JP3354288B2 - In-car audio equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle acoustic device,
While selecting one of a tuner unit for receiving a radio wave including traffic information received by an interrupt signal and a reproducing unit for reproducing a recording medium such as a magnetic cassette tape or an optical disk, and outputting sound from a speaker, The present invention relates to an in-vehicle acoustic device capable of adjusting the volume of a sound output from a speaker.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in Europe and the like, when a traffic information interrupt signal is generated, priority is given to traffic information depending on settings even during reproduction of a magnetic cassette tape, an optical disk, or the like by a reproducing unit. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an on-vehicle acoustic device that automatically makes a driver who is driving hear traffic information.

[0003] At this time, the volume during reproduction by the reproduction unit is generally set low so that the user can concentrate on the driving operation, and the user often listens to music or the like at a BGM-like volume. On the other hand, as for traffic information, since it is necessary to understand the contents of the information, the volume is increased so as not to overlook the information desired by the user.

[0004] Therefore, when traffic information is interrupted, it is necessary to operate a volume control switch of the on-vehicle audio device to raise the volume to a desired level.

[0005]

In the on-vehicle audio device configured as described above, the volume control switch must be operated while driving when the traffic information is interrupted. The operation was very troublesome. Therefore, it is preferable that the number of operations of the volume control switch accompanying the switching of the sound source be small.

For this reason, the volume for traffic information is stored in advance, and when a traffic information interrupt signal is generated, the sound source is switched to traffic information and the volume is simultaneously switched to traffic information. is there.

However, in this case, the preset volume may not be sufficient depending on the content of the information to be interrupted, and as a result, the volume must be operated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an on-vehicle acoustic device which can reduce a burden of a volume operation accompanying automatic switching of a sound source and can perform a comfortable and safe driving operation. Is what you do.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an interrupt signal detecting means for receiving a broadcast wave and detecting an interrupt signal indicating a broadcast of a specific program, and detecting the interrupt signal. Output control means for outputting an audio signal related to the specific program in preference to another audio signal when the audio signal is related to the specific program, the audio signal related to the specific program based on the detection of the interrupt signal. Volume control means for gradually changing the volume level of the sound, and input means for inputting a stop command for stopping the change of the volume level. The gist of the present invention is to control so that the change speed of the volume level in a high range is reduced.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012]

[0013]

According to the structure of the first aspect,
When a traffic information interrupt signal is generated while a vehicle is running while playing a recording medium such as a magnetic cassette tape or an optical disk or listening to a tuner sound, the sound source is automatically switched to a tuner unit (the tuner unit). When listening to the radio information, the sound source is not switched.) When the traffic information is received, and the volume starts to gradually change to make the traffic information easier to hear, and reaches the desired volume position. The user stops changing the volume by the input means. At this time, the change speed of the sound volume level is controlled so as to be slower in a higher sound volume range than in a lower sound volume range.

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a vehicle-mounted acoustic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a vehicle-mounted acoustic device 1 includes a tuner unit 3 having an antenna 2 for receiving a radio wave.
A reproducing unit 4 for reproducing a recording medium such as a magnetic cassette tape or an optical disk; and speakers 5 and 5 for audio signals output from the tuner unit 3 or the reproducing unit 4.
A sound source switching circuit 6 for switching the output to the loudspeaker, various selection switches for selecting the drive mode of the tuner unit 3 or the reproduction unit 4 and selecting a broadcasting station, and a volume adjustment switch for adjusting the volume of the sound output from the speakers 5 and 5. An operation unit 7 having various functions such as time, a display unit 8 for displaying various messages such as time, and a control circuit 9 for controlling these various devices are provided.

The tuner unit 3 receives a general radio broadcast, outputs sound from the speakers 5 and 5 via a sound source switching circuit 6, receives traffic information, and receives traffic information from the speakers 5 and 5 via a sound source switching circuit 6. It has a function to output information.

