In-vehicle conversation support device

Abstract

To provide an in-vehicle conversation support device in which communication between a crew member in a front seat and a crew member in a back seat can be smoothly performed as necessary.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle conversation support device is applied to a vehicle 10 including: a partition 14; a communication window part 15; and an opening and closing member 16. The in-vehicle conversation support device includes: a conversation auxiliary part 40; and an electronic control device 50. The conversation auxiliary part 40 assisting conversation between a crew member in a front seat 12 and a crew member in a back seat 13 includes: sound collection units 22, 32 which collect sound in a cabin 11; and speakers 23, 33 which output the sound collected by the sound collection units 22, 32. The electronic control device 50 actuates the conversation auxiliary part in association with opening operation of the opening and closing member 16, and makes the conversation auxiliary part 40 un-actuated in association with closing operation of the opening and closing member 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle conversation support device. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been proposed to provide a partition wall in the cabin of a vehicle such as an automobile, separating the front seats, including the driver's seat, from the rear seats (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this vehicle, the interior of the cabin is divided by the partition wall into two independent living spaces, more specifically, into a space on the front seat side and a space on the rear seat side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-222094 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vehicle, it is possible to form two independent living spaces in the cabin. Even in such a vehicle, a situation may arise where passengers in the front seats and passengers in the rear seats wish to communicate with each other, such as by talking. In this case, since the front seats and the rear seats are separated by a partition wall in the vehicle, there is a problem that it is difficult for the passengers in the front seats and the passengers in the rear seats to communicate with each other, such as by talking. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Various aspects of the device for solving the above problems will now be described. [Aspect 1] An in-vehicle conversation assistance device applied to a vehicle that has a partition wall that separates a space including the front seats from a space including the rear seats in a cabin, a communicating window portion provided in the partition wall that connects the space including the front seats to the space including the rear seats, and an opening and closing member that is provided to be able to open and close the communicating window portion, the in-vehicle conversation assistance device having a sound collection portion provided in the cabin that collects sounds within the cabin and a speaker that outputs the sounds collected by the sound collection portion, the conversation assistance portion assisting conversation between occupants in the front seats and occupants in the rear seats through operation of the sound collection portion and the speaker, and an operation control portion that activates the conversation assistance portion in accordance with the opening operation of the opening and closing member, and deactivates the conversation assistance portion in accordance with the closing operation of the opening and closing member.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the opening and closing member can be opened to open the communication window in order to facilitate communication between the front seat passenger and the rear seat passenger. Moreover, when the opening and closing member is opened, it is assumed that the front seat passenger and the rear seat passenger wish to communicate with each other, and a conversation assistance unit having a sound collection unit and a speaker can be activated. This allows the front seat passenger and the rear seat passenger to talk to each other with clear voices using the conversation assistance unit.

[0007] On the other hand, by closing the opening / closing member, the passengers in the front seats and the passengers in the rear seats are separated by the opening / closing member and the partition wall. Moreover, when the opening / closing member is closed, it is determined that communication, including conversation, between the passengers in the front seats and the passengers in the rear seats is no longer necessary, and the conversation assistance unit can be deactivated. Therefore, in this case, communication between the passengers in the front seats and the passengers in the rear seats can be suitably stopped.

[0008] Thus, according to the above configuration, by linking the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing member with the switching of the operating state of the conversation assistance unit, communication between passengers in the front and rear seats can be carried out smoothly as needed.

[0009] [Aspect 2] The vehicle has an opening / closing switch that is operated when opening or closing the opening / closing member, and the operation control unit activates the conversation assistance unit when the opening / closing switch is operated in a manner to open the opening / closing member, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit when the opening / closing switch is operated in a manner to close the opening / closing member, in an in-vehicle conversation support device as described in [Aspect 1].

[0010] According to the above configuration, the conversation assistance unit can be activated in accordance with the opening movement of the opening / closing member in response to the operation of the opening / closing switch, and the conversation assistance unit can be deactivated in accordance with the closing movement of the opening / closing member.

[0011] [Aspect 3] An in-vehicle conversation assistance device as described in [Aspect 2], having a conversation switch that is operated to switch between operation and deactivation of the conversation assistance unit, and an operation switching unit that activates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner that activates the conversation assistance unit, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner that deactivates the conversation assistance unit.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the operation and non-operation of the conversation assistance unit can be switched at any timing regardless of the operation state of the opening and closing member. Therefore, it is possible to communicate between the front seat passenger and the rear seat passenger with a high degree of freedom, for example, by activating the conversation assistance unit when the opening and closing member is operated to close.

