JP2005346264A - Sound generation device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sound generation device of a vehicle capable of generating a sound, etc. to a passenger in a state that a door is closed when the passenger gets into or out of the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The sound generation device comprises a sound generation means that generates a sound, a sound generation control means that controls the generation of the sound by the sound generation device, and a door opening/closing detection means that detects the opening/closing of the vehicle's door. The sound generation device is characterized in that when the opening of the door is detected by the door opening/closing detection means, supply of electrical power to the sound generation device is turned on, and when the closing of the door is detected by the door opening/closing detection means, the sound generation means is made to generate a sound by the sound generation control means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle sound generation device, and more particularly, to a vehicle sound generation device that emits sound when an occupant gets on or off a vehicle.

  There has been proposed a vehicle sound generation device that outputs a sound when an occupant wears a safety device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the present invention, it is detected that the seat belt is worn by the occupant, and a message such as “thank you for tightening” is issued so as to be a “pleasant” stimulus. Such a message is a so-called “pleasant” stimulus for the occupant, so that the occupant is encouraged to wear the seat belt.

Further, an invention has been proposed in which a message is issued so as to exchange greetings with the driver (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the present invention, it is possible to detect the boarding by opening and closing the door, and to give a greeting after a predetermined time has elapsed since the boarding was detected. Therefore, the driver can hear the greeting when the vehicle is on board, and the loneliness is healed and the sense of play is stimulated.
JP 2000-190814 A JP 2003-237453 A

  However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 assumes a rear seat occupant and is impossible when applied to a driver. For example, even if the seat belt is worn while the door is open, sound stimulation such as sound is generated, sound leaks outside the vehicle, and noise may occur at night. In addition, when a voice is emitted to the driver, it is desirable that the door of the vehicle is closed in order for the driver to hear the voice reliably.

  Further, when a system for generating sound is started at the timing of seat belt wearing, sound or the like cannot be provided in a timely manner due to a delay corresponding to the activation time. If the system is always activated in order to provide timely audio, etc., the vehicle battery will be discharged, so it is not suitable for vehicles.

  When a greeting is issued after a predetermined time has elapsed since the opening and closing of the door as in the invention described in Patent Document 2, a problem similar to that of the invention described in Patent Document 1 occurs if the door remains open for a predetermined time or longer.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a sound output device for a vehicle that can emit a sound or the like to an occupant while the door is closed when the vehicle is getting on or off.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a sound generation means for generating sound, a sound generation control means for controlling the generation of sound by the sound generation means, a door opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of a vehicle door, When the door opening / closing detection means detects that the door is opened, power supply to the sound generator is turned on, and the door opening / closing detection means detects that the door is closed. In such a case, a sound generation device is provided, wherein the sound generation control means generates sound in the sound generation means. According to the present invention, since the sound is emitted after the door is closed, the sound can be emitted in a state in which the passenger can easily hear. Note that sound means all sounds emitted from a speaker or the like. The sound generating means is configured to have, for example, a music generator (reproducer), an amplifier, and a speaker. The sound generation control means instructs the sound generation means to generate (reproduce) predetermined music.

  Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, when the occupant detection unit detects that the occupant is seated and the occupant detection unit does not detect the seating of the occupant, the power supply to the sound generator is turned off. It is characterized by that. Even if electric power is supplied to the sound generator due to the opening of the door, the supply of power is stopped when the occupant does not get on, so that power consumption can be prevented.

  In one aspect of the present invention, when the door opening / closing detection means detects that the door is closed and the occupant detection means detects the occupant's seating, the sound generation control means May be generated. Since the sound is generated after the door is opened and it is detected that the occupant is seated, the occupant can surely hear the sound.

  It is possible to provide a sound output device for a vehicle that can emit a sound or the like to an occupant with the door closed when the vehicle gets on or off the vehicle.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, sound means the content of hearing caused by the vibration of an object transmitted as air vibration. In addition, speech refers to speech sounds produced by people, and music refers to sounds that do not include speech and are assembled in various forms based on rhythm, harmony, melody, and the like. In addition, music such as music refers to music including voice, and music such as music includes voice, music, and music.

