JP2023171143A - Acoustic device and acoustic system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an acoustic device that appropriately provides users on mobile bodies such as bicycles, motorcycles, or electric kick boards with a sound notification.SOLUTION: An acoustic device has a detection device 6 that detects an ear position 26 of a passenger 21, a plurality of sound emitting devices (loudspeakers) 3 that has directionality, drive means for driving the sound emitting devices to change their orientations, and control means for controlling the drive means so that the sound ranges of the plurality of loudspeakers are set to overlap on the basis of the location of the ears detected by the detection means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an audio device mounted on a moving object.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of situations in which people mount smartphones on their bicycle handlebars, use applications for destination searches and route guidance, and receive notifications from applications. It is also conceivable that in the future bicycles may be equipped with a system that is equipped with a danger detection device and receives a notification when a danger is detected, similar to the driving support system of a car. For example, when giving the above-mentioned notification to the passenger, it is conceivable to give the notification using an audio device such as a speaker.

Patent Document 1 discloses that the position of the passenger's eyes captured by an imaging unit is calculated, the position of the ears is estimated from the calculated position of the eyes, and the sound generation unit outputs a sound according to the estimated ear position. A method for correcting the sound field of is disclosed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a sound reproduction technique in which a reproduced sound source is divided into a plurality of divided sound sources, and a signal equivalent to the reproduced sound source is obtained when the acoustic signals of speakers reproducing the individual divided sound sources are superimposed. There is.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-231063 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-19150

However, when the technologies of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are installed on a bicycle and the bicycle is placed in an outdoor environment, it may be difficult to hear the notification due to surrounding sounds. Furthermore, if the sound pressure level is increased so that the rider can hear it at an appropriate sound pressure level depending on the surrounding sounds, there is a concern that the sound pressure level will become uncomfortable for people around the bicycle. As described above, in mobile objects such as bicycles, motorcycles, electric kickboards, and the like that do not have a partition wall between the user and the outside, there is a concern that the user cannot be appropriately notified by sound.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to appropriately notify a user boarding a mobile object by sound.

One of the audio devices of the present invention includes a directional speaker and a mounting means for mounting on a user, and the speaker is arranged so that its direction is directed toward the user's ear.

Further, one of the acoustic devices of the present invention includes a detection means for detecting the position of a user's ear, a plurality of speakers having directivity, a driving means for driving the speakers to change the direction, and the detection means. and control means for controlling the drive means to set the sound ranges of the plurality of speakers to overlap based on the position of the ear detected by.

According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately notify a user boarding a mobile object by sound.

An example of an overall configuration diagram of a bicycle equipped with a sound device. An example of a detailed configuration diagram of a sound generation device. An example of a block diagram showing the configuration of an audio device. An example of an explanatory diagram of an ear position detection method. (a) An example of a top view of the acoustic device. (b) An example of a flowchart showing control of the directional drive device. An example of a top view of the audio device. An example of a diagram showing sound waves of a sound generation device. An example of a flowchart showing a system flow of sound pressure level setting by sound collection. An example of a diagram showing ambient environmental sounds while driving. An example of a diagram showing the surrounding environment while driving. An example of a table showing environmental standards regarding noise levels set by the Ministry of the Environment. An example of a flowchart showing a system flow for setting a sound pressure level upper limit value based on environmental standards. An example of a diagram showing the surrounding environment while driving. An example of a table that summarizes the amount of increase in sound pressure level for each difference in sound pressure level between two sound sources. An example of a detailed configuration diagram of the main body. An example of a block diagram showing the configuration of the main body. An example of a front view of a passenger wearing a helmet equipped with a sound device. An example of a front view of a passenger wearing a neck device with a sound generating device.

<First embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

First, the mechanical configuration of the audio device (acoustic system) according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of a bicycle equipped with a sound device, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the detailed structure of the sounding device, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the sound device. Note that this embodiment will be described using a bicycle as an example of a moving object. Examples of moving bodies to which this embodiment can be applied include those in which a rider is not isolated from the outside environment, such as a bicycle, a motorcycle, or an electric kickboard.

In FIG. 1, a bicycle main body 1 is a so-called bicycle on which a rider sitting on a saddle 12 can obtain propulsion force by pedaling a pedal 13 with his or her feet, and can move a rider on the bicycle. The effect of this invention is not limited to bicycles, but can also be applied to any mobile vehicle that moves while the rider is directly exposed to the outside environment, such as electrically assisted bicycles and kickboards.

The casing body 2 is a casing that houses a control section, an external network connection section, a position information acquisition section, and a power switch, which will be described later. A plurality of sounding devices 3, a direction driving device 4, a sound collecting device 5, and a detection device 6 are mechanically and electrically connected to the outside of the housing body 2, and are arranged in mutually positioned positions. , is fixed to the handle 14 by the housing fixing part 7.

