JP2018192898A - Device for assisting conversation in vehicle cabin - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a device for assisting conversation in a vehicle cabin which secures ease of listening to voices output from a speaker and achieves good visual quality.SOLUTION: A conversation assisting device 20 is provided on a ceiling part 15A of a vehicle cabin and integrally includes a speaker 24 configured to output voices collected by a microphone 22 in a manner such that the output is oriented to the vehicle front side and the vehicle lower side, and a reflection part 30 having a reflection surface 30A which is disposed at the vehicle front side and the vehicle lower side of the speaker 24 and configured to reflect the voices output from the speaker 24 to the vehicle rear side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle interior conversation assistance device.

  Conventionally, the following thing of the patent document 1 is known as a vehicle interior conversation assistance apparatus. In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the vehicle interior conversation support device is configured to include a rear seat confirmation mirror, a voice microphone, and an in-vehicle speaker that are provided in the automobile. In this in-car conversation support device, the rear seat confirmation mirror and the voice microphone are arranged on the console, and the in-vehicle speaker is provided on the headrest of the driver's seat (driver's seat).

JP 2014-1810115 A

  However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the in-vehicle speaker is provided separately from the other parts (the rear seat confirmation mirror and the voice microphone) that configure the in-vehicle conversation support device. The mountability of is bad. On the other hand, considering the ease of mounting on a vehicle, the configuration in which the in-vehicle speaker is simply arranged on the console together with other components is likely to impair the ease of hearing the sound output from the in-vehicle speaker and the appearance of the console. The

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle interior conversation assisting device that has a good appearance while ensuring the ease of hearing the sound output from the speaker. .

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the vehicle interior conversation assisting device of the present invention is a vehicle interior conversation assisting device provided on the ceiling of the vehicle interior, and directs the sound collected by the microphone toward the front of the vehicle and below the vehicle. And a reflector having a reflecting surface arranged in front of and below the vehicle of the speaker and configured to reflect the sound output from the speaker toward the rear of the vehicle And are integrally provided.

  By the way, in the passenger compartment, the occupant generally sits facing the front of the vehicle. For this reason, in the configuration in which the vehicle interior conversation assisting device is arranged in front of the occupant in the ceiling and the sound from the speaker is directed and output toward the occupant, the structure related to the speaker easily enters the occupant's field of view. There is a concern that the appearance of the vehicle interior conversation assisting device will deteriorate. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the vehicle interior conversation assisting device is integrally provided with the speaker and the reflecting portion having the reflecting surface, the sound from the speaker is directed toward the occupant and output. Instead, the light can be reflected by the reflecting surface and traveled toward the passenger. For this reason, it is possible to provide a vehicle interior conversation assisting device that has a good appearance while ensuring ease of hearing the sound output from the speaker.

  In the above configuration, the reflecting surface may constitute a rear seat confirmation mirror for the driver to confirm the appearance of the passenger in the rear seat. According to such a configuration, the driver can talk while checking the state of the passenger in the rear seat, which is preferable. Furthermore, since the reflecting surface is mirror-like, the sound output from the speaker can be reflected further toward the rear of the vehicle.

  In the above-described configuration, the reflecting portion is movable between a use position where the reflecting surface is disposed in front of and below the speaker of the speaker and a storage position retracted from the use position in a direction approaching the ceiling portion. It may be provided. According to such a structure, when not using a vehicle interior conversation assistance apparatus, the appearance of a vehicle interior conversation assistance apparatus can be improved further by accommodating a reflection part in an accommodation position.

  In the above-described configuration, the speaker is provided so as to be able to change the output direction of the sound in conjunction with the reflecting portion, and is configured to output the sound toward the vehicle lower side at the storage position. Also good. According to such a configuration, when the in-vehicle conversation assistance device is not used, the sound from the speaker can be output to the passenger sitting below the vehicle in the in-vehicle conversation assistance device, and the speaker is used for the conversation assistance. It can use suitably also for uses other than.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle interior conversation assistance apparatus with sufficient appearance can be provided, ensuring the ease of hearing of the audio | voice output from a speaker.

