JP2001287598A - Acoustic device for vehicle, its contents reproducing method, and voice reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an acoustic device for a vehicle easy to mount. SOLUTION: This acoustic device for the vehicle is composed of an audio unit 1 having a radio communication unit capable of performing radio communication based on the specified radio communication procedure and plural speaker units 2A to 2D, and information relating to the arrangement in a vehicle compartment of the speaker units is previously registered in the speaker units. The speaker units 2A to 2D receive radio signals containing contents from the audio unit 1, and reproduce the contents contained in the received radio signals based on the information regarding to the arrangement. A potable car audio terminal 3 can reproduce the received radio signals, and by setting, can send radio signals containing the contents to the speaker units 2A to 2D same as the audio unit 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicular acoustic apparatus suitable for use in a so-called car stereo system and the like, a content reproducing method thereof, and a voice reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a car stereo system (audio apparatus) including a radio tuner, a cassette tape recorder, a CD player, and the like has been widely used in automobiles, which are typical vehicles.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional audio system, since a main unit for controlling reproduction of music (content) and a plurality of speakers are connected by a cable, the audio system is installed at the time of purchasing the vehicle. In either case, or when a desired audio system is installed later, it is troublesome to lay cables in a narrow cabin. Also, when designing the cabin, it is necessary to consider the place where the cable for the audio system is laid, the workability for laying the cable, and the like, which is a factor that impairs the design flexibility.

Further, in a conventional audio system, if a certain system configuration is determined and mounted on a vehicle, it is not easy to change the system configuration thereafter. For example, when a user wants to newly play a CD (compact disk) in a main unit having only the functions of a radio tuner and a cassette tape recorder, as a general method, a portable CD player is used. And a transmitter for FM-modulating the output signal to be received by the radio tuner of the audio system or an adapter for reading the output signal of the CD player to the head of the cassette tape recorder, thereby bringing the CD into the vehicle cabin. 2. Description of the Related Art A method of indirectly reproducing an output signal of a player by an audio system has been widely used.

However, the above-described indirect reproduction method requires a portable CD player, FM transmitter, or the like, and requires a secure place in a narrow cabin. While constraining
It doesn't look good and there is also a problem with the sound quality of the music played.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an audio device for a vehicle which can be easily mounted, a method for reproducing the content thereof, and an audio reproducing device.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle acoustic device according to the present invention has the following configuration.

[0008] That is, audio control means provided with the first wireless communication device (the audio control means may be a portable terminal or a type provided in a vehicle cabin);
A plurality of speaker units including a wireless communication device,
The first and second wireless communication devices can perform wireless communication based on a predetermined wireless communication procedure (for example, Bluetooth or the like), and the plurality of speaker units are provided by a first wireless communication device of the audio control unit. The transmitted wireless signal is received by the second wireless communication device, and the content included in the received wireless signal is reproduced according to characteristic information set individually for each speaker unit.

In the above device configuration, for example, the audio control means can be set to divide the plurality of speaker units into a plurality of groups each including at least one speaker unit. Preferably, a wireless signal containing different contents is transmitted.

[0010] Further, for example, the plurality of speaker units are provided corresponding to seats in the vehicle compartment, and the audio control means includes a speaker unit corresponding to a specific seat among the plurality of speaker units. It is preferable to transmit a wireless signal containing contents different from those of other speaker units.

Also, for example, the audio control means includes:
A first wireless signal including the same content is transmitted to the plurality of speaker units, and a second wireless signal including the characteristic information is separately transmitted to each of the plurality of speaker units. Performs sound field processing based on individual characteristic information included in the second wireless signal with respect to the content included in the first wireless signal in each of the speaker units, and outputs the processed sound as audio. Good.

[0012] In this case, preferably, the characteristic information includes information on the arrangement of all of the plurality of speaker units and sound field processing in the arrangement, and the plurality of speaker units transmit sound from their own unit. Prior to outputting the sound field, sound field processing considering other units may be performed based on the characteristic information.

[0013] Further, for example, the plurality of speaker units are provided corresponding to seats in the vehicle interior, and the audio control means includes a specific seat (for example, a child seat is mounted) among the plurality of speaker units. It is preferable to control the speaker unit corresponding to the other speaker unit so that the sound can be reproduced in a different volume, sound quality, or sound field from the other speaker units.

Also, for example, the audio control means includes:
When the wireless signal is transmitted, the content to be transmitted by the wireless signal may be transmitted to the plurality of speaker units in a state where the content is divided for each predetermined amount of information.

For example, when the plurality of speaker units receive a plurality of types of radio signals from different transmission sources, the plurality of speaker units reproduce content included in any one of the radio signals based on a preset priority order. good.

Furthermore, a third wireless communication device for receiving a wireless signal transmitted from the first wireless communication device of the audio control means is provided. Based on the wireless signal received by the wireless communication device, at least a headphone is used for sound. Is characterized by an audio playback device capable of playing back.

Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a content reproducing method for a vehicular audio apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a predetermined wireless communication procedure (for example, Blue
audio control means and a plurality of speaker units each having a wireless communication device capable of performing wireless communication based on a tooth, etc., and the plurality of speaker units receive the radio signal and include the radio signal in the received radio signal. The content to be reproduced is reproduced according to characteristic information set individually for each speaker unit.

[0019]

According to the present invention described above, it is possible to provide an audio device for a vehicle which can be easily mounted, a method for reproducing the content thereof, and a sound reproducing device.

That is, according to the first and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, the cable for connecting the audio control means and the plurality of speaker units can be eliminated, and the cable can be easily installed in the vehicle interior. . This eliminates the need for the vehicle designer to consider where the cable is laid, thereby improving the degree of freedom during design.

