensity of the stimulation: the occurrence frequency, which is the number of times vibration occurs per unit time, and the vibration amount, which is the amplitude of the vibration. For this reason, the first setting unit 114 includes a frequency range setting unit 114a that sets a frequency range as the stimulation intensity range, and a vibration amount range setting unit 114b that sets a vibration amount range as the stimulation intensity range.

[0045] The frequency range setting unit 114a in the first setting unit 114 sets the frequency range by shifting and adjusting the frequency range in response to the increase / decrease operation received at the operation input unit 113. Also, the vibration amount range setting unit 114b in the first setting unit 114 sets the frequency range in response to the increase / decrease operation received at the operation input unit 113. The vibration amount range is adjusted accordingly to set the vibration amount range.

[0046] The biometric information acquiring unit 115 acquires biometric information representing the biometric state of the user. Specifically, the biometric information acquiring unit 115 uses various sensors installed inside the mobile object to monitor the user's heart rate, brain waves, respiratory rate, eye movement, blinking, gaze direction, and the like. Then, the biometric information acquiring unit 115 detects and acquires whether the user is in a drowsy state, a normal awake state, or an excited state. The awake state referred to here corresponds to a sedated state as opposed to an excited state.

[0047] The second setting unit 116 sets a frequency range and a vibration magnitude range as a stimulation intensity range based on the biological state acquired by the biological information acquisition unit 115, and includes a frequency range setting unit 116a and a vibration magnitude range setting unit 116b.

[0048] The frequency range setting unit 116a in the second setting unit 116 sets a frequency range according to the acquired biological information. When the biological information is in a drowsy state, the frequency range is set to an awakening frequency range corresponding to a higher occurrence frequency for providing a stronger stimulus to promote awakening. When the biological information is in an awakening state, the frequency range is set to a normal frequency range corresponding to a normal occurrence frequency for providing a medium level of stimulus. When the biological information is in an excited state, the frequency range is set to a relaxing frequency range corresponding to a lower occurrence frequency for providing a weaker stimulus to relax.

[0049] The vibration amount range setting unit 116b in the second setting unit 116 sets the vibration amount range according to the acquired biological information. When the biological information is in a drowsy state, the vibration amount range is set to an awakening vibration amount range corresponding to a larger vibration amount that provides a stronger stimulus to promote awakening. When the biological information is in an awakening state, the vibration amount range is set to a normal vibration amount range corresponding to a normal vibration amount that provides a medium level of stimulus. When the biological information is in an excited state, the vibration amount range is set to a relaxing vibration amount range corresponding to a smaller vibration amount that provides a weaker stimulus to relax.

[0050] Based on music information sent from music information output unit 131 of car stereo 130, detection unit 117 detects three musical elements from the music being played: the tempo of the music, the frequency of the sounds that make up the chords of the music, and the dynamics of the sounds in the music. The tempo is detected using a known BPM (Beats Per Minute) detection technique. The frequency of the sounds that make up the chords is detected using a known chord analysis technique. The dynamics of the sounds are obtained directly from the music information.

[0051] The generating unit 118 generates a vibration signal based on three musical elements: the tempo detected by the detecting unit 117, the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord, and the strength and weakness of the sounds.

[0052] The generator first sets the frequency of occurrence of the vibration represented by the vibration signal based on the tempo, and sets the frequency of the vibration based on the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord. The frequency of occurrence is set to be the same as the tempo, or an integer multiple or an integer fraction of the tempo. The amount of vibration is set based on the strength of the sound represented by the music information.

[0053] Regarding the frequency, the generating unit basically sets the frequency to the same frequency as the frequency of the sound that constitutes the chord. At this time, the frequency is adjusted so that the set frequency falls within a predetermined frequency range. In this embodiment, the frequency range is set to 20 Hz to 200 Hz as an example of a frequency range suitable for bringing about an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect. If the frequency set based on the chord does not fall within this frequency range, the frequency is adjusted to fall within this frequency range by changing the octave, etc. This adjustment may be performed by frequency conversion using a conversion LUT (Lookup table).

[0054] Here, in this embodiment, the generation unit 118 adjusts the occurrence frequency once set as described above by increasing or decreasing it so that it falls within the frequency range set based on the biometric information by the second setting unit 116. Furthermore, when the frequency range has been adjusted by the first setting unit 114 in response to a user operation, the generation unit 118 adjusts the occurrence frequency by increasing or decreasing it so that it falls within the adjusted frequency range.

[0055] Furthermore, the generation unit 118 adjusts the vibration amount once set as described above by increasing or decreasing it so that it falls within the vibration amount range set based on the biological information by the second setting unit 116. When the vibration amount range has been adjusted by the first setting unit 114 in response to a user operation, the generation unit 118 adjusts the vibration amount by increasing or decreasing it so that it falls within the vibration amount range after the adjustment.

[0056] In this embodiment, the vibration signal is generated by the generator 118 based on the tempo of the music being played, the frequency of the sounds that make up the chords, and the strength of the sounds, but in addition to these, a vibration signal may be generated that has been arranged based on the following musical elements: The musical elements for arrangement include tone color, the length of one sound, sound pressure level fluctuation, and the speed of the sound's rise (sense of attack).

[0057] The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires the vibration signal thus generated by the generation unit 118 , and the output unit 112 outputs the acquired vibration signal to the vibration device 120 .

[0058] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a vibration control method executed by the vibration control device shown in FIG.

[0059] The process shown in this flowchart starts when music begins to be played on the car stereo 130 and music information is sent to the vibration control device 110 .

[0060] When the process starts, the generation unit 118 first judges whether or not an on / off operation has been performed on the power of the vibration device 120 via the operation input unit 113 after the start of music playback (step S101). If no particular operation has been performed or an on operation has been performed (on determination in step S101), the output unit 112 turns on the power of the vibration device 120 if it is off at this point (step S102). Note that in step S102, if the power of the vibration device 120 is on at this point, no particular process is performed and the process proceeds to the next step S104.

[0061] On the other hand, when an off operation is performed (off determination in step S101), if the power of the vibration device 120 is on at this time, the output unit 112 turns it off (step S103) and returns to the processing of step S101. Note that in step S103, if the power of the vibration device 120 is off at this time, no particular processing is performed and the processing returns to the processing of step S101.

[0062] After step S102, the process proceeds to step S104, where the detection unit 117 acquires one bar of music information of the music being played from the music information output unit 131 of the car stereo 130. Next, the detection unit 117 detects the tempo, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord, and the dynamics of the sounds based on the acquired music information (step S105).

[0063] Furthermore, the biological information acquiring unit 115 acquires biological information indicating whether the biological state of the user is a drowsy state, a normal wakeful state, or an excited state (step S106).

[0064] Next, the second setting unit 116 judges whether the biological state represented by the acquired biological information is a drowsy state, an awake state, or an excited state (step S107).

[0065] If the biological state is a drowsy state (drowsiness determination in step S107), the frequency range setting unit 116a of the second setting unit 116 sets the frequency range to the awakening frequency range (step S108). Also, the vibration amount range setting unit 116b sets the vibration amount range to the awakening vibration amount range (step S109).