[0013] [Aspect 4] The in-vehicle conversation support device according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 3], further comprising a display unit provided in the cabin and displaying the operating status of the conversation support unit. According to the above configuration, it is possible to easily confirm whether the conversation assistance unit is operating or not, based on the display content of the display unit.

[0014] [Aspect 5] An in-vehicle conversation assistance device as described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], comprising: a conversation switch that is operated to switch between operation and deactivation of the conversation assistance unit; an operation switching unit that activates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner to activate the conversation assistance unit, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner to deactivate the conversation assistance unit; and a display unit that is provided in the cabin and displays the operation state of the conversation assistance unit, wherein the conversation switch and the display unit are set in the same screen area of ​​a touch panel provided in the cabin.

[0015] According to the above configuration, it is possible to communicate with a high degree of freedom between the passengers in the front and rear seats, for example by activating the conversation assistance unit when the opening / closing member is closed. Also, the operation state of the conversation assistance unit can be easily confirmed based on the display content of the display unit. Moreover, the operation of switching the operation state of the conversation assistance unit and the operation of checking the operation state of the conversation assistance unit can be easily performed by using the same screen area of ​​the touch panel. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, communication between front seat passengers and rear seat passengers can be smoothly achieved as needed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle conversation support device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view showing a side structure of the partition wall. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical circuit structure of the in-vehicle conversation support device; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display mode of a terminal display of an operation terminal. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an execution procedure of a process related to conversation assistance control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an in-vehicle conversation supporting device according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, the fore-aft direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the fore-aft direction L, the width direction of the vehicle as the vehicle width direction W, and the up-down direction of the vehicle as the up-down direction H. Additionally, the front and rear sides in the fore-aft direction L will be referred to simply as the "front side" and the "rear side", respectively, the right and left sides in the vehicle width direction W will be referred to simply as the "right side" and the "left side", respectively, and the upper and lower sides in the up-down direction H will be referred to simply as the "upper side" and the "lower side", respectively.

[0019] <Vehicle> 1, a vehicle 10 has a cabin 11 that forms a living space. A front seat 12 and a rear seat 13 are provided in the cabin 11 and arranged side by side in a front-rear direction L.

[0020] The front seat 12 is disposed in front of the cabin 11. The front seat 12 has a driver's seat 12D and a passenger seat 12S provided to the left of the driver's seat 12D. The driver's seat 12D and the passenger seat 12S are disposed side by side with an interval therebetween in the vehicle width direction W.

[0021] The rear seat 13 is disposed rearward of the front seat 12 in the cabin 11. The rear seat 13 has a right seat 13R and a left seat 13L provided to the left of the right seat 13R. The right seat 13R and the left seat 13L are disposed side by side with an interval in the vehicle width direction W.

[0022] <Partition wall> The cabin 11 is provided with a partition wall 14 that separates the front seat 12 from the rear seat 13. This partition wall 14 extends in the vertical direction H and in the vehicle width direction W. This partition wall 14 separates the cabin 11 into a front space including the front seat 12 and a rear space including the rear seat 13.

[0023] <Communication window> As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the partition wall 14 has a communication window 15 formed of a through hole. The communication window 15 is provided in an upper portion of the partition wall 14 and has a generally rectangular shape with a long side extending in the vehicle width direction W. A space including the front seat 12 and a space including the rear seat 13 are communicated with each other via the communication window 15. In the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, since the communication window 15 is provided, communication such as conversation is possible between the occupants of the front seat 12 and the occupants of the rear seat 13, even though the partition wall 14 is provided.

[0024] <Opening and closing parts> An opening / closing member 16 is provided on the partition wall 14. The opening / closing member 16 is provided so as to be able to open and close the communication window portion 15.

[0025] The opening / closing member 16 has a generally rectangular plate shape extending in the vehicle width direction W and the up-down direction H. The opening / closing member 16 is slidable in the up-down direction H inside the partition wall 14. In this embodiment, by sliding the opening / closing member 16 upward, the opening / closing member 16 reaches a closed position P1 ( FIG. 2 ) in which the opening / closing member 16 closes the communication window 15. By moving the opening / closing member 16 downward, the opening / closing member 16 retreats from the communication window 15 and reaches an open position P2 in which the opening / closing member 16 opens the communication window 15.

[0026] An operating portion 17 for opening and closing the opening / closing member 16 is provided on the partition wall 14. The operating portion 17 has, for example, an actuator (not shown) and an operating mechanism for operatively connecting the actuator and the opening / closing member 16.

