JP2006050083A - Operation assist system, navigation unit, and vehicle-mounted audio unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance audibility of guidance voice while ensuring audio output. <P>SOLUTION: The navigation unit 10 sets a scheduled course of a vehicle and outputs guidance voice through a GPS communication section 11, a route setting section 12, a map data 13 and a guidance processing section 14. When the navigation unit 10 outputs guidance voice, a music data regulating section 30 adjusts sound information being output from an audio unit 20 to suppress voice part and special effect and to correct balance between seats. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support system having an information providing function for outputting information relating to vehicle travel by voice and an audio function for outputting content including sound information, or a navigation device or an in-vehicle system that constitutes the driving support system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a driving support system, a navigation device, and an in-vehicle audio device that improve ease of listening to guidance voice during music playback.

  Conventionally, a navigation device that registers a planned route of the host vehicle and performs route guidance by voice has been realized. In this navigation device, an intersection where the host vehicle makes a right or left turn is specified based on the planned route, map information, and current position, and the vehicle is driven according to the route set by notifying the driver in advance.

  At this time, a screen display and a voice output are used in combination for the driver's notification. However, since it is not preferable to watch the display while driving the vehicle, a voice notification is very important.

  On the other hand, an audio device, for example, a radio broadcast, a television broadcast, or a stream content is received, and a device that reads and outputs information such as music and video recorded on a recording medium such as a CD, DVD, or HD is installed in a vehicle Has also been done conventionally.

  Therefore, in the vehicle, sound is output from the audio device and sound (guidance voice) is output from the navigation device. Here, if the output volume from the audio device is large, the occupant (especially the driver) may miss the guidance voice that is more important for vehicle travel.

  Therefore, conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example, when listening to music or the like from audio, when outputting the sound of navigation, listening to the guidance voice is performed by reducing the volume of the music. I have tried to improve the ease.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-320195

  However, the ease of hearing the guidance voice does not simply depend on the output volume from the audio device. Specifically, if the audio device outputs sound information including sound (such as vocals), the occupant can hear the audio from the audio device mixed with the sound, and the audio Even if the output volume of the device is small, the ease of hearing the guidance voice is significantly reduced.

  That is, the ease of hearing of the guidance voice due to the output from the audio device (audio output) largely depends on the voice part included in the audio output. However, in the prior art, attempts have been made to improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice by reducing the volume of the audio output.

  For this reason, in order to sufficiently ensure the ease of listening to the guidance voice, it is necessary to make the volume very small, and there is a problem that the audio output cannot be enjoyed. In particular, since the guidance voice is necessary for the driver, the decrease in the audio output is felt to be a great discomfort for other passengers.

  On the other hand, if the guidance voice is output while securing the audio output, there is a problem that the ease of listening to the guidance voice is unavoidable.

  Therefore, the realization of a navigation system capable of improving the ease of listening to the guidance voice and ensuring the audio output at the same time has been a very big problem.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems caused by the prior art and to solve the problems. The driving support system and the navigation which can improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice and can ensure the audio output at the same time. An object is to provide a device and an audio device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the driving support system according to the invention of claim 1 includes an information providing function for outputting information relating to vehicle travel by voice and an audio for outputting content including sound information. A sound information adjusting means for adjusting the content of sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice. Features.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the driving support system adjusts the content of the sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the sound information adjusting means reduces or eliminates the volume of the sound portion of the sound information output from the audio function. It is characterized by.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the volume of the voice portion of the sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the driving support system according to the second aspect, wherein the sound information adjusting means regards a center output of the sound information as the sound portion.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system regards the center output as the voice part of the sound information output by the audio function and reduces the volume. Or erase.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the third aspect, the sound information adjusting means regards a common part of the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data as the center output. It is characterized by.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using sound, the driving support system regards the common part of the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data as the center output. Reduce or eliminate the volume.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the third or fourth aspect, the audio function performs a surround process on stereo sound source data to calculate the center output. To do.

  According to the invention of claim 5, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system performs surround processing on stereo sound source data to calculate the center output, and the center output Reduce or eliminate.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the sound information adjusting means is a case where the information providing function provides information using voice, and the audio function is When the surround process is not executed, the audio function is caused to execute the surround process, and the center output obtained by the surround process is reduced or eliminated.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the driving support system automatically performs surround processing when the information providing function provides information using voice and the audio function is not performing surround processing. Reduce or eliminate the center output obtained by execution.

