JP4276917B2 - In-vehicle hands-free device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle hands-free device that enables a telephone call without having to hold a car phone or a mobile phone in a passenger compartment of a car.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an in-vehicle hands-free device that enables a driver (driver) of an automobile to make a call without having to hold an automobile telephone or a cellular phone provided in the passenger compartment.
As an example of this in-vehicle hands-free device, a user of the in-vehicle hands-free device, that is, a device that puts a call on hold or resumes depending on the situation of the driver or the state of the vehicle is known (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

FIG. 9 shows a flow of a conventional method for controlling an in-vehicle hands-free device.
According to this flow procedure, a conventional in-vehicle hands-free device reaches a branch point of a highway within a predetermined time based on navigation data captured during a hands-free call and the speed of the host vehicle, When it is predicted that a heavy driving operation such as a main line merger will be required, a message indicating that the call is temporarily held is sent to the driver and the other party, the call is put on hold, and the call is put on hold. Control is performed to cancel the call hold if it is possible to cancel the call. Similarly, when it is detected that the vehicle is turning, for example, by various sensors that detect the running state of the vehicle, and it is determined that the driving operation is heavy for the driver, the call is temporarily put on hold as well. A message to that effect is sent to hold the call, and control to release the call hold is performed.
JP-A-10-304464

However, in the above-described conventional in-vehicle hands-free device, since the call is unilaterally held from the user side, the content of the conversation may be lost if the call partner side is put on hold while speaking.
For that reason, even if the hold state is released and the call is resumed, the driver side is not able to understand what the other party was talking because of insufficient communication, Because the other party cannot understand how far the conversation has been transmitted to the driver, it is necessary to repeat the conversation and to confirm the conversation to the driver, making the call smoothly There is a problem that it cannot be restored.

Furthermore, if the conversation content is interrupted, depending on the conversation content, the driver may be concerned about the interrupted conversation content, and the concentration on the driving operation may be distracted.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and even when a call is put on hold, it is possible to smoothly and quickly return to the call when releasing the hold without losing the contents of the conversation. An object is to provide an in-vehicle hands-free device.

In order to achieve the above object, the in-vehicle hands-free device according to the present invention employs the following technical means.
That is, the in-vehicle hands-free device according to the present invention is an in-vehicle hands-free device for performing a hands-free call using a telephone in a car, and stores voice from a call partner in the hands-free call. For analyzing the surrounding situation according to the information output from the sensor for detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle of the automobile, based on the analysis result of the situation analyzing means, Based on the operation determined by the operation determining means, the operation determining means for controlling the operation relating to the call state between the telephone user and the call partner, and the voice from the call partner stored in the storage means And a reproduction output means for outputting to the user. As a result, even if the call is put on hold, the voice of the other party can be recorded and reproduced, so that the driver can return to the call without losing the conversation contents.

  Here, the reproduction output means is stored in the storage means when the operation determining means switches from the call-ready state to the hold state and then switches from the hold state to the call-ready state. The voice from the other party is played and output to the user. Thus, the recorded voice of the other party is played after the call is released and before the call is resumed, so that the driver can smoothly return to the call.

  Further, the reproduction output means includes a speech speed control unit for controlling a reproduction speed of the voice from the other party stored in the storage means, and a switch of the operation determination means from the call available state to the hold state. An elapsed time measuring unit that measures an elapsed time from a time point, and the speech speed control unit is stored in the storage means when the elapsed time measuring unit measures the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined threshold. The playback speed of the voice from the other party is increased to the same speed. As a result, even when the hold time is long, the recorded voice of the other party is played quickly, so that an in-vehicle hands-free device that can return to the driver's quick call after releasing the hold is realized.

  Here, the in-vehicle hands-free device is further configured so that when the operation determining means switches from the call-enabled state to the hold state, the voice at the time of the switching and the voice of the other party after the switching are sent to the user. It is good also as providing the 1st message production | generation means which produces | generates the transmission notification message to the effect of transmission, and the transmission means which transmits the said transmission notification message toward the said communication apparatus of the other party. This allows the other party to know that what he was talking to is communicated to the driver even if the call is put on hold, so it is possible to repeat the conversation when the call resumes and to confirm that the conversation is being communicated The driver will be able to return to the call smoothly and more reliably.

  In addition, the present invention can be realized not only as such an in-vehicle hands-free device, but also as a hands-free call method using steps characteristic of the in-vehicle hands-free device, It can also be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute these steps. Needless to say, such a program can be distributed via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a transmission medium such as the Internet.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the voice of the other party is always recorded even when the other party is speaking when the call is put on hold, and the other party's talk at the time when the call is put on hold is recorded. Since the content that has been stored is played back after the state where the hold can be released, the driver can smoothly return to the call without losing the received voice. In addition to such effects, the driver can concentrate on the driving operation without worrying about the content of the conversation during driving operation that requires concentration and without losing concentration.