[0066] When the biological state is an awake state (awakening determination in step S107), the frequency range setting unit 116a of the second setting unit 116 sets the frequency range to the normal frequency range (step S110), and the vibration amount range setting unit 116b sets the vibration amount range to the normal vibration amount range (step S111).

[0067] When the biological state is an excited state (excitement determination in step S107), the frequency range setting unit 116a of the second setting unit 116 sets the frequency range to the relaxation frequency range (step S112). Also, the vibration amount range setting unit 116b sets the vibration amount range to the relaxation vibration amount range (step S113).

[0068] Once the frequency range and the vibration amount range have been set in this manner, next, generation unit 118 determines whether or not an operation for adjusting the intensity of the stimulation has been performed on operation input unit 113 after the start of music playback (step S114).

[0069] If an adjustment operation has been performed (Yes in step S114), the frequency range setting unit 114a of the first setting unit 114 increases or decreases the set frequency range according to the amount of operation (step S115). Also, the vibration amount range setting unit 114b increases or decreases the set vibration amount range according to the amount of operation (step S116).

[0070] If no adjustment operation has been performed (No in step S114), steps S115 and S116 are skipped, and the process proceeds to the next step S117.

[0071] In step S117, the generation unit 118 generates a vibration signal corresponding to music information for one measure based on the tempo, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord, the strength of the sounds, the frequency range, and the vibration amount range obtained in the processes up to this point. That is, a vibration signal is generated that represents vibration whose occurrence frequency falls within the frequency range according to the tempo of the measure, whose frequency falls within the frequency range according to the chord of the measure, whose vibration amount falls within the vibration amount range according to the strength of the sounds of the measure.

[0072] The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires the vibration signal for one bar thus generated (step S118), and the output unit 112 outputs it to the vibration device 120 (step S119). After that, the process returns to step S101, and the subsequent processes are repeated. Note that, in the embodiment, an example is described in which music information of the music being played is acquired in units of one bar, and a corresponding vibration signal is generated in units of one bar, but the process is not limited to being divided into units of one bar, and the process may be performed in any unit. For example, music information for a unit time may be acquired, and a corresponding vibration signal may be generated in unit time divisions.

[0073] The process of this flowchart continues until the music playback on the car stereo 130 ends.

[0074] In this embodiment, a vibration control program for causing a computer to execute the vibration control method shown in the flowchart of Fig. 2 is stored in a storage medium of a computer mounted on a moving body. The storage medium for storing this vibration control program is not limited to the storage medium of a computer mounted on a moving body, but may be a known portable storage medium or a storage medium connected to a network. It may also be a storage medium installed in a server connected to this computer via a USB.

[0075] According to the vibration control device 110, the vibration control method, the vibration control program, and the storage medium of the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0076] According to this embodiment, a vibration signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range while responding to the music being played is acquired and output to the vibration device 120. Therefore, by performing an operation such as setting the stimulation intensity range to a desired range in which a desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect can be obtained, the vibration device 120 can generate a vibration that can obtain such an effect regardless of the content of the music being played. In this way, according to the vibration control device 110 of this embodiment, it is possible to generate a vibration that can obtain a desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect while responding to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music.

[0077] In this embodiment, the vibration device 120 and the vibration control device 110 mounted on a moving body are exemplified, but the installation location of the vibration device 120 and the vibration control device 110 is not limited to a moving body. The vibration device 120 and the vibration control device 110 may be installed on a seat in a movie theater or a general residence, for example, as long as the vibration can provide a stimulus to the user, and the installation location can be set arbitrarily.

[0078] Furthermore, even when mounted on a moving body, the installation position of the vibration device 120 is not limited to inside the back panel 141 of the seat 140 as in this embodiment, but can be set anywhere that can provide a stimulus to the user.

[0079] In this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as the vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration whose vibration frequency falls within the frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz.

[0080] When the user experiences vibration as a stimulus, the above-mentioned frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz is an example of a frequency range suitable for bringing about an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect. This is because vibrations with frequencies lower than 20 Hz resonate with the human internal organs, and vibrations with frequencies higher than 200 Hz make people feel itchy, and each of these causes relatively high discomfort. According to this embodiment, the vibration frequency of the vibration represented by the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 is limited to such a frequency range, and vibrations that can appropriately bring about an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated.

[0081] The frequency range of the vibration is not limited to the range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz, and may be set appropriately as long as it is within a frequency range suitable for providing an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that indicates vibration according to the tempo of the music, the frequency of sounds that constitute the chords included in the music, and the strength and weakness of the sounds.

[0083] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 corresponds to the tempo of the music being played, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chords, and the strength of the sounds, so the vibration generated by the vibration device 120 is unlikely to spoil the flavor of the music being played. In this way, according to this embodiment, vibrations for obtaining an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated without spoiling the flavor of the music being played.

[0084] In addition, if the vibration represented by the vibration signal corresponds to at least one of the tempo and the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord, it can be determined that the vibration is based only on the tempo or only on the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord. In this case, vibration elements determined by factors other than the tempo and vibration elements determined by factors other than the frequency of the notes that make up the chord are set according to some setting rule.

[0085] Also, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration that corresponds to the tempo of the music and whose occurrence frequency falls within a predetermined frequency range as a stimulation intensity range.

[0086] The frequency of vibration, which is determined according to the tempo of the music being played, can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation provided by the vibration. According to this embodiment, the frequency of vibration is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the frequency range, so that vibration that provides the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0087] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents vibration corresponding to the frequency of sounds that constitute a musical chord.

[0088] According to this embodiment, by generating vibrations corresponding to the frequencies of the sounds that make up the chords of music, it is possible to generate vibrations that have an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect without compromising the flavor of the music being played.

[0089] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration whose vibration magnitude falls within a predetermined vibration magnitude range as a stimulation intensity range.

[0090] The vibration amount of the vibration can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation that the vibration provides. According to this embodiment, the vibration amount is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the vibration amount range, so that vibration that can provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0091] In this embodiment, two types of ranges, a frequency range and a vibration amount range, are set as the stimulation intensity range. However, the stimulation intensity range may be only one of the frequency range and the vibration amount range, or may be a range using some index that indicates the intensity of the vibration stimulation other than the occurrence frequency or the vibration amount.

[0092] The vibration control device 110 of this embodiment also includes a first setting unit 114 that sets a stimulation intensity range in response to a user's operation. The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within the stimulation intensity range set by the first setting unit 114.

[0093] According to this embodiment, the user can adjust the stimulation intensity range, that is, the intensity of the stimulation given by vibration, to a desired intensity via the first setting unit 114. This makes it possible to effectively generate vibrations that can provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect for each user.

[0094] The vibration control device 110 of this embodiment also includes a bio-information acquiring unit 115 and a second setting unit 116. The bio-information acquiring unit 115 acquires bio-information representing a bio-condition of the user. The second setting unit 116 sets a stimulation intensity range based on the bio-information acquired by the bio-information acquiring unit 115. Then, the vibration signal acquiring unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within the stimulation intensity range set by the second setting unit 116.

[0095] According to this embodiment, since an appropriate stimulus according to the biological state is given to the user, it is possible to generate vibrations that appropriately provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect.