[0027] The vehicle 10 is provided with opening / closing switches 21, 31 that are operated by a passenger when opening or closing the opening / closing member 16. The opening / closing switch 21 is attached to a portion of the cabin 11 that is forward of the partition wall 14 and corresponds to the periphery of the front seat 12. The opening / closing switch 21 is attached, for example, to the dashboard. The opening / closing switch 21 is operated by a passenger in the front seat 12. The opening / closing switch 31 is attached to a portion of the cabin 11 that is rear of the partition wall 14 and corresponds to the periphery of the rear seat 13. The opening / closing switch 31 is attached, for example, to the console unit 18 that is arranged between the right seat 13R and the left seat 13L. The opening / closing switch 21 is operated by a passenger in the rear seat 13.

[0028] In this embodiment, the movement position of the opening / closing member 16 in the vertical direction H is controlled by executing operation control of the operation unit 17 in response to the operation of the opening / closing switches 21, 31. In detail, when either of the opening / closing switches 21, 31 is operated in a manner to close the opening / closing member 16, the opening / closing member 16 is moved upward through operation control of the operation unit 17, so that the opening / closing member 16 is set to the closed position P1. On the other hand, when either of the opening / closing switches 21, 31 is operated in a manner to open the opening / closing member 16, the opening / closing member 16 is moved downward through operation control of the operation unit 17, so that the opening / closing member 16 is set to the open position P2.

[0029] <Conversation Support Section> 1, a conversation assistance unit 40 is provided in the cabin 11 of the vehicle 10. The conversation assistance unit 40 has sound collection units 22, 32 that collect sounds within the cabin 11, and speakers 23, 33 that output the sounds collected by the sound collection units 22, 32. The conversation assistance unit 40 assists in conversation between passengers in the front seats 12 and passengers in the rear seats 13 through the operation of the sound collection units 22, 32 and the speakers 23, 33.

[0030] <Sound collection part> The sound collection units 22 and 32 are constituted by, for example, microphones. The sound collection unit 22 is for the front seat 12. The sound collection unit 22 is attached to a portion of the cabin 11 that is forward of the partition wall 14 and corresponds to the periphery of the front seat 12. The sound collection unit 22 is attached to, for example, the dashboard. The sound collection unit 22 collects sounds generated in the front seat 12.

[0031] The sound collection unit 32 is for the rear seat 13. The sound collection unit 32 is attached to a portion of the cabin 11 rearward of the partition wall 14 and in a portion around the rear seat 13. The sound collection unit 32 is attached, for example, to a portion of the roof of the vehicle 10 above the rear seat 13. The sound collection unit 32 collects sounds generated in the rear seat 13.

[0032] <Speaker> The speaker 23 is for the front seat 12. The speaker 23 is attached to a portion of the cabin 11 that is forward of the partition wall 14 and that corresponds to the periphery of the front seat 12. The speaker 23 is provided, for example, in the door of the driver's seat 12D and the door of the passenger's seat 12S. The speaker 23 basically outputs sound collected by a sound collecting unit 32 provided in the periphery of the rear seat 13.

[0033] The speaker 33 is for the rear seat 13. The speaker 33 is attached to a portion of the cabin 11 behind the partition wall 14 and in the vicinity of the rear seat 13. The speaker 33 is provided, for example, on each of the left and right side walls of the vehicle 10. The speaker 33 basically outputs sound collected by a sound collecting unit 22 provided in the vicinity of the front seat 12.

[0034] <Electronic control device> 1 and 3, the vehicle 10 has an electronic control device 50. The electronic control device 50 is connected to the sound collection units 22, 32, the speakers 23, 33, the operation unit 17, and the open / close switches 21, 31. The electronic control device 50 includes a display unit 51, a main control unit 52, and a wireless communication unit 53.

[0035] <Display section> The display unit 51 is for displaying information such as videos and images. The display unit 51 is provided in front of the front seats 12 in the cabin 11, more specifically, on the dashboard. The display unit 51 provides various information such as information related to driving the vehicle 10 and information related to operating in-vehicle devices to the occupant sitting in the front seats 12. The display unit 51 is of a touch panel type. The display unit 51 has a function as a display device that displays an operation screen for operating various in-vehicle devices, and a function as an operation device through which the occupant performs input operations. Various operation buttons are displayed on the display unit 51 at appropriate times.

