JP6388548B2 - Audio output device and audio output control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an audio output device and an audio output control method, and is particularly suitable for use in an audio output device and an audio output control method capable of outputting audio from a speaker installed in a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in many vehicles, a plurality of fixed speakers (for example, front speakers, rear speakers, etc.) are installed in the vehicle, and audio sound (for example, CD sound, DVD sound, radio sound, etc.) is output from the plurality of fixed speakers. It can be output. Further, it is possible to interrupt and output a sound of a specific sound source (for example, navigation guidance sound, hands-free call sound, etc.) from some fixed speakers (for example, front speakers).

  By the way, the technique which controls the output of the audio | voice from each speaker is conventionally devised so that a fixed effect can be acquired in the acoustic system comprised with the some speaker. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique for controlling the output position and volume of audio information in accordance with the priority or type of audio information so that a passenger can easily hear various audio information. . For example, when the priority of the voice information is high, the voice information is output from the seat speaker so that the driver can easily hear, and when the priority of the voice information is low, the voice information is output from the front door speaker. Condition.

  Further, in Patent Document 2 below, in an audio output device including a first speaker whose installation position can be changed and a plurality of second speakers whose installation positions are fixed, the installation position of the first speaker Is changed from each speaker according to the installation position after the change of the first speaker and the installation positions of the plurality of second speakers so that the sound field set before the change is maintained. A technique for adjusting the output of the audio signal is disclosed.

JP 2006-194633 A Japanese Patent No. 4150750

  However, conventionally, there has been a problem that some passengers cannot easily hear the sound of a specific sound source. For example, a speaker may be arranged in the vicinity of the 1st and 2nd row seats so that the audio sound can be easily heard by the passengers in the 1st and 2nd row seats of the 3rd row seats. is there. In this case, there is a problem that it is difficult for the passengers in the third row seats to hear the audio sound.

  Since the technique of Patent Document 2 can change the first speaker to an arbitrary installation position, if the technique of Patent Document 2 is applied, the first speaker is attached to the seat in the third row. It is considered possible to install it in the vicinity. However, in this case, since the output of the audio signal from each speaker is adjusted so that the sound field set before the change is maintained, it is difficult to say that the audio sound is easy to hear for the passengers in the third row of seats.

  In addition, conventionally, the sound of a specific sound source is interrupted by the interrupting sound, which causes a problem that some passengers feel uncomfortable. For example, during playback of audio audio, the navigation guidance audio or hands-free call audio is interrupted from a speaker installed near the driver so that the driver can hear the navigation guidance audio or hands-free call audio well. May be output. In this case, since the audio sound is interrupted and heard for the driver, there is a problem that the driver feels uncomfortable.

  Even when the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied, it is considered that the navigation guidance voice and the hands-free call voice can be easily heard from the seat speaker to the driver. However, in this case as well, the audio sound is interrupted and heard by the driver, which makes the driver uncomfortable.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to make it easier for some occupants in a specific position of a vehicle to hear the sound of a specific sound source.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention wirelessly connects to a movable auxiliary speaker installed in a vehicle, specifies the installation position of the wirelessly connected auxiliary speaker, and sets the specified auxiliary speaker installation position. Accordingly, the sound output from the auxiliary speaker is switched.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, when the user installs the auxiliary speaker at an arbitrary position in the vehicle, the sound output from the auxiliary speaker is automatically switched to the sound corresponding to the installation position. For example, when an auxiliary speaker is installed in the third row in a vehicle in which no fixed speaker is installed in the third row, the sound of a specific sound source can be output from the auxiliary speaker according to the installation position. For this reason, it is possible to make it easier for some occupants in the position of the third row to hear the sound of a specific sound source. Also, when an auxiliary speaker is installed in the first row, an interrupt sound can be output from the auxiliary speaker according to the installation position, and the interrupt sound is interrupted from a fixed speaker from which a specific sound source's sound is output. It is not necessary to output. For this reason, it is possible to make it easier for some of the occupants in the position of the first row to hear the sound of the specific sound source without interrupting the sound of the specific sound source due to the interrupted sound.

