Speaker systems and mobile units

Abstract

To provide a speaker system that enables a plurality of occupants on board a mobile object to simultaneously enjoy their own favorite music or the like.SOLUTION: A speaker system 2 includes a first speaker unit 22 arranged between a first front seat 6 and a second front seat 8. The first speaker unit 22 includes: a mounting portion 32 on which a portable terminal 26 incorporating a voice coil 50 can be mounted; sensor coils 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d arranged to face the voice coil 50 of the portable terminal 26 placed on the mounting portion 32 and generating a first audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by a magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50; and a first speaker 38 that outputs audio based on the first audio signal toward the first front seat 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a speaker system and a moving object. [Background Art]

[0002] A speaker system mounted in the cabin of a vehicle such as an automobile is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A conventional speaker system includes a head unit arranged on an instrument panel of a vehicle and a plurality of speakers respectively arranged inside each of a plurality of doors of the vehicle. By wirelessly connecting a portable terminal such as a passenger's smartphone to the head unit via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like, sounds such as music reproduced on the portable terminal are simultaneously output from the plurality of speakers. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese National Publication No. 2015-510309 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional speaker system, when a plurality of passengers are in a vehicle, there arises a problem that each passenger cannot simultaneously enjoy their own preferred music or the like at the same time.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a speaker system and a moving object that enable each passenger to simultaneously enjoy their own preferred music or the like when a plurality of passengers are on the moving object. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] A speaker system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a speaker system arranged in the interior of a mobile vehicle equipped with a first seat and a second seat arranged side by side, comprising a speaker unit arranged between the first seat and the second seat, the speaker unit comprising: a first mounting portion on which a first portable terminal having a first voice coil built into it can be mounted; a first sensor coil arranged to face the first voice coil of the first portable terminal mounted on the first mounting portion and generating a first audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by a magnetic field generated by the first voice coil; and a first speaker that outputs audio based on the first audio signal toward at least one of the first seat and the second seat.

[0007] These comprehensive or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), or as any combination of a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, when multiple passengers are on board a mobile vehicle, each passenger can simultaneously enjoy their preferred music or other content. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with the speaker system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 1, viewed from a different direction than Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 1 when a mobile terminal is placed in the forward direction. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 1 when the mobile terminal is mounted in the reverse direction. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with the speaker system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 2, viewed from a different direction than that shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a plan view showing the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 2 when a mobile terminal is placed in the forward direction. [Figure 11] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first speaker unit according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A speaker system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a speaker system arranged in the interior of a mobile vehicle equipped with a first seat and a second seat arranged side by side, comprising a speaker unit arranged between the first seat and the second seat, the speaker unit comprising: a first mounting portion on which a first portable terminal having a first voice coil built into it can be mounted; a first sensor coil arranged to face the first voice coil of the first portable terminal mounted on the first mounting portion and generating a first audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by a magnetic field generated by the first voice coil; and a first speaker that outputs audio based on the first audio signal toward at least one of the first seat and the second seat.

[0011] According to this aspect, when a passenger sitting in the first seat or the second seat wants to listen to music or the like of his / her preference, by placing the first mobile terminal on the first placement portion of the speaker unit, sound such as music from the first speaker of the speaker unit is output toward at least one of the first seat and the second seat. Accordingly, when a plurality of passengers are on board the mobile body, each passenger can simultaneously enjoy music or the like of his / her own preference respectively.

[0012] Further, in the speaker system according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the speaker unit may further be configured to include a positioning portion for positioning the first mobile terminal with respect to the first placement portion.

[0013] According to this aspect, since the positioning portion positions the first mobile terminal with respect to the first placement portion, the positional relationship between the first voice coil of the first mobile terminal and the first sensor coil can be maintained even when, for example, the mobile body vibrates during movement.

[0014] Further, in the speaker system according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the speaker unit may further be configured to include a filter for removing noise included in the first audio signal from the first sensor coil.

[0015] According to this aspect, since the filter removes noise included in the first audio signal from the first sensor coil, the sound output from the first speaker can be kept clear.

[0016] Furthermore, in the speaker system according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to third aspects, a pair of said first sensor coils are provided, said first speaker outputs sound based on said first audio signal generated by one of said pair of first sensor coils toward said first seat, and said speaker unit may further be configured to comprise a second speaker that outputs sound based on said first audio signal generated by the other of said pair of first sensor coils toward said second seat.

[0017] According to this aspect, when a first passenger and a second passenger respectively seated in the first seat and the second seat desire to listen to their favorite music or the like, by placing the first mobile terminal on the first placement portion of the speaker unit, sound such as music from the first speaker and the second speaker is output toward the first seat and the second seat respectively. Accordingly, when a plurality of passengers are on board a mobile body, each passenger can simultaneously enjoy their own favorite music or the like individually.

[0018] Furthermore, in the speaker system according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to third aspects, said first speaker outputs sound based on said first audio signal toward said first seat, and said speaker unit may further be configured to comprise: a second placement portion on which a second mobile terminal having a built-in second voice coil can be placed; a second sensor coil arranged to face said second voice coil of said second mobile terminal placed on said second placement portion, the second sensor coil generating a second audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by a magnetic field generated in said second voice coil; and a second speaker that outputs sound based on said second audio signal toward said second seat.