The sound generating device 3 is a speaker that converts an electrical signal (acoustic signal) into sound. The sound generating device 3 has a directional sound range for transmitting sound particularly in a specific direction (directional direction). In this embodiment, at least two or more sound generating devices 3 are installed. The directional drive device 4 is a drive device that mounts the sound generation device 3 and rotates it in an arbitrary direction to change the direction of the directional sound range. In this embodiment, the directional drive device 4 is fixed to the housing body 2. A method of driving the directional drive device 4 will be explained later with reference to FIG. 2.

The sound collection device 5 is a microphone for collecting sounds of the surrounding environment. The sound collection device 5 is arranged at a position that does not fall within any of the sound ranges (hereinafter referred to as the whole sound range) in which the sound reproduced from the sound generation device 3 by the driving of the directional drive device 4 can reach a large extent. In this embodiment, two sound collection devices 5 are installed, but it is sufficient if at least one or more sound pickup devices 5 are installed.

The detection device 6 is a camera capable of photographing the front and rear of the bicycle body 1. The detection device 6 has means for measuring distance both in front and behind, and can detect the distance between the detection device 6 and an object within the photographing range. Further, as will be described later, the detection device 6 is used to detect the position of the passenger's ear. Note that the detection device 6 may be a 360° camera using a dome lens. The detection device 6 may measure the distance using a distance measurement sensor. In this embodiment, the housing body 2, the sounding device 3, the direction driving device 4, the sound collecting device 5, and the detecting device 6 are collectively referred to as an acoustic device 11.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a method for changing the direction of the sounding device 3 using the direction driving device 4 will be described. The directional drive device 4 is composed of two telescopic drive parts 15 that can be extended and contracted, and a rotary drive part 16 that can be rotated as a base thereof. The movable ends of the telescopic drive section 15 are rotatably fixed to the sound generating device 3, and the fixed ends are fixed to the rotation drive section 16. As a result, the vertical elevation angle of the sounding device 3 is changed by changing the expansion/contraction ratio of the two telescoping drive sections 15, and the rotational drive section 16 rotates the entire sounding device 3, so that the sounding device 3 is rotated. The horizontal rotation angle can be changed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the internal configuration of the housing body 2 will be described. The main body 2 includes a control section 8, an external network connection section 9, a position information acquisition section 10, and a power switch 17. The control unit 8 that controls all the controls of the audio device 11 is activated by turning on the power switch, and controls the sound generation device 3, the direction driving device 4, the sound collection device 5, the detection device 6, the external network connection unit 9, and the acquisition of position information. It is electrically connected to the section 10.

The control unit 8 stores the detection result by the detection device 6 and the sound collection result by the sound collection device 5 in an internal memory (not shown), controls the directional drive device 4 based on the stored contents, and controls the directional sound range of the sound generation device 3. change in a given direction. It also sends audio signals corresponding to each scene, which will be described later, to the sound generation device 3. Detailed control contents for each scene will be described later.

The external network connection unit 9 is a wireless device that can communicate with external devices and connect to and communicate with an external network such as the Internet. The external network connection unit 9 performs wireless communication according to, for example, the WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication standard. The location information acquisition unit 10 is a device that can acquire self-location information, such as a GPS device. By using the position information acquisition unit 10 and the external network connection unit 9 in combination, the control unit 8 can search for surrounding environment information such as regulatory information regarding noise around the current location.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a method for detecting the position of the passenger's ear (hereinafter also referred to as ear position) will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method for detecting the ear position of a passenger using an image taken by the detection device 6 on the passenger side, and the passenger 21 represents the passenger himself photographed by the detection device 6. .

The passenger angle of view 20 is an angle of view that indicates the photographing range of the rear (on the passenger side) by the detection device 6, and is set to an angle of view that can image at least the entire sound range. The first head position 22 is particularly the outline of the head of the passenger 21, and is detected by object detection processing by the control unit 8. In this embodiment, the first head position 22 approximates an ellipse centered on a head position center 24 that is the center of the head of the passenger 21.

The second head position 23 indicates the position of the face of the rider 21 when the rider 21 takes a standing position on the bicycle main body 1, such as when riding while standing. In this embodiment, the passenger field of view 20 is set to an angle of view that allows photographing the entire second head position 23.

The control unit 8 detects the first head position 22 of the passenger 21 from the photographed image of the passenger view angle 20, and also detects the horizontal center line 25 passing through the head position center 24 and the circle of the first head position 22. The intersection of the circumferences is determined as the ear position 26. Note that the ear position detection method described in this embodiment is just an example, and any method such as detection of the ear itself by machine learning or calculation from the position of the eyes may be used. Further, the control unit 8 acquires distance measurement information about the distance to the detected ear position 26 by the distance measurement means of the detection device 6.