[0036] In this embodiment, a conversation switch 24 is set on the display unit 51. Specifically, an operation button 25 indicating that this is the conversation switch 24 is displayed in a screen area S1 in which the conversation switch 24 is set on the touch panel constituting the display unit 51. By touching the screen area S1 in which this operation button 25 is displayed, the conversation switch 24 is turned on or off.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the conversation switch 24 is operated by an occupant in the front seat 12 in a manner that activates the conversation assistance unit 40, specifically when it is turned on, the conversation assistance unit 40 is activated. This allows the occupant in the front seat 12 and the occupant in the rear seat 13 to converse with each other using the conversation assistance unit 40. On the other hand, when the conversation switch 24 is operated by an occupant in the front seat 12 in a manner that deactivates the conversation assistance unit 40, specifically when it is turned off, the conversation assistance unit 40 is deactivated.

[0038] In this embodiment, the display content of the operation button 25 can be switched between when the conversation assistance unit 40 is operating and when the conversation assistance unit 40 is not operating. For example, when the conversation assistance unit 40 is operating, the operation button 25 is displayed in a light color (e.g., white), whereas when the conversation assistance unit 40 is not operating, the operation button 25 is displayed in a dark color (e.g., gray). According to this embodiment, the passenger in the front seat 12 can easily check the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40 based on the display content of the operation button 25. Note that in this embodiment, the operation button 25 corresponds to a display unit that displays the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40.

[0039] In this embodiment, the conversation switch 24 and the operation button 25 are set in the same screen area S1 of the touch panel that constitutes the display unit 51. Therefore, the task of switching the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40 by operating the conversation switch 24 and the task of checking the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40 based on the display content of the operation button 25 can be easily performed by using the same screen area S1 of the touch panel.

[0040] <Main control unit> As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a microcontroller unit is used as the main control unit 52. The main control unit 52 includes a processor and a storage unit 521. The storage unit 521 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 521 stores control programs and data. The main control unit 52 performs various calculations based on input signals from various connected devices, and controls the operation of the display unit 51 and the conversation assistance unit 40, specifically, the sound collection units 22 and 32 and the speakers 23 and 33, based on the calculation results. In this embodiment, the main control unit 52 corresponds to the operation control unit and the operation switching unit.

[0041] The wireless communication unit 53 is a wireless communication module that complies with the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, registered trademark) standard. The wireless communication unit 53 has a communication antenna and a communication circuit. In this embodiment, an in-vehicle operation terminal 60, which will be described later, also has a wireless communication unit 62 that is a wireless communication module that complies with the BLE standard. In this embodiment, wireless communication is possible between the electronic control device 50 and the operation terminal 60 by using the wireless communication units 53 and 62. Note that, as the wireless communication units 53 and 62, it is possible to adopt a wireless communication module that complies with a wireless communication standard other than the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, such as a wireless communication module that complies with the Zigbee (registered trademark) standard.

[0042] In this embodiment, the electronic control device 50 receives data transmitted from the operation terminal 60 through wireless communication using the wireless communication units 53, 62, and the operation terminal 60 receives data transmitted from the electronic control device 50. Specifically, the data transmitted between the electronic control device 50 and the in-vehicle operation terminal 60 through the wireless communication units 53, 62 includes operation data related to the operation of the conversation assistance unit 40. Then, based on the operation data received by the wireless communication unit 53, the main control unit 52 of the electronic control device 50 executes operation control of the conversation assistance unit 40.

[0043] <Operation terminal> 1, the vehicle 10 has an operation terminal 60. The operation terminal 60 is detachably provided in a portion of the cabin 11 behind the partition wall 14 and in a portion around the rear seat 13. The operation terminal 60 is provided in, for example, a console unit 18 disposed between the right seat 13R and the left seat 13L.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, the operation terminal 60 includes a terminal display 61, a wireless communication unit 62, and a terminal control unit 63. <Terminal display> 3 and 4, the terminal display 61 is configured with a touch panel. The terminal display 61 has a function of a display device that displays an operation screen for operating various in-vehicle devices, and a function of an operation device through which an occupant performs input operations. Various operation buttons are displayed on the terminal display 61 at appropriate timing.

[0045] In this embodiment, a conversation switch 34 is set on the terminal display 61. Specifically, an operation button 35 indicating that this is the conversation switch 34 is displayed in a screen area S2 in which the conversation switch 34 is set on the touch panel constituting the terminal display 61. By touching the screen area S2 in which this operation button 35 is displayed, the conversation switch 34 is turned on or off.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the conversation switch 34 is operated by an occupant in the rear seat 13 in a manner that activates the conversation assistance unit 40, specifically when it is turned on, the conversation assistance unit 40 is activated. This allows the occupant in the front seat 12 and the occupant in the rear seat 13 to converse with each other using the conversation assistance unit 40. On the other hand, when the conversation switch 34 is operated by an occupant in the rear seat 13 in a manner that deactivates the conversation assistance unit 40, specifically when it is turned off, the conversation assistance unit 40 is deactivated.