[0019] According to this embodiment, when a first passenger seated in the first seat wishes to listen to their preferred music, etc., they can place their first mobile device on the first mounting part of the speaker unit, and the sound of the music, etc., from the first speaker will be output towards the first seat. Similarly, when a second passenger seated in the second seat wishes to listen to their preferred music, etc., they can place their second mobile device on the second mounting part of the speaker unit, and the sound of the music, etc., from the second speaker will be output towards the second seat. This allows each passenger to simultaneously enjoy their preferred music, etc., when multiple passengers are on board the mobile vehicle.

[0020] Furthermore, in a speaker system according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one aspect of the first to fifth aspects, the moving body is a vehicle, and the speaker unit may be configured to include a first speaker unit which is the second seat and is positioned between a first front seat which is the first seat and a second front seat, and a second speaker unit which is positioned between a first rear seat which is the first seat and is positioned behind the first front seat and a second rear seat which is the second seat and is positioned behind the second front seat.

[0021] According to this embodiment, for example, when a first passenger and a second passenger are seated in the first front seat and the second front seat of the vehicle, respectively, sound such as music from the first speaker unit can be output towards at least one of the first front seat and the second front seat. Also, for example, when a third passenger and a fourth passenger are seated in the first rear seat and the second rear seat of the vehicle, respectively, sound such as music from the second speaker unit can be output towards at least one of the first rear seat and the second rear seat. This allows each passenger to simultaneously enjoy their preferred music or other audio when multiple passengers are in the vehicle.

[0022] Furthermore, the mobile body according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure comprises a first seat, a second seat adjacent to the first seat, and a speaker system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, positioned between the first and second seats.

[0023] According to this embodiment, when multiple passengers are on board a mobile vehicle, each passenger can simultaneously enjoy their preferred music or other content.

[0024] These comprehensive or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or as any combination of a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium.

[0025] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, those not described in the independent claim representing the highest-level concept will be described as optional components.

[0027] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Overview of the Speaker System] First, an overview of the speaker system 2 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle 4 equipped with the speaker system 2 according to Embodiment 1.

[0028] In Figure 1, the left-right direction of vehicle 4 is defined as the X-axis, the front-rear direction of vehicle 4 as the Y-axis, and the up-down direction of vehicle 4 as the Z-axis. In this specification, the positive side of the X-axis is defined as "right," the negative side of the X-axis as "left," the positive side of the Y-axis as "front," the negative side of the Y-axis as "rear," the positive side of the Z-axis as "up," and the negative side of the Z-axis as "down."

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the speaker system 2 is located inside the cabin of a vehicle 4 (an example of a mobile object), such as an automobile (an example of the interior of a mobile object). In this embodiment, the vehicle 4 is a right-hand drive automobile.

[0030] In the front of the passenger compartment of vehicle 4, a first front seat 6 (an example of a first seat) and a second front seat 8 (an example of a second seat) are mounted side by side. The first front seat 6 is, for example, the driver's seat, and the first passenger 10 (driver) is seated in the first front seat 6. The second front seat 8 is, for example, the passenger seat, and the second passenger 12 is seated in the second front seat 8.

[0031] In this specification, "side-by-side" means an arrangement in which the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8 are aligned laterally (for example, in the X-axis direction) such that the first passenger 10 seated in the first front seat 6 and the second passenger 12 seated in the second front seat 8 are both facing the same direction (for example, the positive side of the Y-axis).

[0032] Furthermore, in the rear of the vehicle's interior, a first rear seat 14 (an example of a first seat) and a second rear seat 16 (an example of a second seat) are mounted side by side. The first rear seat 14 is positioned behind the first front seat 6, and a third passenger 18 is seated in the first rear seat 14. The second rear seat 16 is positioned behind the second front seat 8, and a fourth passenger 20 is seated in the second rear seat 16.

[0033] The speaker system 2 includes a first speaker unit 22 (an example of a speaker unit) positioned between the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8, and a second speaker unit 24 (an example of a speaker unit) positioned between the first rear seat 14 and the second rear seat 16. The first speaker unit 22 and the second speaker unit 24 have the same configuration.

[0034] The first speaker unit 22 is integrated with, for example, the front center console and outputs first sound to the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8, respectively. The first sound is sound played by a first application running on a mobile device 26 (an example of the first mobile device), such as a smartphone or tablet, carried by the first passenger 10 or the second passenger 12. For example, the first application is a music player, and the first sound is the sound of music.

[0035] Furthermore, the second speaker unit 24 is integrated with, for example, the rear center console and outputs a second sound to the first rear seat 14 and the second rear seat 16, respectively. The second sound is audio played by a second application running on a mobile device 28 (an example of the first mobile device), such as a smartphone or tablet, carried by the third passenger 18 or the fourth passenger 20. For example, the second application is a radio, and the second sound is the audio of a radio program. Note that the first sound and the second sound are different from each other.

[0036] [1-2. Configuration of the first speaker unit] As described above, the first speaker unit 22 and the second speaker unit 24 have the same configuration, so only the configuration of the first speaker unit 22 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 5.

