Danger notification system

Abstract

To provide a danger notification system that notifies a driver of a danger by causing a high-frequency sound to be outputted through earphones which are worn by the driver, before an alarm sound is emitted.SOLUTION: A danger notification system 1 includes sound collection microphones 200 that are disposed symmetrically at positions in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle length direction on the flanks of a vehicle, where the microphones are unsusceptible to travel environment sounds, earphones 300 worn by at least a driver, a controller 100 that, when a relative change is found in a high-frequency sound around the vehicle which is collected by the sound collection microphone 200, causes a high-frequency sound to be outputted through the earphone 300 in a direction in which the relative change is found, and a notification unit 500 that provides notification of a danger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a danger warning system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) functions that enable the vehicle itself to grasp information about its surroundings and control the vehicle on behalf of the driver have come into practical use.

[0003] For example, one such technology disclosed is one that emits a warning sound to alert the driver of a risk of contact with a vehicle traveling nearby the vehicle based on information obtained from a camera, millimeter wave radar, or the like installed in the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-282760 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that a warning sound or the like is suddenly issued to the driver, so that the driver cannot immediately recognize what the warning is about.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a danger warning system that alerts the driver to an upcoming danger by outputting high-frequency sound from earphones worn by the driver before alerting the driver of the danger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Form 1: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a danger warning system comprising: sound-collecting microphones symmetrically arranged in the vehicle width and length directions on the sides of the vehicle at locations that are less susceptible to the influence of driving environment sounds; earphones worn by at least the driver; a control device that, when there is a relative change in high-frequency sounds around the vehicle picked up by the sound-collecting microphones, outputs high-frequency sounds to the earphones in the direction of the relative change; and an alarm device that warns of danger, wherein the control device outputs high-frequency sounds to the earphones in the direction of the relative change by the time the alarm device is activated.

[0008] Form 5: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a danger warning system comprising: sound-collecting microphones symmetrically arranged in the vehicle width direction and vehicle length direction on the side of the vehicle at locations that are less affected by driving environment sounds; earphones worn by at least the driver; a control device that, when there is a relative change in high-frequency sounds around the vehicle picked up by the sound-collecting microphones, outputs high-frequency sound to the earphones in the direction of the relative change; and an alarm device that alerts of danger, wherein the control device comprises the one or more processors and one or more memories, and the one or more processors include a control unit that, when there is a relative change in high-frequency sounds around the vehicle picked up by the sound-collecting microphones, outputs high-frequency sound to the earphones in the direction of the relative change, and the control unit outputs high-frequency sound to the earphones in the direction of the relative change by the time the alarm device is activated. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to make the driver aware of the danger by outputting high-frequency sound from earphones worn by the driver before notifying the driver of the danger. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a danger warning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation positions of sound collecting microphones according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an earphone according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a danger alarm system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of an earphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the structure of an earphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of an earphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating operation modes of an earphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating operation modes of an earphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the earphone according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0012] <First embodiment> A danger notification system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0013] <Configuration of danger warning system 1> As shown in FIG. 1, the danger notification system 1 according to this embodiment includes a control device 100, a sound collecting microphone 200, an earphone 300, a danger detection device 400, and a notification device 500.

[0014] In this embodiment, the control device 100 outputs a sound for notifying the driver of a danger from an earphone 300, which will be described later, based on a sound picked up by a sound pickup microphone 200, which will be described later, for example. In this embodiment, the control device 100 is connected to, for example, an earphone 300 (described later) so as to be capable of wireless communication. The configuration of the control device 100 will be described later.

[0015] The sound collecting microphones 200 are provided symmetrically in the vehicle width and length directions on the sides of the vehicle at locations that are unlikely to be affected by driving environment sounds. In this embodiment, the sound collecting microphone 200 includes, for example, a sound collecting microphone 200_1, a sound collecting microphone 200_2, a sound collecting microphone 200_3, and a sound collecting microphone 200_4. The location where the sound collecting microphone 200 is installed will be described with reference to FIG. The sound pickup microphone 200 is installed, for example, at a position that avoids the propagation area of ​​the wind noise from the door mirror, the propagation area of ​​the road noise generated by the tires while driving, and the propagation area of ​​the sound generated when the tires splash up water while driving in the rain. In this embodiment, the sound collecting microphone 200_1 is installed, for example, in the center between the window shoulder and the side sill at the front edge of the right front door, and at the outermost position in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the sound collecting microphone 200_2 is installed, for example, at a position in contact with the body at the rear end of the glass surface behind the right rear door. In this embodiment, the sound collecting microphone 200_3 is installed, for example, in the center between the window shoulder and the side sill at the front edge of the left front door, and at the outermost position in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the sound collecting microphone 200_4 is installed, for example, at a position in contact with the body at the rear end of the glass surface behind the left rear door. In the case of a vehicle without rear doors, the sound collecting microphone 200_2 and the sound collecting microphone 200_4 are installed, for example, at the rear end of the glass surface behind the front door. Hereinafter, the sound collecting microphone 200_1, the sound collecting microphone 200_2, the sound collecting microphone 200_3, and the sound collecting microphone 200_4 will be collectively referred to as "sound collecting microphone 200." The sound collecting microphone 200 inputs the collected sound to the control device 100 .

