Warning device for vehicle, warning system for vehicle, and meter unit

Abstract

To provide a warning device for a vehicle, warning system for a vehicle, and meter unit capable of outputting an announcement or the like with natural sound while reliably outputting warning sound at timing when warning is required.SOLUTION: In a warning system 200 for a vehicle, a warning control device 40 being a warning device for a vehicle includes: interfaces for controlling in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) speakers 31-34 mounted on a vehicle and communicable with an IVI control device 50 being an in-vehicle acoustic device to output content sound; and a processor for controlling an in-vehicle warning sound speaker 21 mounted on the vehicle so as to allow a crewman in the vehicle to output warning sound. When the warning sound speaker outputs the warning sound, the processor transmits an output instruction to output the warning sound even from the IVI speakers to the in-vehicle acoustic device via the interfaces.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle alarm device, a vehicle alarm system, and a meter unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Speakers are often installed inside vehicles. Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that uses the precedence effect when outputting sound from a speaker to create the illusion that a sound source is located in a specific direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-224888 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, vehicles have been equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that emit an audible warning to the driver when a danger is detected, such as when the vehicle approaches an obstacle such as another vehicle or a person. To ensure that the audible warning is issued at the required timing, ADAS alarms are often emitted from a sound-emitting device built into the meter, which is a safety component. However, the small diameter and input power of the sound-emitting device in the meter poses a challenge, as it is not possible to output natural-sounding announcements using a human voice.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosed technology aims to provide a vehicle alarm device, a vehicle alarm system, and a meter unit that can reliably output an alarm sound when an alarm is required, while outputting announcements and the like in a natural sound. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the disclosed technology is exemplified by the following vehicle alarm device. The vehicle alarm device has an interface capable of communicating with an in-vehicle sound device that controls a first speaker mounted in the vehicle to output sound of content, and a processor that controls a second speaker mounted in the vehicle to output an alarm sound to occupants in the vehicle. When the processor causes the second speaker to output the alarm sound, it transmits an output instruction to the in-vehicle sound device via the interface to cause the first speaker to also output the alarm sound. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the disclosed technology, an alarm sound is output from a sound emitting device built into the meter, and also from a speaker in the vehicle audio device, so that the alarm sound can be reliably output at the necessary timing, and announcements, etc. can be output in a natural sound. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of connections between an alarm speaker, a front right speaker, a front left speaker, a rear right speaker, and a rear left speaker in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the alarm control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing block of the alarm control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a processing block of the alarm control device according to the first modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device according to the first modified example. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of output timing of the alarm sound speaker and the IVI speaker in the first modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of connections between a front right speaker, a front left speaker, a rear right speaker, and a rear left speaker in the second modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing block of the alarm control device according to the second modification. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device according to the second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the vehicle 100 as viewed from above. In FIG. 1, the ceiling is not illustrated in order to illustrate the interior of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a passenger car. The vehicle 100 is equipped with an obstacle sensor M1 disposed at the right front corner of the vehicle 100 to detect an obstacle to the right front, an obstacle sensor M2 disposed at the left front corner of the vehicle 100 to detect an obstacle to the left front, an obstacle sensor M3 disposed at the right rear corner of the vehicle 100 to detect an obstacle to the right rear, and an obstacle sensor M4 disposed at the left rear corner of the vehicle 100 to detect an obstacle to the left rear. That is, the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 are disposed at the four corners of the vehicle 100.

[0010] The vehicle 100 also has passenger seats, including a driver's seat 1, a passenger seat 2, a right rear seat 3, a center rear seat 4, and a left rear seat 5. The driver's seat 1 and the passenger seat 2 are arranged in a row along the width direction of the vehicle 100. The right rear seat 3, the center rear seat 4, and the left rear seat 5 are also arranged in a row along the width direction of the vehicle 100 behind the driver's seat 1 and the passenger seat 2. A dashboard 10 is arranged in front of the driver's seat 1 and the passenger seat 2.

