Voice warning device with repeat mechanism for an automotive vehicle

• US 4,426,691 A
• Filed: 08/28/1981
• Issued: 01/17/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Faber, Alan
• Application Number:
  US06/297,198
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 369/21, 369/22, 369/69, 360/12, 340/692, 340/54, 340/52 F, 340/52 D, 340/52 R
• US Class Current: 369/21
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0833 using audio means

Abstract

A voice warning device has a record disc as a recording medium storing warning and a repeat mechanism for repeatedly reproducing the warnings. The record disc contains a plurality of warning messages respectively corresponding to preselected abnormal conditions of vehicle devices. The repeat mechanism includes a means for detecting the most recently reproduced warning.

Claims

1. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle comprising:

detecting means for checking various check points in the vehicle to detect abnormal conditions of said check points, said detecting means producing a first signal when it detects an abnormal condition of one of said check points;

a record disc containing a plurality of voice warning messages corresponding to respective said check points on respective disc tracks;

a record player including a pickup for picking up the recorded warning message from said tracks, an actuation means for turning the record disc and positioning the pickup onto one of said tracks in response to said first signal and an initializing means for returning the pickup to the initial position thereof in which said pickup is located at the starting point for each of said tracks and away from the record disc;

a switch member responsive to said first signal for activating said actuation means to drive said record player to reproduce the warning message identified by said first signal;

stop means for stopping record player operation after expiration of a predetermined duration of reproduction of the warning message; and

resetting means for resetting said stopping means for controlling the record player to reproduce the warning message which was most recently reproduced.

2. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle comprising:

detecting means for checking a plurality of check points in the automotive vehicle and producing first signals respectively indicative of an abnormal condition of the check points when the abnormal condition is detected;

a record disc containing a plurality of prerecorded warning messages respectively corresponding to the check points to which, during abnormal conditions, warnings are to be generated, said record disc having a plurality of tracks respectively containing said warning messages, said tracks being arranged in helical fashion to align the starting points of respective tracks radially around the disc;

a record player including a pickup for tracking one of said tracks to pick up the recorded warning message, an actuation means for driving said record disc and placing said pickup at the initial point of one of said tracks and a circuit for reproducing an audible warning message according to electric signals inputted from the pickup;

a switch member responsive to one of said first signals to activate said actuation means for driving said record player, said switch member including a plurality of stationary terminals respectively located corresponding to the initial position of corresponding tracks of the record disc and a movable contact normally urged toward said stationary terminals and sliding thereacross, said movable contact moving across said stationary terminals in synchronism with the rotation of said record disc;

stopping means for stopping reproduction of the warning message after expiration of a predetermined time duration; and

resetting means for resetting the stopping means to activate said record player to repeat the most recently reproduced warning.

3. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a plurality of detecting means for detecting an abnormal condition of check points in the automotive vehicle and producing first signals when said detecting means detect abnormal conditions of the check points, said first signals identifying respectively corresponding warning items representative of the check points for which abnormal conditions are detected;

a record disc having a plurality of tracks arranged thereon in helical fashion, each of said tracks containing one of said warning messages corresponding to the warning items identified by said first signals, said tracks having starting points aligned radially around said disc;

a record player having means for reproducing an audible warning message in response to said first signal;

a record player circuit for driving said record player and for converting the electric signal, picked up from one of said tracks in response to one of said first signals, to an audible signal;

a plurality of stationary terminals located opposite said record disc and respectively positioned so as to correspond to the starting point of the corresponding track;

a movable terminal adapted for rotation with said record disc and sliding across said stationary contacts for scanning for the presence of said first signal identifying one of said warning items;

a timer circuit incorporated in said record player circuit and measuring the time duration of reproduction of the warning message, said timer circuit deactivating said record player circuit after expiration of a predetermined time duration;

a repeat switch manually operable for repeating the immediately-preceding warning message, said repeat switch being connected to said timer circuit for resetting the latter in order to activate said record player circuit again to repeat the immediately preceding warning message, said repeat switch activating said timer circuit after once reset for measurement of the time duration of reproducing of the warning message.

4. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a plurality of detecting means for detecting abnormal conditions of a plurality of check points in the automotive vehicle and producing signals when an abnormal condition is detected, said detecting means including a plurality of of detectors for detecting conditions of checking factors and producing detector signals, and means for determining whether the combination of check point conditions is suitable for effecting warning based on the detector signals inputted thereto, said determining means having means for assigning priority to each of the check points for effecting warning according to the predetermined order;

a record disc for containing prerecorded warning messages respectively corresponding to abnormal conditions of the respective check points, said record disc having a plurality of record grooves arranged in helical fashion so that the starting points of the warning messages are arranged radially about the record disc;

a record player having a pickup normally placed in an initial position opposite the starting points of the warning messages but not in contact therewith, a turntable on which the record disc is mounted, an actuator for driving the turntable to rotate said record disc and putting said pickup onto one of said record grooves;

