WO2009013143A1 - Method to provide information to an observer about an emergency vehicle in operation, and corresponding equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A method is proposed to provide information to an observer about a emergency vehicle in operation, whereby an acoustic emergency signal from the emergency vehicle is detected on multiple channels, and from an evaluation of the detected acoustic emergency signal, information is obtained about the direction of movement of the emergency vehicle relative to the observer, and as a function of this information, an acoustic warning signal is emitted from an audio signal system operated by the observer, which audio signal system has a plurality of loudspeakers to generate a spatial sound, and said loudspeakers are controlled to emit the warning signal in such a manner that the impression is obtained by the observer as if the warning signal were coming from the direction of the approaching emergency vehicle; as well as corresponding equipment. The invention has the advantage that information provided to the observer, in particular to a vehicle driver, about an approaching, emergency vehicle in operation, is improved. In particular, the information about the movement of the emergency vehicle is determined more intuitively than in the case of a visual display. In addition, any distraction of the vehicle driver from the surrounding traffic is reduced.

Description

 A method of informing an observer of an on-duty emergency vehicle and arrangement therefor

State of the art

The invention is based on a method and an arrangement for informing an observer, in particular a vehicle driver, about an emergency vehicle in service according to the preamble of the independent patent claims.

Usually in a special mission use vehicles are in

Road traffic with activated mission signal systems, namely blue flashing light, also known as blue light, and at least when approaching busy roads or intersections with switched on acoustic mission signalers, in particular siren, moves.

As a result of increasing sound insulation of vehicle interiors in the course of a general increase in comfort, but also by the operation of audio signals in vehicle interiors, a driver is increasingly disconnected from the acoustic events outside the vehicle and / or distracted. An approaching emergency vehicle with on

In many cases, the deployment horn is noticed quite late.

There are various approaches known to inform a driver about an approaching his site emergency vehicle. In US Pat. No. 5,235,329, it is proposed to equip the emergency vehicle with a special radio transmitter and other vehicles with a suitable receiver, so that signals transmitted by the radio transmitter of the emergency vehicle are received in the other vehicles and from this information for the Driver can be derived via an approaching emergency vehicle. From, for example, JP 06 215 97 or JP 06 154 115, methods are known which evaluate the levels of the underlying application signals of the deployment horn and thus reliably identify a deployment horn. In EP 0 773 524 it is proposed that a route and a location of an emergency vehicle in use, which is known in a control center, be transmitted from the center to motor vehicles. In this case, the route and the location are compared with an area around a respective motor vehicle and, depending on the comparison, a warning is output in the respective motor vehicle. In EP 1 307 868, in a further development of this solution, it is proposed that the warning be issued only when there is a passing or crossing of the directions of travel of the emergency vehicle and the respective motor vehicle.

DE 100 60 017 A1 describes a method and an arrangement for informing a driver about an emergency vehicle in his vicinity, in which the acoustic deployment signals of the emergency vehicle are recorded in multiple channels and evaluated on the basis of a combined time and spectral analysis. From these analyzes are statements about the existence, the direction and also about the approach or

Removal of the emergency vehicle from the respective vehicle possible. As a result, the recorded acoustic application signal of the emergency vehicle is reproduced on existing speakers in the vehicle, optionally a radio of the vehicle off and a direction from which the acoustic deployment signal of the emergency vehicle incident on a

Quadrant display shown with light elements. To distinguish an approach or removal of the emergency vehicle from the location of the respective vehicle, the luminous color of the active luminous elements can be varied. Alternatively, the audible warning signal may be played with increasing or decreasing volume. Advantages of the invention

The invention with the features of the independent claims has the advantage that an information of the observer, in particular a driver, on a befindlichem in use

Emergency vehicle is further improved. In particular, the information about the movement of the emergency vehicle is more intuitive than in the case of an optical display detectable. In addition, a distraction of the driver from the traffic is reduced.

This is achieved in a method for informing an observer about an in-use emergency vehicle in that an acoustic application signal of the emergency vehicle is detected multi-channel, obtained from an evaluation of the detected acoustic application signal information about a direction of movement of the emergency vehicle relative to the observer and by means of a An audible warning signal is output to the observer-operated multi-channel audio signal system in such a way that the user is given the impression that the warning signal source is in the direction of the emergency vehicle.

Advantageously, the recorded acoustic application signal of the emergency vehicle is used as the warning signal or the warning signal is obtained therefrom. In this case, the invention has the particular further advantage that a confusion of the observer by the issued warning signal and possibly also at his location, then simultaneously audible acoustic

Use signal of the emergency vehicle is avoided, since both signals are incident from the same direction. It thus avoids the erroneous impression on the observer that possibly approached two emergency vehicles.