With the above configuration, the control unit 8 can obtain the position of the ear of the passenger 21 and the distance to the ear from the imaging result and distance measurement result of the detection device 6.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a method of controlling the two sounding devices 3 and the direction driving device 4 at the ear position 26 of the passenger 21 will be described. FIG. 5A is a top view of the head of the rider 21 and the audio device 11 viewed from above when the rider 21 rides the bicycle body 1 on which the audio device 11 is mounted. FIG. 5(b) shows a system flow (hereinafter referred to as "intersection control") when two sound generating devices 3 are caused to intersect at the ear position 26 under the control of the direction drive device 4.

In FIG. 5(a), a sound range 30 indicates the sound range of the sound generating device 3, which is a directional sound range in which the range in which sound can be heard is narrow, unlike a normal speaker or the like. The center axis 31 is a center line indicating the center of the sound range 30, and the point where the center axes 31 of the sound range 30 emitted from the two sound generating devices 3 intersect is a cross point 32.

Next, intersection control will be explained with reference to FIG. 5(b), with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5(a). In step S100, the power supply SW17 is operated, and an ON signal is output from the power supply SW17. In step S101, the control unit 8 is activated by the ON signal, and in step S102, the control unit 8 selects either the right or left ear of the passenger 21. Details regarding the method for selecting the left and right ears will be explained later.

Thereafter, the control unit 8 detects the target ear position 26 from the imaging result of the detection device 6 in step S103, and acquires distance information in step S104. In step S105, the control unit 8 calculates the elevation angle and the horizontal rotation angle so that the central axes 31 of the two sounding devices 3 intersect at the ear position 26. In step S106, the control unit 8 controls the directional drive device 4 based on the calculation result in step S105. This crossing point is defined as a crossing point 32.

FIG. 5(a) shows the state when the process of step S106 is executed. In step S107, after determining the cross point 32, the control unit 8 controls the timing at which the acoustic signals are reproduced from the two sounding devices 3 (hereinafter, the process in step S107 is referred to as sounding timing control). Details of the sound generation timing control will be described later. The control unit 8 sets the cross point 32 at approximately the same position as the ear position 26 in the longitudinal direction of the passenger.

Thereafter, in step S108, the control unit 8 checks the state of the ON signal of the power switch at regular intervals. If the power SW is in the ON state, the control unit 8 performs the processing from step S108 to step S114, and re-controls the direction driving device 4 in accordance with the change in the ear position of the target (hereinafter referred to as loop control). In the loop control, when the control unit 8 changes the target in step S109 using the left and right ear selection method described later, the control unit 8 performs the same processing as S103 to S107. Specifically, the step control unit 8 detects the ear position 26 of the target in S110, and acquires distance information in step S111. Then, the control unit 8 calculates the elevation angle and the horizontal rotation angle in step S112, controls the direction driving device 4 in step S113, and performs sound generation timing control in step S114.

In step S108, when the control unit 8 detects the OFF signal of the power supply SW, the loop control is exited, and in step S115, the control unit 8 ends the crossing control.

With the above configuration, the control section 8 can overlap the sound ranges of the plurality of sounding devices 3 at the ear position of the passenger 21.

Next, a method of amplifying the sound waves emitted by the sound generating device 3 at the cross point 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a top view of the head of the rider 21 and the audio device 11 viewed from above when the rider 21 rides the bicycle body 1 on which the audio device 11 is mounted. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the sound waves emitted by the sound generating device in FIG. 6 as transverse waves. Although sound waves are generally longitudinal waves, they are expressed as transverse waves to make the explanation easier to understand.

6 and 7, the sounding device 3 on the right side as viewed from the passenger 21 is called a sounding device 40, and the sounding device on the left side is called a sounding device 41. When the positions of the left and right sounding devices are taken as a starting point 44, the distance from the sounding device 40 to the cross point 32 is a distance 42, and the distance from the sounding device 41 to the cross point 32 is a distance 43. The sound wave 45 is a synthetic sound wave like a voice, but if it is a single wavelength sound wave like a warning sound, it is expressed as a sine wave with a constant frequency and a constant amplitude.

FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing the sound waves emitted by the sounding device as transverse waves when the distances 42 and 43 are the same, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing the sound waves emitted by the sounding device as transverse waves when the distances 42 and 43 are the same, and FIG. 7(b) shows the case when the distance 42 is longer than the distance 43 by the distance difference A. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the sound waves emitted by the sounding device in the form of transverse waves.

