Information processing device, control method therefor, and program

Abstract

To enable more effective reduction in noise-induced discomfort of vehicle occupants when a road surface changes.SOLUTION: An information processing device 10 is provided, comprising a control unit 11 configured to acquire audio information of noise generated while a vehicle 50 is traveling and detected by a microphone 15, generate a canceling sound for canceling road noise caused by asperities of a road surface G on which the vehicle 50 is traveling on the basis of the acquired audio information, and output the generated canceling sound from a speaker 16. The control unit 11 acquires road surface information indicative of the condition of the road surface G in a traveling direction of the vehicle 50, detects a switching point where the condition of asperities of the road surface G changes on the basis of the acquired road surface information, and responds to the detection of the switching point by outputting a noise sound simulating road noise from the speaker 16 in a certain transition interval with smaller asperities of the road surface before or after passing the switching point while the vehicle 50 travels.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In order to reduce the noise generated as the vehicle travels, it is known to output a cancellation sound for canceling the noise. For example, Patent Document 1 describes adjusting a cancellation sound for canceling road noise that enters the vehicle cabin according to the road surface conditions in front of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conventional configuration has room for improvement in terms of reducing the discomfort of the passengers caused by the noise generated near the tires when the road surface conditions change as the vehicle travels.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to more effectively reduce the discomfort of passengers caused by noise when the road surface conditions change.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure acquires voice information of noise generated during the travel of the vehicle detected by a microphone, generates a cancellation sound for canceling road noise caused by the unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle travels based on the acquired voice information, Causing the generated cancellation sound to be output from a speaker comprising a control unit The control unit acquires road surface information indicating the condition of the road surface in the direction in which the vehicle travels detects a switching point at which the condition regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes based on the acquired road surface information In response to detecting the switching point, in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface is smaller before or after the vehicle passes the switching point as the vehicle travels, a noise sound imitating the road noise is output from the speaker According to such a configuration, by deliberately outputting a noise sound imitating the road noise from the speaker in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness is smaller before or after the vehicle passes the switching point, the change in the noise perceived by the occupant before and after the switching point is reduced. Therefore, even when passing through the switching point, the change in the noise due to the road surface change becomes gentle, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the occupant caused by the noise

[0007] (2) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1), the control unit may reduce the volume of the cancellation sound output to the speaker or stop the output of the cancellation sound in the transition section According to such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the occupant caused by the noise without outputting the noise sound imitating the road noise from the speaker 16

[0008] (3) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1) or (2), When it is detected based on the acquired road surface information that the vehicle is traveling from a section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface is smaller to a section where the degree of unevenness is larger before and after the switching point, the control unit may output the noise sound from the speaker in the transition section before passing the switching point According to such a configuration, when the vehicle is traveling from a good road to a bad road, by deliberately outputting noise during the running of the transition section before the switching point, the change in noise before and after passing through the switching point is reduced. Therefore, the change in noise before and after passing through the switching point becomes smooth, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the passengers caused by the noise.

[0009] (4) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (3), While the vehicle is running in the transition section, the control unit may cause the speaker to output the noise sound at a larger volume as it approaches the switching point. According to such a configuration, by changing the volume of the noise sound output during the running of the transition section according to the distance from the switching point, the change in the noise perceived by the passengers can be made smaller, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the passengers.

[0010] (5) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (4), When it is detected based on the acquired road surface information that the vehicle is running from a section with a greater degree of unevenness of the road surface to a section with a smaller degree of unevenness before and after the switching point, the control unit may cause the speaker to output the noise sound in the transition section after passing through the switching point. According to such a configuration, when the vehicle is traveling from a bad road to a good road, by deliberately outputting noise during the running of the transition section after passing through the switching point, the change in noise before and after passing through the switching point is reduced. Therefore, the change in noise before and after passing through the switching point becomes smooth, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the passengers caused by the noise.

[0011] (6) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (5), While the vehicle is running in the transition section, the control unit may cause the speaker to output the noise sound at a smaller volume as it moves away from the switching point. According to such a configuration, by changing the volume of the noise sound output during the travel in the transition section according to the distance from the switching point, the change in the noise perceived by the occupant can be made smaller, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the occupant.