[0037] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1, viewed from a different direction than that shown in Figure 2.

[0038] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1 when the mobile terminal 26 is placed in the forward direction. Specifically, Figure 4(a) is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1 before the mobile terminal 26 is placed in the forward direction, and Figure 4(b) is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1 after the mobile terminal 26 is placed in the forward direction.

[0039] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1 when the mobile terminal 26 is placed in the reverse direction. Specifically, Figure 5(a) is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1 before the mobile terminal 26 is placed in the reverse direction, and Figure 5(b) is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1 after the mobile terminal 26 is placed in the reverse direction.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first speaker unit 22 comprises a housing 30, a mounting section 32 (an example of the first mounting section), a positioning section 34, a plurality of sensor coils 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d (an example of the first sensor coils), a first speaker 38, and a second speaker 40.

[0041] The housing 30 is formed in a hollow, box-like shape. The housing 30 is integrated with the front center console inside the passenger compartment of, for example, a vehicle 4 (see Figure 1). That is, the housing 30 is positioned between the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8 of the vehicle 4. As shown in Figure 2, a circular first opening 42 is formed on the side of the housing 30 facing the first front seat 6. Also, as shown in Figure 3, a circular second opening 44 is formed on the side of the housing 30 facing the second front seat 8.

[0042] The mounting section 32 is a flat mounting surface formed on the upper surface of the housing 30. A mobile terminal 26 can be mounted on the mounting section 32.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal 26 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. A touch panel display 46 is positioned on the main surface of the mobile terminal 26. A physical button 48 is positioned on the front side (negative side of the Y-axis) in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the main surface of the mobile terminal 26.

[0044] The mobile terminal 26 houses a voice coil 50 (an example of a first voice coil) and a diaphragm (not shown) that constitute a microspeaker. The voice coil 50 is positioned slightly in front of the center in the longitudinal direction of the mobile terminal 26. When a current representing an audio signal flows through the voice coil 50, the voice coil 50 vibrates in response to the audio signal. At this time, a magnetic field is generated in the voice coil 50. The vibration of the voice coil 50 is transmitted to the diaphragm, and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26. Note that the mobile terminal 28 (see Figure 1) has the same configuration as the mobile terminal 26.

[0045] The positioning section 34 is for positioning the mobile terminal 26 relative to the mounting section 32. There are four positioning sections 34 on the mounting section 32, each corresponding to one of the four corners of the mobile terminal 26. Each of the four positioning sections 34 is formed in a roughly L-shape in an XY plan view and protrudes upward from the mounting section 32. The mobile terminal 26 is positioned relative to the mounting section 32 by placing the mobile terminal 26 on the mounting section 32 so that each of its four corners contacts one of the four positioning sections 34 and the touch panel display 46 faces upward.

[0046] In this state, with the mobile terminal 26 positioned relative to the mounting section 32, the voice coil 50 of the mobile terminal 26 is positioned to face the pair of sensor coils 36a, 36b (or the pair of sensor coils 36c, 36d). This prevents the mobile terminal 26 from sliding on the mounting section 32, even if the vehicle 4 vibrates while driving, and maintains the positional relationship between the voice coil 50 and the pair of sensor coils 36a, 36b (or the pair of sensor coils 36c, 36d).

[0047] Multiple sensor coils 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d are arranged inside the housing 30. Specifically, a pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b are positioned slightly rearward of the vehicle 4 (negative side of the Y-axis) from the center of the mounting section 32, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) of the vehicle 4. A pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d are positioned slightly forward of the vehicle 4 (positive side of the Y-axis) from the center of the mounting section 32, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction of the vehicle 4.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), when the mobile terminal 26 is placed on the mounting section 32 in the forward direction, the voice coil 50 of the mobile terminal 26 is positioned to face the pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b. "Forward direction" refers to the orientation of the mobile terminal 26 such that the physical button 48 (voice coil 50) is facing forward when viewed from the rear to the front of the vehicle 4. In this state, when sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26, electromagnetic induction occurs in each of the pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b due to the magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50. At this time, the volume of the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26 may be, for example, the minimum volume (excluding mute).

[0049] As a result, a current representing an audio signal (an example of a first audio signal) flows through each of the pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b by electromagnetic induction. That is, each of the pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b generates an audio signal representing the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26 by electromagnetic induction. Sensor coil 36a outputs the generated audio signal to the first speaker 38. Sensor coil 36b also outputs the generated audio signal to the second speaker 40.

[0050] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), when the mobile terminal 26 is placed on the mounting section 32 in the reverse direction, the voice coil 50 of the mobile terminal 26 is positioned to face the pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d. "Reverse direction" refers to the orientation of the mobile terminal 26 such that the physical button 48 (voice coil 50) is on the far side when viewed from the rear to the front of the vehicle 4. In this state, when sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26, electromagnetic induction occurs in each of the pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d due to the magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50. At this time, the volume of the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26 may be, for example, the minimum volume (excluding mute).

