Apparatus and method for privacy enhancement
First Claim
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1. An in-vehicle privacy system, comprising:
- one or more audio output devices associated with a first zone of an interior of a vehicle;
an audio signal generator device for providing an audio signal to the audio output devices;
a speech intelligibility processor for estimating a speech intelligibility in the first zone; and
a controller arranged to control one or more properties of the audio signal based on the estimate of speech intelligibility to mask speech of a second occupant in a second zone of the interior of the vehicle from a first occupant with the first zone;
wherein the speech intelligibility processor is arranged to receive data indicative of one or more parameters of the vehicle and to estimate the speech intelligibility based thereon; and
wherein one or both of;
the one or more properties of the audio signal comprise a frequency profile of the audio signal; and
the controller is arranged to control the one or more properties of the audio signal to reduce the estimate of the speech intelligibility.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide an in-vehicle privacy system, comprising audio output means (146, 147) associated with a first zone (110) of an interior of a vehicle (100), audio source means (250) for providing an audio signal (205) to the audio output means (146, 147), speech intelligibility means (310) for estimating a speech intelligibility in the first zone (110), control means arranged to control one or more properties of the audio signal (205) in dependence on the estimate of speech intelligibility to mask speech of a second occupant in a second zone (150) of the interior of the vehicle (100) from a first occupant with the first zone.
9 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An in-vehicle privacy system, comprising:
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one or more audio output devices associated with a first zone of an interior of a vehicle; an audio signal generator device for providing an audio signal to the audio output devices; a speech intelligibility processor for estimating a speech intelligibility in the first zone; and a controller arranged to control one or more properties of the audio signal based on the estimate of speech intelligibility to mask speech of a second occupant in a second zone of the interior of the vehicle from a first occupant with the first zone; wherein the speech intelligibility processor is arranged to receive data indicative of one or more parameters of the vehicle and to estimate the speech intelligibility based thereon; and wherein one or both of; the one or more properties of the audio signal comprise a frequency profile of the audio signal; and the controller is arranged to control the one or more properties of the audio signal to reduce the estimate of the speech intelligibility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A controller for an in-vehicle privacy system, the controller comprising:
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an electrical input for receiving a speech intelligibility signal indicative of a speech intelligibility in a first zone of an interior of a vehicle; a processor arranged to control one or more properties of an audio signal based on the speech intelligibility signal; and an electrical output for outputting the audio signal in the first zone to mask speech of a second occupant in a second zone of the interior of the vehicle from a first occupant in the first zone; wherein the processor is arranged to receive data indicative of one or more parameters of the vehicle and to control the one or more properties of the audio signal based thereon; and wherein one or both of; the one or more properties of the audio signal comprise a frequency profile of the audio signal; and the one or more properties of the audio signal are controlled to reduce the estimate of the speech intelligibility. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of masking speech in a vehicle, comprising:
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estimating speech intelligibility in a first zone of an interior of a vehicle; controlling one or more properties of an audio signal based on the estimate of speech intelligibility; and outputting the audio signal in the first zone to mask speech of a second occupant in a second zone of the interior of the vehicle from a first occupant in the first zone; wherein the estimating the speech intelligibility comprises receiving data indicative of one or more parameters of the vehicle and estimating the speech intelligibility based thereon; and wherein one or both of the one or more properties of the audio signal are controlled to reduce the estimate of the speech intelligibility; and the controlling one or more properties of the audio signal comprises controlling a frequency distribution of the audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification