Entertainment device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a new entertainment content in a vehicle.SOLUTION: In an entertainment device 10 for a vehicle, a communication unit 24 is connected to an on-board apparatus 80 of a vehicle 1 via an on-board network N1, and communicates with the on-board apparatus 80 in accordance with a communication standard of the on-board network N1. A processing unit 26 executes processing regarding a content on the basis of data received from the on-board apparatus 80 by the communication unit 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an entertainment device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A portable audio system that can be carried in an automobile is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The automobile is equipped with a car audio system that can output the sound of audio data received by an in-vehicle communication device from an in-vehicle speaker. The portable audio system can be communicatively connected to the in-vehicle communication device, and transmits secondary audio data to the in-vehicle communication device via the communicative connection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-186772 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From a safety standpoint, output to in-car speakers is basically limited to output from a fixed car audio system. Since car audio systems are intended to be operated by the driver, from a safety standpoint, the functions that can be operated are limited to music playback and video playback, and the content is passive. Furthermore, operations that can be performed from the back seat while the vehicle is moving are also limited to playing and stopping music.

[0005] In recent years, users can easily create entertainment content by editing videos and processing music using the shooting functions and applications of smartphones and tablet devices. However, these functions are completed within the smartphone, or the functions that can be enjoyed by connecting the smartphone to the vehicle are limited. Entertainment content that can be enjoyed by all passengers while driving is still limited.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a technique that can provide new entertainment content within a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle entertainment device of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a communication unit that is connected to the vehicle's on-board equipment via an on-board network and communicates with the on-board equipment in accordance with the communication standard of the on-board network, and a processing unit that performs processing related to content based on data received by the communication unit from the on-board equipment.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also effective as aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, novel entertainment content can be provided in a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle entertainment system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of the vehicle entertainment device of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle entertainment system 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle entertainment system 100 is configured in a vehicle 1, and provides entertainment content (hereinafter referred to as content) such as videos, music, games, etc. to passengers of the vehicle 1. The vehicle entertainment system 100 includes a vehicle entertainment device 10 and a plurality of in-vehicle devices 80.

[0012] The vehicular entertainment device 10 is configured to be portable and is brought into the cabin of the vehicle 1 by a passenger. The passenger is also called a user. The vehicular entertainment device 10 has a camera, a touch panel, a display screen, etc., and is configured in the form of, for example, a tablet terminal. The vehicular entertainment device 10 can also be called an information terminal, a user terminal, or a portable terminal.

[0013] The vehicular entertainment device 10 is connected to the in-vehicle network N1 of the vehicle 1 through a communication cable (not shown). The user connects the communication connector of the vehicular entertainment device 10 brought into the vehicle cabin to a communication connector of the vehicle 1 connected to the in-vehicle network N1 through the communication cable. The user can operate and use the vehicular entertainment device 10 in any location, such as the back seat or the passenger seat of the vehicle 1. The vehicular entertainment device 10 is configured to allow the user to create his or her own entertainment experience while traveling, as described below.

[0014] A known network can be used as the in-vehicle network N1. The communication standard of the in-vehicle network N1 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark). The communication speed of the in-vehicle network N1 may be faster than, for example, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The vehicular entertainment device 10 can directly communicate various data with the in-vehicle device 80 at high speed via the in-vehicle network N1.

[0015] The in-vehicle network N1 may be a wireless local area network (LAN), in which case the vehicular entertainment device 10 may be wirelessly connected to the in-vehicle network N1.

[0016] Each of the multiple in-vehicle devices 80 is connected to the in-vehicle network N1, and communicates with the other in-vehicle devices 80 or the vehicle entertainment device 10 according to the communication standard of the in-vehicle network N1.

[0017] The vehicular entertainment device 10 transmits a data transmission request to an in-vehicle device 80 specified according to the process to be executed via the in-vehicle network N1. The in-vehicle device 80 that has received the data transmission request transmits data according to the data transmission request to the vehicular entertainment device 10. The vehicular entertainment device 10 receives the data from the in-vehicle device 80, and executes a process related to the content to be provided to the occupant of the vehicle 1 based on the received data.

[0018] The multiple in-vehicle devices 80 include, for example, an image capture device 82, an audio device 84, a navigation device 86, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 88, an ECU 90, and an audio output device 92.