In FIG. 7A, sound waves 45 emitted simultaneously from the origin 44 arrive at the cross point 32 at the same time and in the same phase because the distances 42 and 43 are equal. Generally, when sounds with the same waveform are superimposed with the same phase, the amplitude will be twice that of the original sound source due to wave synthesis. Although the sound pressure cannot be doubled like the amplitude due to compression energy, the same amplification effect can be obtained. Therefore, in FIG. 7A, amplified sound waves 46 can be obtained near the cross point 32, and the passenger 21 can hear the sound waves 45 at a higher sound pressure than the sound generating devices 40 and 41.

In FIG. 7B, the sound waves 45 simultaneously emitted from the origin 44 arrive at the cross point 32 with different waveforms because the distance 42 is longer by the distance difference A. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain an amplification effect by combining waves. Furthermore, in the case of synthetic sound waves such as voices, the voices heard from the sound generating devices 40 and 41 are heard as shifted voices, making it extremely difficult for the passenger 21 to hear.

Therefore, the control unit 8 calculates the distance difference A from the position information of the cross point 32. The control unit 8 converts the distance difference A into a time difference based on the distance difference A and the speed at which the sound wave 45 travels in the air (for example, 340 m/s), and based on the time difference, selects a sounding device whose distance to the cross point 32 is short. From 41 onwards, control is performed to delay the time at which sound generation starts (hereinafter referred to as sound generation timing control). As a result, an amplification effect can be obtained in the vicinity of the cross point, as described in FIG. 7(a). The above sound generation timing control is performed when changing the target of the crossing control.

With the above configuration, the control section 8 amplifies the sound pressure within a predetermined distance range by intersecting the sound ranges of the sounding devices 40 and 41 at the ear position of the passenger 21. It is possible to notify only the passenger 21 with a sound pressure greater than the emitted sound pressure.

Next, a system flow for setting the sound pressure level of the sound emitted from the sound generation device 3 based on the sound collection result of the sound collection device 5 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8 and 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a system flow for setting a sound pressure level by sound collection (hereinafter referred to as "use sound pressure level control"). Note that, in order to simplify the explanation, the explanation is limited to the sound pressure level setting, but in reality, the cross control explained with reference to FIG. 5(b) is also performed depending on the situation.

In step S199, the power supply SW17 is operated, and an ON signal is output from the power supply SW17. In step S200, the control unit 8 is activated. In step S201, the control unit 8 acquires, as an initial setting, the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal generated from the external environmental sound collected by the sound collection device 5, and stores them in the internal memory in step S202.

In step S203, the control unit 8 acquires the age information of the passenger 21 from another communication device such as a smartphone via the external network connection unit 9, and stores it in the internal memory. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the passenger 21 has input age information into the smartphone in advance. Note that the control unit 8 may acquire the age information of the passenger 21 through image processing by the detection device 6.

In step S204, the control unit 8 sets the sound pressure level of the sound signal to be reproduced from the sound generation device 3 based on the sound pressure level of the sound signal of the external environmental sound stored in the internal memory. Here, the control unit 8 sets the frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the sound generation device 3 at a frequency different from the frequency of the external environmental sound and at a frequency that is easiest for the age of the passenger 21 to hear. This is the initial setting. After that, the rider 21 starts riding the bicycle, and the external environment changes.

In step S205, the control unit 8 checks the state of the ON signal of the power switch at regular intervals, and if the power switch is in the ON state, analyzes the sound pressure level and frequency, determines whether to reset, and performs reset. (hereinafter referred to as loop control). In the loop control, processes from step S206 to step S208 are performed. In the loop control, in step S206, the control unit 8 acquires the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal of the external environmental sound, similarly to step S201. When the control unit 8 detects a change in at least one of the sound pressure level and the frequency component in step S207, the control unit 8 resets the sound pressure level or frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the sound generation device 3 in step S208. . After the process of step S208 is performed, the control unit 8 performs the process of step S205.

In step S205, when the control unit 8 detects the OFF signal of the power switch, the loop control is exited, and in step S209, the control unit 8 ends the control of the sound pressure level used.

With the above configuration, the control section 8 can set the sound emitted from the sound generation device 3 at a sound pressure level and frequency that are easy for the passenger 21 to hear, and at a level that cannot be heard by the surroundings.

Next, a method for selecting the left and right ears of the passenger will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the surrounding environment when ambient environmental sounds are heard from the left side while riding a bicycle. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the surrounding environment when a car approaches from the front right side while the vehicle is running.

