JP2007030732A - Acoustic system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an acoustic system capable of always supplying a high quality sound by combining a conventional door speaker system and a seat speaker system even when the number of passengers varies. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle mounted acoustic system is provided with a first speaker set 5 almost optimized for a driver's seat and arranged in a vehicle body, a second speaker set 7 mainly arranged in each seat and almost optimized for each seat, a passenger detection means 3 to detect the number and the position of the passengers, and a controller 1. Based on the detection results of the passenger detection means 3, the controller 1 outputs using either or both or a partial combination of the first speaker set 5 and the second speaker set 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for always providing high-quality sound even if the number of passengers is different in an acoustic system mounted on a vehicle.

  Conventionally, various configurations have been proposed in order to provide high-quality sound as an in-vehicle acoustic system. In a normal in-vehicle acoustic system, music is reproduced by connecting a plurality of speakers to an audio device. As for the configuration of the speakers, one with a set of speakers for the entire vehicle space (a typical one is a door speaker system) and a speaker set for each seat, and listening to music optimally in each seat (Seat speaker system).

  The structure of the door speaker system is basically a front door speaker provided at the left and right front doors, but also rear speakers provided at the left and right rear doors, a bass reproducing woofer, a door and an instrument arranged at the rear of the vehicle. A tweeter for high-pitched sound reproduction provided on the ment panel.

  The configuration of the seat speaker system is basically a speaker arranged at the shoulder opening on both sides of the upper part of the seat back portion or a headrest speaker arranged on both sides of the headrest. Further, a low-frequency or vibration low-frequency speaker may be provided in the backrest or seat, or a center speaker for sound image localization may be provided in front of the seat.

  By the way, the door speaker system and the seat speaker system have advantages and disadvantages, respectively.

  Since the number of speakers tends to increase, the door speaker system can provide a comfortable feeling. However, in the case of a door speaker system, when music is played through the door speaker, it is usually tuned so that it can be heard optimally in the driver's seat. For example, frequency correction or processing for correcting a difference in distance from each speaker to the ear is performed. However, if there are passengers in the passenger seat in addition to the driver, the playback sound of each speaker is processed so that it can be heard optimally in the driver seat. There is a problem that you cannot listen to music. In addition, the driver may experience a change in sound reflection and frequency characteristics due to the passenger's influence, and it is difficult to always listen to the vehicle in an optimally tuned state.

  In the seat speaker system, by placing a speaker in the vicinity of the listener's (passenger's) ear, noise intrusion and leakage sound to the surroundings are suppressed, and production cost and power consumption are reduced due to low output. It is possible. In particular, acoustic tuning can be performed for each seat, so that music can be listened to optimally in each seat and is not easily affected by passengers. Furthermore, it is possible to expect a sense of presence and an increase in force by generating a vibration of a bass part in the seat. However, when the seat speaker system is used alone, the speaker position and the distance to the ears are short, so compared with the conventional door speaker system, even if audio signal processing (such as acoustic effects) is added, there is a sense of sound spread. May be inferior. Moreover, since the number of speakers decreases, there is a problem that the feeling of being wrapped tends to decrease.

Conventionally, a configuration for selecting or controlling a speaker to be output according to a situation has been proposed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-191342 (Patent Document 1) proposes a control that does not output from a door speaker during a call in an in-vehicle acoustic system including both a door speaker and a seat speaker. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-88664 (Patent Document 2), in an in-vehicle AV apparatus provided with a display in each seat, a configuration in which a speaker correction circuit is controlled so that reproduced sound is optimal in a seat where the display is turned on. Has been proposed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-191342 JP 2005-88664 A

  The present invention provides an acoustic system mounted on a vehicle, which combines a conventional door speaker system and a seat speaker system, and can provide an acoustic system that can always provide high-quality sound even if the number of passengers is different. It is aimed.

  In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of an acoustic system according to the present invention is an acoustic system mounted on a vehicle, and is a first system that is substantially optimized with respect to a driver's seat and disposed in a vehicle body. The control device comprises: a speaker set; a second speaker set which is mainly arranged in each seat and is substantially optimized for each seat; an occupant detection means for detecting the number or position of occupants; and a control device. Are output using either one or both of the first speaker set and the second speaker set or a partial combination based on the detection result of the occupant detection means. Thereby, different control can be performed depending on whether the vehicle is ridden by one person or a plurality of people.

  The control device outputs using the first speaker set when the number of occupants detected by the occupant detection means is 1, and outputs the second speaker set when the number of occupants is 2 or more. It is characterized by outputting using. This makes it possible to provide music that is optimally tuned both when riding alone and when riding by multiple people.

  The second speaker set includes a low-frequency or low-frequency loudspeaker on a backrest or a seat, and the control device detects the first when the number of occupants detected by the occupant detection means is one. And using a low-frequency speaker included in the second speaker set. This makes it possible to reproduce music with a higher sense of presence when riding alone.

  When the number of occupants detected by the occupant detection means is two or more, the control device detects the seat on which the occupant is seated by the occupant detection means, and the second control device is provided in a seat that is not seated. No output from the speaker set. Thereby, power consumption can be reduced.

