Vehicle and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10440467-B1
Application number	US-201816209354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle relates to a voice masking technology for allowing only a specific passenger among passengers in the vehicle to listen to a voice communication signal such as a dial tone, and the technology inhibits the remaining passengers other than the specific passenger from listening to the voice communication signal. The vehicle includes a voice signal receiver to receive a voice signal, a speaker provided in the vehicle to output the voice signal, and a controller to perform frequency conversion of the received voice signal. In particular, the controller generates a masking sound for inhibiting transmission of information contained in the voice signal on the basis of a frequency band of the converted voice signal, and generates a control signal in a manner that the generated masking sound is output to a predetermined region of an indoor space of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a voice signal receiver configured to receive a voice signal;
at least one speaker provided in the vehicle and configured to output the voice signal; and
a controller configured to:
perform frequency conversion of the received voice signal,
generate a masking sound for inhibiting transmission of information contained in the voice signal based on a frequency band of the converted voice signal,
generate a control signal and cause the generated masking sound to be output to a predetermined region of an indoor space of the vehicle, and
amplify a magnitude of the voice signal having a predetermined frequency band or higher based on the frequency band of the converted voice signal, thereby generating the masking sound.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to divide the indoor space of the vehicle into a plurality of regions based on a predetermined reference, and cause the generated masking sound to be output to the predetermined region among the plurality of regions.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the control signal and cause the generated masking sound and the voice signal to be simultaneously output to the predetermined region of the indoor space of the vehicle through the at least one speaker.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the masking sound having the same magnitude as the voice signal having the predetermined frequency band based on the frequency band of the converted voice signal.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to reduce the magnitude of the voice signal having the predetermined frequency band based on the frequency band of the converted voice signal, thereby generating the masking sound.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to separate the frequency band of the converted voice signal, and change a position of the frequency band of the separated voice signal, thereby generating the masking sound.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one speaker is configured to output the generated masking sound to the predetermined region of the indoor space of the vehicle.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving a voice signal;
performing frequency conversion of the received voice signal;
generating a masking sound for inhibiting transmission of information contained in the voice signal based on a frequency band of the converted voice signal; and
generating a control signal and outputting the generated masking sound to a predetermined region of an indoor space of the vehicle,
wherein generating the masking sound includes:
amplifying a magnitude of the voice signal having a predetermined frequency band based on the frequency band of the converted voice signal, and thus generating the masking sound.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
dividing the indoor space of the vehicle into a plurality of regions based on a predetermined reference; and
outputting the generated masking sound to the predetermined region among the plurality of regions.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
controlling at least one speaker embedded in the vehicle to output the voice signal, wherein generating the control signal includes:
simultaneously outputting the generated masking sound and the voice signal to the predetermined region of the indoor space of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein generating the masking sound includes:
generating the masking sound having the same magnitude as the voice signal having the predetermined frequency band based on the frequency band of the converted voice signal.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein generating the masking sound further includes:
reducing the magnitude of the voice signal having the predetermined frequency band based on the frequency band of the converted voice signal, thereby generating the masking sound.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein generating the masking sound includes:
separating the frequency band of the converted voice signal; and
changing a position of the frequency band of the separated voice signal, thereby generating the masking sound.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• You Jung Keun
• Lee Jinmo
• Yee Kaangdok
• Hong Jinseok
• Kim Joongkwan
• Choi Jung Woo
• So Hyungjun

Classifications

• H04R3/12 Primary

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• G10K11/178

  by electro-acoustically regenerating the original acoustic waves in anti-phase · CPC title

• H04R1/323 Primary

  for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R11/0241

  for telephones · CPC title