In-vehicle acoustic device and in-vehicle acoustic control method

Abstract

An in-vehicle acoustic device according to the present embodiment comprises: a plurality of speakers 3 mounted on a vehicle 200; a plurality of microphones 2 mounted on the vehicle 200; and a controller 10 that controls the microphone 2 associated with the first sitting position of a first occupant and the speaker 3 associated with the second sitting position of a second occupant other than the first occupant in such a manner that causes the speech of the first occupant inputted from the microphone 2 to be heard by the second occupant via the speaker 3. On the basis of the positional relationship between the first sitting position and the second sitting position, the controller 10 controls the sound level of a reproduced speech outputted from the speaker 3 associated with the second sitting position.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle acoustic device and an in-vehicle acoustic control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a sound field control device that controls the sound field in a vehicle cabin so that participants can easily talk while taking into consideration non-participants in the conversation (for example, Patent Document 1). The sound field control device described in Patent Document 1 detects the seating positions of vehicle occupants, detects the speaker and the listener of the conversation held in the vehicle cabin from among the occupants as participants, and when a conversation takes place in the vehicle cabin, controls the sound field by a plurality of speakers provided corresponding to the seating positions of the vehicle based on the seating positions of the participants and the seating positions of non-participants who are not participants. The sound field control device then controls the sound field so that the volume at the seating positions of the participants is lowered without lowering the volume at the seating positions of the non-participants compared to before the control. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 026704 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional sound field control device has a problem in that the volume of the speakers installed corresponding to the seating positions of the participants in the conversation is uniformly low, making it unsuitable for conversation patterns in which occupants converse through microphones and speakers inside the vehicle cabin.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle acoustic device and an in-vehicle acoustic control method that enable passengers to smoothly converse with each other through a microphone and a speaker in the vehicle cabin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by controlling the volume of the reproduced audio output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position based on the positional relationship between the first seating position of the first occupant and the second seating position of the second occupant when the voice of a first occupant input from a microphone is made audible to a second occupant other than the first occupant through a speaker. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, passengers can smoothly converse with each other through the microphone and speaker in the vehicle cabin. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle equipped with an in-car sound system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the vehicle. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a table for explaining the on / off states of the microphones / speakers in the first to third columns. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a table showing the correlation between the seating position of the occupant and the sounds the occupant can hear. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a table for explaining the on / off states of the microphones / speakers in the first to third columns. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a table showing the correlation between the seating position of the occupant and the sounds the occupant hears. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a table for explaining the on / off states of the microphones / speakers in the first to third columns. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a table showing the correlation between the seating position of the occupant and the sounds the occupant can hear. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a table for explaining the on / off states of the microphones / speakers in the first to third columns. [Figure 8B]FIG. 8B is a table showing the correlation between the seating position of the occupant and the sounds the occupant can hear. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a control flow executed by the controller of the in-car audio system according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the in-vehicle sound system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle sound system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-vehicle sound system includes a power switch 1, a microphone 2, a speaker 3, an in-vehicle switch 4, a camera 5, a communication device 6, and a controller 10. The in-vehicle sound system is a system for controlling conversations between occupants, communication between an occupant and a user outside the vehicle, output of system sounds of the in-vehicle system, and / or sound environment in a specific seat through a speaker and / or a microphone installed in the vehicle cabin. An apparatus including at least the microphone 2, the speaker 3, and the controller 10 corresponds to the "in-vehicle sound device" of the present invention, and the control executed by the controller 10 corresponds to the "in-vehicle sound control method" of the present invention.

[0010] The power switch 1 is a main switch of the vehicle 200, and is a system for starting the drive source of the vehicle 200 and turning on the electrical system. The in-vehicle sound system is started when the power switch 1 is turned on. Note that, when the vehicle 200 is equipped with an engine, the power switch 1 corresponds to an ignition switch.

[0011] A plurality of microphones 2 are provided in the vehicle 200, and convert sounds such as the voices of occupants into electric signals and output the electric signals to the controller 10. The microphones 2 have a noise canceling function. A plurality of speakers 3 are provided in the vehicle 200, and output the voices of the occupants, the voices of users outside the vehicle, the system sounds of the in-vehicle system, other music, and the like to each occupant of the vehicle 200.

[0012] 2, the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 are installed in the vehicle so as to correspond to the seating positions (seat positions) of the occupants in the vehicle 200. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the positions of the microphone 2 and the speaker 3, and shows a plan view of the vehicle 200.

