VEHICLE APPROACH NOTIFICATION APPARATUS

• US 20150269925A1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: KANAYA, Hiroaki
• Application Number:
  US14/659,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269925A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/12 Rooms, e.g. ANC inside a room, office, concert hall or automobile cabin
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 Automobiles

Abstract

A vehicle approach notification apparatus includes: a notification sound signal generator that generates and outputs a notification sound signal that serves as a sound signal to be supplied to an external speaker that outputs a notification sound toward an outside of a vehicle; and a cancellation signal generator that generates a cancellation signal that serves as a sound signal to be supplied to a compartment speaker to output a sound and that has an antiphase with respect to a phase of the notification sound signal output from the notification sound signal generator.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a notification sound signal generator that generates and outputs a notification sound signal that serves as a sound signal to be supplied to an external speaker that outputs a notification sound toward an outside of a vehicle; and

a cancellation signal generator that generates a cancellation signal that serves as a sound signal to be supplied to a compartment speaker to output a sound and that has an antiphase with respect to a phase of the notification sound signal output from the notification sound signal generator.

2. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the notification sound signal generator and the cancellation signal generator,

wherein the control unit controls the cancellation signal generator such that an output level of the cancellation signal is lowered in the case where a person is detected based on an information on person detection supplied from a forward monitoring apparatus.

3. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein when a person is detected, the control unit controls the cancellation signal generator such that the output level of the cancellation signal is lowered in response to an information supplied from the forward monitoring apparatus, the information indicating a distance from the vehicle to the person.

4. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the cancellation signal generator such that the cancellation signal is supplied to the compartment speaker to achieve a state in which cancellation of the notification sound is optimized in a compartment under a condition that the control unit detects that the vehicle slowly travels with a motor at a speed equal to or lower than a given speed and no person is detected through the person detection.

5. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the cancellation signal generator such that the cancellation signal is supplied to the compartment speaker to achieve a state in which cancellation of the notification sound is optimized in a compartment under a condition that the control unit detects that the vehicle slowly travels with a motor at a speed equal to or lower than a given speed and no person is detected through the person detection.

6. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit receives from an operation unit information indicating that an occupant in the vehicle performs an operation to turn off the notification sound;

wherein the control unit stops outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator under a condition that the control unit detects an information indicating that the operation is performed to turn off the notification sound; and

wherein the control unit starts outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator and controls the cancellation signal generator to lower an output level of the cancellation signal in the case where a person is detected based on the information on the person detection supplied from the forward monitoring apparatus.

7. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit receives from an operation unit information indicating that an occupant in the vehicle performs an operation to turn off the notification sound;

wherein the control unit stops outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator under a condition that the control unit detects an information indicating that the operation is performed to turn off the notification sound; and

wherein the control unit starts outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator and controls the cancellation signal generator to lower an output level of the cancellation signal in the case where a person is detected based on the information on the person detection supplied from the forward monitoring apparatus.

8. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein the control unit receives from an operation unit information indicating that an occupant in the vehicle performs an operation to turn off the notification sound;

wherein the control unit stops outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator under a condition that the control unit detects an information indicating that the operation is performed to turn off the notification sound; and

wherein the control unit starts outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator and controls the cancellation signal generator to lower an output level of the cancellation signal in the case where a person is detected based on the information on the person detection supplied from the forward monitoring apparatus.

9. The vehicle approach notification apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the control unit receives from an operation unit information indicating that an occupant in the vehicle performs an operation to turn off the notification sound;

wherein the control unit stops outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator under a condition that the control unit detects an information indicating that the operation is performed to turn off the notification sound; and

wherein the control unit starts outputting the notification sound signal from the notification sound signal generator and controls the cancellation signal generator to lower an output level of the cancellation signal in the case where a person is detected based on the information on the person detection supplied from the forward monitoring apparatus.