[0047] In this embodiment, the display content of the operation button 35 can be switched between when the conversation assistance unit 40 is operating and when the conversation assistance unit 40 is not operating. For example, when the conversation assistance unit 40 is operating, the operation button 35 is displayed in a light color (e.g., white), whereas when the conversation assistance unit 40 is not operating, the operation button 35 is displayed in a dark color (e.g., gray). According to this embodiment, the passenger in the rear seat 13 can easily check the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40 based on the display content of the operation button 35. Note that in this embodiment, the operation button 35 corresponds to a display unit that displays the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40.

[0048] In this embodiment, the conversation switch 34 and the operation button 35 are set in the same screen area S2 on the touch panel that constitutes the terminal display 61. Therefore, the task of switching the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40 by operating the conversation switch 34 and the task of checking the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40 based on the display content of the operation button 35 can be easily performed by using the same screen area S2 on the touch panel.

[0049] 3, the wireless communication unit 62 is a wireless communication module that complies with the BLE standard. The wireless communication unit 62 has a communication antenna and a communication circuit. In this embodiment, by using the wireless communication unit 62, wireless communication between the electronic control device 50 and the operation terminal 60 becomes possible.

[0050] <Terminal control unit> The terminal control unit 63 may be, for example, a microcontroller unit. The terminal control unit 63 includes a processor and a storage unit 631. The storage unit 631 includes a ROM and a RAM. The storage unit 631 stores control programs and data. The terminal control unit 63 executes various controls related to the operation control of the operation terminal 60, such as the operation control of the terminal display 61 and the operation control of the wireless communication unit 62.

[0051] The terminal control unit 63 acquires operation information (hereinafter, operation data) related to the input operation of the occupant via the terminal display 61, and controls the display of the terminal display 61 based on the operation data. The terminal control unit 63 also transmits the operation data related to the operation of the conversation assistance unit 40 acquired via the terminal display 61 to the main control unit 52 of the electronic control device 50 through wireless communication using the wireless communication unit 62. The main control unit 52 controls the operation of the conversation assistance unit 40 based on the operation data received from the operation terminal 60. Furthermore, the terminal control unit 63 receives operation information (hereinafter, operation data) related to the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40 from the electronic control device 50 through wireless communication using the wireless communication unit 62. The terminal control unit 63 controls the display of the operation button 35 indicating the open / close switch 31 based on this operation data.

[0052] In this embodiment, as part of the operation control of the conversation assistance unit 40, conversation assistance control is executed to facilitate smooth conversation between the passengers in the front seats 12 and the passengers in the rear seats 13. The conversation assistance control will be described below with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows the procedure for executing the process related to the conversation assistance control. A series of processes shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5 is executed by the main control unit 52 of the electronic control device 50 as processes at predetermined intervals.

[0053] 5, in this process, when either open / close switch 21, 31 is operated to open (S11: YES), conversation assistance unit 40 is activated (S12). At this time, the display content of operation buttons 25, 35 is changed to a display content (e.g., a bright color) indicating that conversation assistance unit 40 is activated (S13).

[0054] On the other hand, when either of the open / close switches 21, 31 is operated to close (S11: NO and S14: YES), the conversation assistance unit 40 is deactivated (S15). At this time, the display content of the operation buttons 25, 35 is changed to a display content (e.g., a dark color) indicating that the conversation assistance unit 40 is not activated (S16).

[0055] <Action and effect> In this manner, in this embodiment, the conversation assistance unit 40 is switched between an operating state in which it is operating and a non-operating state in which it is not operating in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing member 16, more specifically, in accordance with the operation of the opening and closing switches 21, 31.

[0056] According to this embodiment, when the opening / closing switches 21, 31 are opened by an occupant, the opening / closing member 16 that separates the front seat 12 and the rear seat 13 is opened. This opens the communication window 15 of the partition wall 14, allowing the occupants of the front seat 12 and the rear seat 13 to communicate, including talk, through the communication window 15.

[0057] Moreover, when the opening / closing member 16 is opened, it is assumed that the passengers in the front seats 12 and the rear seats 13 wish to communicate with each other, and the conversation assistance unit 40 having the sound collection units 22, 32 and the speakers 23, 33 can be activated. This allows the passengers in the front seats 12 and the rear seats 13 to converse with each other using clear voices by utilizing the conversation assistance unit 40.

