Method

Abstract

To improve a technology for identifying a position of an utterer in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A method is executed by a vehicle that comprises a control part, and a plurality of seating sensors and a plurality of sound pressure sensors, provided for a plurality of seats, respectively. The method includes that the control part identifies the seat higher in sound pressure level, detected by the sound pressure sensor, than the other seats as the seat on which an utterer sits, from among the seats where the seating sensor detects the existence of a seated person.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that a speaker's position can be identified in a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a voice processing device that identifies the speaker's position based on the sound pressure level of each voice picked up by a microphone unit corresponding to each seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-160181 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the location of a speaker is determined based solely on sound pressure level, there is a risk of the location being misidentified. Thus, there is room for improvement in the technology for determining the location of a speaker in a vehicle.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for identifying the position of a speaker in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method executed by a vehicle having a plurality of seating sensors and a plurality of sound pressure sensors respectively provided in a plurality of seats, and a control unit, and includes the control unit identifying, among the seats in which the seating sensors detect the presence of a person seated, a seat in which the sound pressure level detected by the sound pressure sensor is greater than that of other seats, as the seat in which the speaker is sitting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology for identifying the location of a speaker in a vehicle can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle interior according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a vehicle according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0010] An overview of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0011] The vehicle 10 according to this embodiment is any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or an FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The vehicle 10 may be capable of moving by autonomous driving. Autonomous driving includes, for example, levels 1 to 5 defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), but is not limited to these and may be defined arbitrarily. The vehicle 10 may also be a dedicated MaaS vehicle. "MaaS" is an abbreviation for Mobility as a Service.

[0012] The vehicle 10 includes a plurality of seating sensors 16 and a plurality of sound pressure sensors 17, each of which is provided in a plurality of seats ST. Among the seats in which the seating sensors 16 detect the presence of a person seated, the vehicle 10 identifies the seat ST in which the sound pressure level detected by the sound pressure sensors 17 is greater than that of the other seats ST as the seat ST in which the speaker is sitting.

[0013] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a more accurate technique than when the position of a speaker is identified based only on sound pressure level, thereby improving the technique for identifying the position of a speaker in a vehicle.

[0014] Next, the configuration of vehicle 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Vehicle 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input unit 14, an output unit 15, a seating sensor 16, and a sound pressure sensor 17. The components of vehicle 10 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other, for example, via dedicated lines.

[0015] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, at least one ECU, or any combination thereof. "ECU" is an abbreviation for electronic control unit. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The control unit 11 controls each part of the vehicle 10 and executes processes related to the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0016] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The storage unit 12 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores data used in the operation of the vehicle 10 and data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0017] The communication unit 13 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G standard, or 5G standard, an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a LAN interface. The communication unit 13 receives data used in the operation of the vehicle 10 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0018] The input unit 14 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, a camera, or a microphone. The input unit 14 accepts an operation to input data used for the operation of the vehicle 10. The input unit 14 may be connected to the vehicle 10 as an external input device instead of being provided in the vehicle 10. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0019] The output unit 15 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output unit 15 outputs data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 10. The output unit 15 may be connected to the vehicle 10 as an external output device instead of being provided in the vehicle 10. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0020] The seating sensor 16 is provided in each seat ST of the vehicle 10 and detects whether or not a person is sitting on the seat based on a change in weight on the seat. The seating sensor 16 outputs information indicating the detection result to the control unit 11. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the interior of the vehicle 10 equipped with seats ST1 to ST4 as the seats ST. In FIG. 2, the seating sensors 16A to 16D are provided inside each of the seats ST1 to ST4.

[0021] The sound pressure sensor 17 includes a microphone and is provided in each seat ST of the vehicle 10. The sound pressure sensor 17 detects sound pressure by converting changes in air pressure received by the microphone into a signal. The sound pressure sensor 17 outputs information indicating the detection result to the control unit 11. In FIG. 2, the sound pressure sensors 17A to 17D are provided on the backrest side of each of the seats ST1 to ST4. The locations at which the sound pressure sensors 17 are provided are not limited to these, and they may be provided in any location, such as on the ceiling surface above each seat.

[0022] The functions of the vehicle 10 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10. That is, the functions of the vehicle 10 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the vehicle 10, thereby causing the computer to function as the vehicle 10. That is, the computer functions as the vehicle 10 by executing the operations of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the control program.

[0023] The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In this embodiment, the non-transitory computer-readable medium is a ROM. Non-transitory computer-readable media are not limited to this, and include, for example, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, and magneto-optical recording media. The program is distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as DVDs or CD-ROMs that store the program. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may be distributed by storing it in the storage of a server and transferring it from the server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0024] A computer temporarily stores a program stored on a portable medium or transferred from a server in its main storage device. The computer then reads the program stored in the main storage device using a processor and executes processing in accordance with the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from a portable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. The computer may also execute processing in accordance with the received program each time a program is transferred from a server to the computer. Processing may also be executed through a so-called ASP-type service that achieves its function simply by issuing an execution command and obtaining the results, without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. Programs include information used for processing by a computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that does not directly instruct a computer but has properties that define computer processing falls under the category of "equivalent to a program."

[0025] Some or all of the functions of the vehicle 10 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 11. In other words, some or all of the functions of the vehicle 10 may be realized by hardware.

[0026] 2 and 3, the operation of the system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Among these operations, the operation of the vehicle 10 corresponds to the method according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 starts the operation from S101 when it acquires information indicating the result of detecting sound pressure from at least one of the multiple sound pressure sensors 17 provided in each of the multiple seats ST provided in the vehicle 10.

