On-vehicle device

Abstract

An on-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a storage circuit that is capable of storing a plurality of pieces of reference audio data each indicating a sound which is a possible hindrance to a driving operation by a driver; and a processing circuit that is capable of determining whether or not a sound indicated by audio data which is contained in content is a possible hindrance to a driving operation by comparing the audio data with each of the plurality of pieces of reference audio data and that is capable of reducing, on the basis of the result of the determination, a signal component which is contained in the audio data and which is a possible hindrance to a driving operation.

Description

In-vehicle device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device that is mounted in a vehicle and performs processing on voice data.

[0002] A driver drives a vehicle while paying attention to, for example, the siren of an emergency vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that determines whether an external sound includes a sound necessary for the driver, such as a siren of an emergency vehicle, and notifies the driver of a voice message or an image message if the external sound includes a sound necessary for the driver.

[0003] JP 2003-004521 A

[0004] An in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a memory circuit and a processing circuit. The memory circuit is capable of storing a plurality of reference audio data indicating sounds that may be factors that may impede a driver's driving operation. The processing circuit is capable of determining whether the sounds indicated by the audio data may be factors that may impede a driver's driving operation by comparing the audio data included in content with each of the plurality of reference audio data, and is capable of reducing signal components included in the audio data that may be factors that may impede a driver's driving operation based on the determination result.

[0005] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one embodiment and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0006] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle equipped with an on-board device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the on-board device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the on-board device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an on-board device according to a modified example.

[0007] In recent years, vehicles have been equipped with so-called infotainment systems that provide information and entertainment to occupants. In providing entertainment, various sounds may be output from speakers inside the vehicle. Some of the sounds included in such content, such as the siren sounds of emergency vehicles, may be a distraction to the driver's driving. Therefore, it is desirable to ensure that the sounds included in the content do not distract the driver's driving.

[0008] It is desirable to provide an in-vehicle device that can prevent the driver's driving operation from being hindered.

[0009] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description illustrates one specific example of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. For example, each element, including numerical values, shapes, materials, parts, the position of each part, and the connection method of each part, is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the following exemplary embodiments, components not described in independent claims based on the highest concept of the present disclosure are optional and may be provided as needed. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. Throughout this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Furthermore, components not directly related to one embodiment of the present disclosure are not shown in the drawings.

[0010] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with an on-board device according to an embodiment. The vehicle 1 may be a vehicle equipped with an advanced driver assistance system or a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The vehicle 1 has a steering wheel 2, a steering touch sensor 3, and an on-board device 10.

[0011] The steering wheel 2 is configured to steer the vehicle 1. The steering wheel 2 is gripped by a driver and steers the vehicle 1 based on a steering operation by the driver.

[0012] The steering touch sensor 3 is provided on the steering wheel 2 and is configured to detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2 or not.

[0013] The in-vehicle device 10 is an infotainment system installed in the vehicle 1 .

[0014] 2 shows an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes an optical disc player 11, a tuner 12, a processing unit 20, a storage unit 13, an operation input unit 14, a display 15, and a speaker 16.

[0015] The optical disc player 11 is configured to play audio content and video content by playing optical discs such as CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and BDs (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Discs). The optical disc player 11 then supplies data of the played content to the processing unit 20.

[0016] The tuner 12 includes, for example, a radio tuner, a television tuner, etc., and is configured to receive audio content and video content. The tuner 12 then supplies the received content data to the processing unit 20.

[0017] The processing unit 20 is configured to perform processing based on data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12. The processing unit 20 is configured, for example, using one or more processors and one or more memories, and is configured to perform processing by executing a program. The processing unit 20 has a comparison and analysis unit 21, a determination unit 22, and a mask processing unit 23.

[0018] The comparison and analysis unit 21 is configured to determine whether the audio included in the content may be a factor that interferes with the driver's driving operation by comparing audio data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 with multiple audio data included in the database DB stored in the storage unit 13. That is, for example, if the content includes a siren or a vehicle horn from an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, the driver may mistakenly believe that these sounds are actual sounds emitted from around the vehicle 1 and pay excessive attention to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 while driving. Also, for example, if the content includes a warning sound from a vehicle equipped with an advanced driver assistance system, the driver may mistakenly believe that this sound is an actual sound emitted from the advanced driver assistance system of the vehicle 1 and erroneously perform a braking operation. In this way, the audio included in the content may be a factor that interferes with the driver's driving operation. Therefore, the comparison and analysis unit 21 uses a audio database DB in which multiple audio data that may interfere with the driver's driving operation are pre-registered to determine whether the audio included in the content may be a factor that interferes with the driver's driving operation.