[0019] The image capturing device 82 is, for example, a drive recorder, which captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and stores data of the captured images of the surroundings.

[0020] The audio device 84 is a car audio device that reproduces music and supplies a music signal to the audio output device 92 via the in-vehicle network N1.

[0021] The audio output device 92 includes, for example, a plurality of speakers installed in the vehicle cabin, and converts a music signal supplied from the audio device 84 or the like into a sound wave and outputs the sound wave. Note that the audio output device 92 may be directly connected to the audio device 84 without going through the in-vehicle network N1.

[0022] The navigation device 86 includes a display, and executes route guidance based on map information and the current position of the vehicle 1. The navigation device 86 also has a function of displaying video content on the display.

[0023] The ECU 88 and the ECU 90 each execute various processes related to the running of the vehicle 1. The ECU 88 periodically acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1. Although two ECUs are shown in FIG.

[0024] The vehicle entertainment device 10 includes a photographing unit 12, a display unit 14, an information acquisition unit 16, an audio output unit 18, an operation unit 20, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 24, and a processing unit .

[0025] The photographing unit 12 has a camera, photographs an image in response to a user's operation input to the operation unit 20, and supplies the photographed image data to the processing unit .

[0026] The display unit 14 is a display including a liquid crystal display element or an organic EL element, and displays an image based on the image data supplied from the processing unit 26 .

[0027] The information acquisition unit 16 includes various sensors such as a microphone, a GPS antenna, and a gyro sensor, and acquires audio information, position information, angular velocity information, and the like, and supplies the acquired information to the processing unit .

[0028] The audio output unit 18 includes, for example, a speaker, and outputs sounds such as operation sounds based on the signal supplied from the processing unit 26 .

[0029] The operation unit 20 includes, for example, a touch panel, receives operation input from a user, and supplies information on the received operation input to the processing unit 26.

[0030] The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores the video data and audio data supplied from the processing unit 26.

[0031] The communication unit 24 is connected to the in-vehicle device 80 via the in-vehicle network N1, and communicates with the in-vehicle device 80 in accordance with the communication standard of the in-vehicle network N1. The communication unit 24 can directly access the in-vehicle network N1 without going through the in-vehicle device 80 such as an audio device 84. The communication unit 24 supplies the received data to the processing unit 26, and transmits the data received from the processing unit 26.

[0032] The communication unit 24 may further have a communication function such as USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. The communication unit 24 may further have a function of exchanging data with an SD card inserted into an SD card slot.

[0033] The processing unit 26 receives the data that the communication unit 24 has received from the in-vehicle device 80, and executes processing related to the content based on the data.

[0034] The processing unit 26 has a control unit 30, a video processing unit 32, a music processing unit 34, and a game processing unit 36. The multiple functional blocks of the processing unit 26 can be configured in hardware with circuit blocks, memory, and other LSIs, and are realized in software by a CPU executing a program loaded in a memory. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof, and are not limited to any one of them. The processing unit 26 may have, for example, a CPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a memory, and may be configured as a SoC (System on a Chip).

[0035] The processing unit 26 can execute one of a plurality of applications for providing content according to a selection operation by the user. For example, the user selects a desired application from a menu displayed on the screen of the display unit 14 by inputting an operation to the operation unit 20. The application has a function of performing processing related to the content using data acquired from the in-vehicle device 80. For example, the application has a function of processing music data acquired from the in-vehicle device 80, or a function of processing video data acquired from the in-vehicle device 80. The application may execute content processing according to the driving situation of the vehicle 1 identified from information acquired from the in-vehicle device 80. Some examples of the applications will be described below.

[0036] (First Application) The first application is a video recording application. When an operation input for selecting the first application is received by the operation unit 20, the processing unit 26 executes the first application, thereby executing the following process.

[0037] The control unit 30 causes the communication unit 24 to acquire video data of the current surrounding image from the photographing device 82. The control unit 30 causes the display unit 14 to display an operation screen, and accepts a photographing instruction from the user on the operation screen. When an operation input of a photographing instruction is accepted by the operation unit 20, the control unit 30 causes the photographing unit 12 to start photographing a video, and acquires audio data from the microphone of the information acquisition unit 16. The user can freely move the vehicular entertainment device 10 to photograph videos outside or inside the vehicle. The user can photograph fun memories of a drive at any angle inside the vehicle 1.

