JP4493530B2 - In-vehicle acoustic processing device and navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure audibility of a plurality of sounds when a plurality of the sounds are output in a vehicle and to prevent people in the vehicle from feeing a sense of discomfort due to interference of the sounds. <P>SOLUTION: A navigation apparatus 1 is provided with a radio reception section 60 for outputting an audio signal and music sources 70, wherein a sound control section 51 to which sound signals are given from the radio reception section 60 and the music sources 70 and to which a sound signal of a guide voice for guiding a routing is given from a sound synthesis section 40 determines the priority of the plurality of received sound signals, synthesizes the sound signal having the highest priority with a new sound signal resulting from shifting signal components of particular frequency bands included in the sound signals whose priority is not highest to other frequency bands to produce an output sound signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle acoustic processing device that processes audio signals output from a plurality of sound sources, and a navigation device.

Normally, when a sound such as music is being output in a car and a situation that requires attention to sound other than this sound occurs, the driver operates the audio device to stop the sound output, etc. Perform the action. This is because, due to human auditory characteristics, when multiple voices containing components in the same frequency band overlap and interfere with each other, it is difficult to hear all the sounds in this frequency band, and each sound can be heard as noise. This is because the effect occurs, information by sound cannot be obtained, and uncomfortable feeling is caused. However, it is not preferable in terms of safety to operate the audio device or the like during driving. Therefore, when a plurality of sounds are to be output at the same time, an in-vehicle acoustic apparatus integrated system that selects one sound signal based on a preset criterion and outputs the sound has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents). 1).
JP-A-7-159190

  In recent years, not only music but also sounds from various sound sources are output in vehicles. Among these are important voices that cannot be overlooked, including information that the driver should pay attention to, such as navigation voices for navigation devices and traffic information for radio broadcasts. Furthermore, since the voice of the navigation device and the voice of the radio broadcast include information that is important for the driver and information that is not important for the driver, the driver determines whether or not to listen to the voice each time. It is most desirable, and it is difficult to set in advance whether or not it is necessary to listen. Therefore, when a plurality of sounds are heard in an overlapping manner, a method of selecting only one sound and not outputting another sound may miss important information.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and when a plurality of sounds are output in the vehicle, the audibility of the plurality of sounds is ensured and the sound interference with the persons in the vehicle is achieved. The purpose is to avoid feeling uncomfortable.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an in-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus that processes audio signals output from a plurality of sound sources mounted on a vehicle. Priority determining means for determining relative priority between audio signals, and for other audio signals excluding the audio signal with the highest priority, in a specific frequency band included in the audio signal with the highest priority . Generates an audio signal for output by synthesizing the audio signal with the highest priority and the new audio signal, by generating a new audio signal by moving the signal component to another frequency band And an output signal generating means.

  The present invention further includes output detection means for detecting the presence or absence of output of audio signals from the plurality of sound sources, wherein the priority determination means is configured to output the audio based on the output state detected by the output detection means. It is good also as what sets the priority of a signal.

  Further, in the present invention, when the output of any audio signal is switched from yes to no after the priority is determined, the priority determining means determines the priority until a predetermined time elapses after switching. The priority may be maintained, and then the priority may be newly determined and updated.

  Further, in the present invention, the sound processing means extracts a signal component in a specific frequency band from the sound signal to be processed, and a band blocking means for blocking a signal component in a specific frequency band for the sound signal to be processed. A band passing means, a frequency converting means for converting the frequency of the signal component extracted by the band passing means to a frequency outside the specific frequency band, a signal component whose frequency is converted by the frequency converting means, It is good also as a structure provided with the synthetic | combination means which synthesize | combines the audio | voice signal by which the signal component of the specific frequency band was blocked | prevented by the band rejection means.

  Further, in the present invention, the plurality of sound sources include a guidance voice output device that outputs guidance voice in a navigation function that performs route guidance of the vehicle, a playback device that plays back voice recorded on a portable recording medium, and In addition, at least one of the radio reception devices that receive the radio broadcast may be included.

  In the present invention, the sound source may further include a microphone that collects sound in the vehicle and outputs an audio signal.

The present invention relates to a navigation device that outputs a guidance voice for performing route guidance of a vehicle, one or a plurality of sound sources that output a voice signal of a voice different from the guidance voice, and a voice signal output from the sound source. And priority determination means for determining relative priorities between a plurality of voice signals including the voice signal of the guidance voice, and the priority for the other voice signals excluding the voice signal having the highest priority, Audio processing means for generating a new audio signal by moving a signal component of a specific frequency band included in the highest audio signal to another frequency band, the audio signal having the highest priority, and the new audio signal And output signal generation means for generating an audio signal for output.