It is a block diagram which shows the function structural example of the vehicle-mounted apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the recommendation setting information and correspondence information which are memorize | stored in the memory | storage part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of an audio | voice output by the vehicle-mounted apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the selection screen of the installation position of the auxiliary speaker which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the initial setting process by the head unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the audio | voice output switching process by the head unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of an in-vehicle device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a head unit 100, a plurality of fixed speakers 201 to 204 (a front left speaker 201, a front right speaker 202, a rear left speaker 203, and a rear right speaker 204), and an auxiliary speaker 205. And is configured. The head unit 100 is an example of an audio output device described in the claims, and is a device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The plurality of fixed speakers 201 to 204 are wired to the head unit 100 and fixedly installed in the vehicle. The auxiliary speaker 205 can be wirelessly connected to the head unit 100 and can be installed at any position in the vehicle.

  The head unit 100 includes a CD playback device 101, a DVD playback device 102, and a radio reception device 103 as devices capable of outputting sound, and to which a navigation device 104, a hands-free call device 105, and an in-car conversation device 106 are connected. The head unit 100 is configured to output sound output from these devices (for example, audio sound output from the CD playback device 101, DVD playback device 102, radio reception device 103, guidance sound output from the navigation device 104, hands-free call). Call voices output from the device 105, conversation voices output from the in-car conversation device 106, and the like) can be output from the fixed speakers 201 to 204 and the auxiliary speaker 205.

  The head unit 100 also includes a storage unit 107, a display 108, and a touch panel 109. Further, the head unit 100 includes a registration unit 110, a wireless communication unit 111, a measurement unit 112, an installation position specifying unit 113, and an audio output control unit 114 as functional configurations.

  Each of the functional blocks 110 to 114 can be configured by any of hardware, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and software. For example, when configured by software, each of the functional blocks 110 to 114 is actually configured by including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. of a computer, and is stored in a recording medium such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory. Is realized by operating.

  The storage unit 107 stores information (hereinafter referred to as “recommended setting information”) for recommending to the user the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 according to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205. In addition, the storage unit 107 stores information (hereinafter referred to as “corresponding information”) for specifying sound to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 according to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205.

  Specifically, the recommended setting information is stored in association with recommended sound values to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 for each of three predetermined installation positions (front row, middle row, and rear row) in the vehicle. Is. Correspondence information is stored in association with the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 and the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 for each of three predetermined installation positions (front row, middle row, and rear row) in the vehicle. It is a thing. A specific example of the recommended setting information and the correspondence information will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The display 108 displays various display screens (for example, a menu screen, a map screen, an audio operation screen, etc.). As the display 108, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display or the like is used.

  The touch panel 109 is an example of an operation unit for performing various operations (for example, menu screen operation, map screen operation, navigation setting screen operation, audio operation, etc.). The touch panel 109 is provided so as to overlap the surface of the display 108.

  The wireless communication unit 111 is wirelessly connected to the auxiliary speaker 205 installed in the vehicle. For the wireless connection with the auxiliary speaker 205, for example, a wireless connection method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, or infrared communication can be used. The measuring unit 112 measures the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the auxiliary speaker 205 wirelessly connected by the wireless communication unit 111.

  When the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 in the vehicle and performs initial setting, the registration unit 110 installs the auxiliary speaker 205, the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 measured by the measuring unit 112, and the auxiliary speaker 205. Are associated with the sound to be output from the storage unit 107 and registered as correspondence information in the storage unit 107 and stored.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the registration unit 110 displays the selection screen 400 (see FIG. 4) on the display 108 when the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 in the vehicle and performs the initial setting, and The installation position is selected by the user from the selection screen 400. Then, when the user selects the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 from the selection screen 400 and the installation position is specified by the installation position specifying unit 113 (second specifying unit 113B), the registration unit 110 performs the installation. The position is registered in the storage unit 107 as correspondence information.

  In the present embodiment, the registration unit 110 is associated with the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 selected from the selection screen 400 with reference to the recommended setting information stored in the storage unit 107 at the time of initial setting. The user is recommended to use the voice. If the user responds to the recommendation, the registration unit 110 registers the sound recommended to the user in the storage unit 107 as a sound to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205. If the user does not respond to this recommendation, the voice arbitrarily selected by the user is registered in the storage unit 107 as the voice to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205.

  The installation position specifying unit 113 specifies the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 wirelessly connected by the wireless communication unit 111. The installation position specifying unit 113 includes a first specifying unit 113A and a second specifying unit 113B. The first specifying unit 113A specifies the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 based on the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 measured by the measurement unit 112 when the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 in the vehicle. The second specifying unit 113B specifies the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 by causing the user to input the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 from the selection screen 400 (see FIG. 4) at the time of initial setting.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 is associated with the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 at the time of initial setting, and stored in the storage unit 107 as correspondence information. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first specifying unit 113A refers to the correspondence information stored in the storage unit 107, and determines the auxiliary signal according to the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 measured by the measurement unit 112. The installation position of the speaker 205 is specified.

