JP4405131B2 - Audio equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an audio apparatus, and more particularly, to an audio apparatus having a function (Auto TCR function) for causing sound from each speaker to reach a listening point at the same time.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an audio device having a large number of speakers, for example, an in-vehicle audio device having speakers on the front left / right, rear left / right, front center, etc., the distance from each speaker to the listening point, for example, the ear of the driver Is different. If the distance from the speaker to the listening point is different, the time for the sound to reach the ears of the driver will be different even if sound is generated simultaneously from each speaker, and the realism of music and so on will be reduced, making it impossible to enjoy music comfortably .
[0003]
For this reason, a function called Auto TCR (Time Correction) is provided in the in-vehicle audio system. The Auto TCR function measures the transmission time of the audio signal from each speaker to the listening point by receiving the test signal output from each speaker with a microphone installed at the listening point, and uses the result to send the signal from each speaker. This is a function that corrects the time of the output audio signal and thereby cancels the difference in distance between each speaker and the listening point. In other words, the Auto TCR function measures the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point, determines the maximum transmission time among the transmission times, and transmits the audio signal input to each speaker to the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point. This is a function that causes the sound from each speaker to reach the listening point simultaneously by delaying the time according to the difference between the maximum transmission time and the maximum transmission time.
[0004]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional apparatus for measuring the transmission time from a speaker to a listening point, and outputs a pulse PL and a VOL / TONE control signal as a reference for measuring the transmission time, and incorporates a microphone detection signal MDTS. Microcomputer 1 that measures transmission time, amplifier (Amp-a) 2 that amplifies pulse (test signal) PL from microcomputer 1, and VOL / TONE control unit 3 that variably controls volume / sound quality (VOL / TONE) of audio signal , A speaker driving amplifier (Amp-b) 4, a speaker 5 that receives an audio signal and radiates sound into the vehicle interior space, a listening position, for example, a headrest of a driver's seat, and radiates sound emitted from the speaker A microphone 6 for detection and an amplifier (Amp-c) 7 for amplifying the detection signal MDTS of the microphone are provided.
[0005]
The pulse PL output from the microcomputer 1 is input to the speaker 5 through the amplifier 2 → VOl / TONE control unit 3 → the amplifier 4, and the speaker radiates sound corresponding to the pulse to the vehicle interior space, and the microphone 6 outputs the sound. Is detected. The amplifier 7 amplifies the microphone detection signal, and the microcomputer 1 takes in the microphone detection signal via the A / D terminal. The microcomputer 1 samples the microphone detection signal MDTS input to the A / D terminal at a predetermined time interval, for example, every 0.1 msec, simultaneously with the output of the pulse PL. When sampling is completed for a specified number of times, for example, 100 times (= 10 msec), the time for acquiring the maximum voltage value during sampling is set as the transmission time from the speaker 5 to the listening point.
Although only one speaker is shown in FIG. 3, the transmission time from all on-vehicle speakers to the listening point can be measured.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, some in-vehicle audio systems equipped with an audio processor having a frequency divider function have two systems of front 1 L / R and front 2 L / R as front outputs. , L / R high frequency audio signal is output.
In such a system, a tweeter can be connected to the front output terminal 1 L / R. For this reason, in an audio system having two systems of front 1 L / R and front 2 L / R as front outputs, (1) a system in which a speaker other than a tweeter is connected to the front output terminal 1 L / R, 2) Front output terminal 1 There are two types of systems in which a tweeter is connected to L / R.