Further, according to the inventions of claims 2 and 14, the individual occupants prefer to set groups (for example, by arranging speaker units corresponding to the seats: claim 3). You can listen to the content according to.

According to the fourth and fifteenth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to reproduce a content in an optimal sound field according to the installation location of the speaker unit.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, for example, a pseudo silent state can be generated, and a sound from which a specific frequency component has been removed can be output.

According to the sixth and sixteenth aspects of the present invention, the speaker unit corresponding to a specific seat can be driven in a state according to the preference of an occupant sitting on the seat. On the other hand, in a seat on which a child seat is mounted (claim 7), it is possible to output only a sound which does not adversely affect the infant.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the audio control means is portable, the contents to be reproduced can be transferred to a plurality of speaker units by wireless communication if the audio control means is brought into the vehicle interior. In addition, the inconvenience of transferring content to the device on the vehicle side can be eliminated.

According to the ninth and seventeenth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to transmit contents efficiently according to the time during which the frequency band used by the wireless communication can be occupied.

According to the eleventh and eighteenth aspects of the present invention, for example, a radio signal is transmitted as a radio signal from the audio control means from a unit provided in the passenger compartment and a portable unit. Even if
The same content received from any unit can be reproduced by a plurality of speaker units.

[0028]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle acoustic apparatus according to the present invention;

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a vehicular acoustic device according to a first embodiment is mounted in a vehicle compartment.

In FIG. 1, the basic configuration of the vehicle acoustic device according to the present embodiment is such that the vehicle unit 100 corresponds to the audio unit 1 embedded in the center console and each seat in the vehicle room. And a portable audio terminal 3 that can be carried with respect to its basic configuration according to the needs of the occupant.

In the present embodiment, as an example, the vehicle 10
The speaker units 2A and 2B are arranged in the vicinity of the driver's seat and the passenger's seat 0, and the speaker units 2C and 2D are arranged behind the left and right rear seats. The configuration is not limited to the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, and may be determined as appropriate according to the seat arrangement and size in the vehicle interior.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of the vehicle audio system according to the first embodiment.
It is a figure which shows the flow of the radio signal between those components.

<Audio Unit 1> First, the configuration of the audio unit 1 will be described.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a plurality of operation switches which can be set by the occupant to select content (songs) to be reproduced by the vehicle acoustic device, select sound quality, volume, reproduction balance, and select a reproduction unit such as a CD or MD. is there. Reference numeral 13 denotes a display for displaying a setting state of the operation switch 12, a reproduction state of the reproduction unit, and the like. 13 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9).

An external communication unit 14 obtains contents to be reproduced by the vehicle audio apparatus from communication equipment outside the vehicle, and is a wireless communication device that can be connected to a mobile communication line in the city or a portable communication device. A communication module that can receive data by wire using a cable with an information device such as an information terminal (PDA) or a mobile computer, or wirelessly by using infrared or the like may be employed.

Reference numeral 15 denotes an acoustic storage medium (memory) for storing contents obtained from the outside via the external communication unit 14, which may be detachably configured. In the acoustic storage medium 15, content information such as music is stored in MP3,
It is stored in a compressed state in advance by a method such as Solid Audio or Liquid Audio. Reference numeral 16 denotes a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with the speaker units 2A to 2D and the portable audio terminal 3 according to a predetermined communication procedure. In the present embodiment, a wireless communication device that is used within a distance range of about several tens of meters is used. As an example of a distance wireless communication system, Bluetooth wireless communication is performed.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a reproducing unit for reading out content information such as music stored in advance on a storage medium such as a CD, MD, or cassette tape. Then, 11 controls the respective blocks of the audio unit 1 described above, thereby controlling the speaker units 2A to 2A as described later.
D and a microcomputer that realizes content reproduction by the portable audio terminal 3 and operates according to a control program stored in a memory in advance.

Here, when transmitting the content information to the speaker units 2A to 2D, the audio unit 1 transmits the content information to be transmitted in a compressed state by a predetermined method. That is, the microcomputer 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes the wireless communication device 1 in which the compressed content information stored in the acoustic storage medium 15 remains in the data format.
6, the content information read out from the reproduction unit 17 is transmitted before the MP.
3. Compression is performed in a predetermined format such as Solid Audio or Liquid Audio (in the case of MD, the data compression format stored in MD may be used).

The audio unit 1 is connected to the vehicle 100
Is driven by a power supply supplied from a battery (not shown). Further, since the individual structure and the basic function of each block of the audio unit 1 described above are common at present, detailed description in the present embodiment will be omitted.

<Portable Audio Terminal 3> Next, the configuration of the portable audio terminal 3 will be described.

Reference numeral 32 denotes a user capable of selecting a content (song) to be reproduced on the terminal, setting a reproduction state of the selected content, such as starting, stopping, and fast-forwarding, and setting sound quality, volume, reproduction balance, and the like. A plurality of operation switches. Reference numeral 33 denotes a display for displaying a setting state and a reproduction state of the operation switch 32. Reference numeral 44 denotes an external communication unit that obtains contents to be reproduced on the terminal from an external communication facility, and is a wireless communication device connectable to a mobile communication line in the city, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a mobile communication device. A communication module that can receive data by wire using a cable with an information device such as a computer or wirelessly by using infrared or the like may be used.

Reference numeral 35 denotes a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with the audio unit 1 and the speaker units 2A to 2D in accordance with the same predetermined communication procedure (Bluetooth system) as that of the audio unit 1. Reference numeral 36 denotes an acoustic storage medium (memory) for storing contents obtained from outside via the external communication unit 34, which may be detachably configured. In the acoustic storage medium 36, content information such as music is stored in a compressed state by a predetermined method such as MP3, Solid Audio, Liquid Audio, or the like. Reference numeral 37 denotes a speaker and / or headphones for outputting sound.