[0051] As a result, a current representing an audio signal (an example of a first audio signal) flows through each of the pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d by electromagnetic induction. That is, each of the pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d generates an audio signal representing the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26 by electromagnetic induction. Sensor coil 36c outputs the generated audio signal to the first speaker 38. Sensor coil 36d also outputs the generated audio signal to the second speaker 40.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the first speaker 38 is, for example, a monaural speaker and is located inside the housing 30. The sound-emitting surface 52 of the first speaker 38 is exposed to the outside of the housing 30 through the first opening 42 of the housing 30 and is positioned to face the first front seat 6. As a result, the sound from the sound-emitting surface 52 of the first speaker 38 (first sound) is output towards the first front seat 6. The sound from the sound-emitting surface 52 of the first speaker 38 may have strong directivity towards the first front seat 6.

[0053] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second speaker 40 is, for example, a monaural speaker and is located inside the housing 30. The sound-emitting surface 54 of the second speaker 40 is exposed to the outside of the housing 30 through the second opening 44 of the housing 30 and is positioned to face the second front seat 8. As a result, the sound (first sound) from the sound-emitting surface 54 of the second speaker 40 is output towards the second front seat 8. The sound from the sound-emitting surface 54 of the second speaker 40 may also be configured to have strong directivity towards the second front seat 8.

[0054] Next, the functional configuration of the first speaker unit 22 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first speaker unit 22 according to Embodiment 1.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6, the first speaker unit 22 has a functional configuration that includes a plurality of sensor coils 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d, a filter 56, an amplifier 58, a first speaker 38, and a second speaker 40. The filter 56 and amplifier 58 are arranged inside the housing 30 (see Figure 2) as a playback unit.

[0056] When the mobile terminal 26 is placed on the mounting section 32 in the forward direction and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26, each of the pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b generates an audio signal by electromagnetic induction and outputs the generated audio signal to the filter 56.

[0057] On the other hand, when the mobile terminal 26 is placed on the mounting section 32 in the reverse direction and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26, each of the pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d generates an audio signal by electromagnetic induction and outputs the generated audio signal to the filter 56.

[0058] Filter 56 removes noise contained in the audio signals from each of the multiple sensor coils 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d. Filter 56 outputs the noise-free audio signal to amplifier 58.

[0059] The amplifier 58 amplifies the audio signal from the filter 56 and outputs it to the first speaker 38 and the second speaker 40, respectively.

[0060] In other words, when the mobile terminal 26 is placed on the mounting section 32 in the forward direction and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26, the sensor coil 36a outputs an audio signal to the first speaker 38 via the filter 56 and amplifier 58, and the sensor coil 36b outputs an audio signal to the second speaker 40 via the filter 56 and amplifier 58. As a result, the first speaker 38 and the second speaker 40 each output sound based on the audio signals generated by the pair of sensor coils 36a and 36b, respectively.

[0061] Furthermore, when the mobile terminal 26 is placed on the mounting section 32 in the reverse direction and audio is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26, the sensor coil 36c outputs an audio signal to the first speaker 38 via the filter 56 and amplifier 58, and the sensor coil 36d outputs an audio signal to the second speaker 40 via the filter 56 and amplifier 58. As a result, the first speaker 38 and the second speaker 40 each output audio based on the audio signals generated by the pair of sensor coils 36c and 36d, respectively.

[0062] [1-3. Effects] As shown in Figure 1, for example, if the first passenger 10 and the second passenger 12 want to listen to music, they place their mobile terminal 26 on the first speaker unit 22 and run the first music player application on the mobile terminal 26. As a result, the sound of the music played by the first application (first sound) is output from the first speaker unit 22 to the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8, respectively.

[0063] Furthermore, if, for example, the third passenger 18 and the fourth passenger 20 want to listen to the radio, they place their mobile terminal 28 on the second speaker unit 24 and run the second radio application on the mobile terminal 28. As a result, the audio of the radio program played by the second application (second audio) is output from the second speaker unit 24 to the first rear seat 14 and the second rear seat 16, respectively.

[0064] Therefore, in this embodiment, when multiple passengers are in the vehicle 4, each passenger can simultaneously enjoy their favorite music, radio programs, etc.

[0065] (Embodiment 2) [2-1. Overview of the Speaker System] The outline of the speaker system 2A according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle 4 equipped with the speaker system 2A according to Embodiment 2. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0066] As shown in Figure 7, the speaker system 2A includes a first speaker unit 22A (an example of a speaker unit) positioned between the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8, and a second speaker unit 24A (an example of a speaker unit) positioned between the first rear seat 14 and the second rear seat 16. The first speaker unit 22A and the second speaker unit 24A have the same configuration.

[0067] The first speaker unit 22A outputs a first sound towards the first front seat 6 and a second sound towards the second front seat 8. The first sound is sound played by a first application running on a mobile terminal 26a (an example of the first mobile terminal) carried by the first passenger 10. For example, the first application is a music player, and the first sound is the sound of music. The second sound is sound played by a second application running on a mobile terminal 26b (an example of the second mobile terminal) carried by the second passenger 12. For example, the second application is a radio, and the second sound is the sound of a radio program.

