Vehicle presence notification apparatus

• US 8,217,767 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Electronics Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakayama, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US13/154,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.1, 340/384.3, 340/388.1, 381/86
• US Class Current: 340/384.1
• 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 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

A vehicular horn device of an existing electromagnetic type is used as a dynamic speaker so as to generate a false engine sound. The shortage of a low-pitched sound in a parametric speaker device is complemented with a false engine sound which the vehicular horn device generates. Thereby, without need of mounting a large-sized dynamic speaker such as a woofer in a vehicle, a false engine sound is generated so as to model for a real engine sound. In addition, as the vehicle approaches a pedestrian, a sound tone of the false engine sound which the pedestrian hears changes, enabling the pedestrian to easily notice the approach or presence of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle presence notification apparatus that generates a false engine sound towards an outside of a vehicle to report a presence of the vehicle,

the vehicle presence notification apparatus using:

a parametric speaker device that emits ultrasonic waves, which are prepared by applying an ultrasonic wave modulation to a false engine sound, towards an outside of the vehicle; and

a vehicular horn device, wherein an application of a direct-current self excitation voltage exceeding a threshold value produces an intermittence of a magnetic force to cause a moving iron core to vibrate;

a vibrating plate connected to the moving iron core vibrates along with the moving iron core, so that the vehicular horn device generates an alarm sound,

wherein the vehicle presence notification apparatus provides the vehicular horn device with an electrical signal, which configures a false engine sound with a separate excitation voltage lower than the self excitation voltage, causing the vehicular horn device to generate the false engine sound.

2. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the parametric speaker device includes an ultrasonic wave speaker that is arranged adjacent to the vehicular horn device.

3. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an ultrasonic directionality extension portion that extends a directionality of an ultrasonic wave which the ultrasonic wave speaker generates when a travel speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined speed.

4. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

when the ultrasonic directionality extension portion extends the directionality of the ultrasonic wave speaker, a sound pressure of the false engine sound which the vehicular horn device generates is increased.

5. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when a horn switch is operated by an occupant of the vehicle, the self excitation voltage is given to the vehicular horn device so as to generate an alarm sound.

6. A vehicle presence notification apparatus that generates a false engine sound towards an outside of a vehicle to report a presence of the vehicle,

the vehicle including a vehicular horn device of an electromagnetic type that generates an alarm sound by an application of a self excitation voltage on direct current exceeding a threshold voltage,

the vehicle presence notification apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic wave speaker that emits, towards an outside of the vehicle, amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves to which an ultrasonic wave modulation was applied, the amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves undergoing a self-demodulation in air during propagating to generate an audible sound; and

a notice sound controller that controls not only the ultrasonic wave speaker but also the vehicular horn device for generating a false engine sound in the outside of the vehicle,

wherein;

the notice sound controller provides the ultrasonic wave speaker with amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves to which an ultrasonic wave modulation was applied to configure a false engine, causing the ultrasonic wave speaker to emit the amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves configuring the false engine sound, the false engine sound becoming audible in air during propagating; and

the notice sound controller provides the vehicular horn device with an electrical signal, which configures a false engine sound with a separate excitation voltage lower than the self excitation voltage, causing the vehicular horn device to serve as a dynamic speaker to emit the false engine sound configured by the electrical signal, the false engine sound being emitted audible.

7. A vehicle presence notification apparatus that announces a presence of a vehicle using a notice sound,

the vehicle presence notification apparatus

generating a notice sound towards an outside of the vehicle using a dynamic speaker that generates audible sonic waves depending on a magnetic force change accompanying a voltage change applied to a coil, and

generating a notice sound towards an outside of the vehicle also using a parametric speaker device that emits ultrasonic waves which an ultrasonic wave modulation is applied to,

wherein:

(i) in a short distance region that is close to the vehicle, the notice sound by the dynamic speaker and the notice sound by the parametric speaker device are combined to generate a notice sound with a high sound pressure; and

(ii) in a long distance region that is farther than the short distance region with respect to the vehicle, the notice sound by the parametric speaker device is generated.

8. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the dynamic speaker is an electromagnetic vehicular horn device;

when receiving a self excitation voltage greater than a threshold value on direct current, the vehicular horn device generates an alarm sound; and

when receiving an electrical signal, which configures a notice sound, using a separate excitation voltage lower than the self excitation voltage, the vehicular horn device generates the notice sound.

9. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

when a horn switch is operated by an occupant of the vehicle, the self excitation voltage is given to the vehicular horn device so as to generate the alarm sound.

10. The vehicle presence notification apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the notice sound emitted from the dynamic speaker and the parametric speaker device is a false engine sound,

the vehicle present notification apparatus further comprising:

a false engine preparation portion that prepares the false engine sound using a digital processing technique.

11. A vehicle presence notification apparatus that announces a presence of a vehicle using a notice sound,

the vehicle presence notification apparatus comprising:

a dynamic speaker that emits towards an outside of the vehicle a notice sound configured by audible sonic waves that are generated depending on a magnetic force change accompanying a voltage change applied to a coil;

an ultrasonic wave speaker that emits, towards an outside of the vehicle, amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves to which an ultrasonic wave modulation was applied, the amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves undergoing a self-demodulation in air during propagating to generate a notice sound being audible; and

a notice sound controller that controls emitting of the dynamic speaker and the ultrasonic wave speaker such that;

(i) in a short distance region that is close to the vehicle, the notice sound by the dynamic speaker and the notice sound by the ultrasonic wave speaker are audible, in combination, with a high sound pressure; and

(ii) in a long distance region that is distant from the vehicle, the notice sound by the ultrasonic wave speaker is audible.