By controlling each block of the portable audio terminal 3 described above, the terminal 31 has a function of reproducing the content information stored in the acoustic storage medium 36 by the terminal alone, and the speaker units 2A to 2A to 2 2
A microcomputer that realizes content reproduction by D and operates according to a control program stored in a memory in advance.

Here, when transmitting the content information to the speaker units 2A to 2D, the portable audio terminal 3 transmits the content information to be transmitted in a compressed state by a predetermined method. That is, the microcomputer 31 sends out the compressed content information stored in the acoustic storage medium 36 from the wireless communication device 35 in the data format as it is. The microcomputer 31
When the compressed content information stored in the acoustic storage medium 36 is output as a sound by the speaker (or headphone) 37, the compressed content information is decoded and decoded in a procedure corresponding to the compression format. Playback is performed according to the data.

The portable audio terminal 3 is driven by a power supplied from a battery (not shown) in the terminal. In addition, the individual structure and basic function of each block of the portable audio terminal 3 described above are common at present, and therefore, detailed description in this embodiment is omitted. The portable audio terminal 3 has a CD, M
D or a playback unit that reads out content information such as music stored in advance on a storage medium such as a cassette tape.

<Speaker units 2A to 2D>
The device configuration of the speaker units 2A to 2D will be described.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a predetermined communication procedure (Bluetooth) similar to that of the audio unit 1 and the portable audio terminal 3.
h method), a radio signal including content (music) is received from the audio unit 1 or the portable audio terminal 3 and a radio signal received by the own speaker unit in response to a request from another speaker unit as described later. The wireless communication device transmits a signal to the other speaker unit.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a speaker for outputting, as a voice, content such as music reproduced from a radio signal received by the radio communication device 22. Then, 21 controls the wireless communication device 22 and the speaker 23 described above,
A microcomputer that realizes a communication function with other speaker units and content reproduction as described later,
It operates according to a control program stored in a memory in advance.

Here, when the microcomputer 21 of the speaker units 2A to 2D receives the content information compressed in a predetermined format received from the audio unit 1 or the portable audio terminal 3, it corresponds to the compression format. The sound is reproduced from the speaker 23 according to the data decoded and decoded in the procedure.

The speaker units 2A to 2D are driven by a power supplied from a battery (not shown) of the vehicle 100. Further, since the individual structure and the basic function of each block of each speaker unit described above are common at present, detailed description in this embodiment is omitted.

Arrows shown in FIG. 1 conceptually show the flow of radio signals transmitted and received among the components of the audio unit 1, the portable audio terminal 3, and the speaker units 2A to 2D. In order to realize the present embodiment, at least a radio signal transmitted / received includes a signal (hereinafter, music) including information of content (music) commonly transmitted to each speaker unit (including the portable audio terminal 3). Signal), a signal (hereinafter, sound reproduction characteristic signal) including sound reproduction characteristic information of each speaker unit according to a desired sound quality, volume, reproduction balance, and the like set by the occupant in the audio unit 1; Each signal of a signal (hereinafter referred to as a “synchronization signal”) including synchronization information of an individual audio output timing according to 2A to 2D. . These radio signals include, in addition to the above-described information to be transmitted, identification information for specifying a transmission source and a transmission destination, a predetermined transmission error determination code, and the like.

The wireless communication system employed in each component is not limited to Bluetooth, and transmission delays of content information to be reproduced, etc., in the space of the vehicle compartment of the vehicle equipped with the audio device for the vehicle. Any method may be employed as long as high-speed and large-capacity data transfer is possible to the extent that no data is generated.

In this embodiment, the transmission and reception of the content information to and from the speaker units 2A to 2D are performed in a state where the content information is compressed in a predetermined format, as described above. If the transfer is possible, the audio unit 1 or the portable audio terminal 3 transmits a music signal including the decrypted content information, thereby transmitting the speaker unit 2A.
From 2D to 2D, hardware or software modules that realize the decoding process may be omitted.

<Reproduction of Content> Next, a description will be given, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 and FIG. 9, of a content reproduction operation realized by the operation of each of the above-described components. Although the vehicle acoustic device according to the present embodiment can reproduce various types of content (conversation, sports broadcasting, news, etc.), in the following description, the most common music is (Music) will be described as an example.

First, a basic music reproducing operation in the present embodiment will be outlined.

FIG. 9 shows a display example of the display 13 of the audio unit 1. The occupant operates the power switch when he / she wants to play back music by the vehicle audio apparatus, thereby causing the audio unit 1 to display the setting screen of FIG.

On this display screen, the occupant selects any desired music source from a plurality of types of music sources desired to be reproduced, and registers an external player as necessary. In the example shown in FIG. 9, CD is selected,
This shows a state where the external player 1 has been selected. Further, in the present embodiment, the portable audio terminal 3 is selected as the external player 1 by an identification number or the like so as to be identifiable by an occupant setting operation on a screen (not shown). When a signal is transmitted, the priority order to be reproduced is set.

In response to the selection operation of the music source, the music list of the CD loaded in the reproduction unit 17 (in this case, the CD player) is automatically displayed in the left area of the display. Therefore, the occupant selects the music desired to be reproduced by using a cursor feed key or the like near the right end of the audio unit 1.

Further, the occupant can use the operation switch 12 not shown in FIG. 9 to reproduce sound reproduction characteristics such as sound quality, sound volume, reproduction balance and the like at the time of sound output by the speaker units 2A to 2D (pseudo-simulation described later). (Including silence setting)
Can be individually set for each speaker unit (if no setting is made, the default setting is a predetermined setting).