[0016] In this embodiment, the earphone 300 performs wireless communication with the control device 100, for example, and outputs high-frequency sound in accordance with an instruction from the control device 100. In this embodiment, the earphone 300 is, for example, a bone conduction earphone. In this embodiment, the earphone 300 includes, for example, a bone conduction section 303L and a bone conduction section 303R. As shown in FIG. 3, bone conduction unit 303L and bone conduction unit 303R are formed of, for example, a vibrator, and are brought into contact with the driver's side of the head to transmit sound to the driver without passing through the driver's eardrum. In this embodiment, the earphone 300 includes, for example, an earphone control unit (not shown), and vibrates the bone conduction unit 303R for the right ear or the bone conduction unit 303L for the left ear according to instructions received from the control device 100. When the earphone 300 receives an instruction from the control device 100 to output sound to the right ear, the earphone 300 vibrates the bone conduction unit 303R for the right ear at, for example, 10 MHz. When the earphone 300 receives an instruction from the control device 100 to output sound to the left ear, the earphone 300 vibrates the bone conduction unit 303L for the left ear at, for example, 10 MHz. The vibrations generated by the earphones 300 pass through the driver's skull and stimulate, for example, the hairs in the inner ear of the driver wearing the earphones 300.

[0017] In this embodiment, the danger detection device 400 is a device that detects the risk of contact with a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, or the like around the vehicle based on the output of a sensor such as a camera and a millimeter wave radar. In this embodiment, the danger detection device 400 detects a danger when it is determined that the vehicle will come into contact with a nearby vehicle or the like unless the vehicle's driving operation (steering, braking, or accelerator operation) is controlled, for example. In this embodiment, when the hazard detection device 400 detects a vehicle in a position that is difficult to see from the driver's seat (e.g., a blind spot) and the driver operates the turn signal in a direction approaching the vehicle, the hazard detection device 400 transmits information that a hazard has been detected to the control device 100, which will be described later.

[0018] The notification device 500 is, for example, a display panel such as a liquid crystal display and a speaker, and displays the information received from the control device 100 and outputs sound. In this embodiment, for example, when the danger detection device 400 detects a danger, the notification device 500 notifies the driver of the danger.

[0019] <Configuration of the control device 100> As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 100 includes a processor 110, a memory 120, and a communication unit .

[0020] In this embodiment, the processor 110 performs control to output, to the earphone 300, a sound for notifying the driver of a danger, based on the sound picked up by the sound pickup microphone 200, for example. The configuration of the processor 110 will be described later.

[0021] The memory 120 includes a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), neither of which are shown. The memory 120 stores, for example, a control program and various data received from the processor 110.

[0022] The communication unit 130 communicates with the earphones 300 under the control of the processor 110 . The communication unit 130 is, for example, a short-range wireless communication unit such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), which connects to the earphones 300 and performs communication for controlling vibrations of the bone conduction unit 303L and the bone conduction unit 303R of the earphones 300.

[0023] <Configuration of the Processor 110> As shown in FIG. 4, the processor 110 includes a detection unit 111 and a control unit 112. Each unit of the processor 110 and the memory 120 transmit and receive various information via a bus line BL.

[0024] In this embodiment, the detection unit 111 detects whether or not there has been a relative change in high-frequency sound around the vehicle that has been picked up by the sound pickup microphone 200. In this embodiment, the detection unit 111 detects, for example, a relative change amount for each sound picked up by the sound pick-up microphone 200_1 to the sound pick-up microphone 200_4. The detection unit 111 detects the sound pressure level of a sound of 5 (KHz) or more every second, for example, and calculates the difference from the sound pressure level detected one second earlier. The detection unit 111 detects, for example, the sound collecting microphone 200 in which the difference in sound pressure level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the difference in sound pressure level is the maximum value. In this embodiment, the detection unit 111 transmits, for example, the individual number of the detected sound collecting microphone 200 (any of the sound collecting microphones 200_1 to 200_4) as a detection result to the control unit 112, which will be described later.

