JP2010283506A - Acoustic processing device for vehicle installation - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optimal handsfree call and voice recognition environment which follows a usage condition in a vehicle interior acoustic space. <P>SOLUTION: An acoustic processing device (head unit 30) for vehicle installation has a plurality of microphones M-1 to M-N set within a vehicle. The device includes: a storage means (storage portion 311) preliminarily storing a microphone selected based on a seat position and a state of a vehicle interior acoustic space, and a correction parameter controlling a directional characteristic of the selected microphone; and a control means (a condition determining portion 308, a coordinate position input portion 309, and an air conditioner usage state notifying portion 310) detecting a seat position of a speaker and the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space when the speaker speaks, selecting a microphone from among a plurality of microphones referring to the storage means, and variably controlling the directional characteristic of the microphone based on the correction parameter corresponding to the selected microphone. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus suitable for hands-free calling and voice recognition in a state where a plurality of microphones and speakers are installed in a vehicle interior.

In general, voice recognition used in an in-vehicle navigation device that performs an in-vehicle hands-free call or a destination search uses a driver as its target.
Therefore, when passengers sitting in a seat other than the driver's seat use them, it is difficult to pass the voice to the other party of the call in a car-free hands-free call (for example, the voice can be heard far away) when speaking. In addition, there is a problem that the recognition rate is deteriorated in voice recognition.

In order to solve this problem, conventionally, measures have been taken by adjusting the directivity of the microphone from the sound captured by the microphone or by controlling the speaker that outputs the sound.
For example, a device (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) that follows the position where the sound source has changed from the sound captured from the microphone, directivity in the direction of the speaker from the amplitude, delay time, and seat position of the sound captured from the microphone. In-vehicle voice recognition device (see, for example, Patent Document 2) that controls the voice of the other party on the passenger seat to prevent the voice of the other party from being heard. A hands-free call device (for example, see Patent Document 3) that outputs from a speaker installed near the ear far from the passenger seat has been proposed.

Special table 2002-508642 gazette JP 11-219193 A JP 2003-224653 A

In addition to the problems described above, the sound captured by the microphone may contain noise depending on the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space, such as air conditioner, engine sound, and traveling sound, in addition to the sound emitted by the speaker or passenger. For this reason, there is a further problem that the content of the utterance is difficult to understand during a hands-free call and that it causes a misrecognition at the time of voice recognition. These problems cannot be solved by the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above.
In addition, because the other party's voice during hands-free call and the guidance voice during voice recognition are output from the in-vehicle speaker for use by the driver, when passengers sitting outside the driver's seat use them, The other party's voice and guidance voice output from the in-vehicle speaker may not be heard well. In addition, during a hands-free call, passengers other than the person who is calling can hear the received voice, so there is a problem that a call related to privacy cannot be made.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an in-vehicle acoustic processing device capable of providing an optimum hands-free call according to use conditions and a voice recognition environment in a vehicle interior acoustic space. For the purpose.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an in-vehicle sound processing device according to the present invention is an in-vehicle sound processing device including a plurality of microphones installed in a vehicle interior, in a seat position and in a state of vehicle interior acoustic space. A storage unit storing a microphone selected based on the selected microphone and a correction parameter for controlling a directivity characteristic of the selected microphone; a seat position of the speaker; and a state of the vehicle interior acoustic space when the speaker speaks. Control means for detecting, selecting a microphone from the plurality of microphones with reference to the storage means, and variably controlling a directivity characteristic of the microphone based on a correction parameter corresponding to the selected microphone; Is.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle-mounted acoustic processing apparatus which can provide the optimal hands-free telephone call according to use conditions and the speech recognition environment in a vehicle interior acoustic space can be provided.

It is the figure shown in order to demonstrate the vehicle interior acoustic space of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1-4 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle-mounted sound processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Hereinafter, the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiments 1 to 4 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram shown for explaining the vehicle interior acoustic space of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiments 1 to 4 of the present invention. Here, a five-seater ordinary vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as vehicle 1) is illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 1, a driver's seat 11, a passenger seat 12, and a rear seat 13 are arranged in the vehicle 1, a front window 17 is on the right side of the driver seat 11, and a front window 18 is on the left side of the passenger seat 12. Rear windows 19 and 20 are respectively attached to the left and right sides of the rear seat 13.
These windows 17, 18, 19, and 20 are automatically controlled to open / close (power window) via an electrical system ECU (electronic control unit) 22 by the operation of the passenger. Air conditioner outlets 14, 15, and 16 are respectively attached to the right front of the driver's seat 11, the left front of the passenger seat 12, and the center front of the rear seat 13. From the air conditioner outlets 14, 15, and 16, respectively. Warm cooling air from an air compressor (not shown) controlled via the electrical system ECU 22 is supplied.