The figure which looked at the conversation auxiliary device concerning Embodiment 1 from the vehicle interior back. Top view of conversation assist device Sectional drawing of the conversation assistance apparatus cut | disconnected by the III-III line of FIG. The perspective view which shows the reflective surface of a conversation assistance apparatus A view from the side of the passenger compartment showing the directivity of the sound output from the speaker The figure which looked at the directivity of the sound outputted from the speaker from the lower part of the passenger compartment The perspective view which shows the reflective surface of the conversation assistance apparatus which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the speaker and reflection part in the storage position which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows a speaker and a reflection part in a use position Sectional drawing of the conversation assistance apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the conversation assistance device 20 (vehicle compartment conversation assistance device) mounted on the vehicle 10 is illustrated. In each figure, arrows FR and RR indicate the front and rear of the vehicle, arrows R and L indicate the right and left sides in the vehicle width direction, respectively, and arrows UP and DW indicate the upper side and the lower side of the vehicle, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a front seat 11 including a driver seat and a passenger seat, and a rear seat 12 disposed behind the front seat 11. In the present embodiment, the driver seat is arranged on the right side of the front seat 11 in the vehicle width direction. Among the passengers seated in the front seat 11 and the rear seat 12, the passengers on the right side in the vehicle width direction are referred to as passengers 11A and 12A, respectively, and the passengers on the left side in the vehicle width direction are referred to as passengers 11B and 12B, respectively. In the present embodiment, the occupant 11A is the driver of the vehicle 10.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle 10 includes a ceiling interior material 15 that covers the vehicle interior side of the roof panel and constitutes a ceiling portion 15 </ b> A of the vehicle interior. A conversation assisting device 20 is provided on the ceiling portion 15A. The vehicle 10 is provided with a front window 19 on the front side of the passenger compartment, and an inner rear view mirror 17 is provided at the upper end of the front window 19 in the vicinity of the conversation assisting device 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the conversation assisting device 20 is provided at the center in the vehicle width direction at the vehicle front end of the ceiling interior material 15. The conversation assisting device 20 is located between the occupant 11A and the occupant 11B and above and ahead of the vehicle with respect to the heads of the occupants 11A and 11B. The conversation assisting device 20 collects the utterances of the occupants 11A and 11B seated on the front seat 11 and directs the collected sound toward the vicinity of the ears of the occupants 12A and 12B seated on the rear seat 12. It has a function to make it easier for the passengers 12A and 12B to hear the utterances of the passengers 11A and 11B.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conversation assistance device 20 includes a speaker 24 and a reflection unit 30. Further, in the present embodiment, the conversation assisting device 20 is illustrated as including a microphone 22, a signal control board 26 connected to the microphone 22 and the speaker 24, and a cover member 28 that collectively covers them.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the microphone 22 is configured to collect sound in the vehicle compartment via a microphone hole 28 </ b> B of a cover member 28 described later. The microphone 22 is disposed on the front side of the vehicle in the conversation assistance device 20. The microphone 22 is positioned in front of the occupants 11A and 11B sitting in the traveling direction, and is preferably configured to collect the utterances of the occupants 11A and 11B. In addition, the conversation assistance apparatus 20 is not restricted to the structure by which the microphone 22 is provided in the ceiling part 15A like this embodiment. For example, the microphone may be provided in a seat where each occupant is seated, and may be configured to individually collect the utterances of each occupant.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the speaker 24 is configured to output the sound collected by the microphone 22 so as to be directed forward of the vehicle and downward of the vehicle. Specifically, the cover member 28 is provided with a speaker mounting portion 29 for mounting the speaker 24, and the speaker 24 faces the speaker mounting portion 29 in a posture in which a sound output surface faces the front of the vehicle and the lower side of the vehicle. Attached. And the output audio | voice is comprised so that it may go to the reflection part 30 side via the hole 28A for speakers of the cover member 28 mentioned later. The speaker 24 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle in the conversation assisting device 20, that is, on the rear side of the microphone 22, side by side with the microphone 22. The speaker 24 is connected to an amplifier (not shown) that amplifies an audio signal, and is configured to amplify the speech of the occupants 11A and 11B seated on the front seat 11.