  According to the present invention, priorities are determined for a plurality of audio signals output from a plurality of sound sources, and signal components of a specific frequency band are assigned to other audio signals other than the audio signal having the highest priority. A new audio signal is generated by moving to the frequency band, and an audio signal for output is generated by synthesizing the new audio signal and the audio signal having the highest priority. Can prevent interference in a specific frequency band. As a result, the masking effect does not occur and the unpleasant noise does not occur for the sound in a specific frequency band. Furthermore, since the frequency of the signal components in a part of the frequency band included in the output audio signal is moved, the signal components are not removed, so that audibility is ensured for all the audio signals. Therefore, a person in the vehicle including the driver can recognize all the contents of the voices output at the same time in an environment without unpleasant noise, and can obtain them without missing necessary information. In addition, a comfortable in-vehicle environment can be realized by reducing discomfort during driving or riding.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of a front panel 1A of the navigation apparatus 1. FIG. As shown in this figure, the front panel 1A of the navigation device 1 is provided with a display 32 for displaying a map, a menu screen, and the like. Around the display 32, a plurality of key switches 81 operated by a user are provided. It is arranged. As these key switches 81, in addition to a power switch, a volume adjustment switch, etc., an operation mode is selected from among AM / FM radio reception mode, CD / MD playback mode, TV reception mode, and navigation (route guidance) mode. A switch or the like for selecting and switching is provided.

  The above operation mode will be briefly described. The AM / FM radio reception mode is a mode in which the navigation apparatus 1 receives AM / FM radio broadcast and outputs the sound of the radio broadcast into the vehicle. The CD / MD playback mode is the mode in which the navigation apparatus 1 In this mode, music recorded on a CD or MD (registered trademark) is reproduced. The TV reception mode is a mode in which the navigation device 1 receives a TV broadcast, displays TV video on the display 32, and outputs TV sound into the vehicle. The navigation mode 1 displays a map on the display 32. In this mode, route guidance for the vehicle is executed. That is, the navigation device 1 has audio functions such as reception of radio broadcasts and TV broadcasts and reproduction of music data recorded on a recording medium such as a CD or MD, in addition to the vehicle navigation function. .

  Furthermore, the navigation device 1 simultaneously executes the AM / FM radio reception mode or the CD / MD playback mode during the execution of the navigation mode described above, and reproduces and outputs radio broadcast audio or music recorded on the CD or MD. It is possible. In this case, radio broadcast audio or music recorded on a CD or MD is normally output, and information to be notified to the driver by the function of the navigation mode (for example, information on the route, region or place where the host vehicle travels) Navigation information, etc.) is superimposed on the music being output, and navigation guidance voice is output.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the navigation apparatus 1. As shown in this figure, the navigation device 1 is roughly divided into a control unit 10, a storage unit 20, a display unit 30, a voice synthesis unit 40, a voice output unit 50, a radio reception unit 60, and music. A source 70 and an operation unit 80 are provided. Of these, the voice synthesizer 40 (guidance voice output device), the radio receiver 60 (radio receiver), and the music source 70 devices (playback devices) function as the sound source of the present invention.

  The control unit 10 centrally controls each unit of the navigation device 1 and includes a navigation control CPU 11 and an audio control CPU 12. The navigation control CPU 11 mainly controls map display for navigation, traffic information display, voice guidance, and the like. The audio control CPU 12 controls the radio receiver 60 and the music source 70. The storage unit 20 stores various programs executed by the navigation control CPU 11 and the audio control CPU 12, various data such as map data and guidance voice data used for route guidance, and includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), A DVD-ROM or the like is provided. That is, during the route guidance operation, the navigation control CPU 11 sequentially acquires the current position of the vehicle from the vehicle position detection means (not shown) such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or a gyro sensor, and this current position. Is read from the storage unit 20 and output to the display unit 30, and display data for marking the vehicle position on the map is output to the display unit 30. When there is a matter to be notified to the user by voice during route guidance, the navigation control CPU 11 reads the guidance voice data from the storage unit 20 and outputs it to the voice synthesis unit 40.

  The display unit 30 displays various information such as a map and VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) information, and includes a drawing IC 31 and the display 32. The drawing IC 31 receives display data (such as a map and VICS information) from the control unit 10 (particularly the navigation control CPU 11), and drives the display 32 to display the display data. The display 32 is configured by a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, and is driven by the drawing IC 31 to display various information.