  In the vehicle 1 described above, a navigation or car audio head unit 30 on which the in-vehicle sound processing device according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention is mounted is mounted. In addition to the hands-free mobile phone 31, microphones 32, 33, 34, 35, 32 ', 33', 34 ', 35' and speakers 36, 37, arranged near the seats 11, 12, 13 respectively. 38 and 39 are connected. The head unit 30 is further connected to an engine system ECU 21 that controls the engine (ENG) and the above-described electrical system ECU 22.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Here, the internal configuration of the head unit 30 is shown.
As shown in FIG. 2, the head unit 30 includes a voice input unit 301, a voice processing unit 302, a voice output unit 303, a voice recognition unit 304, a voice recognition button 305, a telephone control unit 307, a condition The determination unit 308, the seat position input unit 309, the air conditioner use state notification unit 310, the storage unit 311, and the speaker output unit 312 are configured.

2, symbols S-1, S-2,..., S-N are the speakers 36, 37, 38, 39 shown in FIG. 1, and are used here for receiving / voice guidance output. Symbols M-1, M-2,..., M- (N-1), MN are microphones 32, 33, 34, and 35 shown in FIG. Used for.
The required number of speakers S-1 to S-N and microphones are installed at optimum positions for the respective seats 11 to 13, and as shown in FIG. 1, the number is not limited to one for each seat.

The audio input unit 301 takes in audio collected by a plurality of microphones, performs A / D (Analog / Digital) conversion, and outputs a digital audio signal obtained by this conversion to the audio processing unit 302.
The audio processing unit 302 receives a digital audio signal that has been A / D converted by the audio input unit 301, and the digital audio signal input here is an optimum microphone and directivity determined by a condition determination unit 308 described later. On the basis of the correction parameter, the sound acquired by the selected microphone is subjected to sound processing with optimum directivity and output to the sound output unit 303.

The voice output unit 303 outputs the digital voice signal processed by the voice processing unit 302 to the voice recognition unit 304 at the time of voice recognition, and the digital voice signal processed by the voice processing unit 302 at the time of a hands-free call. To 307.
The voice recognition unit 304 performs voice recognition from the input voice signal, and performs car navigation and car audio operations using the recognized characters and commands. Further, the guidance voice by the voice recognition unit 304 is output to the speaker output unit 312. Note that the voice recognition button 305 is a button pressed by the occupant when the voice recognition is activated.

The telephone control unit 307 performs processing such as echo cancellation and noise cancellation on the transmitted voice output from the voice output unit 303 and outputs the processed voice to the hands-free mobile phone 31. The telephone control unit 307 also transfers audio from the other party to the speaker output unit 312.
The condition determination unit 308 is based on the seat position input from the seat position input unit 309 or the seat position determined from the input voice, and the air conditioner use state notified by the air conditioner use state notification unit 310. By referring to the selected microphone / directivity definition file, the optimum microphone selection and the correction parameter relating to the directivity of the selected microphone are read out and output to the sound processing unit 302. The condition determination unit 308 also determines the speaker that outputs the voice guidance guidance or the hands-free reception voice as the speaker closest to the seat position based on the coordinate position of the speaker input or determined as described above, and the speaker. Notify the output unit 312.

The seat position input unit 309 captures the seat position for hands-free call and voice recognition input by the occupant and notifies the condition determination unit 308 of the seat position. The seat position input unit 309 is attached to each seat and can be input by pressing a button, or by pressing an appropriate button for car navigation or car audio. In the seat position determination, the speaker position may be automatically determined from various microphone input voices, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above without installing the seat position input unit 309.
The air conditioner use state notifying unit 310 detects the use state of the air conditioner via the electrical system ECU 22 and notifies the condition determining unit 308 of information related to the use state. Here, the information related to the air conditioner use state notified is information indicating the degree of influence of the air conditioner use state on the vehicle interior acoustic space. Here, the air blown out from the air conditioner outlets 14, 15, 16 is used. The level information is classified in advance by the temperature and the air volume. For example, when the temperature is above a certain value or below a certain value and the air volume is relatively large, level 5 is set. When the temperature is within a certain value and the air volume is relatively low, level 0 is set. ~ 4 shall be assigned.

