JP2002116045A - Sound volume controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the important guidance voice of a navigation device from being missed by making clear the importance of information outputted from the navigation device, by adjusting the mixture state of the sound volume of a sound device and the sound volume of the guidance voice of the navigation device, according to the importance of the guidance voice generated by the navigation device. SOLUTION: The importance is decided through voice guidance processing in the route guide of the navigation, according to the state of the voice guidance. According to the decision result, the voice level outputted from the navigation and the voice level outputted from the sound device are determined and those voices are mixed and outputted from a loudspeaker.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-vehicle audio device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a sound volume control device that is connected to and used together with an in-vehicle navigation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a recent navigation apparatus for a vehicle, an optimum route is calculated by setting a destination and a current position, and when a vehicle enters a main intersection requiring a right or left turn on the route. Has proposed a route guidance device for guiding the traveling direction of a vehicle by voice.

[0003] Such a navigation device is used in combination with an on-vehicle audio device so that when listening to music or the like on a CD or tape while the vehicle is running, the driver can surely hear the route guidance sound. Therefore, a method has been proposed in which a mute signal is output to a vehicle-mounted audio device when a navigation device is approaching a voice guidance point, the volume of the audio device is attenuated or set to zero, and after passing the point, the volume of the audio device is restored. I have.

[0004]

For example, when traveling on a highway and traveling a certain distance, a constant voice interruption occurs even if the vehicle is only traveling straight ahead. When the link type is changed, an interrupt mute signal is generated from the navigation device, so the sound of the sound device is interrupted each time, and the user listens to information that is not so important for route guidance, and thereafter an interrupt sound is generated There is a problem in that, when the information is determined to be equivalent to such information, a guide voice that is originally important is missed.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem and adjusts the mixed state of the volume of the audio device and the volume of the guidance voice of the navigation device according to the importance of the guidance voice generated by the navigation device. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sound volume adjusting device which prevents an important guidance sound of a navigation device from being missed.

[0006]

An object of the present invention is to provide an audio signal source for reproducing an audio signal, a first volume for adjusting the volume of the reproduced audio signal, and an audio signal generated from a navigation device. A second volume, mixing means for adding outputs of the first volume and the second volume, priority determining means for determining a priority according to an audio signal generated from the navigation device, The problem can be solved by providing a sound volume adjusting means for changing the amount of attenuation of each volume according to the degree.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the priority is determined according to the state of voice guidance in the voice guidance processing in the route guidance of the navigation device. Based on this determination, the sound level output from the navigation and the sound level output from the audio device are determined, and the sounds are mixed and output from the speaker.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [Configuration] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
The interrupt priority is sent to the microcomputer 5, and the microcomputer 5 controls the sub electronic volume 3 and the main electronic volume 4 to control the audio output level according to the interrupt priority, thereby varying the mixing ratio. In the figure, 6 is a MIX amplifier, 7 is a power amplifier, 2 is a compact disc playback device for music playback, 8
Is a speaker.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the output levels of the sub-volume for navigation and the main volume for audio equipment according to the interrupt priority.

[Overview of Operation] When voice guidance occurs, the driver is given a priority. For example, when turning left or right at an intersection, the voice guidance is not attenuated, and the audio output is reduced by 6 dB.
For attenuating and mixing, straight guidance, near the destination, etc., audio guidance is performed at 16 dB and audio output is MlX at 1 OdB. Also, the MIX level is varied according to the distance to the intersection where voice guidance is provided. Priority 3 if the distance to the intersection is 200m or more
If the distance to the intersection is 50 m to 100 m, and the distance to the second priority intersection is within 50 m, it is output as the first priority.

[Details of Operation Description] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the microcomputer 1 when a voice interrupt occurs. Determine the priority interrupted in STEP1,
When the priority is first, the attenuation of the main volume 4 is
6 dB, the attenuation of the secondary electronic volume 3 is set to OdB. After canceling the voice interrupt in STEP4, go to STEP5, return the sub electronic volume 3 and the main electronic volume 4 to the level before the interrupt, and end. If the priority is judged second in STEP1, the attenuation of the main electronic volume 4 is set to -2 dB and the attenuation of the sub electronic volume 3 is set to -4 dB in STEP3. After that, the same processing is performed and the processing is terminated.

In the above embodiment, the mixture ratio is changed by changing the respective volume values using the two main volumes and the sub volumes, but if one volume is fixed, only the other volume is used. It may be changed according to the priority. In the above embodiment, the level of the electronic volume is varied and the mixing ratio is changed. However, the mechanical volume may be variably mixed with each output by a drive device such as a motor.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, the mixed state of the volume of the sound device and the volume of the guidance voice of the navigation device is adjusted according to the importance of the guidance voice generated from the navigation device. Thus, the importance of the information output from the navigation device becomes clear, and it is possible to prevent the important guidance voice of the navigation device from being missed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a correspondence diagram of output levels of a sub volume for navigation and a main volume for an audio device according to interrupt priority.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart in one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 2 Compact disk reproducing device 3 Secondary electronic volume 4 Main electronic volume 5 Microcomputer 6 MIX amplifier 7 Power amplifier 8 Speaker

Claims (1)

[Claims] An audio signal source for reproducing an audio signal; a first volume for adjusting a volume of the reproduced audio signal; a second volume for adjusting an audio signal generated from the navigation device; Mixing means for adding the outputs of the first volume and the second volume; priority determining means for determining the priority according to the audio signal generated from the navigation device; and attenuation of each volume according to the priority. Volume control means for changing the volume.