JP2020010945A - Railway model sound unit and railway model vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To reproduce sound in synchronization with the behavior of a railway model vehicle without user operation.SOLUTION: A sound unit 8 is mounted on a railway model vehicle running on rails. The sound unit 8 includes a speaker 8a, an acceleration sensor 8b, a storage unit 8d, and a control unit 8e. The acceleration sensor 8b detects at least acceleration in three axial directions. The storage unit 8d stores a plurality of sound files. Each sound file defines a behavior sound that reproduces a sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle, and the behavior sounds defined individually are different from each other. The control unit 8e selectively reads a sound file from the storage unit 8d in accordance with the detection signal of the acceleration sensor 8b, and reproduces the behavior sound generated based on the sound file from the speaker 8a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a model railway sound unit and a model railway vehicle equipped with the same, and more particularly to sound reproduction of a model railway vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a sound system that reproduces a sound generated by an actual railway vehicle according to a running condition of a railway model or an operation of a user has been attracting attention in order to promote the original appeal of a railway model such as “run and enjoy”. For example, in a sound DCC, which is an advanced form of DCC (Digital Command Control), a digital command with an address for controlling a vehicle is supplied to a rail, and the vehicle specified by the address accelerates in conjunction with vehicle speed control. Sound, coasting sound, deceleration sound, etc. are output from the in-vehicle speaker. There is also a system that reproduces various sounds by arranging an external speaker near a control device (power unit) for controlling a vehicle speed or the like and linking the output of the external speaker with the control device. Further, a system has been proposed in which a sound generated by a smartphone is transmitted to a vehicle by short-range wireless communication, and the sound is output from a vehicle-mounted speaker.

  The following are patent documents related to sound reproduction of a railway model. First, Patent Document 1 discloses that a reproduction speed of a traveling sound is determined according to a value of a driving voltage for setting a vehicle speed of a model railway vehicle, and the traveling sound is reproduced at this reproduction speed by an external device built in a control device (power unit). A sound effect reproducing device for a railway model output from a speaker is disclosed. Further, in Patent Document 2, when a horn button on a transformer (power unit) side is operated by a user, a variable sound (horn) such as a whistle based on a speed signal detected by a speed sensor mounted on a model railway vehicle. And a model train horn control system for outputting the same from an in-vehicle speaker. Here, the speed sensor is used to detect the speed of a model railway vehicle moving back and forth on the track, and specifically, a cam mounted on the wheel shaft of the model railway vehicle, one or two A lobe cherry switch and a means for detecting a voltage value supplied to a model train are illustrated.

  Further, Patent Literature 3 discloses an acceleration detection display device for a model car used in a circuit running competition. Specifically, the model vehicle is equipped with an acceleration sensor having one or two detection axes. When the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold, the model vehicle is remotely controlled. The operator who is operating is notified of the limit of the cornering force (so-called horizontal G) by an LED, a buzzer, or the like. However, Patent Literature 3 focuses on marginal driving in which cornering force becomes a problem, and does not relate to a railway model based on a much slower railway scale speed (real vehicle equivalent speed). Absent. In addition, since the railway model travels on the rails, inherently no side slip due to friction with the road surface can occur. Therefore, Patent Document 3 does not use a railway model as a range.

JP 2003-93754 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-51070 Utility Model Registration No. 3078098

  By the way, a model railway vehicle (powered vehicle) travels with a motor mounted on the vehicle. However, the rotation characteristics of the motor with respect to voltage, the resistance of a power transmission mechanism (gear) that transmits the power of the motor to the wheels, etc. There are individual differences between products. For this reason, there are some variations in the running characteristics of the vehicle, in particular, the timing at which the stopped powered vehicle starts running with an increase in the voltage and the timing at which the stopped powered vehicle stops with the decrease in the voltage. In addition, even with the same product, the train resistance changes according to the number of vehicles towed by the motor vehicle, so that differences in running timing and the like due to this change cannot be ignored. Due to these factors, when sound reproduction is controlled based on a motor drive control signal (for example, a DC voltage value in DC control or a duty ratio of a voltage pulse in PWM control), sound reproduction to be synchronized with the vehicle behavior is controlled. , The sound may not be reproduced as in a real vehicle. For example, when a stopped vehicle starts running, it is not preferable that the acceleration sound starts to sound before the vehicle starts running, or that the acceleration sound does not start to sound even though the vehicle starts running. Preferably, the acceleration sound starts to be emitted just at the timing when the stopped vehicle starts running. Further, when the running vehicle stops, it is not preferable that the brake sound ends before the vehicle stops, or that the brake sound continues to be emitted even though the vehicle stops. Preferably, the brake sound ends at the exact moment when the running vehicle stops. In this regard, if the user operates a button such as the horn button in Patent Document 2 each time to perform sound reproduction at a timing corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle, the deviation of the reproduced sound can be eliminated for the time being. However, in this case, not only the operation becomes complicated for the user, but also another problem arises in that the operation for sound reproduction is distracted and the user cannot concentrate on the original driving.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable sound reproduction synchronized with the behavior of a model railway vehicle without a user's operation.

  In order to solve such a problem, a first invention provides a sound unit mounted on a model railway vehicle traveling on rails. This sound unit has an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in at least three axial directions in order to reproduce, in real time, a behavior sound that reproduces a sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle in accordance with the behavior of the model railway vehicle.

  Here, in the first invention, the sound unit is driven by electric power collected from a rail via wheels provided at a lower portion of the vehicle body, or by storing the collected electric power. You may do so.

