Vehicle approach alert device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783107-B2
Application number	US-201615298318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle approach alert device that outputs an approach report sound from a sounding body includes: a memory part in which data of the approach report sound is memorized; a signal generator that generates a voltage waveform signal of the approach report sound based on the data of the approach report sound; a calculator that calculates a temperature of the sounding body; and a correct part that corrects the approach report sound based on the temperature of the sounding body. The calculator acquires information about a temperature detected by a temperature sensor located at a position different from the sounding body in the vehicle, and estimates the temperature of the sounding body based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle approach alert device that outputs an approach report sound representing an approach of a vehicle from a sounding body, the vehicle approach alert device comprising:
a memory part in which data of the approach report sound is memorized;
a signal generator that reads out the data of the approach report sound from the memory part and that generates a voltage waveform signal of the approach report sound based on the data of the approach report sound;
a calculator that calculates a temperature of the sounding body; and
a correct part that corrects the approach report sound based on the temperature of the sounding body calculated by the calculator, wherein
the calculator acquires information about a temperature detected by a temperature sensor located at a position different from the sounding body in the vehicle, and estimates the temperature of the sounding body based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

2. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 1 , wherein
the temperature sensor detects an outside air temperature outside of the vehicle, and
the calculator acquires information about the outside air temperature, and estimates the temperature of the sounding body based on the outside air temperature.

3. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
another temperature sensor that detects a temperature of another component different from the sounding body in the vehicle, and
the calculator acquires information about the temperature of the another component, and estimates the temperature of the sounding body based on the outside air temperature and the temperature of the another component.

4. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 3 , wherein
the another component is one of a plurality of another components,
the memory part memorizes a correlation between the temperature of the sounding body and the respective temperatures of the another components, and
the calculator calculates a variation in the temperature of the sounding body from the outside air temperature based on the temperatures of the another components in the vehicle using the correlation and the information about the temperatures of the another components in the vehicle.

5. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 4 , wherein
the calculator calculates multiplication values by multiplying the outside air temperature and the temperatures of the another components by respective predetermined coefficient, and
the calculator calculates the temperature of the sounding body based on a sum of the multiplication values.

6. The vehicle approach alert device according to claim 5 , wherein
the calculator acquires information about a speed of the vehicle,
the calculator calculates a reduction value by multiplying the speed of the vehicle by a natural cooling coefficient of the sounding body corresponding to the speed of the vehicle, and
the calculator calculates the temperature of the sounding body by subtracting the reduction value from the sum.

Assignees

• Anden Co Ltd
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakamoto Hitoshi
• Tajimi Hironari
• Yamamoto Chikara
• Suzuki Tomonori
• Matsui Tadashi

Classifications

• B60Q5/006 Primary

  indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians · CPC title

• B60Q5/008 Primary

  for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching · CPC title

• G10K9/13

  using electromagnetic driving means · CPC title

• G10K15/02

  Synthesis of acoustic waves (synthesis of speech G10L13/00) · CPC title