[0011] An instrument section 20 including a speedometer and a tachometer is disposed on the dashboard 10 in front of the driver's seat 1. FIG. 1 also illustrates an alarm speaker 21 disposed within the instrument section 20. The alarm speaker 21 is a monaural speaker used to output an alarm sound by the ADAS. In the ADAS, for example, when at least one of the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 detects an obstacle, an alarm sound is output from the alarm speaker 21. The "speedometer and tachometer" are an example of instruments. The alarm speaker 21 is an example of a "second speaker."

[0012] The vehicle 100 is provided with a front right door 6, a front left door 7, a rear right door 8, and a rear left door 9, which are used by passengers to get in and out of the vehicle. A front right speaker 31 is provided in the front right door 6, which is located to the right of the driver's seat 1. A front left speaker 32 is provided in the front left door 7, which is located to the left of the passenger seat 2. A rear right speaker 33 is provided in the rear right door 8, which is located to the right of the right rear seat 3. A rear left speaker 34 is provided in the rear left door 9, which is located to the left of the left rear seat 5. The front right speaker 31, the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34 are used to play music and output movie sound through in-vehicle infotainment (IVI). When the front right speaker 31, the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34 are not to be distinguished from one another, they are also referred to as IVI speakers 30. The front right speaker 31 is an example of a "front right channel speaker." The front left speaker 32 is The rear right speaker 33 is an example of a "rear right channel speaker." The rear left speaker 34 is an example of a "rear left channel speaker." The IVI speaker 30 is an example of a "first speaker."

[0013] Comparing the alarm speaker 21 and the IVI speaker 30, the alarm speaker 21 is directly controlled by the alarm control device 40 to output an alarm sound. Therefore, it can output an alarm sound immediately when an obstacle sensor detects an obstacle. On the other hand, the IVI speaker 30 is designed to output various sounds processed by the IVI, such as music, television / radio audio, telephone calls, and navigation system guidance, and does not guarantee real-time output of all sounds at any desired timing. For example, when the IVI is performing a large amount of processing and the processing load is high, the timing of sound output may be delayed. Furthermore, an IVI may take time (e.g., 10 to 30 seconds) to complete startup after powering on. Therefore, after the vehicle's accessory switch is turned on or when the IVI is restarted, sound may not be output until the IVI has completed startup. The alarm control device 40 is an example of a "vehicle alarm device."

[0014] On the other hand, the warning speaker 21 cannot be made very large in diameter or input power, and while it is sufficient to make occupants aware of a warning with a simple sound like a buzzer, it is not possible to output natural-sounding announcements, etc. using a human voice. Also, because the warning speaker 21 is a monaural speaker, it cannot output a warning sound with a directional sense that the sound source is in the desired direction for the driver seated in the driver's seat 1 on the dashboard 10. In contrast, the IVI speaker 30 was originally designed for occupants to enjoy content such as music, and can be made large in diameter and input power, and can output announcements, etc. in a natural sound. In addition, by controlling speakers located in the front, rear, left, and right, it can output a directional sound that makes the driver feel like the sound source is in the desired direction.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of connections among the warning speaker 21, the front right speaker 31, the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34 in an embodiment. FIG. 2 also illustrates an warning control device 40 and an IVI control device 50. The warning control device 40 controls the warning speaker 21. The IVI control device 50 controls the front right speaker 31, the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34. A system including the warning speaker 21, the front right speaker 31, the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, the rear left speaker 34, the warning control device 40, and the IVI control device 50 is also referred to as a vehicle warning system 200. The IVI control device 50 is an example of an "in-vehicle acoustic device."

[0016] The alarm control device 40 and the obstacle sensor M1 are connected by a cable N11. The alarm control device 40 and the obstacle sensor M2 are connected by a cable N12. The alarm control device 40 and the obstacle sensor M3 are connected by a cable N13. The alarm control device 40 and the obstacle sensor M4 are connected by a cable N14. The alarm control device 40 and the alarm sound speaker 21 are connected by a cable N15. The alarm control device 40 and the IVI control device 50 are connected by a cable N16.

[0017] The IVI controller 50 and the front right speaker 31 are connected by a cable N21. The IVI controller 50 and the front left speaker 32 are connected by a cable N22. The IVI controller 50 and the rear right speaker 33 are connected by a cable N23. The IVI controller 50 and the rear left speaker 34 are connected by a cable N24.

[0018] The IVI control device 50 is an information processing device that causes the IVI speaker 30 to output sound in response to requests from occupants of the vehicle 100. The IVI control device 50 causes the IVI speaker 30 to output sounds of various content, such as background music for video content such as movies and dramas, various types of music such as classical music, jazz, and pop music, and recitations.

[0019] The alarm control device 40 is an information processing device that controls the output of an alarm sound. The alarm control device 40 receives detection signals from obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 that detect obstacles via cables N11, N12, N13, and N14. Upon receiving the detection signals from the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4, the alarm control device 40 causes the alarm speaker 21 to output an alarm sound and instructs the IVI control device 50 via cable N16 to output an alarm sound. Upon receiving the instruction from the alarm control device 40, the IVI control device 50 causes at least one of the front right speaker 31, the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34 to output an alarm sound.

[0020] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the alarm control device 40 according to the embodiment. The alarm control device 40 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 401, a main memory 402, an auxiliary memory 403, a first connection unit 404, a second connection unit 405, and a connection bus B1. The CPU 401, the main memory 402, the auxiliary memory 403, the first connection unit 404, and the second connection unit 405 are interconnected by the connection bus B1.

[0021] The CPU 401 is also referred to as a microprocessor unit (MPU) or processor. The CPU 401 is not limited to a single processor and may have a multiprocessor configuration. Furthermore, a single CPU 401 connected via a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. At least a portion of the processing performed by the CPU 401 may be performed by a processor other than the CPU 401, such as a dedicated processor such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a numerical calculation processor, a vector processor, or an image processing processor. Furthermore, at least a portion of the processing performed by the CPU 401 may be performed by an integrated circuit (IC) or other digital circuit. Furthermore, at least a portion of the CPU 401 may include an analog circuit. Integrated circuits include large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and programmable logic devices (PLDs). PLDs include, for example, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The CPU 401 may be a combination of a processor and an integrated circuit. This combination is called, for example, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a system LSI, or a chipset. In the alarm control device 40, the CPU 401 loads a program stored in the auxiliary memory 403 into the work area of ​​the main memory 402, and controls peripheral devices through the execution of the program. This enables the alarm control device 40 to execute processing that meets a predetermined purpose. The main memory 402 and the auxiliary memory 403 are recording media that can be read by the CPU 401.

[0022] The main storage unit 402 is exemplified as a storage unit that is directly accessed by the CPU 401. The main storage unit 402 includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM).

[0023] The auxiliary storage unit 403 stores various programs and various data on a recording medium in a readable and writable manner. The auxiliary storage unit 403 is also called an external storage device. The auxiliary storage unit 403 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. The auxiliary storage unit 403 is, for example, connected to a computer network. It may also include other information processing devices and external storage devices connected via a network or the like.

[0024] The auxiliary storage unit 403 is, for example, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The auxiliary storage unit 403 is also, for example, a compact disc (CD) drive device, a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive device, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD) drive device, etc.

[0025] The first connection unit 404 is a connection interface with the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4. The second connection unit 405 is a connection interface with the IVI control device 50.

[0026] <Processing block of alarm control device 40> 4 is a diagram showing an example of a processing block of the alarm control device 40 according to the embodiment. The alarm control device 40 includes a control unit 41 and an instruction unit 42. The alarm control device 40 executes the processing of each unit of the alarm control device 40, such as the control unit 41 and the instruction unit 42, by having the CPU 401 execute a computer program that is deployed in an executable manner in the main memory unit 402.

[0027] When the control unit 41 receives a detection signal from the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, M4 that have detected an obstacle, it causes the alarm speaker 21 to output an alarm sound.

[0028] When the control unit 41 receives a detection signal from the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 that have detected an obstacle, the instruction unit 42 transmits an alarm sound output instruction to the IVI control device 50 to instruct the IVI control device 50 to output an alarm sound. Upon receiving the alarm sound output instruction, the IVI control device 50 causes the IVI speaker 30 to output the alarm sound. Note that when instructing the IVI control device 50 to output the alarm sound, the instruction unit 42 may also instruct the IVI speaker 30 to lower the volume of the sound of the content being output (or to stop outputting the sound of the content).