  The audio output control unit 114 switches the sound to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 according to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 specified by the installation position specifying unit 113. In the present embodiment, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 and the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 are associated with each other at the time of initial setting, and stored in the storage unit 107 as correspondence information. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the audio output control unit 114 refers to the correspondence information stored in the storage unit 107, and assists according to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 specified by the installation position specification unit 113. The voice to be output from the speaker 205 is specified.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the installation position specifying unit 113 specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is in the front row in the vehicle, the audio output control unit 114 outputs the navigation guidance audio or the hands-free call audio from the auxiliary speaker 205. And the interruption output of the navigation guidance voice or the hands-free call voice from the fixed speakers 201 and 202 installed in the vehicle is stopped.

[Example of recommended setting information and correspondence information]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of recommended setting information and correspondence information stored in the storage unit 107 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the recommended setting information includes a recommended value of sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 for each of three predetermined installation positions (front row, middle row, and rear row) in the vehicle. It is associated. This recommended setting information is stored in the storage unit 107 in advance.

  The recommended setting information is stored as correspondence information in association with the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205, the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205, and the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 at the time of initial setting by the registration unit 110. Is registered when the recommended value of the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 is presented to the user.

  For example, when the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is identified as “back row” by the installation position identification unit 113 (second identification unit 113B), the registration unit 110 displays the recommended setting information illustrated in FIG. Based on this, “CD / DVD / radio” is presented to the user as a recommended value of the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the correspondence information includes audio output from the auxiliary speaker 205 for each of three predetermined installation positions (front row, middle row, and rear row) in the vehicle, and auxiliary information. The received signal strength of the speaker 205 is associated. This correspondence information is registered in the storage unit 107 for each installation position by the initial setting process of FIG.

  For example, in the correspondence information of FIG. 2B, the voice “hands-free call / navigation” and the received signal strength “−30 dBm” associated with the installation position “front row” of the auxiliary speaker 205 are When the auxiliary speaker 205 is first installed in the “front row”, it is registered by the initial setting process of FIG. Among these, the voice “hands-free call / navigation” is set by the user in the initial setting process of FIG. 5. The received signal strength “−30 dBm” is measured by the measuring unit 112 in the initial setting process of FIG. In addition to this, the correspondence information in FIG. 2B includes information registered by the initial setting process when the user first installed the auxiliary speaker 205 at the installation position “middle row” and the user at the installation position “rear row”. And information registered by the initial setting process when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed for the first time.

  This correspondence information is referred to when the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is specified by the installation position specifying unit 113 (first specifying unit 113A) based on the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205. The correspondence information is referred to when the audio output control unit 114 specifies the sound to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 based on the specified installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205.

  For example, when the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 measured by the measuring unit 112 is “−50 dBm”, the installation position specifying unit 113 (first specifying unit 113A) displays the correspondence information shown in FIG. Based on this, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is specified as “back row”. In addition, the audio output control unit 114 specifies that the audio to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 is “CD / DVD / radio” based on the correspondence information illustrated in FIG.

  In this example, even if the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 in the rear row of the vehicle, the received signal strength measured by the measuring unit 112 is not always equal to “−50 dBm”. This is because there is a possibility that the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed at a position in the rear row that is different from the initial setting. For this reason, the installation position specifying unit 113 (first specifying unit 113A) has a received signal intensity measured by the measuring unit 112 within an allowable range around “−50 dBm” (for example, within a range of “−45 dBm to −55 dBm”). ), It is preferable to specify that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is “back row”.

[Example of audio output]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of sound output by the in-vehicle device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A shows the sound output from each speaker when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the front row of the vehicle 20. FIG. 3B shows the sound output from each speaker when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the middle row of the vehicle 20. FIG. 3C shows the sound output from each speaker when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the rear row of the vehicle 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the sound of “CD / DVD / radio” is output from each of the fixed speakers 201 to 204 regardless of the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205. ing. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the “hands-free call / navigation” sound is normally interrupted and output from the left and right front speakers 201 and 202.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the front row of the vehicle 20, the auxiliary speaker 205 is controlled by the audio output control unit 114 based on the correspondence information in FIG. The “hands-free call / navigation” sound is output. Along with this, the interruption output from the fixed speakers 201 and 202 of the “hands-free call / navigation” voice is stopped. As a result, the driver of the vehicle 20 can hear the “hands-free call / navigation” sound from the auxiliary speaker 205 and can fix the “CD / DVD / radio” sound without interruption. It is possible to hear from the speakers 201 and 202.