[0096] In this embodiment, a vibration control device 110 is exemplified that includes both a first setting unit 114 that sets a stimulation intensity range in response to a user's operation and a second setting unit 116 that sets a stimulation intensity range based on biological information. However, the vibration control device is not limited to this, and may include only one of the first setting unit 114 and the second setting unit 116.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first setting unit 114 for the user to adjust the stimulation intensity to a desired intensity is illustrated as an example of a part that sets the stimulation intensity range in response to a user's operation. However, the part that sets the stimulation intensity range in response to a user's operation is not limited to this, and may be a part that selectively sets the stimulation intensity range from a plurality of predetermined range candidates, similar to the above-mentioned second setting unit 116.

[0098] The vibration control device 110 of this embodiment also includes a detection unit 117 and a generation unit 118. The detection unit 117 detects, from the music, the tempo of the music, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chords contained in the music, and the strength of the sounds as musical elements. The generation unit 118 generates a vibration signal based on the musical elements detected by the detection unit 117. Then, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires the vibration signal generated by the generation unit 118.

[0099] According to this embodiment, by generating a vibration signal based on musical elements detected from the music being played, vibrations for achieving an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated without compromising the appeal of the music being played.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second setting unit 116 sets the stimulation intensity range stronger when the biological information represents a drowsy state than when the biological information represents an awakened state, and sets the stimulation intensity range weaker when the biological information represents an excited state than when the biological information represents a sedated state.

[0101] According to this embodiment, a drowsy user can be effectively awakened, and an excited user can be effectively calmed down and relaxed.

[0102] The vibration control device 110 of this embodiment also includes a frequency range setting unit 116a that sets a frequency range that contains the occurrence frequency of the vibration represented by the vibration signal based on biological information. The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration that corresponds to the tempo of music and whose occurrence frequency falls within the frequency range set by the frequency range setting unit 116a.

[0103] The frequency of vibration, which is determined according to the tempo of the music being played, can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation provided by the vibration. According to this embodiment, the frequency of vibration is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the frequency range, so that vibration that provides the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0104] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents vibration corresponding to the frequency of sounds that constitute a musical chord.

[0105] According to this embodiment, by generating vibrations corresponding to the frequencies of the sounds that make up the chords of music, it is possible to generate vibrations that have an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect without compromising the flavor of the music being played.

[0106] The vibration control device 110 of this embodiment also includes a vibration magnitude range setting unit 116b that sets a vibration magnitude range that contains the vibration magnitude of the vibration represented by the vibration signal based on biological information. The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration whose vibration magnitude falls within the vibration magnitude range set by the vibration magnitude range setting unit 116b.

[0107] The vibration amount of the vibration can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation that the vibration provides. According to this embodiment, the vibration amount is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the vibration amount range, so that vibration that can provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0108] Next, a second embodiment will be described.

[0109] Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a vibration control device according to a second embodiment mounted on a moving body. In Fig. 3, components equivalent to those in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1, and the following description of the equivalent components will be omitted.

[0110] In this embodiment, the moving body is also a passenger car, and is equipped with the vibration device 120 and car stereo 130 similar to those in the first embodiment, as well as a storage unit 210 and a vibration control device 220. In addition, in Fig. 3, a music information acquisition unit 133 is shown for the car stereo 130, which was omitted in Fig. 1. This music information acquisition unit 133 acquires music information from the storage unit 210. A music information output unit 131 outputs the music information acquired in this manner to a vehicle speaker 132.

[0111] The storage unit 210 stores music / vibration association data 230 used for control in a vibration control device 220 that controls the vibration device 120. This music / vibration association data 230 has a data structure that will be described below.

[0112] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing, in a table format, the data structure of the music / vibration correspondence data shown in FIG.

[0113] 4, the music / vibration correspondence data 230 includes a plurality of pieces of music information 231 representing different pieces of music, and a signal set 232 corresponding to each of the plurality of pieces of music information 231. Each of the signal sets 232 is composed of three vibration signals each representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range. Each of the three vibration signals represents a vibration corresponding to the music represented by the corresponding music information, and has a different stimulation intensity range.

[0114] Each signal set 232 is composed of an awakening vibration signal, a normal vibration signal, and a relaxing vibration signal. The awakening vibration signal is a vibration signal corresponding to a stimulation intensity range that encourages the user to be awakened. The normal vibration signal is a vibration signal corresponding to a normal stimulation intensity range that provides a medium level of stimulation. The relaxing vibration signal is a vibration signal corresponding to a stimulation intensity range that provides a weaker level of stimulation to relax. In the example of FIG. 4, the music information M1 is associated with a signal set 232 composed of an awakening vibration signal S11, a normal vibration signal S12, and a relaxing vibration signal S13. Also, the music information M2 is associated with a signal set 232 composed of an awakening vibration signal S21, a normal vibration signal S22, and a relaxing vibration signal S23.

[0115] By such correspondence, the music / vibration correspondence data 230 includes a vibration signal corresponding to the music information 231 representing the music being played on the car stereo 130 among the plurality of music information 231. The vibration device 120 can be controlled by the above.

[0116] Here, the frequencies of the awakening vibration signal, the normal vibration signal, and the relaxation vibration signal constituting each signal set 232 are all adjusted so that the vibration frequency represented by each vibration signal falls within a predetermined frequency range. As an example of this frequency range, a frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz is set as a frequency range suitable for bringing about an awakening effect and / or a relaxation effect.

[0117] In addition, the awakening vibration signal, the normal vibration signal, and the relaxing vibration signal all represent vibrations that correspond to the tempo of the music represented by the music information 231 to which those signals correspond, the frequency of the sounds that make up the chords contained in that music, and the dynamics of the sounds.

[0118] In addition, in this embodiment, a frequency range, which is the range of the vibration occurrence frequency, and a vibration amount range, which is the range of the vibration amount, are adopted as the stimulation intensity range. The awakening vibration signal represents a vibration whose occurrence frequency falls within the awakening frequency range corresponding to a high occurrence frequency that provides a strong stimulation to promote awakening, and whose vibration amount falls within the awakening vibration amount range corresponding to a large vibration amount that provides a strong stimulation. The normal vibration signal represents a vibration whose occurrence frequency falls within the normal frequency range corresponding to a normal occurrence frequency that provides a medium stimulation, and whose vibration amount falls within the normal vibration amount range corresponding to a normal vibration amount that provides a medium stimulation. And the relaxing vibration signal represents a vibration whose occurrence frequency falls within the relaxing frequency range corresponding to a low occurrence frequency that provides a weak stimulation to relax, and whose vibration amount falls within the relaxing vibration amount range corresponding to a small vibration amount that provides a weak stimulation.

[0119] The storage unit 210 that stores the music / vibration correspondence data 230 having such a data structure is mounted on a moving body, and is a storage medium of a computer in which the vibration control device 220 is constructed, or a storage device that is externally installed to the computer. In addition, this storage unit 210 is not limited to a fixed storage unit mounted on a moving body, but may be a known portable storage medium, or a storage medium or storage device installed in a server connected to this computer via a network.

