JP2008129734A - Solid sound image warning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solid sound image warning device for making it easy to understand the direction of warning. <P>SOLUTION: A sound image control part 1 includes: the processing of a step S2 for judging the direction of a material object from the detection results of the material object; and the processing of steps S3 to S5 by a warning position determination part 11 and a sound image position control part 12 for generating the sound image of a warning sound in a direction opposite to the direction of the detected material object with respect to front, rear, right and left directions decided inside an automobile compartment, and for moving the sound image to the direction of the detected material object, and for localizing the sound image in the direction of the detected material object. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of a three-dimensional sound image alarm device that performs a warning by using three-dimensional sound.

Conventionally, when a target object approaching the host vehicle from at least one of front, rear, left and right is detected by the target object detection means, the alarm sound signal output from the alarm sound source means is accompanied by movement corresponding to the detection position of the target object. The three-dimensional sound image is generated by the three-dimensional sound image generating means, and the electroacoustic converting means outputs the three-dimensional sound image as an audible sound to make the person to be warned. Then, in order to warn a target approaching diagonally to the left, the sound image connected to the position corresponding to the head is localized so as to move diagonally from the left diagonally to the left diagonally forward through the left diagonally upward position. Furthermore, in order to warn the target approaching backward, one of the sound images connected to the position corresponding to the head is localized so that it moves from the diagonally left rear to the diagonally left front through the diagonally left upper position, The other one sound image is synchronously started so as to start from the head position and move from the right diagonally rearward to the right diagonally forward through the position diagonally upward to the right (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-36998 (page 2-19, all figures)

  However, in the past, although the starting point of the movement of the sound image indicates the approximate direction of the alarm, it has been difficult to specify the direction. In addition, it was difficult to understand because the location to be finally localized is different from the warning direction. Further, in the case of the rear or front, the sound image is generated in two places with respect to one alarm direction, which is difficult to understand. As described above, problems have conventionally occurred.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional sound image alarm device capable of easily understanding the direction of alarm.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, an object detection means for detecting the presence / absence of an object in the front / rear / right / left direction of the host vehicle, an alarm sound output means for outputting an alarm sound at a plurality of positions at least in the front / rear / left / right of the vehicle interior, A control unit that controls the alarm sound output unit with respect to the detection of the object, and the control unit includes an object direction determination unit that determines the direction of the object from the detection result of the object, and the front, rear, left, and right determined in the vehicle interior A sound image that generates a sound image of an alarm sound in a direction opposite to the direction of the detected object, moves the sound image in the direction of the detected object, and localizes the sound image in the direction of the detected object Position control means;

  It is characterized by providing.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the direction of the alarm can be easily understood.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment for realizing the three-dimensional sound image alarm device of the present invention will be described based on Example 1 corresponding to the invention according to claims 1, 2, and 3.

First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment.
The three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment mainly includes a sound image control unit 1, an object detection device 2, and a speaker 3.
The sound image control unit 1 includes a warning position determination unit 11 and a sound image position control unit 12 as main components, and controls a warning by sound in the passenger compartment.
The alarm position determination unit 11 determines the alarm direction, that is, the arrival position of the alarm sound based on the information from the object detection device 2.
The sound image position control unit 12 controls the calculation of the moving sound image with respect to the alarm direction and the signal output control to each of the speakers 31 to 34, that is, the sounding method.

The object detection device 2 includes four object detection devices 21 to 24, and detects the presence / absence of an object at the front, rear, right diagonal rear, and left diagonal rear of the vehicle.
The speaker 3 includes four speakers 31 to 34, and outputs alarms from four directions in the vehicle interior.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an arrangement of the object detection devices 21 to 24 and the speakers 31 to 34 in the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the object detection device 21 is provided at the front of the vehicle and detects the presence or absence of an object in front of the vehicle.
The object detection device 22 is provided at the rear of the vehicle and detects the presence or absence of an object behind the vehicle.
The object detection device 23 is also received on the right side of the vehicle, and the object detection device 24 is also received on the left side of the vehicle.

  The speakers 31 to 34 are arranged so as to output an alarm sound from four locations on the right front, right rear, left front, and left rear in the vehicle interior.

The operation will be described.
[3D sound image alarm processing]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the 3D sound image alarm process executed by the sound image control unit 1 of the 3D sound image alarm device of the first embodiment. Each step will be described below.

  In step S1, the object detection devices 21 to 24 detect an object.

  In step S2, the position of the alarm sound is calculated.

  In step S3, calculation for sound image movement processing is performed.

  In step S4, speaker output with sound image movement is started.

  In step S5, sound image localization processing at the alarm position is performed, and the process returns to step S1.

[3D sound image warning]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operating state of the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment.
In the three-dimensional sound image alarm device of the first embodiment, first, an object is detected by the object detection devices 31 to 34, and the alarm direction in consideration of the driver position, that is, the arrival position of the sound image to be moved is calculated (steps S1 and S2).

  Next, based on the calculation result, how to change the sound image from the predetermined position to the sound image arrival position is calculated (step S3). And the calculated result is output from the speakers 31-34. Then, an alarm sound that is a sound image starts to sound from an alarm direction, that is, a position symmetrical to the center of the sound image arrival position in the room.

