VEHICLE APPROACH NOTIFICATION SOUND GENERATING APPARATUS

• US 20150203031A1
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Arita, Hidekazu, Shimotani, Mitsuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/506 specific to silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• 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: G01S 3/8086 determining other position line of source
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus that communicates with another vehicle so as to be capable of generating a vehicle approach notification sound different from another vehicle. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus of the present invention includes a vehicle approach notification sound acquiring unit that acquires the vehicle approach notification sound output from another vehicle, a similarity distance calculating unit that calculates a similarity distance between the vehicle approach notification sound of the own vehicle output from a vehicle approach notifying unit and the vehicle approach notification sound of another vehicle acquired by the vehicle approach notification sound acquiring unit, a communication unit that is communicable with another vehicle, and a controller that communicates with another vehicle via the communication unit, makes adjustment whether the vehicle approach notification sound of another vehicle or the own vehicle is to be changed, and when the vehicle approach notification sound of the own vehicle is to be changed, makes control to change the vehicle approach notification sound of the own vehicle so that the similarity distance calculated by the similarity distance calculating unit is a predetermined threshold or more.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus comprising:

a vehicle approach notifying unit that outputs a vehicle approach notification sound for notifying of approach of an own vehicle;

a vehicle approach notification sound acquiring unit that acquires said vehicle approach notification sound output from another vehicle;

a similarity distance calculating unit that calculates a similarity distance between said vehicle approach notification sound of the own vehicle output from said vehicle approach notifying unit and said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle acquired by said vehicle approach notification sound acquiring unit;

a communication unit that is communicable with said another vehicle; and

a controller that communicates with said another vehicle via said communication unit, and that makes adjustment whether said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle or said own vehicle is to be changed, and when said vehicle approach notification sound of said own vehicle is to be changed, makes control to change said vehicle approach notification sound of said own vehicle so that said similarity distance calculated by said similarity distance calculating unit is a predetermined threshold or more.

2. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said similarity distance calculated by said similarity distance calculating unit is said predetermined threshold or less, said controller communicates with said another vehicle.

3. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said controller is not capable of communicating with said another vehicle, said controller changes said vehicle approach notification sound of said own vehicle.

4. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said similarity distance includes a first threshold and a second threshold that is larger than the first threshold,

when said similarity distance is said first threshold or less, said controller changes said vehicle approach notification sound so that similarity distance is said second threshold or more.

5. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle approach notification sound storage that stores at least one or more kinds of said vehicle approach notification sounds; and

a vehicle approach notification sound processor that processes said vehicle approach notification sound, wherein

when said similarity distance between said vehicle approach notification sound stored in said vehicle approach notification sound storage and said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle is not the predetermined threshold or more, said vehicle approach notification sound processor processes said vehicle approach notification sound.

6. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said vehicle approach notification sound storage stores a base notification sound and a plurality of additional notification sounds,

said vehicle approach notification sound processor synthesizes said base notification sound with said additional notification sounds and processes said vehicle approach notification sound.

7. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a canceling unit that cancels said vehicle approach notification sound of said own vehicle output from said vehicle approach notifying unit.

8. The vehicle approach notification sound generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said similarity distance calculated by said similarity distance calculating unit is the predetermined threshold or less, and said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle is changed in said adjustment,

said vehicle approach notification sound acquiring unit again acquires said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle after predetermined time passes,

when said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle that is again acquired by said vehicle approach notification sound acquiring unit is not changed from said vehicle approach notification sound of said another vehicle that is acquired in the previous time, said controller changes said vehicle approach notification sound of said own vehicle.