[0038] The video processing unit 32 executes a process for superimposing the video captured by the image capturing unit 12 on the surrounding video based on the video data acquired by the communication unit 24 and the video data supplied from the image capturing unit 12 as a process related to the content, and outputs the obtained superimposed video data to the display unit 14 and the storage unit 22. The display unit 14 displays the superimposed video based on the supplied video data. For example, the surrounding video is displayed on a part of the screen, and the video of the inside of the vehicle is displayed on the remaining part of the screen. The user can adjust the layout of the video while watching the superimposed video displayed on the display unit 14. The control unit 30 supplies the audio data acquired from the microphone of the information acquisition unit 16 to the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 stores the supplied video data and audio data. The video processing unit 32 can also play back the video data and audio data stored in the storage unit 22 in response to a user's operation input, display the recorded video on the display unit 14, and output the recorded audio to the audio output unit 18.

[0039] The video processor 32 may transmit the video data to the navigation device 86 via the communication unit 24. The navigation device 86 displays the video on a display. This allows the passenger in the front passenger seat to enjoy the superimposed video. When the vehicle is stopped, the driver can also view the superimposed video.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 30 may cause the communication unit 24 to acquire vehicle speed information of the vehicle 1 from the ECU 88, and acquire current position information of the vehicle 1 from the navigation device 86. The video processing unit 32 may execute a process for superimposing information indicating the vehicle speed and current position on the video captured by the imaging unit 12 or the above-mentioned superimposed video based on the information acquired by the communication unit 24, as a process related to the content, and output the obtained video data to the display unit 14 and the storage unit 22. This allows vehicle information such as position information and vehicle speed to be added on the spot to the video captured by the imaging unit 12 or the superimposed video. Therefore, memories of a trip or drive can be easily recorded in real time.

[0041] In this way, by superimposing the video of the inside of the vehicle while the user is driving, captured by the capture unit 12, on the surrounding video captured by the capture device 82, the user can simultaneously view a video of the inside of the vehicle and a video of the scenery outside the vehicle at the time of capturing the video. This makes it possible to generate and provide new content that can be enjoyed by all passengers in the vehicle 1.

[0042] (Second Application) The second application is an in-car DJ (Disc Jockey) application. When an operation input for selecting the second application is received by the operation unit 20, the processing unit 26 executes the second application, thereby executing the following process.

[0043] The control unit 30 causes the communication unit 24 to obtain music data from the audio device 84. When the audio device 84 is playing music, the communication unit 24 obtains the music data being played. The control unit 30 transmits, via the communication unit 24, an instruction to the audio device 84 to stop supplying the music signal being played to the audio output device 92.

[0044] The music processing unit 34 plays music based on the acquired music data, and supplies a music signal being played to the audio output device 92 via the communication unit 24 and the in-vehicle network N1. The audio output device 92 outputs the music. The control unit 30 causes the display unit 14 to display a controller screen for DJ operation. The music processing unit 34 executes various special operations and effect processing in real time on the music played based on the music data in response to music processing operations by the user on the controller screen.

[0045] When the operation input for the processing operation is accepted by the operation unit 20, the music processing unit 34 executes a process for processing the acquired music data in response to the user's operation input as a process related to the content, and plays music based on the processed music data. Publicly known techniques can be used for the controller screen and the processing process.

[0046] By directly connecting the vehicular entertainment device 10 to the in-vehicle network N1, the user can process the music played by the driver on the spot and output the processed music from the audio output device 92 of the vehicle 1 with virtually no delay. This allows a DJ-like performance to be performed in the vehicle. Therefore, new content that can be enjoyed by all passengers in the vehicle 1 can be generated and provided.

[0047] (Third Application) The third application is a game application. When an operation input for selecting the third application is received by operation unit 20, processing unit 26 executes the third application, thereby performing the following process.