[0013] In the example of FIG. 2, the vehicle 200 is provided with six seats, and three rows of two seats each. The microphone 2 is composed of six microphones 21-26, and the speaker 3 is composed of 16 speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a-33d, 34a-34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b. The microphone 21 and the speakers 31a and 31b are installed so as to correspond to the position of the driver's seat (the right seat of the first row of seats). The microphone 22 and the speakers 32a and 32b are installed so as to correspond to the position of the passenger seat (the left seat of the first row of seats). The microphone 23 and the speakers 33a-33d are installed so as to correspond to the position of the right seat of the second row of seats, and the microphone 24 and the speakers 34a-34d are installed so as to correspond to the position of the left seat of the second row of seats. The microphone 25 and speakers 35a, 35b are installed to correspond to the position of the right seat in the third row, and the microphone 26 and speakers 36a, 36b are installed to correspond to the position of the left seat in the third row. In other words, the microphone 2 is assigned to the seat so that the voice of a seated occupant can be easily received when the seated occupant speaks. Also, the speaker 3 is assigned to the seat so that the sound can be easily heard by the seated occupant when the occupant listens to the sound.

[0014] The speakers 31A, 31b, 32A, 32b, 33c, 33d, 34c, and 34d are provided in the headrest, and the speakers 33A, 33b, 34A, 34b, 35A, 35b, 36A, and 36b are provided in the seat body. The speakers 31A, 32A, 33A, 33c, 34A, 34c, 35A, and 36A are provided on the right side of the corresponding seats so that the sound can be heard from the right side of the occupant sitting in the seats. The speakers 31b, 32b, 33b, 33d, 34b, 34d, 35b, and 36b are provided on the left side of the corresponding seats so that the sound can be heard from the left side of the occupant sitting in the seats. The microphones 21-26 and the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a-33d, 34a-34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b do not have to be provided to correspond to one seating position, and may be provided to correspond to a plurality of seating positions. The correspondence between the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 33a-33d, 34a-34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b and the seating positions is not limited to the positions of the speakers relative to the seating positions, and the speakers may be associated with the seating positions by changing the sound levels of the sounds output from the speakers under the control of the controller 10. In the following description, the microphone 2 and speaker 3 corresponding to the seating position of the passenger are simply referred to as the "passenger's microphone" and "passenger's speaker", and when the microphone of the speaker is described as a specific example of the passenger, this refers to the microphone corresponding to the speaker's seating position. For example, the driver's microphone 2 and speaker 3 correspond to the microphone 21 and speakers 31a and 31b.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, the in-vehicle switch 4 is a switch that sends an operation command to control the in-vehicle sound system. By operating the in-vehicle switch 4, the passenger can select a seat for conversation, a seat that blocks surrounding sounds, or a seat that blocks sound input. For example, if the in-vehicle switch 4 is installed near the driver's seat and the driver operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to select a seat that blocks sound input, the sound input from the microphone 2 of the selected seat is adjusted so that the voice of the passenger in the selected seat does not reach the driver through the speaker. The in-vehicle switch 4 may be a touch panel in a navigation system, a switch around the dashboard, or a switch that is within reach of passengers other than the driver.

[0016] The camera 5 is an imaging device that captures images of passengers inside the vehicle. The communication device 6 is a device that enables communication with a user outside the vehicle through a telephone line. The communication device 6 may be connected to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by the passenger to communicate with a user outside the vehicle via the mobile terminal. In this case, the communication is made through the microphone 2 and speaker 3 mounted on the vehicle, rather than through the microphone and speaker of the mobile terminal.

[0017] The controller 10 is a main controller of the vehicle 200 and controls various systems of the vehicle 200, such as a drive system and a navigation system. The controller 10 also controls the microphone 2 of the speaker and the speaker 3 of the listener as a processor for controlling an in-vehicle sound system, so that the voice of the speaker input from the microphone 2 is heard by listeners other than the speaker via the speaker 3. The controller 10 also controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker 3 of the listener based on the positional relationship between the seating position of the speaker and the seating position of the listener. In the example of FIG. 1, the control unit of the vehicle 200 is not limited to one controller 10, and may be composed of multiple control units. In addition, when an in-vehicle sound system is incorporated into an existing system of the vehicle 200, the controller 10 functions as a control unit for the in-vehicle sound system.

[0018] The controller 10 has, as functional blocks, a sound device setting unit 11, a voice control unit 12, a noise processing unit 13, a call control unit 14, and an in-vehicle equipment sound control unit 15, and a program for realizing each function of each functional block is stored in a memory. Then, the computer included in the controller 10 executes the program to realize each function of the functional block. Note that the number of functional blocks is not limited to five, and may be one to four or five or more functional blocks.

[0019] The sound device setting unit 11 sets a sound device to be controlled in order to control the sound environment in each seat. The sound device corresponds to the microphone 2 and the speaker 3. The sound device setting unit 11 sets a sound device to be controlled (a control target device) based on an operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4, an image captured by the camera 5, and an external command received by the communication device 6. For example, when an occupant in the third row operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to talk with an occupant in the first row and selects a specific seat, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 corresponding to the position of the seat of the conversation target as a control target device. In addition, when the sound environment is controlled according to the seating position of the speaker and the seating position of the listener in the vehicle cabin, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 of the speaker and the listener as the control target devices. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, when occupants are in all the seats, all the microphones 2 and the speakers 3 are the control target devices.