  The second speaker set includes switching means for switching on and off for each seat. Thereby, reduction of power consumption can be achieved.

  The first speaker set may include a door speaker disposed on the door. Further, the second speaker set may include a speaker disposed at a shoulder opening on both upper sides of the seat backrest portion or a headrest speaker disposed on both sides of the headrest.

  According to the present invention, in a sound system mounted on a vehicle, a conventional door speaker system and a seat speaker system can be combined, and a high-quality sound can always be provided even if the number of passengers is different.

{First Example}
A first embodiment of an acoustic system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the system, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of speakers, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation according to the first embodiment.

  First, a schematic configuration of the system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. An audio device 2 and a boarding sensor 3 as an example of an occupant detection unit are connected to the control device 1. Further, it can be output to the door speaker system 5 as an example of the first speaker set via the first audio signal processing device 4, and the sheet as an example of the second speaker set via the second audio signal processing device 6. Output to the speaker system 7 is possible.

  The control device 1 selects a speaker and an audio signal processing device to be output according to the state of the vehicle interior, and the operation will be described later. The audio device 2 is an on-vehicle sound source device, and includes a radio, a CD player, a TV, a DVD player, a navigation system, and the like. The boarding sensor 3 is a sensor for detecting the number or position of passengers. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a pressure sensor is provided on the seating surface of each seat.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the door speaker system 5 is a first speaker set that is arranged in the vehicle body and outputs sound to the entire vehicle interior space 81. As the speaker configuration, for example, a door speaker 51 embedded in the front door, a rear speaker 52 installed at the rear of the vehicle interior, a woofer 53 for low-frequency sound reproduction, and the like are used.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the seat speaker system 7 is a second speaker set arranged in each seat. As the speaker configuration, for example, a shoulder mouth speaker 71 embedded in the shoulder mouth of the seat 82, a bass sound embedded in the back of the seat, a woofer 72 for vibration reproduction, and the like are configured. Headrest speakers arranged on both sides of the headrest may be used instead of the shoulder mouth speakers 71, and a center speaker may be included in order to improve front localization (note that the center speaker is not arranged in the target seat, It will be placed on the instrument panel for the front seat or on the back side of the front seat for the rear seat).

  In the present embodiment, the control device 1 can reproduce audio signals from all speakers simultaneously, or can reproduce them from individual speakers.

  The first and second audio signal processing devices 5 and 6 perform processing such as frequency correction in order to add a sense of spaciousness and reverberation. The door speaker system 5 and the seat speaker system 7 have different speaker configurations such as the number of speakers and the distance from the speakers to the ears.

  Various contents of signal processing can be adopted. In this embodiment, the signal processing performed by the first audio signal processing device 4 output from the door speaker system 5 is almost optimized for the driver's seat. Since the distance from the left and right speakers to the driver's seat is different, a process for delaying the sound output from the driver's side speaker can be considered. In addition, processing for correcting the frequency characteristics to be flat is performed.

  The signal processing performed by the second audio signal processing device 6 output from the seat speaker system 7 is almost optimized for each seat because each seat has a different position in the passenger compartment space 81. The seat speaker system 7 also performs correction for flattening the frequency characteristics. However, since the distance between the speaker and the ear is short, correction for improving the sound localization is performed, and crosstalk cancellation processing (from left and right speakers to the opposite ear) For example, a process for reducing the incoming voice) and a reference process (a process for reproducing a reverberant sound such as an audio room and adding a sense of sound spread).

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the control device 1 according to the present embodiment. When an instruction to start audio output is input from the passenger (S10), the control device 1 first acquires information on the boarding sensor 3 (S11). The number of passengers n ≦ 1 is determined from the obtained information (S12). When the number of passengers n ≦ 1, it can be determined that the vehicle is only in the driver's seat (including the case where no one is on board), and therefore the control device 1 uses the first audio signal processing device 4. A sound is output using the door speaker system 5 via (S13). As described above, the tuning of the door speaker system 5 is adjusted to be optimal at the position of the driver's seat, so that the driver can listen to music with good sound quality.

  If it is determined in step S12 that the number of passengers n> 1, the control device 1 outputs a sound using the seat speaker system 7 via the second audio signal processing device 6 (S14). As described above, the tuning of the seat speaker system 7 is adjusted to be optimal for each of the driver's seat and the seats of other passengers, so that all the passengers can listen to music with good sound quality. It is also possible to adjust the sound quality according to individual preferences without affecting other seats.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the audio output has been completed (S15). If the audio output has been completed, the routine is terminated. As long as the process is not completed, the process returns to step S11 to perform loop processing for acquiring information on the boarding sensor 3. Therefore, when the number of occupants changes during audio output, the output speaker system can be changed accordingly. If the switching is suddenly performed at this time, the passenger may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, it is preferable that the system that does not output is faded out and the system that outputs is switched while fading in.