  FIG. 1A shows an example of a functional block diagram of a music generator that emits music and the like with the door closed. The music generator according to the present embodiment includes sensors of a door lock detection device 3, a courtesy SW4, a seat belt buckle SW5, and a seating sensor 6, and signals from these sensors are electronic control units (hereinafter referred to as ECUs). 2 is input. The ECU 2 receives the signal from the sensor and causes the music generator 14 to generate music or the like. Electric power is supplied to the music generator 14 from the battery 18, and the power supply is turned on and off by the ECU 2 turning on and off the power switch 13.

  The door lock detection device 3 detects whether the door of the vehicle is locked or unlocked and outputs a signal to the ECU 2. The door from which the door lock detection device 3 detects a door lock or the like may be any door of the vehicle, but is preferably a door on which a driver gets on and off. Courtesy SW4 detects the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle and outputs a signal to ECU2. In this embodiment, since it is detected that the door is closed, any signal of the door lock detection device 3 or the courtesy SW4 may be used.

  The seat belt buckle SW5 detects that the driver has worn the seat belt, and outputs a signal to the ECU 2. The seating sensor 6 detects that the driver is seated based on weight or the like, and outputs a signal to the ECU 2. In the present embodiment, since it is detected that the driver is sitting on the seat, any signal of the seat belt buckle SW5 or the seating sensor 6 may be used.

  The music generator 14 includes a music output controller 7 that controls the generation of music and the like, a generator 11 that generates music and the like according to instructions from the music output controller 7, an amplifier 11 that amplifies the electrical signal generated by the generator 11, The speaker 12 is configured to convert the electric signal amplified by the amplifier 11 into music or the like. The music output controller 7 has a sound source DB 8 (hereinafter referred to as “sound source DB”) in which various sound source contents are stored, and selects appropriate sound source content from the sound source DB 8 to generate music and the like. The sound source content is stored in the sound source DB 8 in a predetermined file format such as WAVE.

  FIG. 1B shows a schematic configuration diagram of the sound source DB 8. The sound source DB 8 stores the sound source content of the hospitality sound 15 and the sound source content of the alarm sound 16 that alerts the driver, which can give a pleasant stimulus from the driver's hearing.

  The hospitality sounds are music such as music that greets the driver when the driver is seated, music that relaxes the driver when driving, music that enhances concentration, and the like. Therefore, the hospitality sound invites the driver to be in a favorable mental state for driving. In addition, when driving is completed, gentle music that discourages driving effort and music that relieves fatigue are emitted as hospitality sounds. Therefore, the hospitality sound makes the driver recognize that the driving has ended, and urges the driver to be in a mental state favorable for the subsequent action. Since the hospitality sound is emitted, the driver has a sense of affinity and unity with the vehicle.

  The alarm sound is, for example, music that is emitted in situations such as prevention of key lock-in, and prevention of forgetting to turn off lights when the shift lever is in reverse (reverse). Although the hospitality sound and the warning sound will be described in detail later, the hospitality sound or the warning sound may be composed of music, or may be voice or music. For example, the alarm sound may notify the content of the alarm with a specific sound.

  Hospitality sounds and warning sounds are emitted in the following situations. FIG. 2 shows an example of a scene where a hospitality sound or an alarm sound is emitted. At the time of boarding, the driver is greeted and alerted, and one or more music or the like is issued to drive. Further, during driving, an alarm sound is generated to warn the user that the key is closed, and when getting off, a hospitality sound is generated that can be exhausted. Next, the timing for generating hospitality sounds will be described. FIG. 3A is an example of a flowchart showing a process of generating hospitality sound when getting on. First, since the driver gets on the parked vehicle, it is determined whether or not the vehicle door is opened in the parked vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as “door open”) (step S11). The door lock detection device 3 detects that the door is unlocked, and outputs a signal to that effect to the ECU 2. In addition, you may detect that the door was opened by courtesy SW4.

  When the door opening is detected (YES in step S11), the ECU 2 turns on the power switch 13 (step S12). As a result, power is supplied to the music generator 14 from the power source 18 and the music generator 14 is activated. The music generator 14 is a kind of audio device, but the audio device has a large standby power. For this reason, it is difficult to be in a standby state while parking, but by supplying power to the music generator 14 in conjunction with the opening of the door, a driver who does not consume power during parking and gets on the vehicle The power can be supplied to the music generator 14 at a timing that can be heard. The detection of door opening may be performed by the courtesy SW4.

