Control system and control device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a control system and a control device that make it possible to provide a more suitable vehicle interior environment. A control system according to the present disclosure comprises: at least one sensing device that converts vibration of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs the low-bit RAW data; a communication bus in which at least one node that receives the low-bit RAW data outputted from the at least one sensing device is daisy-chained; a vibration control unit that generates a control signal from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus; and an output device that, on the basis of the control signal, controls vibration to be controlled. The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a vibration control system that implements a vehicle interior NC.

Description

Control System and Control Device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system and a control device, and more particularly to a control system and a control device that can provide a more suitable vehicle interior environment.

[0002] Conventionally, as a technique for providing a quiet experience in the vehicle interior, a spatial noise cancellation technique using active control is known. When realizing spatial noise cancellation using active control in the vehicle interior, first, low latency is required, and second, efficient wiring is required.

[0003] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document1 and Patent Document2, if a plurality of node devices can be daisy-chain connected by a communication bus, wiring efficiency can be realized.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-20905, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-10395

[0005] However, a configuration that simultaneously realizes low latency and wiring efficiency has not been proposed.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and aims to provide a more suitable vehicle interior environment.

[0007] The control system of the present disclosure includes at least one sensing device that converts the vibration of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs it, a communication bus in which at least one node that receives the low-bit RAW data output from the at least one sensing device is daisy-chain connected, a vibration control unit that generates a control signal from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus, and an output device that controls the vibration of a control target based on the control signal.

[0008] The control device of this disclosure comprises a communication bus in which at least one node is daisy-chained to receive low-bit RAW data output from at least one sensing device that converts vibrations of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs the said low-bit RAW data, and a vibration control unit that generates a control signal for the output device to control the vibration of a target from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus.

[0009] In this disclosure, at least one sensing device converts the vibration of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs it, at least one node is daisy-chained via a communication bus to receive the low-bit RAW data output from the at least one sensing device, a control signal is generated from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus, and the vibration of the object to be controlled is controlled by the output device based on the control signal.

[0010] This is a diagram illustrating noise source and receiving point control. This is a diagram illustrating direct noise source control. This is a diagram illustrating signal processing in headphone noise cancellation. This is a diagram illustrating the difference between headphone noise cancellation and in-vehicle noise cancellation. This is a diagram illustrating the challenges of in-vehicle noise cancellation. This is a diagram illustrating the overview of a system that achieves efficient wiring. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration to which a time-division multiplex transmission method is applied. This is a diagram illustrating a first configuration example of the vibration control system of this disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating the signal flow in the vibration control system. This is a diagram illustrating a second configuration example of the vibration control system of this disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating the signal flow in the vibration control system. This is a diagram illustrating content playback using an actuator. This is a diagram illustrating the application of the technology related to this disclosure to content playback. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the content playback system of this disclosure.

[0011] The following describes the forms for implementing this disclosure (hereinafter referred to as embodiments). The explanation will be given in the following order.

[0012] 1. An approach to noise reduction using active control in the vehicle cabin 2. Challenges of spatial noise cancellation in the vehicle cabin 2-1. Conventional technology 1 (Low latency in headphone NC) 2-2. Conventional technology 2 (Efficient wiring through daisy-chain connection) 3. Vibration control system applying the technology disclosed herein 3-1. Overview 3-2. First configuration example 3-3. Second configuration example 4. Application example (Application to content playback system) 5. Others

[0013] <1. Approach to noise reduction using active control in the vehicle cabin> Approaches to noise reduction using spatial noise cancellation with active control in the vehicle cabin can be classified into two types: "noise source / receiving point control" and "direct noise source control".

[0014] First, we will explain the control of the noise source and receiving point, referring to Figure 1.

[0015] Noise source and receiving point control is often applied when the input of a noise source, such as road noise, is known (for example, near the tires). Specifically, the acceleration sensor 11 senses the vibration that is the source of the noise, and the NC (noise cancellation) processing unit 12 generates an acoustic signal with an out-of-phase such that the noise is canceled at the control position, and plays it back from the speaker 13. The noise to be controlled is thought to reach the control position via several propagation paths. For example, a possible flow is "tire input" -> "vibration propagation to the body" -> "panel vibrates and radiates noise" -> "noise reaches the control position".