[0020] The sound device setting unit 11 may also set the control target devices based on the captured image of the camera 5. For example, the sound device setting unit 11 detects a conversational occupant from a face image included in the camera image, and sets the microphone 2 and speaker 3 of the detected occupant as control target devices. When the sound device setting unit 11 detects from the camera image that the occupant is sleeping, it sets the control target speaker to turn off the speaker 3 of the sleeping occupant. When the sound device setting unit 11 detects from the camera image that the occupant is a child and is making noise, it sets the control target speaker to turn off the child's microphone 2.

[0021] The sound device setting unit 11 sets the control target device based on an external command received by the communication device 6. For example, when the communication device 6 receives a call command from outside the vehicle 200 to the driver, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the driver's microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b as control target devices so that the driver can talk through the microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b.

[0022] The sound control unit 12 controls the sound input / output from the controlled device set by the sound device setting unit 11. The sound control corresponds to adjusting the volume and / or the sound level. The sound level may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the volume of the speaker 3 installed for the seat (for example, speakers 31a and 31b in the driver's seat), or by increasing or decreasing the volume output from one speaker 3. For example, when a passenger in the third row talks with a passenger in the first row through the microphone 2 and speaker 3, the sound control unit 12 increases the volume from the speaker 3 in the third row when outputting the voice of the speaker in the first row from the speaker 3 in the third row.

[0023] The noise processor 13 generates a noise reduction sound for reducing the noise input from the microphone 2. The noise input to the microphone 2 includes road noise, engine rumble, and sounds generated by a motor or inverter. For example, the noise processor detects noise through the microphone 2 using a noise detection function (noise canceling function) of the microphone 2, and executes noise processing on the detected noise. For example, the noise processor strengthens the original sound drowned out by the noise and outputs it from the speaker 3. For example, the noise processor may superimpose a signal of an opposite phase on the detected noise waveform to cancel sounds other than the original sound. In this way, the noise processor reduces noise in real time in accordance with changes in noise inside and outside the vehicle 200.

[0024] The call control unit 14 uses the communication device 6 to control calls between a user outside the vehicle and an occupant. When the communication device 6 receives a call from a user outside the vehicle, the call control unit 14 identifies the occupant who is the other end of the call. The call control unit 14 identifies the occupant by, for example, face recognition using an image captured by the camera 5 and / or authentication using a key ID. The call control unit 14 transmits information about the identified occupant to the sound device setting unit 11. The sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 2 and speaker 3 of the occupant identified by the call control unit 14 as devices to be controlled. In addition, during a call between the user outside the vehicle and the occupant, the call control unit 14 controls the call between the user outside the vehicle and the occupant.

[0025] The in-vehicle device sound control unit 15 outputs the notification sound by the in-vehicle device from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b of the vehicle 200. The notification sound of the in-vehicle device is, for example, a guide voice of a navigation system. The information indicated by the notification sound of the in-vehicle device is necessary for the driver, but is not necessarily necessary for passengers other than the driver. Therefore, when outputting the notification sound of the in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device sound control unit 15 outputs the notification sound from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b, and does not output it from the other speakers 32a, 32b, 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b. The in-vehicle device sound control unit 15 may change the output destination of the notification sound depending on the type of information indicated by the notification sound of the in-vehicle device. For example, if the information indicated by the notification sound of the in-vehicle device is store information or the like and it is preferable to provide it to occupants other than the driver, the in-vehicle device sound control unit 15 may output the notification sound from other speakers 32a, 32b, 33a-33d, 34a-34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, and 36b.

[0026] Next, example The control of the sound environment by the controller 10 will be described with reference to the above. The control of the sound environment when a first row occupant and a third row occupant are having a conversation will be described. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the vehicle 200, and shows a state in which a third row occupant hears the voices emitted by the first row occupant and the second row occupant. In Fig. 3, the solid line of the icon showing the voice of the occupant represents the voice of the first row occupant, and the dotted line represents the voice of the second row occupant.

[0027] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 sets the microphones 22, 24, 26 and speakers 32a, 32b, 34a-34d, 36a, 36b of the passengers in the first to third rows who are located on the left side of the seats as devices to be controlled. The audio control unit 12 of the controller 10 receives audio information of the passengers in the first and second rows through the microphones 22 and 24. The audio control unit 12 outputs the reproduced audio of the passengers in the first row from the speaker 36b, and outputs the reproduced audio of the passengers in the second row from the speaker 36a. At this time, the audio control unit 12 sets the speaker 36a that outputs the reproduced audio of the passengers in the second row as the control target devices. b The volume of the first row passengers' playback audio Speaker 36 that outputs A In other words, when a passenger in the third row listens to the voices of passengers in the first and second rows, the volume of the second row passenger is louder than the volume of the first row passenger. In this way, the controller 10 adjusts the playback volume as the distance between the speaker's seat and the listener's seat increases. audio In this embodiment, the volume of the playback sound heard by the passengers in the third row is reduced. audio The size of the seats can be adjusted to give the sense of distance between each seat.