[0025] The control unit 112 controls the entire control device 100 in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120 . In this embodiment, the control unit 112 transmits, for example, an instruction to the detection unit 111 to detect a relative change in the sound. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 112 receives a detection result from the danger detection device 400 indicating that a danger has been detected, the control unit 112 controls the alarm device 500 to display a warning regarding the detected danger and, at the same time, emit an alarm sound.

[0026] In this embodiment, for example, based on the detection result received from the detection unit 111, the control unit 112 causes the earphone 300 in the direction in which there has been a relative change to output high-frequency sound. For example, when the control unit 112 receives a detection result from the detection unit 111 indicating that the sound from either the sound collection microphone 200_1 or the sound collection microphone 200_2 has changed, the control unit 112 transmits an instruction to the earphone 300 via the communication unit 130 to output sound to the right ear. For example, when the control unit 112 receives a detection result from the detection unit 111 indicating that the sound from either the sound collection microphone 200_3 or the sound collection microphone 200_4 has changed, the control unit 112 transmits an instruction to the earphone 300 via the communication unit 130 to output sound to the left ear. For example, when the control unit 112 stops the sound being output to the earphones 300, the control unit 112 transmits an instruction to stop the sound to the earphones 300 via the communication unit .

[0027] <Processing of the control device 100> The process of the control device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] The control unit 112 transmits an instruction to the detection unit 111 to detect a relative change in the sound, and starts the detection (step S110).

[0029] The control unit 112 determines whether or not a relative change in the sound has been detected (step S120). When control unit 112 has not received information from detection unit 111 indicating that a change has been detected ("NO" in step S120), control unit 112 returns the process to step S110 and continues the process. When control unit 112 receives information from detection unit 111 indicating that a change has been detected ("YES" in step S120), control unit 112 transitions the process to step S130.

[0030] Based on the information received from the detection unit 111, the control unit 112 causes the earphone 300 to output high-frequency sound (step S130).

[0031] The control unit 112 determines whether or not a danger has been detected (step S140). When the control unit 112 has not received information indicating that a danger has been detected from the danger detection device 400 ("NO" in step S140), the control unit 112 returns the process to step S110 and continues the process. When the control unit 112 receives information from the danger detection device 400 that a danger has been detected ("YES" in step S140), the control unit 112 shifts the process to step S150.

[0032] The control unit 112 stops the high-frequency sound being output from the earphone 300 (step S150).

[0033] The control unit 112 controls the alarm device 500 to display a warning and emit a warning sound regarding the detected danger (step S160), and ends the process.

[0034] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the danger warning system 1 of this embodiment comprises sound-collecting microphones 200 arranged symmetrically in the vehicle width and length directions on the side of the vehicle at locations that are less affected by driving environment sounds, earphones 300 worn by at least the driver, a control device 100 that, when there is a relative change in high-frequency sounds around the vehicle picked up by the sound-collecting microphone 200, outputs high-frequency sound to the earphone 300 in the direction of the relative change, and a warning device 500 that warns of danger. The control device 100 detects the direction of an approaching vehicle or the like based on the sound picked up by the sound pickup microphone 200. When the control device 100 detects an approaching vehicle, it performs control to output high-frequency sound from the bone conduction unit 303L or the bone conduction unit 303R in the direction in which the vehicle is approaching. The sound output from the bone conduction unit 303 of the earphone 300 passes through the driver's skull and stimulates, for example, the hair of the inner ear. In this way, the danger warning system 1 can alert the driver to the presence of an approaching vehicle. Therefore, the danger warning system 1 is expected to prevent the occurrence of collision accidents and the like. When the control device 100 detects the approach of a vehicle, it immediately performs control to output high-frequency sound from the earphone 300. This allows the driver to sense the presence of an approaching vehicle, and therefore, even when the driver is notified of a danger by the notification device 500, the driver can immediately recognize what the warning is about.

[0035] Two sound-collecting microphones 200 are provided in the center between the window shoulder and the side sill at the front edge of the front door, at the outermost position in the vehicle width direction, and two are provided in the rear door or at the rear end of the glass surface behind the front door, where it meets the body. The sound pickup microphone 200 is installed in a position that avoids, for example, the propagation area of ​​the wind noise from the door mirror, the propagation area of ​​the road noise generated by the tires while driving, and the propagation area of ​​the sound generated when the tires splash up water while driving in the rain, so that it can pick up sounds from approaching vehicles with minimal noise influence. This enables the detection unit 111 of the control device 100 to detect the direction of the approaching vehicle with high accuracy.