  3B, when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the middle row of the vehicle 20, the auxiliary speaker 205 is controlled by the audio output control unit 114 based on the correspondence information in FIG. Starts to output the voice of “in-car conversation / DVD center speaker”. Accordingly, when the “in-car conversation” sound is output from the auxiliary speaker 205, the “in-car conversation” sound (for example, a microphone (not shown) installed in the front row) is given to the passengers in the middle row of the vehicle 20. Driver's utterance voice) input from can be made easy to hear. Further, when the audio of the “DVD center speaker” is output from the auxiliary speaker 205, the number of output channels of the DVD audio is increased, so that each occupant of the vehicle 20 can hear DVD sound with a sense of reality. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the rear row in the vehicle 20, the audio output control unit 114 based on the correspondence information in FIG. In the same manner as the fixed speakers 201 to 204, the sound of “CD / DVD / radio” is output. Thereby, it is possible to make it easier for the passengers in the rear row of the vehicle 20 to hear the sound of “CD / DVD / radio”.

[Example of speaker installation position selection screen]
FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a screen for selecting the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 according to the embodiment of the present invention. A selection screen 400 shown in FIG. 4 is a display screen displayed on the display 108 when the user selects the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 in the initial setting process of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the selection screen 400 schematically shows the arrangement of the seats of the vehicle 20.

  In the selection screen 400, selection buttons 401 to 403 for the user to select the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 are displayed at three predetermined installation positions (front row, middle row, and rear row) of the vehicle 20. . For example, a selection button 401 for the user to select that the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the front row is displayed in the front row of the vehicle 20. In the middle row of the vehicle 20, a selection button 402 is displayed for the user to select that the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the middle row. A selection button 403 for the user to select that the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the subsequent row is displayed in the rear row of the vehicle 20.

  The user selects one of the selection buttons 401 to 403 by operating the touch panel 109 to cause the head unit 100 to recognize the position where the auxiliary speaker 205 is actually installed (any one of the front row, the middle row, and the rear row). be able to.

[Example of initial setting process]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an initial setting process performed by the head unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The processing shown in FIG. 5 is performed, for example, when the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 for the first time in each row in the vehicle, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205, the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205, and the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205. And are registered as correspondence information in the storage unit 107.

  First, the wireless communication unit 111 wirelessly connects to the auxiliary speaker 205 installed in the vehicle (step S502). Next, the registration unit 110 displays a selection screen 400 (see FIG. 4) of the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 on the display 108 (step S504). Then, the second specifying unit 113B of the installation position specifying unit 113 accepts selection of the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 with respect to the selection screen 400 by the operation of the touch panel 109 by the user (step S506). Thereby, the second specifying unit 113B specifies the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 (step S508).

  Subsequently, the registration unit 110 refers to the recommended setting information stored in the storage unit 107 (see FIG. 2A), and the auxiliary speaker corresponding to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 specified in step S508. The recommended audio value to be output from 205 is displayed on the display 108 and presented to the user (step S510).

  Then, the registration unit 110 determines whether to apply the recommended setting presented to the user in step S510 (step S512). For example, the registration unit 110 determines whether or not to apply the recommended setting presented to the user in step S510 based on the selection result of whether or not to apply the recommended setting by the operation of the touch panel 109 by the user.

  Here, when the registration unit 110 determines that the recommended setting is applied (step S512: Yes), the registration unit 110 identifies the voice recommended to the user in step S510 as the voice to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 (step S516). .

  On the other hand, when the registration unit 110 determines that the recommended setting is not applied (step S512: No), the registration unit 110 displays a plurality of sounds that can be output from the head unit 100 on the display 108, and among the plurality of sounds. Therefore, the user selects a sound to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 (step S514). Then, the registration unit 110 identifies the voice selected by the user in step S514 as the voice to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 (step S516).

  Subsequently, the measurement unit 112 measures the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 (step S518). Then, the registration unit 110 installs the auxiliary speaker 205 identified in step S508, the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 identified in step S516, and the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 measured in step S518. Are associated with each other and registered as correspondence information (see FIG. 2B) in the storage unit 107 (step S520).

