Vocal sound input apparatus for automotive vehicle

• US 7,171,006 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAU, COREY P
• Application Number:
  US10/733,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 381/365, 381/389, 381/92, 381/302, 381/71.5, 381/71.7, 381/357, 381 711- 7114, 296/214, 296/210
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02165 Two microphones, one receiving mainly the noise signal and the other one mainly the speech signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering

Abstract

In a vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle, both a receiving microphone and a noise collecting microphone are provided, both of the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone being arranged onto a predetermined portion of a vehicle body in such a manner that a direction of a sensitivity of the receiving microphone is opposite to that of the noise collecting microphone for the receiving microphone to enable to receive a vocal sound from a speaker and for the noise collecting microphone to enable to collectively receive a noise of a surrounding of the speaker.

Claims

1. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a receiving microphone; and

a noise collecting microphone, both of the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone being integrally mounted within a microphone assembly at a predetermined portion on a vehicle body in such a manner that a sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is opposite to a sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone, wherein;

the sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is oriented towards inside of a vehicular passenger compartment to collect vocal signals from the passenger compartment,

the sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone is oriented towards a space between a vehicle body outer plate and a wall of the vehicular passenger compartment,

the noise collecting microphone is disposed in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the wall of the vehicular passenger compartment, and configured to collect noise in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the wall of the vehicular passenger compartment,

the noise collecting microphone is insulated to prevent the sound signals from the passenger compartment from entering the noise collecting microphone, and

the sound signals collected by the receiving microphone and the noise collected by the noise collecting microphone are combined to generate an output signal.

2. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone are attached to a microphone assembly disposed on a ceiling portion of the vehicular passenger compartment.

3. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the microphone assembly comprises:

a first plate having a first circular center hole into which the receiving microphone is fitted, a second plate juxtaposed to the first plate and having a center hole into which the noise collecting microphone is fitted;

a third plate having a third circular center hole with its center point through which a first line denoting the sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is penetrated; and

a fourth plate having a fourth circular center hole with its center point through which a second line denoting the sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone is penetrated, both of the first line and the second line being on the same line but the directions thereof being mutually 180°

opposite to each other.

4. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the microphone assembly further includes engagement portions on side surfaces of the microphone assembly to engage with an interior trim material of a roof portion of the vehicular passenger compartment.

5. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the microphone assembly further comprises a bracket having an attachment hole to a peripheral wall to which the engagement portions of the microphone assembly is engaged and the bracket is fixed to the interior trim material of the roof portion by fixing means, the first line being oriented towards the vehicular passenger compartment and the second line being oriented towards the roof portion of a vehicular outer plate.

6. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the microphone assembly further comprises a room mirror base having an attachment hole to which the engagement portion of the receiving microphone is engaged, and an opening formed on a portion of the room mirror base which faces towards the receiving microphone.

7. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the noise collecting microphone is connected to an adder via an inverter and the receiving microphone is connected to the adder, and an output of the adder is connected to a voice recognition system mounted in the vehicle.

8. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein a vehicle speed sensor is connected to a switch to connect the noise collecting microphone to the inventer when a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sendor is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed.

9. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the microphones is connected to an adder via an inverter, and the other one of the microphones is connected to the adder, and an output of the adder is connected to a hand-free telephone apparatus mounted in the vehicle.

10. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a receiving microphone configured to input a vocal sound from a speaker; and

a noise collecting microphone configured to collectively input a surrounding noise of a speaker,

wherein;

both of the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone are integrally mounted within a microphone assembly, and are mounted to each other in such a manner that a sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is different from a sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone,

the sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is oriented towards inside of a vehicular passenger compartment to collect vocal signals from the passenger compartment,

the sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone is oriented towards a space between a vehicle body outer plate and a wall of the vehicular passenger compartment,

the noise collecting microphone is disposed in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the wall of the vehicular passenger compartment, and configured to collect noise in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the wall of the vehicular passenger compartment,

the noise collecting microphone is insulated to prevent the sound signals from the passenger compartment from entering the noise collecting microphone, and

the sound signals collected by the receiving microphone and the noise collected by the noise collecting microphone are combined to generate an output signal.

11. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a receiving microphone configured to input a vocal sound from a speaker; and

a noise collecting microphone configured to collectively input a surrounding noise of the speaker, both of the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone being integrally mounted within a microphone assembly and attached onto an interior trim material defining a vehicular passenger compartment in such a manner that a sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is oriented towards inside of the vehicular passenger compartment to collect vocal signals from the passenger compartment, and the noise collecting microphone is oriented towards a space between a vehicular body outer plate and the interior trim material, and configured to collect noise in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and interior trim material, wherein;

the noise collecting microphone is disposed in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the interior trim material,

the noise collecting microphone is insulated to prevent the sound signals from the passenger compartment from entering the noise collecting microphone, and

the sound signals collected by the receiving microphone and the noise collected by the noise collecting microphone are combined to generate an output signal.

12. A vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a receiving microphone; and

a noise collecting microphone;

wherein;

the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone are disposed integrally mounted within a microphone assembly at a predetermined portion of a vehicle body, and

a sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone is oriented towards a space between a vehicle body outer plate and a vehicular passenger compartment trim material, and configured to collect noise in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the wall of the vehicular passenger compartment, and a sensitivity direction of the receiving microphone is oriented towards inside of the vehicular passenger compartment to collect vocal signals from the passenger compartment,

wherein the noise collecting microphone is insulated to prevent the sound signals from the passenger compartment from entering the noise collecting microphone, and to prevent a noise from being inputted to the receiving microphone from the sensitivity direction of the noise collecting microphone,

the noise collecting microphone is disposed in the space between the vehicle body outer plate and the vehicular passenger compartment trim materail; and

the sound signals collected by the receiving microphone and the noise collected by the noise collecting microphone are combined to generate an output signal.