The traffic information is for notifying a driver or the like of a road traffic condition or the like. When a traffic information selection switch provided on the operation unit 7 is selectively operated, a monitoring signal is transmitted from the control unit 7 to the tuner unit 3. The tuner unit 3 monitors the output and outputs the interrupt signal regardless of the use of the tuner unit 3 or the reproduction unit 4. When the interrupt signal is generated, the tuner unit 3 and the sound source switching circuit 6 pass through the speakers 5, 5. Will output traffic information. At this time, a message or the like is displayed on the display unit 8 to inform the driver that the traffic information interrupt signal is waiting.

The reproduction unit 4 reproduces a magnetic cassette tape or an optical disk based on the selection of a TAPE selection switch or a CD selection switch provided on the operation unit 7, and outputs sound from speakers 5 and 5 via a sound source switching circuit 6. Output. If the interruption of traffic information is monitored while the reproduction unit 4 is being used, the monitoring state display on the display unit 8 is continued.

When the tuner unit 3 confirms the interrupt signal, the control circuit 9 detects this. Then, based on the detection result, the reproduction unit 3 is stopped and the display unit 8 is stopped.
To display a signal indicating that an interrupt has occurred on the display unit 8. In addition, the sound source switching circuit 6 outputs a switching signal for switching from audio output by the reproduction unit 4 to audio output by the tuner unit 3 in order to output traffic information from the speakers 5 and 5. further,
The control circuit 9 outputs a volume increase signal to the operation unit 7 to gradually increase the volume of the traffic information output from the speakers 5 and 5 linearly with time. When the volume of the traffic information reaches a desired level, the driver stops increasing the volume by using the volume control switch.

When the volume reaches the upper limit, the volume returns to the volume at the start of the increase. Also,
It is also possible to set so that the volume starts to increase based on the interrupt signal and stops the volume increase automatically at a predetermined increase width. Furthermore, it is also possible to set a reference value for the sound volume, and to set the speed at which the sound volume increases when the sound volume is in the range equal to or higher than the reference value to be lower than the speed when the sound volume increases when the sound volume is in the range equal to or lower than the reference value.

On the other hand, when the traffic information ends, the control circuit 9
Stops the tuner unit 3 and switches the output state of the sound source switching circuit 6 so that the reproduction unit 4 outputs sound from the speakers 5 and 5 again to restart the driving of the reproduction unit 4.

At this time, the volume of the sound output from the speakers 5 and 5 is set to a volume suitable for the reproduction unit 4 by a manual operation of the driver, an automatic return by the memory, and the like.

Next, a series of control examples from the interruption of the traffic information during the use of the reproduction unit 4 by the control circuit 9 to the return of the use of the reproduction unit 4 by the cancellation of the interruption will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. .

(Step S1) In step S1, if a traffic information interrupt signal is generated by the operation unit 7 even while the playback unit 4 is being used, there is a setting operation for giving priority to the output of traffic information. It is determined whether or not there is a setting operation, and the process proceeds to step S2. If there is no setting operation, the process stands by.

(Step S2) In step S2, the tuner unit 3 generates an interrupt signal while driving the reproducing unit 4 to output sound from the speakers 5 and 5 via the sound source switching circuit 6. Is determined, and when the interrupt signal is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S3,
If the interrupt signal has not been confirmed, the process proceeds to step S4.

(Steps S4 and S5) In step S4, it is determined whether the result determined in step S2 is a state in which the interrupt signal has already been confirmed and the interrupt signal has been completed during processing, or It is determined whether or not the interrupt signal is not generated. If the interrupt signal is confirmed and the interrupt signal is terminated during the processing, the process proceeds to step S5 and the volume is adjusted. If is in the rising state, it is released and returned to the state before the rising, and then step S2
When the interrupt signal is not generated, the process is looped to step S2.

(Step S3) In step S3, the current volume is stored in a memory in the control circuit 9 based on the detection of the generation of the traffic information interrupt signal in step S2 (hereinafter, the stored volume is stored in the memory). After that, the process proceeds to step S6.

(Step S6) In step S6, a count (for example, 1 s) is started by a timer in the control circuit 9 in order to determine whether or not the user operates to keep the current volume. The process proceeds to step S7 at the same time as the start of the counting.