In FIG. 9, when the environmental sound 60 is being heard from the left side in the direction of travel of the bicycle, and it is desired to notify using the audio device, it is considered that the left ear of the rider 21 is in a situation where it is difficult to hear the notification due to the environmental sound. . Therefore, the control unit 8 detects which side of the passenger 21's left or right environmental sound is louder based on the sound collection results of the left and right sound collecting devices 5, and sets the ear of the passenger 21 with the smaller environmental sound as the target. The crossing control is performed so that the crossing point 32 is positioned with respect to the position 26.

In addition, in FIG. 10, when danger is detected, such as when a car 63 approaches from the front right side while riding a bicycle, people generally turn their attention in the direction of the sound, so it is difficult to avoid the direction of the approaching car. It is considered preferable to send notifications from the same direction. Therefore, when the control unit 8 detects the detection frame 62 indicating the automobile 63 within the angle of view 61 on the front side of the bicycle of the detection device 6, the control unit 8 sets the ear of the rider 21 on the same side as the detection frame 62 as the target, and Take control.

In addition, in a situation where there is no risk detection such as loud environmental sounds or an approaching car as described above, in the image of the passenger 21 detected by the detection device 6, the side where the ear is judged to be more clearly reflected is The cross control is performed using the ear as the target.

With the above configuration, the control unit 8 can select an ear position that is easier for the passenger 21 to hear during normal times, and can issue notifications to draw more attention to the passenger 21 in an emergency.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3, 11, and 12, a system flow for setting the upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the sound generating device 3 based on the environmental standards of the area where the vehicle is traveling will be described. FIG. 11 is a table showing environmental standards regarding noise levels set by the Ministry of the Environment. FIG. 12 is a system flow (hereinafter referred to as "sound pressure level upper limit control") when setting the upper limit value of the sound pressure level of the sound emitted from the sound generating device 3 based on the environmental standards of the current location.

In Figure 11, the areas where the upper limit of the sound pressure level of noise is set by environmental standards are mainly areas AA where especially quietness is required such as capacity facilities, area A exclusively for residential use, area B including residential areas, and residential areas. There is also Area C, which includes commercial and industrial land. Upper limits for daytime and nighttime noise levels are set for each region. Further, for areas A to C, different noise upper limit values are set depending on whether the area faces a road or not. Therefore, it is necessary to always set the upper limit of the sound pressure level of the sound produced by the audio device to a sound pressure level below this environmental standard for each region in which the vehicle is traveling.

In step S299, the power supply SW17 is operated and an ON signal is output from the power supply SW17, thereby starting the control unit 8 in step S300. As an initial setting, the control unit 8 acquires the current location (current position) of the bicycle body 1 using the location information acquisition unit 10 in step S301, and acquires environmental standard information at the current location from the Internet etc. through the external network connection unit 9 in step S302. do. Here, the information acquired by the external network connection unit 9 is, for example, map information including environmental standard information.

Then, in step S303, the control unit 8 sets the upper limit value of the sound pressure level of the sound emitted from the sound generating device 3 based on the upper limit of the acquired environmental standard information. Thereafter, the bicycle starts to be driven by the rider 21, and the external environment changes.

The control unit 8 checks the state of the ON signal of the power SW at regular intervals, and if it is detected in step S304 that the power SW is in the ON state, it repeats the processing from step S305 to step S308. That is, the control unit 8 repeatedly performs control to obtain the current location, refer to the environmental standards of the current location, and reset the upper limit of the sound pressure level if there is a difference from the current setting (hereinafter referred to as loop control). In the loop control, the control unit 8 acquires current location information in step S305 similarly to step S301. In step S306, the control unit 8 acquires environmental standard information of the current location similarly to step S302. When the control unit 8 detects a change in the environmental standard in step S307, the control unit 8 resets the upper limit value of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the sound generation device 3 in step S308.

In step S304, when the control unit 8 detects the OFF signal of the power SW, the loop control is exited, and the control unit 8 ends the sound pressure level upper limit control.

With the above configuration, the control unit 8 can always set a sound pressure level that does not exceed environmental standards. In addition, in order to simplify the explanation, only the operation of the sound pressure level upper limit control is explained in FIG. 12, but in reality, depending on the situation, the cross control and sound pressure level setting operation explained in FIG. 5(b) may also be performed. It will be done.

Note that if the audio device has a timekeeping means such as a clock, the sound pressure level may be set according to the time. For example, the control unit 8 determines whether it is daytime or nighttime based on the time and sets the sound pressure level.

Next, with reference to FIG. 13, a method for setting the left-right difference in the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the sound generating device 3 according to the situation at the rear of the sound range will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the surrounding environment when a person (person) enters the sound range of the sound generation device that is notifying the passenger while the vehicle is running.