[0019] The determination unit 22 is configured to determine whether or not the driver has an intention to actively drive the vehicle based on the detection result of the steering touch sensor 3. That is, for example, when the driver operates the vehicle 1, the driver grips the steering wheel 2, and therefore the steering touch sensor 3 detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2. Also, when the vehicle 1 is stopped in a parking lot or the like, the driver takes his or her hands off the steering wheel 2, and therefore the steering touch sensor 3 detects that the driver is not gripping the steering wheel 2. In this way, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not the driver has an intention to actively drive the vehicle based on the detection result of the steering touch sensor 3.

[0020] The masking processing unit 23 is configured to perform masking processing to reduce audio signal components contained in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 and the tuner 12 that may be a factor impeding the driver's driving operation.

[0021] The processing unit 20 also performs predetermined processing on the video data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12. The processing unit 20 then supplies a video signal corresponding to the processed video data to the display 15, and supplies an audio signal corresponding to the processed audio data to the speaker 16.

[0022] The storage unit 13 is configured to store a voice database DB. The storage unit 13 is configured using, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Various voice data that may be a factor hindering the driver's driving operation is registered in advance in the voice database DB. The multiple voice data included in the voice database DB include, for example, voice data such as sirens of emergency vehicles such as ambulances, vehicle horns, and warning sounds of vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems.

[0023] The operation input unit 14 is configured to receive operations from a passenger such as a driver, and is configured using, for example, a touch panel and various buttons. The passenger can use the operation input unit 14 to, for example, play content on the optical disc player 11, select a station on the tuner 12, and adjust the volume.

[0024] The display 15 is configured to display various information and content images in the vehicle 1 based on the video signal supplied from the processing unit 20. The display 15 is configured using, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0025] The speaker 16 is configured to emit the sound of the content based on the audio signal supplied from the processing unit 20 .

[0026] Here, the storage unit 13 corresponds to a specific example of a "storage circuit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The plurality of voice data registered in the voice database DB corresponds to a specific example of a "plurality of reference voice data" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processing unit 20 corresponds to a specific example of a "processing circuit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The steering touch sensor 3 corresponds to a specific example of a "sensor" in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Operation and Function] Next, the operation and function of the in-vehicle device 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0028] (Overall Operation Overview) First, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 . The optical disc player 11 plays audio content and video content. The tuner 12 receives the audio content and video content. The comparison and analysis unit 21 of the processing unit 20 compares audio data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 with multiple audio data included in the database DB stored in the storage unit 13 to determine whether the audio included in the content could be a factor that interferes with the driver's driving operation. The determination unit 22 determines whether the driver intends to actively drive the vehicle based on the detection result of the steering touch sensor 3. The masking processing unit 23 performs masking processing to reduce audio signal components included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 that could be a factor that interferes with the driver's driving operation. The processing unit 20 also performs predetermined processing on the video data included in the data supplied from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12. The processing unit 20 then supplies a video signal corresponding to the processed video data to the display 15, and supplies an audio signal corresponding to the processed audio data to the speaker 16. The storage unit 13 stores an audio database DB. The operation input unit 14 accepts operations from occupants such as the driver. The display 15 displays various information about the vehicle 1 and videos of content based on the video signal supplied from the processing unit 20. The speaker 16 produces audio of the content based on the audio signal supplied from the processing unit 20.

[0029] (Detailed Operation) Fig. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. When the power supply of the in-vehicle device 10 is turned on, the in-vehicle device 10 performs the following operations.

[0030] First, the processing unit 20 of the in-vehicle device 10 checks whether the supply of audio data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 has started (step S101).