The speaker output unit 312 receives the voice of the voice recognition unit input from the voice recognition unit 304 and the voice of the hands-free call input from the telephone control unit 307, and the speaker's seat notified from the condition determination unit 308. Audio is output only from the speaker closest to the position, and mute control is performed for the other speaker output sounds.
The storage unit 311 used as the storage means of the present invention stores a selected microphone / directivity definition file, and the selected microphone / directivity definition file includes the seat position and the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space. And a correction parameter for controlling the directivity of the microphone are set in advance. Here, the correction parameter refers to a directivity correction parameter with respect to a reference value for each level when the use state of the air conditioner is divided into a plurality of levels.

  For this reason, among the configurations of the head unit 30, in particular, the condition determination unit 308, the seat position input unit 309, and the air conditioner use state notification unit 310 operate in cooperation, so that “speaker” When the speaker speaks, the seat position of the vehicle and the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space are detected, the microphone is selected from the plurality of microphones with reference to the storage means, and the correction parameter corresponding to the selected microphone is set. Based on this, it functions as a control means for variably controlling the directivity of the microphone.

3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the operation of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the operation of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4.

When the head unit 30 first makes a call from an occupant using the hands-free mobile phone 31 or receives an incoming call from the other mobile phone (step ST301 or ST302), the head unit 30 uses the hands-free mobile phone 31 connected to the head unit 30. The telephone call is started (step ST303) or when the press of the voice recognition button 305 is detected (step ST304), the voice recognition by the voice recognition unit 304 is started (step ST305).
It should be noted that at the start of a hands-free call or voice recognition, the selection of the microphone and the selected directivity of the microphone are assumed to be adapted for the driver's seat 11 passenger by default.

When the speaker of the hands-free call or voice recognition is other than the driver's seat 11 (step ST306 “NO”), the seat position information is input from each seat position input unit 309 provided near the seat, or the microphone The seat position is estimated from the input voice (step ST307). At the time of voice recognition, the seat position may be recognized by using both the seat position input unit 309 and the voice recognition button 305 and pressing the voice recognition button 305 provided in each seat.
In addition to the seat position, the head unit 30 captures the air conditioner usage status from the vehicle 1 via the electrical system ECU 22, and notifies the condition determination unit 308 of information regarding the current air conditioner usage status (step ST308).

  The condition determination unit 308 determines the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space from the information related to the seat position input or estimated by the seat position input unit 309 and the level information related to the air conditioner use status notified by the air conditioner use state notification unit 310. (Step ST309), referring to the selected microphone / directivity definition file in the storage unit 311 based on the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space, the appropriate microphone to be selected, and the correction parameter relating to the directivity of this microphone And is output to the voice processing unit 302.

The voice processing unit 302 selects the microphone voice captured by the voice input unit 301 from the selected microphones M-1 to MN and the correction parameters related to the directivity of the selected microphones M-1 to MN. The microphone directivity is made variable to perform sound processing (step ST310).
Note that the correction parameter related to the directivity of the microphone set in the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 sharpens the directivity of the microphone selected according to the air conditioner use state for each seat, and the speech This data corrects the directivity for reducing the mixing of wind noise from the air conditioner into the sound.

The audio signal output by the audio processing unit 302 is subjected to echo cancellation processing and noise cancellation processing in the telephone control unit 307 during a hands-free call, and is transmitted to the other party's mobile phone (step ST312). At the time of voice recognition, car navigation and car audio operations are performed according to characters and commands recognized by the voice recognition unit 304 (step ST313).
On the other hand, the voice recognition guidance at the time of voice recognition is taken from the voice recognition unit 304 to the speaker output unit 312, and the speaker output unit 312 is the speaker S-1 closest to the speaker's seat position determined by the condition determination unit 308. An audio signal is output only from S-N, and the other speaker outputs are subjected to mute control (step ST311). In addition, the received voice during the hands-free call is captured from the telephone control unit 307 to the speaker output unit 312, and the speaker output unit 312 is the speaker S-1 closest to the speaker's seat position determined by the condition determination unit 308. The audio signal is output from only S-N, and the audio signal output from the other speakers is subjected to mute control (step ST311).