In FIG. 13, the passenger viewing angle 20 when the detection device 6 images the passenger 21 side is the viewing angle including the sound ranges 82 and 83 formed by the sounding device 40 on the right side and the sounding device 41 on the left side when viewed from the passenger 21. , and the detection device 6 can detect objects within that angle of view. To minimize the sound pressure level of the sound range 82 of the right sounding device 40 that may be heard by the pedestrian 81 when the pedestrian 81 enters the sound range 82 of the right sounding device 40 while riding a bicycle. is considered preferable.

Therefore, the control unit 8 detects that there is a person in the direction in which the right sounding device 40 is facing within the rider field of view 20 behind the bicycle of the detection device 6, and the amplified sound pressure at the cross point 32 is adjusted to the appropriate level. Set it so that the pressure is the same. The control unit 8 sets the sound pressure level so that the sound pressure level of the sound range 82 is the minimum among the sound pressure levels of the acoustic signals reproduced from the sound generating devices 40 and 41. The appropriate sound pressure level here is a sound pressure that is easy for passengers to hear. As an example, the explanation will be given below using specific numerical values.

Generally, the amount of increase in sound pressure due to the synthesis of sounds from the first and second sounding devices is calculated using the following formula.
Increased sound pressure = 10 x log [10] ((p1^2 + p2^2) / p0^2) - 10 x log [10] (p1^2 / p0^2)
...Formula (1)
*p0: Reference sound pressure *p1: Sound pressure from the first sounding device *P2: Sound pressure from the second sounding device *P1 and p2 are A-weighted sound pressure When there are two sound sources, the above formula (1) The amount of increase in sound pressure is calculated using , and FIG. 14 shows a table that is summarized for each difference in sound pressure between two sound sources.

Here, if you want to set the target sound pressure after amplification at the cross point 32 to 60 dB, and the sound pressure produced by the sound generating devices 84 and 85 is equal, the increased sound pressure is 3 dB from the table of FIG. 14, so it is 57 dB + 57 dB. = 60dB
Therefore, if the sound generating devices 84 and 85 produce sound at a sound pressure of 57 dB, the target sound pressure is achieved. Here, when it is desired to minimize the sound pressure in the sound range 82 while setting the target sound pressure to 60 dB, the table of FIG. 14 shows that if the sound pressure difference is up to 9 dB, there is a sound pressure increasing effect of 1 dB. Therefore, 59dB + 50dB = 60dB
Therefore, if a sound is emitted at a sound pressure of 50 dB from the right sounding device 84 and 59 dB from the left sounding device 85, it is possible to achieve the target sound pressure at the cross point 32 while setting the sound pressure to be the minimum for the pedestrian 81. be.

With the above configuration, the control unit 8 can set a sound pressure that is more difficult for people around the bicycle to hear.

<Second embodiment>
In contrast to the first embodiment, an embodiment in which the sound generating device 3 is attached to a helmet will be described with reference to FIGS. 15, 16, and 17.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a bicycle equipped with a sound device, and has a configuration in which the sound generating device 3 and the directional drive device 4 are excluded from the overall configuration of FIG. 1. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the audio device shown in FIG. 15. Note that redundant explanations will be omitted. FIG. 17 is a front view of the passenger 21 wearing a helmet 92 equipped with a sound generating device. The helmet 92 is attached to the head of the rider 21 in order to protect the head of the rider 21 when the rider 21 falls down while riding a bicycle. In this embodiment, a helmet will be described as an example, but the helmet 92 may be anything that is worn on the user's head, such as a hat.

In FIG. 15, the housing main body 2, the sound collection device 5, and the detection device 6 are collectively referred to as a main body 18.

In FIG. 17, a helmet 92 is equipped with a handset 90 having a function of communicating with the external network connection section 9 of the housing body 2. As shown in FIG. The sound generating device 3 is electrically connected to the handset 90, and the left and right sounding devices 3 are installed in such a direction that the sound range 30 to be emitted is directed to the left and right ears of the passenger 21, respectively. That is, the sounding device 3 is arranged near the left and right temporal regions of the user, and the directivity of the sounding device 3 (speaker) is directed in a certain direction of the user's body.

When the control section 8 reproduces the acoustic signal from the sound generation device 3 , the control section 8 communicates with the handset 90 via the external network connection section 9 , and the handset 90 outputs the sound signal to the sound generation device 3 . With the above configuration, the sound generation device 3 faces only the shoulder of the passenger 21 or the ground beyond it, making it difficult for the sound to reach surrounding people. Therefore, the same effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Third embodiment>
In the first embodiment, an embodiment in which the sound generating device 3 is attached to a neck device (a device attached near the user's neck) will be described with reference to FIGS. 15, 16, and 18. Note that redundant explanations will be omitted. FIG. 18 is a front view of the passenger 21 wearing a neck device equipped with a sound generating device.