[0120] 3 acquires a vibration signal from such a storage unit 210, and uses the vibration signal to control the vibration device 120 installed on the back panel 141 of the seat 140. This vibration control device 220 includes a vibration signal acquisition unit 221 and an adjustment unit 222 in addition to the output unit 112, operation input unit 113, and biological information acquisition unit 115 similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0121] The vibration signal acquisition unit 221 in this embodiment acquires from the storage unit 210 a vibration signal of a signal set 232 associated with music information 231 acquired by the music information acquisition unit 133, which represents music being played on the car stereo 130. At this time, in this embodiment, one vibration signal is acquired from the signal set 232 depending on whether the user's biological state represented by the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit 115 is a drowsy state, an awake state, or an excited state. That is, when the user's biological state is a drowsy state, an awake vibration signal is acquired, when the user's biological state is a awake state, a normal vibration signal is acquired, and when the user's biological state is an excited state, a relax vibration signal is acquired.

[0122] When the adjustment unit 222 receives an adjustment operation from the user via the operation input unit 113, the adjustment unit 222 adjusts the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 in two aspects, namely, the occurrence frequency and the vibration amount, which are the strength of the vibration stimulation. The adjustment unit 222 includes a frequency adjustment unit 222a and a vibration amount adjustment unit 222b. The frequency adjustment unit 222a adjusts the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 so as to increase or decrease the occurrence frequency by appropriately thinning out or adding vibration occurrence timing according to the operation amount at the operation input unit 113. The vibration amount adjustment unit 222b The vibration amount of the acquired vibration signal is adjusted so as to be appropriately increased or decreased according to the amount of operation at the operation input unit 113 .

[0123] The adjustment unit 222 sends the vibration signal adjusted in this manner to the output unit 112. Furthermore, if there is no particular adjustment operation from the user, the adjustment unit 222 sends the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 directly to the output unit 112. Then, the output unit 112 outputs the vibration signal sent from the adjustment unit 222 to the vibration device 120, causing the vibration device 120 to generate vibration.

[0124] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a vibration control method executed by the vibration control device shown in FIG.

[0125] The process shown in this flowchart starts when the car stereo 130 starts playing music and music information is sent to the vibration control device 220 .

[0126] When the process starts, the adjustment unit 222 first judges whether or not an on / off operation has been performed on the power of the vibration device 120 via the operation input unit 113 after the start of music playback (step S201). If no particular operation has been performed or an on operation has been performed (on determination in step S201), the output unit 112 turns on the power of the vibration device 120 if it is off at this point (step S202). Note that in step S202, if the power of the vibration device 120 is on at this point, no particular process is performed and the process proceeds to the next step S204.

[0127] On the other hand, when an off operation is performed (off determination in step S201), if the power of the vibration device 120 is on at this time, the output unit 112 turns it off (step S203) and returns to the processing of step S201. Note that in step S203, if the power of the vibration device 120 is off at this time, no particular processing is performed and the processing returns to the processing of step S201.

[0128] When the process proceeds to step S204 via step S202, the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 acquires, from the music information acquisition unit 133 of the car stereo 130, music information for one bar of the music being played back.

[0129] Next, the biological information acquiring unit 115 acquires biological information indicating whether the biological state of the user is a drowsy state, a normal wakeful state, or an excited state (step S205).

[0130] Next, the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 determines whether the biological state represented by the acquired biological information is a drowsy state, an awake state, or an excited state (step S206).

[0131] If the biological state is a drowsy state (drowsiness determination in step S206), the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 reads and acquires, from the storage unit 210, one bar of an awakening vibration signal corresponding to the music information being played (step S207).

[0132] If the biological state is an awake state (awakening determination in step S206), the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 reads and acquires a normal vibration signal corresponding to the music information being played back for one bar from the storage unit 210 (step S208).

[0133] If the biological state is an excited state (excitement determination in step S206), the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 reads out and acquires a relaxing vibration signal corresponding to the music information being played for one bar from the storage unit 210 (step S209).

[0134] When the vibration signal is acquired in this manner, the adjustment unit 222 then determines whether or not an adjustment operation for the intensity of the stimulation has been performed on the operation input unit 113 after the start of music reproduction (step S210).

[0135] If an adjustment operation has been performed (Yes in step S210), the frequency adjustment unit 222a of the adjustment unit 222 increases or decreases the frequency of vibration occurrence for the acquired vibration signal according to the amount of operation (step S211).Furthermore, the frequency adjustment unit 222a increases or decreases the vibration amount for the acquired vibration signal according to the amount of operation (step S212).

[0136] If no adjustment operation has been performed (No in step S210), these adjustment processes in the adjustment unit 222 are omitted.

[0137] The output unit 112 outputs the vibration signal that has been adjusted or not adjusted by the adjustment unit 222 to the vibration device 120 (step S213). After that, the process returns to step S201, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0138] The process of this flowchart continues until the music playback on the car stereo 130 ends.

[0139] In this embodiment, a vibration control program for causing a computer to execute the vibration control method shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5 is stored in a storage medium of a computer mounted on a moving body. The storage medium for storing this vibration control program is not limited to the storage medium of a computer mounted on a moving body, but may be a known portable storage medium or a storage medium installed in a server connected to this computer via a network.

[0140] According to the data structure of the music / vibration correspondence data 230 in the second embodiment described above, the storage medium or storage device as the storage unit 210, and the vibration control device 220 that performs control using the music / vibration correspondence data 230, the following effects can be obtained.

[0141] According to this embodiment, a vibration signal representing vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within a predetermined stimulation intensity range can be obtained while responding to the music being played, and the vibration device 120 can be controlled by the vibration signal. Therefore, by performing an operation such as setting the stimulation intensity range to a desired range that provides a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect, the vibration device 120 can generate vibrations that provide such effects regardless of the content of the music being played. In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to generate vibrations that provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect while responding to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music.

[0142] In this embodiment, the vibration device 120 and the vibration control device 220 mounted on a moving body are exemplified, but the installation location of the vibration device 120 and the vibration control device 220 is not limited to a moving body. The vibration device 120 and the vibration control device 220 may be installed on a seat in a movie theater or a general residence, for example, as long as the vibration can provide a stimulus to the user, and the installation location can be set arbitrarily.

[0143] Furthermore, even when mounted on a moving body, the installation position of the vibration device 120 is not limited to inside the back panel 141 of the seat 140 as in this embodiment, but can be set anywhere that can provide a stimulus to the user.

[0144] Here, in the data structure of the music / vibration association data 230 in this embodiment, each of the multiple pieces of music information 231 is associated with a signal set 232 made up of three vibration signals having different stimulation intensity ranges.

[0145] According to this embodiment, it is possible to select a vibration signal having a stimulation intensity range suitable for awakening, relaxation, etc. from the signal set 232 associated with the music being played. This makes it possible to generate vibrations that can provide a desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect.

[0146] In this embodiment, the vibration signal is a signal that represents vibration whose vibration frequency falls within a frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz.

[0147] When the user experiences vibration as a stimulus, an example of a frequency range suitable for providing an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect is a frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz. According to this embodiment, the vibration frequency of the vibration represented by the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 is limited to such a frequency range, and vibration that provides an appropriate awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated.

[0148] Incidentally, in this embodiment as well, the frequency range in which the vibration frequency falls is not limited to the range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz, and can be set appropriately as long as it is within a frequency range suitable for bringing about an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect.

