Generation device for vehicle-evocative sound and generation method for vehicle-evocative sound

• US 9,393,906 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Asao, Koji, Tanaka, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Odunukwe, Ubachukwu
• Application Number:
  US13/637,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58, 381/61, 381/86, 381/98, 381/119, 381/17, 701/45, 701/1, 701/22, 701/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• 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: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle-like sound generation method wherein an acquisition unit (730A) refers to map information contained in a memory unit (710) based on the current position of a vehicle (MV) detected by a position detection unit (720), acquires lane information including the number of lanes on the road the vehicle (MV) is currently driving on, and sends the acquired lane information to a determination unit (740). Then, the determination unit (740) determines the range of the vehicle-like sound output towards the exterior of the vehicle based on the lane information sent by the acquisition unit (730A). Next, a control unit (750) calculates the volume setting for the vehicle-like sound output from the left and right speakers of a sound output unit (760) based on the determined range. Thus, output of the vehicle-like sound can be controlled while taking into account the probability that persons to be notified are present in surroundings which change due to the type of road currently being driven on.

Claims

1. A vehicle-evocative sound generation device that outputs vehicle-evocative sound from a sound output part to the outside of a vehicle comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

acquire vehicle lane information including vehicle lane information that specifies a number of vehicle lanes on a road upon which said vehicle is traveling, based on a current position of the vehicle,

decide whether the number of vehicle lanes is one or is two or more, based on the acquired vehicle lane information,

select a first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range over which vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part is to arrive, based on said acquired vehicle lane information when the number of vehicle lanes is decided to be one, and select a second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range over which the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part is to arrive when the number of vehicle lanes is decided to be two or more, the first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range being different from the second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, without determining whether a person exists in the vicinity of the vehicle; and

a controller controlling an adjustment of a volume of the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part to the outside of the vehicle, the volume corresponding to the selected first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range or the selected second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range.

2. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage storing map information including said vehicle lane number information for said road,

the one or more processors detect the current position of the vehicle, and acquire said vehicle lane information for said road by referring to said storage on the basis of said current position detected by said one or more processors.

4. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 1, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a broader range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle on which it is estimated that a pedestrian may be present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

5. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 1, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a narrower range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side on which it is estimated that no pedestrian is present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

8. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 2, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a broader range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle on which it is estimated that a pedestrian may be present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

10. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 2, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a narrower range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side on which it is estimated that no pedestrian is present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

12. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 4, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a narrower range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side on which it is estimated that no pedestrian is present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

13. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 8, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a narrower range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side on which it is estimated that no pedestrian is present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

3. A vehicle-evocative sound generation device that outputs vehicle-evocative sound from a sound output part to the outside of a vehicle comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

acquire vehicle lane information including vehicle lane number information that specifies a number of vehicle lanes on a road upon which said vehicle is traveling, by analyzing images photographed by a camera, the camera photographing images around the path along which the vehicle is traveling,

decide whether the number of vehicle lanes is one or is two or more, based on the acquired vehicle lane information,

select a first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range over which vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part is to arrive, based on said acquired vehicle lane information when the number of vehicle lanes is decided to be one, and select a second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range over which the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part is to arrive when the number of vehicle lanes is decided to be two or more, the first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range being different from the second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, without determining whether a person exists in the vicinity of the vehicle; and

a controller controlling an adjustment of a volume of the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part to the outside of the vehicle, the volume corresponding to the selected first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range or the selected second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range.

9. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 3, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a broader range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle on which it is estimated that a pedestrian may be present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

11. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 3, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a narrower range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side on which it is estimated that no pedestrian is present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

14. The generation device for vehicle-evocative sound according to claim 9, wherein said one or more processors:

determine a predetermined range symmetrical with respect to the direction of progression of said vehicle as said first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is one; and

determine a narrower range than said predetermined range as said second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range for the side on which it is estimated that no pedestrian is present, when the number of vehicle lanes on said road upon which said vehicle is traveling is two or more.

6. A generation method for vehicle-evocative sound employed by a generation device for vehicle-evocative sound that outputs vehicle-evocative sound from a sound output part outside a vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring vehicle lane information including vehicle lane information that specifies a number of vehicle lanes on a road upon which said vehicle is traveling, based on a current position of the vehicle;

deciding whether the number of vehicle lanes is one or is two or more, based on the acquired vehicle lane information;

selecting a first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range over which the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part is to arrive, based on said acquired vehicle lane information when the number of vehicle lanes is decided to be one, and selecting a second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range over which the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part is to arrive when the number of vehicle lanes is decided to be two or more, the first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range being different from the second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range, without determining whether a person exists in the vicinity of the vehicle; and

controlling an adjustment of a volume of the vehicle-evocative sound output from said sound output part, the volume corresponding to the selected first predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range or the selected second predetermined vehicle-evocative sound arrival range.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded therein a generation program for vehicle-evocative sound that, when executed, causes a computer to execute the generation method for vehicle-evocation sound according to claim 6.