[0029] <Processing flow of the alarm control device 40> 5 shows an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device 40 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device 40 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] In step S1, the control unit 41 determines whether or not a detection signal has been received from any of the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4. If a detection signal has been received (YES in step S1), the process proceeds to step S2. If a detection signal has not been received (NO in step S1), the process of step S1 is repeated.

[0031] In step S2, control unit 41 causes alarm speaker 21 to output an alarm sound. In step S3, instruction unit 42 transmits an alarm sound output instruction to IVI control device 50 to output an alarm sound. Upon receiving the alarm sound output instruction, IVI control device 50 causes IVI speaker 30 to output the alarm sound. Note that the order of the processes in steps S2 and S3 may be reversed.

[0032] <Effects of the embodiment> According to this embodiment, when an obstacle is detected, an alarm sound is output from the IVI speaker 30 in addition to the alarm sound speaker 21. As described above, the IVI speaker 30 can have a larger diameter and input power than the alarm sound speaker 21. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the alarm control device 40 can output announcements and the like in a more natural sound than when an alarm sound is output only from the alarm sound speaker 21. In addition, the alarm control device 40 can output an IVI speaker 30 in a more natural sound than when an alarm sound is output only from the alarm sound speaker 21. If an instruction is also given to lower the volume of the sound of the content being output by the VI speaker 30 (or to stop output of the sound of the content), the warning sound can be heard more clearly by the occupants of the vehicle 100.

[0033] As described above, the warning speaker 21 can output a warning sound immediately when it should be output, for example, when an obstacle sensor detects an obstacle. According to this embodiment, even if the IVI control device 50 is under heavy processing load or is currently running and cannot output a warning sound at the desired timing, the warning sound from the warning speaker 21 can be heard by the occupants without delay.

[0034] <First Modification> In the embodiment described above, announcements and the like are output in a natural sound by outputting an alarm sound from the alarm sound speaker 21 and the IVI speaker 30. In the first modified example, an example will be described in which an alarm sound is output to inform the driver of the vehicle 100 of the direction of a detected obstacle. Components common to the embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. The first modified example will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0035] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a processing block of an alarm control device 40A according to the first modification. The alarm control device 40A differs from the alarm control device 40 according to the embodiment in that it includes a control unit 41A instead of the control unit 41 and an instruction unit 42A instead of the instruction unit 42.

[0036] When the control unit 41A receives a detection signal from an obstacle sensor M1, M2, M3, or M4 that has detected an obstacle, it determines which of the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, or M4 is the source of the detection signal. Furthermore, when the control unit 41A receives a detection signal from an obstacle sensor M1, M2, M3, or M4, it waits for a predetermined time and then causes the alarm speaker 21 to output an alarm sound. The predetermined time is, for example, about several tens of milliseconds.

[0037] The instruction unit 42A transmits to the IVI control device 50 an instruction to output an alarm sound specifying the IVI speaker 30 corresponding to the obstacle sensor determined by the control unit 41A. Here, the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 are associated with the IVI speakers 30 by direction. In the first modified example, the front right speaker 31 corresponds to the obstacle sensor M1 located on the right front side, the front left speaker 32 corresponds to the obstacle sensor M2 located on the left front side, the rear right speaker 33 corresponds to the obstacle sensor M3 located on the right rear side, and the rear left speaker 34 corresponds to the obstacle sensor M4 located on the left rear side.

[0038] The correspondence between the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 and the IVI speakers 30 is stored in advance in, for example, the auxiliary storage unit 403. The instruction unit 42A may then identify the IVI speaker 30 corresponding to the obstacle sensor by, for example, referring to the correspondence stored in the auxiliary storage unit 403. Upon receiving the instruction to output an alarm sound, the IVI control device 50 causes the IVI speaker 30 specified in the instruction to output an alarm sound to output an alarm sound.

[0039] <Processing flow of alarm control device 40A> 7 shows an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device 40A according to the first modified example. Hereinafter, an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device 40 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0040] In step S1A, the control unit 41A determines whether or not detection signals have been received from the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4. If a detection signal has been received (YES in step S1A), the process proceeds to step S11. If a detection signal has not been received (NO in step S1A), the process of step S1A is repeated.

[0041] In step S11, the control unit 41A determines which of the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 is the obstacle sensor that is the transmission source of the detection signal.

