VEHICLE EXISTENCE INFORMING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INFORMING EXISTENCE OF A VEHICLE

• US 20110026729A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Electronics Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakayama, Toshiaki, Hayashi, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/008 for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A vehicle existence informing device is configured to inform existence of a vehicle by using a warning sound at a frequency in an audible range. A speaker array includes at least two speakers arranged so that oscillation directions of oscillators of the at least two speakers substantially coincide with each other. The speaker array is configured to radiate a warning sound on a carrier wave, which is at a frequency in an ultrasonic range, to an air. A phase control unit is configured to advance and delay a phase of a sound wave radiated from one of the at least two speakers with respect to a phase of a sound wave radiated from an other of the at least two speakers.

Claims

1. A vehicle existence informing device configured to inform existence of a vehicle by using a warning sound at a frequency in an audible range, the vehicle existence informing device comprising:

a speaker array including at least two speakers arranged so that oscillation directions of oscillators of the at least two speakers substantially coincide with each other, the speaker array being configured to radiate a warning sound on a carrier wave, which is at a frequency in an ultrasonic range, to an air; and

a phase control unit configured to advance and delay a phase of a sound wave radiated from one of the at least two speakers with respect to a phase of a sound wave radiated from an other of the at least two speakers.

2. The vehicle existence informing device according to claim 1, wherein

the oscillator of each of the at least two speakers is configured to oscillate according to application of a voltage or supply of an electric current so as to radiate a warning sound on a carrier wave to an air, and

the phase control unit is configured to switch a positive terminal and a negative terminal of one of the at least two speakers so as to advance and delay a phase of a sound wave radiated from the one of the at least two speakers with respect to a phase of a sound wave radiated from an other of the at least two speakers.

3. The vehicle existence informing device according to claim 2, wherein the phase control unit is configured to switch the positive terminal and the negative terminal by using a relay device or a switch device.

4. A method for informing existence of a vehicle by using a warning sound at a frequency in an audible range, the vehicle existence informing device comprising:

causing a speaker array to radiate a warning sound on a carrier wave, which is at a frequency in an ultrasonic range, to an air, the speaker array including at least two speakers arranged so that oscillation directions of oscillators of the at least two speakers substantially coincide with each other; and

advancing and delaying a phase of a sound wave radiated from one of the at least two speakers with respect to a phase of a sound wave radiated from an other of the at least two speakers.