[0028] Next, control of the sound environment when a passenger on the left side of the third row and a passenger on the right side of the first row are having a conversation will be described. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the vehicle 200, showing the state in which the passenger on the right side of the first row hears the voice emitted by the passenger on the left side of the third row.

[0029] The sound device setting section 11 of the controller 10 is 3 The microphones 21, 26 and speakers 31a, 31b, 36a, 36b of the passengers in the third row are set as devices to be controlled. The voice control unit 12 of the controller 10 receives voice information of the left passenger in the third row through the microphone 26. The voice control unit 12 outputs the reproduced voice of the left passenger in the third row from the speaker 31b, but not from the speaker 31a. 2 The speaker 31a, 31b for the right-side passenger in the first row is closer to the seating position of the left-side passenger in the third row, and the playback volume of the speaker 31b is adjusted to the farther speaker 31b. 1 Since the playback volume of speaker A is set to be larger than that of speaker A, when a left-side passenger in the third row speaks, the right-side passenger in the first row can hear the voice from the left speaker 31b. In this way, the controller 10 increases the volume of the playback voice output from the speaker that is closer to the seating position of the speaker among the multiple speakers 3. As a result, in this embodiment, a sense of direction can be expressed by adjusting the volume of the playback volumes output from the left and right speakers provided at each seat.

[0030] Next, control of the sound environment when all passengers are talking will be described with reference to Figures 5A and B. Figure 5A is a table for explaining the on / off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows, and Figure 5B is a table showing the correlation between the seating positions of passengers and the sounds that the passengers can hear.

[0031] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 sets the microphones 2 and speakers 3 of the passengers in the first to third rows as control target devices. The sound device setting unit 11 may detect whether or not a passenger is seated in a seat using the camera 5 or a seating sensor installed on the seat, and set only the microphones 2 and speakers 3 corresponding to the positions of the seats where the passengers are seated as control target devices. When passengers are seated in the first to third rows, respectively, the sound device setting unit 11 turns on the microphones 2 and speakers 3 of the passengers in the first to third rows. When the sound control unit 12 of the controller 10 receives sound information from the turned-on microphones, it controls the volume of the reproduced sound according to the positional relationship between the position of the received microphone and the position of the speaker 3 that outputs the reproduced sound. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, when a passenger in the first row hears the voices of passengers in the second row and passengers in the third row, the audio control unit 12 makes the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b that output the playback voice of the passenger in the second row higher than the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b that output the playback voice of the passenger in the third row (the playback volume of the passenger in the second row is set to a high level, and the playback volume of the passenger in the third row is set to a low level). Also, when a passenger in the third row hears the voices of passengers in the first row and passengers in the second row, the audio control unit 12 makes the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b that output the playback voice of the passenger in the second row higher than the volume of the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b that output the playback voice of the passenger in the third row. 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b The volume of the speaker that outputs the playback sound for the first row passengers is 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b (The playback volume for the passengers in the second row is set to a high level, and the playback volume for the passengers in the first row is set to a low level.) When the passengers in the second row want to hear the voices of the passengers in the first row and the passengers in the third row, the audio control unit 12 controls the speaker that outputs the playback voice of the passengers in the first row to 33a~33d, 34a~34d and a speaker that outputs playback audio for third row passengers. 33a~33d, 34a~34dvolume to the same level (set playback volume for 1st and 3rd row passengers to normal level).

[0032] That is, the controller 10 determines whether the playback position is larger as the distance between the speaker's seat and the listener's seat increases. audio The volume of the audio is reduced. This allows the sense of distance between the seats to be expressed by changing the volume of the playback. Also, for example, when passengers in the first and second rows are having a conversation, passengers in the third row may feel left out because they cannot join the conversation. In this embodiment, the passengers in the third row can easily hear the voices of the passengers in the first and second rows through the microphone 2 and speaker 3, and can smoothly join the conversation.

[0033] Next, referring to Figs. 6A and 6B, a control of the sound environment in the case where the volume of a specific passenger's voice is reduced so that other passengers cannot hear it will be described. Such a sound environment may be applied in the following scenes. For example, when a child riding in the vehicle 200 is making noise and the child's voice needs to be cancelled. Another example is when the driver wants to concentrate on driving or the passenger in the front passenger seat wants to concentrate on listening to music while the passengers in the second and third rows are talking loudly. Fig. 6A is a table for explaining the on / off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows, and Fig. 6B is a table showing the correlation between the seating positions of the passengers and the voices that the passengers can hear.