[0036] The earphone 300 is a bone conduction earphone. That is, the earphone 300 transmits sound to the driver by bringing the vibrations of the bone conduction section 303 into close contact with the skull. As a result, even when the driver wears the earphones 300, the driver's ears are not blocked, and the driver can recognize sounds occurring inside and outside the vehicle. Moreover, the sound output from the bone conduction section 303 of the earphone 300 is a sound with a frequency outside the audible band. This allows the driver to recognize sounds occurring inside and outside the vehicle even when the bone conduction unit 303 is in operation.

[0037] <Second embodiment> The danger warning system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. In addition, since the components having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have the same functions, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] <Configuration of danger warning system 1> As shown in FIG. 6, a danger notification system 1A according to this embodiment includes a control device 100, a sound collecting microphone 200, an earphone 300A, a danger detection device 400, and a notification device 500.

[0039] <Configuration of Earphone 300A> As shown in FIG. 7, the earphone 300A includes a bone conduction unit 303, a first control unit 310, a second control unit 320, a third control unit 330, and a quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8, earphone 300A includes connecting band 301 that extends in a curved shape so as to envelop the side of the head and the back of the head. Earphone 300A includes protruding frames 302R and 302L formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction of connecting band 301 and protruding toward the sides of the head in front of or behind the driver's ears. The driver wears the earphones 300A by hanging the protruding frames 302L and 302R on the left and right ears, respectively.

[0041] In this embodiment, the earphone 300A includes a bone conduction section 303 that is provided on the inner surface of the tip of the protruding frame 302, for example, and is brought into close contact with the side of the driver's head to transmit sound to the driver. The earphone 300A includes a bone conduction section 303R that is placed in close contact with the right side of the driver's head, and a bone conduction section 303L that is placed in close contact with the left side of the driver's head.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first control unit 310 is, for example, a control unit provided near the tip of the protruding frame 302R, and controls the vibration of the bone conduction unit 303 and the direction of the current flowing in the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 described later. In this embodiment, the first control unit 310 vibrates the bone conduction unit 303 in accordance with an instruction from the control device 100, for example. The control of first control unit 310 will be described later.

[0043] In this embodiment, the second control unit 320 is, for example, a control unit provided near the tip of the protruding frame 302L, and controls, for example, the vibration of the bone conduction unit 303L and the direction of the current flowing in the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 described later, in accordance with instructions from the first control unit 310. The control of the second control unit 320 will be described later.

[0044] In this embodiment, the third control unit 330 is, for example, a control unit provided at the back of the driver's head, and controls the direction of current flowing in a quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 described later, for example, in accordance with instructions from the first control unit 310. The control of the third control unit 330 will be described later.

[0045] The quasi-electrostatic field generating sections 340 are arranged in a strip shape on the connecting band 301 . In this embodiment, the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 is arranged in a band shape on the connecting band 301 and the protruding frame 302, and includes a quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R arranged in a band shape from the back of the driver's head to the right head, and a quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L arranged in a band shape from the back of the driver's head to the left head. In this embodiment, the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 changes the quasi-electrostatic field generated around the driver's head, for example, under the control of the first control unit 310, the second control unit 320, and the third control unit 330. In this embodiment, the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 changes the quasi-electrostatic field generated around the head of the driver, for example, to stimulate the hair of the inner ear and the body hair of the driver wearing the earphone 300.

[0046] <Configuration of first control unit 310> As shown in FIG. 9, first control unit 310 includes a communication unit 311, an external environment information acquisition unit 312, an earphone control unit 313, and a first power supply circuit 314.

[0047] The communication unit 311 is, for example, a short-range wireless communication unit such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and connects to the control device 100, the second control unit 320, the third control unit 330, and the sensing device 600 to transmit and receive information. In this embodiment, the communication unit 311 receives, for example, an instruction regarding the operation of the bone conduction unit 303 from the control device 100. In this embodiment, the communication unit 311 transmits, for example, control information for generating a change in the quasi-electrostatic field to the second control unit 320 and the third control unit 330. In this embodiment, the communication unit 311 receives external environment information around the vehicle from the sensing device 600, for example. The external environment information received from the sensing device 600 will be described later.

[0048] The external environment information acquisition unit 312 acquires external environment information about the surroundings of the vehicle from the sensing device 600 via the communication unit 311 . In this embodiment, the sensing device 600 detects the position of a vehicle (such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a four-wheeled vehicle) approaching the vehicle based on the output of a sensor such as a camera or a millimeter wave radar. In this embodiment, the external environment information acquisition unit 312 acquires, for example, information on the position of an approaching vehicle as the external environment information.

[0049] In this embodiment, the earphone control unit 313 performs control to vibrate the bone conduction unit 303R based on an instruction regarding the operation of the bone conduction unit 303 received from the control device 100, for example. In this embodiment, for example, when an instruction to output sound to the right ear is received from the control device 100, the earphone control unit 313 vibrates the bone conduction unit 303R at 10 MHz. In this embodiment, for example, when the earphone control unit 313 receives an instruction from the control device 100 to output sound to the left ear, the earphone control unit 313 transmits an instruction to the second control unit 320 described later to output sound to the left ear. In this embodiment, for example, when an instruction to stop sound is received from the control device 100, the earphone control unit 313 stops vibration of the bone conduction unit 303R. In this embodiment, for example, when the earphone control unit 313 receives an instruction to stop the sound from the control device 100, it transmits the instruction to stop the sound to the second control unit 320 described later.

[0050] In this embodiment, the earphone control unit 313 detects the possibility of a danger occurring based on, for example, the external environment information acquired by the external environment information acquisition unit 312, and executes control to change the generation of the quasi-electrostatic field in the direction in which the danger will occur. In this embodiment, for example, when the earphone control unit 313 detects that the position of an approaching vehicle is within a predetermined distance, the earphone control unit 313 determines the operating mode of the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 based on the position and direction of movement of the vehicle. In this embodiment, earphone control unit 313 transmits information about the determined operation mode to second control unit 320 and third control unit 330, for example. In this embodiment, for example, earphone control unit 313 controls first power supply circuit 314 based on the determined operation mode, and controls the output of the first power supply circuit. The above operating modes will be described later.

[0051] In this embodiment, first power supply circuit 314 switches the output to quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R, for example, in accordance with an instruction from earphone control unit 313. In this embodiment, the first power supply circuit 314 outputs either a predetermined voltage, 0 (V), or an open state (eg, a state in which the input impedance is infinite) according to instructions from the earphone control unit 313, for example.

[0052] <Configuration of second control unit 320> As shown in FIG. 9, the second control unit 320 includes a communication unit 321, a control unit 323, and a second power supply circuit 324.

[0053] The communication unit 321 is, for example, a short-range wireless communication unit such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and connects to the first control unit 310 to perform communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 321 receives, for example, from the first control unit 310, an instruction regarding the operation of the bone conduction unit 303L. In this embodiment, the communication unit 321 receives, for example, information regarding the operation mode from the first control unit 310.

[0054] In this embodiment, the control unit 323 performs control to vibrate the bone conduction unit 303L based on an instruction regarding the operation of the bone conduction unit 303L received from the first control unit 310, for example. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 323 receives an instruction from the first control unit 310 to output sound to the left ear side, the control unit 323 vibrates the bone conduction unit 303L at 10 MHz. In this embodiment, for example, when the control unit 323 receives an instruction to stop the sound from the first control unit 310, it stops the vibration of the bone conduction unit 303L. In this embodiment, the control unit 323 controls a second power supply circuit 324 (to be described later) based on information relating to the operation mode received from the first control unit 310, for example.

[0055] In this embodiment, the second power supply circuit 324 switches the output to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 323, for example. In this embodiment, the second power supply circuit 324 outputs either a predetermined voltage, 0 (V), or an open state (eg, a state in which the input impedance is infinite) in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 323.

[0056] <Configuration of the third control unit 330> As shown in FIG. 9, the third control unit 330 includes a communication unit 331, a control unit 333, and a third power supply circuit 334.

[0057] The communication unit 331 is, for example, a short-range wireless communication unit such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and connects to the first control unit 310 to perform communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 331 receives information about the operation mode from the first control unit 310, for example.

[0058] In this embodiment, the control unit 333 controls the output of a third power supply circuit 334 (to be described later) based on information relating to the operation mode received from the first control unit 310, for example.

[0059] In this embodiment, the third power supply circuit 334 switches the output to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R and the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 333, for example. In this embodiment, the third power supply circuit 334 outputs either a predetermined voltage, 0 (V), or an open state (eg, a state in which the input impedance is infinite) in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 333.