[0149] In this embodiment, the vibration signal is a signal that represents vibrations according to the tempo of the music, the frequency of the sounds that make up the chords contained in the music, and the strength and weakness of the sounds.

[0150] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 221 corresponds to the tempo of the music being played and the frequency of the sounds constituting the chords, so the vibration generated by the vibration device 120 is unlikely to spoil the flavor of the music being played. In this way, according to this embodiment, vibrations for obtaining an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated without spoiling the flavor of the music being played.

[0151] In this embodiment, the vibration represented by the vibration signal may be based only on the tempo or only on the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord, as long as the vibration is based on at least one of the tempo and the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord. In this case, the vibration elements determined by factors other than the tempo or the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord are set according to some setting rule.

[0152] In addition, in this embodiment, the vibration signal is a signal that represents vibration that corresponds to the tempo of music and whose occurrence frequency falls within a predetermined frequency range as a stimulation intensity range.

[0153] The frequency of vibration, which is determined according to the tempo of the music being played, can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation provided by the vibration. According to this embodiment, the frequency of vibration is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the frequency range, so that vibration that provides the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0154] In this embodiment, the vibration signal is a signal that represents vibrations corresponding to the frequencies of sounds that constitute a musical chord.

[0155] According to this embodiment, by generating vibrations corresponding to the frequencies of the sounds that make up the chords of music, it is possible to generate vibrations that have an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect without compromising the flavor of the music being played.

[0156] In this embodiment, the vibration signal is a signal that represents vibration whose vibration magnitude falls within a predetermined vibration magnitude range as a stimulation intensity range.

[0157] The vibration amount of the vibration can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation that the vibration provides. According to this embodiment, the vibration amount is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the vibration amount range, so that vibration that can provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0158] Next, a third embodiment will be described.

[0159] Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing a vibration control device according to a third embodiment mounted on a moving body. In Fig. 6, the same components as those in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1, and the following description of the same components will be omitted.

[0160] In this embodiment, the moving body is also a passenger car, and is equipped with a vibration device 120 and a car stereo 130 similar to those in the first embodiment, a vibration control device 310, and a storage unit 320.

[0161] The vibration control device 310 of this embodiment includes a vibration signal acquisition unit 111, an output unit 112, an operation input unit 113, a first setting unit 114, a detection unit 117, and a generation unit 118 similar to those of the first embodiment. The vibration control device 310 also includes a position information acquisition unit 311 and a second setting unit 312 as components replacing the biological information acquisition unit 115 and the second setting unit 116 of the first embodiment.

[0162] The location information acquisition unit 311 acquires the location of the mobile object 1 using a positioning system such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the location information acquisition unit 311 identifies attributes of the road on which the mobile object is located, such as a general road section or an expressway section, based on the location, and generates and acquires location information representing the attributes of the road.

[0163] The second setting unit 312 sets a frequency range and a vibration amount range that contain the occurrence frequency and vibration amount as the intensity of the vibration stimulation. In this embodiment, the second setting unit 312 sets these ranges by checking the position indicated by the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 311 against the map data 330 stored in the storage unit 320. The second setting unit 312 includes a frequency range setting unit 312a that sets the frequency range, and a vibration amount range setting unit 312b that sets the vibration amount range.

[0164] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing, in a table format, the data structure of the map data shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing, in a map format, the data structure shown in the table format in Fig. 7.

[0165] 7 and 8, the map data 330 includes a plurality of link information 331 each representing a road section, and an information set 332 associated with each of the plurality of link information 331. Each information set 332 is made up of four pieces of information related to the intensity of the stimulus. Each of the four pieces of information represents a stimulus intensity range that includes the intensity of the vibration stimulus.

[0166] Here, in this embodiment, a frequency range, which is a range of the frequency of occurrence of vibration, and a vibration amount range, which is a range of the vibration amount, are adopted as the stimulation intensity range. The frequency range and vibration amount range are set for two time periods, daytime and nighttime. For daytime, when the user of the mobile body is less likely to feel sleepy, a frequency range corresponding to a normal occurrence frequency that provides a medium level of stimulation and a vibration amount range corresponding to a normal vibration amount are set. On the other hand, for nighttime, when the user is more likely to feel sleepy, a frequency range corresponding to a higher occurrence frequency that provides a stronger stimulation and a vibration amount range corresponding to a larger vibration amount that provides a stronger stimulation are set to encourage awakening.

[0167] 7 and 8, as an example of the link information 331, link information L11 whose attribute is a general road section and link information L12 whose attribute is an expressway section are illustrated. Also, link information L13 whose attribute is a start section of an automatic driving compatible road and link information L14 whose attribute is an end section of an automatic driving compatible road are illustrated. Link information L11 of the general road section is associated with information set 332 consisting of information A111, A112 of frequency ranges for daytime and nighttime, and information B111, B112 of vibration amount ranges for daytime and nighttime. Link information L12 of the expressway section is associated with information set 332 consisting of information A121, A122 of frequency ranges for daytime and nighttime, and information B121, B122 of vibration amount ranges for daytime and nighttime. Link information L13 of the start section of the autonomous driving compatible road is associated with information set 332 consisting of information A131, A132 on frequency ranges for daytime and nighttime use and information B131, B132 on vibration amount ranges for daytime and nighttime use. Link information L14 of the end section of the autonomous driving compatible road is associated with information set 332 consisting of information A141, A142 on frequency ranges for daytime and nighttime use and information B141, B142 on vibration amount ranges for daytime and nighttime use.

[0168] Generally, a user who drives a mobile object is more likely to feel sleepy when driving on an expressway section than when driving on an ordinary road section. For this reason, in this embodiment, the information A121, . . . , B122 corresponding to the link information L12 of the expressway section is information related to a stronger stimulus than the information A111, . . . , B112 corresponding to the link information L11 of the ordinary road section.

[0169] In addition, when driving on an autonomous driving compatible road, it is possible for the user driving the vehicle to be more relaxed than when driving on other roads. On the other hand, at the end stage of the autonomous driving compatible road, it is necessary to wake up the user from the relaxed state. For this reason, in this embodiment, for the autonomous driving compatible road, the information A131,...,B132 corresponding to the link information L13 of the start section is information about a weaker stimulus than the information A141,...,B142 corresponding to the link information L14 of the end section.

[0170] The map data 330 is configured so that the intensity of a stimulus can be set by the stimulus intensity information of an information set 332 associated with link information 331 indicating the road section on which the mobile object is located. In addition, since the stimulus intensity information of each information set 332 is set for each time period, that is, daytime and nighttime, the map data 330 is configured so that the intensity of a stimulus can be set for each time period.

[0171] The storage unit 320 that stores the map data 330 having such a data structure is mounted on a moving body and stored in a storage medium of a computer in which the vibration control device 310 is constructed, or in a storage device that is externally installed to the computer. The storage unit 320 is not limited to a storage unit that is mounted on a moving body and fixedly installed, but may be a known portable storage medium, or a storage medium or storage device installed in a server connected to the computer via a network. In order to generate the map data 330, a server connected to the vibration control device 310 via a network may acquire position information of the moving bodies, time information, and a biological state of the user from a plurality of moving bodies, identify the susceptibility to drowsiness for each road section by statistical processing, and set stimulation intensity information corresponding to each road section for each time period. The statistical processing performed by the server is performed based on information acquired from an unspecified number of moving bodies. The map data 330 thus generated may be distributed to each moving body and stored in the storage unit 320 of the vibration control device 310.