  In the first aspect, a speaker, a storage unit, and a control unit may be further provided. The storage unit stores a plurality of sound files each defining a different behavior sound of the railway vehicle. The control unit selectively reads a sound file from the storage unit according to the detection signal of the acceleration sensor, and reproduces a behavior sound generated based on the sound file from a speaker.

  A second invention provides a model railway vehicle that has a vehicle body and a sound unit and travels on rails. The sound unit is provided in the vehicle main body, and is driven by electric power collected from a rail via wheels provided at a lower portion of the vehicle main body, or by storing the collected electric power. The sound unit has a speaker, an acceleration sensor, a storage unit, and a control unit. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration in at least three axial directions. The storage unit stores a plurality of sound files. Each sound file defines a behavior sound that reproduces a sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle, and the behavior sounds defined by the sound files are different from each other. The control unit selectively reads a sound file from the storage unit according to the detection signal of the acceleration sensor, and reproduces a behavior sound generated based on the sound file from a speaker in real time.

  Here, in the first and second inventions, the control unit is configured to determine any one of an acceleration sound, a deceleration sound, a coasting sound, and a stop sound as the behavior sound in accordance with the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. It is preferable to selectively reproduce the data. In this case, when the gradient is detected based on the acceleration in the vehicle height direction detected by the acceleration sensor, the control unit compares the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor with a threshold value, thereby generating the coasting sound. It is preferable to selectively reproduce any one of the acceleration sound and the deceleration sound.

  In the first and second inventions, the control unit may be configured to control the behavior sound in accordance with a duty ratio of a voltage pulse supplied to a rail by pulse width modulation in addition to an acceleration in a vehicle length direction detected by an acceleration sensor. May be selectively reproduced.

  In the first and second inventions, the control section may selectively reproduce the flange sound, which is the behavior sound, according to the acceleration in the vehicle width direction detected by the acceleration sensor. In this case, the control unit may selectively reproduce one of a plurality of flange sounds having different frequencies from each other according to the vehicle speed calculated based on the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor.

  In the first and second inventions, the control unit variably controls a reproduction interval of the joint sound, which is the behavior sound, according to a vehicle speed calculated based on an acceleration in a vehicle length direction detected by an acceleration sensor. You may. Alternatively, the control unit may reproduce the joint sound as the behavior sound when an instantaneous variation pattern appears in the acceleration in the vehicle height direction detected by the acceleration sensor.

  In the first and second inventions, the control unit may determine, as the behavior sound, a passage derived from the presence of a specific structure as the behavior sound according to a traveling distance calculated based on the acceleration in a vehicle length direction detected by an acceleration sensor. Sound or reverberation may be reproduced. At this time, when the calculated traveling distance is within the distance range stored in the storage unit, the control unit may continue to reproduce the oversound or the reverberation sound. Further, it is preferable that the control unit resets the calculated traveling distance when a ground child installed on the layout on which the model railway vehicle travels is detected.

  According to the present invention, the actual behavior of a model railway vehicle is monitored by detecting accelerations in at least three axial directions by an acceleration sensor provided in the model railway vehicle. As a result, the sound reproduction can be made to immediately adapt to the actual behavior of the model railway vehicle regardless of the individual differences of the power vehicles, the number of trailer vehicles, and the like. As a result, the sound can be reproduced in synchronization with the behavior of the model railway vehicle without any operation by the user.

Schematic diagram of model railway vehicle Block diagram of sound unit Diagram showing the relationship between each axis direction and behavior sound List of sound file set by car type Diagram showing an example of the layout in which a model railway vehicle runs Timing chart for sound reproduction of a model train running on a layout Table showing playback conditions of flange sound Timing chart of sound reproduction when climbing uphill Timing chart of sound reproduction during downhill Explanatory drawing of voltage pulse in PWM control corresponding to normal lighting Illustration of sound reproduction based on mileage Block diagram of a network system using sound units

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a model railway vehicle (motor vehicle) according to the present embodiment. The model railway vehicle 1 mainly includes a vehicle main body 2, a plurality of wheels 3, and a motor 4. The vehicle body 2 has a shape imitating the appearance of an actual railway vehicle, and is composed of various parts such as a vehicle body, a window glass, a roof, and underfloor equipment. The metal wheel 3 is provided at a lower portion of the vehicle body 2 and contacts the metal rail 5 to collect power from the rail 5. The motor 4 is provided inside the vehicle body 2 and rotates the wheels 3 by its driving force.

  Power is supplied to the motor 4 via the rails 5, the wheels 3, and the current collecting mechanism 6. First, power is supplied to the rail 5 by an external control device. The electric power supplied to the rail 5 is collected by the wheels 3 that are in constant contact with the rail 5, and is supplied to the motor 4 via the current collecting mechanism 6. As a result, the motor 4 rotates, and a driving force corresponding to the electric power is generated. The driving force of the motor 4 is transmitted to the wheels 3 via the power transmission mechanism 7, whereby the model railway vehicle 1 runs on the rails 5. The control method of the model railway vehicle 1 includes DC control (DC control) for variably setting the DC voltage value itself in a range of 0 to 12 V, and PWM control (pulse width modulation control) for variably setting the duty ratio of the voltage pulse. ), DCC (Digital Command Control) that superimposes a digital command with an address for designating a model railway vehicle 1 (more precisely, an on-board decoder) on an AC voltage of about 12 V exists. You may.

