Vehicle in cabin sound processing system

• US 9,800,983 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wacquant, Sylvie, Biemer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Huber, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/807,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 of a vehicle includes a plurality of microphones disposed in a cabin of the vehicle, a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the vehicle, and a sound processor operable to process microphone output signals of the microphones to determine a voice signal of a speaking occupant in the vehicle at or near one of the microphones. The sound processor generates a processor output signal that is provided to at least some of the speakers. Responsive to the processor output signal, the at least some of the speakers generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards other occupants in the vehicle, while one or more speakers at or near the seat occupied by the speaking occupant do not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant.

Claims

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

a plurality of microphones disposed in a cabin of a vehicle equipped with said sound system, wherein each seat of the equipped vehicle is associated with at least one respective microphone of said plurality of microphones so that the respective microphone principally receives sound emanating from an occupant of that particular seat and does not principally receive sound emanating from occupants of other seats of the equipped vehicle;

a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle at or near respective seats of the equipped vehicle, wherein each seat of the equipped vehicle is associated with at least one respective speaker of said plurality of speakers so that the respective speaker generates sound principally toward an occupant of that particular seat and does not generate sound principally toward occupants of other seats of the equipped vehicle;

a sound processor operable to process microphone output signals of said microphones to determine a voice signal of a speaking occupant at a seat in the cabin of the equipped vehicle at or near an associated respective one of said microphones;

wherein, responsive to processing of microphone output signals, said sound processor generates a processor output signal that is representative of the voice signal and that is provided to some of said speakers, and wherein said some of said speakers comprises speakers associated with at least one other seat of the equipped vehicle that is occupied; and

wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, said some of said speakers generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards an occupant at the at least one other seat in the cabin of the equipped vehicle while a speaker at or near the seat occupied by the speaking occupant does not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant so as to not direct the sound representative of the voice signal towards the speaking occupant.

2. The sound system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of microphones exterior of the cabin of the equipped vehicle, said sound processor reducing noise in the processor output signal responsive to said exterior microphones.

3. The sound system of claim 2, wherein said sound processor is operable to determine a noise of interest from the signals of said exterior microphones, and wherein said sound processor controls said speakers to generate sound representative of the noise of interest at least towards a driver of the equipped vehicle.

4. The sound system of claim 3, wherein said noise of interest comprises at least one of (i) a siren of an emergency vehicle and (ii) a horn of another vehicle.

5. The sound system of claim 3, wherein said sound processor controls said speakers so that the sound representative of the noise of interest is heard by the driver as if emanating from a direction towards the source of the sound of interest.

6. The sound system of claim 1, wherein said sound processor reduces noise in the processor output signal via at least one of (i) an active noise cancellation technique, (ii) a human voice conception technique and (iii) a human voice separation technique to provide enhanced sound from said at least some of said speakers.

7. The sound system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of cameras disposed in the equipped vehicle and having respective fields of view towards respective seats of the equipped vehicle, wherein at least one of said cameras captures images of a face of the speaking occupant for display of the speaking occupant'"'"'s face on a video display screen in the equipped vehicle.

8. The sound system of claim 1, wherein a user input is actuatable to select two or more occupants of the equipped vehicle for a conversation, and wherein one of the selected occupants is the speaking occupant, and wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, a speaker associated with the seat occupied by another selected occupant generates sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards the other selected occupant while a speaker associated with a seat occupied by a non-selected occupant does not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant so as to not direct the sound towards the non-selected occupant.

9. The sound system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to determination of at least one seat of the equipped vehicle being unoccupied, said sound system does not provide the processor output signal that is representative of the voice signal to at least one of said speakers that associated with the at least one unoccupied seat.

10. The sound system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of cameras disposed in the equipped vehicle and having respective fields of view towards respective ones of the seats in the cabin of the equipped vehicle, wherein said cameras capture image data representative of a face area of an occupant sitting at the respective seat, and wherein, responsive to processing of image data captured by one of said cameras that is representative of the speaking occupant, the microphones are controlled to enhance the speaking occupant'"'"'s voice separate from noise.

11. The sound system of claim 10, comprising a plurality of displays for displaying images to occupants of the seats of the equipped vehicle, wherein, responsive to capture of image data representative of the face area of the speaking occupant, said system displays images of the speaking occupant on at least some of said displays for viewing by other occupants.