  The driving support system according to the invention of claim 7 is the driving support system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the sound information adjustment means determines whether the audio function has a surround processing capability, When there is no surround processing capability, a common portion between the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data is regarded as the center output, and the center output is reduced or eliminated.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system determines whether or not the audio function has surround processing capability, and there is no surround processing capability. In addition, the common portion between the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data is regarded as the center output, and the center output is reduced or eliminated.

  The driving support system according to the invention of claim 8 is the driving support system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the sound information adjusting means determines whether or not the audio function is executing the surround processing. If the surround processing is being executed, the center output calculated by the surround processing is reduced or deleted, and if the surround processing is not being executed, the right sound output of the stereo sound source data A common part with the left output sound is regarded as the center output, and the center output is reduced or eliminated.

  According to the invention of claim 8, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system determines whether or not the audio function is executing the surround process, and executes the surround process. If the output is in the middle, the center output calculated by the surround processing is reduced or deleted. If the surround processing is not being executed, the common portion of the stereo sound source data between the right output sound and the left output sound is output to the center. The center output is reduced or eliminated.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to any one of the third to eighth aspects, the sound information adjusting means includes a plurality of center output data in which the audio function corresponds to the center output. When channel sound source data is read, the center output indicated in the multi-channel sound source data is reduced or eliminated.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the center output indicated in the multi-channel sound source data read by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  The driving support system according to the invention of claim 10 is the driving support system according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the audio function virtually realizes the center output by adding to a plurality of speakers, When the sound information adjustment unit is instructed to reduce or eliminate the center output, the amount of addition to the plurality of speakers is reduced or eliminated.

  According to the invention of claim 10, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the amount of addition of the center output for a plurality of speakers, thereby virtually Reduce or eliminate the center output.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to any one of the third to ninth aspects, the audio function outputs the center output from a center speaker, and the sound information adjusting means from the center. When an instruction to reduce or erase the output is given, the output volume from the center speaker is reduced or eliminated.

  According to the invention of claim 11, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the output volume from the center speaker when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  The driving support system according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the driving support system according to any one of the third to eleventh aspects, wherein the sound information adjusting means is configured to output the center output based on the type of the sound source read by the audio function. It is characterized by automatically selecting a process to be used for reducing or erasing.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system identifies the type of the sound source data read by the audio function and uses it for reducing or erasing the center output. Automatically select a process.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the sound information adjusting means stops adding special effects by the audio function. .

  According to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the driving support system stops adding the special effect by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the sound information adjusting means stops the upward localization process for the sound information.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system stops the upward localization process for the sound information output by the audio function.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect of the invention, the sound information adjusting means stops a bass adjustment process for the sound information.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the driving support system stops the bass adjustment processing for the sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support system according to the thirteenth, fourteenth, or fifteenth aspect, the sound information adjusting means stops enhancement processing of a predetermined band for the sound information.

  According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system stops the enhancement process of the predetermined band for the sound information output by the audio function.

  The driving support system according to claim 17 is the driving support system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the sound information adjusting means stops the reverberation adding process for the sound information.

  According to the seventeenth aspect of the invention, the driving support system stops the reverberation adding process for the sound information output from the audio device when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  The driving support system according to an invention of claim 18 is the driving support system according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the sound information adjusting means stops the addition of the special effect at least in the driver seat and the passenger seat. It is performed about the output with respect to one seat.

  According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the driving support system stops adding the special effect to the audio output to the driver seat or the passenger seat when the information providing function provides information using voice.

  Further, in the driving support system according to the invention of claim 19, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 18, the sound information adjusting means adjusts at least the content of the sound information output to the driver's seat. Further, the present invention is characterized in that sound information output to other seats is corrected.

  According to the invention of claim 19, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system adjusts at least the content of the sound information output to the driver's seat and Correct the sound information to be output.

  A navigation device according to a twentieth aspect of the present invention is a navigation device for guiding a route of the host vehicle, wherein a guidance voice output unit that performs voice route guidance and the guidance voice output unit outputs a guidance voice. And a sound information adjusting means for determining an adjustment content for the sound information output from the audio device and outputting the adjustment content to the audio device.

  According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, the navigation device determines the adjustment contents for the sound information output from the audio device and outputs it to the audio device when performing route guidance by voice.

  The in-vehicle audio device according to the invention of claim 21 is an in-vehicle audio device that outputs content including at least sound information, and detects guidance sound output by a navigation device that performs route guidance of the host vehicle. And sound information adjusting means for adjusting the content of the sound information when the guidance voice detecting means detects the output of the guidance voice.