a record player circuit for converting an electric signal picked up from the record groove along which said pickup travels into an audible warning message and reproducing the same;

a movable contact attached to said turntable for rotation therewith;

a plurality of stationary contacts arranged opposite said movable contact and corresponding to said starting points of respective warning messages, said stationary contacts receiving said signals of the detecting means respectively indicative of the abnormal condition of the corresponding check point, said stationary terminals being located so that when the signal from the corresponding detecting means is inputted and said movable contact comes into contact therewith, said actuator becomes operative to put the pickup onto the record groove on which the warning message corresponding to the warning message identified by the inputted signal is recorded;

a timer circuit for measuring the duration of reproduction of the warning message and deactivating said actuator when the measured time is more than a predetermined value which is adapted to repeat the warning message a predetermined number of times, said timer circuit maintaining said actuator in deactivated position until it is reset; and

a repeat circuit including a manually operable repeat switch and a repeat circuit connected with said timer circuit, said repeat circuit producing a command for resetting said timer circuit in response to turning on said repeat switch, said repeat circuit also associated with said record player circuit to activate the latter to repeat the most recently reproduced warning message for the check point.

5. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle for producing voice warning messages for abnormal or undesirable conditions of vehicle devices and equipment, comprising:

first means for checking preselected check items of the vehicle devices and/or equipment to detect abnormal or undesirable conditions thereof, said first means producing a first signal indicative of an abnormal undesirable condition of the vehicle devices or equipment and identifying the vehicle devices or equipment having the abnormal or undesirable condition;

signal selector means associated with said first means for selectively passing said first signals according to a given priority for each check item;

second means for reproducing a plurality of warning voice messages, said second means including a record disc for storing the pre-recorded warning voice messages respectively corresponding to respective check items to be checked by said first means, a record player for reproducing said pre-recorded warning voice messages corresponding to the check items identified by said first signal which is fed from said first means through said signal selector means;

third means, including a manually operative repeat switch, for producing a second signal for operating said second means to repeat an immediately-preceding warning voice message when said repeat switch is operated; and

fourth means, associated with said third means, for controlling said second means to operate to reproduce the immediately-preceding warning voice message in response to said second signal.

8. A device as set forth in claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein said record player in the second means comprises a pickup for picking up the prerecorded voice warning message, an actuation means for putting the pickup onto the record disc at the location corresponding to the identified voice warning message and for driving a turntable on which said record disc is mounted, said actuation means being responsive to said first signal to become operative.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said record player includes a switching means responsive to said first signal for operating the record player and for driving said actuation means.

10. A device as set forth in claim 5, 6 or 7, which further comprises a timer means for measuring a duration of reproduction of the warning voice message and rendering said second means inoperative when a predetermined duration expires.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said predetermined duration in said timer means is determined in dependence on a length of said record tracks.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said device is adapted to warn that a vehicle door is ajar when the vehicle is driven, that the ignition key is in the key cylinder when the driver leaves the vehicle, that the lighting switch is left on when the ignition switch is turned off, and that the parking brake is in the applied condition when the vehicle is driven.

6. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle for producing warning voice messages for abnormal or undesirable operational conditions of the vehicle devices and/or equipment comprising:

first means for checking preselected check items of the vehicle devices and/or equipment in operation to detect an abnormal or undesirable operational condition thereof, said first means producing a first signal representative of each check item having an abnormal or undesirable operational condition;

second means for reproducing a plurality of warning voice messages corresponding to respective check items, said second means including a record disc having a plurality of record tracks respectively recording said warning voice messages, a record player for reproducing selected warning voice messages corresponding to the check items identified by said first signal;

a voice selector associated with said first means to receive said first signal to detect the check item identified by said first signal to activate said second means to reproduce the corresponding warning voice message;

third means, including a manually operative repeat switch, for producing a second signal for repeating the immediately-preceding warning voice message; and

fourth means, associated with said third means and said voice selector, for activating said voice selector in response to said second signal to select the immediately-preceding warning voice message to repeat the warning.

7. A voice warning device for an automotive vehicle for producing warning voice messages for abnormal conditions or undesirable operations of the vehicle devices and/or equipment, comprising:

first means for checking respective preselected check items for detecting abnormal conditions and/or undesirable operations of the vehicle devices and/or equipment, said first means producing various values of first signals respectively representative of the checked items being in an abnormal or undesirable condition;

second means for reproducing a plurality of pre-recorded warning voice messages, said second means including a record disc having a plurality of record tracks in which respective warning voice messages are recorded, and a record player for reproducing the warning voice message recorded in said record track;

control means, associated with said second means for controlling the operation of said second means, said control means being responsive to first signal from said first means to actuate said second means for reproducing one of said warning voice messages according to the check item identified by said first signal value;

third means, associated with said second means and including a manually operative repeat switch, for producing a second signal as said repeat switch is operated; and

fourth means, associated with said third means, for operating said control means in response to said second signal for repeatedly producing the immediately-preceding warning voice message.