When changing the speaker during a hands-free call or voice recognition (step ST314), if information on the seat position is re-input from the seat position input unit 309 or if it is estimated that the seat position has been changed from the microphone input The condition determination unit 308 is notified (step ST315), and the current seat position information is changed (step ST316).
Further, the head unit 30 acquires the use status of the air conditioner by communication with the electrical system ECU 22 at a predetermined cycle (step ST317). If the use status of the air conditioner is changed (step ST318 "YES"), the air conditioner is acquired. The use state notification unit 310 notifies the condition determination unit 308 to that effect and changes the air conditioner use status (step ST319).

Receiving this, the condition determination unit 308 determines the vehicle interior acoustic space after the change from the notified seat position and the air conditioner usage status (step ST320).
Here, if there is a change in the vehicle interior acoustic space (step ST321 “YES”), the condition determination unit 308 refers to the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 and is determined first. The selection of the microphone corresponding to the vehicle interior acoustic space and the correction parameter related to the directivity of the selected microphone are captured, the directivity of the selected microphone is changed (step ST322), and the microphone captured by the audio input unit 301 is captured. The voice processing unit 302 performs voice processing according to the directivity of the selected microphone and the microphone whose voice has been changed.

The audio signal subjected to the audio processing by the audio processing unit 302 is subjected to echo cancellation processing and noise cancellation processing by the telephone control unit 307 during a hands-free call, and is transmitted to the other party's mobile phone (step ST324). At the time of voice recognition, the input voice is input to the voice recognition unit 304, and car navigation and car audio operations are executed by characters and commands recognized by the voice recognition unit 304 (step ST325).
Further, the speaker output unit 312 outputs a speaker that outputs voice recognition guidance at the time of voice recognition or received voice at the time of a hands-free call under the control of the condition determination unit 308 according to the change of the seat position. Only the speaker located closest to the position is output (step ST323).

  Note that by selecting the end of the hands-free call or voice recognition (step ST326 “YES”), the hands-free call or voice recognition can be ended (steps ST327 and ST328).

  In the on-vehicle acoustic processing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention described above, the control means (condition determining unit 308, seat position input unit 309, air conditioner use state notifying unit 310) detects the use status of the air conditioner in the vehicle interior. Then, the degree of influence of the detected use condition of the air conditioner on the vehicle interior acoustic space is detected, and the directivity characteristics of the microphone selected with reference to the storage unit 311 are variably controlled. This makes it possible to select the most appropriate microphone and optimize directivity according to the seating position of the speaker and the use condition of the air conditioner when performing a hands-free call or voice recognition. It is possible to increase the voice level and voice recognition rate of the speaker transmitted to the other party. Furthermore, there is an effect of reducing the wind noise of the air conditioner collected by the microphone, the voice of the speaker can be easily heard and captured, and the voice recognition rate can be increased.

Specifically, when a speaker who performs a hands-free call or voice recognition speaks in any seat other than the driver's seat, the voice that is sent to the other party during a hands-free call or the voice of the speaker during voice recognition The sound level of the air conditioner included in the microphone sound can be reduced by adjusting the microphone selected according to the use state of the air conditioner and the directivity of the selected microphone. For this reason, it becomes easy to listen to the caller's voice during a hands-free call, and the voice recognition rate during voice recognition can be increased.
In addition, by outputting the received voice during the hands-free call and the guidance voice during the voice recognition to only the speaker closest to the speaker's seat position, the speaker can receive the voice during the hands-free call and the guidance during the voice recognition. Since the voice can be heard clearly and can be heard at a low volume other than the speaker, a hands-free environment suitable for use conditions and an input environment for voice recognition can be provided, and the privacy of the speaker is also protected.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
In the second embodiment of the present invention described below, the structural difference from the first embodiment described above is that the engine speed notification unit 313 is connected to the condition determination unit 308 instead of the air conditioner use state notification unit 310. It has been done.

  The engine speed notification unit 313 communicates with the engine system ECU 21 connected to the head unit 30 at a constant cycle, and acquires data on the vehicle state including the engine speed from the engine system ECU 21. For example, in the case of the engine speed, the data regarding the vehicle state including the engine speed is obtained by dividing the speed into predetermined ranges, and assigning the degree of influence on the vehicle interior acoustic space as a level. . For example, it is assumed that the rotational speed of 4000 rpm or more is level 5, the rotational speed of 1000 rpm or less is level 0, and levels 1 to 4 are assigned therebetween.