Also, even when the call holding time becomes longer, the recorded voice of the other party can be quickly played back and the driver can quickly return to the call.
In addition, when a call is on hold, the call partner is notified that the conversation content of the other party is transmitted to the driver even if the call is put on hold, so that the other party knows that what he talked about during the call hold is transmitted to the driver. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeat the conversation content or confirm that the conversation content is transmitted when the call is resumed, so that the driver can smoothly return to the call.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an appearance of a hands-free device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
This in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is a device that realizes a hands-free call by being connected to a car phone or a mobile phone 30 provided in a passenger compartment of a car.

As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is supplied with power by inserting a power cable into a cigar socket 1 provided in a console portion beside the driver's seat.
Further, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is connected to a headset 11 having a microphone and a speaker for a driver to perform a hands-free call, and via an adapter 2 inserted into a connector terminal of the mobile phone 30. The mobile phone 30 is connected.

In addition, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 and the mobile phone 30 may be connected by wire via the earphone microphone terminal of the mobile phone 30 or wirelessly such as Bluetooth (R) in addition to the illustrated one. .
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, this in-vehicle hands-free device 10 acquires information output from a sensor group 20 for detecting the surrounding situation, and analyzes the surrounding situation, An operation determination unit 13 that determines an action to be taken by the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 from the analysis result of the analysis unit 12, and a reproduction that controls the output of the audio signal to the audio output unit 16 based on the control signal of the operation determination unit 13 The control unit 14, the communication unit 15 connected to the mobile phone 30 connected to the in-vehicle handsfree device 10, and the voice output unit 16 that outputs the voice of the other party (hereinafter also referred to as “received voice”). And a storage unit 17 for storing the voice of the other party.

The sensor group 20 is a variety of sensor devices attached to the vehicle in order to detect surrounding conditions.
Here, the surrounding situation refers to information on the position of the vehicle, the operation of the vehicle, the situation around the vehicle, and the like. Further, examples of the operation of the vehicle include right / left turn, reverse, start, stop, lane change, merge, overspeed, sudden braking (rapid braking), steady operation, and the like. Further, the situation around the vehicle includes the presence of obstacles, reduction in the distance between vehicles, complicated / dangerous terrain, poor visibility, noise detection, and the like.

In order to detect these pieces of information, the sensor group 20 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) terminal, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an obstacle sensor, a distance measuring sensor, a noise sensor, and the like.
Here, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, an infrared sensor, a laser range finder, an image camera, or the like can be used as the obstacle sensor or the distance measuring sensor. Moreover, a microphone etc. can be used as a noise sensor.

These various sensor devices may be attached in advance to the vehicle main body, or may be mounted on the main body of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10. For example, a microphone as a noise sensor may be attached to the vehicle body, or may be used in combination with a voice input microphone of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10.
Furthermore, as the sensor group 20, in addition to the above-described examples, devices such as a winker, a wiper, and a light mounted on the vehicle can be used.

And these various sensor apparatuses which comprise the sensor group 20 each detect a surrounding condition, and output the acquired value to the condition analysis part 12 of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 as sensor output information.
The situation analysis unit 12 is a processing unit that analyzes the vehicle position, the vehicle operation, and the situation around the vehicle based on the sensor output information output from the sensor group 20, and is realized by a CPU and a memory. The situation analysis unit 12 outputs information obtained as a result of the analysis to the operation determination unit 13.

  The operation determination unit 13 performs an action to be taken by the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 based on the analysis result regarding the vehicle position, the vehicle operation, and the situation around the vehicle output from the situation analysis unit 12, that is, continuation of the call, This is a processing unit that decides whether to hold or cancel a call hold, and outputs a control signal based on the decision result to the reproduction control unit 14, and is realized by a CPU or a memory. Here, the contents of the control signal output from the operation determination unit 13 to the reproduction control unit 14 include an instruction to pause the output of the received voice signal to the audio output unit 16 when the call hold operation is determined, There is an instruction to reproduce the received voice stored in the storage unit 17 when the hold release operation is determined.

  The reproduction control unit 14 is a processing unit that controls the output of the received voice signal to the voice output unit 16 based on the control signal output from the operation determination unit 13. The contents of control performed by the playback control unit 14 include normal control in which the received voice signal from the communication unit 15 is directly output to the voice output unit 16 when the call is continued, and the received voice signal from the communication unit 15 is output as voice when the call is on hold. On hold control for temporarily stopping the output to the unit 16 and the received voice signal (recorded received voice signal) stored in the storage unit 17 at the time of canceling the call hold is read out and reproduced and output to the voice output unit 16 There is a control at the time of hold release. Note that the term “hold” as used here means that both the speech from the driver to the other party and the speech from the other party to the driver are paused, only the speech from the driver to the other party is paused, or the other party It means either the case where only the speech from the driver to the driver is paused.