[0048] The control unit 30 causes the communication unit 24 to acquire video data of the current surrounding image from the photographing device 82. The game processing unit 36 ​​executes processing of a game having a game screen related to the surrounding image based on the acquired video data as processing related to the content. The game screen is, for example, a screen with the surrounding image as a background. The game is, for example, a shooting game. Well-known techniques can be used for processing the game. The game processing unit 36 ​​may extract obstacles from the surrounding image by performing image recognition on the surrounding image, and execute a game in which the player avoids the obstacles.

[0049] By directly connecting the vehicular entertainment device 10 to the in-vehicle network N1, a large volume of video data can be received from the image capture device 82 with little delay, allowing the user to play a high-quality game with a game screen that has the same background as the real scenery outside the vehicle. The user can enjoy a game that is linked to the scenery while driving. This makes it possible to provide new content.

[0050] (Fourth Application) The fourth application is a music application. When an operation input for selecting the fourth application is received by the operation unit 20, the processing unit 26 executes the fourth application, thereby executing the following process.

[0051] The control unit 30 causes the communication unit 24 to periodically acquire information related to the driving conditions of the vehicle 1 from the ECU 88 and the navigation device 86. The information related to the driving conditions includes, for example, the vehicle speed, the current position, and the current time. The information related to the driving conditions may further include the weather, the season, and the like. For example, the communication unit 24 acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 from the ECU 88, and acquires the current position and the current time of the vehicle 1 from the navigation device 86. The communication unit 24 supplies the acquired information related to the driving conditions to the processing unit 26.

[0052] As a process related to the content, the music processing unit 34 executes a process of determining the music to be played by the audio device 84 according to the driving situation and the playback state of the music based on the acquired information on the driving situation. The playback state includes, for example, the playback speed. The playback state may further include the volume, pitch, and sound quality.

[0053] The music processing unit 34 supplies the determined content to the communication unit 24. The communication unit 24 transmits the supplied content to the audio device 84. The audio device 84 plays music in accordance with the received content.

[0054] When audio device 84 is playing music, if the music being played is different from the determined music, it stops the music being played and starts playing the determined music, and if the music being played is the same as the determined music, it does not change the music being played. When audio device 84 is playing music, if the current playback state is different from the determined playback state, it changes to the determined playback state, and if the current playback state is the same as the determined playback state, it does not change the playback state.

[0055] For example, if the driving situation specified based on the current time is nighttime, the music processing unit 34 determines music related to night or night scenery and determines the playback speed to be slower than the reference value. This allows music suitable for nighttime to be played at a slower tempo.

[0056] The music processing unit 34 may also select music that is previously associated with scenery around the current location that is specified based on the current location and map information. If the scenery around the current location is the sea, the music processing unit 34 may select music related to the sea, and if the scenery around the current location is a tourist spot, the music processing unit 34 may select music related to the tourist spot.

[0057] The music processor 34 may also change the playback speed according to the vehicle speed, increase the playback speed as the vehicle speed increases, or increase the volume as the vehicle speed increases.

[0058] This makes it possible to provide content that can be enjoyed by all occupants of vehicle 1 and that is suited to the driving conditions of vehicle 1.

[0059] (5th Application) The fifth application is an application for in-car communication. When an operation input for selecting the fifth application is received by the operation unit 20, the processing unit 26 executes the fifth application, thereby executing the following process.

[0060] The control unit 30 transmits data of the voice spoken by the user, acquired by the microphone of the information acquisition unit 16, to the voice output device 92 of the vehicle 1 via the communication unit 24. It is assumed that the user is, for example, a passenger in the back seat. The voice output device 92 outputs voice based on the supplied voice data.

[0061] Vehicle-mounted microphones (not shown) are installed near the driver's seat and the passenger's seat of the vehicle 1. Voice data acquired by the vehicle-mounted microphones is supplied to a voice output device 92. The voice output device 92 outputs voice based on the supplied voice data.

[0062] This allows the rear seat passengers, the driver in the driver's seat, and the passenger in the front passenger's seat to easily hear each other's voices, even when the noise outside the vehicle is relatively loud.

[0063] Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing of the vehicular entertainment device 10 of Fig. 1. The processing unit 26 accepts a user's selection of an application (S10), and acquires necessary data from the in-vehicle device 80 according to the selected application (S12). The processing unit 26 executes processing related to the content based on the acquired data according to the selected application (S14), and outputs the acquired data to a predetermined output destination (S16).