[0016] Thus, noise source / receiving point control is a control method that aims to quiet the vehicle interior by sensing vibrations that become noise sources near the input and using speakers to cancel the noise after it has been radiated from the panel. In signal processing, there is a margin of error equivalent to the time it takes for the signal to travel along the path from "vibration input" to "vibration propagation" to "noise radiation" to the "control point" (transmission time). Therefore, the signal processing from sensing to the output of the cancellation sound only needs to be performed within this transmission time, and since it is easy to secure a time margin, it is implemented using a feedforward method.

[0017] Next, we will explain direct noise source control with reference to Figure 2.

[0018] Direct noise source control is a control method that aims to reduce noise inside the vehicle cabin by having an acceleration sensor 21 sense the vibration of the noise-generating panel VS, and an NC processing unit 22 directly control the vibration of the panel VS via an actuator 23 (also called an exciter). In order to directly control the panel VS that emits noise, the acceleration sensor 21 and actuator 23 are directly attached to the panel VS that is to be controlled.

[0019] A key feature of direct noise source control is that it can be used even when the input of the noise source is unknown. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when a panel VS is directly acoustically excited, the origin of the noise is unknown, making it difficult to place a reference sensor near the noise source. Therefore, by controlling a panel VS such as a windshield, the output portion from which the noise is radiated can be directly controlled, enabling control even when it is difficult to place a sensor near the noise source.

[0020] To apply direct noise source control to an unknown sound source, it is necessary to directly control the panel VS, as shown in Figure 2, and low-latency processing is required, so this is implemented using a feedback method.

[0021] As described above, noise source and receiving point control can be achieved using a feedforward method, while direct noise source control can be achieved using a feedback method.

[0022] <2. Challenges of spatial noise cancellation in vehicle cabins> When implementing spatial noise cancellation using a feedback method in a vehicle cabin, the first requirement is low latency, and the second is efficient wiring.

[0023] In contrast, while configurations that achieve either low latency or efficient wiring have been proposed, no configuration has been proposed that achieves both low latency and efficient wiring simultaneously. The following describes conventional technologies that achieve low latency and efficient wiring, respectively.

[0024] (2-1. Conventional Technology 1) The feedback-type noise control described with reference to Figure 2 is characterized by sensing the vibration that is the noise source and directly controlling that vibration with an actuator. Due to the characteristics of feedback control, unless the recorded vibration information (input information from the acceleration sensor) is processed in real time and with low latency, the generated vibration cannot be properly controlled.

[0025] In headphone noise cancellation, signal processing techniques have been proposed to achieve low-latency processing.

[0026] Figure 3 illustrates signal processing in headphone noise cancellation. Figure 3A shows a configuration for signal processing in DNC (digital noise cancellation) using a general-purpose device. Figure 3B shows a configuration for signal processing to achieve low-latency processing in headphone noise cancellation.

[0027] Generally, signal processing in a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) is often performed at the sampling frequency of audio data (hereinafter referred to as 1Fs, etc.). As shown in Figure 3A, in a general-purpose ADC (Analog Digital Converter) / DAC (Digital Analog Converter), the output data of the ΔΣ converter is converted to audio data (sampling frequency: 1Fs) using a decimation filter and an interpolation filter. However, generally, signal processing delays are not taken into account in decimation filters and may include delays that are unacceptable to NC (Numerical Control). For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 3A, the system delay can be up to about 2ms.

[0028] Furthermore, the output data of the ΔΣ converter is raw data (hereinafter referred to as RAW data) before it is converted into audio data (1Fs). The RAW data output of the ΔΣ converter is often low-bit and high-sampling-rate. Figure 3A shows an example of 1-bit and 64Fs (sampling frequency 64 times that of audio data) RAW data, but other bit counts and sampling rates are also acceptable.

[0029] On the other hand, in the configuration shown in Figure 3B, the RAW data, which is the output of the ΔΣ converter, is processed by a decimation filter that takes signal processing delay into account. Specifically, by processing the RAW data at a relatively high sampling frequency (e.g., 8Fs) without reducing it to the sampling frequency of audio data, 1Fs, the delay caused by the decimation filter is reduced, and low latency can be achieved.

