VEHICLE NOTIFICATION SOUND EMITTING APPARATUS

• US 20120293318A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Hironori, Kimura, Katsumi, Kanuma, Tsuyoshi, Yoshino, Hideo, Watanabe, Yuji, Yamamoto, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/463
• 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: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling

Abstract

A vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus is basically provided with a sound emitting device and a notification sound control device. The sound emitting device emits a starting movement notification sound to outside of a vehicle to inform a person in an outside area surrounding the vehicle that the vehicle will transition from a stopped state to a moving state, and emits a moving notification sound to outside of the vehicle to inform a person in the outside area surrounding the vehicle that the vehicle is moving. The notification sound control device operates the sound emitting device to selectively emit the starting movement notification sound. The notification sound control device includes a notification sound emission timing section that sets a start timing of the starting movement notification sound in response to a shift operation having been performed and an additional start movement preparation operation of the vehicle having been performed.

Claims

1. A vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus comprising:

a sound emitting device configured to emit a starting movement notification sound to outside of a vehicle to inform a person in an outside area surrounding the vehicle that the vehicle will transition from a stopped state to a moving state, and emit a moving notification sound to outside of the vehicle to inform a person in the outside area surrounding the vehicle that the vehicle is moving; and

a notification sound control device configured to operate the sound emitting device to selectively emit the starting movement notification sound, the notification sound control device including a notification sound emission timing section configured to set a start timing of the starting movement notification sound in response to a shift operation, which issues a vehicle movement command, having been performed and an additional start movement preparation operation of the vehicle having been performed, the notification sound control device being further configured to operate the sound emitting device to automatically emit the moving notification sound after the starting movement notification sound has been emitted, the moving notification sound being different from the starting movement notification sound.

2. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the notification sound emission timing section is further configured to include a brake release operation as part of the additional start movement preparation operation of the vehicle such that the starting movement notification sound is emitted after the shift operation and the brake release operation have both been completed.

3. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound after a brake release operation being completed while the vehicle was in a stopped state.

4. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein

the notification sound emission timing section is further configured to emit the starting movement notification sound for a prescribed amount of time after both the shift operation and the brake release operation have both been completed.

5. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein

the notification sound emission timing section is further configured to set the prescribed amount of time to correspond to a period occurring from when both the shift operation and the brake release operation have both been completed until a movement start operation is performed.

6. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound in response to the vehicle moving before the brake release operation is completed.

7. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound after a brake release operation being completed while the vehicle was in a stopped state.

8. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein

the notification sound emission timing section is further configured to emit the starting movement notification sound for a prescribed amount of time after both the shift operation and the brake release operation have both been completed.

9. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein

the notification sound emission timing section is further configured to set the prescribed amount of time to correspond to a period occurring from when both the shift operation and the brake release operation have both been completed until a movement start operation is performed.

10. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound in response to the vehicle moving before the brake release operation is completed.

11. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound in response to the vehicle moving before the brake release operation is completed.

12. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound in response to the vehicle moving before the brake release operation is completed.

13. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound in response to the vehicle moving before the brake release operation is completed.

14. The vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein

the notification sound control device is further configured to operate the sound emitting device to emit the moving notification sound in response to the vehicle moving before the brake release operation is completed.