  According to the twenty-first aspect of the invention, the in-vehicle audio device adjusts the content of the sound information output from the audio device when the navigation device outputs the guidance voice.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the driving support system adjusts the content of the sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice, so that the ease of hearing the guidance voice is improved. In addition, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system that can ensure audio output at the same time.

  According to the invention of claim 2, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the volume of the voice portion of the sound information output by the audio function. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system that can improve the ease of hearing of the guidance voice while selectively reducing and deleting the voice portion from the audio output to ensure the audio output.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system regards the center output as the voice part of the sound information output by the audio function and determines the volume. Since it is reduced or erased, it is possible to obtain a driving support system in which the voice part is appropriately erased and reduced to improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the driving support system regards the common part of the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data as the center output when the information providing function provides information using voice. Since the volume of the sound is reduced or erased, it is possible to obtain a driving support system having a simple configuration in which the voice part is appropriately erased and reduced to improve the ease of hearing the guidance voice.

  According to the invention of claim 5, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system performs surround processing on stereo sound source data to calculate the center output, Since the output is reduced or eliminated, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system in which the voice part is surely erased / reduced to improve the ease of hearing the guidance voice.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the driving support system automatically performs surround processing when the information providing function provides information using voice and the audio function is not executing surround processing. Since the center output obtained by executing is reduced or eliminated, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system that improves the ease of hearing of the guidance voice by effectively using the surround processing.

  According to the invention of claim 7, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system determines whether or not the audio function has surround processing capability, and there is no surround processing capability. In some cases, the right part of the stereo sound source data and the left part of the output sound are regarded as the center output, and the center output is reduced or eliminated. There is an effect that a driving support system can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 8, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system determines whether or not the audio function is performing surround processing, and performs the surround processing. If it is being executed, the center output calculated by the surround processing is reduced or deleted, and if the surround processing is not being executed, the common part of the stereo sound source data's right output sound and left output sound is centered. Since the center output is reduced or eliminated by considering it as an output, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system in which the ease of listening to the guidance voice is improved by a process adapted to the operating state of the audio.

  According to the invention of claim 9, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the center output indicated in the multi-channel sound source data read out by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a driving support system in which the voice portion of the multi-channel sound source data is appropriately deleted / reduced to improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice.

  According to the invention of claim 10, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system reduces or eliminates the amount of addition of the center output for a plurality of speakers. As a result, it is possible to obtain a driving support system that improves the ease of listening to the guidance voice even when the center speaker is not arranged.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, the driving support system has a configuration in which the center speaker is arranged because the output volume from the center speaker is reduced or eliminated when the information providing function provides information using voice. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system that can improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice.

  According to the invention of claim 12, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system identifies the type of sound source data read by the audio function, and reduces or eliminates the center output. Since the processing to be used is automatically selected, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system that appropriately deletes / reduces the voice portion regardless of the type of the sound source and improves the ease of listening to the guidance voice.

  According to the invention of claim 13, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system stops adding the special effect by the audio function, so that the guidance voice by the special effect can be easily heard. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system capable of preventing the reduction of the height.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system stops the upward localization process for the sound information output by the audio function. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system capable of preventing a decrease in ease of hearing of the guidance voice.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the driving support system stops the bass adjustment processing for the sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system capable of preventing a decrease in ease of hearing of the guidance voice.

  According to the sixteenth aspect of the invention, the driving support system stops the enhancement process of the predetermined band for the sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system capable of preventing a decrease in the ease of hearing of the guidance voice due to the enhancement processing.

  According to the invention of claim 17, the driving support system stops the reverberation adding process for the sound information output from the audio device when the information providing function provides the information using the voice. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system capable of preventing a decrease in the ease of listening to voice.

  According to the invention of claim 18, the driving support system stops adding special effects to the audio output to the driver seat and the passenger seat when the information providing function provides information using voice. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a driving support system capable of improving the ease of hearing the guidance voice at the seat and preventing the deterioration of the audio output quality at other seats.

  According to the invention of claim 19, when the information providing function provides information using voice, the driving support system adjusts at least the content of the sound information output to the driver's seat, Since the sound information to be output is corrected, it is possible to improve the ease of hearing the guidance voice at the driver's seat and to obtain a driving support system capable of ensuring the audio output quality at other seats. .