[0034] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 specifies the seating position for reducing the volume of a specific passenger based on an operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4 and / or an image captured by the camera 5. For example, assume that a child in the second row is making noise and the driver wishes to cancel the voice of the child in the second row by operating the in-vehicle switch 4. In such a case, the driver operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to cancel the voice of the child, and the sound device setting unit 11 sets at least the microphones 23 and 24 of the passengers in the second row and the speakers 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 35a, 35b, 36a, and 36b of the passengers in the first and third rows as speakers to be controlled based on the operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4. The voice control unit 12 receives voice information of the second-row passengers through the microphone 23 or the microphone 24, and reduces the volume of the voices of the second-row passengers when the voices are output from the first and third-row speakers 31A, 31b, 32A, 32b, 35A, 35b, 36A, and 36b. Note that the control to reduce the volume includes control to lower the volume level or control to set the volume to zero.

[0035] In addition, the controller 10 is in When passengers want to talk, the microphones 2 and speakers 3 corresponding to each seating position are controlled in the same manner as in the control of the sound environment described above. As shown in FIG. 6A, the speakers 3 in the first and third rows output the voices of each other's seats, but cancel the voice of the second row seat. As shown in FIG. 6B, the passengers in the first and third rows can hear each other's voices, but cannot hear the voice of the passenger in the second row. The passenger in the second row can hear the voices of the passengers in the first and third rows from the speakers 33a to 33d and 34a to 34d. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the passenger in the second row cannot participate in a conversation between the passengers in the first row and the passengers in the third row and feels left out.

[0036] In this way, the in-vehicle switch 4 has a function of adjusting the volume of a specific sound input from the microphone 2 corresponding to a specific seating position among multiple seats in the vehicle cabin. Then, an occupant operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to select a seat for which the volume is to be reduced. The controller 10 reduces the volume of the specific sound when output from the speaker based on an operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4. Alternatively, the controller 10 may disable a microphone installed on a specific seat (e.g., a microphone in the second row). This makes it possible to provide a sound environment in which the voice of a specific occupant cannot be heard by other occupants. Furthermore, the sound environment is optimal for conversation between seats other than the specific seating position, making it possible to carry out a smooth conversation.

[0037] The controller 10 may reduce the volume of a specific passenger's voice based on an operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4, as well as on an image captured by the camera 5. For example, the controller 10 detects that a child is making noise from an image captured by the camera. In this case, the controller 10 may detect that the child is making noise from a voice detected by the child's microphone 2. Then, when the child's voice input from the child's microphone 2 is output from the speaker 3, the controller 10 reduces the volume of the child's voice. This provides a sound environment in which the child's voice cannot be heard by other passengers.

[0038] As a modified example of this embodiment, in the example of Figs. 6A and 6B, the controller 10 controls to reduce the volume of the voice input from the occupant in a specific seat, but may control to increase the volume of the voice output from the speaker corresponding to a specific seating position. For example, when a person wants to increase the volume of his / her own voice in a conversation in the car to convey the voice to an occupant in a seat far away, the controller 10 may control as in the modified example. Specifically, the in-vehicle switch 4 has a function of increasing the volume of the voice output from the speaker 3 corresponding to a specific seating position among the multiple seats in the vehicle cabin. Then, the occupant operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to increase the volume of his / her own voice output from the speaker. At this time, the speaker that outputs the increased volume of the person's own voice may be selected for each seat by operating the in-vehicle switch 4. Then, when reproducing the voice of the speaker, the controller 10 increases the volume of the reproduced voice when output from the speaker 3 based on the operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4. This makes it easier for a specific occupant to hear the voice of other occupants by operating the switch.

[0039] In the above modification, the controller 10 increases the volume of the reproduced voice when output from the speaker 3 based on the operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4 when reproducing the voice of the speaker. However, the controller 10 may detect a target occupant whose voice is to be increased based on, for example, an image captured by the camera 5, and increase the volume when the reproduced volume of the detected occupant is output from the speaker 3 of another seat. Specifically, the sound device setting unit 11 performs image processing on the image captured by the camera 5, detects, for example, an occupant wearing a mask, and sets at least the microphone 2 of the occupant wearing the mask and the speaker of another occupant who is talking with the occupant as the speaker to be controlled. Then, the voice control unit 12 increases the volume of the reproduced voice when output from the speaker 3 of another occupant when reproducing the voice of the occupant wearing a mask. In this way, the controller 10 increases the volume of the specific voice when outputting the specific voice input from the microphone 2 corresponding to a specific seating position among the multiple seats from the speaker 3. This makes it possible to make the sound of the passenger easier to hear, even if the passenger is wearing a mask and it is difficult to hear the passenger's voice. The sound control unit 12 may increase the sensitivity of the microphone 2 for the passenger wearing a mask.

[0040] Next, referring to Figures 7A and 7B, a description will be given of control of the sound environment in a case where a specific occupant is prevented from hearing the voices of other occupants. Such a sound environment is applied, for example, when an occupant is sleeping and it is desired to reduce surrounding noise. Figure 7A is a table for explaining the on / off of microphones / speakers in the first to third rows, and Figure 7B is a table showing the correlation between the seating positions of occupants and the voices that the occupants can hear.