Thereafter, operations such as “play”, “fast-forward”, and “stop” by the occupant are performed as necessary, so that the audio unit 1 outputs a music signal including information on the selected music, a stop signal, A control signal or the like including control information such as fast-forwarding is transmitted to the speaker units 2A to 2D, and an acoustic reproduction characteristic signal including (or default) acoustic reproduction characteristic information set by an occupant is transmitted to each speaker unit. To each other.
Accordingly, the speaker units 2A to 2D reproduce the music signal received from the audio unit 1 according to the sound reproduction characteristic signal and the control signal also received, and output the reproduction signal from the speaker 23 as sound.

At this time, in the present embodiment, since the portable audio terminal 3 is registered as the external player 1 as described above, when the terminal is located in or near the cabin of the vehicle 100, Also, the headphones 37 can reproduce music having the same contents as the respective speaker units. Furthermore, when the order of music reproduction set earlier by the occupant in the audio unit 1 is higher than the portable audio terminal 3 in the audio unit 1, for example, the music signal is not transmitted from the unit. By transmitting the music signal from the terminal, the music contained in the music signal can be output from the speaker units 2A to 2D (in this case, the portable audio terminal 3 The sound reproduction characteristic signal is also transmitted in accordance with the reproduction characteristic setting set by (1). The priority information of music reproduction set by the occupant may be transmitted from the audio unit 1 to each speaker unit at a predetermined cycle or irregularly as a control signal including the priority information, for example.

Note that, when a music signal is transmitted from the audio unit 1 (or the portable audio terminal 3), the information amount is divided (united), for example, when the content to be reproduced is a music. It may be a unit of one song or a plurality of songs, or a predetermined time unit of about several seconds to divide one song into a plurality of pieces, and in the case of radio broadcasting, a shorter time to secure a real-time broadcast. The amount of information to be transmitted depends on factors such as how long the acoustic device for a vehicle according to the present embodiment can occupy the frequency band used by the adopted wireless communication system. May be designed to be grouped in a predetermined unit.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the audio unit 1 according to the first embodiment, and shows a control procedure executed by the microcomputer 11 according to a control program stored in a memory in advance.

In the figure, step S1: it is determined which operation of the operation switch 12 has been performed, and if the determination is YES (there is an operation), the process proceeds to step S5.
If NO (no operation), the process proceeds to step S2.

Steps S2 to S4: Since none of the operation switches 12 has been operated, the setting state of the internal flag F indicating whether or not a radio signal is being transmitted from the audio unit 1 is determined (step S2). If F = 1 (wireless signal transmission state) in this determination, it is determined whether or not a stop signal for stopping transmission of the wireless signal from the unit has been received from the portable audio terminal 3 (step S3). When = 0 (wireless signal transmission stop state), the routine returns. Then, N is determined in step S3.
If O (when the stop signal has not been received), the process proceeds to step S8 to continue the transmission of the wireless signal, and if YES (when the stop signal has been received), the internal flag F = 0.
Is set (step S4), and the process returns.

Step S5: Among the operation switches 12,
The type of the operation switch that has been detected to have been operated in step S1 is determined, and the operated switch is a switch related to sound reproduction (a “reproduction” switch illustrated in FIG. 9).
If so, the process proceeds to step S6. If the switch is a switch related to stop of reproduction (the "stop" or "pause" switch illustrated in FIG. 9), the process proceeds to step S6. (The illustrated switch), the process proceeds to step S11.

Steps S6 and S7: Since reproduction is instructed by the audio unit 1, a stop signal is transmitted to the portable audio terminal 3 to prohibit transmission of a radio signal from the terminal (step S6). )
The internal flag F is set to 1 (radio signal transmission state) (step S7).

Steps S8 to S10: The music selected as described above on the display screen of FIG. 9 before the switch relating to the sound reproduction (“reproduction” switch) is operated, is stored in the sound storage medium 15 (or the reproduction unit 17). The read music file is read from the loaded storage medium), and a music signal including information of the music (information in a compressed data format) is created (step S8). The data is transmitted from the wireless communication device 16 according to the procedure (step S9), and the process returns. Then, when the operation of the switch ("stop" switch) relating to the stop of reproduction is detected in step S5, the internal flag F = 0
(Transmission stop state of wireless signal) (step S1).
0), return. That is, when the transmission of the music signal is started in response to the operation of the "play" switch, the transmission of the music signal including the information of the music by a predetermined unit amount is detected until the operation of the switch for stopping the reproduction is detected. , Until all the selected songs are transmitted. When the "pause" switch is operated, the transmission of the music signal may be temporarily interrupted while the internal flag F is kept at 1 (radio signal transmission state).

Step S11: When the operation of the switch relating to the acoustic characteristic setting is detected in step S5,
The setting state of the internal flag F is determined (step S11),
If F = 1 (radio signal transmission state), the process proceeds to step S12 to transmit a sound reproduction characteristic signal corresponding to the setting. If F = 0 (radio signal transmission stop state), the process returns.

Steps S12 to S14: To realize a desired sound field according to the operation of the switch related to the operated acoustic characteristic setting, the sound quality of the speaker units 2A to 2D of the memory (not shown) in the microcomputer 11
The setting information relating to the reproduction characteristics such as the volume and the reproduction balance is updated (step S12, step S13), and the sound reproduction characteristic signal corresponding to the updated setting information is individually transmitted to each speaker unit (step S12). S1
4) Return.

