JP2009113659A - Vehicular noise cancellation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular noise cancellation device allowing a driver to surely recognizing information regarding a specific sound/voice component while suppressing or removing the noise entering the ears of the driver from the outside of a cabin. <P>SOLUTION: The noise cancellation device 100 is provided with a noise collection part 2 for collecting the noise; and a noise cancellation means 11 for suppressing or removing the noise collected by the noise collection part 2. In the noise cancellation means 11, suppressing or removal of the specific sound/voice component is restricted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle noise canceling device that suppresses or removes noise that enters the driver's ears from outside the passenger compartment, and in particular, by suppressing or removing a specific audio component that the driver should recognize, The present invention relates to a vehicle noise canceling device that prevents a driver from being unaware of the specific sound component.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a noise canceling device that suppresses or eliminates noise mixed during voice input in a vehicle cabin environment is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

This noise cancellation device detects vehicle status such as vehicle type, vehicle speed, acceleration, and current location based on data output from a vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, navigation device, etc., and registered noise corresponding to the detected vehicle status. The pattern is specified, and the specific noise included in the input voice data input by the driver via the voice input device is suppressed or removed.
JP 2002-351488 A

  However, the noise canceling device described in Patent Document 1 suppresses or eliminates noise included in input voice data input by the driver via the voice input device, and enters the driver's ear from outside the vehicle compartment. It does not suppress or remove the incoming noise, nor does it make it easier to recognize a specific audio component.

  In view of the above, the present invention is a vehicle noise that enables a driver to reliably recognize information related to a specific audio component while suppressing or removing noise that enters the driver's ears from outside the passenger compartment. An object is to provide a cancel device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle noise canceling device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a noise collecting unit that collects noise generated around a vehicle, and noise that suppresses or removes the noise collected by the noise collecting unit. Canceling means, wherein the noise canceling means is limited in suppressing or removing a specific audio component.

  A noise canceling device for a vehicle according to a second aspect of the invention is a noise collecting means for collecting noise generated around the vehicle, and a specification for determining whether or not the noise collected by the noise collecting means contains a specific audio component When the speech component presence / absence determining unit, the noise canceling unit for suppressing or removing the noise collected by the noise collecting unit, and the specific speech component presence / absence determining unit determine that a specific speech component is included, the noise cancellation Noise cancellation avoiding means for restricting suppression or removal of the specific audio component by the means.

  A noise canceling device for a vehicle according to a third aspect of the invention is a noise collecting means for collecting noise generated around the vehicle, and a specification for determining whether or not the noise collected by the noise collecting means contains a specific audio component When it is determined that a specific audio component is included by the audio component existence determination unit, a noise cancellation unit that suppresses or removes noise collected by the noise collection unit indiscriminately, and the specific audio component presence determination unit, Noise cancellation avoiding means for reproducing the specific audio component suppressed or removed by the noise canceling means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicle noise canceling apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the specific sound component includes a horn, an alarm sound, or a siren.

  By the above-described means, the present invention is a vehicle noise cancellation that enables the driver to reliably recognize information related to a specific audio component while suppressing or removing noise that enters the driver's ear from outside the passenger compartment. An apparatus can be provided.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a noise canceling apparatus according to the present invention. The noise canceling apparatus 100 is an in-vehicle apparatus for suppressing or removing noise that enters the driver's ear from outside the passenger compartment. The control unit 1 performs various calculations using the output of the noise collecting unit 2 and various data stored in the storage unit 3, and outputs the calculation results to the audio output unit 4 and the display unit 5.

  The control unit 1 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. For example, the specific sound component presence / absence determination unit 10, the noise cancellation unit 11, and the noise While storing a program corresponding to each of the cancel avoidance means 12 in the ROM, the CPU executes a process corresponding to each means.

  The noise collecting unit 2 is a device for collecting noise (environmental sound), for example, a microphone installed near the head of the vehicle driver (particularly the ear part) such as a headrest, Two or more may be installed so that it can respond to a driver | operator's both ears. Note that the noise collection unit 2 may be installed on the earphone worn by the driver and at a position that is just outside the ear when the earphone is worn on the ear. This is because it is possible to collect the sound that enters the driver's ear.

  The noise collecting unit 2 is noise (environmental sound) such as wind noise, rain sound, tire friction sound, engine sound, exhaust sound, horn, siren, alarm sound, etc. coming from outside the vehicle compartment. The incoming environmental sound is collected, and the sound data (for example, composed of frequency, amplitude, etc.) of the collected environmental sound is output to the control unit 1.

