IP Library Granted Patent US 11,328,720
Granted Patent B2
US 11,328,720 · App. 16/755,856 · Granted May 10, 2022

Inter-occupant conversation device and inter-occupant conversation method

Inventor: Ryuji Yoshinaga (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
G10L15/22B60W50/10B60W2540/01B60W2540/21G10L2015/223
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,328,720
App. No.
16/755,856
Granted
May 10, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rear display displays a driver image of a driver to a rear occupant. An operational information acquisition unit acquires operational information for changing a size of the driver image displayed on the rear display. An image control unit changes the size of the driver image displayed on the rear display, on the basis of the operational information acquired by the operational information acquisition unit. A sound control unit controls, at a time of generating a synthetic sound by combining a spoken voice of the driver with a reproduced sound of an AV source, a sound-level ratio between the spoken voice of the driver and the reproduced sound of the AV source, on the basis of the size of the driver image displayed on the rear display. A rear speaker outputs the synthetic sound generated by the sound control unit toward the rear occupant.

Claims (25)

1. An inter-occupant conversation device, comprising:

a first display to display a first occupant image of a first occupant to a second occupant;

processing circuitry to

acquire operational information for changing a size of the first occupant image displayed on the first display;

change the size of the first occupant image displayed on the first display, on a basis of the acquired operational information; and

control, at a time of generating a synthetic sound by combining a spoken voice of the first occupant with a reproduced sound of an AV source, a sound-level ratio between the spoken voice of the first occupant and the reproduced sound of the AV source, on a basis of the size of the first occupant image displayed on the first display; and

a first sound speaker to output the synthetic sound generated by the processing circuitry to the second occupant, so that both a first sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant and a second sound level of the reproduced sound of the AV source are set on a basis of the controlled sound-level ratio.

2. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing circuitry causes the sound-level ratio between the spoken voice of the first occupant and the reproduced sound of the AV source to correspond to a screen-size ratio between the first occupant image and the first display.

3. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing circuitry controls the sound-level ratio by preferentially changing a sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant and then, when the sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant has reached a predetermined upper limit, controls the sound-level ratio by changing a sound level of the reproduced sound of the AV source.

4. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing circuitry controls the sound-level ratio by preferentially changing a sound level of the reproduced sound of the AV source.

5. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second display to display a second occupant image of the second occupant to the first occupant, wherein the processing circuitry changes a size of the second occupant image displayed on the second display, on a basis of acquired operational information for changing the size of the second occupant image displayed on the second display, and controls, at a time of generating a synthetic sound by combining a spoken voice of the second occupant with a reproduced sound of the AV source, a sound-level ratio between the spoken voice of the second occupant and the reproduced sound of the AV source, on a basis of the size of the second occupant image displayed on the second display; and

a second speaker to output the synthetic sound generated by the second sound control unit to the first occupant.

6. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 1 , wherein when determining that the size of the first occupant image on the first display is changed, the processing circuitry calculates a screen size ratio between the first occupant image and a reproduced image of the AV source and calculates the sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant on the basis of the calculated screen size ratio.

7. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 6 , wherein when determining that the calculated sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant exceeds a predetermined upper limit, the processing circuitry sets the sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant to the predetermined upper limit.

8. The inter-occupant conversation device according to claim 7 , wherein when setting the sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant to the predetermined upper limit, the processing circuitry calculates the sound level of the reproduced sound of the AV source on the basis of the calculated screen size ratio and the predetermined upper limit.

9. An inter-occupant conversation method, comprising:

displaying a first occupant image of a first occupant to a second occupant;

acquiring operational information for changing a size of the first occupant image displayed on a first display;

changing the size of the first occupant image displayed on the first display, on a basis of the acquired operational information;

controlling, at a time of generating a synthetic sound by combining a spoken voice of the first occupant with a reproduced sound of an AV source, a sound-level ratio between the spoken voice of the first occupant and the reproduced sound of the AV source, on a basis of the size of the first occupant image displayed on the first display; and

outputting the generated synthetic sound to the second occupant, so that both a first sound level of the spoken voice of the first occupant and a second sound level of the reproduced sound of the AV source are set on a basis of the control led sound-level ratio.

Assignments (2)
COMPANY SPLIT Recorded Sep 4, 2024
From: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC MOBILITY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068834/0585 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2020
From: YOSHINAGA, RYUJI
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052395/0628 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210201903A1 · Jul 1, 2021