The voice synthesizer 40 receives guidance voice data used for route guidance from the control unit 10 (particularly, the navigation control CPU 11), converts it into an analog voice signal, and outputs it to the voice output unit 50.
The voice output unit 50 outputs various voices such as guidance voices, radio voices, and music for route guidance in the vehicle. The voice control unit 51, the power amplifier 52, And a speaker 53. As will be described later, the voice control unit 51 receives guidance voices and voice signals from the voice synthesis unit 40, a radio reception unit 60, which will be described later, or a music source 70, and performs signal processing such as application of sound effects and volume adjustment to these voices. And output to the power amplifier 52. The power amplifier 52 amplifies the audio signal received from the audio control unit 51 and outputs the amplified signal to the speaker 53. The speaker 53 is installed in the vehicle and outputs sound into the vehicle based on the audio signal input from the power amplifier 52. In the illustrated example, only one speaker 53 is shown, but a plurality of speakers 53 may be provided to enable multi-channel reproduction.

  The radio reception unit 60 receives radio broadcast waves and outputs radio broadcast audio signals to the audio output unit 50 under the control of the control unit 10, and includes an antenna 61, an antenna distributor 62, and FM multiplexing. A dedicated tuner (receiver) 63, an AM / FM radio tuner (receiver) 64, and a multiplex encoder 65 are provided. That is, in the present embodiment, the radio receiver 60 includes two tuners, an FM multiplex dedicated tuner 63 and an AM / FM radio tuner 64, and each tuner 63, 64 is connected to the antenna 61 via the antenna distributor 62. The received signal is input. These FM multiplex dedicated tuner 63 and AM / FM radio tuner 64 operate independently of each other and receive different radio broadcasts. That is, the FM multiplex dedicated tuner 63 always receives only VICS information broadcast by FM multiplex broadcasting, and the AM / FM radio tuner 64 has the navigation device 1 in the AM / FM radio reception mode. The broadcast wave of the channel selected by the user is received.

  When FM multiplex broadcasting is received, FM multiplex dedicated tuner 63 outputs an FM multiplex signal to multiplex encoder 65. The multiplex encoder 65 decodes the FM multiplex signal, decodes the FM multiplex signal received from the FM multiplex dedicated tuner 63 to obtain VICS information, and outputs it to the navigation control CPU 11 of the control unit 10. When the navigation control CPU 11 receives the VICS information from the multiplex encoder 65, the navigation control CPU 11 outputs the display data of the VICS information to the drawing IC 31, thereby displaying the VICS information on the display 32. In addition, when AM / FM radio tuner 64 receives AM / FM radio broadcast, AM / FM radio tuner 64 outputs the audio signal of the AM / FM radio broadcast to audio output unit 50 and outputs the audio of AM / FM radio broadcast into the vehicle. Let

  The music source 70 is a music source (sound source) other than radio sound, and includes a CD playback device 71, an MD playback device 72, and a TV reception device 73. The CD playback device 71 reads audio data such as music recorded on a CD (or another optical disk such as a DVD) and outputs an audio signal to the audio output unit 50. The MD playback device 72 reads audio data such as music recorded in the MD and outputs an audio signal to the audio output unit 50. The TV receiving device 73 receives a TV broadcast, outputs a TV broadcast audio signal to the audio output unit 50, and outputs a video signal to the display unit 30 under the control of the control unit 10. When the vehicle is traveling, the display of TV images is prohibited in order to increase the safety of vehicle traveling.

  The operation unit 80 detects a user's operation input and outputs it to the control unit 10, and includes the above-described plurality of key switches 81 (only one is shown in FIG. 2). As described above, these key switches 81 are arranged on the front panel 1A of the navigation apparatus 1. The key switches 81 include an AM / FM radio reception mode, a CD, as well as a power switch and a volume adjustment switch. A switch for selecting an operation mode from among the / MD playback mode, TV reception mode, and navigation (route guidance) mode is provided.

  The lighting device 82 is disposed below each key switch 81 and lights or blinks under the control of the control unit 10 (particularly, the audio control CPU 12) to identify the key switch 81. For example, it is configured as an LED device or the like. That is, when the control unit 10 lights or blinks the specific lighting device 82, the specific key switch 81 can be identified by the user.