[0012] (7) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (6), the control unit acquires a captured image of the road surface in the traveling direction of the vehicle as the road surface information, and may analyze the captured image to detect the switching point where the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes. According to such a configuration, since the road surface condition is detected based on the captured image of the road surface on which the vehicle will travel in the future, it is possible to accurately determine the timing of passing through the switching point and effectively perform processing for reducing the discomfort of the occupant with a small time lag.

[0013] (8) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (7), the control unit acquires the voice information detected by the microphone as the road surface information, and may analyze the voice information to detect the switching point where the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes. According to such a configuration, since the switching point is detected based on the voice information of the microphone used for noise cancellation, it is possible to perform processing for reducing the discomfort of the occupant without providing additional equipment.

[0014] (9) A control method for an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method for an information processing device including a control unit, wherein the control unit acquires voice information of noise generated during the travel of the vehicle detected by a microphone, generating a cancellation sound for canceling road noise caused by unevenness of a road surface on which the vehicle travels based on the acquired voice information; causing the generated cancellation sound to be output from a speaker; including the control unit acquires road surface information indicating the condition of the road surface in the direction in which the vehicle travels, detects a switching point at which the condition regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes based on the acquired road surface information, in accordance with detecting the switching point, in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface before or after the vehicle passes the switching point during traveling is smaller, a noise sound imitating the road noise is output from the speaker. According to such a configuration, by deliberately outputting a noise sound imitating the road noise from the speaker in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness before or after the vehicle passes the switching point is smaller, the change in the noise perceived by the occupant before and after the switching point is reduced. Therefore, even when passing through the switching point, the change in the noise due to the road surface change becomes smooth, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the occupant caused by the noise.

[0015] (10) A program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure causes a computer to operate as any one of the information processing apparatuses (1) to (8). According to such a configuration, by deliberately outputting a noise sound imitating the road noise from the speaker in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness before or after the vehicle passes the switching point is smaller, the change in the noise perceived by the occupant before and after the switching point is reduced. Therefore, even when passing through the switching point, the change in the noise due to the road surface change becomes smooth, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the occupant caused by the noise.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the road surface condition changes, it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of passengers caused by noise.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, parts having the same configuration or function are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of the present embodiment, duplicate descriptions of the same parts may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle 50 equipped with an information processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 outputs a cancellation sound for canceling noise (noise) generated as the vehicle 50 travels, thereby reducing the noise in the vehicle interior.

[0020] The information processing apparatus 10 includes a camera 14, a microphone 15, a speaker 16, an acceleration sensor 17, and a calculation unit 19.

[0021] The camera 14 captures the road surface G in the direction in which the vehicle 50 travels, and acquires a captured image of the road surface G. The camera 14 is, for example, a stereo camera that acquires a stereo image including depth direction information as a captured image, but may also be an imaging device that acquires a two-dimensional image. The camera 14 may include two or more imaging elements in order to acquire a stereo image. In the example of FIG. 1, the camera 14 is provided in front of the vehicle 50 so as to be able to capture the road surface G in front of the vehicle 50, but may also be provided behind the vehicle 50.

[0022] The microphone 15 detects voice information of noise in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 50. The microphone 15 may be provided, for example, near the seat of the vehicle 50. The information processing device 10 may invert the phase of the voice information of the noise detected by the microphone 15 and generate a cancellation sound for canceling the noise. In a state where the cancellation sound is being output, the information processing device 10 may use the voice information in the vehicle interior acquired by the microphone 15 for evaluating the effect of noise cancellation.

[0023] The speaker 16 outputs the cancellation sound as a sound wave. The speaker 16 may be realized by a voice output device of an audio system originally provided in the vehicle 50. The speaker 16 can be installed at any location inside the vehicle. For example, the speaker 16 may be provided on the floor surface inside the vehicle or near the floor surface.

[0024] The acceleration sensor 17 measures the acceleration of the vehicle 50. The measured value of the acceleration sensor 17 is used for the evaluation of NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). The acceleration sensor 17 may be realized by a sensor of any method such as a semiconductor gauge, a capacitance, or a differential transformer type. The acceleration sensor 17 may be attached, for example, to an axle that transmits the power generated by a drive unit such as an engine, a motor, or a combination thereof to the tires 51, 52.

[0025] The arithmetic unit 19 is connected to the camera 14, the microphone 15, the speaker 16, and the acceleration sensor 17, and controls the operations of these devices. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, the arithmetic unit 19 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0026] The vehicle 50 is, for example, an automobile such as a passenger car, but is not limited thereto and may be any vehicle. The automobile is, for example, a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or a battery electric vehicle, but is not limited thereto. The vehicle 50 includes tires 51, 52.