  According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, the navigation device determines the adjustment contents for the sound information output from the audio device when performing the route guidance by voice, and outputs the adjustment information to the audio device. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a navigation device capable of improving the ease of listening and ensuring the output quality of the audio device.

  According to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, the in-vehicle audio device adjusts the content of the sound information output from the audio device when the navigation device outputs the guidance sound, so that the guidance sound output from the navigation device can be easily heard. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a navigation system that can improve the quality and ensure the quality of the audio output.

  Hereinafter, a navigation system, which is a preferred embodiment of a driving support system, a navigation device, and an audio device according to the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a navigation system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the navigation system 1 includes a navigation unit 10, an audio unit 20, a music data adjustment unit 30, an output control unit 40, a display D1, and speakers SP1 to SP4.

  The navigation unit 2 is a unit that executes setting of a planned route of the host vehicle and route guidance, and includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) communication unit 11, a route setting unit 12, map data 13, and a guidance processing unit 14 therein. Have Here, the GPS communication unit 11, the route setting unit 12, and the guidance processing unit 14 may be configured by a microcomputer or the like, or may be configured by an electronic circuit. In addition, this configuration is classified according to each function, and the physical configuration may be integrated in whole or in part.

  The GPS communication unit 11 receives information from a GPS artificial satellite, acquires time information, and specifies position information of the host vehicle. In addition, the GPS communication unit 11 outputs the specified position of the own vehicle to the route setting unit 12 and the guidance processing unit 14.

  The route setting unit 12 is a processing unit that sets and stores a planned route of the host vehicle based on a user input from a driver or the like, a current position acquired from the GPS communication unit 11, or the like. The route setting unit 12 outputs the set route to the guidance processing unit 14.

  The map data 13 is map information data stored in an arbitrary recording medium such as a hard disk drive, CD, or DVD, and is used for the route setting unit 12 and the guidance processing unit 14. In addition, you may share the recording medium which records this map data 13 with the audio unit 20 and another vehicle equipment.

  The guidance processing unit 14 is a processing unit that performs route guidance based on the outputs of the GPS communication unit 11, the route setting unit 12, and the map data 13, and includes a guidance display creation unit 14a and a guidance voice creation unit 14b. It has.

  Specifically, the guidance processing unit 14 detects a place (for example, an intersection that makes a right or left turn) where guidance should be given to an occupant (especially a driver) based on the planned route and the position of the host vehicle. When a place where guidance is to be approached, guidance processing is executed using the guidance display creation unit 14a and guidance voice creation unit 14b.

  The guidance display creation unit 14a creates display data indicating the content notified to the driver by display, for example, a map near the intersection where the vehicle turns right and left, the direction of the right and left turn, and outputs the display data to the output control unit 40. In addition, the guidance voice creation unit 14b creates voice data indicating contents to be notified to the driver by voice, for example, the distance to the intersection to make a right / left turn, the direction of the right / left turn, and the like. Output to.

  The audio unit 20 is a unit that provides passengers with various contents such as music and video, and includes a CD drive 21, a DVD drive 22, a radio tuner 23, a television tuner 24, and a main control unit 25 therein.

  The CD drive 21 and the DVD drive 22 read music information and video information from CD media and DVD media, respectively, and output them to the main control unit 25. The radio tuner 23 and the television tuner 24 receive radio broadcasts and television broadcasts, respectively, and output them to the main control unit 25.

  In addition, a configuration may be provided in which content is read from the hard disk or content such as stream content is received via a network such as the Internet.

  The main control unit 25 performs various processes on the content read or received by the CD drive 21, the DVD drive 22, the radio tuner 23, the television tuner 24, etc., and supplies the content to the output control unit 40. Specifically, the main control unit 25 includes therein a stereo sound source processing unit 25a, a 5.1ch sound source processing unit 25b, a special effect addition unit 25c, and a display control unit 25d.

  When the sound information of the content is a stereo sound source, the stereo sound source processing unit 25a is a processing unit that performs vocal off processing and surround processing on the sound information. This vocal-off process is a process of erasing a voice part (such as vocals) from music data or reducing the volume of the voice part.

  Stereo sound source data is created on the assumption that it will be output from the left and right speakers. The right output sound data is assumed to be output from the right speaker, and the left output sound is assumed to be output from the left speaker. Data. Then, by giving a difference between the left and right output sounds, the listener can feel a sense of direction and distance.

  Here, in the music data having the sound part including the lyrics and the performance part, the sound part is equally distributed to the right output sound and the left output sound so that the sound part can be heard from the center.

