VEHICLE NOISE CANCELLER

• US 20180286378A1
• Filed: 02/28/2018
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: SHINNO, Katsuya, SATO, Masahiko, HORIKAWA, Atsushi, NAKABAYASHI, Shinji, HANAWA, Shintaro
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17825 Error signals
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17881 the reference signal being an acoustic signal, e.g. recorded with a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17883 the reference signal being derived from a machine operating condition, e.g. engine RPM or vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/12821 Rolling noise; Wind and body noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3011 Single acoustic input
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3044 Phase shift, e.g. complex envelope processing

Abstract

A vehicle noise canceller includes a road surface condition observation unit, a speaker, and an operation controller. The road surface condition observation unit is configured to observe road surface conditions in a traveling direction of a vehicle. The speaker is configured to generate a canceling sound for canceling road noise entering a vehicle cabin of the vehicle. The operation controller is configured to control the canceling sound generated from the speaker on a basis of information received from the road surface condition observation unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle noise canceller, comprising:

a road surface condition observation unit configured to observe road surface conditions in a traveling direction of a vehicle,

a speaker configured to generate a canceling sound for canceling road noise entering a vehicle cabin of the vehicle, and

an operation controller configured to control the canceling sound generated from the speaker on a basis of information received from the road surface condition observation unit.

2. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 1, wherein the operation controller is configured to calculate distance from the road surface irregularity to the vehicle from the conditions of the road surface observed by the road surface condition observation unit, and generate the canceling sound from the speaker in synchronization with the road noise generated by the vehicle passing over the road surface irregularity.

3. The vehicle noise canceller according to any one of claim 1, wherein

the road surface condition observation unit is a stereo camera, and

the operation controller is configured to calculate the distance from the road surface irregularity to the vehicle from image data captured by the stereo camera, and generate the canceling sound in synchronization with the road noise generated by the vehicle passing over the road surface irregularity.

4. The vehicle noise canceller according to any one of claim 2, wherein

the road surface condition observation unit is a stereo camera, and

the operation controller is configured to calculate the distance from the road surface irregularity to the vehicle from image data captured by the stereo camera, and generate the canceling sound in synchronization with the road noise generated by the vehicle passing over the road surface irregularity.

5. The vehicle noise canceller according claim 1, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

a memory unit configured to store noise-canceling database that includes road surface condition data and canceling sound data, the road surface condition data in the conditions of the road surface, the canceling sound data indicating the canceling sound for canceling the road noise generated by the vehicle passing over the road surface, wherein

the operation controller is configured to select the road surface condition data on a basis of the conditions of the road surface observed by the road condition observation unit, and generate the canceling sound from the speaker on a basis of the noise-canceling data that corresponds to the road surface condition data selected.

6. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 2, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

a memory unit configured to store noise-canceling database that includes road surface condition data and canceling sound data, the road surface condition data indicating the conditions of the road surface, the canceling sound data indicating the canceling sound for canceling the road noise generated by the vehicle passing over the road surface, wherein

the operation controller is configured to select the road surface condition data on a basis of the conditions of the road surface observed by the road condition observation unit, and generate the canceling sound from the speaker on a basis of the noise-canceling data that corresponds to the road surface condition data selected.

7. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 3, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

memory unit configured to store noise-canceling database that includes road surface condition data and canceling sound data, the road surface condition data indicating the conditions of the road surface, the canceling sound data indicating the canceling sound for canceling the road noise generates by the vehicle passing over the road surface, wherein

the operation controller is configured to select the road surface condition data on a basis of the conditions of the road surface observed by the road condition observation unit, and generate the canceling sound from the speaker on a basis of the noise-canceling data that corresponds to the road surface condition data selected;

8. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 4, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

a memory unit configured to store noise-canceling database that includes road surface condition data and canceling sound data, the road surface condition data indicating the conditions of the road surface, the canceling sound data indicating the canceling sound for canceling the road noise generated by the vehicle passing over the road surface, wherein

the operation controller is configured to select the road surface condition data on a basis of the conditions of the road surface observed by the road condition observation unit, and generate the canceling sound from the speaker on a basis of the noise-canceling data that corresponds to the road surface condition data selected.

9. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 5, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

an error microphone configured to collect the road noise and the canceling sound, wherein

if the conditions of the road surface observed by the road surface condition observation unit changes by a predetermined amount or more, the operation controller changes the canceling sound to be generated by the speaker with updating the noise-canceling database on a basis of information received from the error microphone.

10. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 6, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

an error microphone configured to collect the road noise and the canceling sound, wherein

if the conditions of the road surface observed by the road surface condition observation unit changes by a predetermined amount or more, the operation controller changes the canceling sound to be generated by the speaker with updating the noise-canceling database on a basis of information received from the error microphone.

11. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 7 the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

an error microphone configured to collect the road noise and the canceling sound, wherein

if the conditions of the road surface observed by the road surface condition observation unit changes by a predetermined amount or more, the operation controller changes the canceling sound to be generated by the speaker with updating the noise-canceling database on a basis of information received from the error microphone.

12. The vehicle noise canceller according to claim 8, the vehicle noise canceller further comprising:

an error microphone configured to collect the road noise and the canceling sound, wherein

if the conditions of the road surface observed by the road surface condition observation unit changes by a predetermined amount or more, the operation controller changes the canceling sound to be generated by the speaker with updating the noise-canceling database on a basis of information received from the error microphone.