[0027] A communication device 53 is provided on the tire 51. A communication device 54 is provided on the tire 52.

[0028] The communication devices 53, 54 perform wireless communication. The communication devices 53, 54 are, for example, RF (Radio Frequency) tags. The RF tag is also called an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. The communication devices 53, 54 include an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip that constitutes a control unit and a storage unit, and one or more antennas connected to the IC chip. The IC chip may store any information regarding the tires 51, 52, such as identification information of the tires 51, 52, the manufacturing date, the circumferential length, and the number of pitches per revolution. The pitch is a groove in the width direction formed on the surface of the tires 51, 52. For example, the communication devices 53, 54 may be provided such that two antennas extending linearly, wave-like, or spirally extend from the IC chip in opposite directions to each other, and the entire device has an elongated shape.

[0029] The IC chip may operate by dielectric electromotive force generated by electromagnetic waves received by one or more antennas. That is, the communication devices 53, 54 may be passive communication devices. Alternatively, the communication devices 53, 54 may further include a battery and be capable of generating electromagnetic waves by their own power to communicate. That is, the communication devices 53, 54 may be active communication devices.

[0030] In the above configuration, the information processing apparatus 10 acquires voice information of noise generated during the running of the vehicle 50 by the microphone 15, generates a cancellation sound for canceling the road noise based on the voice information, and causes the generated cancellation sound to be output to the speaker 16. The road noise is noise generated due to the unevenness of the road surface G on which the vehicle 50 travels. The road noise is such that the elastic movement of the tires 51 and 52 excited by the unevenness of the road surface G is transmitted through the suspension, vibrating the ceiling and floor of the vehicle body, etc., and becoming interior noise.

[0031] Here, the information processing apparatus 10 acquires road surface information indicating the situation of the road surface G in the direction in which the vehicle 50 travels. The information processing apparatus 10 detects a switching point at which the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface G changes based on the acquired road surface information. For example, the boundary between a paved road and an unpaved rough area corresponds to such a switching point. In response to detecting the switching point, the information processing apparatus 10 causes a noise sound imitating the road noise to be output to the speaker 16 in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface G before or after the vehicle 50 passes through the switching point during running is smaller. For example, when the vehicle 50 moves from a good road with a small degree of unevenness to a bad road with a large degree of unevenness, in the transition section before the switching point which is the boundary between the good road and the bad road, the information processing apparatus 10 outputs a noise sound imitating the road noise from the speaker 16. Conversely, when the vehicle 50 moves from a bad road to a good road, in the transition section after passing through the switching point, the information processing apparatus 10 outputs a noise sound imitating the road noise from the speaker 16.

[0032] In this way, the information processing apparatus 10 deliberately outputs a noise sound imitating the road noise to the speaker 16 in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness before and after the vehicle 50 passes through the switching point is smaller, thereby reducing the change in noise in the vehicle interior before and after the switching point. Therefore, even when the vehicle 50 passes through the switching point, the change in the volume of the road noise due to the road surface change becomes gentle, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the passengers caused by the noise.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10. As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a camera 14, a microphone 15, a speaker 16, an acceleration sensor 17, and a computing unit 19. The computing unit 19 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The computing unit 19 is one or a plurality of computer devices capable of communicating with each other. The computing unit 19 is not limited thereto, and may be any general-purpose electronic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a single board computer (SBC), or a personal computer (PC), or may be another dedicated electronic device.

[0034] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors. In one embodiment, the "processor" is a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 11 is communicably connected to each component constituting the information processing apparatus 10 and controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus 10.

[0035] The storage unit 12 includes any storage module such as, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a read-only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM). The storage unit 12 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores any information used for the operation of the information processing apparatus 10. For example, the storage unit 12 may store a system program, an application program, and various information received by the communication unit 13. The storage unit 12 is not limited to being built into the information processing apparatus 10, and may be an external database or an external storage module.

[0036] The communication unit 13 includes an arbitrary communication module that can be communicatively connected to other devices such as a scanner by any communication technology. The communication unit 13 may further include a communication control module for controlling communication with other devices, and a storage module for storing communication data such as identification information necessary for communication with other devices.