[0031] Next, the comparison and analysis unit 21 of the processing unit 20 compares the supplied voice data with the plurality of voice data contained in the voice database DB to determine whether the voice contained in the content may be a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation (step S102). Specifically, the comparison and analysis unit 21 compares, for example, the main signal components contained in the supplied voice data with the plurality of signal components indicated by the plurality of voice data contained in the voice database DB. For example, if the main signal components contained in the supplied voice data match or are similar to the plurality of signal components indicated by the plurality of voice data contained in the voice database DB, the comparison and analysis unit 21 determines that the voice contained in the content may be a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation. In other words, since the voice database DB stores various voice data that may be a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation, the comparison and analysis unit 21 can use this voice database DB to determine whether the voice contained in the content may be a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation. If the voice contained in the content is not a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation ("N" in step S103), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0032] If the sound included in the content may be a factor that hinders the driver's driving operation ("Y" in step S103), the determination unit 22 of the processing unit 20 is configured to determine (step S104) whether the driver has an intention to actively drive the vehicle based on the detection result of the steering touch sensor 3. If the driver does not have an intention to actively drive the vehicle ("N" in step S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0033] If the driver has the intention to actively drive ("Y" in step S104), the masking processor 23 of the processing unit 20 reduces the signal components included in the supplied voice data (step S105). Specifically, for example, if the supplied voice data includes data of a siren sound of an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, the masking processor 23 reduces the signal components of the siren sound.

[0034] The processing unit 20 then outputs an audio signal corresponding to the processed audio data (step S106). The speaker 16 produces the audio of the content based on the audio signal supplied from the processing unit 20.

[0035] The processing unit 20 checks whether the supply of audio data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 has finished (step S107). If the supply of audio data has not finished yet ("N" in step S107), the processing returns to step S102, and the processing unit 20 repeats the processes of steps S102 to S107 until the supply of audio data has finished.

[0036] When the supply of audio data from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12 has finished ("Y" in step S107), this process ends. Then, the processing unit 20 starts the process shown in Fig. 3. In this way, the processing unit 20 performs the process shown in Fig. 3 every time audio data is supplied from the optical disc player 11 or the tuner 12.

[0037] In this way, the in-vehicle device 10 is provided with a memory circuit (memory unit 13) capable of storing a plurality of reference voice data (a plurality of voice data stored in a voice database DB) indicating sounds that may be a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation, and a processing circuit (processing unit 20) capable of determining whether or not a sound indicated by the voice data is a factor that impedes the driving operation by comparing the voice data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference voice data, and reducing signal components included in the voice data that may be a factor that impedes the driving operation based on the determination result. As a result, in the in-vehicle device 10, for example, if a voice included in the content is a factor that may impede the driver's driving operation, the signal components of the voice are reduced, making it difficult for such a sound that may be a factor that impedes the driver's driving operation, so that the driver's driving operation is not impeded.

[0038] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit reduces signal components contained in the audio data that could be a factor hindering driving operations. That is, the in-vehicle device 10 does not reduce signal components that could be a factor hindering driving operations by, for example, adding an inverse phase audio to the audio output from the speaker, but rather reduces signal components that could be a factor hindering driving operations in data processing. As a result, the processing accuracy of the in-vehicle device 10 is not affected by, for example, ambient noise, and therefore the processing accuracy when reducing signal components can be improved.

[0039] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) can determine whether the driver is operating the vehicle 1 based on the detection result of a sensor (steering touch sensor 3) that can detect whether the driver is operating the vehicle 1 in which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed, and can reduce signal components included in the audio data based on the determination result. As a result, for example, when the driver is operating the vehicle 1, the processing unit 20 reduces audio included in the content that could interfere with the driver's driving, thereby preventing the driver's driving from being interfered with. Furthermore, for example, when the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking lot, the processing unit 20 does not reduce such audio, so that the audio included in the content is not lost. Therefore, occupants such as the driver can enjoy the content. Furthermore, in an autonomous vehicle, when the vehicle is traveling autonomously, the driver is not operating the vehicle 1, so the processing unit 20 does not reduce audio that could interfere with the driver's driving. Therefore, occupants such as the driver can enjoy the content. In this way, the in-vehicle device 10 reduces sounds that may be a factor that hinders the driver's driving operations when the driver is driving the vehicle 1, thereby effectively preventing the driver's driving operations from being hindered.

[0040] In addition, in the in-vehicle device 10, a sensor (steering touch sensor 3) is provided on the steering wheel 2 of the vehicle 1 and can detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel, and the processing circuit (processing unit 20) can determine whether the driver is operating the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor. This allows the in-vehicle device 10 to determine whether the driver is operating the vehicle in a simple manner.

