JP3926529B2 - Audio system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an audio system capable of listening to music at a plurality of locations.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in-vehicle audio systems have an operation unit on the rear seat side in addition to the operation unit on the driver's seat side, and music for passengers in the rear seat is different from those in the driver's seat and passenger seat There is something that you can listen to. For example, the operation unit on the rear seat side has two headphone terminals on the left and right, and the passenger in the rear seat inserts the headphones into the headphone terminal closest to him and listens to his own music. Will be able to. In this case, the passenger on the left side of the rear seat can listen to the music on the CD (compact disc), and at the same time, the passenger on the right side can listen to the radio program.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the above-described conventional audio system, for example, when a passenger sitting on the left side of the rear seat moves to the right side of the rear seat, the content of the music that has been listened to is continuously listened to. Then, there is a problem that it is necessary to select music each time, which takes time. For example, when a passenger sitting on the left side of the back seat is listening to music on a CD, considering what happens when the listening position is interrupted and the seating position is changed to the right side of the back seat, It is possible to resume listening to the same music by manually operating the operation unit installed on the right side of the rear seat, remembering what it was. In particular, when the performance time of one track is long as in classical music, if listening is interrupted in the middle of one track, it is necessary to adjust the playback position by continuously pressing the fast-forward button after specifying the track number. It is not easy to listen to a continuation of music from the same location. Also, if you like to adjust your favorite volume or sound quality, if you want to listen to music in good condition, you need to adjust those values as well.
[0004]
The present invention was created in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an audio system that can reduce the trouble of reproducing the state when the audio output is stopped. is there.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the audio system of the present invention performs an operation instruction independently from each other by a plurality of operation means on any one of a plurality of audio units each capable of independently outputting an audio signal. When the output operation of the audio signal by one of the plurality of audio units is stopped in response to an operation instruction of one of the plurality of operation means, the state when the audio unit is stopped when this output operation is stopped Is stored in the state data storage means in association with predetermined identification information. When the identification information described above is specified and any one of the plurality of operation means is operated, the audio whose output operation has been stopped by the stop state reproduction means based on the state data corresponding to the specified identification information. The state when the unit is stopped is reproduced. Therefore, after stopping the output operation by giving an operation instruction to the audio unit by a certain operation means, considering the case where the state at the time of the stop is reproduced by another operation means, the music selection state, volume, The state when the audio unit is stopped, such as sound quality settings, can be reproduced. That is, regardless of which operation means is used, the state when the audio unit is stopped can be reproduced simply by giving predetermined identification information, and the trouble of reproducing the state when the audio unit is stopped is reduced. can do.
[0006]
The plurality of audio units described above are mounted on a vehicle, and the operation means described above are preferably installed at at least two or more positions that can be operated by a passenger seated in a different seat. In a vehicle, for example, during a long distance drive, a plurality of passengers may be seated with different seats. By setting two or more operation means, it is possible to easily reproduce the state when the audio unit is stopped when the audio sound is being heard in the previous seat.
[0007]
In addition, the plurality of audio units and the plurality of operation means may be connected to each other via a predetermined transmission path, and an audio signal and information corresponding to an operation instruction may be transmitted via the transmission path. desirable. By connecting the plurality of audio units and the plurality of operation means with transmission lines, the connection form can be simplified as compared with the case where these are individually connected.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an in-vehicle audio system according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0009]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an audio system according to the present embodiment. The audio system shown in FIG. 1 includes a front operation unit 1, two rear operation units 2, 3, a cassette tape deck 5, a radio tuner 6, and a CD changer 7, and these are a bus 8 serving as a transmission path. Connected through. A speaker 4 is connected to the front operation unit 1, headphones 9 are connected to the rear operation unit 2, and headphones 10 are connected to the rear operation unit 3. In FIG. 1, for simplicity of explanation, only one speaker 4 is connected to the front operation unit 1, but actually, a plurality of speakers 4 such as two or four are connected. It shall be.
[0010]
The front operation unit 1 is for a user on the front side of the passenger compartment, such as a driver or passenger in a passenger seat, to perform operations such as selecting an audio unit and adjusting volume and sound quality. It is installed at a predetermined position on the side. The front operation unit 1 selects one of the audio units such as the cassette tape deck 5 according to the operation instruction given by the user, and receives the audio data output from the selected audio unit via the bus 8. Then, an analog audio signal is output to the speaker 4 based on the received audio data. An audio sound corresponding to the input audio signal is output from the speaker 4. The detailed configuration of the front operation unit 1 will be described later.