  Next, the ECU 2 determines whether or not the door is closed (hereinafter simply referred to as door closing) (step S13). The ECU 2 repeats detection of door closing until the door is closed. If the door is not closed, music or the like is not emitted, so the driver can hear the hospitality sound while the sound outside the vehicle is blocked. Further, it is possible to prevent the hospitality sound from leaking outside the vehicle.

  When door closing is detected (YES in step S13), it is determined whether or not the driver is seated (step S14). The ECU 2 receives a signal from the seat belt buckle SW5 and detects that the driver is seated. The seating of the driver may be detected by the seating sensor 6.

  When the seating of the driver is detected (YES in step S14), the ECU 2 outputs a signal to that effect to the music output controller 7, and the music output controller 7 outputs a hospitality sound (step S15). The music output controller 7 extracts the sound source content predetermined as the hospitality sound at the time of boarding from the sound source DB 8 and instructs the generator 9 to generate it. The electrical signal generated by the generator 9 is amplified by the amplifier 11 and emitted from the speaker. Only one hospitality sound may be emitted, or a plurality of hospitality sounds may be emitted.

  If the driver's seating is not detected (NO in step S14), the seating detection is repeated for a predetermined time, and then the power switch 13 is turned off, and the power supply to the music generator 14 is stopped. (Step S16). Thereby, power consumption by the music generator 14 is reduced. Thus, the process of the flowchart in FIG.

  According to the process of the flowchart in FIG. 3A, since it is possible to make a hospitality sound after it is confirmed that the driver is seated while the door is closed, the music is surely given to the driver. Etc. can be heard. Further, when there is no driver in the vehicle, power supply is stopped, so that power consumption can be reduced.

  Next, a process of generating hospitality sound when getting off will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In order to determine whether the driving is finished and the driver gets off, when the vehicle stops, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped (step S21). When the engine is stopped (YES in step S21), a hospitality sound is output (step S22), assuming that the operation has ended. The hospitality sound produced at this time is, for example, gentle music that is hard work. Note that whether or not the driver finishes driving and gets off the vehicle may be determined, for example, by operating the side brake or shifting to neutral, or when a plurality of these operations are performed. You may judge.

  While the hospitality sound is being emitted, it is determined whether or not the door is opened (step S23). The determination of the door opening is repeated until the hospitality sound ends (step S25). When the door is opened, for example, when the door lock detection device 3 detects unlocking of the door (YES in step S23), the output of the hospitality sound is stopped even if the hospitality sound is being output (step S23). S24). Thereby, it is possible to prevent the hospitality sound from leaking outside the vehicle even when the door is open.

  When the hospitality sound is stopped or when the hospitality sound ends, the power switch 13 is turned off (step S26). Since the supply of power to the music generator 14 is stopped when the door is opened or the hospitality sound ends, power consumption is reduced.

  As in the present embodiment, it is possible to smoothly shift from a mental state before driving to a mental state suitable for driving by emitting music or the like when riding. That is, by using auditory stimuli, it is possible to change consciousness in a reflexive manner by sound. Further, by emitting music after driving, the feeling of fatigue due to driving is reduced.

  The hospitality sound and warning sound will be described in detail. The hospitality sound is preferably designed according to the concept of the vehicle. The vehicle concept is a unified viewpoint and way of thinking in planning the vehicle type. For example, when the design image of the vehicle is like a sports car, music that is in line with the image of the vehicle type, such as music that images sports, is designed. The hospitality sound is preferably composed of music, but may be music or voice. The warning sound is preferably designed according to the vehicle concept.