In the navigation device 1 configured as described above, the configuration and function of the voice control unit 51 will be described in detail.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the audio control unit 51.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the voice control unit 51 is output by the navigation voice processing unit 501 that processes the guidance voice of the navigation function output by the voice synthesis unit 40 (FIG. 2) and the CD playback device 71 (FIG. 2). CD audio processing unit 502 for processing audio, MD audio processing unit 503 for processing audio output by MD playback device 72 (FIG. 2), and audio output by TV receiving device 73 (FIG. 2) The TV audio processing unit 504 includes four audio processing units (audio processing means). The voice control unit 51 also includes a voice detection unit 511 (output) that detects the presence or absence of input voice to the voice processing units of the navigation voice processing unit 501, the CD voice processing unit 502, the MD voice processing unit 503, and the TV voice processing unit 504. Detection means), a voice control unit 512 (priority determination means) for controlling the operation of each of the voice processing units based on the detection state of the voice detection unit 511, and a power amplifier for processing the voices processed by the voice processing units. 52 (FIG. 2) and an output unit 513 (output signal generating means).

The voice detection unit 511 detects the output voice signal from the voice synthesis unit 40 and the presence / absence of output of the voice signal from each unit of the music source 70 (FIG. 2) to each of the voice processing units, and the detection result is the voice control unit 512. Output to.
The voice control unit 512 instructs the voice processing units 501 to 504 on the priority of the voice to be processed by the voice processing units 501 to 504 based on the detection result in the voice detection unit 511. Specifically, the voice control unit 512 outputs the guidance voice output from the voice synthesis unit 40, the voice output from the CD playback device 71, the voice output from the MD playback device 72, and the output from the TV reception device 73. A preset priority order is stored for all output voices with the voice to be played. Then, when a plurality of output sounds are detected at the same time, the sound control unit 512 determines a priority for each of the plurality of output sounds. This priority indicates, for example, the degree of priority given to two output voices. For example, the priority level is set to “high”, the other priority level is set to “low”, and the priority level is set to “high”. ”Is output as it is, while the output sound with the priority“ low ”is processed and output so that a specific frequency band is attenuated as described later.

  4A and 4B are timing charts showing an example of processing related to the determination of priority. FIG. 4A shows the presence / absence of output sound from the CD playback device 71, and FIG. 4B shows the presence / absence of output sound from the speech synthesizer 40. (C) shows the priority of the output sound of the CD reproducing device 71, and (d) shows the priority of the output sound of the sound synthesizing unit 40.

In FIG. 4, when the output sound of the CD playback device 71 (hereinafter referred to as “CD sound”) and the output sound of the sound synthesis unit 40 (hereinafter referred to as “navigation sound”) are output at the same time, the priority of these sounds is indicated as appropriate. An example determined by the control unit 512 is shown.
Here, according to the priority order stored in the voice control unit 512, the navigation voice is given priority over the CD voice. This is because the navigation voice is a voice related to the navigation function of the navigation device 1 and is considered to be more important for the driver.

  First, when audio is output from the CD playback device 71 at time T1, the audio detection unit 511 detects CD audio “present”. Here, since the navigation voice is not output, the voice control unit 512 sets the priority of the CD voice to “low”.

When the output of the navigation voice is started at the subsequent time T2, the voice control unit 512 sets the priority of the navigation voice to “low” and the priority of the CD voice to “high”. The priority determined here is continued until the output of the navigation voice is stopped at the subsequent time T3.
Although the navigation voice is temporarily interrupted between time T2 and time T3, the voice control unit 512 does not change the priority here. This is because if the priority is frequently switched within a short time, it gives a driver a complicated impression and makes it difficult to hear the voice, and the navigation voice is output based on the position of the host vehicle. This is because the output and stop timing are unknown, and there is a possibility that the output may be interrupted or restarted in a short time. Therefore, the voice control unit 512 maintains the priority until a predetermined time elapses after the output of the navigation voice is stopped.
Here, the predetermined time from when the output is stopped until the priority is changed may be determined according to the type and characteristics of the sound source.

When the output of the navigation voice is stopped at time T3 and thereafter the state where the navigation voice is “None” is continued until time T4, the voice control unit 512 changes the priority at time T4 and the priority of the CD voice. Is set to “high” and the priority of the navigation voice is set to “low”, and the priority is updated.
When the output of the CD sound is stopped at time T5, the navigation device 1 enters a silent state in which no sound is output. In response to this silent state, the voice control unit 512 updates the priority to “OFF (no setting)” for both the CD voice and the navigation voice.