[0042] In step S3A, the instruction unit 42A transmits an alarm sound output instruction specifying the IVI speaker 30 corresponding to the detection signal determined in step S11 to the IVI control device 50. Upon receiving the alarm sound output instruction, the IVI control device 50 causes the IVI speaker 30 specified in the alarm sound output instruction to output an alarm sound.

[0043] In step S4, the control unit 41 waits for a predetermined time after receiving the detection signal in step S1A, and then causes the alarm speaker 21 to output an alarm sound.

[0044] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the output timing of the alarm sound speaker 21 and the IVI speaker 30 in the first modified example. As illustrated in Fig. 8, in the first modified example, the control unit 41A waits for several tens of milliseconds before causing the alarm sound speaker 21 to output an alarm sound, so that the interval between the output of the alarm sound by the IVI speaker 30 and the output of the alarm sound by the alarm sound speaker 21 is several tens of milliseconds.

[0045] That is, the driver of the vehicle 100 will hear the warning sound from the IVI speaker 30 corresponding to the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 before hearing the warning sound from the warning sound speaker 21. When the warning sound is heard in this way, the warning control device 40A can make the driver of the vehicle 100 aware of the direction of the sound source of the warning sound (the direction of the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4) by using the precedence sound effect.

[0046] In the first modification, if the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 can also detect the distance to an obstacle, the volume of the warning sound output by the IVI speaker 30 may be controlled according to the distance between the detected obstacle and the vehicle 100. In other words, the closer the distance between the detected obstacle and the vehicle 100, the louder the volume of the warning sound output by the IVI speaker 30 may be.

[0047] Furthermore, when an obstacle detected by obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 moves (for example, when an obstacle moves from right to left, and a detection signal is received from obstacle sensor M2 after receiving a detection signal from obstacle sensor M1), instruction unit 42A may send an alarm sound output instruction to IVI control device 50 so as to output an alarm sound from front right speaker 31, and then output an alarm sound from front left speaker 32 while gradually decreasing the volume of the alarm sound output from front right speaker 31, and gradually increase the volume of the alarm sound output from front left speaker 32. Controlling the alarm sound in this manner allows the driver of vehicle 100 to be aware of the movement of the obstacle by the alarm sound.

[0048] <Second Modification> In the embodiment described above, the alarm sound speaker 21 is connected to the alarm control device 40, but in the second modified example, a configuration in which the alarm sound speaker 21 is omitted will be described. Components common to the embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Below, the second modified example will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0049] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of connections between a front right speaker 31, a front left speaker 32, a rear right speaker 33, and a rear left speaker 34 in the second modified example. Fig. 9 also illustrates an alarm control device 40B, an IVI control device 50, and a mixer 60. The mixer 60 is disposed on a cable N21.

[0050] The alarm control device 40B is connected to the mixer 60 by a cable N15A. Therefore, the alarm control device 40B is not connected to the alarm speaker 21. Therefore, the alarm control device 40B causes the front right speaker 31 to output an alarm sound via the mixer 60.

[0051] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing block of an alarm control device 40B according to the second modification. The alarm control device 40B differs from the alarm control device 40 according to the embodiment in that it includes a control unit 41B instead of the control unit 41 and an instruction unit 42B instead of the instruction unit 42.

[0052] When the control unit 41B receives a detection signal from the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, M4 that have detected an obstacle, it causes the front right speaker 31 to output an alarm sound via the mixer 60. The output of the alarm sound by the front right speaker 31 is executed after an instruction is given by the instruction unit 42B, which will be described later.

[0053] When the control unit 41B receives a detection signal from the obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 that have detected an obstacle, the instruction unit 42B instructs the IVI control device 50 to lower the volume of the sound of the content being output by the IVI speaker 30 (or to stop outputting the sound of the content).

[0054] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device 40B according to the second modified example. Hereinafter, an example of a processing flow of the alarm control device 40B will be described with reference to FIG.

[0055] In step S21, when control unit 41B receives detection signals from obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 in step S1, instruction unit 42B instructs IVI control device 50 to lower the volume of the sound of the content being output by IVI speaker 30.

[0056] In step S22, the control unit 41B causes the front right speaker 31 to output an alarm sound via the mixer 60.