[0011]
The rear operation unit 2 is used by a user on the left side of the vehicle interior for operations such as audio unit selection and volume / sound quality adjustment, and is installed at a predetermined position on the left side of the vehicle interior. Has been. As with the front operation unit 1 described above, the rear operation unit 2 selects one of the audio units such as the cassette tape deck 5 in accordance with an operation instruction given by the user, and is output from the selected audio unit. Audio data is received via the bus 8 and an analog audio signal is output to the headphones 9 based on the received audio data. The user on the left side of the rear listens to the audio sound output from the headphones 9.
[0012]
The rear operation unit 3 is used by a user who is on the right rear side of the vehicle interior to perform operations such as audio unit selection and volume / sound quality adjustment. Is installed. As with the rear operation unit 2 described above, the rear operation unit 3 selects one of the audio units such as the cassette tape deck 5 in accordance with an operation instruction given by the user, and is output from the selected audio unit. Audio data is received via the bus 8 and an analog audio signal is output to the headphones 10 based on the received audio data. The user on the right side of the rear listens to the audio sound output from the headphones 10. The detailed configuration of the rear operation units 2 and 3 will be described later.
[0013]
The cassette tape deck 5 reproduces an audio signal recorded on the loaded cassette tape in response to an operation instruction given from the front operation unit 1 or the rear operation units 2 and 3, and uses this as a digital audio. The data is converted into data and transmitted to the operation unit that has output the operation instruction via the bus 8.
[0014]
The radio tuner 6 generates an audio signal by receiving and demodulating FM broadcast waves and AM broadcast waves in response to the operation instructions given from the operation units 1 to 3, and converts this into digital audio data. Then, the information is transmitted to the operation unit that has output the operation instruction via the bus 8.
[0015]
The CD changer 7 is loaded with a plurality of CDs, and reads and reproduces signals recorded on the recording surface of the CD selected by the user in response to the operation instructions given from the operation units 1 to 3. The transmitted audio data is transmitted to the operation unit that has output the operation instruction via the bus 8.
[0016]
Next, detailed configurations of the front operation unit 1 and the rear operation units 2 and 3 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of each operation unit. Since the detailed configuration of the rear operation units 2 and 3 is the same, the detailed configuration of the rear operation unit 3 is omitted in FIG.
[0017]
The front operation unit 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes an operation unit 11, a communication control unit 12, an operation unit-specific information storage unit 13, a user-specific information storage unit 14, a control unit 15, a display unit 16, and an audio output unit 17. Has been.
[0018]
The operation unit 11 is used by a user to input various operation instructions, and includes various operation keys such as a power key and a numeric key. A specific example of the operation unit 11 will be described later.
[0019]
The communication control unit 12 converts various data output from the control unit 15 into a predetermined communication format, and transmits it to the rear operation units 2 and 3, the cassette tape deck 5, the radio tuner 6, and the CD changer 7 via the bus 8. Send to. Further, the communication control unit 12 receives various data transmitted from the rear operation units 2 and 3, the cassette tape deck 5, the radio tuner 6, and the CD changer 7 via the bus 8, and performs predetermined processing on these data. Is output to the control unit 15 or the audio output unit 17.
[0020]
The operation unit-specific information storage unit 13 is data indicating the listening state of the audio sound when the front operation unit 1 is instructed to turn off the power and the output operation of the audio signal is stopped (hereinafter referred to as this). Is referred to as "listening state data").
[0021]
FIG. 3 is a diagram for specifically explaining the listening state data. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, as listening state data, “unit type” indicating which audio unit was used in the cassette tape deck 5, the radio tuner 6 and the CD changer 7, and the audio The “volume / sound quality” indicating the adjustment value of the volume and sound quality when listening to the sound, and the “unit-specific detailed information” indicating the detailed listening state for each audio unit are considered. Specific contents of the detailed information for each unit include, for example, (1) if the cassette tape deck 5 is used, reproduction surface information indicating which side A / B has been reproduced, etc. 2) If the radio tuner 6 is used, AM / FM type, broadcast station (reception frequency) information, etc. 3) If the CD changer 7 is used, load multiple cards The disc number indicating which of the CDs being played is stored, the playback position indicating how many minutes and how many seconds have elapsed from the beginning of what track, and the like are stored.