  Finally, the sound output control unit 114 switches the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 to the sound registered in the correspondence information in step S520 (step S522), and the head unit 100 ends the series of processes shown in FIG. To do.

[Example of audio output switching processing]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of an audio output switching process by the head unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process shown in FIG. 6 is executed when the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 at an arbitrary position in the vehicle, for example, when the correspondence information is already stored in the storage unit 107 by the initial setting process in FIG. .

  First, the wireless communication unit 111 wirelessly connects to the auxiliary speaker 205 installed in the vehicle (step S602). Next, the measurement unit 112 measures the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 that is wirelessly connected (step S604). And the 1st specific | specification part 113A of the installation position specific | specification part 113 respond | corresponds to the received signal strength measured by step S604 by referring the correspondence information (refer FIG.2 (b)) memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 107. FIG. It is determined whether or not the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 to be registered is registered in the correspondence information (step S606).

  Here, when the first specifying unit 113A determines that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 corresponding to the received signal strength measured in step S604 is registered in the correspondence information (step S606: Yes), the first specifying unit 113A indicates the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 corresponding to the received signal intensity measured in step S604, registered in the correspondence information stored in the storage unit 107, and the installation position where the auxiliary speaker 205 is actually installed. (Step S608). Then, the audio output control unit 114 specifies the audio to be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 corresponding to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 specified in step S608 by referring to the correspondence information in FIG. In step S610, the sound is output from the auxiliary speaker 205 (step S612). Then, the head unit 100 ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the first specifying unit 113A determines that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 corresponding to the received signal strength measured in step S604 is not registered in the correspondence information (step S606: No), the head unit 100 The initial setting process of FIG. 5 is executed (step S612).

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the user installs the auxiliary speaker 205 at an arbitrary position in the vehicle, the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 is automatically converted into the sound corresponding to the installation position. Can be switched to. For example, when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the third row in the vehicle where no fixed speaker is installed, audio sound (“CD / DVD / radio” audio) is output from the auxiliary speaker 205 according to the installation position. be able to. For this reason, it is possible to make it easier for some occupants in the position of the third row to hear the audio sound.

  Also, when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the first row, the “hands-free call / navigation” sound can be output from the auxiliary speaker 205 and the audio sound is output according to the installation position. It is possible not to interrupt and output the “hands-free call / navigation” sound from the fixed speakers 201 and 202. For this reason, it is possible to make it easier for some occupants in the position of the first row to hear the audio sound by preventing the audio sound from being interrupted by the “hands-free call / navigation” sound. .

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, once the correspondence between the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 and the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205 is registered in the correspondence information, the reception of the auxiliary speaker 205 is performed thereafter. Since the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 can be automatically specified based on the signal intensity, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 can be specified easily and reliably without requiring the user to take time and effort.

  In the audio output switching process of FIG. 6, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is specified based on the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker 205, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the selection screen 400 (FIG. 4) may be displayed on the display 108, and the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 may be specified by causing the user to select the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 from the selection screen 400. .

  In the initial setting process of FIG. 5, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 is specified by allowing the user to select the installation position of the auxiliary speaker 205 from the selection screen 400 (FIG. 4). Not limited to this. For example, when the reception signal strength for each installation position (front row, middle row, rear row) of the auxiliary speaker 205 is set in advance with respect to the vehicle 20, the auxiliary speaker 205 is determined based on the reception signal strength measured by the measurement unit 112. The installation position may be specified.

  In the above embodiment, the recommended value of the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 may be changed in consideration of the arrangement of a plurality of fixed speakers. For example, in the above embodiment, since the fixed speakers 201 to 204 are installed in the front row and the middle row of the vehicle 20, when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the middle row of the vehicle 20, “in-car conversation / DVD center” The user is encouraged to output the “speaker” sound from the auxiliary speaker 205. For example, when the fixed speakers 201 to 204 are installed in the front row and the rear row of the vehicle 20, or when the auxiliary speaker 205 is installed in the middle row of the vehicle 20, “CD / DVD / radio”. May be recommended to the user to output from the auxiliary speaker 205.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which applies this invention to the vehicle 20 which has a seat structure of 3 rows, this invention is not restricted to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to a vehicle 20 having a two-row seat configuration, or the present invention may be applied to a vehicle 20 having a four-row or more seat configuration.

  In the above embodiment, the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 is made different for each of a plurality of columns (front column, middle column, rear column), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sound output from the auxiliary speaker 205 may be different between the left side (passenger seat side) and the right side (driver seat side) of the front row.

