A device for detecting sound in the surroundings of an automobile, including a first structure-borne noise sensor, which is acoustically coupled to a first oscillating body at an outside of the automobile and provides a first audio signal, including a second audio signal, which represents sound from an interior of the automobile, and including a processing unit, which is configured to subtract at least the second audio signal from the first audio signal.

A voice recognition function link control system of a vehicle, which is configured for mounting a smart speaker used in the home or office in the vehicle and utilizing the smart speaker in linkage with an infotainment system of the vehicle, includes a traffic management system server, an infotainment system, a content service provider system server, and a smart speaker for receiving and transmitting a voice command of any user to the content service provider system server, receiving specific content from the content service provider system server, and outputting the received specific content.

Techniques are disclosed to use existing vehicle speakers alone or in conjunction with other sensors (e.g. SRS sensors and/or microphones) that may already be implemented as part of the vehicle to identify acoustic signatures. Suitable low-cost and widely available hardware components (e.g., relays) may be used to modify the vehicle's existing speakers for a bi-directional mode of operation. Moreover, the vehicle's existing of audio amplifiers may be used to amplify signals collected by the speakers when operating in “reverse,” and process these collected signals to determine vehicle state information.

A microphone apparatus for attachment to an exterior portion of a vehicle, the apparatus may include a housing maintaining a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB, a sealing element arranged on one side of the housing and defining at least one housing opening, and a cover extending over the sealing element and defining a cover opening configured to align in an open state with the housing opening to enable ambient sound external to the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element, the cover configured to block the housing opening in a closed state to protect the microphone element.

An ultrasonic sensor is provided with a sensor body, a cushion member, a retainer part and a waterproof seal. The sensor body has an ultrasonic microphone and a microphone support part. The cushion member covers a protrusion part of the ultrasonic microphone. The retainer part sandwiches a sandwiched part on a proximal end side between the retainer part and an outer peripheral surface of the ultrasonic microphone, while exposing an exposed part on a tip end side in the axial direction of the cushion member. The waterproof seal blocks a gap between a vehicle body component and the exposed part of the cushion member in an on-board state.

A method for monitoring a driver of a vehicle includes receiving, at a control, driver information based on the driver of the vehicle. A distraction workload of the driver is determined by the control based on the driver information and a driving workload of the driver is estimated by the control based on the driver information. An amount of driver attention is determined by the control based on the determined distraction workload and the determined driving workload.

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior camera viewing at least a head region of a driver of a vehicle. Driver information pertaining to the driver of the vehicle is provided to an electronic control unit (ECU). Based at least in part on (i) processing at the ECU of image data captured by the interior camera and/or (ii) the received driver information, the vehicular driver monitoring system estimates a distraction workload of the driver and a driving workload of the driver. At least in part responsive to processing at the ECU of the estimated distraction workload and the estimated driving workload, the vehicular driver monitoring system determines an amount of driver attention. The amount of driver attention is determined at least in part by weighting the driving workload and the distraction workload based at least in part on driving conditions.

A vehicle passenger locator and identifier system and method is provided herein. Once a vehicle is within a certain vicinity of an intended passenger via conventional mobile device geolocation or geofencing, and/or via a conventional camera-based technology, a plurality of microphones listen for the passenger to utter a predetermined word or phrase. Optionally, this predetermined word or phrase has been uttered to a mobile application used to summon the vehicle such that an accurate voice comparison can be made by the vehicle. Alternatively, the same or a different mobile device can be used to emit an auditory beacon that is detected by the vehicle. Once this word, phrase, or auditory beacon is detected, the passenger can be triangulated, located, identified, and even authorized for pickup. All of this is carried out via an onboard vehicle processor and software and/or a processor and software residing in the cloud.

An object is to provide a sound collection apparatus capable of collecting a sound with a higher SN rate than before through use of a reflected sound. The sound collection apparatus is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle includes a seat for a passenger to sit on, and a reflective structure that reflects a sound emitted by a passenger sitting in the seat. The sound collection apparatus includes a first microphone arranged at a position where a direct sound that is a sound emitted by the passenger is readily collected, and a second microphone arranged at a position where a reflected sound that is a sound emitted by the passenger and reflected by the reflective structure is readily collected.

A microphone assembly includes a shaft element that is configured to be received in an opening defined by a base substrate layer of a headliner. The shaft element defines an air path. The microphone assembly includes a microphone element mounted on a circuit board within a housing. The microphone element is aligned with the air path such that the air path directs sound from the cabin to the microphone element. A vehicle cabin side of the headliner is covered by an acoustically transparent layer such that the microphone assembly is not visible within the vehicle cabin.