  The model railway vehicle 1 has a sound reproducing function, and in order to realize this, a sound unit 8 is mounted inside the vehicle body 2 (for example, a space for installing an interior light unit). In the present embodiment, the sound unit 8 is driven by power collected from the rail 5 via the wheels 3 and the power collection mechanism 6 or by temporarily storing this power in a capacitor. However, instead of this, the sound unit 8 may be driven using a battery built in the sound unit 8. The sound unit 8 includes a speaker 8a, and reproduces a behavior sound reproducing a sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle in real time according to the behavior of the model railway vehicle 1. The speaker 8a is attached to a box-shaped housing provided in the sound unit 8, and this housing also functions as an enclosure for the speaker 8a. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the sound unit 8 is mounted on a motor vehicle, the sound unit 8 may be mounted on a trailer (towed vehicle) not having the motor 4.

  Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle length direction (front-rear direction) of the model railway vehicle 1 is the “X” direction, the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) is the “Y” direction, and the vehicle height direction (the height direction) is the same. Defined as the “Z” direction.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the sound unit 8. The sound unit 8 includes an acceleration sensor 8b, a low-pass filter 8c, a storage unit 8d, a control unit 8e, a switch 8f, and a power supply unit 8g, in addition to the speaker 8a described above. The acceleration sensor 8b detects at least acceleration in three axial directions, that is, “X acceleration” in the vehicle length direction, “Y acceleration” in the vehicle width direction, and “Z acceleration” in the vehicle height direction, and a detection signal corresponding thereto. Is output. The acceleration sensor 8g may be any of a piezoresistive type, a capacitive type, and a heat detection type. However, a MEMS acceleration sensor widely used in smartphones and the like is small, inexpensive, and highly sensitive. This is suitable for use as the present embodiment. Also, recently, a six-axis acceleration sensor or the like is easily available, and a sensor having more axes than three axes may be used as the acceleration sensor 8b.

  The sound (including the behavior sound) reproduced by the sound unit 8 is determined based on the detection signal of the acceleration sensor 8b. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between each axial direction and the behavior sound. First, the X direction is calculated by integrating the X acceleration indicating the degree of acceleration / deceleration of the model railway vehicle 1, the vehicle speed V calculated by integrating the X acceleration once, and the X acceleration twice. There are factors such as running distance D, and a specific behavior sound is selected according to each factor. The X acceleration is used to select a running state sound (stop sound, acceleration sound, coasting sound or deceleration sound). Further, the vehicle speed V is used for selecting a reproduction interval of the joint sound and an acceleration sound (speed-change sound or directly-connected-step sound) of the diesel vehicle. Further, the traveling distance D is used for selecting a passing sound or a reverberation sound caused by a structure such as an iron bridge or a tunnel.

  In the Y direction, the passage of a curve or a point is detected based on the Y acceleration. For example, when the Y acceleration is positive, the left curve can be detected, and when the Y acceleration is negative, the right curve can be detected, and the curvature can be detected as the magnitude (absolute value) of the Y acceleration. The Y acceleration is used to select the flange sound. Further, in the Z direction, the presence or absence of a gradient is detected based on the Z acceleration. More specifically, when the Z acceleration is 1 G (G is a gravitational acceleration), it is determined to be flat when the Z acceleration is smaller than 1 G, and the difference (shift amount) from 1 G increases as the gradient becomes steeper. The Z acceleration is used together with the X acceleration to select a running state sound (coasting sound, acceleration sound or deceleration sound) in consideration of the gradient.

  The low-pass filter 8c performs a low-pass filter process on the detection signal of the acceleration sensor 8b to remove high-frequency noise such as vibration caused by driving the motor 4. The detection signal subjected to the low-pass filter processing is output to the control unit 8e. Note that the low-pass filter processing can be performed by software on the microcomputer side. Therefore, as a physical configuration, the microcomputer as the control unit 8e may also have the function of the low-pass filter 8c.

  The storage unit 8d stores various sound files each defining different behavior sounds and various sound files each defining different user operation sounds. The format of the sound file may be any of a compression format such as AVI and MP3, and an uncompression format such as WAV. The storage unit 8d also stores contents defined by the user (for example, “d1 to d2 = iron bridge passing sound” illustrated in FIG. 11). The storage unit 8d may be detachable from the sound unit 8 like a micro SD card so that the storage content can be rewritten by an external device such as a personal computer (PC).

  Of the many sound files stored in the storage unit 8d, those that are unique to the vehicle type and vehicle type are compiled as sound file sets for each vehicle type and vehicle type. FIG. 4 is a list of vehicle types of the sound file set. The traveling stages (running states) of the model railway vehicle 1 are roughly classified into four, that is, stopping, accelerating, coasting, and decelerating. For example, even the same vehicle type differs depending on the vehicle type.) Specifically, the number “1” specifies the behavior sound of a train (new type), and includes the rotation sound of the main motor (including the change in sound quality according to the vehicle speed) and the steady sound of the blower. Mainly. The number “2” defines the behavior sound of the train (old type), and includes the rotation sound of the hanging motor (including the change of sound quality and the switching of coasting sound according to the vehicle speed) and the steady sound of the blower. And the subject. Further, the number “3” defines the behavior sound of the diesel engine, and mainly includes the driving sound of the diesel engine (including the switching of the idle sound). As a characteristic feature of the railcar, switching between a “gear sound” reproduced at a low speed and a “direct sound sound” reproduced at a high speed is given as a behavior sound (acceleration sound) at the time of acceleration. Further, the number “4” defines the behavior sound of the steam locomotive, and mainly includes a draft sound (including a change in a sound interval according to the vehicle speed). The new electric locomotive is based on a train (new type), the old electric locomotive is based on a train (old type), and the diesel locomotive is based on a diesel train.