[0060] <Control for each operation mode> In this embodiment, the earphone control unit 313 detects the possibility of a danger occurring based on the external environment information acquired by the external environment information acquisition unit 312, and executes control to change the generation of the quasi-electrostatic field in the direction in which the danger will occur. In this embodiment, earphone control unit 313 controls the output states of first power supply circuit 314, second power supply circuit 324, and third power supply circuit 334, and controls the direction of the current flowing to quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L and quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, earphone control unit 313 determines the operation mode by, for example, referring to the approaching state of a vehicle detected based on external environment information. For example, when earphone control unit 313 determines that there is no approaching vehicle or the like based on the external environment information acquired from external environment information acquisition unit 312, earphone control unit 313 sets the operation mode to operation mode 1. For example, when earphone control unit 313 detects a vehicle approaching from the front left, earphone control unit 313 sets the operation mode to operation mode 2. For example, when earphone control unit 313 detects a vehicle approaching from the rear left, earphone control unit 313 sets the operation mode to operation mode 3. For example, when earphone control unit 313 detects a vehicle approaching from the front right, earphone control unit 313 sets the operation mode to operation mode 4. For example, when earphone control unit 313 detects a vehicle approaching from the rear right, earphone control unit 313 sets the operation mode to operation mode 5. For example, when the earphone control unit 313 detects that a vehicle traveling on the left rear is approaching while moving from left to right, it sets the operation mode to operation mode 2 while the vehicle is traveling on the left rear, and sets the operation mode to operation mode 5 while the vehicle is traveling and moving to the right rear.

[0062] In this embodiment, earphone control unit 313 controls the output states of first power supply circuit 314, second power supply circuit 324, and third power supply circuit 334 so that, for example, the traveling direction of an approaching vehicle and the direction of the current flowing to quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L and quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R are the same. In this embodiment, earphone control unit 313, control unit 323, and control unit 333 control the output of first power supply circuit 314, second power supply circuit 324, and third power supply circuit 334, respectively, according to, for example, an operating mode determined by earphone control unit 313.

[0063] In this embodiment, the earphone control unit 313, the control unit 323, and the control unit 333 control the first power supply circuit 314, the second power supply circuit 324, and the third power supply circuit 334 in accordance with output information of the first power supply circuit 314, the second power supply circuit 324, and the third power supply circuit 334 for each operating mode, as shown in FIG. 11. When the operating mode is mode 1, earphone control unit 313 sends an instruction to first power supply circuit 314 to set it to an open state, control unit 323 sends an instruction to second power supply circuit 324 to set it to an open state, and control unit 333 sends an instruction to third power supply circuit 334 to set it to an open state. As a result, in the case of operation mode 1, the current flowing through the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L and the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R becomes zero, and the generation of the quasi-electrostatic field stops.

[0064] When the operating mode is operating mode 2, earphone control unit 313 sends an instruction to first power supply circuit 314 to put it in an open state, control unit 323 sends an instruction to second power supply circuit 324 to output a predetermined voltage, and control unit 333 sends an instruction to third power supply circuit 334 to output 0 (V). As a result, in the case of the operation mode 2, a current flows from the third power supply circuit 334 to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L and then to the second power supply circuit 324.

[0065] When the operating mode is mode 3, earphone control unit 313 sends an instruction to first power supply circuit 314 to put it in an open state, control unit 323 sends an instruction to second power supply circuit 324 to output 0 (V), and control unit 333 sends an instruction to third power supply circuit 334 to output a predetermined voltage. As a result, in the case of operation mode 3, a current flows from the second power supply circuit 324 to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340L and then to the third power supply circuit 334.

[0066] When the operating mode is mode 4, earphone control unit 313 sends an instruction to first power supply circuit 314 to output a predetermined voltage, control unit 323 sends an instruction to second power supply circuit 324 to put it in an open state, and control unit 333 sends an instruction to third power supply circuit 334 to output 0 (V). As a result, in the case of operation mode 4, a current flows from the first power supply circuit 314 to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R and then to the third power supply circuit 334.

[0067] When the operating mode is mode 5, earphone control unit 313 sends an instruction to first power supply circuit 314 to output 0 (V), control unit 323 sends an instruction to second power supply circuit 324 to put it in an open state, and control unit 333 sends an instruction to third power supply circuit 334 to output a predetermined voltage. As a result, in the case of operation mode 5, a current flows from the third power supply circuit 334 to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340R and then to the first power supply circuit 314.

[0068] <Processing of earphone 300A> The process of the earphone 300A will be described with reference to FIG.

[0069] Earphone control unit 313 acquires external environment information from sensing device 600 (step S210).

[0070] The earphone control unit 313 determines whether or not an instruction to output sound from the earphone 300A has been received from the control device 100 (step S220). If the earphone control unit 313 determines that an instruction to output sound from the earphone 300A has not been received from the control device 100 ("NO" in step S220), the earphone control unit 313 transitions the process to step S240. When the earphone control unit 313 determines that an instruction to output sound from the earphone 300A has been received from the control device 100 ("YES" in step S220), the earphone control unit 313 transitions the process to step S230.