[0068] The second speaker unit 24A outputs a third sound towards the first rear seat 14 and a fourth sound towards the second rear seat 16. The third sound is audio played by a third application running on a mobile terminal 28a (an example of the first mobile terminal) carried by the third passenger 18. For example, the third application is television, and the third sound is the audio of a television program. The fourth sound is audio played by a fourth application running on a mobile terminal 28b (an example of the second mobile terminal) carried by the fourth passenger 20. For example, the fourth application is a game, and the fourth sound is the audio of the game.

[0069] Note that the first, second, third, and fourth voices are all different from each other.

[0070] [2-2. Configuration of the first speaker unit] As described above, the first speaker unit 22A and the second speaker unit 24A have the same configuration, so below, only the configuration of the first speaker unit 22A will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

[0071] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit 22A according to Embodiment 2. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the first speaker unit 22A according to Embodiment 2, viewed from a different direction than Figure 8.

[0072] Figure 10 is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22A according to Embodiment 2 when the mobile terminals 26a and 26b are placed in the forward direction. Specifically, Figure 10(a) is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22A according to Embodiment 2 before the mobile terminals 26a and 26b are placed in the forward direction, and Figure 10(b) is a plan view showing the first speaker unit 22A according to Embodiment 2 after the mobile terminals 26a and 26b are placed in the forward direction.

[0073] As shown in Figure 8, the first speaker unit 22A has a pair of circular first openings 42 formed on the side of the housing 30A facing the first front seat 6 (see Figure 7). The pair of first openings 42 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) of the vehicle 4 (see Figure 7). Also, as shown in Figure 9, a pair of circular second openings 44 are formed on the side of the housing 30A facing the second front seat 8 (see Figure 7). The pair of second openings 44 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 4.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, a first mounting portion 32a and a second mounting portion 32b are formed on the upper surface of the housing 30A. The first mounting portion 32a and the second mounting portion 32b are spaced apart in the left-right direction of the vehicle 4. Specifically, the first mounting portion 32a is located on the side of the first front seat 6, and the second mounting portion 32b is located on the side of the second front seat 8.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the first mounting portion 32a and the second mounting portion 32b are each formed with a first positioning portion 34Aa and a second positioning portion 34Ab (both examples of positioning portions). Each of the first positioning portion 34Aa and the second positioning portion 34Ab is a rectangular recess in an XY plan view.

[0076] The first positioning section 34Aa is for positioning the mobile terminal 26a relative to the first mounting section 32a. The size of the first positioning section 34Aa (size in the XY plane) is approximately the same as the size of the mobile terminal 26a. Also, the depth of the first positioning section 34Aa (depth in the Z-axis direction) is smaller than the thickness of the mobile terminal 26a. As shown in Figure 9, the mobile terminal 26a is positioned relative to the first mounting section 32a by placing the mobile terminal 26a on the first mounting section 32a such that the outer surface of the mobile terminal 26a is in contact with the inner surface of the first positioning section 34Aa.

[0077] The second positioning portion 34Ab is for positioning the mobile terminal 26b relative to the second mounting portion 32b. The size of the second positioning portion 34Ab (size in the XY plane) is approximately the same as the size of the mobile terminal 26b. Also, the depth of the second positioning portion 34Ab (depth in the Z-axis direction) is smaller than the thickness of the mobile terminal 26b. As shown in Figure 9, the mobile terminal 26b is positioned relative to the second mounting portion 32b by placing the mobile terminal 26b on the second mounting portion 32b such that the outer surface of the mobile terminal 26b contacts the inner surface of the second positioning portion 34Ab.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, multiple first sensor coils 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h are arranged inside the housing 30A. Specifically, a pair of first sensor coils 36e and 36f are positioned slightly rearward of the vehicle 4 from the center of the first mounting section 32a, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction of the vehicle 4. A pair of first sensor coils 36g and 36h are positioned slightly forward of the vehicle 4 from the center of the first mounting section 32a, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction of the vehicle 4.

[0079] As shown in Figures 10(a) and (b), when the mobile terminal 26a is placed on the first mounting section 32a in the forward direction, the voice coil 50a of the mobile terminal 26a (an example of the first voice coil) is positioned to face the pair of first sensor coils 36e and 36f. In this state, when sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a, electromagnetic induction occurs in each of the pair of first sensor coils 36e and 36f due to the magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50a.

[0080] As a result, a current representing an audio signal (an example of a first audio signal) flows through each of the pair of first sensor coils 36e and 36f by electromagnetic induction. That is, each of the pair of first sensor coils 36e and 36f generates an audio signal representing the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a by electromagnetic induction. The first sensor coil 36e outputs the generated audio signal to the first speaker 38R. The first sensor coil 36f also outputs the generated audio signal to the first speaker 38L.

[0081] On the other hand, although not shown in the diagram, when the mobile terminal 26a is placed on the first mounting section 32a in the reverse direction, the voice coil 50a of the mobile terminal 26a is positioned to face the pair of first sensor coils 36g and 36h. In this state, when sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a, electromagnetic induction occurs in each of the pair of first sensor coils 36g and 36h due to the magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50a.