  In the table shown in the figure, the compressor sounds and the discharge sounds classified as “others” are basically reproduced randomly without depending on the traveling stage of the model railway vehicle 1. Selection of the sound sets "1" to "4" for each vehicle type and vehicle type is performed by the user operating the changeover switch 8f.

  When the traveling stage shifts, a transient behavior sound may be inserted in order to connect the preceding and following behavior sounds without discomfort. In addition, “at start” and “at stop” may be added in addition to the above four traveling stages, and the sound of the state (for example, start / stop sound of a motor generator or a diesel engine) may be defined.

  The control unit 8e selectively reads a sound file from the storage unit 8d according to the detection signal of the acceleration sensor 8b. Then, a behavior sound is generated by performing processing such as expansion processing of a compression format, adjustment of a reproduction speed, and modulation of a sound on the read sound file as necessary. The generated behavior sound is output to any of the channels CH1 to CH4 assigned in advance. Then, the sounds of the channels CH1 to CH4 are synthesized, and the synthesized sound is output from the speaker 8a as a final output sound. As described later, the control unit 8e includes a motor drive control signal (for example, a DC voltage value in DC control and a duty ratio of a voltage pulse in PWM control) as complementary information for controlling sound reproduction. Also, a sensor signal from an in-vehicle sensor is referred to as necessary.

  The power supply unit 8g supplies power to the sound unit 8. What should be considered here is securing of electric power while the model railway vehicle 1 is stopped. This problem becomes apparent in DC control in which the DC voltage when the vehicle is stopped is 0 V, and in simple PWM control in which the duty ratio when the vehicle is stopped is 0% (not compatible with normal lighting). When employing these controls, it is necessary to incorporate a battery in the sound unit 8 as the power supply unit 8g. At this time, if a mechanism for contactless charging of the battery on the vehicle side is introduced using an electromagnetic induction type charging device installed on the layout side, the trouble of replacing the battery by the user can be eliminated. On the other hand, when the DCC or the PWM control corresponding to the constant lighting is adopted, unlike the DC control, since the power is constantly supplied to the rail 5, only the current collection from the rail 5 can be performed without using a battery. Can provide the necessary power. However, from the viewpoint of the stable operation of the sound unit 8, a capacitor is provided as the power supply unit 8g, the power collected from the rail 5 is temporarily stored in the capacitor, and the sound unit is stored based on the stored power. 8 is preferably driven.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a layout in which a train A composed of the model railway vehicle 1 (powered vehicle) alone or in which the train A is incorporated during formation travels, and FIG. 6 is a timing chart of sound reproduction in FIG. Here, among various sounds reproduced by the sound unit 8, the “starting sound”, the “stopping sound”, the “acceleration sound”, the “coasting sound”, the “deceleration sound” and the like are channel CH1, and the “flange sound” is Channel CH2 and “joint sound” are assigned to channel CH3. The channel CH4 is allocated only to reproduce the “user operation sound”. The user operation sound is a sound that is instructed to be reproduced by the user operating a button on the control device side regardless of the behavior of the train A (model train 1). Door opening and closing sounds, in-car broadcasting (for example, music box sounds of "Alps ranch") and the like. Note that these user operation sounds are reproductions of sounds emitted from an actual railway vehicle, but are not emitted by actual “behavior” of the railway vehicle, that is, movements such as running. Therefore, in this specification, the "behavior sound" does not include a sound reproduced on the assumption of a user operation (a sound that does not depend on the movement of the vehicle detected by the acceleration sensor 8b), including a user operation sound. And

  First, when the user turns on the power of the control device to start energization of the rail 5, the reproduction of the "starting sound" of the motor generator, the diesel engine, or the like is started at timing t0. When the “starting sound” continues for a predetermined time, the sound to be reproduced changes from the “starting sound” to the “stop sound”.

  At the timing t1, when the train A stopped at the platform starts running, the X acceleration changes from 0 to plus (acceleration). With this change as a trigger, the reproduced sound changes from “stop sound” to “acceleration sound”. The reproduction of the “acceleration sound” continues as long as the X acceleration is positive (acceleration).

  When the accelerating train A reaches the point at the timing t2, a relatively large Y acceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold is generated until the timing t3 when the train A crosses the point. When the Y acceleration is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the “flange sound” is output to a channel CH2 different from the output destination of the “acceleration sound”. As a result, a synthesized sound of the "acceleration sound" and the "flange sound" is reproduced in the period t2 to t3.

  At the timing t4, when the accelerating train A changes to a constant speed (constant speed), the X acceleration changes from plus (acceleration) to zero. With this change as a trigger, the reproduced sound changes from “acceleration sound” to “coasting sound”. The reproduction of the “coasting sound” continues as long as the X acceleration is 0 or slightly negative (0 ≧ X acceleration> minus threshold).

  At the timing t5, when the vehicle speed V of the coasting train A starts to decelerate, the X acceleration changes from 0 to minus (deceleration). With this change as a trigger, the reproduced sound changes from “coasting sound” to “deceleration sound”. The reproduction of the “deceleration sound” continues as long as the X acceleration is negative (X acceleration ≦ minus threshold).