For multi-channel detection of the acoustic application signal of the emergency vehicle advantageously at least two detection elements are provided, which are preferably arranged spatially separated from each other and preferably additionally have different directional characteristics from each other. In particular, in the case of only two detection elements, the detection elements can have a high sensitivity in each case in the region of two quadrants and less sensitivity in the region of the two remaining quadrants and can be arranged offset from one another by 180 degrees. In this way, the position of the emergency vehicle can be determined not only on two possible positions on a straight line on both sides of the observer position, but unambiguously on a beam starting from the observer position from the transit time differences of the detected acoustic application signal and the corresponding detected input signal level.

Likewise, an unambiguous position can also be determined on the basis of an insert signal detection with at least three detection elements arranged at a distance from one another.

In case of approaching the location of the observer

Emergency vehicle can be advantageously issued the warning signal with increasing volume. In the case of an emergency vehicle removing from the observer, the warning signal can advantageously be output with decreasing volume or the output of the warning signal can be suppressed. The suppression of the output of the warning signal relieves the observer or

Driver, so that it is less distracted from traffic. Decreasing volume output has the advantage that the observer is aware of the "emergency vehicle" event and, at the same time, that it is irrelevant to him and, in addition, better assesses the potentially conspicuous behavior of other road users reacting to the acoustic application signal can.

drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures and are explained in more detail below. Show it

1 shows a scene with a vehicle 1 and an approaching emergency vehicle,

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the invention essential part of a device according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Description of the embodiments

The invention is particularly advantageous in a motor vehicle implementable, but also for other applications, such as for a portable music player with stereo headphones, such as cassette, compact disc, MP3 player or the like, applicable. If the invention below on

Example of an audio signal system for a motor vehicle is described, this is therefore not to be understood in terms of a limitation of the invention to the example described application.

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 following a road in the direction of the arrow 10.

In the vehicle interior, an audio signal system 20, such as a car radio or player for acoustic signals contained storage media or radio navigation system or multimedia system or the like, installed that outputs audio signals via connected speakers 11, 12, 13 and 14. The speakers are in the

Passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 arranged distributed, namely front left 11, front right 12, rear left 13 and right rear 14, so that by appropriate control of the speaker by the audio signal system a surround sound impression at the observer 2, here the driver is generated.

On the vehicle 1 are further two sound pickups 16 and 17, in particular microphones, arranged spaced from each other. Distances means that the two transducers are not in the same place and not directly to each other adjacent, but are arranged at a distance from each other. The sound sensors 16 and 17 can be arranged, for example, in the vehicle interior at two installation locations of two of the loudspeakers 11 to 14, that is, for example, at the front left and at the rear right. Likewise, the sound sensors 16 and 17 may be arranged in the outer region of the vehicle. It is advantageous, as indicated in the figure, an arrangement, for example, on the vehicle roof in the front left and rear right corner, since thus the sound pickup are not covered by vehicle components and thus optimal visibility is guaranteed. The sound pickups 16 and 17 each have a directional characteristic. This is in each case designed such that the transducers have a high sensitivity over two quadrants, that is to say the region 161 for the first transducers 16 and the angular region 171 for the second transducers 17 in the plane, ie in a plane opening angle of at least approximately 180 degrees , on the other two remaining quadrants 162 and 172 have a contrast significantly reduced sensitivity. The

Sound pickup 16 and 17 are rotated relative to each other by 180 degrees, so here mirror images aligned with each other, so that the areas of high sensitivity 161 and 171 are aligned in opposite directions. In the present case, therefore, the sensitive region 161 of the first receiver 16 is, for example, forward to the left, the sensitive region 171 of the second receiver 17 then aligned, for example, to the rear right. Another orientation is also possible, it is essential only the mutually rotated by 180 degrees orientation, as will be apparent from the following description of the function. The different

Sensitivities and the orientations of the sound pickups 16 and 17 are shown in the figure by correspondingly larger and smaller semicircles.