  Therefore, in the vocal-off process, the left and right output sound data are compared, and a process that suppresses or eliminates the common included part as an audio part is executed. Such a vocal-off process has been conventionally used as a karaoke function for letting the user hear only the performance part and providing it to the user's own singing.

  The surround processing is processing for calculating a virtual output in a desired direction such as a virtual center output from stereo sound source data and adjusting the output sound of each speaker so that sound can be heard from that direction.

  The 5.1ch sound source processing unit 25b is a processing unit that performs processing for reproducing the sound information when the sound information of the content is a 5.1ch sound source. 5.1ch sound source data is created on the premise that the sound is output from six speakers for front, right front, left front, right rear, left rear, and bass output of the listener. Have.

  Here, when a dedicated speaker cannot be provided in each direction, for example, when there is no center speaker provided in the front, the center output to be output from the center speaker is another speaker, a right front speaker on the right front, or a left front. Is assigned to the left front speaker and added as a center component to realize a virtual center output.

  Note that whether the read sound information is stereo sound source data or 5.1ch sound source data is automatically identified by the main control unit 20, and which of the stereo sound source processing unit 25a and the 5.1ch sound source processing unit 25b is used. Just decide.

  The special effect adding unit 25c is a processing unit that adds various special effects to the output sound to improve the sound quality (improving realism). Specifically, the special effect addition unit 25c executes an upward localization process, a bass adjustment process, a predetermined band enhancement process, a reverberation addition process, and the like.

  Here, the upper localization process is a process for adding an effect that the output sound can be heard from above compared to the speaker position, and the bass adjustment process is a process for emphasizing the output sound by correcting or synthesizing the low sound range. It is. Further, the enhancement processing of the predetermined band is so-called loudness processing for enhancing bass / treble. Furthermore, the reverberation adding process is a process of producing a reverberant sound by an acoustic process.

  The display control unit 25d creates, as display data, information about a song when the content includes video, and information about a song when the content is music information not including the video, and outputs the display data to the output control unit 40.

  The output control unit 40 synthesizes outputs of the navigation unit 10 and the audio unit 20 as necessary, determines output contents from the display D1 and the speakers SP1 to SP4, and performs control to execute output processing.

  When the navigation unit 10 outputs the guidance voice, the music data adjustment unit 30 performs a process of adjusting the content of the sound information output from the audio unit 20, thereby improving the ease of hearing the guidance voice.

  Specifically, the music data adjustment unit 30 includes a sound suppression processing unit 31, a special effect suppression unit 32, and a balance adjustment unit 33 therein.

  The sound suppression processing unit 31 executes a process of deleting or suppressing a sound part in the sound information output from the audio unit 20. That is, if the audio unit 20 outputs the guidance voice in a state where the music information is being output, the voice part (vocal part) from the audio device and the guidance voice are mixedly heard by the occupant, so the guidance voice can be accurately heard. It becomes difficult. Therefore, by erasing and suppressing only the voice portion from the output of the audio unit 20, it is possible to improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice while providing music information.

  Specifically, when the audio unit 20 is reading stereo sound source data, the sound suppression processing unit 31 executes voice off processing by the stereo sound source processing unit 25a, or erase / suppression of the sound part by stereo processing.

  Generally, when stereo processing is performed on sound information including an audio portion, the audio portion is assigned to the center output. Therefore, in order to delete / suppress the audio part by stereo processing, the calculated center output may be regarded as the audio part, and the volume of the center output may be reduced.

  Similarly, even with 5.1ch sound source data, the audio portion is generally assigned to the center output. Therefore, when the audio unit 20 is reading 5.1ch sound source data, the voice suppression processing unit 31 improves the ease of listening to the guidance voice by reducing the volume of the center output.

  Here, if there is a center output speaker (center speaker), the center output, that is, the audio portion can be erased / suppressed by lowering the volume of the center speaker. On the other hand, if there is no center speaker, the center component added to other speakers (right front speaker on the right front and left front speaker on the left front) is reduced or added in order to realize virtual center output. Eliminate and suppress audio parts by losing.

  The processing of the voice suppression processing unit 31 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, at the time t11 when the guidance voice G1 is turned on, the center component MC1 of the audio output is decreased, and the center component MC1 is recovered at the end of the output of the guidance voice G1 (time t12). Further, for the side component MS1 that can be heard from the lateral direction, a constant output is ensured regardless of whether the guidance voice G1 is on or off.

