SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ALERT TONES

• US 20090085770A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Federal Network Systems LLC (Jacobs Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: MERGEN, John-Francis
• Granted Patent: US 7,812,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/904
• 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: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for alerting pedestrians as to the presence of a vehicle are provided. The system for providing alert tones may include a personal communication device, such as a mobile terminal, a vehicle communication system, and an output device. A driver of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle communication system may select an alert tone to download to his vehicle directly using the vehicle communication system or indirectly via a communications link between the personal communication device and the vehicle communication system. Upon approaching a pedestrian, the driver may actuate the vehicle communication system to sound the alert tone through the output device by interacting with an input device, such as a button or a switch. Actuation may also be caused by a voice command or automatically, through the detection of an object within a certain distance of the vehicle via one or more sensors.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for an alert tone from a vehicle communication system; and

providing the requested alert tone to enable the vehicle communication system to sound the alert tone upon actuation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request and providing the alert tone comprise communicating with a personal communication device that is configured to establish a communications link with the vehicle communication system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a sample of the alert tone to the vehicle communication system, wherein the vehicle communication system is configured to permit a preview of the sample prior to provision of the requested alert tone.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a sample of the alert tone to a personal communication device that is configured to permit a preview of the sample prior to provision of the requested alert tone.

5. A method comprising:

sending a request for an alert tone to a source of alert tones;

receiving at a vehicle communication system carried by a vehicle the requested alert tone; and

sounding the alert tone via the vehicle communication system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the request and receiving the alert tone comprise communicating with the source via a personal communication device that is configured to establish a communications link with the vehicle communication system.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving a sample of the alert tone, wherein the sample can be previewed prior to receiving the requested alert tone from the source.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein sounding the alert tone comprises receiving an input from a user in the form of a voice command.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein sounding the alert tone comprises receiving an input from a user in the form of a user'"'"'s interaction with an input device.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein sounding the alert tone comprises automatically sounding the alert tone based on a presence of an object within a predetermined distance.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing the received alert tone in a memory of the vehicle communication system.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of alert tones; and

a processor configured to receive a request for an alert tone from a vehicle communication system, to obtain the requested alert tone from the memory, and to provide the requested alert tone to enable the vehicle communication system to sound the alert tone upon actuation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a personal communication device that is configured to establish a communications link with the vehicle communication system.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to provide a sample of the alert tone to the vehicle communication system, wherein the vehicle communication system is configured to permit a preview of the sample prior to provision of the requested alert tone.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to provide a sample of the alert tone to a personal communication device that is configured to permit a preview of the sample prior to provision of the requested alert tone.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor carried by a vehicle and configured to send a request for an alert tone to a source and to receive the requested alert tone from the source; and

an output device responsive to the processor and configured to sound the alert tone.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to establish a communications link with a personal communication device and to send the request and receive the alert tone via the personal communication device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to receive a sample of the alert tone, wherein the sample can be previewed prior to receiving the requested alert tone from the source.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to actuate the output device to sound the alert tone in response to an input from a user in the form of a voice command.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an input device configured to communicate with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to actuate the output device to sound the alert tone based on a user'"'"'s interaction with the input device.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to actuate the output device to sound the alert tone automatically based on a presence of an object within a predetermined distance.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a memory configured to store a plurality of received alert tones.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a display, wherein the processor is configured to provide a representation upon the display of each stored alert tone from which a user is permitted to designate the alert tone to be sounded.