[0041] The sound device setting unit 11 of the controller 10 specifies the seating position for reducing the volume of a specific passenger based on the operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4 and / or the captured image of the camera 5. For example, assume that a passenger in the second row is asleep and another passenger operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to cancel the audio output from the speakers in the second row. In such a case, the other passenger operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to cancel the audio output from the second row, and the sound device setting unit 11 sets at least the speakers 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d of the passenger in the second row as the speakers to be controlled based on the operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4. Then, the audio control unit 12 reduces the volume of the audio output from the speakers 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d in the second row. The control to reduce the volume includes control to lower the volume level or control to set the volume to zero. The controller 10 also sets the speakers 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d between the first and third rows. in When passengers want to talk, the microphone 2 and speaker 3 corresponding to each seating position are controlled in the same manner as in the control of the sound environment described above. As shown in FIG. 7A, the volume of the speaker 3 is reduced or turned off in the second row seats, and the speakers 3 in the first and third rows output the voices of passengers in other seats. The microphone 2 is turned on in the first to third rows. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, passengers in the second row cannot hear the voices from the speaker 3, but passengers in the first and third rows can hear the voices of passengers in other rows from the speaker 3.

[0042] In this way, the in-vehicle switch 4 has a function of adjusting the volume of a specific voice input from the microphone 2 corresponding to a specific seating position among the multiple seats in the vehicle cabin. Then, the passenger operates the in-vehicle switch 4 to select the seat for which the volume is to be reduced. A, B In the example of FIG. 7, the microphones 2 to be adjusted in volume are the microphones in the first and third rows, and the speaker 3 to be turned down in volume is the speaker in the second row. A, BIn this example, the controller 10 reduces the volume of the sound input from the microphones 21, 22, 25, 26 of the passengers in the first or third row and output from the speakers 33a-33d, 34a-34d of the passengers in the second row. This provides a sound environment in which a specific passenger cannot hear the voices of other passengers.

[0043] The controller 10 may also determine whether an occupant in the vehicle cabin is asleep based on the image captured by the camera 5. A known monitoring system may be used to determine whether an occupant is asleep. If the controller 10 determines that an occupant is asleep, it reduces the volume of the reproduced voice of other occupants output from the speaker 3 of the sleeping occupant. This provides a comfortable environment for the occupant to sleep.

[0044] As a modification of this embodiment, when the noise processor 13 of the controller 10 determines that the occupant is asleep, the noise reduction sound output from the speaker 3 of the sleeping occupant may be increased. By increasing the noise reduction sound, noise around the sleeping occupant is blocked, providing a comfortable environment for the occupant to sleep.

[0045] Next, control of the sound environment when receiving a call from a user outside the vehicle will be described with reference to Figures 8A and B. Figure 8A is a table for explaining the on / off of the microphones / speakers in the first to third rows, and Figure 8B is a table showing the correlation between the seating positions of the passengers and the sounds that the passengers can hear.

[0046] For example, when the communication device 6 receives a call command from outside the vehicle 200 to the driver, the sound device setting unit 11 sets the microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b of the passenger as control target devices so that the driver can talk through the microphone 21 and speakers 31a, 31b. The sound device setting unit 11 also sets the microphones 23 to 26 and speakers 33a to 33d, 34a to 34d, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b as control target devices so that the passengers in the second and third rows can talk to each other. When the call destination of an external call is a passenger other than the driver, the sound device setting unit 11 may set the control target devices so that the called passenger can talk to the external user through the microphone 2 and speaker 3 and the other passengers can talk to each other.

[0047] When outputting the voice of a call from a user outside the vehicle, the voice control unit 12 controls the volume of the speaker 3 so that the telephone voice is output only from the speaker 3 of the occupant who is the call destination. When making a call to the driver, as shown in FIG. 8A, the voice control unit 12 outputs the telephone voice from the speaker in the first row and does not output the voice of the occupants in the second and third rows. Also, the voice control unit 12 outputs the voice of the occupants in the second and third rows from the speakers in the second and third rows and does not output the telephone voice. The microphones 2 are turned on in the first to third rows. As shown in FIG. 8B, the occupants in the first row can hear only the telephone voice from the speaker 3, and the occupants in the second and third rows can hear the voices of other occupants in the second and third rows from the speaker 3. This allows the voice of a call from outside the vehicle to be provided only to the occupants who need it. Also, a sound environment suitable for conversation can be provided in the seats of occupants who are not involved in the call.