  Here, the audio signal whose priority is “OFF” is a navigation audio processing unit 501, a CD audio processing unit 502, an MD audio processing unit 503, which will be described later, regardless of the priority or output state of other audio signals. In the TV audio processing unit 504, no processing is performed when the priority is “high” and “low”. That is, the audio signal is not output to the output output unit 513 (FIG. 3). As a result, it is possible to reduce the load on the audio control unit 51 without performing processing on unnecessary audio signals.

  Subsequently, when the output of the navigation voice is started at time T6, the voice control unit 512 sets the priority of the navigation voice to “high” and the priority of the CD voice to “low”. After that, the output of the navigation voice is stopped at time T7, but the priority is not changed here, and if this stop state continues until time T8, the priority of both the navigation voice and the CD voice is “OFF”. Updated to

Next, the configuration and function of each of the sound processing units 501 to 504 of the navigation sound processing unit 501, the CD sound processing unit 502, the MD sound processing unit 503, and the TV sound processing unit 504 will be described in detail.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the navigation voice processing unit 501. Since the CD audio processing unit 502, the MD audio processing unit 503, and the TV audio processing unit 504 are all configured in the same manner as the navigation audio processing unit 501 in FIG. 5, illustration and description thereof are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the navigation voice processing unit 501 includes a priority switching circuit 521 to which the navigation voice from the voice synthesis unit 40 is input, a distribution circuit 522, and a band rejection filter (BEF: Band Eliminate) as a band rejection unit. Filter) 523, delay control circuit 524, synthesis circuit 525 as synthesis means, band pass filter (BPF) 526 as band pass means, frequency conversion circuit 527 as frequency conversion means, phase control circuit 528, and amplitude It has a circuit for priority “low” composed of an adjustment circuit 529 and a delay control circuit 530 used when the priority is “high”.
Although not shown, the priority switching circuit 521 receives a control signal from the voice control unit 512. The priority switching circuit 521 determines whether the priority of the navigation voice is “high” or “low” according to the control signal. When the priority of the navigation voice is “high”, the priority switching circuit 521 outputs the navigation voice to the delay control circuit 530, and when the priority is “low”, the navigation voice is output to the distribution circuit 522. Here, the voice signal of the navigation voice output from the priority switching circuit 521 is referred to as a voice signal S1.

  The distribution circuit 522 distributes and outputs the audio signal S1 input from the priority switching circuit 521 to the band rejection filter 523 and the band pass filter 526.

The band rejection filter 523 attenuates a signal component of a predetermined frequency band (hereinafter, referred to as frequency band B1) for the audio signal input from the distribution circuit 522 and outputs the attenuated signal to the delay control circuit 524.
The delay control circuit 524 delays the audio signal input from the band rejection filter 523 by a predetermined time, generates the audio signal S 2, and outputs the audio signal S 2 to the synthesis circuit 525.

On the other hand, the band-pass filter 526 passes only the signal component of the frequency band B1 with respect to the audio signal input from the distribution circuit 522, and outputs it to the frequency conversion circuit 527 as the audio signal S3.
The frequency conversion circuit 527 performs a process of converting the frequency of the audio signal S3 input from the band pass filter 526, and outputs the converted audio signal to the phase control circuit 528. In the present embodiment, as an example, the frequency conversion circuit 527 performs conversion so that the frequency of the audio signal S3 is twice the original frequency. That is, the audio signal in the frequency band B1 (F1 [Hz] to F2 [Hz]) is converted into the audio signal in the frequency band B2 (2 × F1 [Hz] to 2 × F2 [Hz]).
Here, the phase of the audio signal output from the frequency conversion circuit 527 is rotated during frequency conversion. In order to compensate for this rotation, the phase control circuit 528 performs a process of rotating the phase of the audio signal input from the frequency conversion circuit 527 and outputs it to the amplitude adjustment circuit 529 as the audio signal S4.
The amplitude adjustment circuit 529 adjusts (amplifies or attenuates) the amplitude of the audio signal S4 input from the phase control circuit 528 in accordance with the volume level at the time of output, and outputs the result to the synthesis circuit 525.

  The synthesizing circuit 525 synthesizes the audio signal S2 input from the delay control circuit 524 and the audio signal input from the delay control circuit 524 to generate and output an audio signal S5. Note that the audio signal input from the phase control circuit 528 to the synthesis circuit 525 is delayed for the time required for various processes such as frequency conversion, but the audio signal S2 input from the delay control circuit 524 is also delayed. These audio signals are synchronized and can be superimposed and synthesized as they are. The audio signal S5 output from the synthesis circuit 525 is output to the output unit 513 (FIG. 3).