[0030] In other words, low latency in headphone noise cancellation can be achieved by handling RAW data in a way that takes latency into account.

[0031] (2-2. Conventional Technology 2) Here, we will first explain the "complexity of wiring" that arises when conventional technology 1 described above is applied to the space NC inside the vehicle (vehicle interior NC), and then explain the "efficiency of wiring" achieved by conventional technology 2.

[0032] Figure 4 illustrates the difference between headphone noise cancellation and in-car noise cancellation.

[0033] Figure 4A shows a configuration for realizing headphone noise cancellation. In this configuration, a reference sensor 31 senses noise at the ear position, and the NC processing unit 32 generates a cancellation signal to cancel the noise at the ear position, which is output to the speaker 33.

[0034] Figure 4B shows a configuration for realizing in-vehicle noise control (NC) by direct noise control, as explained with reference to Figure 2. In this configuration for realizing in-vehicle noise control, the vibration of the panel VS is sensed by the acceleration sensor 41, and the vibration control unit 42 generates a vibration control signal to suppress the vibration of the panel VS, which is output to the actuator 43.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the headphone NC and the in-car NC share the common feature of "the DSP processing and outputting signals from the sensor."

[0036] On the other hand, there are two differences between headphone noise cancellation and in-car noise cancellation, as shown below.

[0037] (1) In headphone noise cancellation, where the number of required devices differs, it is sufficient to control only the space covering the ears. On the other hand, in in-car noise cancellation, a large number of devices (accelerometers and actuators) are required to directly control the vibrations that are the source of noise, and a configuration that realizes MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) is necessary.

[0038] (2) In headphone NC with a large control space, the distance between the sensor, DSP, and headphone driver is very close, and each device can be placed in close proximity. On the other hand, in in-vehicle NC, the larger control space results in longer wiring distances and more complex wiring.

[0039] Now, referring to Figure 5, we will explain the challenges of in-vehicle NC resulting from the two differences mentioned above.

[0040] In Figure 5, we assume a case where the vibration control unit 42 converts an analog signal into RAW data, as explained with reference to Figure 3B.

[0041] In the configuration shown in Figure 5, the vibration control unit 42 that performs signal processing is centrally located, enabling processing that takes delay into account between the analog signal-to-RAW data conversion and the DSP, and allowing for low-latency processing similar to the configuration described with reference to Figure 3B.

[0042] On the other hand, in the configuration shown in FIG. 5, due to the above two differences, the number of required devices is large and the control space becomes wide. Therefore, it is necessary to wire the cable (analog wiring) of the analog sensor (acceleration sensor 41) over a long distance, and the wiring becomes complicated.

[0043] With respect to such "complication of wiring", if a plurality of node devices can be daisy-chain connected by a communication bus as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 as the prior art 2, wiring efficiency can be realized.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an outline of a system for realizing wiring efficiency.

[0045] In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the vibration of the panel VS is sensed by the acceleration sensor 51, a control signal for suppressing the vibration of the panel VS is generated by the vibration control unit 52, and is output to the actuator 53. Each of the plurality of acceleration sensors 51 is connected to a plurality of slave devices 61S, and the vibration control unit 52 is connected to one master device 61M.. And the communication bus 62 daisy-chain connects the plurality of slave devices 61S and the master device 61M with the master device 61M as the terminator.

[0046] That is, according to the prior art 2 as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, wiring efficiency can be realized by digital wiring using the communication bus 62 in which a plurality of nodes are daisy-chain connected as shown in the configuration of FIG. 6.

[0047] However, in the prior art 2, since the signal transmitted via the communication bus is a signal of the sampling frequency of the audio data obtained by converting the RAW data, a large delay is generated in principle. Therefore, there is a limit to the achievable NC performance in feedback control that requires low delay.

[0048] For example, in Patent Document 1, a system for transmitting data using a variable time-division multiplexing transmission method (TDM method) has been proposed. In the system of Patent Document 1, a plurality of node devices are daisy-chain connected to transmit data, but the transmitted data is not RAW data but processed audio data. In the system of Patent Document 1, audio data is handled in a multi-channel manner and transmitted by the TDM method via a communication bus, so low latency cannot be achieved.