  In addition, each of the above-described embodiments is merely an example of implementation in carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or the main features thereof.

10 On-vehicle device (voice output device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Head unit 101 CD reproduction apparatus 102 DVD reproduction apparatus 103 Radio reception apparatus 104 Navigation apparatus 105 Hands-free call apparatus 106 In-car conversation apparatus 107 Storage part 108 Display 109 Touch panel 110 Registration part 111 Wireless communication part 112 Measurement part 113 Installation position specification part 113A First identification unit 113B Second identification unit 114 Audio output control unit 201 Front left speaker 202 Front right speaker 203 Rear left speaker 204 Rear right speaker 205 Auxiliary speaker

Claims (11)

A wireless communication unit wirelessly connected to a movable auxiliary speaker installed in the vehicle;
An installation position specifying unit for specifying an installation position of the auxiliary speaker connected wirelessly;
An audio output device comprising: an audio output control unit that switches audio output from the auxiliary speaker according to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker specified by the installation position specifying unit. When the installation position specifying unit specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is in the front row in the vehicle, the audio output control unit outputs navigation guidance audio or hands-free call audio from the auxiliary speaker, and The voice output device according to claim 1, wherein interrupt output of the navigation guidance voice or the hands-free call voice from a fixed speaker installed in a vehicle is stopped. A measurement unit for measuring the received signal strength of the auxiliary speaker connected wirelessly;
A registration unit that stores in the storage unit correspondence information in which the received signal strength measured at the time of initial setting by the measurement unit, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker, and the sound output from the auxiliary speaker are associated with each other; In addition,
The installation position specifying unit refers to the correspondence information stored in the storage unit based on the received signal strength measured by the measurement unit when the auxiliary speaker is installed, and the installation position of the auxiliary speaker A first specifying unit for specifying
The audio output control unit refers to the correspondence information stored in the storage unit, identifies the audio corresponding to the installation position of the auxiliary speaker identified by the first identification unit, and outputs the audio The audio output device according to claim 1, wherein the audio output device is configured to output from the auxiliary speaker. The installation position specifying unit further includes a second specifying unit that specifies the installation position of the auxiliary speaker by allowing a user to input the installation position of the auxiliary speaker at the time of the initial setting,
The registration unit corresponds to the received signal strength measured by the measurement unit at the time of the initial setting, the installation position of the auxiliary speaker specified by the second specifying unit, and the sound output from the auxiliary speaker. The audio output device according to claim 3, wherein the correspondence information that is attached is stored in the storage unit. The voice output control unit, when the installation position specifying unit specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is a front row in the vehicle, outputs a hands-free call voice from the auxiliary speaker. The audio output device according to any one of 1 to 4. The voice output control unit, when the installation position specifying unit specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is in the front row in the vehicle, outputs a navigation guidance voice from the auxiliary speaker. 5. The audio output device according to any one of 4 to 4. The audio output control unit, when the installation position specifying unit specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is in the rear row in the vehicle, the same audio as the audio sound output from the fixed speaker installed in the vehicle The audio output device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein audio is output from the auxiliary speaker. The voice output control unit, when the installation position specifying unit specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is in the middle row in the vehicle, causes the auxiliary speaker to output in-car conversation voice. The audio output device according to any one of 1 to 4. The audio output control unit corresponds to an audio sound output from a fixed speaker installed in the vehicle when the installation position specifying unit specifies that the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is a middle row in the vehicle. The voice output device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a voice for a center speaker is output from the auxiliary speaker. An audio output control method using an audio output device capable of outputting audio from a movable auxiliary speaker installed in a vehicle,
A wireless connection step in which the wireless communication unit of the audio output device wirelessly connects to the auxiliary speaker;
An installation position specifying step of specifying an installation position of the auxiliary speaker wirelessly connected by an installation position specifying unit of the audio output device;
The voice output control unit of the voice output device includes a voice output control step of switching a voice to be output from the auxiliary speaker in accordance with the installation position of the auxiliary speaker specified in the installation position specifying step. Voice output control method. In the audio output control step, the audio output control unit, when the installation position of the auxiliary speaker is specified in the front row in the vehicle in the installation position specifying step, navigation guidance voice or hands-free from the auxiliary speaker. The voice output control method according to claim 10, wherein a call voice is output and interrupt output of the navigation guidance voice or the hands-free call voice from a fixed speaker installed in the vehicle is stopped.

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