Vehicle Call Processing Apparatus Driving Sound Removal

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional call processing technologies struggle to accurately convey to the call opposite party that a vehicle occupant is driving, as spuriously generated environmental sounds may not be reliably understood.

Innovation Solution

A call processing apparatus that includes a controller configured to remove driving sounds of a vehicle (except for a specific driving sound) from sounds collected by a microphone in the vehicle cabin, and transmit the adjusted sound to the call opposite party.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If spuriously generated environmental sound is transmitted to convey that the occupant is driving, then the call opposite party may understand the context, but the understanding is not reliable and accurate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation transmission accuracyVSAvoidreliability of driving context indication

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes specific driving sounds (engine noise, tire noise, wind noise) from the collected sound signal while preserving other environmental sounds. This selective extraction allows the system to reliably indicate driving context by removing characteristic driving noises, making the occupant's driving state clearly understandable to the call opposite party.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the sound signal parameters by selectively removing specific frequency ranges corresponding to driving sounds. The sound processing unit analyzes the sound signal and removes components matching driving sound characteristics (engine noise, tire noise, wind noise), thereby transforming the original sound signal into a modified signal that reliably conveys driving context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If all driving sounds are removed from the sound signal, then call quality is improved, but the call opposite party cannot understand that the occupant is driving

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecall qualityVSAvoiddriving context information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes specific driving sounds (engine noise, tire noise, wind noise) from the collected sound signal while preserving other environmental sounds. This selective extraction allows the system to reliably indicate driving context by removing characteristic driving noises, making the occupant's driving state clearly understandable to the call opposite party.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of driving sounds (noise that degrades call quality) into a beneficial indicator of driving context. By selectively removing specific driving sounds while preserving others, the system transforms noise removal into a means of conveying driving information, where the pattern of removed sounds itself signals that the occupant is driving.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Manufacturing precision

If driving sounds are removed to improve call quality, then speech clarity is enhanced, but the specific driving context information is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeech clarityVSAvoiddriving sound information

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different processing to different components of the sound signal. Specifically, it identifies and removes only certain driving sounds (engine noise, tire noise, wind noise) while preserving other environmental sounds and speech components. This localized processing maintains speech clarity while retaining selective driving context information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the sound signal parameters by selectively removing specific frequency ranges corresponding to driving sounds. The sound processing unit analyzes the sound signal and removes components matching driving sound characteristics (engine noise, tire noise, wind noise), thereby transforming the original sound signal into a modified signal that reliably conveys driving context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12322408B2Call processing apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.06.03 DENSO TEN LTD

AI summary

A call processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a controller. The controller is configured to (i) perform a removal process of removing driving sounds of a vehicle other than a specific driving sound from sounds collected by a microphone in a cabin of the vehicle while an occupant of the vehicle is talking on a phone, and (ii) transmit an adjusted sound generated by performing the removal process to a call opposite party who is talking with the occupant of the vehicle via the phone.