[0022]
The above-described listening state data is stored for referring to the listening state when the power is turned off as necessary when the power is turned on next time. In addition to the front operation unit 1, each of the rear operation units 2 and 3 is stored. The listening state data is stored individually for each operation unit.
[0023]
Further, in this embodiment, apart from the operation of storing the listening state data individually for each operation unit, identification information for identifying each user (hereinafter referred to as “user ID”) is registered. The user ID is associated with the user ID on a one-to-one basis, and listening state data when the audio sound is listened to using any one of the operation units can be stored.
[0024]
The user-specific information storage unit 14 stores listening state data corresponding to this user ID (hereinafter, a combination of one user ID and corresponding listening state data is referred to as “user-specific information”). FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of user-specific information stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14. As illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, “listening state data A” as the listening state data corresponding to the user ID “1234”, “listening state data B” as the listening state data corresponding to the user ID “5678”, and user ID “ “Listening state data C” is stored as listening state data corresponding to “1357”, and “Listening state data D” is stored as listening state data corresponding to the user ID “2468”.
[0025]
By the way, these user-specific information is stored in correspondence with the user using the front operation unit 1, and the data corresponding to the user using the rear operation units 2 and 3 is also stored in the bus 8. Is transmitted to the front operation unit 1 and stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14. For example, when a user having a user ID “1234” listens to an audio sound using the rear operation unit 2 installed on the left side of the rear and performs an operation of recording the listening state at that time, The “listening state data A” corresponding to the listening state is transmitted from the rear operation unit 2 to the front operation unit 1 and stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14 in the front operation unit 1. Therefore, for example, even when the user having the user ID “1234” moves the boarding location from the rear left side to the front side, the user operates the front operation unit 1 and inputs his / her user ID “1234”. By calling the corresponding “listening state data A”, the previous listening state (listening state on the left side of the rear) can be easily reproduced.
[0026]
The controller 15 controls the entire front operation unit 1. Specifically, the control unit 15 acquires audio data from each audio unit (the cassette tape deck 5, the radio tuner 6, and the CD changer 7) in response to an operation instruction given by the user to generate an audio sound. Control is performed such as an operation for performing reproduction, an operation for displaying information such as an operation state on the display unit 16, an operation for storing listening state data and information for each user, and an operation for reading out.
[0027]
Based on the data output from the control unit 15, the display unit 16 displays various information, such as the disc number and playback position (number of tracks, elapsed time, etc.) at the time of CD performance, the reception frequency at the time of radio broadcast reception, and the like. To do. The audio output unit 17 receives audio data transmitted from each audio unit via the bus 8 from the communication control unit 12, converts the audio data into an analog audio signal, and outputs the analog audio signal to the speaker 4. The audio output unit 17 controls the volume and sound quality in accordance with instructions given from the control unit 15.
[0028]
2 includes an operation unit 21, a communication control unit 22, an operation unit-specific information storage unit 23, a control unit 25, a display unit 26, and an audio output unit 27.
[0029]
The operation unit 21 is used by the user to input various operation instructions, and includes various operation keys such as a power key and numeric keys. A specific example of the operation unit 21 will be described later.
[0030]
The communication control unit 22 converts various data output from the control unit 25 into a predetermined communication format, and transmits the data to the front operation unit 1, the rear operation unit 3, or each audio unit via the bus 8. The communication control unit 22 receives various data transmitted from the front operation unit 1 and each audio unit via the bus 8 and performs predetermined demodulation processing on these data, and then the control unit 25 or Output to the audio output unit 27.
[0031]
The operation unit-specific information storage unit 23 stores listening state data indicating the listening state of the audio sound when the rear operation unit 2 is instructed to turn off the power and the output operation of the audio signal is stopped. To do. The specific contents of the listening state data are as shown in FIG. 3 described above, and take into account “unit type”, “volume / sound quality”, and “unit-specific detailed information”.
[0032]
The control unit 25 controls the entire rear operation unit 2. Specifically, in response to an operation instruction given from the user, the control unit 25 acquires information such as an operation and an operation state for acquiring audio data from one of the audio units and reproducing the audio sound. Control is performed for operations to be displayed on the display unit 26, for storing / reading the listening state data, and for transmitting / receiving user-specific information to / from the front operation unit 1.
