Vehicle approach alert device

• US 9,868,323 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anden Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anden Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuzuki, Haruyuki, Suzuki, Tsutomu, Sakamoto, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Quang D
• Application Number:
  US14/786,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/008 Low pressure tyres, e.g. for all terrain vehicles
• 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 9/13 using electromagnetic driving means

Abstract

A vehicle approach alert device includes: a microcomputer having a memory that stores approach alert sound data, and a signal generator that generates an approach alert sound voltage waveform signal based on the approach alert sound data. The vehicle approach alert device alerts approach of a vehicle by outputting a vehicle approach alert sound from a sound outputting body according to the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal. The microcomputer further includes: an obtaining device that obtains a sound outputting body temperature; and a sound pressure correcting device that corrects a voltage level of the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to be larger as the sound outputting body temperature increases.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach alert device associated with a vehicle for providing a vehicle approach alert sound with noise reduction and warning efficiency based on temperature data of a sound outputting body, the device comprising:

a microcomputer having a memory that stores vehicle approach alert sound data to be output via the sound outputting body, and a signal generator that reads out the vehicle approach alert sound data from the memory and generates a vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal indicative of the vehicle approach alert sound to be output based on the vehicle approach alert sound data, wherein;

the vehicle approach alert device alerts an approach of the vehicle by outputting the vehicle approach alert sound from the sound outputting body according to the vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal output from the microcomputer;

the microcomputer further includes;

an obtaining device that obtains a sound outputting body temperature as the temperature data of the sound outputting body; and

a sound pressure correcting device that corrects a voltage level of the vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal generated by the signal generator to be larger as the sound outputting body temperature obtained by the obtaining device increases; and

the signal generator outputs a corrected vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal of the sound pressure correcting device;

the sound pressure correcting device calculates an amplitude coefficient, according to the temperature data of the sound outputting body, which becomes larger as the sound outputting body temperature obtained by the obtaining device increases;

the sound pressure correcting device calculates the corrected vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal by multiplying the amplitude coefficient by the vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal before being corrected;

the sound pressure correcting device outputs the corrected vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to the signal generator;

the obtaining device further obtains a vehicle travelling state;

the signal generator changes the voltage level of the vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal based on the vehicle travelling state obtained by the obtaining device; and

the sound pressure correcting device calculates the amplitude coefficient of the vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to set a relationship between the vehicle travelling state and a sound pressure level of the vehicle approach alert sound actually output from the sound outputting body such that the sound pressure level of the vehicle approach alert sound actually output from the sound outputting body is constant with respect to a change of the temperature data of the sound outputting body when the vehicle travelling state of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined speed.

2. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 1, wherein the sound pressure correcting device calculates the amplitude coefficient of the vehicle approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to control the sound pressure level of the vehicle approach alert sound actually output from the sound outputting body to be constant with respect to the change of the sound outputting body temperature.