Vehicle sound processing system

• US 10,264,375 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• 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 W
• Application Number:
  US15/790,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 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 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 cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, said plurality of cameras including at least a front camera disposed at a front portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least forward of the equipped vehicle, a left side camera disposed at a left side portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least sideward of the equipped vehicle, a right side camera disposed at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least sideward of the equipped vehicle, and a rear camera disposed at a rear portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;

a video display disposed in the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle, wherein said video display displays images derived from image data captured by at least some of said plurality of cameras;

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 at least one camera of said plurality of cameras captures image data representative of the emergency vehicle;

an electronic control unit comprising a data processor, wherein image data captured by said plurality of cameras is processed at said electronic control unit for identifying the emergency vehicle;

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;

wherein, when said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest, the sound representative of the identified sound of interest is directed principally towards the driver of the equipped vehicle and is not directed principally toward any other occupant of the equipped vehicle; and

wherein images derived from image data captured by the at least one camera that is representative of the emergency vehicle are displayed at said video display for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

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 a location of the vehicle that is the source of the identified sound of interest is transmitted by the source vehicle and received by said sound system via a wireless car to car communication system.

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 processing of image data captured by the at least one camera of said plurality of cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle.

7. The sound system of claim 6, wherein, responsive to determination of presence of the source of the emergency vehicle in the field of view of the at least one camera, said video 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 said plurality of cameras 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 cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, said plurality of cameras including at least a front camera disposed at a front portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least forward of the equipped vehicle, a left side camera disposed at a left side portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least sideward of the equipped vehicle, a right side camera disposed at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least sideward of the equipped vehicle, and a rear camera disposed at a rear portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;

a video display disposed in the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle, wherein said video display displays images derived from image data captured by at least some of said plurality of cameras;

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 at least one camera of said plurality of cameras captures image data representative of the emergency vehicle;

an electronic control unit comprising a data processor, wherein image data captured by said plurality of cameras is processed at said electronic control unit for identifying the emergency vehicle;

wherein, when said speakers generate sound representative of the identified sound of interest, the sound representative of the identified sound of interest is directed principally towards a driver of the equipped vehicle and is not directed principally toward any other occupant 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, 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; and

wherein images derived from image data captured by the at least one camera that is representative of the emergency vehicle are displayed at said video display for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

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 the at least one camera, and wherein said plurality of cameras 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 cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, said plurality of cameras including at least a front camera disposed at a front portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least forward of the equipped vehicle, a left side camera disposed at a left side portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least sideward of the equipped vehicle, a right side camera disposed at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least sideward of the equipped vehicle, and a rear camera disposed at a rear portion of the equipped vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;

a video display disposed in the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle, wherein said video display displays images derived from image data captured by at least some of said plurality of cameras;

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 at least one camera of said plurality of cameras captures image data representative of the emergency vehicle;

an electronic control unit comprising a data processor, wherein image data captured by said plurality of cameras is processed at said electronic control unit for identifying the emergency vehicle present in the field of view of the at least one camera;

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 principally towards a driver of the equipped vehicle and is not directed principally toward any other occupant 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 the at least one camera of said plurality of cameras disposed at 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; and

wherein images derived from image data captured by the at least one camera that is representative of the emergency vehicle are displayed at said video display for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

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.