[0048] That's all. exampleWhile the above describes the control of the sound environment by the controller 10, the following controls may be combined. When a notification sound from an in-vehicle device is generated while the driver is talking to another passenger using the in-vehicle sound system according to this embodiment, the controller 10 may output the notification sound from the in-vehicle device from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b in addition to the voices of the other passengers. At this time, the controller 10 may make the volume of the notification sound from the in-vehicle device larger than the volume of the voices of the other passengers. Also, when the notification sound from the in-vehicle device is related only to the driver, the controller 10 may output the notification sound from the in-vehicle device only from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b. Also, the controller 10 may output the notification sound from the in-vehicle device only from the driver's speakers 31a, 31b. Sound When the sound is output from the speakers 31a and 31b, the volume of the passenger's voice may be reduced, so that the driver can hear the notification sound of the in-vehicle device even while talking to the passenger.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, when outputting a system sound generated by the navigation system, the controller 10 may output the system sound only from the driver's speakers 31a and 31b. Information presented by the navigation system is often information necessary for the driver. Therefore, the system sound of the navigation system may be output only from the driver's speakers 31a and 31b. This makes it possible to convey the system sound only to passengers who require information from the navigation system.

[0050] In this embodiment, the noise processing unit 13 of the controller 10 may perform noise processing when outputting the voice of the occupant from the speaker 3. In this case, the voice control unit 12 may increase the volume of the playback sound that reproduces the voice of the occupant as the volume of the noise reduction sound generated by the noise processing unit 13 increases. For example, if the frequency band of the noise reduction sound and the frequency band of the voice of the occupant overlap, the volume of the voice of the occupant may be reduced by the noise reduction sound. In such a case, a sound environment suitable for the conversation of the occupant can be provided by increasing the volume of the playback sound according to the volume of the noise reduction sound.

[0051] Next, a control flow executed by the controller 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure of the in-vehicle acoustic control method executed by the controller 10. - This is a chart.

[0052] In step S1, when the power switch 1 is turned on, the controller 10 activates the in-vehicle sound system (system ON). In step S2, the controller 10 sets devices to be controlled based on an operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4, an image captured by the camera 5, and an external command received by the communication device 6. That is, based on the operation command of the in-vehicle switch 4, the controller 10 determines the microphone 2 and speaker 3 to be controlled under the in-vehicle sound system in order to provide an optimal sound environment according to the situation of the occupant and / or the vehicle. For example, when occupants are talking in the vehicle, the controller 10 sets at least the microphone 2 and speaker 3 of the talking occupant as devices to be controlled.

[0053] In step S3, the controller 10 receives a signal including the voice of the speaker from the microphone 2 of the occupant who is speaking. In step S4, the controller 10 performs noise processing if the signal including the voice of the speaker includes noise. In step S5, when the voice of the speaker is to be heard by other occupants, the controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker 3 of the other occupants based on the positional relationship between the seating position of the speaker and the seating positions of the other occupants who will listen to the voice. For example, the controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice depending on the distance between the seating position of the speaker and the seating positions of the other occupants who will listen to the voice, and / or the direction of the seating positions of the other occupants relative to the seating position of the speaker.

[0054] In step S6, the controller 10 outputs a signal including the controlled playback volume to the speaker 3 of the other passenger. In step S7, the controller 10 determines whether or not to turn off the in-vehicle sound system. For example, when an operational command to turn off the system or a command to turn off the power switch 1 is input to the controller 10 by operating the in-vehicle switch 4, the controller 10 turns off the in-vehicle sound system, and the control flow shown in FIG. 9 ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the in-vehicle sound system is not to be turned off, the control flow returns to step S2, and the controller 10 executes the control flow from step S2 onwards. As a result, the sound environment of each seat is optimized under the control of the in-vehicle sound system while the passengers are talking.

[0055] As described above, the in-vehicle acoustic device according to this embodiment includes a controller 10 that controls the microphone 2 corresponding to the seating position of a speaker (corresponding to the "first passenger" of the present invention) and the speaker 3 corresponding to the seating position of a listener (corresponding to the "second passenger" of the present invention) so that the voice of the speaker (corresponding to the "first passenger" of the present invention) input from the microphone 2 is heard by the listener (corresponding to the "second passenger" of the present invention) via the speaker 3. The controller 10 controls the volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker 3 corresponding to the seating position of the listener based on the positional relationship between the seating position of the speaker and the seating position of the listener. This allows the passengers to have a smooth conversation through the microphone and speaker in the vehicle.

[0056] In the specific examples described with reference to Figures 3A, 3B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B, for ease of explanation, control is performed for each row from rows 1 to 3. However, even in these specific examples, control of the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 may be performed for each seat.

[0057] The above-described embodiments are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 Power Switch 2. Microphone 3 Speakers 4. Vehicle Switch 5. Camera 6. Communication Devices 10 Controller 11 Sound device settings section 12 Audio control section 13 Noise Processing Section 14 Call control section 15. Vehicle equipment sound control section 200 vehicles

Claims

1. An in-vehicle acoustic device provided in a vehicle, A plurality of speakers provided in the vehicle; A plurality of microphones provided in the vehicle; a controller that controls the microphone corresponding to a first seating position of the first occupant and the speaker corresponding to a second seating position of the second occupant so as to make the voice of the first occupant input from the microphone heard by a second occupant other than the first occupant via the speaker, The controller: a volume of a reproduced sound output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position is controlled based on a positional relationship between the first seating position and the second seating position; The in-vehicle acoustic device reduces the volume of the reproduced sound as the distance between the first seating position and the second seating position increases.

