Sound control device, storage medium storing computer program for sound control, and sound control method

US12427918B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-12427918-B2
Application numberUS-202418631732-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateApr 10, 2024
Priority dateApr 28, 2023
Publication dateSep 30, 2025
Grant dateSep 30, 2025

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A sound control device has a processor configured to determine whether a driving mode of a vehicle is a first driving mode wherein degree to which the driver participates in driving is low or a second driving mode wherein the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher, and decide to cause attenuation of predetermined sounds inside the vehicle in a first attenuation mode, using a sound control unit which generates a suppression sound signal for output of suppression sound to cause attenuation of the predetermined sounds, when the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, or decide to cause attenuation of the predetermined sound inside the vehicle in a second attenuation mode which has a smaller degree of attenuation than the first attenuation mode, when the driving mode of the vehicle is the second driving mode.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1. A sound control device comprising: a processor configured to determine whether a driving mode of a vehicle is a first driving mode wherein degree to which a driver participates in driving is low or a second driving mode wherein the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode, and decide to cause attenuation of predetermined sounds inside the vehicle in a first attenuation mode, using a sound control unit which generates a suppression sound signal for output of suppression sound to cause attenuation of the predetermined sounds including sounds that have intruded into the vehicle from outside the vehicle, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, or to decide to cause attenuation of the predetermined sounds inside the vehicle in a second attenuation mode which has a smaller degree of attenuation than the first attenuation mode, using the sound control unit, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the second driving mode. 2. The sound control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether or not sounds outside the vehicle include the predetermined sounds that should be heard while the driver is driving the vehicle, and decide to further reduce the degree of attenuation in the second attenuation mode to below that in the first attenuation mode, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the second driving mode and it has been determined that the sounds outside the vehicle include the predetermined sounds. 3. The sound control device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined sounds have emergency vehicle siren sounds, horn sounds of other vehicle or railroad crossing alarm sounds. 4. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for sound control, which causes a processor to execute a process, the process comprising: determining whether a driving mode of a vehicle is a first driving mode wherein degree to which a driver participates in driving is low or a second driving mode wherein the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode; and deciding to cause attenuation of predetermined sounds inside the vehicle in a first attenuation mode, using a sound control unit which generates a suppression sound signal for output of suppression sound to cause attenuation of the predetermined sounds including sounds that have intruded into the vehicle from outside the vehicle, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, or deciding to cause attenuation of the predetermined sound inside the vehicle in a second attenuation mode which has a smaller degree of attenuation than the first attenuation mode, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the second driving mode. 5. A sound control method carried out by a sound control device and the method comprising: determining whether a driving mode of a vehicle is a first driving mode wherein degree to which a driver participates in driving is low or a second driving mode wherein the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode; and deciding to cause attenuation of predetermined sounds inside the vehicle in a first attenuation mode, using a sound control unit which generates a suppression sound signal for output of suppression sound to cause attenuation of the predetermined sounds including sounds that have intruded into the vehicle from outside the vehicle, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, or deciding to cause attenuation of the predetermined sound inside the vehicle in a second attenuation mode which has a smaller degree of attenuation than the first attenuation mode, when it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the second driving mode.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

  • Autonomous vehicles · CPC title

  • Alarm means · CPC title

  • Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

  • B60Q5/005Primary

    automatically actuated · CPC title

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Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US12427918B2 cover?
A sound control device has a processor configured to determine whether a driving mode of a vehicle is a first driving mode wherein degree to which the driver participates in driving is low or a second driving mode wherein the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher, and decide to cause attenuation of predetermined sounds inside the vehicle in a first attenuation mode, using…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Toyota Motor Co Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification B60Q5/005. Mapped technology areas include Operations & Transport.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Sep 30 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 3 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).