  For this reason, the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 relates to selection of the optimum microphone for each seat position of the speaker and a certain range of engine speed, and the directivity of the selected microphone. It is assumed that correction parameters are set in advance. The condition determination unit 308 is input by the seat position input unit 309 and the engine speed notification unit 313 or the seat position determined from the microphone input voice and the optimum microphone according to the level information of the engine speed, and the microphone The correction parameter related to directivity is fetched from the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 and output to the audio processing unit 302. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the description thereof is omitted here in order to avoid duplication of explanation.

6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the operation of the in-vehicle sound processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the operation of the in-vehicle sound processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7, focusing only on the difference from the first embodiment.

First, when a hands-free call or voice recognition is started (steps ST601 to ST606), the seat position of the speaker is captured via the seat position input unit 309 (step ST607), and the engine speed notification unit 313 Then, information on the engine speed acquired from engine system ECU 21 is notified to condition determination unit 308 (step ST608).
Receiving this, the condition determination unit 308 determines the vehicle interior acoustic space based on the notified engine speed and seat position (step ST609). The condition determination unit 308 takes in the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 regarding the selection of the microphone corresponding to the vehicle interior acoustic space determined here and the directivity of the microphone (step ST610). The microphone sound taken in by the voice input unit 301 is processed by the voice processing unit 302. The correction parameter related to the directivity of the microphone set in the selected microphone / directivity definition file corrects the directivity so that it becomes sharper as the engine speed increases for each seat. It is assumed that the engine sound is reduced in the uttered voice at the time of recognition.

During a hands-free call or during voice recognition, the engine speed notification unit 313 detects a change in the engine speed by communicating with the engine system ECU 21 at a predetermined cycle, and outputs it to the condition determination unit 308 ( Step ST617).
If the engine speed fluctuates from the currently set engine speed range (step ST618 “YES”), the engine speed notification unit 313 changes the level of the engine speed range to the latest engine speed range level. To the condition determination unit 308 (step ST619).

In response to this, the condition determination unit 308 determines the vehicle interior acoustic space (step ST620), refers to the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311, and determines the level of the latest engine speed range. An optimum microphone corresponding to the seat position and a correction parameter for the directivity of the microphone are captured and output to the sound processing unit 302.
The voice processing unit 302 changes the directivity from the newly set selected microphone and the correction parameter of the directivity of the microphone (step ST622), and performs the voice processing of the microphone voice captured by the voice input unit 301.

In the above-described vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, the control means (the condition determination unit 308, the seat position input unit 309, and the engine speed notification unit 313) detects the vehicle state including the engine speed. Then, the degree of influence of the detected vehicle state on the vehicle interior acoustic space is detected, and the directivity characteristics of the microphone selected with reference to the storage unit 311 are variably controlled.
This makes it possible to select the most appropriate microphone according to the vehicle state including the speaker's seat position and engine speed when performing a hands-free call or voice recognition. By optimally correcting the above, there is an effect of increasing the voice level and voice recognition rate of the speaker transmitted to the other party. Furthermore, there is an effect of reducing the engine sound collected by the microphone. For this reason, it is easy to hear the voice of the speaker during the hands-free call, and the voice recognition rate at the time of voice recognition can be increased.

Specifically, when a speaker who performs a hands-free call or voice recognition speaks at any seat other than the driver's seat, the speaker voice sent to the other party during a hands-free call or the voice of the speaker during voice recognition The sound level is not reduced, and an engine sound included in the microphone sound can be reduced by selecting an appropriate microphone for the engine speed and adjusting the directivity of the selected microphone. Therefore, it is easy to listen to the caller's call voice, and the voice recognition rate can be increased.
In addition, by changing the output speaker according to the speaker's seat position during a hands-free call, the speaker can clearly hear the other party's voice, and other passengers can hardly hear the voice. It is done. Also, during voice recognition, by changing the output speaker position of the voice recognition guidance voice according to the seat position of the speaker, the guidance voice can be played from the speaker located closest to the speaker, and therefore the guidance voice The effect of making it easier to hear is also obtained.

  In the second embodiment described above, the engine speed is set as one of the determination conditions of the vehicle interior acoustic space by the condition determination unit 308. In addition, the vehicle speed information and the like, which can be acquired from the engine system ECU 21, are substituted. You may do it.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
In the third embodiment of the present invention described below, the difference in configuration from the first and second embodiments described above is that the window open / closed state is used instead of the air conditioner use state notifying unit 310 or the engine speed notification unit 313. The notification unit 314 is connected to the condition determination unit 308.