  FIG. 6 is a chart showing the states of the audio signals S1 to S5. (A) shows the audio signal S1, (b) shows the audio signal S2, (c) shows the audio signals S3 and S4, and (d) shows the audio signal S1. An audio signal S5 is shown.

  When the signal component of the frequency band B1 is blocked by the band rejection filter 523 for the audio signal S1 (FIG. 6A) output from the distribution circuit 522, the signal component of the frequency band B1 is converted as shown in FIG. 6B. The audio signal S2 hardly includes.

  On the other hand, since the band-pass filter 526 passes only the signal component of the frequency band B1 of the audio signal S1 (FIG. 6A), the audio signal S3 output from the band-pass filter 526 is shown in FIG. 6C. As shown in the figure, the signal is substantially composed of only signal components in the frequency band B1. The frequency of the audio signal S3 is doubled by the frequency conversion circuit 527, and the phase is further rotated by the phase control circuit 528. As shown in FIG. 6C, the audio signal S3 is substantially composed of only the signal component in the frequency band B2. The audio signal S4 is obtained. The audio signal S4 is a signal obtained by extracting the signal component of the frequency band B1 of the audio signal S1 and moving it to the high frequency side.

Then, the audio signals S2 and S4 are synthesized by the synthesis circuit 525, thereby generating the audio signal S5 shown in FIG. The audio signal S5 is a signal obtained by removing the signal component of the frequency band B1 from the audio signal S1 and adding the signal component of the frequency band B1 to a different frequency band B2.
That is, the audio signal S5 is a signal obtained by moving the signal component of the frequency band B1 of the audio signal S1 to the high frequency side, and does not include the signal component of the frequency band B1, but originally the frequency band B1 of the audio signal S1. The signal component contained in is not lost.

Returning to FIG. 5, when a control signal indicating that the priority of the navigation voice is “high” is input to the priority switching circuit 521 from the voice control unit 512 (FIG. 3), the priority switching circuit 521 outputs the audio signal S1 to the delay control circuit 530. The delay control circuit 530 outputs the audio signal obtained by delaying the audio signal S1 to the output unit 513 (FIG. 3).
That is, when the priority of the navigation voice is “high”, the navigation voice is output to the output unit 513 with only a predetermined time delay.
Note that the time for delaying the audio signal S1 by the delay control circuit 530 is matched to the processing time when the priority of the navigation audio is “low”. Processing by each circuit of the distribution circuit 522, the band rejection filter 523, the delay control circuit 524, the synthesis circuit 525, the band pass filter 526, the frequency conversion circuit 527, the phase control circuit 528, and the amplitude adjustment circuit 529 takes time. The signal that has passed through has a delay. If the audio signal that is output when the priority is “low” and the audio signal that is output when the priority is “high” are not synchronized, a sound shift occurs when the priority is switched. End up. Therefore, the delay control circuit 530 delays the audio signal to synchronize with the audio signal and prevent a shift when the priority is switched.

  By the operation of the navigation voice processing unit 501, when the priority of the navigation voice is “high”, the voice signal of the navigation voice is output to the output unit 513 while maintaining the original waveform, and the priority of the navigation voice is “low”. In the case of “,” the voice signal of the navigation voice is converted into a voice signal obtained by moving the signal component of the frequency band B1 to the frequency band B2, and is output to the output unit 513.

  Further, as described above, the audio processing units of the CD audio processing unit 502, the MD audio processing unit 503, and the TV audio processing unit 504 are all configured in the same manner as the navigation audio processing unit 501. Therefore, any of the audio signals input to each of the audio processing units is output as it is when the priority is “high”, and when the priority is “low”, the signal component of the frequency band B1 is the frequency. It is output as voice moved to the band B2.

Here, if the frequency band B1 is a frequency band including a human voice, the audio signal output when the priority is “low” does not include a signal component corresponding to the human voice. For this reason, when the voice with the low priority is superimposed on the human voice, the signal components in the main frequency band do not overlap with each other, so that these voices do not interfere. Therefore, a person who has heard this superimposed sound can easily recognize both of the two sounds.
For example, if navigation voice and radio broadcast sound are output at the same time, and the priority of navigation voice is “high” and the priority of radio broadcast audio is “low”, the navigation voice and radio broadcast voice are A person who listens at the same time can recognize the content broadcast on the radio or the content of the navigation voice. For this reason, while listening to the navigation voice and obtaining information on the route, traffic information broadcast on the radio, news and the like are not missed.