  In the present embodiment, the boarding sensor 3 has been described as a pressure sensor installed on the seat surface of each seat. However, in the above configuration, there is a case where the baggage placed on the seat reacts. Therefore, as an example of switching means for switching on and off for each seat, it is preferable to provide an ON / OFF switch for each seat, or to be able to set ON / OFF of each seat on the operation panel of the audio device. . Further, as a method of acquiring the number of passengers, a mechanism for detecting the lock of the seat belt may be used, or only by setting from the operation panel. Any other method can be used as long as the control device 1 can acquire the number of passengers. Such a method may be used.

  By configuring as described above, in the sound system according to the present embodiment, even if the number of passengers is different, an appropriate speaker set can be automatically selected according to the situation, and a high-quality sound is always obtained. Can be provided. That is, when only the driver is on board, the sound is output using the door speaker system, and a comfortable sound with a rich spatial feeling can be provided. In addition, when there is a passenger, the sound can be output using a seat speaker system, and the optimally adjusted sound can be provided to each person.

{Second Example}
A second embodiment of the acoustic system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation according to the second embodiment. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, music is reproduced by switching between the door speaker system 5 and the seat speaker system 7. However, the door speaker system 5 and the seat speaker system 7 are not completely distinguished from each other and are not incompatible with each other, and a further acoustic effect can be obtained by partially using them together.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, not all speaker systems are switched, but a speaker is selected as follows. As shown in FIG. 4, when it is determined in step S12 that the number of passengers n = 1, the control device 1 is connected not only to the door speaker system 5, but also to the woofer 72 provided on the back of the seat in the seat speaker system 7. These are used for output (S20).

  Thereby, in addition to the spatial expanse using the door speaker system 5, it is possible to obtain a sense of realism due to the bass and vibration of the seat speaker.

{Third embodiment}
A third embodiment of the acoustic system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation according to the third embodiment. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, music is reproduced by switching the speaker system according to the number of passengers. However, it is also preferable to use the boarding sensor 3 to perform control according to the boarding position as well as the number of passengers. For example, even if the number of passengers is one, there is a possibility that only the passenger seat is sitting and the vehicle is in a stopped state, and even if there are two passengers, the acoustic state may be different between the passenger seat and the rear seat. Because there is.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the information from the boarding sensor 3 is acquired in step S11, it is determined whether or not the boarding sensor 3 only for the driver's seat is ON (S30). Audio is output from the speaker system 5 (S13). In other cases, the control device 1 is connected to the seat speaker system 7 and outputs only from the seat where the boarding sensor 3 is ON (S31). For example, when only the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are on board, the seat speaker system for the driver's seat and the passenger's seat is enabled, and the seat speaker system for the rear seat is disabled. Also, for example, when only the driver's seat and the left rear seat are on board, the left seat speaker system for the driver's seat and the rear seat is enabled, and the seat speaker system for the front passenger seat and the right rear seat is disabled.

  As described above, when a plurality of people are on board, the power consumption can be reduced by enabling only the seat speaker system at the boarding position.

  The present invention can be used as an acoustic system mounted on a vehicle.

It is the schematic explaining the structure of a system. It is a figure explaining arrangement | positioning of a speaker. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement which concerns on 1st Example. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement which concerns on 2nd Example. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement which concerns on 3rd Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control apparatus 2 ... Audio apparatus 3 ... Riding sensor 4 ... 1st audio | voice signal processing apparatus 5 ... Door speaker system 6 ... 2nd audio | voice signal processing apparatus 7 ... Seat speaker system 51 ... Door speaker 52 ... Rear speaker 53 ... Woofer 71 ... shoulder speaker 72 ... woofer 81 ... vehicle compartment space 82 ... seat

Claims (7)

An acoustic system mounted on a vehicle,
A first speaker set that is substantially optimized for the driver's seat and arranged in the vehicle body;
A second loudspeaker set, which is mainly arranged in each seat and substantially optimized for each seat;
Occupant detection means for detecting the number or position of occupants;
A control device,
The control device outputs based on a detection result of the occupant detection means using one or both of the first speaker set and the second speaker set, or a partial combination thereof. . When the number of occupants detected by the occupant detection means is 1, the control device outputs using the first speaker set,
The acoustic system according to claim 1, wherein when the number of occupants is 2 or more, the second speaker set is used for output. The second speaker set includes a low-frequency speaker or a low-frequency speaker for vibration on the backrest or seat,
When the number of occupants detected by the occupant detection means is 1, the control device outputs using the first speaker set and uses a low-frequency speaker included in the second speaker set. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the sound system is output. When the number of occupants detected by the occupant detection means is two or more, the control device detects the seat on which the occupant is seated by the occupant detection means, and the second control device is provided in a seat that is not seated. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein no sound is output from the speaker set. The acoustic system according to claim 1, further comprising switching means for switching on and off for each seat for the second speaker set. The acoustic system according to claim 1, wherein the first speaker set includes a door speaker disposed on a door. The acoustic system according to claim 1, wherein the second speaker set includes a speaker disposed at a shoulder opening on both upper sides of a seat backrest portion or a headrest speaker disposed on both sides of the headrest.

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