[0033]
Based on the data output from the control unit 25, the display unit 26 displays various information, such as a disc number and playback position (number of tracks, elapsed time, etc.) at the time of CD performance, a reception frequency at the time of radio broadcast reception, and the like. To do. The audio output unit 27 receives audio data transmitted from each audio unit via the bus 8 from the communication processing unit 22, converts the audio data into an analog audio signal, and outputs the analog audio signal to the headphones 9. The audio output unit 27 controls the volume and sound quality in accordance with instructions given from the control unit 25.
[0034]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the rear operation unit 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the display unit 26 is disposed on the upper side of the housing, and the operation unit 21 including various keys is disposed below the display unit 26. In addition, an output terminal 270 as an output end of the audio output unit 27 is disposed on the lower right side of the unit surface. By connecting the headphones 9 to the output terminal 270, an audio sound can be heard. The operation unit 21 includes various operation keys such as a numeric key 21a, a power key 21b, and a shift key 21c. The front operation unit 1 also has the same appearance as the rear operation unit 2 shown in FIG. 5 except that the output terminal 270 is omitted.
[0035]
The cassette tape deck 5, radio tuner 6 and CD changer 7 described above are a plurality of audio units, the front operation unit 1, the rear operation units 2 and 3 are a plurality of operation means, and the user-specific information storage unit 14 is a status data storage means. In addition, the control units 15 and 25 correspond to stop state reproduction means, respectively.
[0036]
The audio system of the present embodiment has such a configuration, and the operation thereof will be described next. FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an operation procedure of the rear operation unit 2 when a user on the rear left seat listens to the audio sound, and mainly controls in the rear operation unit 2. The operation performed by the unit 25 is described. In this embodiment, when the power is turned on, by simultaneously pressing the power key 21b and the shift key 21c, it is possible to select the “user ID mode” for performing the operation using the user-specific information, and only the power key 21b. By pressing, it is possible to select a “normal mode” in which an operation that does not use user-specific information is performed. Although the operation will be described focusing on the rear operation unit 2, the same operation is also performed in the rear operation unit 3.
[0037]
The control unit 25 in the rear operation unit 2 determines whether or not the user has pressed the power key 21b to give an instruction to turn on the power (step 100). While the power key 21b is not pressed, a negative determination is made in step 100, and the rear operation unit 2 enters a standby state.
[0038]
When an instruction to turn on the power is given, the control unit 25 checks whether the user ID mode is selected by checking whether the shift key 21c is pressed simultaneously with the power key 21b. Determine (step 101). If the user ID mode is selected, an affirmative determination is made in step 101, and the control unit 25 then displays a message such as “Please enter a user ID!” On the display unit 26. The user is requested to input a user ID (step 102).
[0039]
Next, the control unit 25 determines whether or not a user ID has been input by the user (step 103). While the user ID is not input, a negative determination is made in step 103, and the control unit 25 determines whether or not an instruction to turn off the power is given by pressing the power key 21b (step 104). When an instruction to turn off the power is given, an affirmative determination is made in step 104, and the control unit 25 turns off the power of the rear operation unit 2, and returns to step 100 to instruct to turn on the power. The operation after the determination of whether or not has been made is repeated. As described above, in this embodiment, the user ID mode is selected. However, when it is desired to select the normal mode for some reason, the user ID mode is canceled by pressing the power key 21b again. The normal mode can be selected again by setting the rear operation unit 2 to the power off state (standby state) and pressing only the power key 21b again.
[0040]
If an instruction to turn off the power is not given, a negative determination is made in step 104 described above, and the control unit 25 returns to step 103 to perform processing subsequent to the determination of whether or not a user ID has been input. repeat.
[0041]
When the user ID is input, an affirmative determination is made in step 103 described above, and the control unit 25 determines whether or not the input user ID is a registered user ID (step 105). Specifically, the control unit 25 instructs the front operation unit 1 to inquire whether or not the user ID has been registered via the communication control unit 22 and the bus 8. The front operation unit 1 that has received the instruction refers to the user-specific information stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14 to determine whether or not the user ID included in the received instruction has already been registered. In this case, the listening state data corresponding to the user ID is transmitted to the rear operation unit 2 when the user ID is not registered. Therefore, the control unit 25 receives the data transmitted from the front operation unit 1 and examines it to determine whether or not the user ID input in step 105 is a registered user ID.