  Here, the reproduction control unit 14 includes a timer for measuring the elapsed time from the call holding time. When the call holding time (T_hold) exceeds a predetermined time (T_min), the storage unit 17 is released when the call holding is released. It is preferable that the recorded received voice signal is read out from and reproduced. With this configuration, for example, when the call hold time (T_hold) is extremely short, it is appropriate to maintain the continuity of the conversation by omitting the reproduction output of the recorded received voice. It will be possible to deal with cases.

  Further, when the call holding time (T_hold) exceeds a predetermined time (T_th), the playback control unit 14 plays the recorded received voice signal quickly and plays it back (playback at a playback speed greater than 1 ×, for example 1.5 (Double speed playback). That is, the playback control unit 14 has a function of controlling the speech speed of the recorded received voice signal so that it can be compressed and expanded to a speed that is easy to hear according to the playback speed setting value during playback. More preferably. With this configuration, when the call hold time (T_hold) is a long time, the reproduction of the recorded received voice can be accelerated, and the driver can quickly return to the call.

  The communication unit 15 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving a voice signal from the mobile phone 30 and the driver and a received voice signal from the other party, and outputs the received received voice signal to the reproduction control unit 14 and a storage unit. The received voice signal received in 17 is sequentially stored. Further, the communication unit 15 can compress and expand the received voice signal according to the time length and store it in the storage unit 17 under the control of the reproduction control unit 14.

  The voice output unit 16 is a speaker that converts the received voice signal output from the playback control unit 14 when the call is continued or the recorded received voice signal when the call hold is released into a voice and outputs it, for example, as shown in FIG. This can be realized by the speaker portion of the headset 11. Moreover, it is also realizable with the speaker for outputting the audio | voice of the audio | voice provided in the vehicle interior.

The storage unit 17 is a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk for storing the received voice signal output from the communication unit 15, and is digitized by a method such as PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). Holds the recorded voice signal.
The operation of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 configured as described above will be described below.
First, an example of a pattern in which the sensor group 20, the situation analysis unit 12, and the operation determination unit 13 detect surrounding conditions and analyze the information to determine the operation of the in-vehicle handsfree device 10 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation determination pattern in the in-vehicle hands-free device 10.
As described above, the operation of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 determined by the operation determination unit 13 is any one of the three of call holding, call continuation, and call holding release.
Here, the situation where calls are put on hold can be broadly divided into situations where the movement of the viewpoint is remarkable, situations where it is difficult to grasp the surrounding situation, situations where it is difficult to hear the voice, situations where the driver has determined that it is dangerous, and situations where an accident has occurred Can be classified.

On the other hand, the situation where the call is continued and the situation where the call is put on hold are determined to be safe.
How to determine the operation specifically will be described below.
For example, when the winker is ON and the vehicle speed sensor detects that the vehicle has a vehicle speed, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the vehicle is turning right or left, main line merging, or lane change. When the gear is set to the back gear, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the vehicle is moving backward. Furthermore, when the presence of an obstacle is detected before and after the vehicle by the obstacle sensor or the distance sensor while the winker is ON, the situation analysis unit 12 starts from the road shoulder, stops at the road shoulder, joins the main line, It is determined that the lane is changed. Then, when the presence of an obstacle is detected within a certain distance from the vehicle by the obstacle sensor or the distance measuring sensor, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the obstacle exists in the vicinity.

Since these four situations are situations in which the driver's viewpoint moves far away, the situation analysis unit 12 considers that the viewpoint has moved significantly when these situations are detected, and decides the action of the determination result. The operation determination unit 13 puts the call on hold.
Further, when the distance measuring sensor detects that another vehicle exists within a certain distance before and after the vehicle, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the vehicle interval is small. Furthermore, the vehicle's travel position is detected by a GPS terminal, and the result of using map data and travel points in which dangerous terrain information indicating the position information of dangerous terrain is set in advance, or the curvature of the road in the traveling direction is calculated. As a result of doing so, when it is detected that the travel point of the vehicle is a dangerous terrain, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the complex / dangerous terrain is traveling. Furthermore, when it is detected that the wiper is operating at the maximum speed and the light is lit, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the driver's field of view is poor due to rain, fog, etc., and the vehicle speed sensor When it is detected by an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) terminal that the speed limit of the road is greatly exceeded, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the speed is exceeded. Here, the ETC terminal is used to determine whether the vehicle is traveling on a general road or an expressway. In addition to the vehicle speed sensor and the ETC terminal, the GPS terminal is used in combination to detect the travel position of the vehicle, and map data in which legal speed information for each road indicating the legal speed of each road is preset, It is also possible to detect an overspeed from the travel position and the vehicle speed.