[0082] As a result, a current representing an audio signal (an example of a first audio signal) flows through each of the pair of first sensor coils 36g and 36h by electromagnetic induction. That is, each of the pair of first sensor coils 36g and 36h generates an audio signal representing the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a by electromagnetic induction. The first sensor coil 36g outputs the generated audio signal to the first speaker 38R. The first sensor coil 36h also outputs the generated audio signal to the first speaker 38L.

[0083] As shown in Figure 8, a plurality of second sensor coils 36i, 36j, 36k, and 36l are further arranged inside the housing 30A. Specifically, a pair of second sensor coils 36i and 36j are positioned to the rear of the vehicle 4 from the center of the second mounting section 32b, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction of the vehicle 4. A pair of second sensor coils 36k and 36l are positioned to the front of the vehicle 4 from the center of the second mounting section 32b, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction of the vehicle 4.

[0084] As shown in Figures 10(a) and (b), when the mobile terminal 26b is placed on the second mounting section 32b in the forward direction, the voice coil 50b of the mobile terminal 26b (an example of a second voice coil) is positioned to face a pair of second sensor coils 36i and 36j. In this state, when sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b, electromagnetic induction occurs in each of the pair of second sensor coils 36i and 36j due to the magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50b.

[0085] As a result, a current representing an audio signal (an example of a second audio signal) flows through each of the pair of second sensor coils 36i and 36j by electromagnetic induction. That is, each of the pair of second sensor coils 36i and 36j generates an audio signal representing the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b by electromagnetic induction. The second sensor coil 36i outputs the generated audio signal to the second speaker 40R. The second sensor coil 36j also outputs the generated audio signal to the second speaker 40L.

[0086] On the other hand, although not shown in the diagram, when the mobile terminal 26b is placed on the second mounting section 32b in the reverse direction, the voice coil 50b of the mobile terminal 26b is positioned to face the pair of second sensor coils 36k and 36l. In this state, when sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b, electromagnetic induction occurs in each of the pair of second sensor coils 36k and 36l due to the magnetic field generated by the voice coil 50b.

[0087] As a result, a current representing an audio signal (an example of a second audio signal) flows through each of the pair of second sensor coils 36k and 36l by electromagnetic induction. That is, each of the pair of second sensor coils 36k and 36l generates an audio signal representing the sound output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b by electromagnetic induction. The second sensor coil 36k outputs the generated audio signal to the second speaker 40R. The second sensor coil 36l also outputs the generated audio signal to the second speaker 40L.

[0088] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the pair of first speakers 38R and 38L are, for example, stereo speakers and are located inside the housing 30A. The pair of first speakers 38R and 38L are the R channel speaker and the L channel speaker, respectively. The sound-emitting surfaces 52 of the pair of first speakers 38R and 38L are each exposed to the outside of the housing 30A through a pair of first openings 42 of the housing 30A and are positioned to face the first front seat 6. As a result, the sound (first sound) from the sound-emitting surfaces 52 of the pair of first speakers 38R and 38L is output towards the first front seat 6.

[0089] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the pair of second speakers 40R and 40L are, for example, stereo speakers and are located inside the housing 30A. The pair of second speakers 40R and 40L are the R channel speaker and the L channel speaker, respectively. Each sound-emitting surface 54 of the pair of second speakers 40R and 40L is exposed to the outside of the housing 30A through a pair of second openings 44 of the housing 30A and is positioned to face the second front seat 8. As a result, the sound (second sound) from each sound-emitting surface 54 of the pair of second speakers 40R and 40L is output towards the second front seat 8.

[0090] Next, the functional configuration of the first speaker unit 22A will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first speaker unit 22A according to Embodiment 2.

[0091] As shown in Figure 11, the first speaker unit 22A has a functional configuration that includes a plurality of first sensor coils 36e, 36f, 36g, 36h, a plurality of second sensor coils 36i, 36j, 36k, 36l, a filter 56, an amplifier 58, a pair of first speakers 38R, 38L, and a pair of second speakers 40R, 40L.

[0092] When the mobile terminal 26a is placed on the first mounting section 32a in the forward direction, and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a, each of the pair of first sensor coils 36e and 36f generates an audio signal by electromagnetic induction and outputs the generated audio signal to the filter 56.

[0093] On the other hand, when the mobile terminal 26a is mounted on the first mounting section 32a in the reverse direction, and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a, each of the pair of first sensor coils 36g and 36h generates an audio signal by electromagnetic induction and outputs the generated audio signal to the filter 56.

[0094] Filter 56 removes noise contained in the audio signals from each of the multiple first sensor coils 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h. Filter 56 outputs the noise-free audio signal to amplifier 58.

[0095] Amplifier 58 amplifies the audio signal from filter 56 and outputs it to each of the pair of first speakers 38R and 38L. The audio signal output to first speaker 38R is the audio signal for the right channel, and the audio signal output to first speaker 38L is the audio signal for the left channel.

[0096] In other words, when the mobile terminal 26a is placed on the first mounting section 32a in the forward direction and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a, the first sensor coil 36e outputs an audio signal to the first speaker 38R via the filter 56 and amplifier 58, and the first sensor coil 36f outputs an audio signal to the first speaker 38L via the filter 56 and amplifier 58.