[0049] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a system to which the TDM method is applied to the configuration shown in FIG. 6.

[0050] In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of nodes (slave devices 61S) that receive digital data are connected by a daisy-chain communication bus 62 to achieve wiring efficiency. On the other hand, the data from each acceleration sensor 51 is converted into audio data (1Fs, 24 bits) when output to the communication bus 62, and the converted data is transmitted by the TDM method.Therefore, from the perspective of latency, it can be said that the same processing as in the configuration using the general-purpose device shown in FIG. 3A is performed separately.

[0051] Also, in Patent Document 2, a technique for synchronization in slave-to-slave communication is disclosed. The technique of Patent Document 2 is a technique for transmitting data by daisy-chain connection, similar to the system of Patent Document 1, and is intended to sense environmental data such as temperature and humidity and control the environment of the vehicle interior. However, the technique of Patent Document 2 also does not achieve low latency in in-vehicle NC.

[0052] <3. Vibration control system to which the technology according to the present disclosure is applied> (3-1. Overview) In the present disclosure, a configuration that simultaneously realizes low latency and wiring efficiency in in-vehicle spatial noise cancellation (in-vehicle NC) is proposed.

[0053] Specifically, in a system to which the technology described herein is applied, similar to the system described with reference to Figure 7, the wiring efficiency is improved by using a communication bus in which multiple nodes receiving digital data are daisy-chained. Furthermore, low-bit RAW data, which has been ΔΣ converted by multiple digital sensors, is output to the nodes daisy-chained via the communication bus. In addition, in a system to which the technology described herein is applied, similar to the configuration described with reference to Figure 3B, signal processing of the low-bit RAW data is performed in the vibration control unit to reduce latency.

[0054] Thus, in the technology disclosed herein, instead of reducing latency by having a signal processing unit centrally convert analog signals into RAW data, low latency and wiring efficiency are achieved by transmitting the RAW data converted by multiple digital sensors to a communication bus as digital wiring.

[0055] (3-2. First Configuration Example) Figure 8 shows a first configuration example of the vibration control system of the present disclosure.

[0056] The vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 8 is configured to include a plurality of sensing devices 111, a vibration control unit 112, an output device 113, a slave device 121S and a master device 121M acting as nodes, and a communication bus 122. In the following description, the vibration control system 100 will be described as having multiple sensing devices 111 and multiple slave devices 121S acting as nodes, but it is sufficient to have at least one of each.

[0057] Multiple sensing devices 111 are attached to the panel VS, which acts as a vibration source, and convert the vibrations of the panel VS into low-bit RAW data for output. Specifically, each sensing device 111 outputs, for example, 1-bit 64Fs low-bit RAW data by performing a ΔΣ conversion on the analog signal representing the vibrations of the panel VS. In other words, each sensing device 111 is configured as a digital acceleration sensor.

[0058] The communication bus 122 daisy-chains nodes that receive low-bit RAW data output from multiple sensing devices 111.

[0059] Specifically, the low-bit RAW data output from the multiple sensing devices 111 is received by each of the slave devices 121S. The communication bus 122 acts as a node, daisy-chaining the multiple slave devices 121S, each connected to the multiple sensing devices 111, with the master device 121M, which is connected to the vibration control unit 112 at the end of the communication bus 122.

[0060] The vibration control unit 112 is configured as a signal processing block that performs vibration control, for example, by ASAC (Active Structural Acoustic Control). The vibration control unit 112 generates control signals from low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus 122, which each output device 113 uses to control the vibration of the controlled object (panel VS). Specifically, the vibration control unit 112 generates control signals by signal processing of the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus 122.

[0061] The output device 113 is configured, for example, as an actuator, and controls the vibration of the controlled object (panel VS) based on a control signal generated by the vibration control unit 112. Specifically, the output device 113 is provided in the panel VS, which is the vibration source, for example, in correspondence with the sensing device 111, and applies vibration to the panel VS as the controlled object.