[0071] The earphone control unit 313 executes control to vibrate either the bone conduction unit 303L or the bone conduction unit 303R in accordance with the instruction received from the control device 100 (step S230).

[0072] The earphone control unit 313 determines whether or not an approaching vehicle has been detected based on the external environment information acquired in step S220 (step S240). If earphone control unit 313 determines that an approaching vehicle has not been detected ("NO" in step S240), earphone control unit 313 transitions the process to step S260. If earphone control unit 313 determines that an approaching vehicle has been detected ("YES" in step S240), earphone control unit 313 transitions the process to step S250.

[0073] When earphone control unit 313 determines that an approaching vehicle has been detected ("YES" in step S240), it performs control to activate quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 based on the movement of the approaching vehicle (step S250).

[0074] The earphone control unit 313 determines whether or not an instruction to stop sound from the earphone 300A has been received from the control device 100 (step S260). If the earphone control unit 313 determines that an instruction to stop sound from the earphone 300A has not been received from the control device 100 ("NO" in step S260), the earphone control unit 313 returns the process to step S220 and continues the process. When earphone control unit 313 determines that an instruction to stop sound from earphone 300A has been received from control device 100 ("YES" in step S260), earphone control unit 313 transitions the process to step S270.

[0075] If the earphone control unit 313 determines that it has received an instruction from the control device 100 to stop outputting audio ("YES" in step S260), it stops the output of the bone conduction unit 303 and the operation of the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 (step S270), and ends the processing.

[0076] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the earphone 300A of the danger warning system 1A according to this embodiment includes a connecting band 301 that extends in a curved shape so as to envelop the side of the head from the side of the head, a protruding frame 302 that is formed on both sides of the longitudinal direction of the connecting band 301 and protrudes toward the side of the head in front of or behind the driver's ear, a bone conduction unit 303 that is provided on the inner surface of the lower part of the protruding frame 302 and is in close contact with the side of the driver's head to transmit sound, a quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340 that is arranged in a strip shape on the connecting band 301, a first control unit 310 that is provided in front of the driver's right ear, a second control unit 320 that is provided in front of the driver's left ear, a third control unit 330 that is provided at the back of the driver's head, an external environment information acquiring unit 312 that acquires external environment information, and an earphone control unit 313 that controls the operating state of the first control unit 310 to the third control unit 330 based on the acquired external environment information. When the earphone 300A detects an approaching vehicle, it performs control to output high-frequency sound from the bone conduction unit 303L or the bone conduction unit 303R in the direction in which the vehicle is approaching. When earphone 300A detects an approaching vehicle, it changes the location where the quasi-electrostatic field is generated in response to external environment information. This enables the danger warning system 1A to alert the driver to the presence of an approaching vehicle.

[0077] The earphone control unit 313 of the earphone 300A of the danger warning system 1A according to this embodiment detects the possibility of a danger occurring based on the acquired external environment information, and controls the operating states of the first control unit 310 to the third control unit 330 to change the generation of the quasi-electrostatic field in the direction in which the danger will occur. The earphone control unit 313 acquires external environment information about the surroundings of the vehicle, and detects the position and traveling direction of an approaching vehicle based on the acquired information. The earphone control unit 313 controls the output states of the first power supply circuit 314, the second power supply circuit 324, and the third power supply circuit 334 so that the direction in which an approaching vehicle is traveling is the same as the direction of the current flowing to the quasi-electrostatic field generating unit 340. That is, earphone control unit 313 changes the generation of the quasi-electrostatic field in accordance with changes in external environment information so that the driver can detect an approaching vehicle. As a result, when the danger warning system 1A detects an approaching vehicle, it can alert the driver to the presence of the approaching vehicle by using high-frequency sound from the bone conduction unit 303 and stimulation caused by changes in the quasi-electrostatic field.

[0078] The external environment information acquisition unit 312 of the earphone 300A of the danger warning system 1A according to this embodiment acquires external environment information via short-range wireless communication from a device that senses surrounding environment information. That is, the earphone 300A can acquire the output of sensors such as cameras and millimeter wave radar installed in the vehicle, and can therefore detect information related to the position of the vehicle and the traveling direction of the vehicle with high accuracy. This enables the danger warning system 1A to detect an approaching vehicle with high accuracy and to alert the driver to the presence of the approaching vehicle.