  The window opening / closing state notifying unit 314 communicates with the electrical system ECU 22 connected to the head unit 30 at a constant cycle, and the electrical system ECU 22 opens and closes each window (17, 18, 19, and 20 in FIG. 1) by a power window. Get state data. This data is obtained by, for example, classifying the open / closed state of the window into 6 levels of 0 to 5, and assigning the degree of influence on the vehicle interior acoustic space as a level. For example, level 5 is assigned when the window is fully open, level 0 is assigned when the window is fully closed, and levels 1 to 4 are assigned therebetween.

For this reason, in the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311, the optimum microphone is selected for each predetermined range according to the seat position of the speaker and the opening / closing status of the window, and the selected microphone is selected. It is assumed that correction parameters related to directivity are set in advance.
The condition determination unit 308 is input by the seat position input unit 309 and the window opening / closing state notification unit 314, or the optimum microphone according to the seat position determined from the microphone input sound and the level information of the window opening / closing state, and the microphone The correction parameter related to directivity is fetched from the selected microphone / directivity definition file in the storage unit 311 and output to the audio processing unit 302. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the description thereof is omitted here in order to avoid duplication of explanation.

9 and 10 are flowcharts showing the operation of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the operation of the in-vehicle sound processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 and 10 while focusing on the difference from the first embodiment.

First, when a hands-free call or voice recognition is started (steps ST901 to ST906), the seat position of the speaker is captured via the seat position input unit 309 (step ST907), and the window open / close state notification unit 314 Then, the information regarding the window opening / closing status acquired from the electrical system ECU 22 is notified to the condition determination unit 308 (step ST908).
Receiving this, the condition determination unit 308 determines the vehicle interior acoustic space based on the notified level information on the window opening / closing status and the seat position (step ST909). The condition determination unit 308 takes in the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 regarding the selection of the microphone corresponding to the vehicle interior acoustic space determined here and the directivity of the microphone (step ST910). The microphone sound taken in by the voice input unit 301 is processed by the voice processing unit 302.

  The correction parameter related to the directivity of the microphone set in the selected microphone / directivity definition file corrects the directivity so that it becomes sharper as the seats and windows are fully opened. It is assumed that mixing of noise outside the vehicle including the running sound of the vehicle is reduced.

During a hands-free call or during voice recognition, the window open / close state notification unit 314 communicates with the electrical system ECU 22 at a predetermined cycle to detect fluctuations in noise including running sounds due to window open / close, and determine the condition. The data is output to unit 308 (step ST917).
If the window opening / closing level fluctuates from the currently set level (step ST918 “YES”), the window opening / closing state notifying unit 314 changes the window opening / closing state to the latest level and notifies the condition determining unit 308 of the change. (Step ST919).

In response to this, the condition determination unit 308 determines the vehicle interior acoustic space (step ST920), refers to the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311, and the latest window opening / closing level and seat position. And an appropriate microphone directivity correction parameter are captured and output to the audio processing unit 302.
The voice processing unit 302 changes the directivity from the newly set selected microphone and the correction parameter for the directivity of the microphone (step ST922), and performs the voice processing of the microphone voice captured by the voice input unit 301.

In the on-vehicle acoustic processing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention described above, the control means (condition determining unit 308, seat position input unit 309, window opening / closing state notifying unit 314) detects the opening / closing state of windows in the vehicle interior. The degree of influence of the detected window opening / closing state on the vehicle interior acoustic space is detected, and the directivity characteristics of the selected microphone are variably controlled with reference to the storage unit 311 (selected microphone / directivity definition file). Is.
This makes it possible to select the most appropriate microphone and optimize directivity according to the seat position of the speaker and the opening / closing status of the window in the passenger compartment when performing a hands-free call or voice recognition. This has the effect of increasing the voice level and voice recognition rate of the speaker transmitted to the other party. Furthermore, there is an effect of reducing wind noise and running noise entering the microphone, making it easier to listen to the voice of the speaker during a hands-free call and increasing the voice recognition rate during voice recognition. In addition, by changing the output speaker according to the speaker's seat position during a hands-free call, the speaker can clearly hear the other party's voice, and other passengers can hardly hear the voice. It is done. Also, during voice recognition, by changing the output speaker position of the voice recognition guidance voice according to the seat position of the speaker, the guidance voice can be played from the speaker located closest to the speaker, and therefore the guidance voice The effect of making it easier to hear is also obtained.