[0172] The vibration control device 310 shown in FIG. 6 acquires stimulation intensity information from such a memory unit 320, and controls the vibration device 120 installed on the back panel 141 of the seat 140 using the information.

[0173] In this vibration control device 310, as described above, the location information acquisition unit 311 acquires information representing the attributes of the road on which the moving object is located as location information representing the location of the moving object. Then, the frequency range setting unit 312a of the second setting unit 312 acquires information on the frequency range corresponding to the link information 331 representing the road section of the attribute represented by the acquired location information and corresponding to the time zone at that time from the storage unit 320 to set the frequency range. Similarly, the vibration amount range setting unit 312b acquires information on the vibration amount range corresponding to the link information 331 representing the road section of the attribute represented by the acquired location information and corresponding to the time zone at that time from the storage unit 320 to set the vibration amount range.

[0174] The generation unit 118 generates a vibration signal representing vibration based on the tempo of the music being played detected by the detection unit 117, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord, the strength of the sounds, and the frequency range and vibration amount range set by the second setting unit 312. The vibration represented by the vibration signal generated in this manner corresponds to the music being played, and the occurrence frequency and vibration amount are within the frequency range and vibration amount range set by the second setting unit 312. The vibration signal generated by the generation unit 118 is then acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 111, and output unit 112 outputs the signal to the vibration device 120, causing the vibration device 120 to generate vibration.

[0175] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a vibration control method executed by the vibration control device shown in FIG.

[0176] The process shown in this flowchart starts when the car stereo 130 starts playing music and music information is sent to the vibration control device 310 .

[0177] When the process starts, the generation unit 118 first judges whether or not an on / off operation has been performed on the power of the vibration device 120 via the operation input unit 113 after the start of music playback (step S301). If no particular operation has been performed or an on operation has been performed (on determination in step S301), the output unit 112 turns on the power of the vibration device 120 if it is off at this point (step S302). Note that in step S302, if the power of the vibration device 120 is on at this point, no particular process is performed and the process proceeds to the next step S304.

[0178] On the other hand, when an off operation is performed (off determination in step S301), if the power of the vibration device 120 is on at this time, the output unit 112 turns it off (step S303) and returns to the processing of step S301. Note that in step S303, if the power of the vibration device 120 is off at this time, no particular processing is performed and the processing returns to the processing of step S301.

[0179] After step S302, the process proceeds to step S304, where the detection unit 117 acquires one bar of music information of the music being played from the music information output unit 131 of the car stereo 130. Next, the detection unit 117 detects the tempo, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord, and the dynamics of the sounds based on the acquired music information (step S305).

[0180] Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit 311 acquires location information that indicates attributes of the road on which the moving object is located (step S306). Furthermore, the second setting unit 312 uses a timer (not shown) to determine whether the time period is day or night (step S307).

[0181] In the next step S308, the frequency range setting unit 312a acquires from the memory unit 320 information on a frequency range that corresponds to the link information 331 that represents the road section of the attribute represented by the location information and that corresponds to the determined time period, either day or night, and sets the frequency range.

[0182] Furthermore, in step S309, the vibration magnitude range setting unit 312b acquires information on the vibration magnitude range corresponding to the link information 331 indicating the road section of the attribute represented by the location information and corresponding to the determined time period from the memory unit 320, and sets the vibration magnitude range.

[0183] Once the frequency range and the vibration amount range have been set in this manner, next, generation unit 118 determines whether or not an operation for adjusting the intensity of the stimulation has been performed on operation input unit 113 after the start of music playback (step S310).

[0184] If an adjustment operation has been performed (Yes in step S310), the frequency range setting unit 114a of the first setting unit 114 increases or decreases the set frequency range according to the amount of operation (step S311). Also, the vibration amount range setting unit 114b increases or decreases the set vibration amount range according to the amount of operation (step S312).

[0185] If no adjustment operation has been performed (No in step S310), steps S311 and S312 are omitted, and the process proceeds to the next step S313.

[0186] In step S313, the generation unit 118 generates a vibration signal corresponding to music information for one measure based on the tempo, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chord, the strength of the sounds, the frequency range, and the vibration amount range obtained in the processes up to this point. That is, a vibration signal is generated that represents vibration whose occurrence frequency falls within the frequency range according to the tempo of the measure, whose frequency falls within the frequency range according to the chord of the measure, whose vibration amount falls within the vibration amount range according to the strength of the sounds of the measure.

[0187] The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires the vibration signal for one bar thus generated (step S314), and the output unit 112 outputs it to the vibration device 120 (step S315). After that, the process returns to step S301, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0188] The process of this flowchart continues until the music playback on the car stereo 130 ends.

[0189] In this embodiment, a vibration control program for causing a computer to execute the vibration control method shown in the flowchart of Fig. 9 is stored in a storage medium of a computer mounted on a moving body. The storage medium for storing this vibration control program is not limited to the storage medium of a computer mounted on a moving body, but may be a known portable storage medium or a storage medium installed in a server connected to this computer via a network.

[0190] According to the vibration control device 310, the vibration control method, the vibration control program, and the storage medium of the third embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0191] Roads on which a moving object travels include expressways on which a user driving the moving object may easily become sleepy, and roads on which a user may relax to some extent, such as roads that support automatic driving. According to this embodiment, the position display that indicates the position of the moving object is displayed in response to the music being played. A vibration signal representing vibration according to the position information is acquired and output to the vibration device 120. Therefore, the strength of the stimulation given by the vibration can be set to an appropriate strength for the awakening effect and / or relaxation effect according to the position of the moving object. This makes it possible to generate vibration that provides the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect according to the music being played but regardless of the content of the music.

[0192] Incidentally, in this embodiment as well, the installation position of vibration device 120 in the moving body is not limited to inside back panel 141 of seat 140, but may be set at any position that can provide a stimulus to the user.

[0193] In this embodiment, the location information acquisition unit 311 acquires attributes of the road on which the mobile object is located, such as a general road section or an expressway section, as location information.

[0194] According to this embodiment, the attributes of roads that affect the biological state of the user, such as expressways and roads compatible with automatic driving, are acquired as location information. Then, by generating vibrations according to such location information, it is possible to effectively obtain an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect.

[0195] The location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 311 is not limited to the information representing the attributes of the road as described above, but may be information representing the position of a moving object itself obtained by GNSS, for example.

[0196] The vibration control device 310 of this embodiment also includes a second setting unit 312 that sets a stimulation intensity range within which the stimulation intensity falls, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 311. The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal representing a vibration whose stimulation intensity falls within the stimulation intensity range set by the second setting unit 312.

[0197] According to this embodiment, by setting the stimulation intensity range based on the position information, an appropriate stimulation according to the position of the moving object is given to the user, so that vibrations can be generated that appropriately provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect.

[0198] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as the vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration whose vibration frequency falls within the frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz.