Here, the memory (not shown) in the microcomputer 11 stores the arrangement position information of all the speaker units 2A to 2D and the sound reproduction characteristics for realizing a general sound field reproduction in the arrangement. Is stored in advance as default settings (for example, when the gargle vehicle acoustic device is mounted on the vehicle 100), and the setting information is updated in steps S12 and S13 described above with the arrangement information of the speaker unit. It is possible to set items such as sound quality, volume, reproduction balance, etc. For this reason, no matter which characteristic is set, the music is reproduced in the optimal sound field according to the installation location of the speaker units 2A to 2D.

Setting of sound reproduction characteristics using the operation switch 12 in the audio unit 1 (sound field setting)
The setting of setting the volume to zero for a desired speaker unit among the four speaker units,
There is a setting for generating a pseudo silent state, a setting for generating a sound from which a specific frequency component is removed, and the like.

The reason why these settings can be made in the present embodiment is that, as described above, the setting information on the sound reproduction characteristics includes the arrangement position information on all the speaker units 2A to 2D. This is because when sound is reproduced in a desired sound field by the speaker unit, reproduction characteristics in consideration of other speaker units can be realized. That is, for example, to generate a pseudo silent state in a sheet corresponding to a specific speaker unit, the phase of the sound output from the speaker unit is changed to another speaker unit in which the sound reaches the sheet corresponding to the speaker unit. And the sound volume level may be set based on the arrangement position information. Further, in order to generate a sound from which a specific frequency component has been removed, a filter process may be performed before a reproduced signal is output from the speaker 23 in the speaker unit. Therefore, according to the setting of the sound reproduction characteristic in the audio unit 1, setting information that can realize such a reproduction signal is transmitted to each speaker unit by the sound reproduction characteristic signal.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the music reproduction process in the speaker units 2A to 2D according to the first embodiment. The microcomputer 2 of each speaker unit according to a control program stored in a memory in advance.
1 shows a control procedure executed by the control unit 1.

In the figure, steps S21 and S22: It is determined whether a sound reproduction characteristic signal addressed to the own speaker unit has been received from the audio unit 1 (step S21), and if NO in this determination (the signal is not received). ), The process proceeds to step S23, and if YES (when the signal is received), the sound reproduction characteristic of the own speaker unit is updated according to the setting information included in the received sound reproduction characteristic signal (step S23). S22), and proceed to step S23.

Steps S23 and S24: It is determined whether a music signal has been received from the audio unit 1 or the portable audio terminal 3 (step S23), and if NO in this determination (when the signal is not received), return. Then, when YES (when the signal is received), the received music signal is not a signal transmitted from any one component of the audio unit 1 or the portable audio terminal 3, but both of them, or FIG. It is determined whether there are a plurality of types of music signals including music signals transmitted from an external player not set on the display screen (step S24).

Step S25: Each speaker unit
By receiving at least the control signal transmitted in response to the setting of the priority in the audio unit 1, the priority in reproducing the music signal is set. At this time (when there are a plurality of types of music signal transmission sources), in this step, one of the plurality of types of received music signals is selected according to the preset priority (step S25). ), And proceed to step S28.

Steps S26 and S27: When the determination in step S24 is NO (when a plurality of types of music signals have not been received), it is determined whether any music signal has been received (step S26). When the determination is NO (when one music signal is received within a predetermined time), the process proceeds to step S28, and when the determination is YES (when no music signal is received beyond the predetermined time), another process is performed. The speaker unit (in the present embodiment, the music information of a predetermined unit amount included in the music signal itself has the same content in each speaker unit, so the three speaker units other than the own speaker unit) are requested to transfer the music signal. When the music signal is transmitted from the other speaker unit to the own speaker unit in response to the control signal, the music signal is transmitted. Receiving a signal (step S27),
Proceed to step S28.

Step S28: It is determined whether or not it is necessary to perform a special process at the time of audio output, such as whether a child seat is mounted on the seat corresponding to the own speaker unit, or whether a pseudo silent state is set. . More specifically, for example, the determination as to whether or not a child seat is mounted on a seat corresponding to the own speaker unit is performed, for example, by a method of detecting based on an output signal of an ultrasonic sensor provided in a vehicle cabin, provided in a child seat. A signal transmitted from the oscillator is detected by an antenna embedded in each seat, and a general method such as a method of detecting based on the magnitude of the detected signal may be employed, and the detection state is indicated. A control signal including information may be received from the audio unit 1 at a predetermined cycle or irregularly. The determination as to whether or not the pseudo silent state has been set may be made by referring to the sound reproduction characteristics updated in step S22.

Step S29: Since it is determined in step S28 that special processing is necessary, in this step, the information amount of a predetermined unit whose reception has been detected in step S23 (or obtained from another speaker unit) is determined. The music signal including the audio signal is decoded in accordance with the decoding procedure corresponding to the procedure at the time of compression, and the reproduced signal is referred to in accordance with the desired sound field set in the audio unit 1 by referring to the sound reproduction characteristic updated in step S22. (That is, a signal having an opposite phase to realize a pseudo silent state, a signal having a volume level of 0,
Alternatively, a predetermined frequency component is converted into a filtered signal or the like. As a result, the speaker unit corresponding to a specific seat can be driven in a state according to the preference of the occupant sitting on that seat. For example, in a seat with a child seat mounted, a pseudo silent state Or only sound that does not adversely affect the infant can be output.

Step S30: Since it is determined in step S28 that no special processing is necessary, in this step, the information amount of the predetermined unit detected in step S23 (or obtained from another speaker unit) Is decoded in accordance with a decoding procedure corresponding to a procedure at the time of compression, and is reproduced in accordance with a desired sound field set in the audio unit 1 by referring to the sound reproduction characteristic updated in step S22. Convert to a signal.