  The storage unit 3 is a device for storing various data, such as a hard disk, a flash memory, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc.), Etc., and information related to a specific audio component (for example, frequency, pitch (frequency)) A specific audio component database (hereinafter referred to as “specific audio component DB”) that systematically stores a pattern, an amplitude pattern, an identification number, character information explaining audio content, and the like.

  The “specific voice component” is a voice component in noise, and is a voice component that should not be suppressed or removed by the noise canceling apparatus 100, that is, a voice component that should be recognized by the driver when driving the vehicle. For example, a voice component such as a horn generated by another vehicle, a siren generated by an emergency vehicle, an alarm sound generated by a railroad crossing alarm, a sudden brake sound generated by another vehicle, or an approaching sound of another vehicle at a junction.

  In addition, although the memory | storage part 3 has memorize | stored beforehand the information regarding a specific audio | voice component, you may make it permit addition, deletion, and a change via a predetermined | prescribed interface.

  The audio output unit 4 is a device for outputting various kinds of information as audio. For example, the audio output unit 4 is a speaker installed in the vicinity of the driver's head (particularly, the ear), and is provided in both the driver's ears. Two or more may be installed so that different sounds can be transmitted.

  The audio output unit 4 is disposed near the noise collection unit 2, and is preferably disposed adjacent to the noise collection unit 2 back to back, and the noise collection unit according to a control signal output from the control unit 1. All the voices collected in 2 are transmitted to the driver's ears as they are, or only the other voice components are transmitted to the driver's ears while suppressing or removing some of the voice components collected by the noise collecting unit 2 To do. The audio output unit 4 may be an earphone.

  The display unit 5 is a device for displaying various types of information. For example, the display unit 5 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display installed near the center console, and according to a control signal output from the control unit 1. Character information or image information relating to a specific voice component is displayed.

  Next, various units included in the control unit 1 will be described.

  The specific sound component presence / absence determination means 10 is a means for determining the presence / absence of a specific sound component. For example, information (for example, frequency, pitch pattern, amplitude) regarding the sound component included in the noise collected by the noise collecting unit 2 And the information related to the speech component registered in the specific speech component database 30 of the storage unit 3 are sequentially collated, and if the collation is successful, the speech component specific to the noise collected by the noise collecting unit 2 Is determined to be included.

  The specific sound component presence / absence determination means 10 is used when the information regarding the sound component collected by the noise collecting unit 2 and the information regarding the sound component stored by the storage unit 3 completely match, or partially match, or Also in the case of being similar, it may be determined that the noise collected by the noise collecting unit 2 includes a specific audio component.

  The noise cancellation unit 11 is a unit for suppressing or removing noise. For example, the noise cancellation unit 11 outputs a voice signal having a phase opposite to that of the noise collected by the noise collection unit 2 from the voice output unit 4 and heads to the driver's ear. Try to cancel the noise.

  Thereby, the driver can enjoy an acoustic environment in which noise is suppressed or noise is removed.

  In addition, the noise canceling unit 11 restricts in advance that a predetermined audio signal is output from the audio output unit 4 as an antiphase audio signal for suppressing or removing noise so that a specific audio component is not suppressed or removed. You may make it do.

  As described above, the noise canceling unit 11 can avoid the suppression or removal of the audio component having the predetermined amplitude or frequency in advance regardless of the determination result by the specific audio component presence / absence determination unit 10.

  The noise cancellation avoiding means 12 is a means for avoiding that it is difficult for the driver to recognize a specific voice component. For example, the specific voice component presence determining means 10 determines that the specific voice component exists in the noise. The audio output unit 4 does not output an audio signal having an opposite phase to the audio component, and the noise canceling effect for the specific audio component by the noise canceling unit 11 is invalidated.

  As described above, the noise cancellation avoiding unit 12 is a speech component having a specific pitch pattern or amplitude pattern (a speech component whose frequency or amplitude changes with time based on the determination result by the specific speech component presence determination unit 10. ) Is suppressed or eliminated, and the noise canceling unit 11 has a specific amplitude or frequency regardless of the determination result by the specific audio component existence determination unit 10 (frequency or amplitude in time). This is an audio component that does not change.) The selection efficiency between noise and a specific audio component can be increased as compared with the case where suppression or removal is avoided.

  In addition, the noise cancellation avoiding unit 12 stores the specific audio component determined by the specific audio component presence / absence determining unit 10 as being present in the noise after the noise is suppressed or removed indiscriminately by the noise canceling unit 11. The generated audio signal may be reproduced and output from the audio output unit 4 that is different from the audio output unit that generates the audio signal based on the information registered in the above and outputs the audio signal having the opposite phase.

  In this case, the control unit 1 preferably detects the sound source direction of a specific audio component based on the outputs of the plurality of noise collection units 2, and the noise cancellation avoiding means 12 The generated audio signal is reproduced and output from another audio output unit 4.