Since these four situations are situations in which the driver's field of view is narrow, the situation analysis unit 12 regards the surrounding situation as being difficult to grasp when detecting these situations, and determines the determination result as the action determination unit 13. The operation determination unit 13 puts the call on hold.
Further, when noise of a certain level or more is detected by the noise sensor, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that noise is detected. Since such a situation is a situation where it is difficult for the driver to hear the received voice due to noise, when the situation analysis unit 12 detects such a situation, the situation analysis unit 12 regards the voice as difficult to hear and determines the operation result of the determination result. The operation determination unit 13 puts the call on hold.

  Furthermore, if the acceleration sensor detects a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the horn is detected to be ON, or the push button switch attached to the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is detected to be ON, The situation analysis unit 12 determines that the danger has been detected by the driver. Since these situations are situations where the driver suddenly brakes or makes a horn, the situation analysis unit 12 regards these situations as being deemed dangerous by the driver and operates the judgment results. The data is output to the determination unit 13, and the operation determination unit 13 puts the call on hold.

  When the activation of the emergency call device (HELP) provided in the vehicle or the activation of the airbag is detected to notify the driver that the driver has entered an emergency situation, the situation analysis unit 12 is in an accident. Is determined. Since such a situation is a situation in which an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, the situation analysis unit 12 regards these situations as situations where an accident has occurred, and outputs a determination result to the action determination unit 13. The determination unit 13 puts the call on hold. Note that the emergency notification device here includes one that is activated by the driver itself, one that is automatically activated in conjunction with an airbag, and the like.

  On the other hand, if the exclusive condition of the condition for holding these calls, that is, the above-described situation is not detected, the situation analysis unit 12 determines that the situation is not dangerous. At this time, if the operation of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is on hold, the situation analysis unit 12 regards the determination result as an operation that is considered safe and can be resumed. The operation determination unit 13 releases the call hold. Moreover, if the operation of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is continuing the call, the situation analyzing unit 12 continues the call without outputting the determination result to the operation determining unit 13.

Next, a description will be given of the flow of operations from the start of a call to the end of the call when call holding is performed with respect to the in-vehicle hands-free device 10.
FIG. 4 is a control flow diagram of the in-vehicle hands-free device 10.
First, when a hands-free call is started (S100), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 starts recording the received voice, and always records the received voice signal in the storage unit 17 during the call (S102).

Next, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 uses the sensor output information from the sensor group 20 to monitor the situation around the vehicle in the situation analysis unit 12 (S104), and whether or not the call hold condition is satisfied. Is determined (S106).
If the call hold condition is not satisfied (No in S106), the process returns to Step S104. However, if the call hold condition is satisfied (Yes in S106), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 By outputting a control signal instructing the playback control unit 14 to pause the output of the received voice signal to the voice output unit 16, the playback control unit 14 temporarily stops the output of the received voice signal to the voice output unit 16. The call is put on hold (S108).

Thereafter, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 uses the sensor output information from the sensor group 20 to monitor the situation around the vehicle in the situation analysis unit 12 (S110), and excludes the call hold condition. It is determined whether or not an objective condition, that is, a call resumption condition is satisfied (S112).
If the call resumption condition is not satisfied (No in S112), the process returns to Step S110. However, if the call resumption condition is satisfied (Yes in S112), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 A control signal for releasing the hold is output to the reproduction control unit 14.

Then, the playback control unit 14 determines whether or not the elapsed time (T_hold) measured by the timer from the call holding time is longer than a predetermined time (T_min) (S114). The predetermined time (T_min) here is, for example, about 3 to 4 seconds.
When the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call holding time is larger than the predetermined time (T_min) (Yes in S114), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 further includes the elapsed time from the call holding time in the playback control unit 14. It is determined whether (T_hold) is smaller than a predetermined time (T_th) (S116). The predetermined time (T_th) here is specifically about 10 seconds.

  When the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call holding time is smaller than the predetermined time (T_th) (Yes in S116), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 is output from the operation determining unit 13 in the playback control unit 14. Based on the control signal at the time of holding release, the recorded received voice signal is read from the storage unit 17 and chased playback, that is, normal playback at the same magnification (S118), and then the call is resumed.

On the other hand, when the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call hold time is longer than the predetermined time (T_th) (No in S116), the playback control unit 14 releases the hold output from the operation determination unit 13 On the basis of the control signal, the recorded reception voice signal is read out from the storage unit 17 and played back quickly (S120), and then the call is resumed.
On the other hand, when the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call holding time is smaller than the predetermined time (T_min) (No in S114), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 controls the hold release output from the operation determination unit 13 Reset the signal and resume the call.