[0037] The functions of the information processing apparatus 10 can be realized by executing a computer program (program) according to this embodiment on a processor included in the control unit 11. That is, the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 can be realized by software. The computer program causes a computer to execute the processing of the steps included in the operation of the information processing apparatus 10, thereby causing the computer to realize the functions corresponding to the processing of each step. That is, the computer program is a program for causing a computer to function as the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The program includes information for use in processing by an electronic computer and that conforms to the program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has a nature that defines the processing of the computer corresponds to "information conforming to the program".

[0038] Some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 11. That is, some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 may be realized by hardware. Also, the information processing apparatus 10 may be realized by a single computer, or may be realized by the cooperation of a plurality of computers.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the information processing apparatus 10. The operation of the information processing apparatus 10 described with reference to FIG. 3 may correspond to one of the control methods of the information processing apparatus 10. The operations of each step in FIG. 3 may be executed based on the control by the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10. The following processing is executed in parallel with the running of the vehicle 50.

[0040] In step S1, the control unit 11 acquires the voice information of the noise generated during the running of the vehicle 50 detected by the microphone 15.

[0041] In step S2, the control unit 11 analyzes the voice information acquired in step S1 and generates a cancellation sound for canceling the road noise caused by the unevenness of the road surface G on which the vehicle 50 travels.

[0042] Specifically, the control unit 11 may generate a cancellation sound for canceling the road noise based on the voice information detected by the microphone 15 and the acceleration of the vehicle 50 detected by the acceleration sensor 17. Specifically, the control unit 11 may predict the frequency band of the road noise based on the acceleration of the vehicle 50 detected by the acceleration sensor 17, and extract the road noise from the voice information detected by the microphone 15 based on the predicted frequency band and the like. The control unit 11 may generate the cancellation sound of the road noise by inverting the phase of the extracted road noise.

[0043] In step S3, the control unit 11 causes the speaker 16 to output the cancellation sound generated in step S2.

[0044] In step S4, the control unit 11 acquires road surface information indicating the situation of the road surface G in the direction in which the vehicle 50 travels. The road surface information is any information indicating the situation of the road surface G on which the vehicle 50 travels and that can affect the noise reaching the vehicle interior. For example, the road surface information is, but is not limited to, a captured image of the road surface G in the direction in which the vehicle 50 travels acquired by the camera 14, voice information detected by the microphone 15, and combinations thereof. For example, the road surface information may be information regarding the road surface G acquired by any sensor such as a radar and a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). Alternatively, an external device such as a cloud or the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10 may store in advance road surface information indicating the situation of the road surface G in association with map information indicating a geographical position. The control unit 11 may use the position information of the vehicle 50 measured by a device such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver as a query to acquire the road surface information corresponding to the position information from an external device or the storage unit 12 or the like.

[0045] In step S5, the control unit 11 determines whether there is a switching point at which the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface G changes based on the road surface information acquired in step S4. For example, the control unit 11 may determine the degree of unevenness of the road surface G based on the road surface information, and determine a point where the change amount of the degree of unevenness is greater than a certain threshold as the switching point. For example, the switching point may exist at the boundary between a good road with less or small unevenness of the road surface G and a bad road with more or large unevenness. When using the information acquired by the camera 14 as the road surface information, the control unit 11 may determine whether there is a switching point at a location separated from the vehicle 50 by a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine whether there is a switching point at a location that takes a predetermined time to reach from the current location based on the speed and acceleration of the vehicle 50. Note that the speed of the vehicle 50 can be acquired by any method. For example, the control unit 11 may calculate the speed of the vehicle 50 based on the acceleration of the vehicle 50 detected by the acceleration sensor 17. If a switching point exists (YES in step S5), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S6; otherwise (NO in step S5), it proceeds to step S7.

[0046] In step S6, in response to detecting the switching point, the control unit 11 causes the speaker 16 to output a noise sound simulating road noise in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface G is smaller before or after the vehicle 50 passes through the switching point as it travels.

[0047] The processing of steps S5 and S6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. FIGS. 4 to 7 are diagrams showing an example of the change in the volume of road noise when passing through the switching point. In FIGS. 4 to 7, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the volume of road noise that has reached the interior of the vehicle 50.