[0058] On the other hand, when the opening / closing switches 21, 31 are closed by the occupant, the opening / closing member 16 is closed. This blocks the communication window portion 15 of the partition wall 14, so that communication between the occupants in the front seats 12 and the occupants in the rear seats 13 can be stopped. Moreover, when the opening / closing member 16 is closed, it is determined that communication, including conversation, between the occupants in the front seats 12 and the occupants in the rear seats 13 is no longer necessary, and the conversation assistance unit 40 can be deactivated. Therefore, in this case, by stopping the use of the conversation assistance unit 40, communication between the occupants in the front seats 12 and the occupants in the rear seats 13 can be suitably stopped.

[0059] Thus, according to this embodiment, by linking the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing member 16 by the occupant with the switching of the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40, communication between the occupant in the front seat 12 and the occupant in the rear seat 13 can be carried out smoothly as needed.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, in this process, if the timing is not when the open / close switches 21, 31 are opened or closed (S11: NO and S14: NO), the operation of the conversation switches 24, 34 is monitored (S17, S18).

[0061] Then, when the conversation switches 24, 34 are turned off (S17: YES), the conversation assistance unit 40 is deactivated (S15), and the display contents of the operation buttons 25, 35 are changed to display contents indicating the "deactivated state" (S16).

[0062] On the other hand, if the conversation switches 24, 34 are turned on (S17: NO and S18: YES), the conversation assistance unit 40 is activated (S12) and the display contents of the operation buttons 25, 35 are changed to display contents indicating an “activated state” (S13).

[0063] <Action and effect> In this manner, in this embodiment, through the operation of the conversation switches 24, 34, it is possible to switch between operation and non-operation of the conversation assistance unit 40 at any desired timing, regardless of the operational state of the opening / closing member 16.

[0064] For example, in a situation where the opening / closing member 16 is closed and the communication window 15 is blocked, the conversation assisting unit 40 can be operated by turning on the conversation switches 24, 34. At this time, the conversation assisting unit 40 can be used to have a conversation between the occupants of the front seat 12 and the occupants of the rear seat 13 while the communication window 15 is kept blocked. In addition, in a situation where the communication window 15 is open, when conversation between the occupants of the front seat 12 and the occupants of the rear seat 13 is not necessary, the conversation assisting unit 40 can be intentionally deactivated by turning off the conversation switches 24, 34 by the occupants. Thus, according to this embodiment, communication between the occupants of the front seat 12 and the occupants of the rear seat 13 can be performed with a high degree of freedom.

[0065] <Effects> According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The in-vehicle conversation support device of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle 10 having a partition wall 14, a communication window portion 15, and an opening / closing member 16. The partition wall 14 is shaped to separate a space including the front seats 12 in a cabin 11 from a space including the rear seats 13. The communication window portion 15 is provided in the partition wall 14 to communicate the space including the front seats 12 with the space including the rear seats 13. The opening / closing member 16 is provided to be able to open and close the communication window portion 15. The in-vehicle conversation support device of this embodiment includes a conversation support unit 40 and an electronic control device 50. The conversation support unit 40 is provided in the cabin 11, and includes sound collection units 22, 32 that collect sounds within the cabin 11, and speakers 23, 33 that output the sounds collected by the sound collection units 22, 32. The conversation assistance unit 40 assists in conversation between an occupant in the front seat 12 and an occupant in the rear seat 13 through the operation of the sound collection units 22, 32 and the speakers 23, 33. The electronic control unit 50 activates the conversation assistance unit 40 in accordance with the opening operation of the opening / closing member 16, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit 40 in accordance with the closing operation of the opening / closing member 16.

[0066] According to this embodiment, by linking the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing member 16 with the switching of the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40, communication between the occupants in the front seat 12 and the rear seat 13 can be smoothly carried out as needed.

[0067] (2) The vehicle 10 has opening / closing switches 21, 31 that are operated when opening or closing the opening / closing member 16. The electronic control device 50 activates the conversation assistance unit 40 when the opening / closing switches 21, 31 are operated to open, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit 40 when the opening / closing switches 21, 31 are operated to close.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the conversation assistance unit 40 can be activated in accordance with the opening operation of the opening / closing member 16 by operating the opening / closing switch 21, and the conversation assistance unit 40 can be deactivated in accordance with the closing operation of the opening / closing member 16.

[0069] (3) The in-vehicle conversation assistance device of this embodiment has conversation switches 24, 34 that are operated to switch between operation and non-operation of conversation assistance unit 40. When conversation switches 24, 34 are turned on, electronic control unit 50 activates conversation assistance unit 40, and when conversation switches 24, 34 are turned off, electronic control unit 50 deactivates conversation assistance unit 40.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the conversation assistance unit 40 can be switched between operation and non-operation at any timing, regardless of the operation state of the opening / closing member 16. Therefore, communication between the passengers in the front seats 12 and the passengers in the rear seats 13 can be carried out with a high degree of freedom.