[0079] <Variation 1> The above-described earphone 300 is an earphone in a form in which the bone conduction unit 303 is placed in close contact with the front of the ear to transmit high-frequency sound to the driver. However, for example, the bone conduction unit 303 may be placed at a position behind the ear so that it is placed in close contact with the mastoid process, thereby transmitting high-frequency sound to the driver. This allows the earphone 300 to stimulate, for example, the hair of the driver's inner ear with high-frequency sound output from the bone conduction section 303.

[0080] <Variation 2> The above-described control device 100 detects the relative change in high-frequency sound from the voice picked up by the sound pickup microphone 200 to detect the direction of an approaching vehicle, but the direction in which a vehicle is approaching may also be detected by machine learning. The sounds generated around a vehicle while it is running are unique to each vehicle due to differences in engine displacement, tire size, etc. That is, the control device 100 detects the direction in which a vehicle is approaching by using learned data for each vehicle that uses the relative change in high-frequency sound and the direction of the approaching vehicle as teacher data. This enables the danger warning system 1 to detect an approaching vehicle with high accuracy and to alert the driver to the presence of the approaching vehicle.

[0081] The control device 100 of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the detection unit 111 and control unit 112 of the control device 100 described above on a recording medium readable by a computer system, and loading the program recorded on this recording medium into memory and executing it. The computer system referred to here includes the OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.

[0082] If the above computer system utilizes a WWW (World Wide Web) system, it also includes the homepage providing environment (or display environment). The above-mentioned program may be transmitted from a computer system in which the program is stored in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium, or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. The transmission medium for transmitting the above-mentioned program refers to a medium having a function for transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0083] The above program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. The above program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0084] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1. Danger warning system 100: Control device 110;Processor 111: Detection section 112; Control section 120;Memory 130; Communications Department 200;Sound pickup microphone 300;Earphones 301;Connecting belt 302; protruding frame 303; Bone conduction section 310: First control unit 320: Second control section 330; Third control section 340: Quasi-electrostatic field generator 400; Hazard detection device 500; Notification device 600; Sensing device

Claims

1. Sound pickup microphones are provided symmetrically in the width direction and length direction of the vehicle on the side of the vehicle at locations that are less susceptible to the effects of driving environment sounds; At a minimum, earphones worn by the driver and a control device that, when there is a relative change in a high-frequency sound around the vehicle picked up by the sound pickup microphone, outputs the high-frequency sound to the earphone in a direction in which the relative change occurs; An alarm device for alerting a danger; Equipped with The danger warning system is characterized in that the control device outputs a high-frequency sound to the earphone in the direction in which the relative change has occurred before the warning device is activated.

2. The danger warning system described in claim 1, characterized in that two of the sound-collecting microphones are provided at the center between the window shoulder and the side sill at the front edge of the front door, and at the outermost position in the vehicle width direction, and two are provided at the rear end of the glass surface behind the rear door or front door, where it contacts the body.

3. The earphones include: A connecting band that extends in a curved shape to wrap around the side of the head and the back of the head, A protruding frame is formed on both sides of the connecting band in the longitudinal direction and protrudes toward the side of the head in front of or behind the driver's ear; A bone conduction part is provided on an inner surface of a lower part of the protruding frame and is in close contact with the side of the driver's head to transmit sound; A quasi-electrostatic field generating unit arranged in a strip shape on the connecting band; A first control unit provided in front of the driver's right ear; A second control unit provided in front of the driver's left ear; A third control unit provided at the rear of the head of the driver; an external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information; an earphone control unit that controls an operating state of the third control unit from the first control unit based on the acquired external environment information; 3. The danger warning system according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The danger warning system of claim 3, characterized in that the earphone control unit detects the possibility of a danger occurring based on the acquired external environmental information, and controls the operating state of the third control unit from the first control unit to change the generation of a quasi-electrostatic field in the direction of the danger occurring.

5. A danger warning system comprising: sound-collecting microphones symmetrically provided at locations on the sides of a vehicle in the vehicle width direction and vehicle length direction that are unlikely to be affected by driving environment sounds; earphones worn by at least a driver; a control device that, when there is a relative change in high-frequency sounds around the vehicle picked up by the sound-collecting microphones, outputs high-frequency sounds to the earphones in the direction of the relative change; and a warning device that warns of danger, The control device includes: the one or more processors and one or more memories; Equipped with The one or more processors: a control unit that, when there is a relative change in a high-frequency sound around the vehicle picked up by the sound pickup microphone, outputs the high-frequency sound to the earphone in a direction in which the relative change occurs; Including, The danger warning system is characterized in that the control unit outputs a high-frequency sound to the earphone in the direction in which the relative change has occurred before the warning device is activated.

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