JPH08156711A - Exterior acoustic data collecting device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To effectively use exterior acoustic data of an automobile in its interior for ensuring a safe drive or for grasping the exterior situation. CONSTITUTION: Sounds on the left and right sides of an automobile are collected through microphones 1a, 1b provided the left and right sides of the front end part of the automobile. These sounds are outputted in the automobile by means of a stereo-indicator so that the left and right sounds can be visually compared, or by means of a stereo acoustic device so that the drive can hear the sounds, and accordingly, the acoustic situation outside of the automobile can be determined from either or both of the visually indicated output of the sound data and the stereo acoustic output.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for collecting various sounds outside a vehicle so as to ensure the safety of running of the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, acoustic information outside the vehicle is actively collected by a microphone or the like in the interior of a vehicle which is driving or stopped, and the collected acoustic information is stereophonically reproduced in the vehicle. As far as the inventor of the present invention knows, there is no such thing that is output automatically.

[0003]

Acoustic information, like visual information, is difficult to be easily blocked by a shield interposed between the information source and the information source, and is transmitted by bypassing a small shield. In order to show the characteristics, it is preferable that this acoustic information can be used for safety confirmation and situation judgment even while driving the automobile.

However, in a car with the windows closed, it is difficult to hear the sound outside the vehicle, and the acoustic information outside the vehicle cannot be used as information for judging driving safety.

Further, the acoustic information outside the vehicle includes an alarm sound of an emergency vehicle that gives a warning to the driver of the vehicle, and in the case of this emergency vehicle, the emergency from the left and right directions that cannot be particularly relied on the visual information is provided. When it comes to approaching a car, it is often difficult to detect it in advance until an emergency car is encountered.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to enable effective use of acoustic information outside the vehicle in order to understand safe driving and the situation outside the vehicle.

[0007]

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems as follows.

(1) Microphones having directivity in the left and right directions are provided on the left and right sides of the front end of the vehicle, and the received signals of these right and left microphones are output to the driver's seat so that their levels can be compared. By doing so.

(2) By providing the left and right microphones in the above item (1) in the left and right direction indicator lights, respectively.

(3) The received signals of the right and left microphones in the above (1) or (2) are output to the driver's seat in a visually comparable state by a stereo level indicator.

(4) The received signals of the right and left microphones in the above item (1) or (2) are output to the driver's seat in an acoustically comparable state by the stereo sound output device. .

(5) In the driver's seat, the received signals of the right and left microphones in the above (1) or (2) can be visually and acoustically compared by the stereo level indicator and the stereo sound output device. By making it output to.

[0013]

[Function] Collecting separate acoustic information for the left and right sides of the automobile from microphones provided on the left and right sides of the tip of the automobile.
Separate sound information is output to the interior of the car as a comparable state, and the visual display output of the output sound information,
Alternatively, the sound condition outside the vehicle is judged from either or both of the stereo sound output.

[0014]

1 is an electrical block diagram of an embodiment of an acoustic information collecting apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of an automobile equipped with the acoustic information collecting apparatus.

(1a) and (1b) are a pair of left and right microphones, which are respectively left and right side surfaces (3a) of the front end portion (3) of the automobile (2).
It is provided in the turn signal lights (4a) and (4b) attached to (3b).

The outputs of both microphones (1a) and (1b) are amplified to appropriate levels via amplifiers (5a) and (5b), respectively, and a bar graph display type level indicator for stereo.
The left and right directions are input to (6), and the left and right inputs (8a) (8a) of the stereo amplifier (8) are connected via the changeover contacts (7a) and (7b) of the pushbutton type changeover switch (7). 8b) can be connected to each.

The changeover switch (7) is a push-lock switch.
It is a push release type switch, and in the normal release state, the left and right outputs (9a) (9b) of the audio device (9).
Input to the left and right inputs (8a) (8b) of the stereo amplifier (8),
When the changeover switch (7) is pressed and locked, the outputs of the microphones (1a) (1b) are connected to the stereo amplifier (8).

The changeover switch (7) is provided with a contact (7c) for turning on the power of the stereo amplifier (8) when locked, in parallel with the power switch (8c).

Left and right speakers (10) of the stereo amplifier (8)
(a) and (10b) are provided at the left and right positions where a stereo sound effect can be obtained on the left and right sides of the driver.

During normal traveling of the automobile (2), the changeover switch (7) is set to the release state shown in FIG. 1 so that the stereo amplifier (8) and the audio equipment (9) can be used normally.

Outputs from both microphones (1a) and (1b) are constantly sent to the level indicator (6), and the bar-graph-shaped display section of the level indicator (6) corresponds to the left and right sound levels outside the vehicle. The display height is changed up and down.