  When the decelerating train A reaches the point at the timing t6, a relatively large Y acceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold is generated until the timing t7 when the train A crosses the point. When the Y acceleration is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, the “flange sound” is output to a channel CH2 different from the output destination of the “deceleration sound”. As a result, in the period t6 to t7, a synthesized sound of the "deceleration sound" and the "flange sound" is reproduced.

  At the timing t8, when the train A that is decelerating stops at the platform, the X acceleration changes from minus (deceleration) to zero. With this change as a trigger, the reproduced sound changes from “deceleration sound” to “stop sound”. At this time, the vehicle speed V is monitored, and a brake sound is reproduced immediately before the vehicle stops at which the vehicle speed V becomes zero.

  In the period t1 to t8 during which the train A is running, a “joint sound” is output to the channel CH3. As a result, a synthesized sound in which a “joint sound” is added to the behavior sound described above is reproduced. However, the “joint sound” may not be added by the user's selection in order to reproduce the time of running on a long rail.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the joint sound is a sound generated when the wheel 3 passes through a joint 5 a which is a joint of the rails 5. Depends on speed. Therefore, when reproducing the joint sound, it is necessary to increase the interval at low speeds and to shorten the interval at high speeds. To achieve this, as a first control method, the control unit 8e calculates the vehicle speed V based on the X acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b, and controls the reproduction interval of the joint sound according to the vehicle speed V. . As a result, regular repetition of the joint sound according to the vehicle speed V can be reproduced.

  However, as a disadvantage of the first control method, it is not possible to reproduce even an irregular repetition of a joint sound such as when passing a point. In order to solve this, as a second control method, the control unit 8e determines whether or not the wheel 3 has passed the joint 5a by monitoring the Z acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b. Play one joint sound each time. As shown in FIG. 1, in the joint 5a, a slight step (dent) due to the gap between the rail joints exists on the tread surface of the rail 5. Therefore, when the wheel 3 passes through the joint 5a, as a characteristic of the Z acceleration, the wheel 3 on the tread surface of the rail 5 falls below 1G in the process of falling into the step, and immediately after that, the wheel 3 falling into the step becomes the tread surface of the rail 5. In the process of riding, an instantaneous fluctuation pattern such as exceeding 1 G occurs. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when such an instantaneous fluctuation pattern is detected, it is determined that the wheel 3 has passed the joint 5a, and one joint sound is reproduced at that timing. When the model train 1 has two bogies (four wheels in total), a total of four regular joint sounds are reproduced for one joint 5a. Also, when passing through the point, an instantaneous variation pattern appears not only at the step of the joint 5a but also at the step of the frog, so that the joint sound is reproduced even at the timing when this variation pattern is detected. As a result, it is possible to reproduce even an irregular repetition of the joint sound, such as when passing a point.

  In the second control method, when the step of the joint 5a is very small, depending on the detection accuracy of the acceleration sensor 8b, there is a possibility that the instantaneous variation of the Z acceleration does not appear effectively and the passage of the joint 5a cannot be determined. Is concerned. Therefore, as long as the passage of the model railway vehicle 1 is not hindered, the joint between the rails at the joint 5a is expanded, or the upper part of the rail end is beveled obliquely, so that the instantaneous variation of the Z acceleration is reduced. You may make it appear effectively.

  Further, as another acceleration characteristic at the time of passing through the joint, there is a tendency that instantaneous fluctuations (back-and-forth and left-right shakes) also occur in the X acceleration and the Y acceleration at the same timing as the instantaneous fluctuation of the Z acceleration. Therefore, in the second control method, when the instantaneous variation of the Z acceleration occurs, the joint 5a is provided on the condition that an instantaneous variation occurs in at least one of the X acceleration and the Y acceleration at the same timing. May be determined to have passed.

  FIG. 7 is a table showing reproduction conditions of the flange sound. In an actual railway vehicle, the flange sound shifts to a higher frequency side as the speed increases. In order to reproduce this, the control unit 8e selectively reproduces a plurality of flange sounds having different frequencies according to the vehicle speed V. As the flange sound, for example, two types of low-frequency flange sound for low speed and high-frequency flange sound for high speed are prepared, and are selectively reproduced according to the Y acceleration and the vehicle speed V. Specifically, when the Y acceleration is equal to or more than the threshold value and the vehicle speed V is less than the threshold value, a low-speed flange sound is reproduced. At this time, a plurality of patterns are prepared as low-speed flange sounds, and if any of the patterns is reproduced at random, a variety of flange sounds can be reproduced. On the other hand, when the Y acceleration is equal to or higher than the threshold value and the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the threshold value, a high-speed flange sound is reproduced. Like the low-speed flange sound, a plurality of patterns may be prepared for the high-speed flange sound, and one of the patterns may be reproduced at random. Note that the flange sound is not limited to two types for low speed and high speed, and three or more types of flange sound having different frequencies may be selectively reproduced.

  Although the layout illustrated in FIG. 5 includes only flat sections, a gradient section often exists in the layout. Therefore, in order to enhance the reality, it is desired to reproduce the traveling state sound corresponding to the gradient section. As described above, the presence or absence of the gradient section can be determined based on whether or not the Z acceleration has become smaller than 1G. In the present embodiment, the control unit 8e detects a gradient according to the Z acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b, and compares the X acceleration with a predetermined threshold value to thereby generate a coasting sound, an acceleration sound, and a deceleration sound. Play selectively. Specifically, a behavior sound is selected based on the following selection rules.