As described above, according to the navigation device 1 according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, when sounds from a plurality of sound sources are simultaneously output, the sound control unit 512 determines the priority level of each sound, Depending on the priority, the audio signal is processed by each of the navigation sound processing unit 501, the CD sound processing unit 502, the MD sound processing unit 503, and the TV sound processing unit 504. In this process, the audio signal on the higher priority side is output only after being delayed, and the audio signal on the lower priority side is, for example, a signal component in a specific frequency band B1 including the frequency band of human voice. By moving to another frequency band B2, the audio signal does not include the signal component of the frequency band B1. Then, the audio signal after processing by each audio processing unit is synthesized by the output unit 513, and audio based on this audio signal is output from the speaker 53.
As a result, voices from multiple sound sources are synthesized so as not to cause interference in a specific frequency band by processing the voice on the lower priority side, so that no masking effect occurs and unpleasant noise occurs. In addition, audibility is ensured for any of a plurality of sound sources.
Therefore, a person in the vehicle including the driver can recognize all the contents of the voices output at the same time in an environment without unpleasant noise, and can obtain them without missing necessary information. In addition, a comfortable in-vehicle environment can be realized by reducing discomfort during driving or riding.

  Here, since the processing for the audio signal on the lower priority side is performed, some signal components are moved to different frequency bands, and therefore the pitch of the signal component is changed. However, even if the pitch changes, audibility is ensured and it is sufficiently useful in terms of acquiring information. In addition, since the voice of the higher priority side does not change the pitch, the audibility of the higher priority side voice does not change at all and can be heard naturally.

In addition, when the output of the audio signal is stopped, the priority between the audio signals including the stopped audio signal is determined and updated again. For example, the priority is low and the pitch of the sound is changed. After the other audio stops, the audio signal that has been output is output at the original pitch. For this reason, the process accompanied by the change in the pitch of the sound is stopped to the minimum necessary, so that the uncomfortable feeling of people in the vehicle can be minimized.
Furthermore, when the output of the audio signal is stopped, the priority is not updated until a predetermined time elapses after the stop, so that the priority is not frequently changed, and it is troublesome for people in the vehicle. The effect of not letting you hold an impression.

  The embodiment described above shows one embodiment of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be arbitrarily modified and applied within the scope of the present invention. For example, a navigation device 1 may be provided with a microphone, and processing based on priority may be performed on sound input from the microphone and sound of other sound sources included in the navigation device 1. Hereinafter, this case will be described as a modified example.

[Modification]
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the navigation device 1 in a modification of the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the navigation apparatus 1 includes a microphone 74 in addition to the above-described units. The microphone 74 collects sound in the vehicle, generates a sound signal, and outputs the sound signal to the sound control unit 51.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the audio control unit 51 in a modification of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the audio control unit 51 includes a microphone audio processing unit 505 corresponding to the microphone 74. The microphone voice processing unit 505 is configured in the same manner as the above-described navigation voice processing unit 501 (FIG. 5), and when the priority of the voice signal input from the microphone 74 is “high”, the output unit outputs the waveform as it is. When the priority is “low”, a signal component in a specific frequency band is moved to another frequency band and output to the output unit 513.

  According to the configuration shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the sound signal of the navigation device 1 is processed by processing the sound signal according to the priority between the sound emitted by the person in the vehicle and each sound source included in the navigation device 1. And the voice uttered by the person in the vehicle do not interfere with each other, so that the person in the vehicle can easily recognize the contents of each voice, and a comfortable in-vehicle environment can be realized.

Further, in the above-described embodiment (including modifications), other configurations can be arbitrarily modified. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the priority determined by the voice control unit 512 is composed of two stages of “high” and “low” is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this and is configured by more stages. It may be a thing. In this case, the same processing as in the case where the priority is “low” in the above-described embodiment may be performed for all output sounds except the output sound with the highest priority. Further, the priority is not limited to two levels of “high” and “low”, and may be divided into three or more levels. In this case, it is possible to cope with a case where audio signals are simultaneously output from a larger number of sound sources.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the music source 70 which reproduces | regenerates CD / MD, the audio | voice control part 51 which performs the audio | voice process which concerns on priority, and the structure incorporated in the navigation apparatus 1 were illustrated, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention is applicable even if the audio output unit 50 and the CD playback device 71 and the MD playback device 72 of the music source 70 are configured separately from the navigation device 1. Is possible.

