Method and apparatus for airborne-sound acoustic monitoring of an exterior and/or an interior of a vehicle, vehicle and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for airborne-sound acoustic monitoring of an exterior and/or an interior of a vehicle, in which at least one microphone (1) is used to convert airborne sound into an electrical signal (S) and to route it for evaluation purposes to a device for voice and/or sound recognition (2). According to the invention, the electrical signal (S) is subjected to a pre-evaluation in a device for trigger detection (3), and detection of a trigger results in the device for voice and/or sound recognition (2) being moved from an inactive or partially active state to a fully active state by means of the device for trigger detection (3). Further, the invention relates to an apparatus for airborne-sound acoustic monitoring of an exterior and/or an interior of a vehicle and to a vehicle having such an apparatus. The subject matter of the invention is also a computer-readable storage medium.

Claims

1. A method for airborne-sound acoustic monitoring of an exterior and/or an interior of a vehicle, the method comprising: converting airborne sound into an electrical signal (S) with the aid of at least one microphone (1), the microphone (1) integrated with a trigger detection device (3); pre-evaluating the electrical signal (S) in the trigger detection device (3); conducting the electrical signal (S) to a speech and/or noise detection device (2) for evaluation after pre-evaluating the electrical signal (S) in the trigger detection device (3), in response to detecting a trigger output from the trigger detection device (3), bringing the speech and/or noise detection device (2) from an inactive or partially active state into a fully active state; wherein an additional electrical signal (S.sub.T) is conducted to at least one additional microphone (1), and wherein, in response to receiving the additional electrical signal (S.sub.T), the at least one additional microphone (1) is brought from an inactive or partially active state into a fully active state.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical signal (S) is amplified before it is conducted to the speech and/or noise detection device (2) for evaluation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical signal (S) is amplified before it is conducted to the trigger detection device (3) for pre-evaluation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising using a microphone (1) having an integrated preamplifier (4).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical signal (S) and an additional electrical signal (S.sub.T) generated with the aid of the trigger detection device (3) are conducted via a common signal output (5) of the microphone (1) to the speech and/or noise detection device (2), wherein the electrical signal (S) is superimposed by the additional electrical signal (S.sub.T).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical signal (S) and an additional electrical signal (S.sub.T) generated with the aid of the trigger detection device (3) are conducted to the speech and/or noise detection device (2) via separate signal outputs (5, 6) of the microphone (1).

7. An apparatus for airborne-sound acoustic monitoring of an exterior and/or an interior of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: at least one microphone (1) for converting airborne sound into an electrical signal (S), a speech and/or noise detection device (2) for evaluating the electrical signal (S), and a device for trigger detection device (3) integrated with the microphone (1) and configured to pre-evaluate the electrical signal (S) and activate the speech and/or noise detection device (2) when a trigger is detected, wherein the trigger detection device (3) is configured to conduct an additional electrical signal (S.sub.T) to at least one additional microphone (1), and wherein, in response to receiving the additional electrical signal (S.sub.T), the at least one additional microphone (1) is brought from an inactive or partially active state into a fully active state.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein a preamplifier (4) is integrated into the microphone (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail with the aid of the attached drawings. The following are depicted:

(2) FIG. 1: a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the present invention, according to a first preferred embodiment,

(3) FIG. 2: a schematic representation of a microphone for an apparatus according to the present invention,

(4) FIG. 3: a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the present invention, according to a second preferred embodiment,

(5) FIG. 4: a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the present invention, according to a third preferred embodiment,

(6) FIG. 5: a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the present invention, according to a fourth preferred embodiment, and

(7) FIG. 6: a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the present invention, according to a fifth preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 depicts an apparatus for airborne-sound acoustic monitoring of an exterior and/or an interior of a vehicle, which comprises a microphone 1 comprising a housing 7 into which a device for trigger detection 3 and a preamplifier 4 are integrated. When sound waves 8 strike the microphone 1, the microphone 1 converts them into an electrical signal S which is conducted to the device for trigger detection 3 and to the preamplifier 4. In the device for trigger detection 3, the signal S is subjected to a pre-evaluation. If a trigger is detected, the device for trigger detection 3 conducts a signal S.sub.T to a device for speech and/or noise detection 2 which is connected to the microphone 1, in order to carry out a detailed evaluation of the signal S. However, the device for speech and/or noise detection 2 is deactivated until the signal S.sub.T reaches it. Only then is the device for speech and/or noise detection capable of evaluating the signal S or the signal Sy amplified with the aid of the preamplifier 4.

(9) In order to conduct the signals S or S.sub.V and S.sub.T separately to the device for speech and/or noise detection 2, the microphone 1 may have two signal outputs 5, 6, as depicted by way of example in FIG. 2. The signal S or S.sub.V then leaves the microphone 1 via the signal output 5, while the signal S.sub.T is conducted via the signal output 6 to the device for speech and/or noise detection 2. In addition, the microphone 1 requires at least one input 9, 10 for supplying power, wherein the second input 10 presently depicted in FIG. 2 acts as a ground terminal.

(10) A modification of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is depicted in FIG. 3. Here, only the preamplifier 4 is integrated into the housing 7 of the microphone 1. The device for trigger detection 3 is arranged outside the housing 7. In addition, the circuit is chosen in such a way that the device for trigger detection 3 receives the amplified signal S.sub.V.

(11) FIG. 4 depicts a further modification. Here, the preamplifier 4 and the device for trigger detection 3 are both arranged outside the housing 7 and connected in such a way that the signal S is conducted unamplified to the device for trigger detection 3, but amplified to the device for speech and/or noise detection 2.

(12) FIGS. 5 and 6 depict further embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the apparatuses respectively comprise multiple microphones 1, 1′, 1″. In addition, a preamplifier 4, 4′ 4″ is integrated into each housing 7, 7′, 7″ of the microphones 1, 1′, 1″ in order to amplify the signal S, S′, S″.

(13) As depicted by way of example in FIG. 5, the device for trigger detection 3 can also be integrated into a microphone 1. Said microphone is then continuously activated in order, with the aid of the device for trigger detection 3, to detect when an activation of the remaining microphones 1′, 1″ and the device for speech and/or noise detection 2 is required. When the remaining microphones 1′, 1″ are activated, additional sound waves 8′, 8″ can be detected and converted into electrical signals S, S′, S″ and amplified, such that the device for speech and/or noise detection receives a plurality of amplified signals S.sub.V, S.sub.V′, S.sub.V″ which increase the accuracy of the evaluation.

(14) While the device for trigger detection 3 is integrated into the housing 7 of the microphone 1 in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 comprises a separate device for trigger detection 3.