[0048] Figures 4 and 5 show the change in the volume of road noise reaching the passenger compartment when the vehicle 50 moves from a good road to a bad road. In Figures 4 and 5, the vehicle 50 passes through a switching point where the road surface G switches from a good road to a bad road at time t1. Figure 4 shows the change in road noise when the process of step S6 is not performed. The graph 61 in Figure 4 shows the change in road noise after the output of the cancellation sound in step S3. As shown by the graph 61 in Figure 4, when the process of step S6 is not performed, at the switching point, the volume of road noise reaching the passenger compartment suddenly increases from V1 to V2. Such a sudden change in the volume of the noise is perceived by the passengers as an unpleasant noise. Therefore, in order to mitigate such a sudden change in the volume of the noise, the control unit 11 causes the speaker 16 to output a noise sound simulating road noise in the transition section before the switching point.

[0049] Figure 5 shows the change in road noise when the process of step S6 is performed. In the example of Figure 5, a noise sound simulating road noise is output in the transition section from time t0 to time t1. The area 62 shows the volume of such deliberately added noise sound. As a result, as shown by the graph 63, the volume of road noise reaching the passenger compartment increases gently in the transition section, and it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the passengers.

[0050] Even when the vehicle 50 moves from a rough road to a good road, the control unit 11 may perform the same processing. FIGS. 6 and 7 show the change in the volume of the road noise that has reached the passenger compartment when the vehicle 50 moves from a rough road to a good road. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the vehicle 50 passes through a switching point where the road surface G switches from a rough road to a good road at time t1. FIG. 6 shows the change in road noise when the process of step S6 is not performed. The graph 64 in FIG. 6 shows the change in road noise after the output of the cancellation sound in step S3. As shown by the graph 64 in FIG. 6, when the process of step S6 is not performed, at the switching point, the volume of the road noise reaching the passenger compartment suddenly decreases from V2 to V1. Even when the noise decreases, such a sudden change in the volume of the noise is perceived by the passenger as unpleasant. Therefore, in order to mitigate such a sudden change in the volume of the noise, the control unit 11 causes the speaker 16 to output a noise sound imitating the road noise in the transition section after passing through the switching point.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows the change in road noise when the process of step S6 is performed. In the example of FIG. 7, a noise sound imitating the road noise is output in the transition section from time t1 to time t2. The area 65 indicates the volume of such deliberately added noise sound. As a result, as shown by the graph 66, the volume of the road noise reaching the passenger compartment decreases gently in the transition section, and it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the passenger.

[0052] In step S7, the control unit 11 determines whether to end the processing of the flowchart. For example, the control unit 11 may determine to end the processing when the engine of the vehicle 50 is turned off, when an instruction to end the processing is given by the passenger, etc. When the control unit 11 ends the processing (YES in step S7), it ends the processing of the flowchart, and when it does not (NO in step S7), it returns to step S1 to continue the processing.

[0053] As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 causes the speaker 16 to output a noise sound imitating road noise in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness is smaller before or after the vehicle 50 passes through the switching point. Therefore, even when passing through the switching point, the change in noise due to the road surface change becomes gentle, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the passengers caused by the noise.

[0054] Note that during travel in the transition section, the information processing apparatus 10 may reduce the volume of the cancellation sound output to the speaker 16 or stop the output of the cancellation sound in step S3. According to such processing, it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the passengers caused by the noise without outputting the noise sound imitating road noise from the speaker 16.

[0055] Also, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 7, in the transition section, when the information processing apparatus 10 travels in a location closer to the switching point, it may increase the volume of the noise sound imitating road noise. Specifically, when moving from a good road to a bad road, the information processing apparatus 10 may cause the speaker 16 to output a noise sound with a larger volume as the vehicle 50 approaches the switching point while traveling in the transition section. Also, when moving from a bad road to a good road, the information processing apparatus 10 may cause the speaker 16 to output a noise sound with a smaller volume as the vehicle 50 moves away from the switching point while traveling in the transition section. By changing the volume of the noise sound output during travel in the transition section according to the distance from the switching point in this way, the change in noise perceived by the passengers can be made smaller, and it is possible to more effectively reduce the discomfort of the passengers. However, the information processing apparatus 10 may simplify the processing and not continuously change the volume of the noise sound. For example, the information processing apparatus 10 may cause the speaker 16 to output a noise sound with a constant volume in the transition section. Alternatively, the information processing apparatus 10 may select any one of a plurality of predetermined volume levels and appropriately switch the volume levels during travel in the transition section to cause the speaker 16 to output the noise sound.

