Systems and methods for vehicle external audio volume indication and control of the same

• US 10,448,180 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Helm, Sean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Application Number:
  US16/177,538
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 381 86
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/162 Visual feedback on control action
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/26 using acoustic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

An external audio range indication system, for a vehicle, includes an audio system, a display device, and an electronic control unit. The audio system includes a plurality of speakers. The plurality of speakers is configured to output an audio content. The electronic control unit is operatively connected to the audio system and the display device. The electronic control unit includes a processor and a memory unit coupled to the processor. The memory unit stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic control unit to determine an external audio range of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers, the external audio range being a range from the vehicle at which the audio content output from the plurality of speakers is audible by parties external to the vehicle, and control the display device to display the external audio range.

Claims

1. An external audio range indication system for a vehicle, the vehicle including a passenger compartment, the system comprising:

an audio system that includes a plurality of speakers within the passenger compartment, the plurality of speakers configured to output an audio content;

a display device; and

an electronic control unit operatively connected to the audio system and the display device, the electronic control unit including a processor and a memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic control unit to;

determine an external audio range of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers, the external audio range being a range from the vehicle at which the audio content output from the plurality of speakers is audible by parties external to the vehicle; and

control the display device to display the external audio range.

2. The external audio range indication system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit determines the external audio range based on an audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system.

3. The external audio range indication system of claim 2, wherein the audio characteristic of the audio content includes a volume level of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system.

4. The external audio range indication system of claim 2, wherein the audio characteristic of the audio content includes a frequency content of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system.

5. The external audio range indication system of claim 2, wherein the display device displays a vehicle icon, and wherein the electronic control unit controls the display device to display the external audio range with respect to the vehicle icon.

6. The external audio range indication system of claim 5 further comprising:

an object detection sensor that detects an object located externally to the vehicle, the object detection sensor operatively connected to the electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to;

determine whether the object detected by the object detection sensor is within the external audio range,

in response to determining that the object is within the external audio range, control the audio system, vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range, and

control the display device to display the reduced external audio range.

7. The external audio range indication system of claim 6, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, in response to determining that the object is within the external audio range, vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range to a preset external audio range,

wherein the preset external audio range is a range which is less than a distance between the vehicle and the object detected by the object detection sensor.

8. The external audio range indication system of claim 6 further comprising a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a speed of the vehicle, the vehicle speed sensor operatively connected to the electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine whether the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold,

in response to determining that the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range, and

control the display device to display the reduced external audio range.

9. The external audio range indication system of claim 5 further comprising:

a global positioning system operatively connected to the electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to;

determine an area that the vehicle is located based on an output from the global positioning system,

determine whether the area that the vehicle is located includes an audio restriction information based on pre-stored location information stored in the memory unit,

in response to determining that the area that the vehicle is located includes the audio restriction information, vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range based on the audio restriction information of the area that the vehicle is located, and control the display device to display the reduced external audio range.

10. The external audio range indication system of claim 1 further comprising a microphone provided on an exterior of the vehicle, the microphone configured to detect a sound pressure level of the audio content from the plurality of speakers of the audio system, the microphone operatively connected to the electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine the external audio range based on the sound pressure level detected by the microphone.

11. A method of displaying an external audio range indication for a vehicle, the vehicle including a passenger compartment, the method comprising the steps of:

outputting, from an audio system having a plurality of speakers disposed in the passenger compartment, an audio content;

determining, by an electronic control unit, an external audio range of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers, the external audio range being a range from the vehicle at which the audio content output from the plurality of speakers is audible by parties external to the vehicle; and

displaying, by a display device, the external audio range indication for the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic control unit determines the external audio range based on an audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the audio characteristic of the audio content includes a volume level of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the audio characteristic of the audio content includes a frequency content of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the display device displays a vehicle icon, and wherein the electronic control unit controls the display device to display the external audio range indication with respect to the vehicle icon.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

detecting, by an object detection sensor, an object external to the vehicle;

determining, by the electronic control unit, whether the object external to the vehicle is within the external audio range;

controlling, by the electronic control unit, the audio system to vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range; and

controlling, by the electronic control unit, the external audio range indication displayed on the display device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling, by the electronic control unit, the audio system to vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range to a preset external audio range,

wherein the preset external audio range is a range which is less than a distance between the vehicle and the object detected by the object detection sensor.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

detecting, by a vehicle speed sensor, a speed of the vehicle;

determining, by the electronic control unit, whether the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold;

controlling, by the electronic control unit, the audio system to vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range when the speed of the vehicle detected is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold; and

controlling, by the electronic control unit, the external audio range indication displayed on the display device to display the reduced external audio range.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

detecting, by a global positioning system, a vehicle location;

determining, by the electronic control unit, whether the vehicle location includes an audio restriction information based on pre-stored information;

controlling, by the electronic control unit, the audio system to vary the audio characteristic of the audio content output from the plurality of speakers of the audio system to reduce the external audio range based on the audio restriction information for the vehicle location; and

controlling, by the electronic control unit, the external audio range indication displayed on the display device to display the reduced external audio range.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

detecting, by a microphone provided on an exterior of the vehicle, a sound pressure level of the audio content from the plurality of speakers of the audio system; and

determining, by the electronic control unit, the external audio range based on the sound pressure level detected by the microphone.