Motor vehicle with warning system

• US 8,686,843 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Schiebhn, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Royit
• Application Number:
  US13/248,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 340/135, 340/433, 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 381/86, 342/70
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes, but is not limited to an environment sensor for identifying a source of danger external to the vehicle and detecting at least one first direction in which the source of danger lies when viewed from the vehicle, and a loudspeaker arrangement which can be triggered, when a source of danger has been identified, to generate a warning signal which for a listener in a passenger cell of the vehicle appears to come from the first direction. The environment sensor is furthermore equipped to trigger the loudspeaker arrangement to produce a second signal following the warning signal, which for the listener appears to come from a second direction different from the first direction.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an environment sensor configured to identify a source of danger external to the motor vehicle and further configured to detect a direction of a first direction of the source of danger from the motor vehicle; and

a loudspeaker arrangement configured to activate upon identification of the source of danger in order to generate a warning signal that appears to emanate from the first direction,

wherein the environment sensor is furthermore configured to activate the loudspeaker arrangement and produce a second signal following the warning signal that appears to emanate from a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

wherein the environment sensor is configured to identify a region in surroundings of the motor vehicle that is safely reachable by the motor vehicle and the second direction points towards the region.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is configured to produce the second signal until the motor vehicle is aligned in the direction to reach the region.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker arrangement comprises a plurality of loudspeakers, and wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are disposed in a passenger cell of the motor vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of loudspeakers is communicatively coupled to an evaluation unit, and wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are configured to receive audio signals, from the evaluation unit, independently of one another.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor comprises a plurality of sensor units, wherein the plurality of sensor units are distributed on a periphery of a body of the motor vehicle, and wherein the plurality of sensor units are configured to collect data describing surroundings of the motor vehicle.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor units comprises at least one camera.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the environment sensor further comprises an evaluation unit, the evaluation unit configured to calculate a three-dimensional model of surroundings of the motor vehicle using images delivered by the at least one camera.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to:

receive a signal representative of a position of a steering wheel of the motor vehicle;

predict a path of the motor vehicle in the three-dimensional model based on the received signal; and

calculate a location at which the motor vehicle will collide with an obstacle.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor units comprises one or more radar transmitter-receiver units.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor units comprises one or more ultrasound transmitter-receiver units.

2. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an environment sensor configured to identify a source of danger external to the motor vehicle and further configured to detect a direction of a first direction of the source of danger from the motor vehicle; and

a loudspeaker arrangement configured to activate upon identification of the source of danger in order to generate a warning signal that appears to emanate from the first direction,

wherein the environment sensor is furthermore configured to activate the loudspeaker arrangement and produce a second signal following the warning signal that appears to emanate from a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

wherein the environment sensor is configured to identify a region in surroundings of the motor vehicle that is safely reachable by the motor vehicle and the second direction is selected between two discrete directions that each correspond to a steering lock direction to reach the region.

3. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an environment sensor configured to identify a source of danger external to the motor vehicle and further configured to detect a direction of a first direction of the source of danger from the motor vehicle; and

a loudspeaker arrangement configured to activate upon identification of the source of danger in order to generate a warning signal that appears to emanate from the first direction,

wherein the environment sensor is furthermore configured to activate the loudspeaker arrangement and produce a second signal following the warning signal that appears to emanate from a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

wherein the environment sensor is configured to identify a region in surroundings of the motor vehicle that is safely reachable by the motor vehicle and switchable between a first operating mode in which the second direction points to the region and a second operating mode in which the second direction is selected between two discrete directions that each correspond to a steering lock direction to reach the region.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the environment sensor is configured to switch between the first operating mode and the second operating mode depending on a speed of the motor vehicle.