[0199] When the user experiences vibration as a stimulus, an example of a frequency range suitable for providing an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect is a frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz. According to this embodiment, the vibration frequency of the vibration represented by the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit is limited to this frequency range, and vibration that provides an appropriate awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated.

[0200] The frequency range of the vibration is not limited to the range of 20 Hz to 200 Hz, and may be set appropriately as long as it is within a frequency range suitable for providing an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect.

[0201] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that indicates vibration according to the tempo of the music, and the frequency and intensity of sounds that constitute the chords included in the music.

[0202] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 corresponds to the tempo of the music being played and the frequency of the sounds that make up the chords. The generated vibrations are unlikely to spoil the flavor of the music being played. In this way, according to this embodiment, vibrations for obtaining an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated without spoiling the flavor of the music being played.

[0203] The vibration represented by the vibration signal may be based only on the tempo or only on the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord, so long as the vibration is based on at least one of the tempo and the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord. In this case, the vibration elements that are determined by factors other than the tempo or the frequency of the sounds that make up the chord are set according to some setting rule.

[0204] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a frequency range setting unit 312a that sets a frequency range that contains the occurrence frequency of the vibration represented by the vibration signal, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 311. The vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration that corresponds to the tempo of music and whose occurrence frequency falls within the frequency range set by the frequency range setting unit 312a.

[0205] The frequency of vibration, which is determined according to the tempo of the music being played, can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation provided by the vibration. According to this embodiment, the frequency of vibration is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the frequency range, so that vibration that provides the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0206] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents vibration corresponding to the frequency of sounds that constitute a musical chord.

[0207] According to this embodiment, by generating vibrations corresponding to the frequencies of the sounds that make up the chords of music, it is possible to generate vibrations that have an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect without compromising the flavor of the music being played.

[0208] Moreover, the vibration control device 310 of this embodiment includes a vibration magnitude range setting unit 312b that sets a vibration magnitude range that contains the vibration magnitude of the vibration represented by the vibration signal, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 311. Then, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a vibration signal, a signal that represents a vibration whose vibration magnitude falls within the vibration magnitude range set by the vibration magnitude range setting unit 312b.

[0209] The vibration amount of the vibration can be used as an index showing the strength of the stimulation that the vibration provides. According to this embodiment, the vibration amount is used as such an index, and the stimulation strength range is specifically set as the vibration amount range, so that vibration that can provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxation effect can be effectively generated.

[0210] In this embodiment, two types of ranges, a frequency range and a vibration amount range, are set as the stimulation intensity range. However, the stimulation intensity range may be only one of the frequency range and the vibration amount range, or may be a range using some index that indicates the intensity of the vibration stimulation other than the occurrence frequency or the vibration amount.

[0211] In this embodiment, a vibration control device 310 is exemplified that includes both a first setting unit 114 that sets a stimulation intensity range in response to a user's operation and a second setting unit 312 that sets a stimulation intensity range based on position information. However, the vibration control device is not limited to this, and may include only one of the first setting unit 114 and the second setting unit 312.

[0212] The vibration control device 310 of this embodiment also includes a detection unit 117 and a generation unit 118. The detection unit 117 detects, from the music, the tempo of the music, the frequency of the sounds constituting the chords contained in the music, and the strength of the sounds as musical elements. The generation unit 118 generates a vibration signal based on the musical elements detected by the detection unit 117. Then, the vibration signal acquisition unit 111 acquires the vibration signal generated by the generation unit 118.

[0213] According to this embodiment, by generating a vibration signal based on musical elements detected from the music being played, vibrations for achieving an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect can be generated without compromising the appeal of the music being played.

[0214] Furthermore, according to the data structure of the map data 330 shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, and the storage medium or storage device serving as the storage unit 320 in this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0215] According to the data structure of the map data 330 of this embodiment, it is possible to obtain stimulation intensity information associated with the link information 331 indicating the road section where the mobile object is located, and to cause the vibration device 120 to generate a vibration with a stimulation intensity set based on the information. Therefore, it is possible to set the stimulation intensity of the vibration to an intensity suitable for an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect according to the position of the mobile object. This makes it possible to generate a vibration that provides a desired awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect according to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music.

[0216] Here, in this embodiment, the stimulus intensity information associated with the link information L12 indicating the expressway section is information regarding a stronger stimulus than the stimulus intensity information associated with the link information L11 indicating the general road section.

[0217] According to this embodiment, by providing a strong stimulus to the user on an expressway section where the user is more likely to feel sleepy than on an ordinary road section, an appropriate awakening effect can be obtained.

[0218] In addition, in this embodiment, the stimulus intensity information associated with link information L13 indicating the start section of the autonomous driving compatible road is information regarding a weaker stimulus than the stimulus intensity information associated with link information L14 indicating the end section of the autonomous driving compatible road.

[0219] According to this embodiment, the stimulation given to the user in the start section of an autonomous driving compatible road where relaxation is permitted is softened compared to the end section, thereby providing an appropriate relaxation effect.

[0220] In this embodiment, a plurality of pieces of stimulus intensity information are associated with each of the plurality of link information 331 as information regarding the intensity of the stimulus for each time period of the day and night. The data structure of the map data 330 in this embodiment is configured so that the intensity of the stimulus can be set for each time period by the plurality of pieces of stimulus intensity information associated with the link information 331 indicating the road section in which the mobile object is located.

[0221] In general, the user's biological state may change depending on the time of day, such as the user being more likely to feel sleepy at night than during the day. According to this embodiment, since the intensity of the stimulation can be set for each time period, it is possible to generate vibrations that provide an appropriate awakening effect and / or relaxation effect depending on the user's biological state for each time period.

[0222] In this embodiment, two sets of frequency range information and vibration amount range information are set for day and night as information on the intensity of the stimulation. The information setting is not limited to the two divisions of day and night, but may be set for each of a plurality of more detailed time periods.

[0223] In addition, in this embodiment, the stimulation intensity information is information that represents a stimulation intensity range that contains the intensity of the stimulation.

[0224] According to this embodiment, by using information representing the stimulation intensity range, it is possible to comprehensively set the stimulation intensity that changes from moment to moment in response to the music being played, which is preferable.

[0225] In this embodiment, two types of ranges, a frequency range and a vibration amount range, are set as the stimulation intensity range. However, the stimulation intensity range may be only one of the frequency range and the vibration amount range, or may be a range using some index that indicates the intensity of the vibration stimulation other than the occurrence frequency or the vibration amount.

[0226] In this embodiment, link information L11 of a general road section, link information L12 of a highway section, link information L13 of a start section of an autonomous driving compatible road, and link information L14 of an end section of an autonomous driving compatible road are exemplified as examples of the link information 331. However, the link information 331 is not limited to these pieces of information, and may be, for example, information indicating the range from the start point to the end point of a road section identified by GNSS.

[0227] Next, a modification of the data structure of the map data 330 shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 in this embodiment will be described.

[0228] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing, in a table format, a data structure of a modification to the data structures of the map data shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Also, Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing, in a map format, the data structure shown in the table format in Fig. 10.

