Microphone Directivity Control for Clear Voice Acquisition in Noisy Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular emergency notification systems face difficulties in clearly acquiring the voice of occupants during accidents due to high noise levels outside the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device that determines the directivity of a microphone in the vehicle cabin based on operator input, allowing for clear acquisition of the occupant's voice by designating the seating position or window state, and displaying images to assist in ascertaining occupant positions and states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If microphones are provided near seats to acquire occupant voice, then voice information can be transmitted to management center, but clear acquisition of specific occupant's voice becomes difficult in high noise environments outside the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different directivity characteristics to different microphones based on their spatial positions. Each microphone's directivity is optimized for its specific location and the expected occupant position, allowing selective enhancement of voice signals from particular seating areas while suppressing noise from other directions. This localized optimization resolves the contradiction by making each microphone's voice acquisition clear in its specific zone despite overall environmental noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making microphone directivity adjustable and reconfigurable based on detected occupant positions. The system dynamically changes which microphones are active and their directivity patterns according to real-time occupant seating arrangements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain clear voice acquisition from specific occupants even when noise conditions change or occupant positions vary, resolving the static limitation of fixed microphone configurations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple microphones are used to cover different seating positions, then voice acquisition from any occupant is possible, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a centralized control system that manages multiple microphones and speakers, allowing a single information processing device to perform multiple functions: detecting occupant positions, determining optimal directivity configurations, controlling microphone selection, and managing speaker output. This multi-functional approach achieves comprehensive seating position coverage while consolidating control logic to minimize overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by dynamically adjusting microphone directivity parameters and selection based on occupant position detection results. Rather than requiring physically separate dedicated microphones for each seat, the system changes the operational parameters (directivity patterns, active microphone selection) of existing microphones to adapt to different occupancy scenarios. This parameter-based flexibility achieves versatile coverage with fewer physical components.
Data Source
AI summary
In an information processing device, an acquisition unit acquires information on a position of an occupant from a vehicle that is in an accident. A reception unit receives a manipulation input from an operator. A determination unit determines directivity of a microphone in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle based on the manipulation input received by the reception unit.