[0062] In other words, the vibration control unit 112 generates a drive signal with an out-of-phase configuration that cancels out vibrations in the panel VS, which is the vibration source, and the output device 113 excites the panel VS, which is also the controlled object, based on the drive signal generated by the vibration control unit 112.

[0063] Panel VS may include not only the windshield and other window glass that make up the vehicle (automobile) body, but also the body, inner trim, instrument panel, etc.

[0064] Referring to Figure 9, the signal flow in the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 8 will be explained.

[0065] In the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 8, for example, low-bit RAW data of 1 bit 64Fs is output from the sensing device 111 and transmitted over the communication bus 122. That is, the input signals from each sensing device 111 are input downstream to the vibration control unit 112 via the slave device 121S, the communication bus 122, and the master device 121M.

[0066] Meanwhile, the vibration control unit 112 outputs a control signal (control data), for example, 1 bit 64Fs, which is input to the amplifier via an LPF (Low Pass Filter). The drive signal, which is an analog signal amplified by the amplifier, is then output to each of the output devices 113 (actuators). Here, the drive signal that drives the output devices 113 is amplified by the amplifier because it often requires more power than the signal from the sensing device 111.

[0067] With the above configuration, vibrations from a vibration source are converted into low-bit RAW data by multiple sensing devices and output, which is then transmitted via a digital communication bus. Therefore, even in vehicle interior NC systems with a large number of required devices and a large control space, it is possible to simultaneously achieve low latency and efficient wiring. As a result, it becomes possible to provide a more suitable in-vehicle environment.

[0068] In the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 8, the vibration control unit 112 and the communication bus 122, which includes each node (slave device 121S, master device 121M), may be configured as a single control device.

[0069] (3-3. Second Configuration Example) Figure 10 shows a second configuration example of the vibration control system of the present disclosure.

[0070] The vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 10 differs from the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 8 in that each of the slave devices 121S, which are nodes of the communication bus 122, is connected to each of the output devices 113. Furthermore, the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 10 differs from the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 8 in that the vibration control unit 112 outputs control signals to each of the output devices 113 via the communication bus 122 and the nodes (slave devices 121S).

[0071] Referring to Figure 11, the signal flow in the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 10 will be explained.

[0072] In the vibration control system 100 shown in Figure 10, for example, low-bit RAW data of 1 bit 64Fs is output from the sensing device 111 and transmitted over the communication bus 122. That is, the input signals from each sensing device 111 are input downstream to the vibration control unit 112 via the slave device 121S, the communication bus 122, and the master device 121M.

[0073] Meanwhile, the vibration control unit 112 outputs, for example, a 1-bit 64Fs control signal (control data), which is transmitted over the communication bus 122 and output to each of the output devices 113 (actuators). That is, the control signal from the vibration control unit 112 is output upstream to each of the output devices 113 via the master device 121M, the communication bus 122, and the slave device 121S. Here, each node (slave device 121S) is configured to support the power necessary to drive the output devices 113. This allows the control signal (drive signal) from the vibration control unit 112 to be output to each of the output devices 113 via the communication bus 122.

[0074] Even with the above configuration, multiple sensing devices convert the vibrations of the vibration source into low-bit RAW data for output, which is then transmitted via a digital communication bus. This allows for both low latency and efficient wiring, even in vehicle interior NC systems with a large number of required devices and a spacious control area. As a result, a more favorable in-vehicle environment can be provided.

[0075] <4. Application Examples> The above describes an example of applying the technology described herein to a vibration control system that realizes in-vehicle NC. However, the technology described herein can also be applied to a content playback system that plays audio content by actively exciting a panel equipped with an actuator to vibrate like a speaker.

[0076] In content playback using actuators, as shown in Figure 12, an actuator 211 attached to a panel VS, such as the windshield, can play audio content AU inside the vehicle by vibrating the panel VS.

[0077] As shown in Figure 12, if the actuator 211 is used solely as a playback device, acceleration sensors and feedback circuits are unnecessary, and it appears that only the actuator 211 is required. However, unlike the diaphragm of a speaker, the panel VS does not have a shape or material optimized for audio content playback.