[Gradient selection rules]
X acceleration> upper limit value TH1 (TH1> 0) "acceleration sound"
Upper limit value TH1 ≧ X acceleration ≧ Lower limit value TH2 “Coasting sound”
X acceleration <lower limit value TH2 (TH2 <0) "Deceleration sound"

  FIG. 8 is a timing chart of sound reproduction at the time of ascending gradient. When the X acceleration is larger than the upper limit value TH1 (case (a)), the acceleration is regarded as intentional acceleration and the “acceleration sound” is reproduced. When the X acceleration is within the range from the upper limit value TH1 to the lower limit value TH2 (case (b)), it is regarded as a change in the X acceleration due to the upward gradient, and the “coasting sound” is reproduced. Further, when the X acceleration is smaller than the lower limit value TH2 (case (c)), it is regarded as intentional deceleration, and a “deceleration sound” is reproduced.

  FIG. 9 is a timing chart of sound reproduction at the time of descending gradient. When the X acceleration is larger than the upper limit value TH1 (case (d)), the acceleration is regarded as intentional acceleration and the “acceleration sound” is reproduced. When the X acceleration is within the range from the upper limit value TH1 to the lower limit value TH2 (case (e)), the “coasting sound” is reproduced, assuming that the acceleration changes due to the downward slope. Further, when the X acceleration is smaller than the lower limit value TH2 (case (f)), it is regarded as intentional deceleration, and a “deceleration sound” is reproduced.

  That is, an upper limit value TH1 in anticipation of a decrease in X acceleration due to an upward gradient and a lower limit value TH2 in anticipation of an increase in X acceleration due to a downward gradient are set in advance. If it is within the range of TH1 to TH2, it is determined that the running state of the model railway vehicle 1 is coasting. Note that these thresholds TH1 and TH2 may be variably set according to the degree of Z acceleration, in other words, the degree of gradient. Also, by monitoring not only the X acceleration but also the change in the control signal for driving the motor, it is possible to reproduce the behavior sound at the time of running on a gradient with more fineness and higher reality.

  As can be understood from the description of FIG. 6, the reproduction start timing of the acceleration sound in the flat state is basically defined as the timing at which the X acceleration changes from 0 to plus (minus during reverse running). This is consistent with the behavior sound of a real train for a new train, an old train, and a steam locomotive, but exceptionally does not match the actual behavior sound of a diesel car. This is because, in an actual diesel vehicle, in a stopped state, the diesel engine first blows up, and the vehicle starts running with a delay. Therefore, in order to accurately reproduce the behavior sound of the diesel car, it is preferable to start the reproduction of the acceleration sound before the timing at which the X acceleration changes from 0 to plus (or minus). Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the PWM control corresponding to the normal lighting, the change in the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the rail is monitored to reproduce the acceleration sound prior to the start of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the pulse width-modulated voltage pulse is input to the control unit 8 e of the sound unit 8 as a control signal.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of voltage pulses in PWM control corresponding to normal lighting. In this PWM control, a high-frequency pulse is further superimposed on the pulse width-modulated pulse for vehicle speed control. As an example, the modulation period of the pulse width modulation is 50 Hz, and the frequency of the high frequency pulse is 20 KHz. Generally, a light-emitting body such as an LED responds immediately to a change in voltage, whereas a drive motor 4 takes longer to respond than a light-emitting body. Therefore, if a pulse having a high frequency is superimposed so that the motor 4 mounted on the vehicle does not start moving, only the light emitter can be turned on without driving the motor 4. The reproduction of the acceleration sound is started at a timing when it is detected that the duty ratio of the voltage pulse has increased from the minimum state (minimum pulse width). At this timing, since the model railway vehicle 1 is still stopped, the acceleration sound can be reproduced before the model railway vehicle 1 starts running. Thereafter, when the duty ratio of the voltage pulse increases to some extent, the model railway vehicle 1 that has already reproduced the acceleration sound starts running.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of sound reproduction based on the traveling distance D. In an actual railway, when a vehicle passes through a railway bridge, a unique railway bridge passing sound different from a normal track running sound is generated. Similarly, a unique tunnel reverberation is generated when passing through a tunnel. Therefore, when a structure such as an iron bridge or a tunnel exists in the layout of the railway model, the reality can be further enhanced if the sound of passing through the iron bridge or the reverberation sound of the tunnel can be reproduced as a behavior sound. Therefore, in the present embodiment, such a behavior sound is reproduced by calculating the traveling distance D of the model railway vehicle 1 based on the X acceleration and monitoring the traveling distance D. Specifically, a ground child 9 (such as an RFID tag) is installed at a predetermined position on the layout, and a position sensor (such as an RFID reader) for detecting the ground child 9 is provided in the model railway vehicle 1. When an RFID tag is used as the ground antenna 9, the RFID tag can be individually identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag, so that a plurality of RFID tags may be installed on the layout. As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 8e of the sound unit 8 receives a sensor signal from a position sensor. The storage unit 8d of the sound unit 8 stores, as information defined by the user, distance ranges d1 to d2 in which the reproduction of the bridge bridge passing sound or the like is executed. The distance d1 at which the reproduction of the bridge bridge sound or the like is started and the distance d2 at which the reproduction is ended are defined as distances based on the position of the ground child 9.

  When the train A running on the layout detects the ground child 9, the control unit 8e resets the traveling distance D to 0 and newly calculates the traveling distance D based on the X acceleration. Then, the reproduction of the iron bridge passing sound is started at the timing when the traveling distance D reaches d1, and the reproduction of the iron bridge passing sound is ended at the timing when it reaches d2. Thereby, the bridge bridge passing sound can be appropriately reproduced at the location of the bridge in the layout.