  The generated audio signal may be an audio signal obtained by recording a specific audio component collected by the noise collecting unit 2.

  As a result, the noise canceling apparatus 100 can easily suppress or eliminate all audio components without performing a process of suppressing or removing other audio components in real time, while suppressing or eliminating only some audio components. By reproducing only specific audio components while removing them, the same effect as when only some audio components are suppressed or removed can be obtained.

  Further, the noise canceling avoiding means 12 is not to reproduce a specific audio component, or in addition to reproducing the specific audio component, character information relating to the specific audio component (for example, “emergency vehicle from behind” Or the image information (for example, an arrow indicating the direction of the sound source) is displayed on the display unit 5. Also good. This is to allow the driver to notice that a specific audio component is generated.

  In this case, the noise cancellation avoidance unit 12 may cause a beep sound to accompany the display on the display unit 5.

  Thereby, the noise cancellation apparatus 100 can make a driver | operator recognize the information regarding a specific audio | voice component reliably, providing a driver | operator with the acoustic environment from which noise was removed, or the acoustic environment by which noise was suppressed. .

  The noise cancellation avoidance unit 12 stops all the functions of the noise cancellation unit 11 when the specific audio component presence determination unit 10 determines that the noise collected by the noise collection unit 2 includes a specific audio component. You may make it make it. This is to allow the driver to recognize a specific voice component easily and quickly without causing the noise cancellation apparatus 100 to select noise and the specific voice component.

  Next, a process (hereinafter referred to as “noise cancel process”) in which the noise cancellation apparatus 100 generates an audio signal having an opposite phase will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the noise canceling process, and the noise canceling apparatus 100 executes the noise canceling process repeatedly and continuously.

  First, the noise canceling apparatus 100 collects noise entering the noise collecting unit 2 installed near the driver's ear (step S1), converts the collected noise into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the control unit 1 To do.

  Thereafter, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a specific audio component exists in the noise while referring to the specific audio component database 30 stored in the storage unit 3 by the specific audio component existence determination unit 10 (step S2). ).

  When it is determined that the specific audio component is present in the noise (YES in step S2), the control unit 1 causes the noise cancellation avoiding unit 12 to deal with the noise of the specific audio component configured by the predetermined frequency pattern or the predetermined amplitude pattern. While preventing the noise canceling unit 11 from generating the audio signal having the opposite phase, the noise canceling unit 11 is caused to generate the audio signal having the opposite phase with respect to the noise other than the specific audio component (step S3).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the specific audio component does not exist in the noise (NO in step S2), the control unit 1 sends the audio signal having the opposite phase to all the noises collected by the noise collecting unit 2 to the noise canceling unit 11. It is made to produce | generate (step S4).

  Thereafter, the control unit 1 causes the audio output unit 4 to output the audio signal having the opposite phase to the noise generated by the noise canceling unit 11 (step S5).

  As a result, the noise canceling apparatus 100 causes the noise canceling means 11 to suppress or remove other noise while preventing the noise canceling means 11 from suppressing or removing environmental sounds to be recognized by the driver. Can do.

  Next, referring to FIG. 3, a process of reproducing a specific audio component that has been suppressed or removed by the noise canceling unit 11 by the noise canceling apparatus 100 (hereinafter referred to as “specific audio component reproduction process”). explain. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the specific audio component reproduction process.

  First, the noise canceling apparatus 100 collects noise entering the noise collecting unit 2 installed in the vicinity of the driver's ear (step S11), converts the collected noise into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the control unit 1. To do.

  Thereafter, the control unit 1 causes the noise canceling unit 11 to generate an audio signal having an antiphase with respect to all noises collected by the noise collecting unit 2 (step S12), and causes the audio output unit 4 to output the audio signal having the antiphase. (Step S13).

  Thereafter, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a specific sound component exists in the noise by the specific sound component presence / absence determination unit 10 (step S14).

  When it is determined that the specific audio component is present in the noise (YES in step S14), the control unit 1 uses the noise cancellation avoiding unit 12 to correspond to the specific audio component configured by the predetermined frequency pattern or the predetermined amplitude pattern. An audio signal is generated (step S15), and the audio signal corresponding to the specific audio component is output from the audio output unit 4 different from the audio output unit 4 that outputs the audio signal of the opposite phase by the noise cancellation unit 11 ( Step S16).

  When it is determined that the specific audio component does not exist in the noise (NO in step S14), the control unit 1 causes the noise cancellation avoiding unit 12 to output no specific audio from another audio output unit 4. The component regeneration process is terminated.

