Vehicle notification sound generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11900809-B2
Application number	US-202016904016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle notification sound generation system mounted on a self-driving capable electric bus, and the system has a speaker that outputs a verbal speech about arrival of the electric bus at a destination and outputs a non-verbal sound corresponding to a state of acceleration/deceleration of the electric bus before acceleration/deceleration operation or during acceleration/deceleration of the electric bus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle notification sound generation system mounted on a self-driving capable bus-type vehicle, the system comprising a vehicle interior speaker, a central processing unit, an amplifier, and a camera, wherein:
the vehicle interior speaker outputs a verbal speech, based on a verbal speech signal, about arrival of the vehicle at a destination and a non-verbal sound, based on a non-verbal sound signal, corresponding to a state of acceleration/deceleration or a state of turning of the vehicle before acceleration/deceleration operation, during acceleration/deceleration, before a start of turning, or during turning of the vehicle, the non-verbal sound is a sound that differs from the verbal speech in volume;
the central processing unit is configured to:
generate the verbal speech signal about the arrival of the vehicle at the destination based on travel information of the vehicle input from an automatic driving device of the vehicle; and
generate the non-verbal sound signal corresponding to the state of acceleration/deceleration or the state of turning of the vehicle based on behavior information of the vehicle input from the automatic driving device of the vehicle; and
the amplifier is configured to generate a notification sound signal by synthesizing the verbal speech signal and the non-verbal sound signal, and drive the vehicle interior speaker based on the generated notification sound signal;

the camera, while operating, detects either an absence or a presence of a standing passenger or a wheelchair passenger in a vehicle chamber; and
when the camera is operating and detects the absence of the standing passenger or the wheelchair passenger, the central processing unit prohibits output of the non-verbal sound signal.

2. The vehicle notification sound generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle interior speaker is fixed on an internal wall of the vehicle on or adjacent to signage.

3. The vehicle notification sound generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the central processing unit changes, a predetermined time before the end of acceleration or the end of turning, a waveform of the non-verbal sound signal obtained during acceleration.

4. The vehicle notification sound generation system according to claim 2 , wherein the central processing unit changes, a predetermined time before the end of acceleration or the end of turning, a waveform of the non-verbal sound signal obtained during acceleration.

5. The vehicle notification sound generation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory that stores a composite notification sound signal that is obtained by synthesizing the verbal speech signal about the arrival of the vehicle at the destination and the non-verbal sound signal corresponding to a state of acceleration/deceleration or a state of turning of the vehicle according to the verbal speech signal; and
wherein the central processing unit outputs the composite notification sound signal stored in the memory based on an output command from the automatic driving device of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle notification sound generation system according to claim 5 , wherein
the memory stores the composite notification sound signal and start timing data for the non-verbal sound signal included in the composite notification sound signal, and
the automatic driving device of the vehicle obtains, from the memory, the start timing data for the non-verbal sound signal included in the composite notification sound signal, and outputs, based on the start timing data, a command to output the composite notification sound signal to the central processing unit.

7. The vehicle notification sound generation system according to claim 6 , wherein
the automatic driving device of the vehicle outputs, to the central processing unit, a command to output the composite notification sound signal such that the non-verbal sound signal is started a predetermined time before a start of acceleration/deceleration or a start of turning.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takamura Tohru
• Kokaji Jun
• Mori Masahiro

Classifications

• G08G1/133 Primary

  within the vehicle {; Indicators inside the vehicles or at stops} · CPC title

• B60R11/0217

  for loud-speakers · CPC title

• B60W40/08

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W60/00

  Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles · CPC title

• B60W2300/10

  Buses · CPC title