The acoustic signals 311 and 321 recorded by the two sound sensors 16 and 17 are subjected to preprocessing. This consists here in an analog-to-digital conversion in corresponding analog-to-digital converters 41 and 42. The digitized transducer signals 312 and 322 are then fed to an evaluation device 43. The evaluation device 43 evaluates the acoustic information contained in the digitized sensor signals 312 and 322 to determine whether an acoustic application signal of an emergency vehicle 3, ie in particular a deployment or siren signal, is contained therein. Next is this

Evaluation device 43 is adapted to gain information about the direction of movement of the emergency vehicle 3 relative to the observer 2 or to the vehicle 1 thereof from acoustic application signals of an emergency vehicle 3 which may have been received by the sound receivers 16 and 17. This movement direction information includes on the one hand the

Movement speed, which can be distinguished between approach and removal of the emergency vehicle and beyond the horizontal angle in which the emergency vehicle 3 viewed from the observer 2, is located. This movement direction information 430 is forwarded by the evaluation device to a control device 44.

The control device 44 is designed to suitably adapt a warning signal which is to be output in response to an observer 2 in the vicinity of the observer 2 and in the use vehicle in use for the purpose of informing or warning the observer 2. The adaptation of the

Alarm signal includes at least in a control of a surround sound effect by controlling the signal level for individual to be controlled speakers 11, 12, 13, 14, preferably beyond the running times or propagation delays with which the warning signal is to be reproduced by the individual speakers and according to the described here Particularly advantageous embodiment, a control of the playback volume for the warning signal.

The corresponding individually prepared for each controlled speaker, the warning signal-containing playback signal 441, 442, 443, 444 is processed in final power amplifiers 451, 452, 453, 454, so here in particular amplified, and then through the speakers 11, 12, 13 and 14th reproduced for the information of the observer or vehicle driver 2. In the case sketched by way of example in FIG. 1, the emergency vehicle 3 is located in the vicinity of the vehicle 1 and thus of the vehicle driver and observer 2 and moves with the deployment horn or siren 35 in the direction 30, ie from the perspective of the vehicle 1 from the left rear the current location of the vehicle 1 to. The siren horn signal or application signal reaches along the direction of propagation 31 the first sound pickup 16 in its less sensitive area 162 and along the further propagation direction 32 the second sound pickup 17 in its sensitive area 171. The pickup signals 311 and 321 representing the

Ambient noise at the vehicle location and including therein the acoustic deployment signal of the emergency vehicle 3 are subjected to preprocessing 41 and 42, here in particular an analog-to-digital conversion. The digitized pickup signals 312 and 322 are sent to the evaluation unit 43 for evaluation.

In the evaluation unit 43, at least one of the digitized sensor signals 312 or 322 is examined to see whether a deployment signal of an emergency vehicle 3 is contained therein. This can be done, for example, by spectral analysis of the pickup signal 312 or 322 and comparison with correspondingly stored reference values for known insertion signals and / or by temporal evaluation of the pickup signal, in particular, for example, by correlation of the pickup signal with stored pattern signals. A recognition of the application signal can also be carried out with methods similar to known per se speech recognition method, wherein clock or

Repetition rates, swelling and decay characteristics of the melody and the frequency mix or the like. A resulting from Doppler effect due to relative speed between observer 2 and emergency vehicle 3 frequency shift in the recorded mission signal can be determined by calculation and from this a statement about the

Relative speed are taken. Further, both pickup signals 312 and 322 are evaluated to determine the direction in which the emergency vehicle 3 viewed from the observer 2 is located. The direction determination can be done in particular by correlation of the two Aufnehmersignale each other, resulting in a runtime difference for the use signal contained in the Aufnehmersignalen as a result. From this and from a known distance of the pickup to each other, the angle of incidence of the input signal can be determined by calculation, so that the angle of incidence can be set to two possible, mutually offset by 180 degrees angle. An unambiguous determination of the angle of incidence is possible by additional evaluation of the pickup signal amplitudes, for example likewise in the way of the correlation of the two signals.

As a result of the evaluation 43, there is thus information about the direction of movement 30 of the emergency vehicle 3 relative to the observer 2, the information about the type of emergency vehicle, the speed of the emergency vehicle 3 (related to the observer

2), an approach or removal of the emergency vehicle 3 (based on the

Observer 2) and an angle at which the emergency vehicle 3 is located from the point of view of the observer 2. This information is forwarded to the controller 44 as an information signal 430.

The controller 44 comprises, preferably for each audio channel playback channel, time delay and attenuation or amplification elements by means of which an audio signal, in this case the warning signal to be given to the driver, is individually delayed and attenuated or amplified for each loudspeaker 11, 12, 13, 14 can. From the received information signal 430, here in particular the angle information, time delay and attenuation or amplification are set for each loudspeaker 11, 12, 13, 14 in such a way that the warning signal 15 output via the loudspeakers when output is from a superposition of the individual loudspeaker signals , more precisely, the outgoing of these sound wavefronts, results from the direction 30 of the Emergency vehicle 3 meets the observer 2. Thus, the observer 2 receives information about the direction in which the emergency vehicle 3 is located.