[0042]
If data notifying that the user ID is not registered is received, a negative determination is made in step 105, and the control unit 25 displays a message such as “Do you want to register new?” On the display unit 26. Based on the operation instruction given by the user in response to the message, it is determined whether or not this user ID is newly registered (step 106).
[0043]
When an instruction to newly register a user ID is given from the user via the operation unit 21, an affirmative determination is made in step 106, and the control unit 25 passes through the communication control unit 22 and the bus 8. The front operation unit 1 is instructed to newly register this user ID. As a result, a new user ID is registered in the user-specific information storage unit 14 in the front operation unit 1 (step 107).
[0044]
When the process of step 107 is completed, or when the normal mode is selected without selecting the user ID mode in step 101 described above (when a negative determination is made), the control unit 25 performs operation unit-specific information. The listening state data stored in the storage unit 23 is read, and the rear operating unit 2 acquires the listening state when the power was last turned off (step 108).
[0045]
If the input user ID is already registered and the listening state data corresponding to the user ID is transmitted from the front operation unit 1, an affirmative determination is made in step 105 described above, and the control unit 25 acquires the user's previous listening state based on the received listening state data (step 109).
[0046]
When the processing shown in step 108 or step 109 described above is performed and the acquisition of the listening state is completed, the control unit 25 is currently operating the audio unit specified by the “unit type” included in the acquired listening state data. It is determined whether or not (step 110). Specifically, for example, when the audio unit designated in “unit type” is the CD changer 7, the control unit 25 causes the CD changer 7 to perform the current operation via the communication control unit 22 and the bus 8. The status is inquired, and the operating status is determined based on the reply content from the CD changer 7.
[0047]
If the designated audio unit is in operation, that is, if the audio sound using the audio unit has been previously listened to by at least one of the front operation unit 1 and the rear operation unit 3, the step An affirmative determination is made at 110, and the control unit 25 reproduces only “unit type” and “volume / sound quality” among the contents included in the acquired listening state data (step 111). Thus, in this embodiment, when a plurality of operation units use one audio unit, the operation unit to be used later does not reproduce the information stored in the “unit-specific detailed information”, The user is provided with the same content as the audio sound that is operated and listened to by the operating unit that is used previously.
[0048]
Note that operations such as music selection after reproduction of the listening state, that is, operations corresponding to information stored in the “unit-specific detailed information” can be freely performed among a plurality of operation units. Alternatively, priority may be given only to the previously used operation unit.
[0049]
If the designated audio unit is not operating, a negative determination is made in step 110, and the control unit 25 reproduces all the contents included in the acquired listening state data (step 112). Specifically, for example, when the CD changer 7 is designated as an audio unit as described above, the control unit 25 sends an activation command to the CD changer 7 via the communication control unit 22 and the bus 8. Then, the operation status of the CD changer 7 is controlled by transmitting “unit-specific detailed information” such as the disc number and the reproduction position.
[0050]
When the processing shown in step 111 or step 112 described above is performed, audio data is transmitted from the designated audio unit via the bus 8 and received by the communication control unit 22. The received audio data is directly output to the audio output unit 27 without being passed through the control unit 25 and converted into an audio signal, and the audio sound corresponding to the audio signal is output from the headphones 9. Further, the operation unit 21 is operated by the user as necessary, and various operations such as an audio unit change and a volume / sound quality adjustment are performed.
[0051]
In parallel with the audio sound listening operation, the control unit 25 determines whether or not an instruction to turn off the power has been given (step 113). While an instruction to turn off the power is not given, a negative determination is made in step 113, and the above-described audio sound listening operation is continued.
[0052]
When an instruction to turn off the power is given, an affirmative determination is made in step 113 described above, and the control unit 25 determines whether or not the current operation mode is the user ID mode (step S1). 114). If the current operation mode is the user ID mode, an affirmative determination is made in step 114, and the control unit 25 creates listening state data indicating the current listening state, adds the user ID to the front and adds the front to the front The listening state data is updated by transmitting to the operation unit 1 (step 115).