[0071] (4) In screen area S1 in which the conversation switch 24 is set on the touch panel constituting the display unit 51, an operation button 25 indicating that it is the conversation switch 24 is displayed. In addition, in screen area S2 in which the conversation switch 34 is set on the touch panel constituting the terminal display 61, an operation button 35 indicating that it is the conversation switch 34 is displayed. In this embodiment, the display contents of the operation buttons 25, 35 are switched between when the conversation assistance unit 40 is operating and when the conversation assistance unit 40 is not operating.

[0072] According to this embodiment, based on the display contents of operation buttons 25, 35, it is possible to easily confirm whether conversation assistance unit 40 is operating or not.

[0073] (5) The conversation switch 24 and the operation button 25 are set in the same screen area S1 of the touch panel that constitutes the display unit 51. The conversation switch 34 and the operation button 35 are set in the same screen area S2 of the touch panel that constitutes the terminal display 61.

[0074] According to this embodiment, the task of switching the operating state of conversation assistance unit 40 and the task of checking the operating state of conversation assistance unit 40 can be easily performed by utilizing the same screen areas S1, S2 on the touch panel.

[0075] <Example of change> The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0076] The sound collection units 22 and 32 may be configured to include a number of microphones, that is, a microphone array. The conversation assistance unit 40 may be one that does not have the sound collection unit 22 for the front seat 12 and the speaker 33 for the rear seat 13, i.e., one that has only the sound collection unit 32 for the rear seat 13 and the speaker 23 for the front seat 12. With this configuration, it is possible to assist the passenger in the rear seat 13 in conversation with the passenger in the front seat 12.

[0077] It is also possible to provide a conversation assistance unit 40 that does not have the sound collection unit 32 for the rear seat 13 and the speaker 23 for the front seat 12, that is, that has only the sound collection unit 22 for the front seat 12 and the speaker 33 for the rear seat 13. With this configuration, conversation from the occupant in the front seat 12 to the occupant in the rear seat 13 can be assisted.

[0078] The conversation switch 24, 34 that switches between activation and deactivation of the conversation assistance unit 40 and the display unit (in the above embodiment, the operation buttons 25, 35) that displays the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40 may be provided in different positions in the cabin 11. For example, apart from the conversation switch 24 and the operation button 25, the display unit that displays the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40 may be provided in a screen area different from the screen area S1 of the touch panel.

[0079] The display unit that displays the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40 is not limited to being configured by the operation buttons 25, 35 displayed on the touch panel, but may be configured by an indicator lamp provided in the cabin 11. The display unit that displays the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40 may be omitted.

[0080] The conversation switches 24, 34 are not limited to being configured as operation switches displayed on a touch panel, but may be configured as physical switches provided in the cabin 11. One of the conversation switches 24, 34 can be omitted. Both of the conversation switches 24, 34 can be omitted.

[0081] The open / close switch 21 may be set to the display unit 51. The open / close switch 31 can be set to the terminal display 61. Either the opening / closing switch 21 for the front seat 12 or the opening / closing switch 31 for the rear seat 13 can be omitted.

[0082] The condition for switching between the operation and non-operation of the conversation assistance unit 40 is not limited to "when the opening / closing switch 21, 31 is operated," and any other condition can be used. In short, any condition can be used as long as the conversation assistance unit 40 can be operated in accordance with the opening operation of the opening / closing member 16 and the conversation assistance unit 40 can be deactivated in accordance with the closing operation of the opening / closing member 16. For example, the movement position of the opening / closing member 16 may be detected, and the conversation assistance unit 40 may be switched between operation and non-operation when the movement position reaches a predetermined position. In detail, the conversation assistance unit 40 may be operated when the opening / closing member 16 reaches the closed position P1, and the conversation assistance unit 40 may be deactivated when the opening / closing member 16 reaches the open position P2. In this case, the opening / closing member 16 may be one that is manually operated to open and close.

[0083] A condition such as "when the conversation switches 24, 34 are turned on" can be used as a condition for opening the opening / closing member 16. In this case, the opening / closing member 16 opens when the conversation switches 24, 34 are turned on in a manner that activates the conversation assistance unit 40. Also, a condition such as "when the conversation switches 24, 34 are turned off" can be used as a condition for closing the opening / closing member 16. In this case, the opening / closing member 16 closes when the conversation switches 24, 34 are turned off in a manner that deactivates the conversation assistance unit 40.

