Virtual rumble strip

• US 20040056762A1
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rogers, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

A system and method are provided for a virtual rumble strip that uses a 3-dimensional audio alert (3-DAA) signal to warn a user operating a vehicle that the vehicle has deviated from a predetermined path. The virtual rumble strip may include a sensor that detects location data for the vehicle, and an alerting mechanism that receives the location data from the sensor. The alerting mechanism may include an audio processing unit that uses the location data and a Head-Related Transfer Function to create the 3-DAA signal. A speaker may then play the 3-DAA signal, which the user may interpret as originating from the direction of the deviation. The user may then respond to the 3-DAA signal by correcting the motion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A virtual rumble strip for a user operating a vehicle, the virtual rumble strip comprising:

a sensor for detecting a deviation in movement of the vehicle from a predetermined path; and

an alerting mechanism in communication with the sensor,

wherein the alerting mechanism warns the user of the deviation with a spatial audio alert signal.

2. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the alerting mechanism comprises a speaker for playing back the spatial audio alert signal to the user.

3. The virtual rumble strip of claim 2, wherein the speaker comprises a headphone.

4. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the alerting mechanism comprises an audio processing unit.

5. The virtual rumble strip of claim 4, wherein the audio processing unit receives location data from the sensor that specifies at least one of a location and direction of the deviation.

6. The virtual rumble strip of claim 5, wherein the audio processing unit applies a Head-Related Transfer Function to the location data to create the spatial audio alert signal.

7. The virtual rumble strip of claim 6, wherein the Head-Related Transfer Function is customized for the user.

8. The virtual rumble strip of claim 6, wherein the Head Related Transfer Function is determined for an average user.

9. The virtual rumble strip of claim 6, wherein the audio processing unit creates the Head-Related Transfer Function by applying a Fourier transform to a Head-Related Impulse Response.

10. The virtual rumble strip of claim 9, wherein the Head-Related Impulse Response is determined by measuring an acoustic modification of an impulse by an ear.

11. The virtual rumble strip of claim 4, wherein the audio processing unit receives location data from a positioning system that tracks position in relation to a store database of terrain and man made features.

12. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an optical sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a sonic sensor, a proximity sensor, and a physical contact sensor.

13. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a receiver that receives a wireless signal from a transmitter located along the predetermined path, and the receiver determines a distance to the transmitter through characteristics of the wireless signal.

14. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the sensor determines location data for the vehicle through communication with a location positioning system.

15. The virtual rumble strip of claim 14, wherein the location positioning system comprises a Global Positioning System.

16. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the alerting mechanism comprises a tactile actuator for providing tactile feedback to the user in response to the deviation.

17. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, wherein the spatial audio alert signal comprises a 3-dimensional audio alert signal.

18. The virtual rumble strip of claim 1, further comprising a user-controllable switch for turning the virtual rumble strip on and off.

19. A method for warning a user operating a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting location data for the vehicle;

determining a deviation in movement of the vehicle from a predetermined path using the location data;

creating a 3-dimensional audio alert signal based on the location data; and

playing the 3-dimensional audio alert signal to warn the user of the deviation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the location data comprises a position and movement of the vehicle relative to the predetermined path.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting location data for the vehicle comprises using a sensor for detecting a position and movement of the vehicle relative to the predetermined path.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein creating a 3-dimensional audio alert signal comprises creating a 3-dimensional audio alert signal from the location data and a Head-Related Transfer Function.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising performing a Fourier transform on a Head-Related Impulse Function to create the Head-Related Transfer Function.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising creating tactile feedback for the user in response to the deviation.

25. A virtual rumble strip for a vehicle, the virtual rumble strip comprising:

a sensor that detects location data specifying a deviation in movement of the vehicle from a predetermined path;

an audio processing unit in communication with the sensor, wherein the audio processing unit creates a 3-dimensional audio alert signal from a Head-Related Transfer Function and the location data; and

a speaker for playing the 3-dimensional audio alert signal in the vehicle.

26. The virtual rumble strip of claim 25, wherein the audio processing unit creates the Head-Related Transfer Function by applying a Fourier transform to a Head-Related Impulse Response.

27. The virtual rumble strip of claim 25, wherein the sensor detects the location data through communication with the Global Positioning System.

28. The virtual rumble strip of claim 25, wherein the alerting mechanism comprises a tactile processing unit for creating a tactile signal in response to the deviation.

29. The virtual rumble strip of claim 28, wherein the alerting mechanism comprises a tactile actuator that receives the tactile signal from the tactile processing unit and provides tactile feedback to a user operating the vehicle.

30. The virtual rumble strip of claim 25, further comprising at least one of a visual alert mechanism and an olfactory alert mechanism for warning a user operating the vehicle of the deviation.