In-Vehicle Occupant Notification Using Speech Direction and Seat Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles, especially autonomous cars, occupants often fail to notice when they are being spoken to due to distractions and changing behavior patterns, leading to incomplete communication, as existing vibration-based notification systems inadvertently notify irrelevant occupants.
Innovation Solution
An in-vehicle communication support system using cameras and microphones to recognize speech and identify the target occupant, providing tactile notifications only to the intended recipient through strategically placed vibration elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vibration-based notification is applied to all back seats, then occupants can be notified of speech start, but irrelevant occupants are also notified causing disturbance
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is segmented by seat position and speech direction. Each back seat is equipped with independent vibration actuators that are selectively activated based on which front seat occupant is speaking and the detected speech direction, ensuring only relevant occupants are notified
Solution Approach 2:
The notification capability is made local rather than universal. Vibration actuators are strategically placed on specific back seats corresponding to the speech direction, creating localized notification zones that affect only the intended target occupants and not the entire vehicle interior
2Measurement precision
If speech recognition and target identification systems are added, then notification precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A speech direction detection mechanism serves as an intermediary between the speech input and the notification output. This intermediary component analyzes the direction of speech and translates it into selective activation of vibration actuators on specific back seats, enabling precise targeting without requiring complex occupant identification systems
Solution Approach 2:
Complex electronic speech recognition and occupant identification systems are replaced with a simpler mechanical/acoustic speech direction detection mechanism. The system uses acoustic sensors and directional analysis to determine which back seat should receive notification, substituting sophisticated computing with a more straightforward physical measurement approach
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures that only the intended occupant is notified of being spoken to, enhancing communication clarity and reducing distractions in vehicles by precisely targeting the conversation recipient.
Implementation Method 1
the vibration element 103 attached at a portion corresponding to the sitting position of the first occupant is operated, thereby notifying the second occupant that a speech has been given
Data Source
AI summary
One form of an in-vehicle communication support device has: a speech recognition unit configured to recognize a speech by a first occupant according to input information from at least one of a camera or a microphone attached in the vehicle; a target position identification unit configured to identify the sitting position of a second occupant, who is a target for the speech by the first occupant; and a notification unit configured to notify the identified second occupant that a speech has been made for the second occupant. When the first occupant speaks to the second occupant, only the second occupant, who is the target for the speech, is notified. Thus, an occupant notices that the occupant is being spoken to, without occupants irrelevant to the conversation being unnecessarily notified.