[0064] Here, as a comparative example, a configuration is considered in which a smartphone is connected to an in-vehicle audio device using a known technology. The audio device is assumed to be connected to an in-vehicle network. In this comparative example, the smartphone is connected to the audio device via an in-vehicle audio interface by USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth connection. Therefore, in the comparative example, the smartphone is restricted by the performance and specifications of the in-vehicle audio interface. For example, the communication speed is limited by the performance of the in-vehicle audio interface and is slower than the speed in the USB standard or the like. In addition, the data format is also determined by the specifications of the in-vehicle audio interface, so the degree of freedom in content processing is low.

[0065] In contrast, in the embodiment, the communication unit 24 is directly connected to the in-vehicle network N1 and communicates according to the communication standard of the in-vehicle network N1, so that data can be transmitted and received between the in-vehicle device 80 at a higher speed than in the comparative example. There is no restriction on the performance and specifications of the in-vehicle audio interface. In addition, the communication unit 24 has a higher expandability than a smartphone, and can be operated with a high affinity with the in-vehicle device 80.

[0066] The vehicle entertainment device 10 may be configured using the technology of existing vehicle audio devices. In other words, the vehicle entertainment device 10 can be designed to have high reliability, such as robustness, by being designed to meet the environmental resistance of vehicle audio devices. The vehicle entertainment device 10 designed in this way is more suitable for use in a vehicle environment than a smartphone.

[0067] Thus, according to the embodiment, the vehicular entertainment device 10 can directly receive data from the in-vehicle device 80 via the in-vehicle network N1 at high speed, and can provide new content based on the received data. Users can also create new in-vehicle content. Content that can be actively enjoyed by all passengers in the vehicle 1 can be provided. An entertainment experience that can be enjoyed by all passengers makes driving even more enjoyable.

[0068] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1...vehicle, 10...vehicle entertainment device, 12...imaging unit, 14...display unit, 16...information acquisition unit, 18...audio output unit, 20...operation unit, 22...memory unit, 24...communication unit, 26...processing unit, 30...control unit, 32...video processing unit, 34...music processing unit, 36...game processing unit, 80...in-vehicle equipment, 82...imaging device, 84...audio device, 86...navigation device, 88, 90...ECU, 92...audio output device, 100...vehicle entertainment system, N1...in-vehicle network.

Claims

1. a communication unit that is connected to an in-vehicle device of the vehicle via an in-vehicle network and communicates with the in-vehicle device in accordance with a communication standard of the in-vehicle network; a processing unit that executes processing related to content based on the data received by the communication unit from the in-vehicle device; An entertainment device for a vehicle comprising:

2. Further comprising an image capturing unit that captures an image in response to an operation input by a user, The in-vehicle device includes an image capturing device that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, The communication unit acquires image data of the surrounding image from the photographing device, The processing unit executes, as a process related to the content, a process of superimposing an image captured by the imaging unit on the surrounding image based on the acquired image data.

2. The vehicle entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle entertainment device comprises: a vehicle control unit;

3. the in-vehicle device includes an audio device that reproduces music; the communication unit acquires music data from the audio device; the processing unit executes a process of processing acquired music data in response to an operation input by a user as a process related to the content; The communication unit outputs the music data processed by the processing unit to an audio output device of the vehicle via the in-vehicle network.

3. The vehicle entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle entertainment device is a vehicle-mounted entertainment device.

4. The in-vehicle device includes an image capturing device that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, The communication unit acquires image data of the surrounding image from the photographing device, the processing unit executes, as the processing related to the content, processing of a game having a game screen related to the peripheral image based on the acquired image data; 3. The vehicle entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle entertainment device is a vehicle-mounted entertainment device.

5. the in-vehicle device includes an audio device that reproduces music; The communication unit acquires information regarding a traveling state of the vehicle from the in-vehicle network, The processing unit executes, as the processing related to the content, a process of determining, based on the acquired information on the driving situation, music to be reproduced by the audio device and a reproduction state of the music in accordance with the driving situation.

3. The vehicle entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle entertainment device is a vehicle-mounted entertainment device.

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