When the call is resumed, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 repeats the operations from step S104 to step S120 until the call ends (loop A).
The hands-free call by the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 operating in such a flow will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. Here, it is assumed that the communication device of the other party is a mobile phone.

FIG. 5 is a communication sequence diagram of a hands-free call by the in-vehicle hands-free device 10.
As shown in FIG. 5, the hands-free call is performed by the in-vehicle hands-free device 10, the driver-side mobile phone connected to the in-vehicle hands-free device 10, and the call partner-side mobile phone.

As described above, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 starts recording the voice of the other party when starting a hands-free call (S150).
Then, the calling party mobile phone accepts the voice input of the calling party, transmits the voice signal to the driver side mobile phone, receives the voice signal from the driver side mobile phone, and the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 Then, the other party's voice is output (S152).

Similarly, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 receives the driver's voice input, transmits the voice signal to the driver-side mobile phone, receives the voice signal from the driver-side mobile phone, The driver's voice is output (S154).
In this way, a normal hands-free call is performed.
Here, when the condition for holding the call is established (S156), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 receives and records the call partner voice signal (S158), and does not output the call partner's voice. While measuring the elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold, it waits until the call resumption condition is satisfied.

When the call resumption condition is satisfied (S160), the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 determines the elapsed time (T_hold) from the measured call hold time and outputs the recorded voice of the other party as described above. In the case of output, it is determined whether to perform chasing playback or fast playback.
In this figure, the elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold is larger than the predetermined time (T_min) that is the threshold for outputting the recorded voice of the other party, and the chasing playback and fast-forwarding playback are performed. Since it is longer than a predetermined time (T_th), which is a threshold value for the execution of, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 quickly outputs the recorded voice of the other party to be played (S162).

  Here, the playback of the recorded voice of the other party (regardless of whether it is chasing playback or fast-forward playback), more preferably, from the time when the output of the other party's received voice is paused, that is, from the time when the call is on hold, Start from the point before the call holding point. Here, the time point before the call hold time point specifically refers to a time point that is back by a certain time (for example, 2 to 3 seconds) from the call hold time point. In addition, at the time when the call is on hold or close to the time before the call hold time, a silent section whose sound pressure level is a predetermined value or less is detected from the audio signal, and a point where the silent section continues for a predetermined time or longer is detected as a syllable. As a break, playback may be performed from the break of the syllable. In this way, by starting playback of the recorded voice of the other party from a point several seconds after the call is held or from a syllable break, the voice of the other party that was not output due to the hold is reliably transmitted to the driver. The driver can smoothly return to the call without losing the conversation.

  Thereafter, when the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 finishes outputting the recorded voice of the other party, the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 receives the driver's voice input and transmits the audio signal to the driver-side mobile phone. The calling party mobile phone receives the voice signal from the driver side mobile phone and outputs the driver's voice (S164). The calling party mobile phone accepts the voice input of the calling party and receives the voice signal. The in-vehicle hands-free device 10 receives the audio signal from the driver-side mobile phone, outputs the voice of the other party (S166), and resumes the normal hands-free call. .

Thus, according to the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 according to the first embodiment, even if the call is suspended due to the situation of the driver or the vehicle while the other party is speaking, the call is started. The other party's voice is always recorded, and when the hold is released, the recorded other party's voice is played, so the driver knows what the other party was talking at the time of the call on hold. Can return to the call smoothly. In addition, the driver can focus on the driving operation without being disturbed by the conversation content of the other party who has been interrupted by switching to the hold state, without disturbing the concentration.
Also, even when the call holding time becomes longer, the recorded voice of the other party can be quickly played back and the driver can quickly return to the call.

(Embodiment 2)
Subsequently, an in-vehicle hands-free device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.
The in-vehicle hands-free device according to the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 according to the first embodiment, but has a function of generating a message for a call partner and a driver. Different in. Hereinafter, this difference will be mainly described. In addition, about the component same as the said Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle hands-free device according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 has a message generator 46 added to the in-vehicle hands-free device 10 according to the first embodiment, and the operation determination unit 43. The reproduction control unit 44 and the communication unit 45 are different in that they have a functional difference.

The message generation unit 46 is a processing unit that generates a voice message for the other party and the driver based on the control signal output from the operation determination unit 43, and outputs the generated message to the reproduction control unit 44 or the communication unit 45. To do.
Here, the message generated by the message generation unit 46 includes, for example, a hold message for notifying the other party of the call that the call has been put on hold, such as “hold the call”, for example, “on hold” ”Is transmitted to the driver.” A transmission notification message is included to inform the other party that the conversation content at the time of the call holding is transmitted to the driver. In addition, a playback notification that notifies the driver of the start of playback of the recorded reception voice when starting playback of the recorded reception voice, such as “Play the voice from the other party that was recorded during the hold.” A message, a hold release message for informing both the driver and the other party of the release of the hold, such as “Release the hold” are also included.