  As described above, the method of reproducing a sound caused by the existence of a specific structure depending on the traveling distance D includes a method of reproducing a reverberation sound originating from a tunnel or a wall or a bank existing on the side of a track in addition to a sound passing through an iron bridge. The same can be applied to the reproduction of a reverberation sound derived from the above.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a network system using a sound unit. The difference between this sound unit 8 ′ and the configuration of FIG. 2 is that firstly, the sound unit 8 ′ has an acceleration sensor 8b, a low-pass filter 8c, and a power supply unit 8g. It is a point. That is, the sound reproducing device 10 includes the storage unit 8d, the control unit 8e, and the speaker 8a. Second, in order to perform wireless communication between the sound unit 8 'and the sound reproducing device 10, the wireless communication units 8h and 8i are provided respectively. Third, the sensor signal input to the control unit is not a signal from a vehicle-side sensor that detects a ground mounted on the layout, but a signal from a layout-side sensor that detects passage of the model railway vehicle 1. is there. As the layout-side sensor, for example, a contact sensor whose electrical characteristics change when it comes into contact with the wheel 3 of the vehicle, an RFID reader that reads an RFID tag mounted on the vehicle, an infrared sensor, and the like can be used. Otherwise, the configuration is basically the same as that of FIG. 2, and thus the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted here. Even with such a network-type configuration, sound reproduction according to the behavior of the model railway vehicle 1 can be realized as in the stand-alone type configuration shown in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, accelerations (X acceleration, Y acceleration, Z acceleration) in at least three axial directions are detected by the acceleration sensor 8b mounted on the model railway vehicle 1. Thereby, the actual behavior of the model railway vehicle 1 can be accurately monitored regardless of the rotation characteristics of the motor 4 with respect to the effective voltage, the resistance of the power transmission mechanism 7, or the train resistance, and the sound reproduction is immediately adapted to this behavior. It becomes possible. As a result, sound reproduction synchronized with the behavior of the model railway vehicle 1 can be performed for various behavior sounds that reproduce the sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle, without the need for the user to operate. In addition, the burden on the user regarding sound control can be reduced, and the user can concentrate on the original driving without worrying about the operation for sound reproduction.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, by monitoring the X acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b, running state sounds such as a stop sound, an acceleration sound, a coasting sound, and a deceleration sound are recorded as the behavior sound of the model railway vehicle 1. Can be reproduced. In particular, when a stopped vehicle starts running, the reproduction of the acceleration sound can be started at the timing when the stopped vehicle starts running, and when the running vehicle stops, the braking sound is started at the timing when the running vehicle stops. Sound playback can be terminated.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, by monitoring the Y acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b, a flange sound generated at a curve, a point, or the like can be reproduced as the behavior sound of the model railway vehicle 1.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, by monitoring the instantaneous fluctuation of the vehicle speed V or the Z acceleration calculated based on the X acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b, the behavior sound of the model railway vehicle 1 is The joint sound can be reproduced at a reproduction interval corresponding to the speed.

  Also, according to the present embodiment, the model railway vehicle 1 travels on a slope by determining the presence or absence of a slope based on the Z acceleration and comparing the X acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 8b with the thresholds TH1 and TH2. The behavior sound (running state sound) at the time can be reproduced.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, by monitoring the traveling distance D calculated based on the X acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 6b, a special behavior sound (iron bridge passing sound) derived from the existence of a structure such as an iron bridge or a tunnel. And tunnel echoes).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Model railway vehicle 2 Vehicle main body 3 Wheel 4 Motor 5 Rail 5a Joint 6 Power collection mechanism 7 Power transmission mechanism 8, 8 'Sound unit 8a Speaker 8b Acceleration sensor 8c Low pass filter 8d Storage unit 8e Control unit 8f Switching switch 8g Power supply unit 8h , 8i Radio communication unit 9 Ground child 10 Sound reproduction device A train

In order to solve such a problem, a first invention provides a sound unit that includes a speaker, an acceleration sensor, a storage unit, and a control unit, and is mounted on a model railway vehicle running on rails. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration in at least three axial directions. The storage unit stores a plurality of sound files. Each sound file defines a behavior sound that reproduces a sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle, and the behavior sounds defined by the sound files are different from each other. The control unit generates the behavior generated based on the sound file selectively read from the storage unit according to the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor and the duty ratio of the voltage pulse supplied to the rail by pulse width modulation. Sound is reproduced in real time from a speaker.

A second invention provides a model railway vehicle that has a vehicle body and a sound unit and travels on rails. The sound unit is provided in the vehicle main body, and is driven by electric power collected from a rail via wheels provided at a lower portion of the vehicle main body, or by storing the collected electric power. The sound unit has a speaker, an acceleration sensor, a storage unit, and a control unit. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration in at least three axial directions. The storage unit stores a plurality of sound files. Each sound file defines a behavior sound that reproduces a sound generated by the actual behavior of the railway vehicle, and the behavior sounds defined by the sound files are different from each other. The control unit is based on the sound file selectively read from the storage unit according to the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor and the duty ratio of the voltage pulse supplied to the rail by pulse width modulation. The generated behavior sound is reproduced from a speaker in real time.

