VEHICLES OUTPUTTING CONTEXT DEPENDENT WARNINGS AND ALERTS

• US 20180361925A1
• Filed: 06/15/2017
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Rowell, Todd J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,569,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A vehicle includes an object detection sensor configured to output an output signal, a notification device, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to detect an object based on the output signal of the object detection sensor, classify the detected object into a classification, determine a notification magnitude level based on the classification of the detected object, and output a notification with the notification device at the determined notification magnitude level.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an object detection sensor configured to output an output signal;

a notification device; and

a electronic control unit configured to;

detect an object based on the output signal of the object detection sensor;

classify the detected object into a classification;

determine a notification magnitude level based on the classification of the detected object; and

output a notification with the notification device at the determined notification magnitude level.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the notification magnitude level is a first magnitude level when the classification is a first classification;

the notification magnitude level is a second magnitude level when the classification is a second classification; and

the first magnitude level is lower than the second magnitude level.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first classification is a person classification and the second classification is a vehicle classification.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine a distance of the detected object from the vehicle; and

determine the notification magnitude level based on the distance of the detected object from the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

detect a plurality of objects based on the output signal of the object detection sensor;

determine a number of objects of the plurality of objects; and

determine the notification magnitude level based on the number of objects.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

receive a request to output the notification; and

output the notification with the notification device at the determined notification magnitude level in response to the request to output the notification.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

detect the object in response to the request to output the notification;

classify the detected object into the classification in response to the request to output the notification; and

determine the notification magnitude level in response to the request to output the notification.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine a notification type based on the classification of the detected object; and

output the notification of the notification type with the notification device.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to output a vehicle presence notification when the classification is a person classification.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine a vehicle operating condition; and

determine the notification magnitude level based on the vehicle operating condition.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein:

the vehicle operating condition is a speed of the vehicle;

the notification magnitude level is a first magnitude level when the speed of the vehicle is a first speed;

the notification magnitude level is a second magnitude level when the speed of the vehicle is a second speed;

the first speed is less than the second speed; and

the first magnitude level is less than the second magnitude level.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a location sensor configured to output an output signal;

a notification device; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

determine a vehicle location based on the output signal of the location sensor;

determine a notification magnitude level based on the determined vehicle location; and

output a notification with the notification device at the determined notification magnitude level.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

the notification magnitude level is a first magnitude level when the vehicle location is a first vehicle location;

the notification magnitude level is a second magnitude level when the vehicle location is a second vehicle location; and

the first magnitude level is lower than the second magnitude level.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first vehicle location is an urban vehicle location and the second vehicle location is a rural vehicle location.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine a notification type based on the determined vehicle location; and

output the notification of the notification type with the notification device.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising an object detection sensor, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

detect an object based on the output signal of the object detection sensor;

classify the detected object into a classification; and

output a vehicle presence notification when the classification is a person classification.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine a vehicle operating condition; and

determine the notification magnitude level based on the vehicle operating condition.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein:

the vehicle operating condition is a speed of the vehicle;

the notification magnitude level is a first magnitude level when the speed of the vehicle is a first speed;

the notification magnitude level is a second magnitude level when the speed of the vehicle is a second speed;

the first speed is less than the second speed; and

the first magnitude level is less than the second magnitude level.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor configured to output an output signal;

a vehicle horn; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

determine, based on the output signal of the sensor, at least one of a classification of a detected object and a vehicle location;

determine a notification magnitude level based on the at least one of the classification of the detected object and the vehicle location; and

output an audible notification with the vehicle horn at the determined notification magnitude level.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the sensor includes at least one of an object detection sensor and a location sensor.