  The operation determination unit 43 determines an operation to be performed by the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 and outputs a control signal to the message generation unit 46 and the reproduction control unit 44 based on the determination result. At this time, the contents of the control signal output from the operation determination unit 43 to the message generation unit 46 include the generation instruction of the hold message and the transmission notification message when the call hold operation is determined, and the determination of the call hold release operation. There are instructions for generating a playback notification message and a hold release message. The contents of the control signal output from the operation determination unit 43 to the reproduction control unit 44 include a reproduction notification message and a reproduction instruction for the hold release message when the call hold release operation is determined.

  Here, like the playback control unit 44, the operation determination unit 43 includes a timer that measures an elapsed time from when a call is held, and the call hold time (T_hold) exceeds a predetermined time (T_wait). It is preferable that the generation instruction of the hold message and the transmission notification message is output, and the generation instruction of the reproduction notification message and the hold release message is output when a predetermined time (T_min) is exceeded. With this configuration, for example, when the call hold time (T_hold) is extremely short, the continuity of conversation can be maintained by not outputting a hold message or the like.

Based on the control signal output from the operation determination unit 43, the playback control unit 44 outputs a playback notification message to the voice output unit 16 prior to reading and playback of the recorded received voice signal, and also outputs the recorded received voice signal. Immediately after reading and reproduction, a hold release message is output to the audio output unit 16.
The communication unit 45 transmits the hold message, the transmission notification message, and the hold release message generated by the message generation unit 46 to the communication device of the other party of communication via the communication line network wirelessly connected to the mobile phone 30 and the mobile phone 30. To do.

With respect to the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 configured as described above, an operation flow from the start of a call to the end of the call when call holding is performed will be described.
FIG. 7 is a control flow diagram of the in-vehicle hands-free device 40. The same steps as those in the control flow diagram (FIG. 4) in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  First, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 temporarily stops the output of the received voice signal to the voice output unit 16 in the playback control unit 44 and puts the call on hold (S108), and then measures the timer in the operation determination unit 43 with a timer. It is determined whether or not the elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold is longer than a predetermined time (T_wait) (S200). The predetermined time (T_wait) here is, for example, about 2 to 3 seconds.

  When the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call holding time is larger than the predetermined time (T_wait) (Yes in S200), the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 sends a hold message and notification from the operation determination unit 43 to the message generation unit 46. A control signal instructing generation of the message is output, and the hold message and the transmission notification message generated in the message generation unit 46 are transmitted from the communication unit 45 to the other party of the call (S202).

On the other hand, when the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call holding time is smaller than the predetermined time (T_wait) (No in S200), the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 proceeds to step S110.
Further, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 determines that the condition for resuming the call is satisfied in the situation analyzing unit 12 (Yes in S112), and the elapsed time (T_hold) from the call holding time measured by the timer is a predetermined value. If it is determined that the time is greater than the time (T_min) (Yes in S114), the operation determining unit 43 outputs a control signal instructing the message generating unit 46 to generate a playback notification message, and the operation determining unit 43 generates the message in the message generating unit 46. A control signal for instructing the reproduction notification message to be reproduced is output to the reproduction control unit 44. Then, the reproduction control unit 44 outputs the reproduction notification message acquired from the message generation unit 46 to the driver from the audio output unit 16 (S204).

Furthermore, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 performs a chasing reproduction (S118) or fast-forward reproduction (S120) of the recorded received voice in the reproduction control unit 44, and then whether a hold message is played in the operation determination unit 43, that is, In step S202, it is determined whether a hold message is transmitted to the other party (S206).
Here, when the hold message is being played (Yes in S206), the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 outputs a control signal instructing the message generation unit 46 to generate the hold release message from the operation determination unit 43, and generates a message. The hold release message generated in the unit 46 is transmitted from the communication unit 45 to the call partner (S208). Further, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 outputs a control signal instructing reproduction of the hold release message generated by the message generation unit 46 from the operation determination unit 43 to the reproduction control unit 44, and the reproduction control unit 44 receives the message generation unit. The hold release message acquired from 46 is output from the voice output unit 16 to the driver (S208). Thereafter, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 resumes the call.

On the other hand, when the hold message is not sent (No in S206), the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 resumes the call without outputting the hold release message.
Then, when the call is resumed, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 repeats the operations from step S104 to step S208 until the call ends (loop B).
The hands-free call by the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 operating in such a flow will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. Here, as in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the communication device of the other party is a mobile phone.