  Here, when the center component MC1 is reduced, the center component is set to zero (the voice part is deleted), so that the ease of hearing the guidance voice can be improved most. On the other hand, by leaving the center component (suppressing the voice part), the passenger can hear the voice part of the audio output while improving the ease of hearing the guidance voice. Whether to delete or suppress the voice part may be determined in advance or may be selectable by the user. Further, automatic selection may be made according to the contents of the audio output.

  Further, it can be arbitrarily selected whether the voice suppression process is realized by the vocal-off process or the surround process. For example, when the audio unit 20 has a function for performing surround processing (surround function), the voice suppression process is realized by the surround process, and when there is no surround function, the voice suppression process is realized by the vocal off process. Also good.

  Furthermore, the surround function is generally capable of being turned on / off according to the user's specification. Therefore, if the surround function is turned off at the time of guidance voice output, the surround output may be forcibly turned on and the center output may be erased / suppressed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing operation in the case where a process used for sound suppression is selected based on whether or not the audio unit 20 has a surround function. The processing flow shown in FIG. 3 is repeatedly executed when the navigation system 1 is turned on.

  First, the voice suppression processing unit 31 checks whether or not a guidance voice output request has been received from the navigation unit 10 (step S101), and if there is no guidance voice output request (step S101, No), the process ends. .

  On the other hand, when there is a guidance voice output request (step S101, Yes), the voice suppression processing unit 31 determines whether or not the audio unit 20 has a surround function (step S102).

  As a result, if there is a surround function (step S102, Yes), the surround function of the audio unit 20 is turned on (step S103), and the addition of the center output to the front speaker is reduced (step S104). Thereafter, the output of the guidance voice is started (step S105). When the output of the guidance voice is finished (step S106, Yes), the surround function is turned off (step S107), and the processing is finished.

  On the other hand, when there is no surround function (No in step S102), the audio unit 20 starts outputting the guidance voice after starting the vocal-off process (step S111) (step S112), and when the output of the guidance voice ends ( In step S113, Yes), the vocal-off process is terminated (step S114), and the process flow is terminated.

  Further, if the audio unit 20 can execute both the surround process and the vocal off process, the sound suppression is realized by the surround process and the surround function is turned off when the surround function is turned on when the guidance voice is output. If so, voice suppression may be realized by vocal-off processing.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing operation in the case of selecting a process to be used for sound suppression based on on / off of the surround function. The processing flow shown in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed when the navigation system 1 is turned on.

  First, the voice suppression processing unit 31 confirms whether or not a guidance voice output request has been received from the navigation unit 10 (step S201). If there is no guidance voice output request (step S201, No), the process is terminated. .

  On the other hand, when there is a request for outputting guidance voice (step S201, Yes), the voice suppression processing unit 31 determines whether or not the surround function of the audio unit 20 is on (step S202).

  As a result, when the surround function is on (step S202, Yes), the addition of the center output to the front speaker is reduced (step S203) and the guidance voice is output (step S204). Is completed (step S205, Yes), the addition of the center output to the front is recovered (step S206), and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if the surround function is off (No at Step S202), the audio unit 20 starts outputting the guidance voice after starting the vocal off process (Step S211) (Step S212), and the output of the guidance voice is finished. At the time (step S213, Yes), the vocal-off process is terminated (step S214), and the process flow is terminated.

  Next, when the navigation unit 10 outputs the guidance voice, the special effect suppression unit 32 executes a process of stopping the addition of the special effect by the special effect addition unit 25c, thereby improving the ease of hearing the guidance voice. To do.

  The processing of this special effect suppression unit 32 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, at time t21 when the guidance voice G2 is turned on, the special effect of the audio output is turned off, and the special effect is recovered at the end of output of the guidance voice G2 (time t22).

  Specifically, when the special effect adding unit 25c performs the upward localization process, the sound portion of the music information output from the audio unit 20 sounds as if it is in front of the passenger, so the consciousness goes to the guidance voice. It is difficult for passengers to miss the guidance voice. Therefore, the ease of listening to the guidance voice is improved by stopping the upper localization process during the output of the guidance voice.

  Further, when the special effect adding unit 25c performs the bass adjustment process, masking of a high frequency band sound occurs as compared with the emphasized band. If the guidance voice is output in the band where this masking occurs, the ease of hearing decreases. Therefore, the ease of hearing can be improved by stopping the bass adjustment processing during the output of the guidance voice.