[0056] Further, the information processing device 10 may acquire, as road surface information, a captured image of the road surface G in the traveling direction of the vehicle 50 captured by the camera 14, analyze the captured image, and detect a switching point at which the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface G changes. In this way, since the situation of the road surface G is detected based on the captured image of the road surface G on which the vehicle 50 will travel in the future, it is possible to accurately determine the timing of passing through the switching point and effectively perform processing for reducing the discomfort of the passengers with a small time lag.

[0057] Further, the information processing device 10 may acquire, as road surface information, voice information detected by the microphone 15, analyze the voice information, and detect a switching point at which the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface G changes. For example, the information processing device 10 may detect the passage of a switching point from a bad road to a good road based on the voice information, and may cause the speaker 16 to output a noise sound in response to the detection of the passage of the switching point. In this way, since the switching point is detected based on the voice information of the microphone 15 used for noise cancellation, it is possible to perform processing for reducing the discomfort of the passengers without providing additional equipment.

[0058] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, a plurality of blocks described in the block diagram may be integrated, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing the plurality of steps described in the flowchart in time series according to the description, they may be executed in parallel or in a different order according to the processing capabilities of the device that executes each step, or as necessary. In addition, changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations]

[0059] The SDGs have been proposed towards the realization of a sustainable society. One embodiment of the present invention can be considered as a technology that contributes to "No. 9 - Build the foundation of industry and technological innovation", etc.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0060] 10 Information processing device 11 Control Unit 12 Memory Unit 13 Communication Unit 14 Camera 15 Microphone 16 Speaker 17 Acceleration Sensor 19 Arithmetic Unit 50 Vehicle 51, 52 Tires 53, 54 Communication Devices 61 - 66 Graphs G Road Surface

Claims

1. Obtain voice information of noise generated during the running of a vehicle detected by a microphone, Based on the obtained voice information, generate a cancellation sound for canceling road noise caused by unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle runs, Output the generated cancellation sound to a speaker, Comprising a control unit, The control unit, Obtain road surface information indicating the situation of the road surface in the direction in which the vehicle travels, Based on the obtained road surface information, detect a switching point at which the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes, In response to detecting the switching point, in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface before or after passing the switching point as the vehicle runs is smaller, output a noise sound imitating the road noise to the speaker, An information processing device.

2. The control unit reduces the volume of the cancellation sound output to the speaker or stops the output of the cancellation sound in the transition section, the information processing device according to Claim 1.

3. When it is detected based on the obtained road surface information that the vehicle is running from a section with a smaller degree of unevenness of the road surface to a section with a larger degree of unevenness before and after the switching point, in the transition section before passing the switching point, the information processing device according to Claim 1 outputs the noise sound to the speaker.

4. While the vehicle is running in the transition section, the control unit outputs a noise sound with a larger volume to the speaker as it approaches the switching point, the information processing device according to Claim 3.

5. When it is detected based on the obtained road surface information that the vehicle is running from a section with a larger degree of unevenness of the road surface to a section with a smaller degree of unevenness before and after the switching point, in the transition section after passing the switching point, the information processing device according to Claim 1 outputs the noise sound to the speaker.

6. While the vehicle is running in the transition section, the control unit outputs a noise sound with a smaller volume to the speaker as it moves away from the switching point, the information processing device according to Claim 5.

7. The control unit, As the road surface information, obtain a photographed image of the road surface in the direction in which the vehicle travels, Analyze the captured image to detect the switching point where the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The control unit As the road surface information, acquire the voice information detected by the microphone. Analyze the voice information to detect the switching point where the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. A control method for an information processing apparatus including a control unit, wherein the control unit acquires voice information of noise generated during the running of the vehicle detected by a microphone; generates a cancellation sound for canceling road noise caused by the unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle runs based on the acquired voice information; causes the generated cancellation sound to be output to a speaker; and includes the control unit acquires road surface information indicating the situation of the road surface in the direction in which the vehicle travels; detects a switching point where the situation regarding the unevenness of the road surface changes based on the acquired road surface information; and in a certain transition section where the degree of unevenness of the road surface before or after the vehicle passes the switching point as the vehicle runs is smaller in response to detecting the switching point, causes a noise sound imitating the road noise to be output to the speaker. A control method for an information processing apparatus.

10. A program for causing a computer to operate as the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images