Systems and methods for disabling a vehicle horn

• US 9,296,334 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hampiholi, Vallabha Vasant
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, JESS G
• Application Number:
  US13/537,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20140005884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to controlling honking of a vehicle horn. A location of a vehicle and a location of one or more points along a route where a vehicle horn is disabled may be received at a vehicle computer. Based on a location of the vehicle and the location of the one or more vehicle horn disabling locations, a determination may be made that the vehicle is in the vicinity of the one or more vehicle horn disabling points. One or more instructions from the vehicle computer may be transmitted to disable the vehicle horn when in the vicinity of the one or more vehicle horn disabling locations. In some embodiments, if the vehicle is in a disabling location, overriding instructions for overriding the disabled horn may be transmitted or executed if an emergency event is detected.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for disabling a vehicle horn, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving at a vehicle computer a location of a vehicle;

receiving at the vehicle computer a location of one or more zones along a route where a vehicle horn is disabled;

based on the location of the vehicle and the location of the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones, determining at the vehicle computer that the vehicle is in the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones;

transmitting one or more instructions from the vehicle computer to the vehicle horn to disable the vehicle horn when in the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones, wherein the instructions are received at the vehicle horn from the vehicle computer, and wherein the vehicle horn is disabled based on the one or more instructions;

detecting at the vehicle computer an emergency event at the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones, wherein the vehicle horn is re-enabled upon detecting the emergency event;

after the vehicle horn is re-enabled upon detecting the emergency event;

automatically honking the vehicle horn if a user does not initiate a honking event and a determined parameter reaches a threshold; and

not automatically honking the vehicle horn if the user does initiate a honking event when the determined parameter is below the threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle horn is disabled automatically while the vehicle is en route, and wherein the re-enabling of the vehicle horn upon detecting the emergency event is a re-enablement of the automatically-disabled horn.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the location of the vehicle and the location of the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones is determined from GPS data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the vehicle horn is re-enabled by:

transmitting overriding instructions by the vehicle computer to the vehicle horn to re-enable the horn based on detecting the emergency event.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving at the vehicle computer one or more images from a vehicle-based camera of one or more objects in a field of view of the vehicle-based camera; and

identifying at the vehicle computer the emergency event based on the one or more images.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising capturing by the vehicle-based camera the one or more images of the one or more objects in the field of view of the vehicle-based camera.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein the one or more objects include one or more vehicles, one or more vehicle taillights, one or more pedestrians, or one or more animals.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising storing the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones in a database.

9. A system for disabling a horn at one or more horn disabling locations on a route, the system comprising:

at least one vehicle computer configured to;

receive information defining one or more zones where a vehicle horn is disabled;

receive information identifying that a vehicle is in the one or more horn disabling zones;

based on the defining information and the identifying information, transmit one or more instructions to the vehicle horn to disable the vehicle horn; and

detect an emergency event at the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones, wherein the vehicle horn is enabled in the horn disabling zone in response to the emergency event; and

a vehicle clock, wherein, when the vehicle is out of the one or more horn disabling zones, the at least one vehicle computer is configured to;

monitor the vehicle clock in accordance with a time period of vehicle horn use;

determine that the vehicle horn is in use; and

transmit the one or more instructions to the vehicle horn to disable the vehicle horn when the use has exceeded the time period.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one vehicle computer configured to receive information identifying the location of the vehicle is configured to:

receive GPS data identifying the location of the vehicle;

receive GPS data identifying the location of one or more zones along a route where a vehicle horn is disabled; and

based on the GPS data, determining that the vehicle is in the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one vehicle computer configured to receive information identifying the location of the vehicle is configured to:

receive one or more images of one or more road signs identifying the one or more horn disabling zones;

process the one or more images for identifying that the vehicle is in the one or more horn disabling zones.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising at least one vehicle camera communicating with the at least one vehicle computer that captures the one or more images of the one or more road signs.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a storage device communicating with the at least one vehicle computer and storing the one or more locations where a vehicle horn is disabled.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one vehicle computer configured to receive the defining information is configured to receive the defining information from the storage device.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the storage device is a database or memory.

16. The system of claim 9 further comprising a vehicle network, which includes an infotainment system, over which the one or more instructions to disable the vehicle horn are transmitted.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one vehicle computer, when outside of the one or more horn disabling zones, is further configured to:

determine that the vehicle horn is in use during a non-emergency event; and

transmit the one or more instructions to the vehicle horn to disable the vehicle horn.

18. A system for controlling honking of a vehicle horn in one or more vehicle horn disabling locations, the system comprising:

at least one vehicle computer configured to;

receive information defining one or more zones where a vehicle horn is disabled;

receive information identifying that a vehicle is in the one or more horn disabling zones;

transmit one or more instructions to the vehicle horn to disable the vehicle horn when the vehicle is in the one or more vehicle horn disabling zones;

detect one or more emergency events while the vehicle is in the one or more horn disabling zones; and

upon detecting the one or more emergency events, transmit one or more restricting or overriding instructions to the vehicle horn for restricting or overriding the one or more instructions to disable the vehicle horn while in the one or more horn disabling zones to re-enable the horn; and

after the vehicle horn is re-enabled upon detecting the emergency event;

transmit one or more instructions to the vehicle horn to automatically honk the vehicle horn if a user does not initiate a honking event and a determined parameter reaches a threshold; and

not transmit one or more instructions to the vehicle horn to automatically honk the vehicle horn if the user does initiate a honking event when the determined parameter is below the threshold.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one vehicle computer configured to detect one or more emergency events detects the emergency events based on information relating to one or more objects detected by the vehicle by one or more vehicle sensors or one or more vehicle cameras.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the one or more objects include one or more vehicles, one or more vehicle taillights, one or more pedestrians, or one or more animals.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one vehicle computer is further configured to output an alert in the vehicle when the one or more emergency events are detected.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one vehicle computer is configured to automatically honk the horn by transmitting one or more instructions to the vehicle horn for honking the horn based on one or more automatic honking triggering events.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the automatic honking triggering event is based on a threshold time period.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the automatic honking triggering event is based on a threshold distance between the vehicle and another vehicle.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the automatic honking triggering event is cancelled based on user behavior.