Pedestrian warning device of vehicle

• US 9,994,148 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Klemove Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mando Hella Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Ki-Man
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US15/648,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20180162271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• 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 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A pedestrian warning device of a vehicle is disclosed. The pedestrian warning device includes a pedestrian detector configured to detect a position of a pedestrian walking around a vehicle, an in-vehicle warning sound outputter configured to output warning sounds through a plurality of internal speakers arranged at different positions in the vehicle, and a controller configured to generate pedestrian movement information including a movement direction of the pedestrian based on the detected position of the pedestrian, determine a moved position of the pedestrian based on the generated pedestrian movement information, control an operation of the in-vehicle warning sound outputter according to the determined moved position to operate an internal speaker corresponding to the moved position of the pedestrian among the plurality of internal speakers as the pedestrian moves, and notify a driver of the moved position of the pedestrian by change of a direction of the output warning sound.

Claims

1. A pedestrian warning device of a vehicle comprising:

a pedestrian detector configured to detect a position of a pedestrian walking around a vehicle;

an in-vehicle warning sound outputter configured to output warning sounds through a plurality of internal speakers arranged at different positions in the vehicle; and

a controller configured to generate pedestrian movement information including a movement direction of the pedestrian based on the detected position of the pedestrian, determine a moved position of the pedestrian based on the generated pedestrian movement information, control an operation of the in-vehicle warning sound outputter according to the determined moved position to operate an internal speaker corresponding to the moved position of the pedestrian among the plurality of internal speakers as the pedestrian moves, and notify a driver of the moved position of the pedestrian by change of a direction of the output warning sound.

2. The pedestrian warning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an out-vehicle warning sound outputter configured to output warning sounds through a plurality of external speakers oriented to various directions of the outside of the vehicle,

wherein the controller comprises operating an external speaker corresponding to the moved position of the pedestrian among the plurality of external speakers according to the determined moved position and notifying the pedestrian of a position of the vehicle by change of a direction of the output warning sound.

3. The pedestrian warning device according to claim 1, wherein the controller notifies the pedestrian of the position of the vehicle by change of a volume of the output warning sound when operating the external speaker corresponding to the moved position of the pedestrian among the plurality of external speakers as the pedestrian moves.

4. The pedestrian warning device according to claim 1, wherein the controller notifies the driver of the moved position of the pedestrian by change of a volume of the output warning sound when operating the internal speaker corresponding to the moved position of the pedestrian among the plurality of internal speakers as the pedestrian moves.

5. The pedestrian warning device according to claim 4, wherein the controller controls the volume of the output warning sound according to a distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle.

6. The pedestrian warning device of claim 1, wherein the controller changes the direction of the output warning sound in response to the moved position of the pedestrian.

7. The pedestrian warning device of claim 1, wherein the controller changes the direction of the output warning sound by controlling the operation of the internal speaker corresponding to the moved position of the pedestrian or volume of the output warning sound outputted from at least one of the plurality of internal speakers in response to the moved position of the pedestrian.