[0229] Map data 430 having the data structure shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 includes a plurality of map element information 431 each representing an element on a map, and information sets 432 corresponding to each of the plurality of map element information 431. Each information set 432 is composed of four pieces of information related to the intensity of a stimulus. These four pieces of information are information representing the frequency range and vibration amount range for two time periods, day and night, similar to the four pieces of information included in the information set 332 shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8.

[0230] 10 and 11, information representing a first road link L21 corresponding to a general road and information representing a second road link L22 corresponding to an expressway section are illustrated as examples of the map element information 431. Furthermore, information representing a first node N23 corresponding to a branch point in the expressway section and information representing a first area Ar24 including an autonomous driving compatible road are illustrated.

[0231] The information representing the second road link L22 of the expressway section is associated with an information set 432 of a frequency range and a vibration amount range corresponding to a stronger stimulus than the frequency range and vibration amount range of the information set 432 corresponding to the information representing the first road link L21 of the general road. Also, the information representing the first node N23 of the branch point is associated with an information set 432 of a frequency range and a vibration amount range corresponding to a stronger stimulus than the frequency range and vibration amount range of the information set 432 corresponding to the information representing the second road link L22 of the expressway section. Also, the information representing the first area Ar24 of the autonomous driving compatible road is associated with an information set 432 of a frequency range and a vibration amount range corresponding to a weaker stimulus than the frequency range and vibration amount range of the information set 432 corresponding to the information representing the first road link L21 of the general road.

[0232] In FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the information on the first road link L21 in the general road section includes daytime and nighttime roads. An information set 432 consisting of information A211, A212 of the frequency range for each daytime and nighttime and information B211, B212 of the vibration amount range for each daytime and nighttime is associated with information on the second road link L22 of the expressway section. An information set 432 consisting of information A221, A222 of the frequency range for each daytime and nighttime and information B221, B222 of the vibration amount range for each daytime and nighttime is associated with information on the first node N23 of the branch point. An information set 432 consisting of information A231, A232 of the frequency range for each daytime and nighttime and information B231, B232 of the vibration amount range for each daytime and nighttime is associated with information representing the first area Ar24 of the autonomous driving compatible road. An information set 432 consisting of information A241, A242 of the frequency range for each daytime and nighttime and information B241, B242 of the vibration amount range for each daytime and nighttime is associated with information representing the first area Ar24 of the autonomous driving compatible road.

[0233] The map data 430 having the data structure of the modified example described above is also configured so that the intensity of the stimulus can be set by the stimulus intensity information of the information set 432 associated with the map element information 431 corresponding to the position of the mobile object. Moreover, since the stimulus intensity information of each information set 432 is set for each time period, that is, daytime and nighttime, the stimulus intensity can be set for each time period.

[0234] The map data 430 having such a data structure is stored in a storage medium of a computer on which the vibration control device 310 is built and mounted on a moving body, or in a storage device externally installed to the computer, similar to the map data 330 shown in FIG. 6. The storage unit is not limited to a storage unit mounted on a moving body and fixedly installed, but may be a known portable storage medium, or a storage medium or storage device installed in a server connected to the computer via a network. In addition, in order to generate the map data 430, a server connected to the vibration control device 310 via a network may acquire the position information, time information, and biological state of the moving body from a plurality of moving bodies, specify the susceptibility to drowsiness for each map element by statistical processing, and set the stimulation intensity information corresponding to each map element for each time period. The statistical processing executed by the server may be executed based on information acquired from an unspecified number of moving bodies, or may be executed individually for each moving body based on information acquired from each moving body. The map data 430 generated in this manner may be distributed to each moving body and stored in the storage unit 320 of the vibration control device 310.

[0235] According to the data structure of the map data 430 of this modification, information on the frequency range and vibration amount range associated with the map element information 431 representing the element to which the position of the moving object belongs can be obtained, and vibrations with the occurrence frequency and vibration amount set based on the information can be generated by the vibration device 120. Therefore, the intensity of the stimulus provided by the vibration can be set to an intensity suitable for an awakening effect and / or a relaxing effect according to the position of the moving object. This makes it possible to generate vibrations that provide the desired awakening effect and / or relaxing effect according to the music being played, regardless of the content of the music.

[0236] In this modified example, the frequency range information and the vibration amount range information as the information on the intensity of the stimulation are set for each of day and night. However, the setting of the information for each time period is not limited to the two divisions of day and night, and may be set for each of a plurality of more detailed divisions of time periods.

[0237] In this modified example, two types of ranges, a frequency range and a vibration amount range, are set as the stimulation intensity range. However, the stimulation intensity range may be only one of the frequency range and the vibration amount range, or may be a range using some index that indicates the intensity of the vibration stimulation other than the occurrence frequency or the vibration amount.

[0238] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. The present invention includes other configurations by which the objective can be achieved, and the following modifications are also included in the present invention.

[0239] For example, in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments and modified examples, the vibration control devices 110, 220, and 310 are mounted on a moving body such as a passenger car. However, the moving body on which the vibration control device is mounted is not limited to a passenger car, and may be a motorcycle or a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus, and the specific type of the moving body is not important.

[0240] In the above-mentioned first and third embodiments and modified examples, a vibration signal acquisition unit 111 is exemplified, which acquires a vibration signal generated internally by a generation unit 118 of the vibration control device 110, 310 mounted on the moving body. In the above-mentioned second embodiment, a vibration signal acquisition unit 221 is exemplified, which reads out and acquires a vibration signal from a storage unit 210 mounted on the moving body. However, the vibration signal acquisition unit is not limited to these, and may be, for example, a unit that acquires a vibration signal generated on a server outside the moving body via a wireless network. Alternatively, a vibration signal may be read out and acquired from a storage unit built on a server via a wireless network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0241] 110,220,310 Vibration control device 111,221 Vibration signal acquisition unit 112 Output section 113 Operation input section 114 First Setting Section 114a, 116a, 312a Frequency range setting section 114b, 116b, 312b Vibration amount range setting section 115 Biometric information acquisition unit 116,312 Second Setting Section 117 Detection Unit 118 Generation part 120 Vibration device 130 Car Stereo 131 Music information output section 132 Vehicle speaker 133 Music Information Acquisition Department 140 sheets 141 Back plate 210,320 storage section 222 Adjustment section 222a Frequency adjustment unit 222b Vibration amount adjustment section 230 Music / Vibration Compatible Data 231,M1,M2 Music Information 232 Signal Set 311 Location information acquisition unit 330 Map Data 331, L11, L12, L13, L14 Link information 332,432 Information Set 431 Map Element Information A111, A121, A131, A141 Daytime frequency range information A112, A122, A132, A142 Night Frequency Range Information B111, B121, B131, B141 Daytime vibration range information B112, B122, B132, B142 Nighttime vibration range information L21 First Road Link L22 Second Road Link N23 1st Node Ar24 1st Area S11, S21 Awakening vibration signal S12,S22 Normal vibration signal S13, S23 Relaxation vibration signal

Claims

[Claim 1] A vibration control device that controls a vibration device that generates vibrations corresponding to music being played to stimulate a user, a vibration signal acquisition unit that acquires a vibration signal representing the vibration in which the intensity of the stimulus falls within a predetermined stimulus intensity range; an output unit that outputs the vibration signal acquired by the vibration signal acquisition unit to the vibration device; A vibration control device comprising:

Images