  Next, sounds used for hospitality sounds or warning sounds will be described. FIG. 4A shows an example of a hospitality sound waveform, and FIG. 4B shows an example of a warning sound waveform. In the hospitality sound of FIG. 4A, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the sound pressure level. The waveform in FIG. 4A shows a large sound pressure (attack portion) immediately after the occurrence, and the sound pressure gradually decreases (sounding portion). If the sound has such a waveform, first of all, the occurrence of the attack part awakens the consciousness of driving, and then the reverberation part generates a hospitality sound so as to envelop the driver. . That is, it is possible to produce a strong feeling at the attack part and relax at the sound part. The waveform in FIG. 4A is merely an example, and any waveform sound or music may be used as a hospitality sound.

  In the alarm sound of FIG. 4B, the horizontal axis represents frequency and the vertical axis represents sound pressure level. The alarm sound of FIG.4 (b) is demonstrated. Psychological quantities when a human hears sound include sound pressure (sound volume, loudness), fundamental frequency (sound pitch, pitch), and waveform (tone color). For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, a sound having a peak at a predetermined frequency is called a pure sound. In FIG. 5A, since there is only one peak as a waveform, it becomes a simple tone as an alarm sound. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, a sound having a plurality of peaks in accordance with the harmonic vibration law is called a musical sound. Among a plurality of peaks, the frequency with the highest sound pressure is called a fundamental tone, and the one that complies with the harmonic vibration law is called a harmonic. For example, a sound produced by a musical instrument approximates the waveform of FIG. 5B because overtones appear almost periodically. The musical tone is a musically rich tone because sounds of different frequencies, including a fundamental tone and harmonics, can be heard simultaneously. In addition, there is a tendency that a stimulus is gentle (a feeling of discomfort and frustration decreases) in a musical sound, compared to a case where a stimulus given to an ear is too strong in a pure tone. That is, it can be said that a warning sound having a musical element is preferable to a pure sound.

  An equal loudness curve is known as a way of feeling a person's sound pressure. FIG. 5C shows an example of an equal loudness curve. The equal loudness curve is a plot of the sound pressures of other frequencies that were heard at the same sound pressure as the 1 kHz reference sound. In the equal loudness curve, the unit of loudness is expressed in decibels (dB). For example, a curve written as 0 phone represents the lower limit of audible sound pressure. According to the equal loudness curve, a higher sound pressure is required to listen to the sound on the low frequency side at the same volume as the sound at 1000 Hz, and conversely, at a lower sound pressure at 3000 to 4000 Hz, the same volume. I can hear that.

  Moreover, FIG.5 (d) shows the hearing loss by age for every frequency. In FIG. 5D, the horizontal axis represents age, and the vertical axis represents hearing loss. The curve shows the hearing loss of 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz from the top. From FIG. 5 (d), it can be seen that from 3000 Hz to 4000 Hz, the older the elderly, the greater the loss of hearing (the elderly are more difficult to hear).

  The alarm sound of FIG. 4B was designed in consideration of the sound characteristics described in FIGS. 5A to 5D. That is, it is composed of musical tones including overtones so as to provide a musically rich tone. In addition, it is configured based on a frequency with a small hearing loss so that there is no great difference in the ease of hearing with age. When the waveform of the alarm sound in FIG. 4B is seen, it can be seen that the fundamental tone is at about 440 Hz and has a harmonic structure. Therefore, it was possible to obtain an alarm sound that was easy to hear at all ages, with less discomfort, and a comfortable and alert alarm sound.

  Since the alarm sound in FIG. 4B is an example, there may be only one overtone (that is, the peak is two of the fundamental and overtones), or there may be four or more overtones. Further, although the fundamental frequency is set to 440 Hz, the fundamental frequency may be any number as long as it is easy to hear an alarm sound having a harmonic structure. Further, the peak height may be gradually increased or decreased with the frequency, or the peak height may be designed freely. The hospitality sound is also preferably designed in consideration of the hearing characteristics described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (d). Further, it is preferable that each of the hospitality sound and the warning sound is designed so that a sense of unity is recognized.