  Specifically, when a hands-free call or voice recognition speaker speaks in any seat other than the driver's seat, the speaker voice sent to the other party during a hands-free call or the speaker voice during voice recognition In addition, the traveling noise included in the microphone sound can be reduced by adjusting the selected microphone and the directivity of the microphone with respect to the open / closed state of the window. Therefore, it becomes easy to listen to the call voice of the speaker, and the voice recognition rate can be increased.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle sound processing apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
In the fourth embodiment described below, at least two of the air conditioner use state notification unit 310, the engine speed notification unit 313, and the window opening / closing state notification unit 314 described in the first to third embodiments are connected to the condition determination unit 308. Here, an example in which everything is connected is shown.

For this reason, the selection microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 includes the selection of the optimum microphone according to the seat position of the speaker, the air conditioner usage status, the engine speed, and the window opening / closing status. Further, correction parameters relating to the directivity of the microphone are set.
The condition determination unit 308 corrects the input seat position or the seat position determined from the microphone input sound, the optimum microphone according to the use condition of the air conditioner, the engine speed, the window opening / closing condition, and the directivity of the microphone. The parameters are fetched from the selected microphone / directivity definition file in the storage unit 311 and output to the audio processing unit 302. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the description thereof is omitted here in order to avoid duplication of explanation.

12 and 13 are flowcharts showing the operation of the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the operation of the in-vehicle sound processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 12 and 13 while focusing on the difference from the first embodiment.

First, when a hands-free call or voice recognition is started (steps ST121 to ST125), the air conditioner use state notifying unit 310, the engine speed notification unit 313, and the window opening / closing state notifying unit 314 are respectively an engine system ECU 21 and an electrical system. Communication with each of the ECUs 22 is performed, information on the air conditioner usage status, engine speed, and window opening / closing status is captured and set in the condition determination unit 308 (steps ST128 to ST130).
Receiving this, the condition determining unit 308 determines the vehicle interior acoustic space based on the notified seat position, the air conditioner usage status, the engine speed, and the window opening / closing status (step ST131). The condition determining unit 308 also refers to the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311 for the selected microphone corresponding to the vehicle interior acoustic space determined here and the correction parameter related to the directivity of the microphone. (Step ST132), and the microphone sound taken in by the voice input unit 301 is processed by the voice processing unit 302.

  Note that the microphone directivity set in the selected microphone / directivity definition file sharpens the microphone directivity according to the air conditioner use status, engine speed, and window open / close status for each seat. It reduces the mixing of air-conditioning, running noise, and engine sound into the spoken voice during speech recognition.

  Next, if the air conditioner usage status, engine speed, and window opening / closing status are changed during a hands-free call or voice recognition (step ST140 “YES”, ST143 “YES”, ST146 “YES”), the air conditioner usage status Each of notification section 310, engine speed notification section 313, and window open / close state notification section 314 notifies condition determination section 308 to that effect, and changes the air conditioner use status, engine speed, and window open / close status (step ST141). , ST144, ST147).

The condition determination unit 308 also determines the vehicle interior acoustic space after the change from the notified seat position, the air conditioner usage status, the engine speed, and the window opening / closing status (step ST148).
The condition determining unit 308 takes in the selection of the microphone corresponding to the determined vehicle interior acoustic space and the correction parameter related to the directivity of the microphone with reference to the selected microphone / directivity definition file stored in the storage unit 311, and appropriately An appropriate microphone is selected, and the directivity of the microphone is changed and handed over to the sound processing unit 302 (step ST150). In response to this, the sound processing unit 302 performs sound processing on the microphone sound captured by the sound input unit 301 by using the changed optimum microphone and the directivity of the microphone.

  The above-described vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention includes control means (condition determining unit 308, seat position input unit 309, air conditioner use state notification unit 310, engine speed notification unit 313, window open / close state notification. Section 314) detects at least two of an air conditioner usage status, engine speed, and window opening / closing status in the passenger compartment, and the detected air conditioner usage status, engine speed, and window opening / closing status affect the vehicle interior acoustic space. The degree of influence is detected, an appropriate microphone is selected with reference to the storage unit 311 (selected microphone / directivity definition file), and the directivity characteristics of the selected microphone are variably controlled.