  Thereby, the noise canceling apparatus 100 can be operated even when the noise canceling unit 11 suppresses or eliminates all noises including environmental sounds to be recognized by the driver in order to simplify the noise canceling process. Only the environmental sound to be recognized by the driver can be reproduced and output again, and the driver can surely recognize the environmental sound to be recognized by the driver.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the noise canceling apparatus 100 preliminarily limits the sound component to be suppressed or removed by the noise canceling unit 11 and then suppresses or removes the noise (hereinafter referred to as “limited noise canceling process”). Will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of limited noise cancellation processing.

  First, the noise canceling apparatus 100 collects noise entering the noise collecting unit 2 installed near the driver's ear (step S21), converts the collected noise into an electric signal, and outputs it to the control unit 1 To do.

  Thereafter, the control unit 1 is an environmental sound (a sound component defined by a predetermined frequency or a predetermined amplitude) to which the noise canceling process is not applied, and the sound having an opposite phase so as not to be suppressed or removed as noise. The environmental sound previously registered in the storage unit 3 where the generation of the signal is restricted is acquired (step S22).

  Thereafter, the control unit 1 generates an audio signal having an antiphase with respect to noise other than the environmental sound to which the noise canceling process is not applied (step S23), and causes the audio output unit 4 to output the generated antiphase audio signal (step S23). S24).

  Thereby, the noise canceling apparatus 100 can suppress or remove noise in real time without determining whether or not the specific sound component (environmental sound) is present in the noise by the specific sound component presence determination means 10. Thus, the driver can surely recognize at least a part of the specific sound component (environmental sound).

  Note that the noise canceling apparatus 100 may switch a frequency or the like to which the noise canceling process is not applied based on the output of the navigation apparatus. For example, in an area where there is no level crossing, the frequency corresponding to the alarm sound emitted by the level crossing alarm is excluded from the frequencies to which noise cancellation processing is not applied, so that other noises belonging to that frequency band are suppressed or eliminated. .

  With the above configuration, the noise canceling apparatus 100 can prevent even a specific audio component from being suppressed or removed as noise.

  In addition, the noise canceling apparatus 100 can suppress or remove noise other than the specific voice component and transmit only the specific voice component to the driver more clearly.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, the noise cancellation device 100 may determine whether or not to execute the noise cancellation processing based on the position information output from the navigation device, and may not execute the noise cancellation processing near the intersection. This is because the driver can reliably recognize noise generated around the vehicle.

  Moreover, the noise cancellation apparatus 100 may limit a specific voice component to be collated based on position information output from the navigation apparatus. For example, in an area where there is no level crossing, the verification related to the alarm sound emitted by the level crossing alarm is omitted to reduce the load related to the verification of the noise canceling apparatus 100.

  In addition, the noise canceling apparatus 100 may mix an audio signal having an antiphase with respect to noise or an audio signal corresponding to a specific audio component with an audio audio signal and output it from the audio output unit 4.

  Thereby, the noise cancellation apparatus 100 can make a driver | operator recognize a specific audio | voice component reliably, reproducing an audio | voice in an acoustic environment without noise.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of a noise cancellation apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a noise cancellation process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a specific audio | voice component reproduction | regeneration process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a limited noise cancellation process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 2 Noise collection part 3 Memory | storage part 4 Audio | voice output part 5 Display part 10 Specific audio | voice component presence determination means 11 Noise cancellation means 12 Noise cancellation avoidance means 30 Specific audio | voice component database 100 Noise cancellation apparatus

Claims (4)

Noise collecting means for collecting noise generated around the vehicle;
Noise canceling means for suppressing or removing noise collected by the noise collecting means,
The noise canceling unit is restricted from suppressing or removing a specific audio component.
A vehicle noise canceling device. Noise collecting means for collecting noise generated around the vehicle;
Specific sound component presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not the noise collected by the noise collecting means includes a specific sound component;
Noise canceling means for suppressing or removing noise collected by the noise collecting means;
Noise cancellation avoiding means for restricting suppression or removal of the specific sound component by the noise canceling means when it is determined by the specific sound component existence determining means that a specific sound component is included;
A vehicle noise canceling device comprising: Noise collecting means for collecting noise generated around the vehicle;
Specific sound component presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not the noise collected by the noise collecting means includes a specific sound component;
Noise canceling means for indiscriminately suppressing or removing the noise collected by the noise collecting means;
Noise cancellation avoiding means for reproducing the specific audio component suppressed or removed by the noise canceling means when the specific audio component existence determining means determines that the specific audio component is included;
A vehicle noise canceling device comprising: The specific audio component includes horn, alarm sound or siren,
The vehicle noise canceling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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