  On the signal control board 26, a microcomputer (not shown) having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a memory is mounted, and desired audio processing is performed on the audio signal so that the utterances of the passengers 11A and 11B become clear. I do.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover member 28 has a rectangular tray shape in plan view. The microphone 22 and the speaker 24 are arranged side by side at the bottom, and the signal control board 26 is overlapped with these. Contained. The cover member 28 has a microphone hole 28 </ b> B in a portion covering the microphone 22 and a plurality of speaker holes 28 </ b> A in a portion covering the speaker 24. The cover member 28 is provided with an opening 28 </ b> C configured to allow the reflecting portion 30 to be inserted and removed between the microphone hole 28 </ b> B and the speaker hole 28 </ b> A. The cover member 28 is attached to the ceiling interior material 15 in a posture in which the bottom side is directed to the vehicle interior side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the reflection unit 30 includes a reflection surface 30 </ b> A disposed in front of and below the vehicle of the speaker 24. The reflecting surface 30A is configured to reflect the sound output from the speaker 24 toward the rear of the vehicle. Specifically, the reflecting portion 30 includes a main body portion 31 attached to the opening portion 28 </ b> C of the cover member 28 and a standing wall portion 32 that rises upward from the upper surface of the main body portion 31. A reflective surface 30A is formed on the surface of the upright wall portion 32 on the vehicle rear side so as to extend along the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the reflecting surface 30A constitutes a rear seat confirmation mirror for the occupant 11A (driver) to confirm the state of the occupants 12A and 12B of the rear seat 12 (see FIG. 1). The “rear seat confirmation mirror” is provided separately from the inner rear view mirror 17 (also referred to as an inner rearview mirror or a room mirror), and is also referred to as a conversation mirror.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the reflection surface 30 </ b> A has a convex shape that protrudes rearward in the vehicle width direction and protrudes rearward in the vehicle vertical direction. In FIG. 4, in order to show the curved surface shape, the auxiliary line AL1 is drawn at the center in the vehicle vertical direction, and the auxiliary line AL2 is drawn at the center in the vehicle width direction. With such a configuration, the reflecting surface 30A can be used as a rear seat confirmation mirror with a wide viewing angle. In addition, the effect | action in which the reflective surface 30A reflects the audio | voice output from the speaker 24 is demonstrated later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the reflecting unit 30 includes a use position P1 in which the reflection surface 30A is arranged in front of the vehicle and below the speaker 24, and a storage position P2 retracted from the use position P1 in a direction approaching the ceiling 15A. Are movably provided. The reflective surface 30A is configured so that the occupants 12A and 12B of the rear seat 12 can visually recognize the occupant 11A when viewing the reflective surface 30A at the use position P1. In addition, the reflecting portion 30 is configured such that the standing wall portion 32 is housed inside the cover member 28 and the opening portion 28 </ b> C is closed by the main body portion 31 at the housing position P <b> 2. Specifically, the reflecting portion 30 is rotatable in the vehicle vertical direction with the vehicle front end portion of the main body portion 31 as an axis. The reflector 30 changes the use position P1 rotated toward the vehicle interior side and the storage position P2 rotated toward the vehicle interior side by, for example, a heart cam type push lock mechanism (not shown). 11A is comprised so that it may carry out by pressing the lower surface of the main-body part 31 of the reflection part 30. FIG.

  Then, the effect | action of the conversation assistance apparatus 20 of this embodiment is demonstrated. The conversation assistance device 20 is activated when the accessory power supply of the vehicle 10 is turned on or a start button (not shown) of the conversation assistance device 20 is pressed. At this time, the reflecting portion 30 is set to the use position P1. Or it is good also as a structure which the conversation assistance apparatus 20 starts by making the reflection part 30 into the use position P1. When the occupants 11A and 11B sitting on the front seat 11 speak, the microphone 22 collects the sound. The collected sound is subjected to sound processing through the signal control board 26 and the like, and then outputted from the speaker 24 toward the front of the vehicle and below the vehicle (in the direction of the dashed line arrow D1 in FIG. 3).

  The sound output from the speaker 24 is reflected by the reflecting surface 30A and travels toward the rear and the lower side of the vehicle (in the direction of the two-dot chain line arrow D2 in FIG. 3). This reflected sound has directivity toward the vicinity of the heads of the occupants 12A and 12B seated on the rear seat 12, as shown in the range indicated by D2 in FIGS. Since the conversation assisting device 20 is integrally provided with the speaker 24 and the reflecting portion 30 having the reflecting surface 30A, for example, compared to a configuration in which the sound from the speaker 24 is reflected by the vehicle interior wall surface or the front window. It is easy to optimize the reflection angle, and the directivity of the output sound from the speaker 24 can be improved.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the reflection surface 30 </ b> A has a convex shape that protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction. For this reason, in each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle up-down direction, the reflected sound can be advanced while being widened. Specifically, in the vehicle width direction, the reflected sound reflected on the right side of the reflecting surface 30A proceeds toward the left side of the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle, toward the passenger 12A seated on the right side of the rear seat 12, and The reflected sound reflected on the left side of the reflecting surface 30 </ b> A travels toward the right side in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle, and travels toward the passenger 12 </ b> B seated on the left side of the rear seat 12. With such a configuration, it is possible to transmit the output sound from one speaker 24 to the vicinity of the heads of the occupants 12A and 12B seated on both sides of the rear seat 12. That is, the conversation assistance device 20 has a configuration in which the directivity of the sound of the speaker 24 can be appropriately changed by appropriately setting the shape and angle of the reflecting surface 30A. The shape and the angle are also preferable in making the reflecting surface 30A function as a mirror of the rear seat confirmation mirror.