  Further, even when the special effect adding unit 25c is performing enhancement processing of a predetermined band, masking occurs as in the case of the bass adjustment processing, so that the enhancement processing of the predetermined band is stopped during the output of the guidance voice. Can improve the ease of listening.

  In addition, even when the special effect adding unit 25c performs the reverberation adding process, it is difficult for the reverberant sound to be conscious of the guidance voice, and the occupant may miss the guidance voice. Thus, by stopping the reverberation adding process during the output of the guidance voice, the ease of listening to the guidance voice is improved.

  By the way, the guidance voice is the most important for the driver, and there are cases where other passengers are required to maintain the output of the audio unit 20, for example, the quality of music, rather than the ease of hearing the guidance voice.

  Therefore, suppression of special effects by the special effect suppression unit 32 is executed for output to the driver's seat, and by continuing to add special effects for output to other seats, the audio unit 20 for passengers of other seats Output quality can be maintained.

  Further, depending on the arrangement of the speakers in the passenger compartment, the speaker used for output to the driver's seat and the speaker used for output to the passenger's seat are shared (for example, the right speaker is used for the door on the driver's seat and the left speaker is used for the door on the passenger's seat). When stereo output is performed with a speaker installed), if the special effect is suppressed for the output to the driver's seat and the special effect is added to the output to the passenger seat, the balance between the left and right sounds is lost.

  Therefore, in such a situation, it is desirable to suppress the addition of special effects to the output for the driver seat and the passenger seat.

  Next, processing of the balance adjustment unit 33 will be described. As described above, it is useful to adjust the audio output to the driver seat in order to improve the ease of listening to the guidance voice in the driver seat. Moreover, the ease of listening to the guidance voice can be further improved by executing the above-described processing while reducing the volume of the entire audio output to the driver's seat.

  However, if the audio output for the driver's seat or passenger's seat is adjusted or lowered, the audibility of the audio output will change for the passenger sitting in the rear seat. In particular, when output using surround processing is performed, the quality of the audio output at the rear seat (the volume feeling and the volume of the sound portion) is reduced by processing the audio output for the driver seat and the passenger seat.

  Therefore, when the audio output to the driver seat or the passenger seat is processed, the balance adjustment unit 33 corrects the output for the rear seat, thereby reducing a sense of discomfort for the passenger in the rear seat.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, if the audio output F1 from the front speaker is decreased at time t31 when the guidance voice G3 is turned on, the audio output R1 from the rear speaker is increased. Then, the audio output F1 from the front speaker and the audio output R1 from the rear speaker are recovered at the end of the output of the guidance voice G3 (time t32).

  Here, the case where the output volume from the front speaker is reduced as a whole has been described. However, when a specific part of the output from the front speaker, for example, the center component is reduced, the output from the rear speaker is used. On the other hand, correction is made by adding the center component.

  As described above, in the navigation system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the navigation unit 10 outputs the guidance voice, the music data adjustment unit 30 adjusts the sound information output from the audio unit 20 and the voice part Suppression, suppression of special effects, and correction of balance between seats improve the ease of listening to guidance voice while ensuring audio output.

  In this embodiment, the navigation system in which the navigation unit and the audio unit are integrally formed has been described as an example. However, the use of the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, if the navigation device has the same function as the music data adjustment unit 30, the present invention can be implemented as a navigation device independent of the audio device. In this case, the navigation device sends a signal that specifically instructs the audio device to adjust the output sound.

  If the audio device has the same function as that of the music data adjustment unit 30, the present invention can be implemented as an audio device independent of the navigation device. In this case, the audio apparatus receives a voice guidance execution notification from the navigation apparatus and determines specific adjustment contents for the output sound in the audio apparatus.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the 5.1ch sound source data that is currently widely used as the sound source data having a plurality of channels has been described as an example. However, the same applies to sound source data having an arbitrary number of channels such as 7.1ch sound source data. Needless to say, the present invention is applicable.

  In the present embodiment, the navigation system is given as a specific example in the case where information is provided by voice and driving is supported, but the use of the present invention is not limited to this and is obtained by road-to-vehicle communication. The present invention is widely applicable to providing information to users by sound, such as when notifying information.

