Method and apparatus for customized vehicle sound-based location

• US 8,981,916 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kleve, Robert Bruce, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/751,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20140210649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/8.1, 340/5.72, 340/425.5, 340/539.21, 455/573, 455/574, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/482 for locating vehicle in parking lot
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A system includes a vehicle-based processor configured to receive a wireless vehicle-locate request from a remote device. The processor is also configured to receive an instruction from the remote device relating to selection of an outputtable tone and output, through use of one or more external vehicle sound systems, a selected tone in accordance with the instruction.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle-based processor configured to;

receive a wireless vehicle-locate request from a remote device, including a remote device GPS-location;

receive selection of a user-defined outputtable tone from the remote device;

output, through an external vehicle sound system, the user-defined outputtable tone, wherein the output varies in frequency based on a difference between a vehicle location and the remote device GPS-location; and

cease playback when the difference drops below a predetermined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction includes a tone sequence input by the user on the remote device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction includes playback of an audio file uploaded to the vehicle from the remote device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction corresponds to an audio sequence previously stored on a vehicle memory.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cease playback when a vehicle door is opened.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a wireless vehicle-locate request from a remote device, including a remote device GPS-location;

receiving selection of a user-defined outputtable tone from the remote device;

outputting, through an external vehicle sound systems, the user-defined outputtable tone, the output varying in frequency based on a difference between a vehicle location and the remote device GPS-location; and

ceasing playback when the difference between the vehicle location and the remote device GPS-location drops below a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the instruction includes a tone sequence input by the user on the remote device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the instruction includes playback of an audio file uploaded to the vehicle from the remote device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the instruction corresponds to an audio sequence previously stored on a vehicle memory.

10. The method of claim 6, further including ceasing playback when a vehicle door is opened.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instruction that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a wireless vehicle-locate request from a remote device, including a remote device GPS-location;

receiving selection of a user-defined outputtable tone from the remote device;

outputting, through an external vehicle sound systems, the user-defined outputtable tone, the output varying in frequency based on a difference between a vehicle location and the remote device GPS-location; and

ceasing playback when the difference between the vehicle location and the remote device GPS-location drops below a threshold.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instruction includes a tone sequence input by the user on the remote device.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instruction includes playback of an audio file uploaded to the vehicle from the remote device.

14. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instruction corresponds to an audio sequence previously stored on a vehicle memory.