  Then, the effect of this embodiment is demonstrated. In the passenger compartment, the occupant generally sits facing the front of the vehicle. For this reason, in the configuration in which the conversation assisting device is arranged in front of the occupant on the ceiling and the sound from the speaker is directed toward the occupant and output, the structure related to the speaker 24 easily enters the occupant's field of view. There is a concern that the appearance of the auxiliary device may deteriorate. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the conversation assisting device 20 integrally includes the speaker 24 and the reflecting unit 30 having the reflecting surface 30A, and therefore directs the sound from the speaker toward the occupants 12A and 12B. Without being configured to output, the light can be reflected by the reflecting surface 30A and advanced toward the occupants 12A and 12B. Therefore, it is possible to provide the conversation assisting device 20 having a good appearance while ensuring the ease of listening to the sound output from the speaker 24.

  In the present embodiment, the reflecting surface 30A constitutes a rear seat confirmation mirror for the passenger 11A to check the state of the passengers 12A and 12B of the rear seat 12. For this reason, it is preferable that the occupant 11A can talk while confirming the state of the occupants 12A and 12B of the rear seat 12. Furthermore, since the reflecting surface 30A is mirror-like, the sound output from the speaker 24 can be reflected further toward the rear of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the reflecting portion 30 includes a use position P1 in which the reflection surface 30A is arranged in front of the vehicle and below the speaker 24, and a storage position P2 retracted from the use position P1 in a direction approaching the ceiling portion 15A. Are movably provided. For this reason, when not using the conversation assistance apparatus 20, the appearance of the conversation assistance apparatus 20 can be improved further by accommodating the reflection part 30 in the accommodation position P2.

[Modification 1 of Embodiment 1]
A first modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present modification, a configuration in which the shape of the standing wall portion 32 is different from that of the first embodiment is illustrated.

  In the vehicle width direction, the reflecting surface 30A is an inclined surface 30A1 that is inclined so that the right surface faces slightly to the right, and the inclined surface 30A2 that is inclined so that the left surface slightly faces the left. With such a configuration, when the occupants 11A and 11B sitting on the front seat 11 look at the reflective surface 30A, the occupants 12A and 12B seated on the rear seat 12 are reflected on the reflective surfaces 30A1 and 30A2, respectively. ing.

  According to the first modification, in the vehicle width direction, the reflected sound reflected by the inclined surface 30A1 travels toward the left side in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle, toward the occupant 12A seated on the right side of the rear seat 12. The reflected sound reflected by the inclined surface 30A2 travels toward the right side in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle, and travels toward the occupant 12B seated on the left side of the rear seat 12. With such a configuration, it is possible to transmit the output sound from one speaker 24 to the vicinity of the heads of the occupants 12A and 12B seated on both sides of the rear seat 12.

<Embodiment 2>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The conversation assistance device 120 of this embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in that the posture of the speaker 24 can be changed. In addition, the description which overlaps about the structure, an effect | action, and effect similar to above-described embodiment is abbreviate | omitted.

  The speaker 24 is provided so as to be able to change the output direction of the sound in conjunction with the reflection unit 30, and is configured to output the sound by directing the sound downward in the vehicle at the storage position P <b> 2. Specifically, the speaker 24 is provided so as to be rotatable about the rear end portion of the vehicle by the rotation mechanism 40. The rotating mechanism 40 includes a gear 41 and a speaker-side rotating member 42 and a reflecting portion-side rotating member 43 that are respectively configured to engage with the teeth of the gear 41.

  The speaker-side rotation member 42 has an arc shape that follows the rotation locus of the speaker 24 and is provided in the speaker 24. And the speaker 24 is comprised so that the tooth | gear of the speaker side rotation member 42 may mesh with the gear 41 in the storage position P2 of the reflection part 30, and the position which becomes the attitude | position which the surface which outputs a sound faces the vehicle downward direction. . On the other hand, the reflecting portion side turning member 43 has an arc shape that follows the turning locus of the reflecting portion 30, and is provided in the reflecting portion 30.