The speed information can be advantageous for adjusting the pitch of the

Warning signal to be used. If the received input signal is used as a warning signal, this being obtained from the received signal mixture by filtering or synthesized, for example, from the already stored parameters or pattern signals, the pitch of the warning signal to that of the observer 2 also directly audible input signal of the Emergency vehicle 3 are adapted. Thus, the impression is avoided, possibly approached several different emergency vehicles. Furthermore, the warning signal 15 to be output in particular can also be output in phase with respect to the input signal audible at the observer location 2 in order to avoid interfering signals

To avoid interference effects. The information required for this purpose on the phase position of the application signal at the location of the observer 2 can be easily determined in the evaluation 43 with.

The speed information may continue to be advantageous for adjusting the

Can be used, so that for the user 2 an approaching emergency vehicle is indicated by an increasing volume, a departing emergency vehicle by a decreasing volume. Alternatively, in a deploying emergency vehicle 3, the output of the warning signal 15 can be suppressed.

Notwithstanding the above-described embodiment of the sound pickup they can also have deviating directional characteristics. If three or more each spaced apart sound pickup 16, 17 used, can be a pronounced

Directional characteristic can be omitted, the direction of the emergency vehicle 3 can be determined by triangulation. The evaluation device 43 is then adapted accordingly for direction determination. The warning signal 15 to be output via the loudspeakers 11 to 14 can advantageously be superimposed or superimposed on an entertainment or audio signal 440 that has just been reproduced by means of the audio signal system. Here it can be provided in particular that the

Volume level of the entertainment signal 440 reduced detected application signal and the volume level of the warning signal is increased, so a kind of cross-fading effect from entertainment to the warning signal, so that even with, for example, very loud entertainment signal, the warning signal is clearly perceptible without the hearing of the observer 2 would be overloaded ,

Furthermore, it can be provided in particular that the volume increase of the warning signal is superimposed by the volume influence as a result of approaching or removing the emergency vehicle 3.

The device according to the invention can preferably be used as part of the

Be executed audio signal system.

Claims

claims 1. A method for informing an observer (2) about an operational vehicle (3) in use, wherein an acoustic deployment signal of the emergency vehicle (3) is detected in multiple channels, wherein from an evaluation (43) of the detected acoustic application signal information (430) via a Movement direction of the emergency vehicle (3) relative to the observer (2) are obtained, depending on this information (430) an audible warning signal (15) via an observer (2) operated audio signal system is output, characterized in that the audio signal system for generating a Room sound impression on a plurality of speakers (11, 12, 13, 14) and these are controlled to output the warning signal (15) so that the observer (2) the impression is generated, the warning signal (15) would come from the direction of approaching emergency vehicle (3). 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the warning signal (15) is the detected acoustic application signal of the emergency vehicle (3) or is obtained from this. 3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the case of the observer (2) approaching Emergency vehicle (3) the warning signal (15) is output with increasing volume. 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the event of an observer (2) removing emergency vehicle (3) the warning signal (15) output with decreasing volume or the output of the warning signal (15) is suppressed. 5. A device for informing an observer (2) about an in-use emergency vehicle (3), with detection means (16, 17) for multi-channel detection of an acoustic application signal of the emergency vehicle (3), with evaluation means (43) for evaluating the detected acoustic application signal to obtain information (430) about a Movement direction of the emergency vehicle (3) relative to the observer, with output means (11, 12, 13, 14) for the acoustic output of a warning signal (15) and control means (44) for controlling the warning signal output (15) in dependence on the information (430) via the Movement direction (30) of the emergency vehicle (3), characterized in that the output means for generating a surround sound impression comprise a plurality of loudspeakers (11, 12, 13, 14) and in that the control means (44) are adapted to control the output means (11, 11). 12, 13, 14) for outputting the warning signal (15) in such a way that the observer (2) is given the impression that the warning signal (15) came from the direction of the approaching emergency vehicle (3). 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the detection means comprise a plurality of acoustic signal pickups (16, 17) which are arranged remote from each other. 7. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the signal receiver (16, 17) have different directional characteristics (161, 162, 171, 172). 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the acoustic signal receiver (16, 17) substantially mutually mirror-inverted aligned directional characteristics (161, 171, 162, 172).