  Further, the music source 70 is provided with a device capable of reading and writing data from / to a card type storage medium using, for example, a semiconductor storage element (flash memory or the like), and based on the audio data stored in the card type storage medium by this device. The music may be reproduced, or a device externally connected to the navigation device 1 may be used as a sound source, and a sound signal may be input to the sound control unit 51 from the sound source. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although demonstrated as what converts the signal component in specific frequency band B1 into a double frequency by the function of the frequency conversion circuit 527 (FIG. 5), this is an example to the last, Since the signal component of the frequency band B1 only needs to be a signal component of the frequency outside the frequency band B1, it may be converted to a frequency of, for example, 1/2 times, 3 times, 4 times, etc., and any other detailed configuration is also arbitrary. Can be changed.

It is a front view showing composition of front panel 1A of navigation device 1 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a navigation device 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the audio | voice control part 51 of FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of processing related to determination of priority by a voice control unit 512 in FIG. 3. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the navigation audio | voice process part 501 of FIG. 6 is a chart illustrating the state of an audio signal processed by a navigation audio processing unit 501 in FIG. 5. It is a block diagram which shows another structural example of the navigation apparatus 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the audio | voice control part 51 in the example of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 10 Control part 20 Storage part 30 Display part 40 Voice synthesizer (Guide voice output device)
50 Audio output unit 51 Audio control unit (vehicle acoustic processing device)
60 Radio receiver (radio receiver)
70 Music source 71 CD playback device (playback device)
72 MD playback device (playback device)
73 TV receiver (playback device)
74 Microphone 80 Operation unit 501 Navigation voice processing unit (voice processing means)
502 CD audio processing unit (audio processing means)
503 MD voice processing unit (voice processing means)
504 TV audio processing unit (audio processing means)
511 Voice detection unit (output detection means)
512 Voice control unit (priority determination means)
513 Output unit (output signal generating means)
521 Priority switching circuit 522 Distribution circuit 523 Band rejection filter (band rejection means)
524 delay control circuit 525 synthesis circuit (synthesis means)
526 Band pass filter (band pass means)
527 Frequency conversion circuit (frequency conversion means)
528 Phase control circuit 529 Amplitude adjustment circuit 530 Delay control circuit

Claims (7)

In an in-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus that processes audio signals output from a plurality of sound sources mounted on a vehicle,
Priority determining means for determining a relative priority between the sound signals for the plurality of sound signals output from the plurality of sound sources,
For other audio signals excluding the audio signal with the highest priority , a signal component of a specific frequency band included in the audio signal with the highest priority is moved to another frequency band to generate a new audio signal. Audio processing means;
An output signal generating means for generating a voice signal for output by combining the voice signal having the highest priority and the new voice signal;
A vehicle-mounted acoustic processing apparatus comprising: Further comprising output detection means for detecting presence or absence of output of audio signals by the plurality of sound sources,
The in-vehicle acoustic processing device according to claim 1, wherein the priority determination unit sets the priority of the audio signal based on the output state detected by the output detection unit.   The priority determining means maintains the priority until a predetermined time elapses after switching when the output of any of the audio signals is switched from presence to absence after determining the priority. The in-vehicle sound processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the priority is newly determined and updated. The voice processing means is
A band blocking means for blocking a signal component of a specific frequency band for the audio signal to be processed;
Bandpass means for extracting a signal component of the specific frequency band from the audio signal to be processed;
Frequency converting means for converting the frequency of the signal component extracted by the band passing means to a frequency outside the specific frequency band;
2. A synthesizing unit that synthesizes a signal component whose frequency is converted by the frequency converting unit and an audio signal in which a signal component in a specific frequency band is blocked by the band blocking unit. 4. The on-vehicle acoustic processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3.   The plurality of sound sources receive a guidance voice output device that outputs a guidance voice in a navigation function that performs route guidance of the vehicle, a playback device that plays back a voice recorded on a portable recording medium, and a radio broadcast. The on-vehicle sound processing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the radio reception devices is included.   The on-vehicle acoustic processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a microphone that collects sound in the vehicle and outputs an audio signal as the sound source. In a navigation device that outputs a guidance voice for performing vehicle route guidance,
One or a plurality of sound sources for outputting a voice signal different from the guidance voice;
Priority determining means for determining a relative priority between a plurality of audio signals including the audio signal output from the sound source and the audio signal of the guidance audio;
For other audio signals excluding the audio signal with the highest priority , a signal component of a specific frequency band included in the audio signal with the highest priority is moved to another frequency band to generate a new audio signal. Audio processing means;
An output signal generating means for generating a voice signal for output by combining the voice signal having the highest priority and the new voice signal;
A navigation device comprising:

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