FIG. 8 is a communication sequence diagram of a hands-free call by the in-vehicle hands-free device 40. Note that the same steps as those in the communication sequence diagram (FIG. 5) in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
First, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 satisfies the call hold condition (S156), receives and records the call partner voice signal (S158), and then outputs the call partner voice until the call restart condition is satisfied. The elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold is measured by the timer.

  Here, when it is measured that the elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold exceeds a predetermined time (T_wait) that is a threshold when transmitting the hold message and the transmission notification message, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 Then, a hold message and a transmission notification message are generated (S250), and a voice signal of the hold message and the transmission notification message is transmitted to the mobile phone on the other side of the call (S252). At this time, the voice of the hold message and the transmission notification message output from the call partner mobile phone indicates that the call partner has put the call on hold, and that the content that he / she spoke earlier, that is, the voice in step S158 is a driver. You can know what is going on. In FIG. 8, the voice signal of the hold message and the transmission notification message is transmitted once, but the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 transmits the voice signal of the hold message and the transmission notification message until the call resumption condition is satisfied. May be repeated.

  Subsequently, the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 establishes a call resumption condition (S160), and the elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold is a predetermined time when the recorded voice of the other party is output. When it is measured that (T_min) has been exceeded, a reproduction notification message is generated (S254), and the audio of the reproduction notification message is output to the driver (S256). Thus, the driver can know that the voice of the other party that was recorded while the call is on hold is played.

  Subsequently, when the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 finishes outputting the recorded voice of the other party (S162), it generates a hold release message (S258) and outputs the hold release message to the driver. At the same time (S260), the voice signal of the hold release message is transmitted to the mobile phone on the other side of the call (S262). At this time, the driver cancels the call hold state by the hold release message output by voice and the call partner releases the hold release message by the voice of the hold release message output from the other party's mobile phone, and the call is resumed. Can know.

  Thereafter, the other party's mobile phone accepts the voice input of the other party and transmits the voice signal to the driver side mobile phone, and the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 receives the voice signal from the driver side mobile phone. Then, the other party's voice is output (S264), the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 receives the voice input from the driver, and transmits the voice signal to the driver side mobile phone. The voice signal is received from the telephone and the driver's voice is output (S266), and the normal hands-free call is resumed.

  As described above, according to the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 according to the second embodiment, when a call is on hold, a message that the call is put on hold, and the conversation content of the call partner is transmitted to the driver even if the call is put on hold. This message is sent to the communication device of the other party, so that the other party can know that what he was talking to is transmitted to the driver while the call is on hold. There is no need to confirm that it is transmitted.

Also, when playing back the voice of the other party that was recorded before resuming the call in a situation where the call can be resumed, a message to the driver that the recorded voice of the other party will start playing is sent to the driver. Since the output is made, the driver can know that the reproduction of the voice of the call partner who has been interrupted when the call is on hold or interrupted at the time of the call hold is started.
As mentioned above, although the vehicle-mounted hands-free device according to the present invention has been described based on each embodiment, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the in-vehicle hands-free device is expressed as an independent device, but the functional configuration of the in-vehicle hands-free device is applied to a car navigation device or other devices provided in the vehicle. It is good also as implement | achieving by incorporating.
In each of the above embodiments, the storage unit 17 for recording the received voice is expressed as a single storage device. However, the storage unit 17 is configured by a plurality of storage devices, and the storage device at the recording destination is switched to receive the speech. Sound may be recorded. At this time, switching of the storage device of the recording destination is performed so that the received voices to be recorded are partially overlapped in order not to cause an interrupted part in the received voices, and the situation in which the call is put on hold does not occur for a predetermined time. When elapses, the received voice is erased in order from the oldest. In this way, by configuring the storage unit 17 with a plurality of storage devices, it is possible to always record the received voice even if the storage capacity of each storage device is small.

Furthermore, the predetermined time (T_hold, T_min, T_th, T_wait) values described in the above embodiments may be programmed as fixed values or values specified by the driver as a user. It is also possible to accept an input and follow the input value.
Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the elapsed time (T_hold) from when the call is on hold exceeds a predetermined time (T_th), the recorded received voice is fast-forwarded and played back. It is good also as rotating and reproducing.

  In the second embodiment, each message output from the in-vehicle hands-free device 40 to the driver or transmitted to the communication device of the other party of the call is generated by the message generation unit 46. Audio data stored in a storage device such as a (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk, or a recording medium such as a CD-ROM may be read as each message.

  Furthermore, in Embodiment 2 described above, each message is a voice message. For example, the content of each message may be displayed on the display device of the communication device of the other party of the call, Further, a combination of such character display and sound may be used.

