VEHICLE APPROACH ALERT DEVICE

• US 20160068102A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anden Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anden Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: TSUZUKI, Haruyuki, SUZUKI, Tsutomu, SAKAMOTO, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,868,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/008 Low pressure tyres, e.g. for all terrain vehicles
• 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 9/13 using electromagnetic driving means

Abstract

A vehicle approach alert device includes: a microcomputer having a memory that stores approach alert sound data, and a signal generator that generates an approach alert sound voltage waveform signal based on the approach alert sound data. The vehicle approach alert device alerts approach of a vehicle by outputting a vehicle approach alert sound from a sound outputting body according to the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal. The microcomputer further includes: an obtaining device that obtains a sound outputting body temperature; and a sound pressure correcting device that corrects a voltage level of the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to be larger as the sound outputting body temperature increases.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach alert device comprising:

a microcomputer having a memory that stores approach alert sound data to be output, and a signal generator that reads out the approach alert sound data from the memory and generates an approach alert sound voltage waveform signal indicative of a vehicle approach alert sound to be output based on the approach alert sound data, wherein;

the vehicle approach alert device alerts approach of a vehicle by outputting the vehicle approach alert sound from a sound outputting body according to the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal output from the microcomputer;

the microcomputer further includes;

an obtaining device that obtains a sound outputting body temperature as temperature of the sound outputting body; and

a sound pressure correcting device that corrects a voltage level of the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal generated by the signal generator to be larger as the sound outputting body temperature obtained by the obtaining device increases; and

the signal generator outputs a corrected approach alert sound voltage waveform signal of the sound pressure correcting device.

2. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 1, wherein:

the sound pressure correcting device calculates an amplitude coefficient, which becomes larger as the sound outputting body temperature obtained by the obtaining device increases;

the sound pressure correcting device calculates the corrected approach alert sound voltage waveform signal by multiplying the amplitude coefficient by the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal before being corrected; and

the sound pressure correcting device outputs the corrected approach alert sound voltage waveform signal from the signal generator.

3. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 2, wherein:

the sound pressure correcting device calculates the amplitude coefficient to set a sound pressure level of the vehicle approach alert sound actually output from the sound outputting body to be constant with respect to a change of the sound outputting body temperature.

4. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 2, wherein:

the obtaining device further obtains a vehicle travelling state;

the signal generator changes the voltage level of the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal based on the vehicle travelling state obtained by the obtaining device; and

the sound pressure correcting device calculates the amplitude coefficient of the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to set a relationship between the vehicle travelling state and the sound pressure level of the vehicle approach alert sound actually output from the sound outputting body to be constant with respect to a change of the sound outputting body temperature.