  Next, the rotation mode of the reflection unit 30 and the speaker 24 in the present embodiment will be described. As in the first embodiment, the reflecting portion 30 is rotatable in the vehicle vertical direction with the vehicle front end portion of the main body portion 31 as an axis. When the reflection part 30 is changed from the storage position P2 to the use position P1, the reflection part side rotation member 43 is rotated toward the vehicle lower side following this. Then, power is transmitted from the reflecting portion side rotation member 43 to the gear 41, and the gear 41 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. As the gear 41 rotates, the speaker side rotating member 42 is rotated upward toward the vehicle. Then, following the speaker-side rotating member 42, the speaker 24 rotates toward the upper side of the vehicle, and at the use position P1 of the reflecting unit 30, the sound output surface faces the front and the lower side of the vehicle ( (See FIG. 9). When the reflection unit 30 is changed from the use position P1 to the storage position P2, each unit moves in the direction opposite to the above-described direction. And the speaker 24 becomes the attitude | position in which the surface which outputs a sound faces the vehicle downward direction in the storage position P2 of the reflection part 30 (refer FIG. 8).

  In the present embodiment, when the conversation assisting device 120 is not used, the sound from the speaker 24 can be output to the occupants 11A and 11B seated below the conversation assisting device 120, and the speaker 24 is supported by the conversation assisting device. It can use suitably also for uses other than. As an application of such a speaker 24, for example, an application for outputting an output sound from a car audio can be exemplified.

<Embodiment 3>
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The conversation assistance device 220 according to the present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in the configuration of the reflection unit. In addition, the description which overlaps about the structure, an effect | action, and effect similar to above-described embodiment is abbreviate | omitted.

  The reflection unit 230 is a flat plate member having a rectangular shape in plan view. The reflecting portion 230 is made of synthetic resin, the reflecting surface 30A is not a mirror surface, and has the same appearance as the surface of the cover member 28. The reflection unit 230 can be closed with respect to the opening 28C at the storage position, and can be rotated with respect to the cover member 28 with the vehicle rear end as a rotation axis. When using the reflecting portion 230, the occupant 11 </ b> A rotates the reflecting portion 230 toward the vehicle lower side so that the reflecting portion 230 stands with respect to the cover member 28. According to this embodiment, it is possible to form the reflecting portion 230 with a simple configuration, which is preferable.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which one conversation assisting device is mounted on the vehicle is illustrated, but a plurality of conversation assisting devices may be mounted on the vehicle. And it may be constituted so that a crew member's conversation may be transmitted mutually by a plurality of conversation assistance devices. Furthermore, the usage mode of the conversation assistance device can be changed as appropriate.
(2) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the conversation assistance device is provided at the front end portion of the ceiling is illustrated, but the position where the conversation assistance device is provided can be appropriately set.
(3) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the reflected sound reflected by the reflecting surface proceeds toward the occupant seated on the rear seat is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. The reflected sound reflected by the reflecting surface may be configured to travel toward an occupant seated in the front seat. In addition, in a configuration in which the vehicle includes a three-row seat, the reflected sound reflected by the reflecting surface may travel toward an occupant seated in the third-row seat.
(4) Besides the above embodiment, the arrangement configuration of the microphone and the speaker can be set as appropriate. The conversation assisting device may include two microphones and / or two speakers corresponding to the seats on both sides in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the microphone may not be provided integrally with the conversation assistance device.
(5) Besides the above embodiment, the configuration, position, and orientation of the speaker can be set as appropriate. For example, the speaker may be provided with a horn or the like for enhancing the directivity of sound.
(6) In addition to the above embodiment, the configuration of the reflecting portion can be changed as appropriate. For example, the structure which forms a part of cover member in the shape of a standing wall may be sufficient as a reflection part. Moreover, the reflection part may be provided so that rotation with respect to the cover member is impossible.

  12 ... Rear seat, 15A ... Ceiling, 20, 120, 220 ... Conversation assisting device, 22 ... Microphone, 24 ... Speaker, 30, 230 ... Reflector, P1 ... Use position, P2 ... Storage position

Claims (4)

A vehicle interior conversation assistance device provided on the ceiling of the vehicle compartment,
A speaker configured to direct and output the sound collected by the microphone toward the front of the vehicle and below the vehicle;
A vehicle interior conversation assisting device integrally including a reflecting portion that is disposed in front of and below the vehicle of the speaker and has a reflecting surface configured to reflect the sound output from the speaker toward the rear of the vehicle. .   The vehicle interior conversation assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface constitutes a rear seat confirmation mirror for a driver to confirm a state of an occupant in a rear seat.   The reflection part is movable between a use position where the reflection surface is arranged in front of and under the vehicle of the speaker, and a storage position where the reflection surface is retracted from the use position toward the ceiling part. The vehicle interior conversation assisting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle interior conversation assisting device is provided.   4. The speaker according to claim 3, wherein the speaker is provided so as to be capable of changing an output direction of the sound in conjunction with the reflection unit, and is configured to output the sound toward the vehicle lower side at the storage position. The vehicle interior conversation assistance device described.

Images