In FIG. 18, a cordless handset 90 having a function of communicating with the external network connection section 9 of the housing body 2 is attached to a neck device 93 worn by the passenger 21 around the neck. The sound generating device 3 is electrically connected to the handset 90, and the left and right sounding devices 3 are installed in such a direction that the sound range 30 to be emitted is directed to the left and right ears of the passenger 21, respectively. That is, the sound generating device 3 (speaker) is arranged so that its directivity is directed in the direction of the user's head.

When the control unit 8 causes the sound generation device 3 to produce sound, it communicates with the slave unit 90 via the external network connection unit 9 and outputs an acoustic signal to the sound generation device 3 . With the above configuration, since the direction in which the sound generating device 3 is facing is only the sky, it is difficult for the sound to reach surrounding people. Therefore, the same effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

Although the present invention has been described above in detail based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and the present invention may take various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. included. Some of the embodiments described above may be combined as appropriate.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention provides a system or device with a program that implements one or more functions of the embodiments described above via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. This can also be achieved by processing. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, but can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements within the scope of the invention at the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components of different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

Note that the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration and system.

(Configuration 1)
a directional speaker;
and a mounting means for mounting on the user,
An audio device characterized in that the speaker is arranged so that its direction is directed toward the user's ear.

(Configuration 2)
The mounting means is a mounting means for mounting on the user's head,
The acoustic device according to configuration 1, wherein the speaker is arranged so as to be near the temporal region of the user's head, and the speaker is arranged so that the pointing direction of the speaker is directed in a certain direction of the user's body.

(Configuration 3)
3. The acoustic device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the mounting means is a helmet.

(Configuration 4)
The mounting means is a mounting means for mounting near the user's neck,
The acoustic device according to configuration 1, wherein the speaker is arranged such that the directivity of the speaker is directed in a certain direction of the user's head.

(System 5)
An audio system comprising an audio device and a control device for controlling the audio device,
The audio device includes:
a directional speaker;
and a mounting means for mounting on the user,
The control device includes:
comprising an output means for outputting an acoustic signal to the acoustic device and a control means,
A sound system characterized in that the speaker is arranged so that its direction is directed toward the user's ear.

(System 6)
The control device further includes a sound collection means for collecting external environmental sounds,
The control means determines at least one of the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker, based on the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal generated from the external environmental sound collected by the sound collecting means. The sound system according to system 5, characterized in that the following settings are made.

(System 7)
The audio device has a plurality of speakers,
The control device includes a plurality of the sound collection means,
The control means outputs the sound signal to the audio device so that the sound signal is reproduced from one of the plurality of speakers based on the sound signal collected by the sound collection means. 7. Sound system according to system 6, characterized in that it controls the means.

(System 8)
The control device is arranged on a moving body,
The control device further includes a detection means for detecting a situation in front of the moving object,
The control means controls the output means to output an acoustic signal to the acoustic device so that the acoustic signal is reproduced from one of the plurality of speakers, based on the situation in front detected by the detection means. The sound system according to system 7, characterized in that the sound system controls:

(System 9)
The control device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring position information,
The acoustic system according to any one of systems 5 to 8, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on environmental standard information at the current location. system.

(System 10)
The control device further includes a timer,
10. The acoustic system according to system 9, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the time acquired by the time measurement means.

(System 11)
The acoustic system according to any one of systems 5 to 10, wherein the control means sets the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the age of the user. .

(System 12)
12. The audio system according to any one of systems 5 to 11, wherein the output means outputs the audio signal to the audio device by wireless communication.

(Configuration 13)
detection means for detecting the position of the user's ear;
multiple speakers with directivity;
Driving means for driving the speaker to change its direction;
and control means for controlling the drive means to set the sound ranges of the plurality of speakers to overlap based on the position of the ear detected by the detection means.

(Configuration 14)
further comprising a sound collection means for collecting external environmental sound,
The control means determines at least one of the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker, based on the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal generated from the external environmental sound collected by the sound collecting means. 14. The audio device according to configuration 13, characterized in that the following settings are performed.

(Configuration 15)
further comprising a plurality of the sound collecting means,
The control means is configured to drive the plurality of speakers so that the sound ranges of the plurality of speakers overlap with one of the user's ears detected by the detection means, based on the acoustic signal collected by the sound collection means. 15. The acoustic device according to configuration 14, characterized in that the acoustic device controls the means.

(Configuration 16)
further comprising a detection means for detecting the surrounding situation of the moving object,
The control means controls the drive means to set the sound range of the plurality of speakers to overlap with one of the user's ears detected by the detection means, based on the front situation detected by the detection means. 16. The acoustic device according to any one of configurations 13 to 15, characterized in that the acoustic device controls:

(Configuration 17)
According to configuration 16, the control means makes the sound pressure level of the reproduced acoustic signal lower than the current sound pressure level when a person is detected behind the moving body by the detection means. sound equipment.