Steps S31 and S32: Created in step S29 or step S30 based on the reception time of the music signal received this time or a synchronization signal common to each speaker unit transmitted from a predetermined speaker unit set in advance. The timing at which the reproduced signal is output from the speaker 23 of the own speaker unit is adjusted (step S31), and the reproduced signal is output as sound from the speaker 23 according to the adjusted output timing (step S32), and the process returns.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the portable audio terminal 3 according to the first embodiment, and shows a control procedure executed by the microcomputer 31 according to a control program stored in a memory in advance.

In the figure, step S41: It is determined whether any operation of the operation switch 32 has been performed. If the determination is YES (operation is performed), the process proceeds to step S50, and if NO (no operation is performed), the process proceeds to step S42. Proceed to.

Step S42: It is determined whether a music signal has been received from the audio unit 1. If the determination is NO (no reception of the signal), the flow advances to step S47.
If YES (the signal is received), the setting state of the internal flag F2 indicating whether or not the music signal can be received from the outside (the audio unit 1) is determined.
= 0 (reception inhibition state of the signal), the step S
The process proceeds to S47, and when F2 = 1 (reception permission state of the signal), the process proceeds to step S44.

Steps S44 to S46: Since the setting state of the internal flag is F2 = 1, the received music signal is converted into a reproduction signal according to the reproduction characteristics preset by the user of the portable audio terminal 3 (step S44). S4
4) The reproduced signal is output as sound to a speaker (headphone) 37 (step S45), and an internal signal indicating whether or not the terminal can independently transmit a music signal including the music information read from the acoustic storage medium 36 by the terminal. The setting state of the flag F1 is set to F1 = 0 (transmission of the signal is prohibited) (step S46), and the process proceeds to step S47.

Steps S47 to S49: The setting state of the internal flag F0 indicating whether or not a wireless signal is transmitted from the portable audio terminal 3 is determined (step S47).
47), when F0 = 1 (wireless signal transmission state) in this determination, it is determined whether or not a stop signal for stopping transmission of the wireless signal from the terminal has been received from the audio unit 1 (step S48). When F0 = 0 (transmission of wireless signal is stopped), the process returns. When the determination in step S48 is NO (when the stop signal has not been received), step S5 is performed to continue the transmission of the wireless signal.
Then, if YES (when the stop signal is received), the internal flag F0 is set to 0 (step S49), and the process returns.

Step S50: Among the operation switches 32, the type of the operation switch that has been detected to have been operated in step S41 is determined, and the operated switch is a switch relating to sound reproduction (a "reproduction" switch). Sometimes, the process proceeds to step S51. When the switch is a switch for stopping reproduction ("stop", "pause" switch), the process proceeds to step S58. When the switch is for mode setting, the process proceeds to step S59. Proceed to S65.

Steps S51 and S52: Since the reproduction is instructed by the operation switch of the portable audio terminal 3, the setting state of the internal flag F1 is determined, and F1 = 0 (the music signal from the terminal is determined) by this determination. If the transmission is prohibited, the process proceeds to step S53. If F1 = 1 (the permissible transmission of the music signal from the terminal), the transmission of the radio signal from the audio unit 1 is prohibited.
A stop signal is transmitted to the unit (step S52),
Proceed to step S53.

Step S53: The internal flag F0 is set to 1 (transmission state of the radio signal), and the process proceeds to step S8.

Step S54: The tune selected by the user is read from the acoustic storage medium 36 before the switch related to the sound reproduction (the "play" switch) is operated, and a tune signal including the information of the tune is created.

Steps S55 to S58: The setting state of the internal flag F1 is determined (step S55), and if F1 = 0 (the transmission of the music signal from the terminal is prohibited), it is created in step S54. The music signal is output as a sound to the speaker (headphone) 37 of the terminal (step S56), and when F1 = 1 (sending of the music signal from the terminal is permitted), the process proceeds to step S56.
The music signals created in 54 are grouped by a predetermined unit and transmitted from the wireless communication device 35 according to a predetermined communication procedure (step S57), and the process returns. Then, when the operation of the switch (the "stop" switch) related to the stop of reproduction is detected in step S50, the internal flag F0 = 0
(Transmission stop state of wireless signal) (step S5).
8) Return. That is, in the case where the internal flag F0 = 0 (wireless signal transmission stop state) and the internal flag F1 = 1, when the transmission of the music signal is started in response to the operation of the "playback" switch, the switch relating to the stop of the playback is turned off. Until the operation is detected, the transmission of the music signal including the information of the music by a predetermined unit amount is performed until all the selected music is transmitted, and when the “pause” switch is operated, the internal flag is output. It is preferable to temporarily suspend the transmission of the music signal while keeping F0 = 1 (the transmission state of the wireless signal).
When the internal flag F1 = 0, the music reproduced by the portable audio terminal 3 alone is output from the speaker (headphone) 37.

Steps S59-61: Since the operation of the switch related to the mode setting is detected in step S50, it is determined whether or not the transmission switch has been set to ON by the operation (step S59). Set the state of the internal flag F1 indicating whether or not the terminal can transmit a music signal (F1 = 1:
Step S60, F1 = 0 when the switch is turned off: step S61).

Steps S62 to S64: Since the operation of the switch related to the mode setting is detected in step S50, it is determined whether or not the reception switch is set to ON by the operation (step S62). The state of the internal flag F2 indicating whether or not a music signal can be received from the unit 1 is set (F2 = 1 when the switch is on, step S63, F when the switch is off).
2 = 0: Step S64).

Steps S65 and S66: When the operation of the switch related to the acoustic characteristic setting is detected in step S50, the setting state of the internal flags F0 and F1 is determined, and when F0 = F1 = 1, the process proceeds to step S68. , F0 = 0 or when F0 = 1 and F1 = 0.