When the display heights of both the level indicators (6) are the same, it means that the sound levels of the background outside the vehicle are almost equal, and one of the left and right tends to be high on average. When shown, it can be seen that there is some high-level sound source in the direction of the higher-level microphone.

Then, when the changeover switch (7) is pressed, the sound input to both microphones (1a) (1b) is output as stereo sound from both speakers (10a) (10b), and the sound outside the vehicle is driven. Communicated to the person.

The driver uses the left and right microphones (1a) (1b)
Is heard on the left and right side surfaces (3a), (3b) of the automobile (2) as a stereophonic output, and from the stereoscopic sound image, the background acoustic level is canceled and identified.
And from the characteristic sound that is offset to the left and right, the sound condition outside the vehicle such as what the sound source is, in what direction the sound source is, and whether it approaches, goes away, or is stopped. Can be accurately known.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 3, the T-junction (11)
In the case of driving conditions such as entering the general roadway (13) from the narrow side road (12) side of the vehicle, the driver's view is greatly obstructed by the left and right fences and vegetation (14), It is often difficult to obtain a start timing for the front end (3) of (2) to enter the roadway (13).

In such a situation, in the case of the automobile (2) equipped with the vehicle exterior acoustic information collecting apparatus of the present invention, the direction indicator lights (4a), (4b) and the roadway ( 12)
Level indicator (6)
Observing, when there is a traveling vehicle on either side, the sound of the traveling vehicle is received, and the display height of the indicator in that direction is shown to be high on average.

Further, when the changeover switch (7) is pushed to be in a locked state, external sound from the left and right microphones (1a) (1b) is output as stereo sound from the left and right speakers (10a) (10b), and the driver Can stereoscopically determine the acoustic condition outside the vehicle, such as the sound of a vehicle approaching from either the left or right, or the sound of a vehicle moving away from the left or right.

In this way, the driver can use the acoustic condition outside the vehicle as a source of information for visually driving or stereoscopically transmitting the acoustic condition to ensure the safety of driving the vehicle. .

[0029]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved. (a) Since the information on the acoustic condition outside the vehicle is output separately at the driver's seat, the background information at the same level is canceled out, and the abnormal information outside the vehicle is detected based on the acoustic information that is offset to one side. You can judge the situation.

(B) Since a pair of left and right microphones are provided in the direction indicator lamp in front of the vehicle, any type of vehicle can be used without any special processing on the vehicle body. It can be installed easily (claim 2).

(C) Without producing sound in the car,
The acoustic condition outside the vehicle can be observed (Claim 3).

(D) Since the sound outside the vehicle can be heard stereoscopically in the same state as when the ears are placed on the left and right of the front end of the vehicle, more acoustic information can be obtained than when listening to the sound outside the vehicle from the driver's seat. Yes (Claim 3).

(E) Regarding the background level sound outside the vehicle, visually compare with a level indicator, and if it is average, omit it from the point of interest and make a characteristic difference visually in the level indicator. In this case, it is possible to focus on the identification of the characteristics of the sound emitted by the stereo sound and pay attention to the left / right situation judgment of the automobile (claim 4).

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an electrical block diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle exterior acoustic information collection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle exterior acoustic information collection device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a situation where the vehicle shown in FIG. 2 enters a T-shaped road.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1a) (1b) Microphone (2) Car (3) Front end (3a) (3b) Side (4a) (4b) Direction indicator light (5a) (5b) Amplifier (6) Level indicator (7) Changeover switch ( 7a) (7b) Switching contact (7c) Contact (8) Stereo amplifier (8a) (8b) Input (8c) Power switch (9) Audio equipment (10a) (10b) Speaker (11) T-junction (12) side Road (13) Roadway (14) Implantation

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. Microphones having directivity in the left and right directions are provided on the left and right side surfaces of a front end of a vehicle, and the reception signals of these right and left microphones are output to a driver's seat so that their levels can be compared. An outside-vehicle acoustic information collecting device for an automobile characterized by the above. 2. The vehicle exterior acoustic information collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the left and right microphones are provided in the left and right direction indicator lights, respectively. 3. The reception signals of the right and left microphones are output to the driver's seat in a visually comparable state by a stereo level indicator.
Alternatively, the vehicle exterior acoustic information collection device described in 2. 4. The vehicle exterior acoustic information collection according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the received signals of the right and left microphones are output to the driver's seat in an acoustically comparable state by a stereo acoustic output device. apparatus. 5. The reception signals of the right and left microphones are output to the driver's seat in a visually and acoustically comparable state by a stereo level indicator and a stereo sound output device. The vehicle exterior acoustic information collection device according to 2.