[0097] Furthermore, when the mobile terminal 26a is placed on the first mounting section 32a in the reverse direction and audio is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26a, the first sensor coil 36g outputs an audio signal to the first speaker 38R via the filter 56 and amplifier 58, and the first sensor coil 36h outputs an audio signal to the first speaker 38L via the filter 56 and amplifier 58.

[0098] When the mobile terminal 26b is placed on the second mounting section 32b in the forward direction, and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b, each of the pair of second sensor coils 36i and 36j generates an audio signal by electromagnetic induction and outputs the generated audio signal to the filter 56.

[0099] On the other hand, when the mobile terminal 26b is mounted on the second mounting section 32b in the reverse direction, and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b, each of the pair of second sensor coils 36k and 36l generates an audio signal by electromagnetic induction and outputs the generated audio signal to the filter 56.

[0100] Filter 56 removes noise contained in the audio signals from each of the multiple second sensor coils 36i, 36j, 36k, and 36l. Filter 56 outputs the noise-free audio signal to amplifier 58.

[0101] Amplifier 58 amplifies the audio signal from filter 56 and outputs it to each of the pair of second speakers 40R and 40L. The audio signal output to second speaker 40R is the audio signal for the right channel, and the audio signal output to second speaker 40L is the audio signal for the left channel.

[0102] In other words, when the mobile terminal 26b is placed on the second mounting section 32b in the forward direction and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b, the second sensor coil 36i outputs an audio signal to the second speaker 40R via the filter 56 and amplifier 58, and the second sensor coil 36j outputs an audio signal to the second speaker 40L via the filter 56 and amplifier 58.

[0103] Furthermore, when the mobile terminal 26b is mounted on the second mounting section 32b in the reverse direction, and sound is output from the microspeaker of the mobile terminal 26b, the second sensor coil 36k outputs an audio signal to the second speaker 40R via the filter 56 and amplifier 58, and the second sensor coil 36l outputs an audio signal to the second speaker 40L via the filter 56 and amplifier 58.

[0104] [2-3. Effects] As shown in Figure 7, for example, if the first passenger 10 wants to listen to music, the mobile terminal 26a is placed on the first speaker unit 22A and the first music player application is run on the mobile terminal 26a. As a result, the sound of the music played by the first application (first sound) is output from the first speaker unit 22A towards the first front seat 6.

[0105] Furthermore, if, for example, the second passenger 12 wants to listen to the radio, they place their mobile terminal 26b on the first speaker unit 22A and run the second radio application on the mobile terminal 26b. As a result, the audio of the radio program played by the second application (second audio) is output from the first speaker unit 22A towards the second front seat 8.

[0106] Furthermore, if, for example, a third passenger 18 wants to watch television, they place their mobile terminal 28a on the second speaker unit 24A and run a third television application on the mobile terminal 28a. As a result, the audio of the television program played by the third application (third audio) is output from the second speaker unit 24A towards the first rear seat 14.

[0107] Furthermore, if, for example, the fourth passenger 20 wants to play a game, the mobile terminal 28b is placed on the second speaker unit 24A, and the fourth game application is run on the mobile terminal 28b. As a result, the audio of the game played by the fourth application (fourth audio) is output from the second speaker unit 24A to the second rear seat 16.

[0108] Therefore, in this embodiment, similar to Embodiment 1 described above, when multiple passengers are in the vehicle 4, each passenger can simultaneously enjoy their preferred music, radio programs, etc.

[0109] (Other variations, etc.) The speaker systems and mobile units relating to one or more embodiments have been described above based on the respective embodiments, but this disclosure is not limited to the respective embodiments. Without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, various modifications that a person skilled in the art could conceive of may be applied to the respective embodiments, and forms constructed by combining components from different embodiments may also be included within the scope of one or more embodiments.

[0110] In the embodiments described above, the case where the moving object is a vehicle 4 was explained, but the invention is not limited to this, and may also be an aircraft, train, ship, etc.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the first speaker unit 22 is provided with a plurality of speakers (first speaker 38 and second speaker 40), but it is not limited to this, and may be provided with a single first speaker. In this case, the single first speaker outputs sound toward at least one of the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8.

[0112] Similarly, in the second embodiment described above, the first speaker unit 22A is provided with multiple speakers (a pair of first speakers 38R, 38L and a pair of second speakers 40R, 40L), but it is not limited to this, and may be provided with a single first speaker. In this case, the single first speaker outputs sound toward at least one of the first front seat 6 and the second front seat 8.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the mobile terminal 26 was positioned relative to the mounting portion 32 by bringing the positioning portion 34 into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the mobile terminal 26, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the positioning portion may be made of the surface of the mounting portion 32 which is made of a material with a high coefficient of friction.

[0114] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, in addition to using directional speakers with strong directionality to prevent other sounds from entering each passenger's area when they are simultaneously enjoying their preferred music or radio program, the interior of the vehicle may also be acoustically isolated by partitioning each area with transparent acrylic panels or the like.

[0115] In each of the above embodiments, each component may be implemented by dedicated hardware or by executing a computer program suitable for each component. Each component may also be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a computer program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0116] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the speaker system 2(2A) according to the above embodiment may be realized by a processor such as a CPU executing a computer program.