[0078] Therefore, the configuration that uses actuators as playback devices to excite the panel is considered to have problems in terms of sound quality compared to speakers. Specifically, the panel generates complex and large-amplitude vibration patterns called "vibration modes" at certain frequencies, and these "vibration modes" affect the frequency characteristics of the sound.

[0079] In contrast, “Ho, J. and Berkhoff, AP Flat acoustic sources with frequency response correction based on feedback and feed-forward distributed control, Journal of Acoustical Society of America, 137 (4), 2080-2088, (2015).” proposes a technology that involves attaching actuators and sensors to a flat panel and suppressing vibration modes generated by the panel during content playback through feedback control. According to this technology, the peaks in sound pressure levels originating from vibration modes that occurred during content playback using only actuators are reduced, resulting in a flatter frequency response.

[0080] Therefore, the technology described herein is applied to content playback using an actuator. Specifically, as shown in Figure 13, the acceleration sensor 221 senses the vibration of the panel VS, and the FB (feedback) processing unit 222 feeds back the vibration of the panel VS, thereby realizing a configuration that corrects the frequency characteristics of the audio content AU.

[0081] Figure 14 shows an example of the configuration of the content playback system of this disclosure.

[0082] The content playback system 300 shown in Figure 14 is configured to include a plurality of sensing devices 311, a vibration control unit 312, an output device 313, slave devices 321S and a master device 321M acting as nodes, and a communication bus 322.

[0083] Multiple sensing devices 311 are attached to the panel VS, which acts as a vibration source, and convert the vibrations of the panel VS into low-bit RAW data for output. Specifically, each sensing device 311 outputs, for example, 1-bit 64Fs low-bit RAW data by performing a ΔΣ conversion on the analog signal representing the vibrations of the panel VS. In other words, each sensing device 311 is configured as a digital acceleration sensor.

[0084] The communication bus 322 daisy-chains nodes that receive low-bit RAW data output from multiple sensing devices 311.

[0085] Specifically, the low-bit RAW data output from the multiple sensing devices 311 is received by each of the slave devices 321S. The communication bus 322 acts as a node, daisy-chaining the multiple slave devices 321S, each connected to the multiple sensing devices 311, with the master device 321M, which is connected to the vibration control unit 312 at the end of the communication bus 322.

[0086] The vibration control unit 312 is configured as a signal processing block that performs feedback control to compensate for the sound quality of the audio content AU reproduced by the vibration of the panel VS by the output device 313. The vibration control unit 312 generates control signals for each of the output devices 313 to control the vibration of the controlled object (panel VS) by signal processing of low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus 322.

[0087] The output device 313 is configured, for example, as an actuator, and controls the vibration of the controlled object (panel VS) based on a control signal generated by the vibration control unit 312. Specifically, the output device 313 is provided in the panel VS, which is the vibration source, for example, in correspondence with the sensing device 311, and plays audio content by applying vibration to the panel VS.

[0088] In other words, the vibration control unit 312 outputs a correction signal as a control signal to correct the frequency characteristics of the audio content AU played back by each of the output devices 313 (actuators).

[0089] With the above configuration, vibrations from a vibration source are converted into low-bit RAW data by multiple sensing devices and output, which is then transmitted via a digital communication bus. This allows for both low latency and efficient wiring, even in content playback within a vehicle cabin where a large number of devices are required and the control space is extensive. As a result, a more favorable in-vehicle environment can be provided.

[0090] In the content playback system 300 shown in Figure 14, the vibration control unit 312 and the communication bus 322, which includes each node (slave device 321S, master device 321M), may be configured as a single control device.

[0091] Furthermore, the functions of the vibration control system described with reference to Figures 8 and 10 and the functions of the content playback system described with reference to Figure 14 are not mutually exclusive. Therefore, a control system to which the technology described herein is applied may be used for either one of the applications, or both applications may be used in combination.

[0092] Furthermore, the technology relating to this disclosure can be applied to a general control system that includes one or more sensing devices that sense a physical quantity to be sensed and output that physical quantity as low-bit RAW data, and an output device that controls a physical quantity to be controlled based on a control signal generated from the low-bit RAW data.