Steps S67 to S69: To realize a desired sound field in accordance with the operation of the switch related to the operated acoustic characteristic setting, the sound quality of the speaker units 2A to 2D in the memory (not shown) in the microcomputer 31;
To realize a desired sound field according to the setting information on the reproduction characteristics such as volume and reproduction balance, the microcomputer 3
1, speaker units 2A to 2D of a memory (not shown)
The setting information relating to the reproduction characteristics such as the sound quality, volume, and reproduction balance of the sound is updated (steps S67 and S68), and the sound reproduction characteristic signals corresponding to the updated setting information are individually transmitted to the respective speaker units. (Step S69), and the process returns.

According to this embodiment described above, the cable for connecting the audio unit 1 and the speaker units 2A to 2D can be eliminated, and each component can be easily mounted in the vehicle interior. This eliminates the need for the vehicle designer to consider the cable laying place and the workability for laying the cable, so that the degree of freedom in designing can be improved.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment based on the vehicle acoustic device according to the above-described first embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will not be described repeatedly, and the description will focus on the characteristic portions of the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, in each of the speaker units shown in FIG. 1, for example, speaker units 2A and 2B corresponding to a driver's seat and a passenger seat, and speaker units 2C and 2D corresponding to left and right rear seats, respectively, are grouped. Divide and play different songs for each group. The setting of the grouping is performed in the audio unit 1
A group including at least one speaker unit may be arbitrarily set by the occupant from a predetermined display screen (not shown) using the operation switches 12 and the display 13. In addition, in the present embodiment, the selection operation of the music source and the music desired to be reproduced is possible for each group set by the occupant by displaying the display screen illustrated in FIG. 9 for each group. I do.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the music reproduction process in the audio unit 1 according to the second embodiment. The basic processing configuration is substantially the same as the flowchart of FIG. 3 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, a characteristic process in the present embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, it is necessary for the audio unit 1 to transmit different music signals for each group set in advance. Therefore, when the operation of the switch related to the sound reproduction is detected in step S106, in this embodiment, before transmitting the stop signal to the portable audio terminal 3 in step S108, in step S107,
Prior to setting the internal flag F to 1, the selected music is set for each preset group. In step S110 and step S111, the music information for each group is read from the acoustic storage medium 15 or the like to create respective music signals, and the music signals are transmitted to the speaker units constituting each group by a predetermined unit amount. And send them together. At this time, audio unit 1
Causes the transmitted music signal to include identification information of a group to which each speaker unit belongs.

If the sound reproduction characteristic can be set for each group, a sound reproduction characteristic signal corresponding to the setting may be transmitted in steps S115 and S116.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the music reproduction process in the speaker units 2A to 2D in the second embodiment. The basic processing configuration is substantially the same as the flowchart of FIG. 4 described in the first embodiment. So that
The characteristic processing in the present embodiment will be described.

When the speaker units 2A to 2D receive a plurality of types of music signals in step S124,
In step S125, a process of selecting a music signal in accordance with a preset playback priority is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the received music signal is converted to a music signal including identification information of a group to which the unit belongs. select.

If the music signal cannot be received in step S126, the music signal containing the identification information of the group to which the own speaker unit belongs is selected from the music signals received as a result of requesting the music signal to another speaker unit in step S127. You need to choose. Alternatively, if the other speaker units of the group to which the own speaker unit belongs can be recognized by the plurality of music signals received so far, the transfer of the music signal is directly requested to the other speaker units belonging to the same group. Just do it.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the portable audio terminal 3 according to the second embodiment. The basic processing configuration is substantially the same as the flowchart of FIG. 5 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, a characteristic process in the present embodiment will be described.

As in the case of the audio unit 1 described above, the portable audio terminal 3 needs to transmit different music signals in units of groups set in advance in the present embodiment. Therefore, the operation of the switch related to the sound reproduction is detected in step S151, and the operation in step S152 is performed.
In the present embodiment, if the internal flag F1 = 1 (permitting the transmission of the music signal from the terminal) in this determination, the process proceeds to step S
Before sending the stop signal to the audio unit 1 in 154, in step S153, the music selected for each preset group is set. And step S
In step 156 and step S159, the music information for each group is read from the acoustic storage medium 36 or the like to create respective music signals, and the music signals are combined into speaker units constituting each group by a predetermined unit amount. And send it out. At this time, the portable audio terminal 3 causes the transmitted music signal to include identification information of a group to which each speaker unit belongs.

When the sound reproduction characteristic can be set for each group, the sound reproduction characteristic signal corresponding to the setting is set as in the case of the audio unit 1 described above.
It is good to send out in step S170 and step S171.

According to the present embodiment, each occupant can listen to the contents according to his or her preference in set groups, and is particularly suitable for use in vehicles such as wagons and buses having a large cabin. is there.

In each of the above embodiments, the audio unit 1 has been described as an installation type as shown in FIG. 1. However, the present invention is not limited to such a system configuration, and the audio unit 1 can be carried by an occupant. If realized as a terminal, the occupant can bring the terminal into a vehicle cabin, thereby transferring a music signal to be reproduced to a plurality of speaker units by wireless communication as described above. In No. 1, the trouble of securing (transferring) the music information to the audio unit 1 before the music is reproduced can be eliminated, and the convenience is further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which a vehicle acoustic device according to a first embodiment is mounted in a vehicle compartment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration of each component constituting the vehicle acoustic device according to the first embodiment and a flow of a wireless signal between the components.