[0117] Some or all of the components constituting each of the above-described devices may consist of a removable IC card or a standalone module. The IC card or module is a computer system consisting of a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The IC card or module may also include the above-described multi-functional LSI. The microprocessor operates according to a computer program, thereby enabling the IC card or module to achieve its function. The IC card or module may also be tamper-resistant.

[0118] This disclosure may be the methods described above. It may also be a computer program that implements these methods using a computer, or a digital signal including the computer program. Furthermore, this disclosure may be a computer-readable, non-temporary recording medium, such as a flexible disk, hard disk, CD-ROM, MO, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, BD (Blu-ray® Disc), semiconductor memory, etc. It may also be the digital signal recorded on such a recording medium. Furthermore, this disclosure may involve transmitting the computer program or digital signal via telecommunications lines, wireless or wired communication lines, networks such as the Internet, data broadcasting, etc. Furthermore, this disclosure may be a computer system comprising a microprocessor and memory, wherein the memory stores the computer program, and the microprocessor operates according to the computer program. Furthermore, this disclosure may be implemented by another independent computer system by recording and transferring the computer program or digital signal on the recording medium, or by transferring the computer program or digital signal via the network, etc. [Industrial applicability]

[0119] This disclosure is applicable, for example, to speaker systems installed inside the cabin of vehicles such as automobiles. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0120] 2.2A Speaker System 4 vehicles 6. First front seat 8. Second front seat 10. First passenger 12. Second passenger 14. First rear seat 16. Second rear seat 18. Third passenger 20. Fourth passenger 22,22A First speaker unit 24,24A Second speaker unit 26, 26a, 26b, 28, 28a, 28b Mobile devices 30,30A enclosure 32 Mounting section 32a First mounting section 32b Second mounting section 34 Positioning section 34Aa First positioning section 34Ab Second positioning section 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d Sensor coils 36e, 36f, 36g, 36h First sensor coil 36i, 36j, 36k, 36l: Second sensor coil 38, 38R, 38L First speaker 40, 40R, 40L Second speaker 42 First opening 44 Second opening 46 Touch panel display 48 physical buttons 50, 50a, 50b voice coil 52,54 Sound emitting surface 56 filters 58 Amplifier

Claims

1. A speaker system positioned inside the cabin of a mobile vehicle equipped with a first seat and a second seat arranged side-by-side, The system includes a speaker unit positioned between the first seat and the second seat, The aforementioned speaker unit is A first mounting section on which a first portable terminal having a first voice coil built in is mounted, A first sensor coil is positioned opposite the first voice coil of the first portable terminal mounted on the first mounting section, and generates a first audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by the magnetic field generated by the first voice coil. The system includes a first speaker that outputs sound based on the first audio signal toward at least one of the first seat and the second seat, The first sensor coil is provided in a pair. The first speaker outputs sound based on the first audio signal generated by one of the pair of first sensor coils toward the first seat. The aforementioned speaker unit further includes, The system includes a second speaker that outputs sound based on the first audio signal generated by the other of the pair of first sensor coils toward the second seat. Speaker system.

2. The speaker unit further includes a positioning unit for positioning the first portable terminal relative to the first mounting unit. The speaker system according to claim 1.

3. The speaker unit further includes a filter for removing noise contained in the first audio signal from the first sensor coil. The speaker system according to claim 1.

4. A speaker system arranged in the interior of a mobile vehicle equipped with a first seat and a second seat arranged side by side, The system includes a speaker unit positioned between the first seat and the second seat, The aforementioned speaker unit is A first mounting section on which a first portable terminal having a first voice coil built in is mounted, A first sensor coil is positioned opposite the first voice coil of the first portable terminal mounted on the first mounting section, and generates a first audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by the magnetic field generated by the first voice coil. The system includes a first speaker that outputs sound based on the first audio signal toward at least one of the first seat and the second seat, The first speaker outputs sound based on the first audio signal toward the first seat. The aforementioned speaker unit further includes, A second mounting section on which a second portable terminal having a second voice coil built in can be mounted, A second sensor coil is positioned opposite the second voice coil of the second portable terminal mounted on the second mounting section, and generates a second audio signal by electromagnetic induction caused by the magnetic field generated by the second voice coil. A second speaker that outputs sound based on the second audio signal toward the second seat, Speaker system.

5. The speaker unit further comprises a positioning unit for positioning the first portable terminal relative to the first mounting unit. The speaker system according to claim 4.

6. The speaker unit further comprises a filter for removing noise contained in the first audio signal from the first sensor coil. The speaker system according to claim 4.

7. The aforementioned moving object is a vehicle. The aforementioned speaker unit is The first front seat, which is the first seat, and the second front seat are positioned between them and the first speaker unit, which is the second seat, Includes a second speaker unit positioned between a first rear seat, which is the first seat and is located behind the first front seat, and a second rear seat, which is the second seat and is located behind the second front seat. The speaker system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The first seat and The aforementioned first seat and a second seat adjacent to it, The speaker system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is positioned between the first seat and the second seat. A mobile object.

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