[0093] <5. Others> In this specification, a system means a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (parts), etc.), regardless of whether all components are located in the same enclosure or not. Therefore, multiple devices housed in separate enclosures and connected via a network, and a single device in which multiple modules are housed in one enclosure, are both considered systems.

[0094] The effects described herein are illustrative and not limited to those described herein, and other effects may also occur.

[0095] The embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0096] For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure can take the form of cloud computing, in which a single function is shared and processed collaboratively by multiple devices via a network.

[0097] Furthermore, each step described in the flowchart above can be performed by a single device, or it can be divided and performed by multiple devices.

[0098] Furthermore, if a single step includes multiple processes, those processes can be executed by a single device or shared among multiple devices.

[0099] The technology relating to this disclosure can take the following configurations: (1) A control system comprising: at least one sensing device that converts vibrations of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs it; a communication bus in which at least one node that receives the low-bit RAW data output from the at least one sensing device is daisy-chained; a vibration control unit that generates a control signal from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus; and an output device that controls the vibration of a target based on the control signal. (2) The control system according to (1), wherein the sensing device outputs the low-bit RAW data by ΔΣ conversion of an analog signal representing the vibration of the vibration source. (3) The control system according to (2), wherein the sensing device includes a digital acceleration sensor. (4) The control system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the communication bus is daisy-chained with at least one slave device connected to the at least one sensing device as a node and a master device connected to the vibration control unit at the end of the communication bus. (5) The control system according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the output device includes an actuator. (6) The control system according to (5), wherein the actuator applies vibration to the vibration source as the controlled object. (7) The control system according to (6), wherein the vibration control unit outputs the control signal to the actuator via an amplifier that amplifies the control signal. (8) The control system according to (6), wherein the node is connected to the actuator, and the vibration control unit outputs the control signal to the actuator via the communication bus and the node. (9) The control system according to (5), wherein the actuator reproduces audio content by applying vibration to the vibration source. (10) The control system according to (9), wherein the vibration control unit outputs a correction signal as the control signal for correcting the frequency characteristics of the audio content reproduced by the actuator.(11) A control device comprising: a communication bus in which at least one node is daisy-chained to receive low-bit RAW data output from at least one sensing device that converts vibrations of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs the low-bit RAW data; and a vibration control unit that generates a control signal for the output device to control vibrations of a target from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus.

[0100] 100 Vibration control system, 111 Sensing device, 112 Vibration control unit, 113 Output device, 121S Slave device, 121M Master device, 122 Communication bus, 300 Content playback system, 311 Sensing device, 312 Vibration control unit, 313 Output device, 321S Slave device, 321M Master device, 322 Communication bus, VS Panel

Claims

1. A control system comprising: at least one sensing device that converts vibrations of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs it; a communication bus in which at least one node that receives the low-bit RAW data output from the at least one sensing device is daisy-chained; a vibration control unit that generates a control signal from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus; and an output device that controls the vibrations of a target based on the control signal.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing device outputs the low-bit RAW data by performing a ΔΣ conversion on an analog signal representing the vibration of the vibration source.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the sensing device includes a digital acceleration sensor.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication bus is daisy-chained with at least one slave device connected to the at least one sensing device and a master device connected to the vibration control unit at the end of the communication bus, with the master device being connected to the vibration control unit at the end of the communication bus, as the node.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the output device includes an actuator.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the actuator applies vibration to the vibration source as the control target.

7. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the vibration control unit outputs the control signal to the actuator via an amplifier that amplifies the control signal.

8. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the node is connected to the actuator, and the vibration control unit outputs the control signal to the actuator via the communication bus and the node.

9. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the actuator plays audio content by applying vibration to the vibration source.

10. The control system according to claim 9, wherein the vibration control unit outputs a correction signal as the control signal for correcting the frequency characteristics of the audio content reproduced by the actuator.

11. A control device comprising: a communication bus in which at least one node is daisy-chained to receive low-bit RAW data output from at least one sensing device that converts vibrations of a vibration source into low-bit RAW data and outputs the said low-bit RAW data; and a vibration control unit that generates a control signal for the output device to control the vibration of a target from the low-bit RAW data transmitted via the communication bus.

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