FIG. 3 is an audio unit 1 according to the first embodiment.
6 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a speaker unit 2A according to the first embodiment.
It is a flowchart of the music reproduction process in 2D.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the portable audio terminal 3 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows an audio unit 1 according to the second embodiment.
6 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a speaker unit 2A according to the second embodiment.
It is a flowchart of the music reproduction process in 2D.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a music reproduction process in the portable audio terminal 3 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example of a display 13 of the audio unit 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: audio unit, 2A to 2D: speaker unit, 3: portable audio terminal, 11, 21, 31: microcomputer, 12, 32: operation switch, 13, 33: display, 14, 34: external communication unit, 15 , 36: acoustic storage medium, 16, 22, 35: wireless communication device, 17: playback unit, 23, 37: speaker (headphone), 100: vehicle,

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Koji Hosoda 3-1 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigefumi Hirabayashi 3-1 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda F term (for reference) 3D020 BA02 BA10 BB01 BC02 BC08 BC11 BE03 5D020 AD04 AD08

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. An audio control unit including a first wireless communication device, and a plurality of speaker units including a second wireless communication device, wherein the first and second wireless communication devices are based on a predetermined wireless communication procedure. The plurality of speaker units are capable of wireless communication, and the plurality of speaker units transmit wireless signals transmitted from a first wireless communication device of the audio control unit to the second wireless communication unit.
An audio device for a vehicle, wherein the audio device receives a radio communication device and reproduces a content included in the received radio signal in accordance with characteristic information set individually for each speaker unit. 2. The audio control means can be configured to divide the plurality of speaker units into a plurality of groups each including at least one speaker unit. The acoustic device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal is transmitted. 3. The plurality of speaker units are provided so as to correspond to seats in a vehicle compartment. The audio control unit includes a speaker unit corresponding to a specific seat among the plurality of speaker units. The acoustic device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a wireless signal including content different from other speaker units is transmitted. 4. The audio control means according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of speaker units include a first content including the same content.
A wireless signal is transmitted, and a second wireless signal including the characteristic information is individually transmitted to each of the speaker units. The plurality of speaker units are configured to transmit a content included in the first wireless signal. The acoustic device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sound field processing based on the individual characteristic information included in the second wireless signal is performed by each of the speaker units, and then output as sound. . 5. The characteristic information includes information on an arrangement of all of the plurality of speaker units and a sound field process in the arrangement, and the plurality of speaker units are required to output a sound from the own unit. 5. The vehicle acoustic device according to claim 4, wherein a sound field process considering other units is performed based on the characteristic information. 6. The plurality of speaker units are provided so as to correspond to seats in a vehicle interior, and the audio control means includes a speaker unit corresponding to a specific seat among the plurality of speaker units. Volume, sound quality,
The vehicle acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein control is performed such that sound can be reproduced in a sound field. 7. A seat in the vehicle cabin is provided with detection means for detecting whether or not a child seat is mounted, and the audio control means determines the seat in which the detection of the child seat is detected by the specific seat. As a sheet, a speaker unit corresponding to the sheet is set to a different volume, sound quality,
7. The vehicular acoustic device according to claim 6, wherein the control is performed so that sound can be reproduced in a sound field. 8. The acoustic device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said audio control means is a portable terminal. 9. The audio control means, when transmitting the radio signal, transmits the content to be transmitted by the radio signal to the plurality of speaker units in a state where the content is divided for each predetermined amount of information. The acoustic device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: 10. The plurality of speaker units, when reproducing content that has been received by the wireless signal and divided by the predetermined amount of information, the output timings of the speaker units are mutually different. 10. The vehicular acoustic device according to claim 9, further comprising a synchronization means for taking synchronization. 11. When receiving a plurality of types of wireless signals from different transmission sources, the plurality of speaker units reproduce content included in any of the wireless signals based on a preset priority order. Claim 1 characterized by the following:
The vehicle acoustic device according to any one of the preceding claims. 12. The vehicle acoustic device according to claim 1, further comprising a third wireless communication device for receiving a wireless signal transmitted from the first wireless communication device of the audio control means, wherein the wireless communication device receives the wireless signal. An audio reproducing apparatus characterized in that audio can be reproduced at least by headphones based on a signal. 13. An audio controller and a plurality of speaker units each having a wireless communication device capable of performing wireless communication based on a predetermined wireless communication procedure are provided, and a wireless signal including content is transmitted from the audio controller. A plurality of speaker units that receive the radio signal and reproduce content included in the received radio signal in accordance with characteristic information set individually for each speaker unit. . 14. The audio control means, wherein the plurality of speaker units are divided into a plurality of groups each including at least one speaker unit, and a radio signal including different contents in each group is transmitted from the audio control means. Item 14. The content reproduction method for a vehicle audio device according to Item 13. 15. The audio control means transmits a first wireless signal including the same content to the plurality of speaker units, and a second wireless signal including the characteristic information individually for each of the speaker units. The plurality of speaker units transmit a radio signal, and perform sound field processing based on individual characteristic information included in the second radio signal with respect to the content included in the first radio signal. 14. The content reproducing method for an audio device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the content is individually output by a speaker unit and then output as sound. 16. A plurality of speaker units are provided corresponding to seats in a vehicle compartment, and among the plurality of speaker units, a speaker unit corresponding to a specific seat has a different volume from other speaker units; 16. The content reproduction method for a vehicle acoustic device according to claim 13, wherein the audio control unit controls the sound quality or the sound field so that the sound can be reproduced. 17. When transmitting the radio signal from the audio control means, the content to be transmitted by the radio signal is transmitted to the plurality of speaker units in a state where the content is divided for each predetermined amount of information. 14. The content reproducing method for a vehicle audio device according to claim 13, wherein: 18. When the plurality of speaker units receive a plurality of types of wireless signals from different transmission sources, the plurality of speaker units reproduce content included in any one of the wireless signals based on a preset priority. The method of claim 13, wherein the content is reproduced by a vehicular audio device.