  As described above, the driving support system, the navigation device, and the vehicle-mounted audio device according to the present invention are useful for route guidance by voice, and are particularly suitable for voice guidance in parallel with audio output.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the process of the audio | voice suppression process part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the processing operation which selects the process used for audio | voice suppression based on the presence or absence of a surround function. It is explanatory drawing explaining the processing operation in the case of selecting the process used for audio | voice suppression based on on / off of a surround function. It is explanatory drawing explaining the process of the special effect suppression part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the process of the balance adjustment part shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation system 10 Navigation unit 11 GPS communication part 12 Route setting part 13 Map data 14 Guidance processing part 14a Guidance display creation part 14b Guidance voice creation part 20 Audio unit 21 CD drive 22 DVD drive 23 Radio tuner 24 Television tuner 25 Main control part 25a Stereo sound source processing unit 25b 5.1ch sound source processing unit 25c Special effect addition unit 25d Display control unit 30 Music data adjustment unit 31 Audio suppression processing unit 32 Special effect suppression unit 33 Balance adjustment unit 40 Output control unit D1 Display SP1 to SP4 Speaker

Claims (21)

A driving support system having an information providing function for outputting information related to vehicle travel by voice and an audio function for outputting content including sound information,
A driving support system comprising sound information adjusting means for adjusting the content of sound information output by the audio function when the information providing function provides information using voice.   2. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the sound information adjusting unit reduces or eliminates a volume of a sound portion of sound information output from the audio function.   The driving support system according to claim 2, wherein the sound information adjusting means regards a center output of the sound information as the sound part.   The driving support system according to claim 3, wherein the sound information adjusting unit regards a common part of a right output sound and a left output sound of stereo sound source data as the center output.   The driving support system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the audio function performs surround processing on stereo sound source data to calculate the center output.   The sound information adjustment means is a case where the information providing function provides information using sound, and when the audio function is not executing the surround process, the audio function performs a surround process, The driving support system according to claim 5, wherein the center output obtained by the surround processing is reduced or eliminated.   The sound information adjusting means determines whether or not the audio function has a surround processing capability. When the audio function does not have the surround processing capability, a common portion of the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data is determined as the center. The driving support system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the center output is reduced or eliminated by considering it as an output.   The sound information adjusting means determines whether or not the audio function is executing the surround process, and when the surround process is being executed, reduces the center output calculated by the surround process or And when the surround processing is not being executed, the center output is reduced or eliminated by regarding the common part of the right output sound and the left output sound of the stereo sound source data as the center output. The driving support system according to any one of claims 4 to 7.   The sound information adjusting means reduces or eliminates the center output indicated in the multi-channel sound source data when the audio function reads multi-channel sound source data including center output data corresponding to the center output. The driving support system according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein   The audio function virtually realizes the center output by adding to a plurality of speakers, and adds to the plurality of speakers when the sound information adjusting unit is instructed to reduce or eliminate the center output. The driving support system according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the amount of entrainment is reduced or eliminated.   The audio function outputs the center output from a center speaker, and reduces or eliminates the output volume from the center speaker when the sound information adjusting means is instructed to reduce or eliminate the center output. The driving support system according to any one of claims 3 to 9.   The sound information adjusting means automatically selects a process to be used for reducing or erasing the center output based on a type of sound source read by the audio function. The described driving assistance system.   The driving support system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the sound information adjustment unit stops adding a special effect by the audio function.   The driving support system according to claim 13, wherein the sound information adjusting unit stops an upward localization process for the sound information.   The driving support system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the sound information adjustment unit stops a bass adjustment process for the sound information.   The driving support system according to claim 13, 14, or 15, wherein the sound information adjusting unit stops enhancement processing of a predetermined band for the sound information.   The driving support system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the sound information adjusting unit stops a reverberation adding process for the sound information.   The driving according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the sound information adjusting means executes the stop of the addition of the special effect with respect to an output to at least one of a driver seat and a passenger seat. Support system.   The sound information adjusting means corrects sound information to be output to other seats when adjusting at least the content of the sound information to be output to the driver's seat. The driving support system according to any one of the above. A navigation device for guiding the route of the host vehicle,
Guidance voice output means for performing route guidance by voice;
Sound information adjusting means for determining the adjustment contents for the sound information output by the audio device when the guide sound output means outputs the guidance sound, and outputting the adjustment contents to the audio device;
A navigation device characterized by comprising: An in-vehicle audio device that outputs content including at least sound information,
Guidance voice detection means for detecting the output of guidance voice by a navigation device for guiding the route of the host vehicle;
Sound information adjustment means for adjusting the content of the sound information when the guidance voice detection means detects the output of guidance voice;
An in-vehicle audio apparatus comprising:

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