Vehicle Microphone Array Directionality for Precise Speaker Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sound collecting devices for in-vehicle use require a position detector to physically detect the rear-view mirror or seat position, leading to increased complexity and component count, making it difficult to obtain audio with high precision while keeping the structure simple.
Innovation Solution
A sound collecting device with a microphone array that includes a judging unit to determine the current state and a controlling unit to adjust the directionality of the microphone array, allowing it to be directed towards or away from the speaking person, eliminating the need for a dedicated position detector by using ambient noise and reflected sound for positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a position detector is used to physically detect the position of the rear-view mirror or seat, then the position of the speaking person can be detected, but the number of component parts increases and the structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The sound collecting device uses its own microphone array to detect position information by analyzing ambient noise and reflected sound, eliminating the need for a separate position detector. The system serves itself by utilizing acoustic signals already present in the environment for positioning purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ambient noise and reflected sound as intermediaries to convey position information. Instead of directly detecting position with a dedicated sensor, the system extracts positional data from acoustic waves that naturally interact with the speaking person and environment.
2Measurement precision
If the microphone array directionality is fixed, then the structure is simple, but the audio collection precision varies when the speaking person's position changes
Solution Approach 1:
The microphone array directionality is made dynamic and adjustable based on the detected position of the speaking person. The beam forming control adapts the directional pattern in real-time to track the speaker's location, ensuring optimal audio collection precision regardless of position changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the position detection (based on acoustic analysis) to adjust the microphone array directionality. The detected position information feeds back to the beam forming control, which then optimizes the directional pattern accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system.
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
Enables precise audio collection and noise reduction without a dedicated position detector, maintaining a simple structure and reducing component count, thus improving audio processing and voice recognition accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a microphone array structured by arranging a plurality of microphones
Implementation Method 2
control the directionality of the microphone array by exercising beam forming control
Implementation Method 3
a position identifying mode in which a reflected sound that is a sound output from the speaker and is reflected by the speaking person is obtained and a position of the speaking person is identified on a basis of the reflected sound
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to provide a sound collecting device and a method of controlling a sound collecting device with which it is possible to easily obtain audio of a speaking person with a high level of precision while keeping the number of component parts small and preventing the structure from becoming complicated.An audio processing unit 35 judges whether or not the current mode is an operation mode (a speech mode or a conversation mode) in which audio of an occupant of the vehicle serving as a speaking person is obtained (step S1A). When the current mode is another operation mode (an audio playback mode or a head position measuring mode), the audio processing unit 35 sets the directionality of a microphone array to be directed toward the outside of the occupant or to be non-directional (steps S4A and S5A) and obtains input audio of the microphone array. In contrast, when the current mode is an operation mode (the speech mode or the conversation mode) in which audio of the occupant is obtained, the audio processing unit 35 arranges the directionality of the microphone array to be directed toward the occupant (step S2A).