[0007]
If the audio system is not connected to the tweeter of (1), test signals are input to each speaker in order at regular intervals in order to measure the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point using the Auto TCR described above. However, no problem occurs. However, in the audio system (2) to which the tweeter is connected, the power of the test signal is large, and the tweeter is sensitive to weak sound, so that the tweeter may be destroyed by the test signal.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to reliably identify that a tweeter is connected and prevent the tweeter from being destroyed by not inputting a test signal to the tweeter during Auto TCR.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention measures the transmission time from each speaker to the audio listening point by detecting the sound generated by inputting the test signal to each speaker with a sensor provided at the listening point, and the maximum transmission time among the transmission times. And an audio device having a function (Auto TCR function) that makes the difference between the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point the delay time of the audio signal input to each speaker, and (1) requests execution of the function (2) Question message output means for outputting a question message indicating whether the tweeter is connected based on the request, (3) Means for inputting whether the tweeter is connected, or (4) The tweeter is connected If not, input the test signal to all the speakers on the vehicle and adjust the delay time so that the sound from each speaker reaches the listening point at the same time by the above function. Ta is a function execution means, for adjusting the delay time so the sound reaches the listener point simultaneously from each of the speakers by the function by inputting a test signal to the speaker of the other tweeter if it is connected. Further, the function executing means sets the delay time of the audio signal input to the tweeter as the delay time of the audio signal input to the speaker provided in the vicinity of the tweeter.
According to the present invention, when there is an execution request for Auto TCR, the user is asked whether or not the tweeter is connected, and if the user does not respond to the question, the measurement of the transmission time is not performed. The transmission time is measured based on the response. For this reason, since the transmission time can be measured by confirming whether the tweeter is connected to the user, damage to the tweeter can be prevented.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an audio apparatus according to the present invention. The audio circuit 10 has a built-in amplifier and the like. The front L / R channel high frequency audio signal is output from the output terminals F1L and F1R, the front L / R channel low frequency audio signal is output from the output terminals F2L and F2R, and the front terminal is output from the output terminal C. The center audio signal, the subwoofer audio signal from the output terminal SW, and the rear L / R channel audio signal from the output terminals RL and RR are output.
[0010]
The first speakers 11L and 11R of the front L / R channel are connected to the output terminals F1L and F1R of the audio circuit 10, and the second speakers 12L and 12R of the front L / R channel are connected to the F2L and F2R, The front center speaker 13 is connected to the output terminal C, the subwoofer 14 is connected to the output terminal SW, and the rear L / R channel speakers 15L and 15R are connected to the output terminals RL and RR. The figure shows the case where the first speakers 11L, 11R of the front L / R channel are connected to the output terminals F1L, F1R, but these speakers 11L, 11R may be tweeters or other than tweeters It may be a speaker or it may not be connected. A measurement microphone 16 is provided at a listening point, for example, a driver's headrest, so that sound from each speaker is detected and output via an amplifier 17.
The microcomputer 21 executes Auto TCR control, and a key unit 22 and a display device 23 are connected to the microcomputer. The key unit 22 is provided with a key 22a for requesting execution of the Auto TCR function, a response key 22b for responding “YES” and “NO” to a question from the microcomputer, and the like.
[0011]
When the execution of the Auto TCR function is requested from the key unit 22, the microcomputer 21 displays a question message indicating whether the tweeter is connected to the display device 23, and executes Auto TCR control based on a response from the user to the question. . That is, if the tweeter is not connected by a response from the user, the microcomputer 21 inputs a test signal (measurement signal) to all on-vehicle speakers and measures the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point. The delay time of the audio signal input to each speaker is determined so that the sound from the speaker reaches the listening point at the same time, and is input to the DSP (digital signal processor) 24.
[0012]
If a tweeter is connected by a response from the user, the microcomputer 21 does not input a test signal to the tweeter. That is, the test signals are not output from the output terminals F1L and F1R, but the test signals are input to the speakers other than the tweeter in order from the other output terminals, and the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point is measured. The transmission time from the tweeters 11L and 11R to the listening point is determined by another method. For example, the transmission time from the second speakers 12L, 12R of the front L / R channel provided near the tweeter to the listening point is adopted as the transmission time from the tweeters 11L, 11R to the listening point. Thereafter, the delay time of the audio signal input to each speaker is determined and input to the DSP 24 so that the sound from each speaker reaches the listening point at the same time.
[0013]
The DSP 24 as an audio processor has a divider function, and divides the front L channel signal and the front R channel signal into a high frequency side audio signal component and a low frequency side audio signal component, respectively, and outputs them. Further, the DSP 24 performs a delay process corresponding to the delay time determined by the microcomputer 21 on each audio signal and outputs it. The selector 25 determines and sends out an output terminal so that the test signal input from the microcomputer 21 is input to the speaker instructed by the microcomputer during Auto TCR control. In addition, the selector 25 normally determines and sends out an output terminal so that each audio signal input from the DSP is input to a predetermined speaker.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a processing flow of the Auto TCR control of the present invention.