[0057] According to the second modification, even if the vehicle 100 does not have an alarm speaker 21, the control unit 41B can directly control the front right speaker 31 via the mixer 60 to output an alarm sound at the appropriate timing. The control unit 41B also outputs the alarm sound from speakers other than the front right speaker 31, such as the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34, via the IVI control device 50. This allows the occupants to hear the alarm sound with a luxurious sound. Furthermore, by controlling multiple speakers, the occupants can hear the alarm sound with a sense of direction. Note that while the processing of step S21 in FIG. 11 may be omitted, by executing the processing of step S21, the alarm control device 40B can make the alarm sound more clearly audible to the driver of the vehicle 100. Note that, although the alarm control device 40B is connected to the front right speaker 31 in the second modification, the alarm control device 40B may also be connected to any of the front left speaker 32, the rear right speaker 33, and the rear left speaker 34 other than the front right speaker 31. Furthermore, in the second modified example, the alarm control device 40B is connected to one speaker, the front right speaker 31, but it may be connected to a plurality of speakers.

[0058] <Other variations> In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the IVI speaker 30 lowers the volume of the sound of the content being output or stops the output of the sound of the content. However, such processing does not have to be limited to the entire sound of the content being output. For example, the instruction unit 42 may instruct the IVI control device 50 to lower the volume of the sound of the content being output that is in the same frequency band as the alarm sound, or to stop the sound of the content that is in the same frequency band as the alarm sound. For example, if the alarm sound is in the 1 KHz to 3 KHz band, the instruction unit 42 may instruct the IVI control device 50 to lower the volume of the sound of the content being output that is in the 1 KHz to 3 KHz band. The IVI control device 50 can then lower the volume of the sound in the specified frequency band. By lowering the volume of the sound in the same frequency band as the warning sound among the sounds of the content being output by the IVI speaker 30, the warning sound can be heard more clearly.

[0059] The above-described embodiment and modified examples have been described with reference to an example of an alarm sound that is generated when obstacle sensors M1, M2, M3, and M4 detect an obstacle. However, the number of obstacle sensors does not necessarily have to be four (M1, M2, M3, and M4), and may be one to three, or five or more, and the installation locations do not necessarily have to be at the four corners of the vehicle. For example, obstacle sensors may be installed at the front and rear of the vehicle to detect obstacles in front of and behind the vehicle. The disclosed technology can also be applied to alarm sounds for other events. Examples of alarm sounds for other events include an alarm sound that notifies the driver that a seat belt is not fastened, an alarm sound that notifies the driver that a door of vehicle 100 is not closed, etc.

[0060] The alarm speaker 21 and the alarm control device 40 may also be included in the instrument section 20. The instrument section 20 including the alarm speaker 21 and the alarm control device 40 is an example of a "meter unit."

[0061] The embodiments and modifications disclosed above can be combined with each other.

[0062] <Computer-readable recording medium> An information processing program that causes a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Then, by having the computer, etc. read and execute the program from this recording medium, the function can be provided.

[0063] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically and that can be read by a computer. Among such recording media, those that are removable from a computer include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disc-Rewriteable (CD-RW), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), Blu-ray Disc (BD), Digital Audio Tape (DAT), 8mm tape, flash memory, external hard disk drives, and solid state drives (SSDs). Furthermore, recording media that are fixed to a computer include internal hard disk drives, SSDs, and ROMs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Driver's seat 2...Passenger seat 3. Right rear seat 4. Center rear seat 5. Left rear seat 6. Front right door 7. Front left door 8. Rear right door 9 Rear left door 10. Dashboard 20. Instrument section 21. Alarm speaker 30··IVI Speaker 31 Front right speaker 32 Front left speaker 33 Rear right speaker 34 Rear left speaker 40 Alarm control device 40A Alarm Control Device 40B Alarm control device 41 Control unit 41A··Control unit 41B Control section 42·Instruction section 42A·Instruction section 42B··Instruction section 50··IVI control device 60··Mixer 100 vehicles 200··Vehicle alarm system 401 CPU 402...Main memory 403...Auxiliary storage unit 404··First connection part 405··Second connection part B1 Connecting bus M1 Obstacle Sensor M2 Obstacle Sensor M3··Obstacle Sensor M4··Obstacle Sensor N11 Cable N12 Cable N13 Cable N14 Cable N15 Cable N15A Cable N16 Cable N21 Cable N22 Cable N23 Cable N24 Cable