(Steps S7, S8) In step S7, it is determined whether or not the count has overflowed.
When the counting is continued, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, it is determined whether or not a volume operation has been performed by the volume setting switch. If the volume operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S17. If the volume operation has not been performed, the process loops to step S7. When the count overflows, including the case where the loop is performed, the process proceeds to step S9.

(Steps S9, S10) In step S9, the volume is increased by one level, and the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the timer (for example, 200 ms) for automatically increasing the volume starts counting, and the process proceeds to step S11. If the increase of the volume is set to the volume + α before the increase in the control circuit 9, the volume is increased by the predetermined amount α in step S9, and the processing from step S17 is performed.

(Step S11) In step S11,
The overflow of the count in step S10 is monitored, and if the count has not overflown, the count is continued, and if the count has overflown, the flow proceeds to step S12.

(Step S12) In step S12,
It is determined whether or not a volume operation has been performed by the volume setting switch. If the volume operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S17. If the volume operation has not been performed, step S13 is performed.
Move to.

(Step S13) In step S13,
In response to the setting of the volume + α, it is determined whether or not the rising volume has reached the upper limit,
If the upper limit has been reached because the predetermined width α has not been set, the process proceeds to step S14. If the upper limit has not been reached, the process proceeds to step S15.

(Step S14) In step S14,
It is determined that the user failed to perform the operation of stopping the increase in the volume at the optimal volume with respect to the current volume that is increasing,
It returns to the stored value and moves to step S17. still,
In step S <b> 14, instead of returning to the stored value, the sound volume may be lowered and the user may perform the sound volume operation again. In this case, for example, if there is no operation at the time of one reciprocation between the stored value and the upper limit value, the process returns to the stored value and proceeds to step S17.

(Steps S15 and S16) By the way, when the volume is automatically increased and the volume is in a low level range, the volume is close to the volume desired by the user even if the speed of the volume increase is fast. Although the rise can be stopped, if the volume rises and reaches a high level range, if the volume rise speed is fast, there is a possibility that the rise may be stopped at a volume higher than the volume desired by the user. Therefore, in step S15, it is determined whether or not the rising volume is equal to or higher than the reference value.
The process proceeds to step S16, and in this step S16, the ascending speed at the sound volume higher than the reference value is slowed down.

(Step S17) In step S17,
It is determined whether or not the tuner unit 3 has confirmed the end of the traffic information interruption signal.
The process proceeds to step 8 and if not confirmed, the traffic information is determined to be continuing and monitoring is continued.

(Step S18) In step S18,
At the same time as the reception of the traffic information by the tuner unit 3 is stopped, the sound source switching circuit 5 is switched and the reproduction unit 4 is switched again.
When the reproduction of the recording medium is resumed, the sound volume is restored to the stored value at the same time, and the process ends.

[0041]

As described above, the on-vehicle audio apparatus according to the present invention is provided with the volume control means for gradually changing the level of the audio signal of the specific program when the interrupt signal is detected. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the burden of volume operation associated with automatic switching to the output signal, and to perform comfortable operation. Since the speed of change of the volume level is controlled to be slow, it is possible to prevent the output level from being set to a loud volume that the user does not expect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an on-vehicle acoustic device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a control example of a control unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... In-vehicle acoustic device 3 ... Tuner unit 4 ... Reproduction unit 5 ... Speaker 6 ... Sound source switching means 9 ... Control circuit (volume raising means)

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04B 1/16 H04B 1/20 H03G 3/00 H03G 5/16

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An interrupt signal detecting means for receiving a broadcast wave and detecting an interrupt signal indicating a broadcast of a specific program, and, when the interrupt signal is detected, converting an audio signal relating to the specific program into another audio signal. A sound volume control means for gradually changing a volume level of an audio signal relating to the specific program based on the detection of the interrupt signal; and Input means for inputting a stop command for stopping a change in level, wherein the volume control means controls the volume for a range in which the volume level is low.
Slower volume level change speed in high level range
Vehicle audio apparatus and controlling the to so that.