METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR GENERATING ARTIFICIAL DRIVING NOISES OF A VEHICLE

• US 20130158795A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hahne, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A device and a method for generating artificial driving noises for a motor vehicle, and to a computer program for carrying out the method is provided. Environmental conditions, objects and/or other road users are recorded via an environmental sensor unit. Depending thereupon and, as required, depending upon vehicle-internal information driving noises are generated with special properties. In this way other road users can be alerted to otherwise quietly driving vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for generating artificial driving noises in a motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one of emitting and receiving at least one of optical, acoustic and electromagnetic signals with the aid of an environmental sensor unit in order to record objects;

controlling the emission of signals by a control unit;

evaluating the received signals by the control unit; and

the control unit causing artificial driving noises to be generated by a sound generating unit and to be acoustically emitted to the outside,

wherein the properties of the driving noises are dependent upon the evaluation of at least one of the received signals, the objects recorded and vehicle-internal data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon a location of the motor vehicle detected via the environmental sensor unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon the relative speed between the motor vehicle and the recorded object.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon at least one of a recorded movement and a type of recorded object.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon the vehicle-internal data for a current driving style or a driving style stored for a driver.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon at least one of a current loading, an attached trailer and a current trailer load of the attached trailer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon a current driving speed or a vehicle acceleration.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon a current geographical position of the motor vehicle ascertained via a positioning system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are individually selectable and stored by a driver.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon at least one of a type and an intensity of the environmental conditions currently recorded via the environmental sensor unit.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon a vehicle type and a kind of vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon information conveyed via at least one of car-to-car communication and car-to-X communication.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the properties of the generated driving noises are dependent upon road signs detected via the environmental sensor unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the environmental sensor unit further comprises at least one camera.

15. A computer program, comprising:

a program code means which when executed on a programmable processor unit causes a method to be carried out comprising;

at least one of emitting and receiving at least one of optical, acoustic and electromagnetic signals with the aid of an environmental sensor unit in order to record objects;

controlling the emission of signals by a control unit;

evaluating the received signals by the control unit; and

the control unit causing artificial driving noises to be generated by a sound generating unit and to be acoustically emitted to the outside,

wherein the properties of the driving noises are dependent upon the evaluation of at least one of the received signals, the objects recorded, vehicle-internal data and a location of the motor vehicle detected via the environmental sensor unit.

16. A device for generating artificial driving noises of a vehicle, comprising:

an environmental sensor unit designed to at least one of emit and receive at least one of optical, acoustic and electromagnetic signals in order to record objects in the surrounding area;

a control unit designed to control the transmission of signals and to evaluate received signals; and

a sound generating unit controllable by the control unit such that artificial driving noises with appropriate properties are generated and acoustically emitted to outside of the vehicle on the basis of at least one of the recorded objects and vehicle-internal data.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the properties of the driving noises are dependent upon a current driving speed or a vehicle acceleration.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the properties of the driving noises are dependent upon a current geographical position of the motor vehicle ascertained via a positioning system.