  The in-vehicle hands-free device according to the present invention makes it possible for the driver to concentrate on the driving operation without disturbing the concentration on the call, and smoothly and without losing the content of the conversation even after the call is on hold. It is useful as a hands-free device that has the effect of being able to quickly return to a call and enables a call without having to hold a car phone or a mobile phone provided in the passenger compartment by hand. It can also be applied to reproduction applications such as.

It is a figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the vehicle-mounted hands-free apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the same vehicle-mounted hands-free device. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation | movement determination pattern in the same vehicle-mounted hands-free apparatus. It is a control flowchart of the same in-vehicle hands-free device. It is a communication sequence diagram of a hands-free call by the same in-vehicle hands-free device. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted hands-free apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a control flowchart of the same in-vehicle hands-free device. It is a communication sequence diagram of a hands-free call by the same in-vehicle hands-free device. It is a control flow figure of the conventional in-vehicle hands-free device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cigar socket 2 Adapter 10, 40 In-vehicle hands-free device 11 Headset 12 Situation analysis part 13, 43 Operation | movement determination part 14, 44 Playback control part 15, 45 Communication part 16 Audio | voice output part 17 Storage part 20 Sensor group 30 Cellular phone 46 Message generator

Claims (11)

An in-vehicle hands-free device for making a hands-free call using a telephone in a car,
Storage means for storing voice from the other party in the hands-free call;
A situation analysis means for analyzing the surrounding situation according to information output from a sensor that detects the surrounding situation of the vehicle of the automobile;
Based on the analysis result of the situation analysis unit, select a user of the telephone, with the call state of the call partner, the call can call established status, or any call is impossible pending An action determining means for switching between,
After the operation determining means switches from the call-ready state to the hold state and then switches from the hold state to the call-ready state, the voice from the call partner stored in the storage means is reproduced, Replay output means for outputting to the user,
The reproduction output means includes a hold time measuring unit that measures a hold time from a time point when the operation determining means switches from the call-ready state to the hold state, to a time point when the hold state is changed to the call-ready state;
A reproduction execution control unit that determines not to reproduce the voice from the call partner stored in the storage means when the hold time measured by the hold time measuring unit does not exceed a predetermined threshold. vehicle hands-free device, characterized in that it comprises and. The reproduction output means starts reproduction from the voice from the call partner stored in the storage means before the time when the operation determining means switches from the call enabled state to the hold state. The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 1 . The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 2 , wherein the reproduction output means starts reproduction of the voice from a syllable break in the voice from the call partner stored in the storage means. It said reproduction output means, vehicle handsfree apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a speech speed control unit for controlling the playback speed of the audio from the call partner stored in the storage means. The reproduction output unit further includes an elapsed time measuring unit that measures an elapsed time from the time when the operation determining unit switches from the call-enabled state to the hold state,
The speech speed control unit increases the playback speed of the voice from the call partner stored in the storage unit to be equal to or greater than the same speed when the elapsed time measurement unit measures the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined threshold. The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 4 . The in-vehicle hands-free device further includes:
When the operation determining means switches from the call enabled state to the hold state, a first notification message is generated to notify that the voice of the other party at the time of switching and after the switching is transmitted to the user. Message generation means;
Vehicle handsfree apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a transmitting means for transmitting the transmission notification message to the communication device of the communication partner. The first message generating means further includes a hold message indicating that the operation determining means has switched from the call-ready state to the hold state, and a message indicating that the operation determining means has switched from the hold state to the call-ready state. Generate a hold release message and
The transmission means transmits the hold message to the communication device of the other party when the operation determining means switches from the call-enabled state to the hold state, and the operation determining means from the hold state The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 6 , wherein when the call is switched to a call ready state, the hold release message is transmitted to the communication device of the other party. The transmission means sends the transmission notification message and the hold message to the communication apparatus of the other party until the reproduction output means finishes reproducing the voice from the other party stored in the storage means. The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 7 , wherein the transmission is repeatedly performed. The in-vehicle hands-free device further includes:
A second message generating means for generating a playback notification message to start playback of the voice;
Said reproduction output means, wherein the before starting the reproduction of the audio from the call partner stored in the storage means, and reproducing the reproduction notification message, and outputs toward the user Item 1. An in-vehicle hands-free device according to item 1 . The second message generating means further includes a hold message indicating that the operation determining means has switched from the call available state to the hold state, and a message indicating that the operation determining means has switched from the hold state to the call ready state. Generate a hold release message and
The reproduction output means outputs the hold message to the user when the operation determining means switches from the call ready state to the hold state, and the operation determining means allows the call from the hold state. The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 9 , wherein when the state is switched, the hold release message is output to the user. In the storage means, a storage area for storing the voice from the call partner is divided into a plurality of areas, and the storage means is divided and stored in the plurality of areas so that the voice from the call partner is partially overlapped. The in-vehicle hands-free device according to claim 1.

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