2. 2. The in-car acoustic device according to claim 1, the plurality of speakers are provided corresponding to the second seating position, The controller is an in-vehicle acoustic device that increases the volume of the reproduced sound output from a speaker that is closer to the first seating position among the plurality of speakers.

3. 3. The in-car acoustic device according to claim 1, The controller is an in-vehicle audio device that outputs a notification sound generated by an in-vehicle device from the speaker corresponding to the driver's seat of the vehicle.

4. An in-vehicle acoustic device provided in a vehicle, A plurality of speakers provided in the vehicle; A plurality of microphones provided in the vehicle; a controller that controls the microphone corresponding to a first seating position of the first occupant and the speaker corresponding to a second seating position of the second occupant so as to make the voice of the first occupant input from the microphone heard by a second occupant other than the first occupant via the speaker; a noise processing unit that generates a noise reduction sound for reducing noise input from the microphone; The controller: a volume of a reproduced sound output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position is controlled based on a positional relationship between the first seating position and the second seating position; The in-vehicle acoustic device increases the volume of the reproduced sound as the volume of the noise reduction sound increases.

5. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a vehicle-mounted switch for adjusting the volume of a specific sound input from the microphone corresponding to a specific seating position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle cabin; The controller is an in-vehicle acoustic device that reduces the volume of the specific sound when output from the speaker based on an operation command of the in-vehicle switch.

6. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The controller is an in-vehicle acoustic device that increases the volume of a voice input from the microphone corresponding to a specific seating position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle cabin when the voice is output from the speaker.

7. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The controller is an in-vehicle acoustic device that reduces the volume of a voice input from the microphone corresponding to a child's seating position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle cabin when the voice is output from the speaker.

8. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The controller: Determine whether the passenger in the vehicle is asleep or not. When it is determined that the occupant is asleep, the in-vehicle acoustic device reduces the volume of the reproduced sound output from the speaker corresponding to the seating position of the sleeping occupant.

9. An in-vehicle acoustic device provided in a vehicle, A plurality of speakers provided in the vehicle; A plurality of microphones provided in the vehicle; a controller that controls the microphone corresponding to a first seating position of the first occupant and the speaker corresponding to a second seating position of the second occupant so that the voice of the first occupant input from the microphone is heard by a second occupant other than the first occupant via the speaker; and a noise processing unit that generates a noise reduction sound that reduces noise inside the vehicle input from the microphone, The controller: a volume of a reproduced sound output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position is controlled based on a positional relationship between the first seating position and the second seating position; Determine whether the passenger in the vehicle is asleep or not. When it is determined that the occupant is asleep, the in-vehicle acoustic device increases the volume of the noise reduction sound output from the speaker corresponding to the seating position of the sleeping occupant.

10. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, An in-vehicle acoustic device comprising an in-vehicle switch for increasing the volume of the reproduced sound output from the speaker corresponding to a specific seating position among a plurality of seats in the vehicle cabin.

11. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, When the controller outputs a system sound generated by a navigation system, the controller outputs the system sound only from the speaker corresponding to the driver's seat.

12. The in-vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, When the controller outputs the voice of a call from a user outside the vehicle, the controller outputs the call voice only from the speaker corresponding to the seating position of the passenger who is the call destination.

13. A method for controlling in-vehicle acoustics, executed by a processor, comprising: The processor, receiving a signal including a voice of a first occupant from a microphone corresponding to a first seating position of the first occupant among a plurality of microphones provided in the vehicle; when the voice of the first occupant input from the microphone is made to be heard by a second occupant other than the first occupant via a speaker, a volume of the reproduced voice output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position is controlled based on a positional relationship between the first seating position and a second seating position of the second occupant; transmitting a signal including the controlled reproduced sound to the speaker corresponding to the second seating position; The in-vehicle acoustic control method further comprises: reducing the volume of the reproduced sound as the distance between the first seating position and the second seating position increases.

14. An in-vehicle acoustic device provided in a vehicle, A plurality of speakers provided in the vehicle; A plurality of microphones provided in the vehicle; a controller that controls the microphone corresponding to a first seating position of the first occupant and the speaker corresponding to a second seating position of the second occupant so as to make the voice of the first occupant input from the microphone heard by a second occupant other than the first occupant via the speaker, The controller: a volume of a reproduced sound output from the speaker corresponding to the second seating position is controlled based on a positional relationship between the first seating position and the second seating position; When a call command is received from an external user outside the vehicle, controlling the speaker and the microphone corresponding to a seating position of a called passenger so that the called passenger can talk to the external user; an in-vehicle audio device that controls the speakers and the microphones corresponding to the seating positions of other passengers so that passengers other than the called passenger can have a conversation with each other;