12. A sound system of a vehicle, said sound system comprising:

a plurality of microphones disposed in a cabin of a vehicle equipped with said sound system, wherein said plurality of microphones comprises at least one microphone disposed at or near respective ones of a plurality of seats in the cabin of the equipped vehicle so that each microphone principally receives sound emanating from an occupant of a respective seat and does not principally receive sound emanating from occupants of other seats of the equipped vehicle;

a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle, wherein said plurality of speakers comprises at least one speaker disposed at or near respective ones of the seats in the cabin of the equipped vehicle so that the each speaker generates sound principally toward an occupant of a respective seat and does not generate sound principally toward occupants of other seats of the equipped vehicle;

a sound processor operable to process microphone output signals of said microphones to determine a voice signal of a speaking occupant at one of the seats in the equipped vehicle at or near at least one of said microphones;

wherein, responsive to processing of microphone output signals, said sound processor generates a processor output signal that is representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant and that is provided to at least some of said speakers at others of the seats in the equipped vehicle; and

wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, at least one of said speakers at at least one other occupied seat in the equipped vehicle generates sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards at least one occupant at the at least one other occupied seat in the equipped vehicle, while a speaker at or near the seat occupied by the speaking occupant does not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant so as to not direct the sound representative of the voice signal towards the speaking occupant.

13. The sound system of claim 12, comprising a plurality of microphones exterior of the cabin of the equipped vehicle, said sound processor reducing noise in the processor output signal responsive to said exterior microphones, and wherein said sound processor is operable to determine a noise of interest from noise in the signals from said exterior microphone, and wherein said speakers generate sound representative of the noise of interest at least towards a driver of the equipped vehicle.

14. The sound system of claim 12, comprising a plurality of cameras disposed in the equipped vehicle and having respective fields of view towards respective ones of the seats of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said cameras capture image data representative of a face area of an occupant sitting at the respective seat, and wherein one of said cameras captures images of a face of the speaking occupant for display of the speaking occupant'"'"'s face on a video display screen in the equipped vehicle.

15. The sound system of claim 14, comprising a plurality of displays for displaying images to occupants of the seats of the equipped vehicle, wherein, responsive to capture of image data representative of the face area of the speaking occupant, said system displays images of the speaking occupant on at least one of said displays for viewing by at least one other occupant at at least one other occupied seat in the equipped vehicle.

16. The sound system of claim 12, wherein a user input is actuatable to select two or more occupants of the equipped vehicle for a conversation, and wherein one of the selected occupants is the speaking occupant, and wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, speakers at or near the seat occupied by another selected occupant generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards the other selected occupant while speakers at or near a seat occupied by a non-selected occupant do not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant so as to not direct the sound towards the non-selected occupant.

17. A sound system of a vehicle, said sound system comprising:

a plurality of interior microphones disposed in a cabin of vehicle equipped with said sound system, wherein each seat of the equipped vehicle is associated with at least one respective interior microphone of said plurality of interior microphones so that the respective interior microphone principally receives sound emanating from an occupant of that particular seat and does not principally receive sound emanating from occupants of other seats of the equipped vehicle;

a plurality of speakers disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle, wherein each seat of the equipped vehicle is associated with at least one respective speaker of said plurality of speakers so that the respective speaker generates sound principally toward an occupant of that particular seat and does not generate sound principally toward occupants of other seats of the equipped vehicle;

a plurality of exterior microphones exterior of the cabin of the equipped vehicle;

a sound processor operable to process interior microphone output signals of said microphones to determine a voice signal of a speaking occupant in the equipped vehicle at or near one of said interior microphones;

wherein, responsive to processing of interior microphone output signals, said sound processor generates a processor output signal that is representative of the voice signal and that is provided to at least some of said speakers;

wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, said at least some of said speakers generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards other occupants of respective seats in the equipped vehicle;

wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, a speaker at or near the seat occupied by the speaking occupant does not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant so as to not direct the sound representative of the voice signal towards the speaking occupant; and

wherein, responsive to processing of exterior microphone outputs of said exterior microphones, said sound processor is operable to determine a noise of interest from the signals of the exterior microphone signals, and wherein said sound processor controls said speakers to generate sound representative of the determined noise of interest at least towards a driver of the equipped vehicle.

18. The sound system of claim 17, wherein said noise of interest comprises at least one of (i) a siren of an emergency vehicle and (ii) a horn of another vehicle, and wherein said sound processor controls said speakers so that the sound representative of the noise of interest is heard by the driver as if emanating from a direction towards the source of the sound of interest.

19. The sound system of claim 17, comprising a plurality of cameras disposed in the equipped vehicle and having respective fields of view towards respective ones of the seats of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said cameras capture image data representative of a face area of an occupant sitting at the respective seat, and wherein one of said cameras captures images of a face of the speaking occupant for display of the speaking occupant'"'"'s face on at least one of a plurality of video display screens in the equipped vehicle for displaying images to at least one other occupant of the equipped vehicle.

20. The sound system of claim 17, wherein a user input is actuatable to select two or more occupants of the equipped vehicle for a conversation, and wherein one of the selected occupants is the speaking occupant, and wherein, responsive to said processor output signal, speakers at or near the seat occupied by another selected occupant generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant to direct the sound towards the other selected occupant while speakers at or near a seat occupied by a non-selected occupant do not generate sound representative of the voice signal of the speaking occupant so as to not direct the sound towards the non-selected occupant.