This makes it possible to select the most appropriate microphone according to the seat position of the speaker, the use condition of the air conditioner, the engine speed, and the opening / closing state of the vehicle interior window when performing a hands-free call or voice recognition. By optimizing the directivity, an effect of increasing the speech level and speech recognition rate of the speaker transmitted to the other party can be obtained. It also has the effect of reducing wind noise, engine noise, running noise, etc. of the air conditioner that enters the microphone. As a result, it becomes easier to hear the voice of the speaker during hands-free calling, and voice recognition during voice recognition The rate is also improved.
Specifically, when a speaker who performs a hands-free call or voice recognition speaks in any seat other than the driver's seat, the voice of the speaker or the voice of the speaker used during voice recognition is transmitted to the other party during a hands-free call. The sound level is not reduced, and an appropriate microphone is selected for the air conditioner usage status, engine speed, and window open / close status, and the microphone directivity is adjusted to adjust the air conditioner included in the microphone sound. Driving noise and engine noise can be reduced. Therefore, it becomes easy to listen to the call voice of the speaker, and the voice recognition rate can be increased.

  In addition, by changing the output speaker according to the speaker's seat position during a hands-free call, the speaker can clearly hear the other party's voice, and other passengers can hardly hear the voice. It is done. Also, during voice recognition, by changing the output speaker position of the voice recognition guidance voice according to the seat position of the speaker, the guidance voice can be played from the speaker located closest to the speaker, and therefore the guidance voice The effect of making it easier to hear is also obtained.

2, 5, 8, and 11, the control means (condition determining unit 308, seat position input unit 309, air conditioner use state notification unit 310, engine speed notification unit 313, window opening / closing state notification unit 314). ) May be realized entirely by software, or at least a part thereof may be realized by hardware.
For example, the seat position of the speaker and the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space are detected when the speaker speaks, and the optimum microphone is selected and selected from a plurality of microphones by referring to the storage means (storage unit 311). The data processing for variably controlling the directivity characteristics of the microphone based on the correction parameter corresponding to the microphone may be realized on a computer by one or a plurality of programs, and at least a part thereof may be realized by hardware. Good.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle, 11 Driver's seat, 12 Passenger seat, 13 Rear seat, 14, 15, 16 Air-conditioner outlet, 17, 18, 19, 20 Window, 21 Engine system ECU, 22 Electrical system ECU, 30 Head unit, 301 Voice input Unit, 302 voice processing unit, 303 voice output unit, 304 voice recognition unit, 305 voice recognition button, 307 telephone control unit, 308 condition determination unit, 309 seat position input unit, 310 air conditioner use state notification unit, 311 storage unit, 312 Speaker output unit, 313 engine speed notification unit, 314 window open / close state notification unit.

Claims (6)

An in-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus including a plurality of microphones installed in a vehicle interior,
A microphone that is selected based on the seat position and the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space, and a storage unit that stores in advance a correction parameter that controls the directivity of the selected microphone;
The position of the speaker's seat and the state of the vehicle interior acoustic space when the speaker speaks are detected, the microphone is selected from among the plurality of microphones with reference to the storage means, and the correction corresponding to the selected microphone Control means for variably controlling the directivity of the microphone based on parameters;
A vehicle-mounted acoustic processing apparatus comprising: The control means includes
Detecting the use condition of the air conditioner in the vehicle interior, detecting the degree of influence of the detected use condition of the air conditioner on the vehicle interior acoustic space, and changing the directivity characteristics of the microphone selected with reference to the storage means The vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle acoustic processing apparatus is controlled. The control means includes
The vehicle state including the engine speed is detected, the degree of influence of the detected vehicle state on the vehicle interior acoustic space is detected, and the directivity characteristics of the selected microphone are variably controlled with reference to the storage means The on-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The control means includes
Detects the open / closed state of the window in the vehicle interior, detects the degree of influence of the detected open / closed window state on the vehicle interior acoustic space, and varies the directivity characteristics of the microphone selected with reference to the storage means The on-vehicle sound processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the on-vehicle sound processing device is controlled. A plurality of speakers installed in the passenger compartment;
Control means for controlling outgoing and incoming calls by hands-free,
The control means includes
Detecting a speaker's seat position during a hands-free call, referring to the storage means, and selecting a speaker for outputting an incoming voice from the plurality of speakers;
The on-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to claim 1. A plurality of speakers installed in the passenger compartment;
Control means for performing speech recognition,
The control means includes
At the time of voice recognition, a speaker seat position is detected, the storage means is referenced, and a speaker that outputs voice recognition guidance is selected from the plurality of speakers.
The on-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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