(Configuration 18)
further comprising an acquisition means for acquiring location information,
The acoustic system according to any one of configurations 13 to 17, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on environmental standard information at the current location. Device.

(Configuration 19)
further comprising timing means;
19. The acoustic device according to configuration 18, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the time acquired by the time measurement means.

(Configuration 20)
The acoustic device according to any one of configurations 13 to 19, wherein the control means sets the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the age of the user. .

(Configuration 21)
21. The acoustic device according to any one of configurations 13 to 20, wherein the control means changes the timing at which the acoustic signals reproduced from the speaker are reproduced.

Claims (21)

a directional speaker;
and a mounting means for mounting on the user,
An audio device characterized in that the speaker is arranged so that its direction is directed toward the user's ear. The mounting means is a mounting means for mounting on the user's head,
The acoustic device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker is arranged near the temporal region of the user's head, and the speaker is arranged so that the pointing direction of the speaker is directed toward a certain direction of the user's body. The acoustic device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting means is a helmet. The mounting means is a mounting means for mounting near the user's neck,
The acoustic device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker is arranged such that the directivity of the speaker is directed in a certain direction of the user's head. An audio system comprising an audio device and a control device for controlling the audio device,
The audio device includes:
a directional speaker;
and a mounting means for mounting on the user,
The control device includes:
comprising an output means for outputting an acoustic signal to the acoustic device and a control means,
A sound system characterized in that the speaker is arranged so that its direction is directed toward the user's ear. The control device further includes a sound collection means for collecting external environmental sounds,
The control means determines at least one of the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker, based on the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal generated from the external environmental sound collected by the sound collecting means. 6. The sound system according to claim 5, wherein the settings are made as follows. The audio device has a plurality of speakers,
The control device includes a plurality of the sound collection means,
The control means outputs the sound signal to the audio device so that the sound signal is reproduced from one of the plurality of speakers based on the sound signal collected by the sound collection means. 7. Sound system according to claim 6, characterized in that it controls the means. The control device is arranged on a moving body,
The control device further includes a detection means for detecting a situation in front of the moving object,
The control means controls the output means to output an acoustic signal to the acoustic device so that the acoustic signal is reproduced from one of the plurality of speakers, based on the situation in front detected by the detection means. 8. The acoustic system according to claim 7, wherein the acoustic system controls: The control device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring position information,
6. The acoustic system according to claim 5, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on environmental standard information at the current position. The control device further includes a timer,
10. The acoustic system according to claim 9, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the time acquired by the time measurement means. 6. The acoustic system according to claim 5, wherein the control means sets the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the age of the user. 6. The acoustic system according to claim 5, wherein the output means outputs the acoustic signal to the acoustic device by wireless communication. detection means for detecting the position of the user's ear;
multiple speakers with directivity;
Driving means for driving the speaker to change its direction;
and control means for controlling the drive means to set the sound ranges of the plurality of speakers to overlap based on the position of the ear detected by the detection means. further comprising a sound collection means for collecting external environmental sound,
The control means determines at least one of the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker, based on the sound pressure level and frequency component of the acoustic signal generated from the external environmental sound collected by the sound collecting means. 14. The audio device according to claim 13, wherein the settings are performed. further comprising a plurality of the sound collecting means,
The control means is configured to drive the plurality of speakers so that the sound ranges of the plurality of speakers overlap with one of the user's ears detected by the detection means, based on the acoustic signal collected by the sound collection means. 15. The acoustic device according to claim 14, characterized in that it controls the means. further comprising a detection means for detecting the surrounding situation of the moving object,
The control means controls the drive means to set the sound range of the plurality of speakers to overlap with one of the user's ears detected by the detection means, based on the front situation detected by the detection means. 14. The acoustic device according to claim 13, wherein the acoustic device controls: 17. The control means makes the sound pressure level of the reproduced acoustic signal lower than the current sound pressure level when a person is detected behind the moving body by the detection means. The described sound device. further comprising an acquisition means for acquiring location information,
14. The acoustic device according to claim 13, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on environmental standard information at the current position. further comprising timing means;
19. The acoustic device according to claim 18, wherein the control means sets an upper limit of the sound pressure level of the acoustic signal reproduced from the speaker based on the time acquired by the time measurement means. 14. The audio device according to claim 13, wherein the control means sets the sound pressure level and frequency component of the audio signal reproduced from the speaker based on the user's age. 14. The acoustic device according to claim 13, wherein the control means varies the timing at which the acoustic signals reproduced from the speaker are reproduced.

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