VEHICLE SOUND PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20180077506A1
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wacquant, Sylvie, Biemer, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,264,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 Automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02087 the noise being separate speech, e.g. cocktail party
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/009 Signal processing in [PA] systems to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A sound system for a vehicle includes a plurality of microphones to detect sounds emanating from outside of the vehicle. A sound processor is operable to process microphone output signals of the microphones to identify a source of at least some sounds detected by the microphones. The sound processor processes microphone output signals to identify a sound of interest outside of the vehicle, which includes at least one of (i) a siren of an emergency vehicle and (ii) a horn of another vehicle. Responsive to identification by the sound processor of the sound of interest, a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the vehicle generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest. While the speakers are generating sound representative of the identified sound of interest, sounds generated by the speakers based on audio signals from other sound systems in the vehicle are diminished.

Claims

1. A sound system for a vehicle, said sound system comprising:

a plurality of microphones disposed at an exterior of a vehicle equipped with said sound system, wherein said microphones detect sounds emanating from outside of the vehicle;

a sound processor operable to process microphone output signals of said microphones to identify a source of at least some sounds detected by said microphones;

a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle, wherein said speakers generate sound responsive to said sound processor;

wherein said sound processor processes microphone output signals to identify a sound of interest outside of the vehicle;

wherein the sound of interest comprises at least one of (i) a siren of an emergency vehicle and (ii) a horn of another vehicle;

wherein, responsive to identification by said sound processor of the sound of interest, said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest; and

wherein, while said speakers are generating sound representative of the identified sound of interest, sounds generated by said speakers based on audio signals from other sound systems in the vehicle are diminished.

2. The sound system of claim 1, wherein said sound processor controls said speakers to generate the sound representative of the identified sound of interest while not generating other sounds present in the microphone output signals of said microphones.

3. The sound system of claim 1, wherein, when said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest, said sound processor controls said speakers to generate sound representative of the sound of interest at least towards a driver of the equipped vehicle.

4. The sound system of claim 1, wherein said sound processor controls said speakers so that the sound representative of the sound of interest is heard by the driver of the equipped vehicle as if emanating from a direction towards the source of the sound of interest.

5. The sound system of claim 4, wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined by said sound processor processing the microphone output signals of said microphones.

6. The sound system of claim 4, wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined, at least in part, by image processing of image data captured by at least one camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle.

7. The sound system of claim 6, wherein a display in the equipped vehicle is operable to display images derived from image data captured by the at least one camera, and wherein, responsive to determination of presence of the source of the sound of interest in the field of view of the at least one camera, said display displays images representative of the source of the sound of interest for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

8. The sound system of claim 6, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras that are part of a surround view vision system of the equipped vehicle.

9. The sound system of claim 4, wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined at least in part by a wireless communication from a transmitter remote from the equipped vehicle.

10. The sound system of claim 9, wherein the transmitter is part of a vehicle to vehicle communication system or a vehicle to infrastructure communication system.

11. The sound system of claim 1, wherein the sound of interest outside of the vehicle is identified by said sound processor at least in part via a wireless communication from a transmitter remote from the equipped vehicle.

12. The sound system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is part of a vehicle to vehicle communication system or a vehicle to infrastructure communication system.

13. The sound system of claim 1, wherein said sound processor reduces noise in the processor output signal responsive to said exterior microphones.

14. The sound system of claim 13, wherein said sound processor reduces noise in the processor output signal via an active noise cancellation technique.

15. A sound system for a vehicle, said sound system comprising:

a plurality of microphones disposed at an exterior of a vehicle equipped with said sound system, wherein said microphones detect sounds emanating from outside of the vehicle;

a sound processor operable to process microphone output signals of said microphones to identify a source of at least some sounds detected by said microphones;

a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle, wherein said speakers generate sound responsive to said sound processor;

wherein said sound processor processes microphone output signals to identify a sound of interest outside of the vehicle;

wherein the sound of interest comprises a siren of an emergency vehicle;

wherein, responsive to identification by said sound processor of the sound of interest, said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest;

wherein said sound processor controls said speakers to generate the sound representative of the identified sound of interest while not generating other sounds present in the microphone output signals of said microphones;

wherein said sound processor controls said speakers so that the sound representative of the sound of interest is heard by the driver of the equipped vehicle as if emanating from a direction towards the source of the sound of interest; and

wherein, while said speakers are generating sound representative of the identified sound of interest, sounds generated by said speakers based on audio signals from other sound systems in the vehicle are diminished.

16. The sound system of claim 15, wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined by said sound processor processing the microphone output signals of said microphones.

17. The sound system of claim 15, wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined, at least in part, by image processing of image data captured by at least one camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, wherein the at least one camera comprises at least one camera of a plurality of cameras that are part of a surround view vision system of the equipped vehicle.

18. The sound system of claim 15, wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined at least in part by a wireless communication from a transmitter remote from the equipped vehicle.

19. A sound system for a vehicle, said sound system comprising:

a plurality of microphones disposed at an exterior of a vehicle equipped with said sound system, wherein said microphones detect sounds emanating from outside of the vehicle;

a sound processor operable to process microphone output signals of said microphones to identify a source of at least some sounds detected by said microphones;

a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle, wherein said speakers generate sound responsive to said sound processor;

wherein said sound processor processes microphone output signals to identify a sound of interest outside of the vehicle;

wherein the sound of interest comprises at least one of (i) a siren of an emergency vehicle and (ii) a horn of another vehicle;

wherein, responsive to identification by said sound processor of the sound of interest, said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest;

wherein, when said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest, said sound processor controls said speakers to generate sound representative of the sound of interest at least towards a driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said sound processor controls said speakers so that the sound representative of the sound of interest is heard by the driver of the equipped vehicle as if emanating from a direction towards the source of the sound of interest;

wherein the direction towards the source of the sound of interest is determined by one of (i) said sound processor processing the microphone output signals of said microphones, (ii) image processing of image data captured by at least one camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, and (iii) a wireless communication from a transmitter remote from the equipped vehicle; and

wherein, while said speakers are generating sound representative of the identified sound of interest, sounds generated by said speakers based on audio signals from other sound systems in the vehicle are diminished.

20. The sound system of claim 19, wherein the sound of interest outside of the vehicle is identified by said sound processor at least in part via the wireless communication from the transmitter remote from the equipped vehicle, and wherein the transmitter is part of a vehicle to vehicle communication system or a vehicle to infrastructure communication system.