[0053]
Further, when the current operation mode is not the user ID mode (in the case of the normal mode), a negative determination is made in step 114 described above, and the control unit 25 causes the display unit 26 to “register a new user ID? ”Or the like is displayed to request the user to register a user ID (step 116). Thereafter, the control unit 25 determines whether or not a user ID has been input (step 117). If there is no user ID input, it is determined whether or not an operation instruction for not registering the user ID has been made. Determination is made (step 118). Until the user ID is input or an operation instruction for not registering is made, the above-described processing of step 117 and step 118 is repeated.
[0054]
When the user ID is input, an affirmative determination is made in step 117, and the control unit 25 determines whether or not this user ID has already been registered (step 119). Specifically, the control unit 25 instructs the front operation unit 1 to inquire whether or not the input user ID overlaps with a registered user ID. Upon receiving the instruction, the control unit 15 in the front operation unit 1 compares the user ID stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14 with the user ID transmitted from the rear operation unit 2, and determines whether there is the same user ID. An inquiry is made and the inquiry result is returned to the rear operation unit 2. Therefore, the control unit 25 determines whether or not the user ID has been registered based on the returned inquiry result.
[0055]
If the user ID is not registered, a negative determination is made in step 119, and the control unit 25 newly creates and registers user-specific information including the user ID and listening state data indicating the current listening state. (Step 120). Specifically, the created user-specific information is transmitted from the rear operation unit 2 to the front operation unit 1, and this user-specific information is stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14 by the control unit 15 in the front operation unit 1. As a result, new registration of user-specific information is performed.
[0056]
If the user ID has already been registered, an affirmative determination is made in step 119 described above, and the control unit 25 displays on the display unit 26 "Do you want to update the listening status?" It is determined whether or not the listening state data is to be updated based on the given operation instruction (step 121). If the user gives an instruction not to update the listening state data, a negative determination is made in step 121, and the control unit 25 returns to step 116 described above, and after the operation for requesting registration of the user ID. Repeat the process.
[0057]
When the user gives an instruction to update the listening state data, an affirmative determination is made in step 121 described above, and the control unit 25 updates the listening state data (step 122). Specifically, the user ID corresponding to the listening state data, that is, user-specific information is transmitted from the rear operation unit 2 to the front operation unit 1, and based on the user-specific information, the control unit in the front operation unit 1 is transmitted. The listening state data stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14 is rewritten by 15 so that the listening state data is updated.
[0058]
If an affirmative determination is made in step 118 described above, or if any of steps 120 and 122 is completed, the control unit 25 turns off the power of the rear operation unit 2 and returns to step 100. Then, the power supply key 21b is pressed and the power supply is turned on to enter a standby state.
[0059]
As described above, in the audio system according to the present embodiment, any one of the audio units (the cassette tape deck 5 and the radio tuner 6) is operated in response to an operation instruction from any one of the operation units (the front operation unit 1, the rear operation units 2, 3). When the output operation of the audio signal by the CD changer 7) is stopped, the user-specific information that associates the listening state data for specifying the stop state of the audio unit for which the output operation has been stopped with a predetermined user ID is provided. It is stored in the user-specific information storage unit 14. When a user ID is input to any one of the operation units, the listening state data corresponding to the user ID is read, and the listening state, that is, the output operation is stopped based on the listening state data. The state when the audio unit is stopped is reproduced. Therefore, regardless of which operation unit is used, the listening state (the state when the audio unit is stopped) can be reproduced simply by inputting a predetermined user ID, and the state when the audio unit is stopped is reproduced. It is possible to reduce time and effort.
[0060]
Further, by connecting the audio units and the operation units via the bus 8, it is possible to reduce the number of connection lines and simplify the connection form as compared with the case where these are connected individually.
[0061]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation implementation is possible within the range of the summary of this invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the audio system including the three operation units of the front operation unit 1 and the rear operation units 2 and 3 has been described. However, the number of operation units is not limited to this, and two or more operation units are provided. If it is. Specifically, for example, one operation unit may be installed on each of the front side and the rear side. In a vehicle with a large number of passengers, three or more operation units are provided for each seat. You may make it install.
[0062]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the audio unit includes the cassette tape deck 5, the radio tuner 6, and the CD changer 7 has been described. However, the type and number of audio units are not limited to this. . For example, the audio unit may include other units such as an MD (mini disc) player. A plurality of units of the same type may be prepared. For example, if two CD changers are prepared, audio sounds based on different CDs can be listened to by operating these separately between a plurality of operation units.
[0063]
In the above-described embodiment, the audio signal is converted into digital data (audio data) and transmitted from each audio unit to each operation unit via the bus 8, but the audio signal is converted into digital data. Instead, it may be sent directly to the audio output unit in each operation unit using an analog line different from the bus 8. Thus, even if a bus with a low communication capacity is used, the analog line for sending the audio signal and the bus for sending the control signal between each operation unit and each audio unit are separated. An audio system to which the invention is applied can be realized.
[0064]
Further, the rear operation units 2 and 3 may be housed in one housing. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the rear operation unit when the rear operation units 2 and 3 are housed in one housing. As shown in FIG. 8, the rear operation units 2 and 3 can be housed in one housing, so that components such as the display unit 260 and the numeric keys 210a can be shared. In this case, the power key 210b and the shift key 210c may be associated with the user who is on the right side, and the power key 220b and the shift key 220c may be associated with the user who is on the left side. Further, the control unit, communication control unit, operation unit-specific information storage unit, and the like included in the housing can be shared. As described above, the rear operation units 2 and 3 can be accommodated in one housing, so that the space can be saved and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts by sharing.
[0065]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where a plurality of audio units are operated by a plurality of operation units has been described. However, a video playback unit such as a DVD player is used instead of the audio unit or mixed with the audio unit. May be. In this case, the display unit provided in each operation unit may be a display suitable for video display, for example, an LCD having a display screen of about 5 inches.
[0066]
In the above-described embodiment, the front operation unit 1, the cassette tape deck 5, and the radio tuner 6 have been described as separate components. However, these may be housed in one housing.
[0067]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an in-vehicle audio system has been described. However, the present invention is also applied to an audio system installed indoors or outdoors in addition to the in-vehicle use. can do.
[0068]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when any of the plurality of audio units each capable of independently outputting an audio signal is independently operated by a plurality of operation means, any operation is performed. Even when using the means, it is possible to reproduce the state when the audio unit is stopped, such as the music selection state and volume / sound quality settings, simply by giving predetermined identification information, and when reproducing the state when the audio unit is stopped Time and effort can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an audio system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of each operation unit.
FIG. 3 is a diagram specifically explaining listening state data.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of user-specific information stored in a user-specific information storage unit;
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of a rear operation unit.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation procedure of the rear operation unit when a user on the rear left seat listens to audio sound.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation procedure of the rear operation unit when a user on the rear left seat listens to audio sound.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of a rear operation unit when two rear operation units are housed in one housing.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Front operation unit
2, 3 Rear operation unit
4 Speaker
5 cassette tape deck
6 Radio tuner
7 CD changer
8 Bus
9, 10 Headphones
11, 21 Operation unit
12, 22 Communication control unit
13, 23 Information storage unit by operation unit
14 User-specific information storage
15, 25 Control unit
16, 26 Display section
17, 27 Audio output unit
270 output terminal

Claims (3)

A plurality of audio units each capable of independently outputting audio signals;
A plurality of operation means for performing operation instructions independently of each other to any of the plurality of audio units;
Means for corresponding to each of the plurality of operation means, and providing audio sound output from any of the plurality of audio units to a user operating the corresponding operation means;
When the output operation of the audio signal by one of the plurality of audio units is stopped in response to an operation instruction of any of the plurality of operation means, when the audio unit in which the output operation is stopped is stopped State data storage means for storing state data for specifying the state of the information in association with predetermined identification information;
When the identification information is specified and any one of the plurality of operation means is operated, based on the state data corresponding to the specified identification information, the output operation of the audio unit stopped. Reproducing the stop state and reproducing the stop state by providing the audio signal output from the audio unit in which the stop state is reproduced from the means for providing the audio sound corresponding to the operated operation means Means,
And when the audio unit is in use according to an operation instruction of the other operation means when the operation means instructs the audio unit to output an audio signal. from the means for providing the audio sound stops reproducing operation by the reproducing means, after the operation corresponding to the operation means has been performed, that provides audio sound being output at that time from the audio unit in use An audio system characterized by that. In claim 1,
The plurality of audio units are mounted on a vehicle,
The audio system is characterized in that the operation means is installed in at least two or more positions operable by passengers seated in different seats. In claim 1 or 2,
The plurality of audio units and the plurality of operation means are connected to each other via a predetermined transmission path, and transmit the audio signal and information corresponding to the operation instruction via the transmission path. A featured audio system.

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