[0027] In S101 of FIG. 3, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 identifies, as candidate seats, seats in which the seating sensor 16 detects that a person is seated. In this example, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results from each of the seating sensors 16A to 16D provided in each of the seats ST1 to ST4 in FIG. 2. In this example, it is assumed that the seating sensors 16A and 16B output information indicating that a person is seated as a detection result, and the seating sensors 16C and 16D output information indicating that a person is not seated as a detection result. In this case, the control unit 11 identifies seats ST1 and ST2 as candidate seats.

[0028] In S102, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results from the sound pressure sensors 17 provided in the candidate seats identified in S101. In this example, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results from the sound pressure sensors 17A and 17B provided in the seats ST1 and ST2, respectively.

[0029] In S103, the control unit 11 identifies, from among the candidate seats identified in S101, the seat for which the sound pressure indicated by the information acquired in S102 is the largest, as the speaker's seat. In this example, the control unit 11 compares the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17A with the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17B, based on information indicating the detection results acquired from each of sound pressure sensors 17A and 17B. In this example, it is assumed that the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17A is greater than the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17B. The control unit 11 identifies seat ST1, where sound pressure sensor 17A is provided, as the speaker's seat.

[0030] The control unit 11 may control each unit of the vehicle 10 to perform various functions for the seat identified as the speaker's seat. For example, the control unit 11 may receive voice input via an input unit 14 provided on the side of the seat ST identified as the speaker's seat, or may output voice guidance or the like via an output unit 15 provided on the side of the seat ST.

[0031] In S104, the control unit 11 determines whether to end the identification of the speaker's seat. Any method may be used for this determination. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire information indicating the detection results from each of the seating sensors 16, and when it determines based on the information that no one is sitting in any of the seats, it may determine to end the identification of the speaker's seat. Thereafter, the operation of the vehicle 10 ends.

[0032] As a modified example, an example of a processing flow performed by the vehicle 10, which differs from the above-described embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The following processing flow shows the operation performed by the control unit 11 for each of the multiple seats ST as a target seat. The following processing flow may be performed simultaneously for each target seat. The following processing flow from S201 onwards is an example of the flow performed by the control unit 11 for seat ST1 as the target seat. In this modified example, the control unit 11 starts the operation from S201 when it acquires information indicating the detection result of sound pressure from at least one of the multiple sound pressure sensors 17 provided in each of the multiple seats ST provided in the vehicle 10.

[0033] 4, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results from the sound pressure sensor 17 provided in the target seat and the sound pressure sensors 17 provided in the seats other than the target seat. In this example, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results from the sound pressure sensor 17A provided in the seat ST1 as the target seat and the sound pressure sensors 17B to 17D provided in the seats ST2 to ST4 other than the target seat.

[0034] In S202, the control unit 11 determines whether the sound pressure detected by the sound pressure sensor 17 of the target seat is the maximum sound pressure compared to the sound pressures detected by the other sound pressure sensors 17, based on the information acquired in S201. If it is determined that it is the maximum sound pressure, the operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S203. If it is determined that it is not the maximum sound pressure, the operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S205. In this example, the control unit 11 compares the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17A with the sound pressures detected by each of sound pressure sensors 17B to 17D, and determines whether the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17A is the maximum sound pressure. In this example, it is assumed that the sound pressure detected by sound pressure sensor 17A is the maximum sound pressure. The operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S203.

[0035] In S203, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection result output by the seating sensor 16 of the target seat, and determines whether or not the seating sensor 16 has detected that a person is sitting, based on the information. If it has detected that a person is sitting, the operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S204. If it has not detected that a person is sitting, the operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S207. In this example, it is assumed that the control unit 11 has acquired information from the seating sensor 16A indicating that a person is sitting as the detection result. The operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S204.

[0036] In S204, the control unit 11 identifies the target seat as the speaker's seat. In this example, the control unit 11 identifies the seat ST1 as the speaker's seat.

[0037] Next, a case will be described in S202 where the control unit 11 determines that the sound pressure detected by the sound pressure sensor 17 of the target seat is not the maximum sound pressure compared with the sound pressures detected by the other sound pressure sensors 17. In S205, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results from the seating sensors 16 provided on the target seat and the seating sensors 16 provided on seats other than the target seat.

[0038] In S206, the control unit 11 determines whether or not only the detection result of the seating sensor 16 of the target seat indicates that a person is sitting. If it is determined that only the detection result of the seating sensor 16 of the target seat indicates that a person is sitting, the operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S204. On the other hand, if it is determined that the detection result of at least one seating sensor 16 other than the seating sensor 16 of the target seat indicates that a person is sitting, or if it is determined that the detection results of the seating sensors 16 of all seats indicate that a person is not sitting, the operation of the control unit 11 proceeds to S207.

[0039] In S207, the control unit 11 determines to follow the processing flow for seats other than the target seat. As a result, the control unit 11 can control each part of the vehicle 10 to perform various functions for the seat identified as the speaker's seat in S204 of the processing flow for seats other than the target seat.

[0040] S208 is similar to S104 in FIG. 3 according to the above embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, two or more blocks shown in the block diagrams may be integrated, or one block may be divided. Two or more steps shown in the flowcharts may be executed in parallel or in a different order, instead of being executed in chronological order as described, depending on the processing capabilities of the devices executing each step, or as needed. Other modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 vehicles 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 14 Input section 15 Output section 16, 16A~16D Seat sensor 17, 17A~17D Sound pressure sensor

Claims

[Claim 1] A method executed by a vehicle including a plurality of seating sensors and a plurality of sound pressure sensors provided in a plurality of seats, respectively, and a control unit, The method includes the control unit identifying, among the seats in which the seating sensor detects the presence of a person seated, a seat in which the sound pressure level detected by the sound pressure sensor is greater than that of other seats, as the seat in which the speaker is sitting.

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