Then, the sound image of the alarm sound moves along a predetermined route, for example, the sound image moving path 100, moves to the alarm direction, that is, the sound image arrival position, and the alarm is no longer necessary, or the sound image arrival position until the driver performs a predetermined operation. Alternatively, an alarm is given while moving in the required alarm direction (steps S4 → S5 → S1).
The movement of the sound image may be as short as the driver can recognize the movement or the reflection time of the driver, for example, 0.5 seconds or less.
In addition, when the sound image is moved in the alarm direction with respect to the sound volume at which the sound image starts to sound on the side opposite to the alarm direction and the sound volume when the sound image is moved, the sound volume is increased to make it easier to understand.

Thus, in Example 1, since the sound image moves in the warning direction over a predetermined time after the warning sound starts to sound, the warning direction is easy to understand.
Since the movement of the sound image of the alarm sound starts from a symmetrical position with the vehicle interior as the center, the moving distance of the sound image is long and the alarm direction is easy to understand.
Furthermore, since the alarm is issued until the alarm is no longer needed or until the driver notices it, the alarm can be transmitted reliably, and the alarm is stopped by a predetermined operation, so there is no trouble.

The operation of the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment will be described in addition.
In the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment, the speakers 31 to 34 are arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle interior to move the sound image.
By arranging the speakers 31 to 34 in the four directions, the position of the sound image can be controlled by controlling the volume of the alarm sound, that is, the amplitude.
Further, particularly in the left-right direction, the left and right positions of the sound image are effectively controlled by controlling the phase of the alarm sound from the right speakers 31, 32 and the left speakers 33, 34 from the characteristics of the left and right ears of the driver. Can be controlled.
In the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment, it is assumed that at least the above control is performed.

Next, the effect will be described.
In the three-dimensional sound image alarm device of the first embodiment, the effects listed below can be obtained.

  (1) Object detection devices 21 to 24 that detect the presence / absence of an object in the front / rear / left / right direction of the host vehicle, speakers 31 to 34 that output alarm sounds at at least a plurality of positions in the front / rear / left / right of the vehicle interior, and object detection The sound image control unit 1 controls the speakers 31 to 34. The sound image control unit 1 determines the direction of the object from the detection result of the object, and the process in step S2 and the front, rear, left, and right directions determined in the vehicle interior. Generating a sound image of an alarm sound in a direction opposite to the direction of the detected object, then moving the sound image in the direction of the detected object, and localizing the sound image in the direction of the detected object; Since the processing of steps S3 to S5 by the sound image position control unit 12 is provided, the direction of the alarm can be easily understood.

  (2) Since the sound image control unit 1 increases the volume of the alarm sound when the sound image is localized in the direction of the object detected after that, rather than moving the sound image, the direction of the alarm can be made easier to understand. it can.

  (3) Since the sound image control unit 1 uses only the alarm sound corresponding to the object detection by the alarm position determination unit 11 and the sound image position control unit 12, it is not difficult to understand by the two alarm directions, and more alarm directions Can be easily understood.

  As mentioned above, although the three-dimensional sound image alarm device of the present invention has been described based on the first embodiment, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the invention according to each claim of the claims is not limited thereto. Design changes and additions are allowed without departing from the gist.

For example, in the first embodiment, the moving path of the sound image is moved in a straight line as indicated by reference numeral 100 in FIG. 4. However, in order to increase the moving distance of the sound image as indicated by reference numeral 200 in FIG. A solid arc may be drawn.
Further, for example, the moving path of the sound image may be moved not to the center of the passenger compartment but to a symmetric position around the position of the driver. In this case, since the vehicle moves in the warning direction past the driver, the warning direction becomes easy to understand.
In addition, for example, the sound quality may be changed not only by increasing the volume after moving the sound image but also by adding or without increasing the volume.

1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional sound image alarm device of Example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of the object detection apparatuses 21-24 in the three-dimensional sound image alarm apparatus of Example 1, and the speakers 31-34. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a stereoscopic sound image alarm process executed by the sound image control unit 1 of the stereoscopic sound image alarm device according to the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the three-dimensional sound image alarm apparatus of Example 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sound image control part 2 Object detection apparatus 21-24 Object detection apparatus 3 Speaker 31-34 Speaker 11 Alarm position determination part 12 Sound image position control part

Claims (3)

Object detection means for detecting the presence or absence of an object in the front / rear / right / left direction of the host vehicle;
Alarm sound output means for outputting alarm sounds at a plurality of positions at least in the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle interior;
A control unit for controlling the alarm sound output means for detection of an object;
Have
The controller is
Object direction determination means for determining the direction of the object from the detection result of the object;
A sound image of an alarm sound is generated in a direction opposite to the direction of the detected object with respect to the front / rear / right / left directions determined in the passenger compartment, and then the sound image is moved in the direction of the detected object. Sound image position control means for localizing the sound image;
A three-dimensional sound image alarm device comprising: The three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to claim 1,
The control unit increased the volume of the alarm sound when the sound image was localized in the direction of the object detected after that, rather than when moving the sound image,
A three-dimensional sound image alarm device. In the three-dimensional sound image alarm device according to claim 1 or 2,
The control unit, only the alarm sound corresponding to the object detection by the sound image position control means,
A three-dimensional sound image alarm device.

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