Claims

1. An alarm device for a vehicle, comprising: an interface capable of communicating with an in-vehicle sound device that controls a first speaker mounted in the vehicle to output sound of content; and a processor that controls a second speaker mounted in the vehicle to output an alarm sound to an occupant in the vehicle, The processor: When the warning sound is output from the second speaker, an output instruction to also output the warning sound from the first speaker is transmitted to the in-vehicle sound device via the interface. Vehicle alarm device.

2. the processor transmits the output instruction to the in-vehicle sound device, the output instruction including an instruction to lower the volume of the sound of the content; 2. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1.

3. the processor transmits the output instruction, which includes an instruction to stop the reproduction of the sound of the content, to the in-vehicle sound device; 2. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1.

4. the warning sound is a sound in a first frequency band, the processor transmits the output instruction to the in-vehicle sound device, the output instruction including an instruction to lower the volume of the first frequency band of the sound of the content; 3. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 2.

5. the first speaker includes a plurality of speakers disposed at a plurality of locations in the vehicle; the processor acquires a position where an obstacle present outside the vehicle is detected, and transmits to the in-vehicle sound device an output instruction to output the warning sound from a speaker, among the plurality of speakers, that is installed at a position corresponding to the position where the obstacle is detected; 2. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1.

6. the plurality of speakers include a front right channel speaker disposed at the front right of the vehicle, a front left channel speaker disposed at the front left of the vehicle, a rear right channel speaker disposed at the rear right of the vehicle, and a rear left channel speaker disposed at the rear left of the vehicle; the vehicle has obstacle sensors disposed at the front right corner, the front left corner, the rear right corner, and the rear left corner of the vehicle, each of which detects the obstacle present outside the vehicle; the processor receives a signal indicating that the obstacle has been detected from any one of the obstacle sensors, and transmits to the in-vehicle sound device an output instruction to output the warning sound from one of the first speakers, which is installed at a position corresponding to the position of the obstacle sensor that detected the obstacle; 6. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 5.

7. the processor outputs the warning sound from the second speaker after a predetermined time has elapsed since the warning sound was output from the first speaker; 6. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 5.

8. When the position of the detected obstacle has moved, the processor transmits to the in-vehicle acoustic device an output instruction to output the warning sound from the first speaker installed at a position corresponding to the position to which the obstacle has moved.

6. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 5.

9. An alarm device for a vehicle, comprising: an interface capable of communicating with an in-vehicle sound device that controls a plurality of first speakers mounted in a vehicle to output sounds of content; and a processor that controls some of the first speakers to output an alarm sound to an occupant in the vehicle, The processor: an output process of outputting the alarm sound from the first speaker; When outputting the warning sound from some of the first speakers, an output instruction to output the warning sound from the other speakers excluding the some of the first speakers is transmitted to the in-vehicle acoustic device via the interface. Vehicle alarm device.

10. a first speaker and a second speaker mounted in a vehicle; an in-vehicle sound device that controls the first speaker to output sound of the content; a vehicle alarm device that controls the second speaker to output an alarm sound to an occupant in the vehicle, The vehicle alarm device includes: an output process of outputting the alarm sound from the second speaker; a transmission process of transmitting, to the in-vehicle acoustic device, an output instruction to also output the warning sound from the first speaker when the warning sound is output from the second speaker; The in-vehicle acoustic device is When the output instruction is received from the vehicle alarm device, the alarm sound is output from the first speaker. Vehicle alarm systems.

11. A meter unit is provided in a vehicle having an in-vehicle sound device that controls a first speaker that outputs sound of reproduced content, and in which instruments that notify a passenger of information related to the running of the vehicle are provided, A second speaker; a vehicle alarm device connected to the in-vehicle sound device and the second speaker, The vehicle alarm device includes: an output process of outputting an alarm sound from the second speaker; a transmission process of transmitting, to the in-vehicle acoustic device, an output instruction to also output the warning sound from the first speaker when the warning sound is output from the second speaker; Meter unit.

Images