[0084] According to this configuration, the opening / closing member 16 can be opened in conjunction with the operation of the conversation assistance unit 40, triggered by the operation of the conversation switches 24, 34, and the opening / closing member 16 can be closed in conjunction with the deactivation of the conversation assistance unit 40. In this way, by linking the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing member 16 with the switching of the operation state of the conversation assistance unit 40, it is possible to smoothly communicate between the passengers in the front seats 12 and the passengers in the rear seats 13 as necessary.

[0085] When the above configuration is employed, when opening / closing switches 21, 31 are operated to open, opening / closing member 16 may be opened without switching between operation and non-operation of conversation assistance unit 40. Also, when the above configuration is employed, when opening / closing switches 21, 31 are operated to close, opening / closing member 16 may be closed without switching between operation and non-operation of conversation assistance unit 40.

[0086] According to this configuration, the open / close member 16 can be switched between open and closed states at any timing, regardless of the operating state of the conversation assistance unit 40. Therefore, communication can be performed between the passengers in the front seats 12 and the passengers in the rear seats 13 with a high degree of freedom, for example, communication can be performed with the opening / closing member 16 in a closed state when the conversation assistance unit 40 is operating.

[0087] When the above configuration is adopted, it is also possible to omit the opening / closing switches 21 and 31. The shape of the communication window 15 can be changed as desired so long as the communication window 15 connects the space including the front seat 12 with the space including the rear seat 13. For example, the communication window 15 may be provided so as to constitute the entire upper portion of the partition wall 14, or may be provided in the upper right portion of the partition wall 14. In this configuration, the shape of the opening / closing member 16 may be set to match the shape of the communication window 15.

[0088] As the opening / closing member 16, in addition to using one that opens and closes the communication window portion 15 by sliding movement, it is also possible to use one that opens and closes the communication window portion 15 by swinging via a hinge or the like.

[0089] The in-vehicle conversation support device according to the above embodiment can also be applied to a vehicle that does not have an operation terminal 60. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10. Vehicle 11. Cabin 12...Front seat 12D…Driver's seat 12S…Passenger seat 13...Rear seat 13R…Right seat 13L…Left seat 14…Partition wall 15…Communicating window 16...Opening and closing member 17...Operating part 18…Console section 21,31…Open / close switch 22,32...Sound collection section 23,33…Speakers 24,34…Conversation switch 25,35…Operation buttons 40…Conversation support section 50...Electronic control device 51…Display section 52...Main control unit 521...Storage section 53…Radio communication section 60...Operation terminal 61...Terminal display 62...Wireless communication section 63...Terminal control unit 631...Storage section

Claims

1. The present invention is applied to a vehicle including a partition wall that separates a space including a front seat from a space including a rear seat in a cabin, a communication window that is provided in the partition wall and communicates the space including the front seat with the space including the rear seat, and an opening / closing member that is provided to be able to open and close the communication window, a conversation assistance unit that is provided in the cabin and has a sound collection unit that collects sounds within the cabin and a speaker that outputs the sounds collected by the sound collection unit, and that assists conversation between the front seat passenger and the rear seat passenger through operation of the sound collection unit and the speaker; an operation control unit that activates the conversation assistance unit in accordance with an opening operation of the opening / closing member and deactivates the conversation assistance unit in accordance with a closing operation of the opening / closing member; An in-car conversation support device comprising:

2. The vehicle has an opening / closing switch that is operated when opening or closing the opening / closing member, the operation control unit activates the conversation assistance unit when the opening / closing switch is operated in a manner to open the opening / closing member, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit when the opening / closing switch is operated in a manner to close the opening / closing member, The in-vehicle conversation support device according to claim 1.

3. a conversation switch that is operated when switching between activation and deactivation of the conversation assistance unit; and an operation switching unit that activates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner to activate the conversation assistance unit, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner to deactivate the conversation assistance unit. The in-vehicle conversation support device according to claim 2.

4. A display unit is provided in the cabin and displays an operation state of the conversation assistance unit. The in-vehicle conversation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a conversation switch that is operated when switching between activation and deactivation of the conversation assistance unit; an operation switching unit that activates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner to activate the conversation assistance unit, and deactivates the conversation assistance unit when the conversation switch is operated in a manner to deactivate the conversation assistance unit; A display unit is provided in the cabin and displays an operation state of the conversation assistance unit, The conversation switch and the display unit are set in the same screen area of ​​a touch panel provided in the cabin. The in-vehicle conversation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

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