According to the present invention, the actual behavior of a model railway vehicle is monitored by detecting accelerations in at least three axial directions by an acceleration sensor provided in the model railway vehicle. In this monitoring, the duty ratio of the voltage pulse supplied to the rail by the pulse width modulation is also considered. As a result, the sound reproduction can be made to immediately adapt to the actual behavior of the model railway vehicle regardless of the individual differences of the power vehicles, the number of trailer vehicles, and the like. As a result, the sound can be reproduced in synchronization with the behavior of the model railway vehicle without any operation by the user.

Claims (24)

In a sound unit mounted on a model railway vehicle running on rails,
A railway having an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in at least three axial directions in order to reproduce a behavioral sound reproduced from a behavior of an actual railway vehicle in real time according to the behavior of the model railway vehicle; Model sound unit.   The said sound unit is driven by the electric power collected from the rail via the wheel provided in the lower part of the said vehicle main body, or by accumulating the said collected electric power, The driving | operation is characterized by the above-mentioned. Sound unit for railway models described in. Speakers and
A storage unit for storing a plurality of sound files each defining a different behavior sound,
A control unit that selectively reads a sound file from the storage unit in response to a detection signal of the acceleration sensor, and reproduces a behavior sound generated based on the sound file from the speaker. Item 3. The sound unit for a railway model according to item 1 or 2.   The control unit selectively reproduces one of an acceleration sound, a deceleration sound, a coasting sound, and a stop sound as the behavior sound according to the vehicle length direction acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. The railway model sound unit according to claim 3.   The control unit, when a gradient is detected by the acceleration in the vehicle height direction detected by the acceleration sensor, by comparing the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor with a threshold, coasting sound, The sound unit for a railway model according to claim 4, wherein one of the acceleration sound and the deceleration sound is selectively reproduced.   The sound unit for a railway model according to claim 4, wherein the control unit selectively reproduces the behavior sound according to a duty ratio of a voltage pulse supplied to the rail by pulse width modulation.   The sound for a railway model according to claim 3, wherein the control unit selectively reproduces the flange sound as the behavior sound according to the acceleration in the vehicle width direction detected by the acceleration sensor. unit.   The control unit selectively reproduces, as the flange sound, any one of a plurality of flange sounds having different frequencies from each other according to a vehicle speed calculated based on acceleration in a vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. The sound unit for a railway model according to claim 7, wherein:   4. The control unit variably controls a reproduction interval of the joint sound as the behavior sound according to a vehicle speed calculated based on the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. 5. Sound unit for railway models described in.   The said control part reproduces the joint sound which is the said behavior sound, when an instantaneous fluctuation | variation pattern appears in the acceleration of the vehicle length direction detected by the said acceleration sensor. Sound unit for railway models.   The control unit reproduces, as the behavior sound, a passing sound or a reverberation sound derived from the presence of a specific structure, according to a traveling distance calculated based on the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. The sound unit for a railway model according to claim 3, characterized in that:   The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit continues to reproduce the passing sound or the reverberation sound when the calculated traveling distance is within the distance range stored in the storage unit. Sound unit for railway models.   The sound unit for a railway model according to claim 11, wherein the control unit resets the calculated traveling distance when a ground child installed on the layout is detected. In a model railway vehicle running on rails,
Vehicle body,
Wheels provided at a lower portion of the vehicle body,
A sound unit provided in the vehicle body and driven by power collected from a rail via the wheels or driven by storing the collected power,
The sound unit comprises:
Speakers and
An acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in at least three axial directions;
A storage unit that stores a plurality of sound files, each of which defines a behavior sound that reproduces a sound emitted by the actual behavior of a railway vehicle, and the behavior sounds defined by each are different from each other,
A control unit that selectively reads a sound file from the storage unit in response to a detection signal of the acceleration sensor and reproduces a behavior sound generated based on the sound file in real time from the speaker. Model train car.   The control unit selectively reproduces one of an acceleration sound, a deceleration sound, a coasting sound, and a stop sound as the behavior sound according to the vehicle length direction acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. The railway model vehicle according to claim 14, wherein:   The control unit, when a gradient is detected by the acceleration in the vehicle height direction detected by the acceleration sensor, by comparing the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor with a threshold, coasting sound, The model railway vehicle according to claim 15, wherein one of the acceleration sound and the deceleration sound is selectively reproduced.   16. The model train according to claim 15, wherein the control unit selectively reproduces the behavior sound according to a duty ratio of a voltage pulse supplied to the rail by pulse width modulation.   15. The model railway vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the control unit selectively reproduces the flange sound as the behavior sound according to the acceleration in the vehicle width direction detected by the acceleration sensor.   The control unit selectively reproduces, as the flange sound, any one of a plurality of flange sounds having different frequencies from each other according to a vehicle speed calculated based on acceleration in a vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. The railway model vehicle according to claim 18, wherein:   The control unit variably controls a reproduction interval of the joint sound as the behavior sound according to a vehicle speed calculated based on an acceleration in a vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. Model train car described in.   15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the control unit reproduces the joint sound as the behavior sound when an instantaneous fluctuation pattern appears in the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. Model train car.   The control unit reproduces, as the behavior sound, a passing sound or a reverberation sound derived from the presence of a specific structure, according to a traveling distance calculated based on the acceleration in the vehicle length direction detected by the acceleration sensor. The model railway vehicle according to claim 14, wherein:   23. The control device according to claim 22, wherein the control unit continues to reproduce the passing sound or the reverberation sound when the calculated traveling distance is within the distance range stored in the storage unit. Model train car. 24. The model railway vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the control unit resets the calculated traveling distance when a ground child installed on the layout is detected.

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