[0041] [Effects] As described above, this embodiment includes a memory circuit capable of storing a plurality of reference voice data indicating sounds that may be factors that may hinder the driver's driving operation, and a processing circuit that can determine whether the sounds indicated by the voice data are likely to be factors that may hinder the driving operation by comparing the voice data included in the content with each of the plurality of reference voice data, and that can reduce signal components included in the voice data that may be factors that may hinder the driving operation based on the determination result. This makes it possible to prevent the driver's driving operation from being hindered.

[0042] In this embodiment, the processing circuit is capable of determining whether the driver is operating the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor capable of detecting whether the driver is operating the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed, and is capable of reducing the signal components included in the voice data based on the determination result, thereby making it possible to effectively prevent the driver's driving operation from being hindered.

[0043] In this embodiment, the sensor is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle and can detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel, and the processing circuit can determine whether the driver is operating the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor. This allows the in-vehicle device to determine whether the driver is operating the vehicle in a simple manner.

[0044] [Modification] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is provided with a steering touch sensor 3, but this is not limited thereto. Instead, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 1 may be provided with an image sensor 4 capable of capturing images of the interior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 includes an in-vehicle device 10A. The in-vehicle device 10A includes a processing unit 20A having a determination unit 22A. The determination unit 22A is configured to determine whether the driver intends to actively drive the vehicle by performing image processing based on the captured image generated by the image sensor 4. Specifically, the determination unit 22A can determine whether the driver intends to actively drive the vehicle based on the driver's posture, the direction of the driver's face, whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 2, and the like.

[0045] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications and variations to the extent that they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0046] For example, in the above embodiment, the determination unit 22 is provided, and when the determination unit 22 determines that the driver has an intention to actively drive, the mask processing unit 23 reduces the signal components included in the supplied voice data, but this is not limited to this. Alternatively, for example, the determination unit 22 may not be provided. In this case, when the comparison and analysis unit 21 determines that the voice included in the content may be a factor that hinders the driver's driving operation, the mask processing unit 23 reduces the signal components included in the supplied voice data.

[0047] The effects described in this specification are merely examples, and the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described in this specification. Therefore, other effects may be obtained with respect to the present disclosure.

[0048] Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the following aspects.

[0049] (1) An in-vehicle device comprising: a storage circuit capable of storing a plurality of reference voice data indicating sounds that may be a factor that hinders a driver's driving operation; and a processing circuit capable of determining whether sounds indicated by the voice data may be a factor that hinders a driver's driving operation by comparing voice data included in content with each of the plurality of reference voice data, and capable of reducing signal components included in the voice data based on the determination result. (2) The in-vehicle device described in (1), wherein the processing circuit is capable of determining whether the driver is driving the vehicle based on a detection result of a sensor that can detect whether the driver is driving the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed, and is capable of reducing signal components included in the voice data based on the determination result. (3) The in-vehicle device described in (2), wherein the sensor is provided on a steering wheel of the vehicle and is capable of detecting whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel, and the processing circuit is capable of determining that the driver is driving the vehicle when the driver is gripping the steering wheel. (4) The in-vehicle device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the processing circuit is capable of supplying, to a speaker, an audio signal corresponding to the audio data in which the signal component has been reduced.

[0050] The processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 can be implemented by circuitry including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit, such as at least one processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The at least one processor can be configured to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 by reading instructions from at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. Such media can take various forms, including, but not limited to, various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories (i.e., semiconductor circuits) such as volatile or non-volatile memories. Volatile memories can include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memories can include ROM and NVRAM. An ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) specialized to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2. An FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configurable after manufacture to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device comprising: a memory circuit capable of storing a plurality of reference voice data indicating sounds that may be a hindrance to driving operations by a driver; and a processing circuit capable of determining whether or not sounds indicated by the voice data may be a hindrance to driving operations by comparing voice data included in content with each of the plurality of reference voice data, and capable of reducing signal components contained in the voice data that may be a hindrance to driving operations based on the result of the determination.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is capable of determining whether or not the driver is driving the vehicle based on the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting whether or not the driver is driving the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed, and is capable of reducing the signal components contained in the voice data based on the determination result.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle and is capable of detecting whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel, and the processing circuit is capable of determining that the driver is operating the vehicle based on the detection result of the sensor.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is capable of supplying to a speaker an audio signal corresponding to the audio data in which the signal components have been reduced.

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