When an Auto TCR request is issued by a key operation from the user (step 100), the microcomputer 21 displays a question message as to whether the tweeter is used on the display device 23 (step 101), and waits for a reply from the user to the question. (Step 102). If there is no response from the user, for example, if there is no response for a set time or longer, the processing ends as if there was no Auto TCR request. On the other hand, if there is an answer from the user, it is checked whether the answer is “using tweeter” (step 103).
If the answer is “no tweeter is used”, the transmission time is measured for all channels (step 104). In other words, the microcomputer 21 outputs a test signal in order from the output terminals F1L, F1R, F2L, F2R, C, SW, RL, RR in order, and all the speakers 11L, 11R, 12L, 12R, 13, 14, 15L , Measure the transmission time from 15R to the listening point.
[0015]
Thereafter, the microcomputer 21 calculates the maximum transmission time among the measured transmission times, calculates the difference between the transmission time from each speaker to the listening point and the maximum transmission time as the delay time of the audio signal input to each speaker, Each calculated delay time is set in the DSP 24 (step 105). Thus, the DSP 24 delays the audio signal input to each speaker during the normal audio output.
On the other hand, if the answer from the user is “using a tweeter” in step 103, the microcomputer 21 outputs F2L, F2R, C, SW, RL, output terminals other than the output terminals F1L, F1R to which the tweeter is connected. Test signals are output in order from the RR at a certain time, and the transmission time from the speakers 12L, 12R, 13, 14, 15L, 15R to the listening point is measured (step 106).
[0016]
Thereafter, the microcomputer 21 obtains the maximum transmission time among the measured transmission times, and calculates the difference between the transmission time from each speaker 12L, 12R, 13, 14, 15L, 15R to the listening point and the maximum transmission time to each speaker. The delay time of the input audio signal is calculated, and each calculated delay time is set in the DSP 24 (step 107).
Further, the microcomputer 21 determines that the delay time of the audio signal input to the tweeters 11L and 11R connected to the output terminals F1L and F1R is equal to the delay time of the audio signal input to the speakers 12L and 12R of the front L / R channel. Accordingly, the delay time is set in the DSP 24 (step 108).
As described above, the DSP 24 delays the audio signal input to each speaker during the normal audio output.
The case where the present invention is applied to a vehicle-mounted audio device has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to a vehicle-mounted device and can be applied to a general audio system.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when there is an execution request for Auto TCR, the user is asked whether or not the tweeter is connected.If the user does not respond to the question, the transmission time measurement is not performed. Since the transmission time is measured based on the response, it is possible to prevent the tweeter from being damaged because the user can confirm the presence / absence of connection of the tweeter and perform the transmission time measurement.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an audio apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a processing flow of Auto TCR control of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus for measuring a transmission time from a conventional speaker to a listening point.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Audio circuit
11L, 11R Front L / R channel first speaker
12L, 12R Front L / R channel second speaker 13 Front center speaker 14 Subwoofer
15L, 15R Rear L / R channel speaker 16 Microphone for measurement 21 Microcomputer 22 Key section 23 Display device 24 DSP as audio processor
25 Selector

Claims (1)

The transmission time from each speaker to the audio listening point is measured by detecting the sound generated by inputting the test signal to each speaker with a sensor provided at the listening point. In an audio device having a function of setting a difference with a transmission time to a listening point as a delay time of an audio signal input to each speaker,
Means for requesting execution of said function;
Question message output means for outputting a question message as to whether a tweeter is connected based on the request;
Means to input whether the tweeter is connected,
If a tweeter is not connected, a test signal is input to all in-vehicle speakers, and the delay time is determined by the above function so that the sound from each speaker reaches the listening point at the same time. The delay time is determined so that the sound from each speaker reaches the listening point at the same time , and the delay time of the audio signal input to the tweeter is set near the tweeter. A function execution means for setting a delay time of an audio signal input to a speaker provided ;
An audio device comprising:

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