  By the way, it is good also as a driver | operator being able to select a hospitality sound or a warning sound. FIG. 6A shows an example of a car sound selection screen displayed on the car navigation system. When “select from list” 33 is selected, a selection screen for hospitality sounds or alarm sounds as shown in FIG. 6B is displayed. In the selection screen of FIG. 6B, a hospitality sound selection screen 31 is displayed on the upper side, and an alarm sound selection screen 32 is displayed on the lower side. The hospitality sound selection screen 31 has selection fields of “masculine”, “feminine”, “nature”, “future”, “color”, “mood”, “weather” and “others”, and the driver selects with a touch panel or a cursor. Then, it is set as the current hospitality sound in the sound source DB 8. Similarly, the alarm sound selection screen 32 has selection columns of “normal”, “soft”, “clear”, “low tone”, “emphasis”, and “others”. Set as the current alarm sound.

  In FIG. 6A, when “download from server” 34 is selected, hospitality sounds and the like can be downloaded from the music server. When the vehicle can be connected to a network or the like, the ECU 2 in FIG. 1 is connected to the sound source server via a network such as the Internet. The sound source server stores sound source contents such as hospitality sounds and warning sounds. The sound source server determines a vehicle type connected to the sound source server, and transmits a list of hospitality sounds and warning sounds that can be output by the vehicle to the vehicle. The ECU 2 displays a list of hospitality sounds or alarm sounds transmitted from the music server on the same screen as in FIG. 6B, so that the driver can select the hospitality sounds or alarm sounds. The selected hospitality sound or alarm sound is downloaded from the music server, stored in the sound source DB 8, and set as the current alarm sound. As described above, since the driver can select the hospitality sound or the warning sound, it is possible to provide a sound generating device capable of coping with a driver's preference and a difference in hearing.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to emit a hospitality sound to the driver even when the door is closed. The hospitality sound or warning sound is designed in consideration of the vehicle concept and human hearing characteristics, and can also be selected according to the driver's preference. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the hospitality sound or the warning sound can be designed in consideration of the vehicle concept, the hearing characteristics (ergonomics), the driver's preference, etc. (sensitivity engineering). In addition, the hospitality sound and the warning sound are designed based on the vehicle concept and the like, so that a sense of unity occurs between the two. By transmitting music with a sense of unity, information transmission efficiency is improved. In addition, safety is improved by a design based on hearing characteristics and an alarm sound with improved information transmission efficiency.

  In the present embodiment, the hospitality sound and the warning sound have been described. However, the operation sound such as the blinker may be registered in the sound source DB 8 and may be emitted in accordance with the operation of the vehicle, or the notification sound emitted by the car navigation system may be generated as the sound source. It may originate from content. In other words, all of the music, etc. emitted from the vehicle to the driver and the occupant can be unified and designed in consideration of hearing characteristics and the like, except for radio broadcasts and CDs that use sound sources as media. In addition, you may use the radio broadcast, the performance of CD, etc. as hospitality sound. Further, although the present embodiment has been described mainly for the driver, a hospitality sound may be generated even when opening / closing of the doors of the driver's seat, the rear seat and the passenger seat is detected, or different hospitality sounds may be generated.

It is an example of the functional block diagram of a music generator. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene where a hospitality sound or a warning sound is emitted. It is an example of the flowchart figure which shows the process which emits hospitality sound. It is a figure which shows an example of the waveform of a hospitality sound or an alarm sound. It is a figure for demonstrating a sound pressure, a fundamental frequency, and a waveform. It is an example of the selection screen of the car sound displayed on the car navigation screen.

Explanation of symbols

2 ECU
3 Door lock detection means 6 Seating sensor 7 Music output controller 8 Sound source DB
9 generator 11 amplifier 12 speaker 13 power switch 14 music generator 15 sound source of hospitality sound 16 sound source of alarm sound

Claims (3)

Sound generating means for generating sound;
Sound generation control means for controlling the generation of sound by the sound generation means;
Door opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of a vehicle door,
When it is detected by the door opening / closing detection means that the door is opened, power supply to the sound generator is turned on,
When the door opening / closing detection means detects that the door is closed, the sound generation control means causes the sound generation means to generate sound,
The sound generator characterized by the above-mentioned. Occupant detection means for detecting that the occupant is seated,
When seating of an occupant is not detected by the occupant detection means, power supply to the sound generator is turned off.
The sound generator according to claim 1. When the door opening / closing detection means detects that the door is closed, and when the occupant detection means detects the occupant's seating, the sound generation control means causes the sound generation means to generate sound,
The sound generator according to claim 2.

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