Anden Co., Ltd.

Denso Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Haruyuki Tsuzuki

Kentaro Teshima

Chikara Yamamoto

Kazuhiro Nakashima

Tomonori Suzuki

Takeshi Kumazaki

Hironari Tajimi

Yukiko Matsubara

Hitoshi Sakamoto

Yoshimitsu Ukai

Tsutomu Suzuki

Kazuyuki Usami

A vehicle approach alert device includes: a microcomputer having a memory that stores approach alert sound data, and a signal generator that generates an approach alert sound voltage waveform signal based on the approach alert sound data. The vehicle approach alert device alerts approach of a vehicle by outputting a vehicle approach alert sound from a sound outputting body according to the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal. The microcomputer further includes: an obtaining device that obtains a sound outputting body temperature; and a sound pressure correcting device that corrects a voltage level of the approach alert sound voltage waveform signal to be larger as the sound outputting body temperature increases.

Vehicle approach alert device

A vehicle approach alert device includes: an output sound generator that generates a sound output of output sound data read out from a memory device; a voltage control unit that changes a voltage of an output waveform of the sound output, and outputs a voltage control output; an amplifier that flows current, corresponding to the voltage control output, to a sound output body to output a vehicle approach alert sound; an acceleration operation amount obtaining device; a change amount calculation device that calculates a temporal change amount of the acceleration operation amount; an output sound control device that sets an envelope frequency of the vehicle approach alert sound based on the temporal change amount; and a change control device that controls the voltage control unit to change the voltage according to the envelope frequency.

A vehicle approach alert device includes: a first output sound voltage waveform signal generator having a first output sound generator that generates a first signal corresponding to output sound data read out from a memory device, and a first sound volume variable device that controls a voltage level of the first signal; a second output sound voltage waveform signal generator having a second output sound generator that generates a second signal corresponding to the output sound data read out from the memory device, and a second sound volume variable device that controls a voltage level of the second signal; a mixer circuit that mixes the first signal and the second signal; and an amplifier that outputs a vehicle approach alert sound with flowing current, which corresponds to a voltage of a mixed signal, through a sound output body.

In a vehicle approach notification device for notifying approach of a vehicle by emitting a notification sound according to a synthetic sound signal composed of a plurality of frequency components from a speaker, a vehicle speed specifying portion specifies a speed of the vehicle, and a synthetic sound signal generating portion generates the synthetic sound signal. The synthetic sound signal generating portion generates the synthetic sound signal such that the frequency component that belongs to a second frequency range in which a variation in sound pressure outputted from the speaker is equal to or smaller than a predetermined magnitude is shifted according to a change in the speed of the vehicle, without shifting the frequency component that belongs to a first frequency range in which the variation in sound pressure outputted from the speaker is greater than the predetermined magnitude.

Vehicle approach notification device

A vehicle approach warning apparatus for abnormality detection in various abnormal modes is provided. In the vehicle approach warning apparatus, a sound generator output from the microcomputer passes an AMP and HPF, and an output voltage corresponding to the sound generator output is applied to a speaker to emit vehicle approach sound. The vehicle approach warning apparatus includes a voltage sensor circuit and outputs a check usage output as the sound generator output at the abnormality detection. A single frequency output that is within a resonance frequency band of the speaker and that can be poorly reproduced by the speaker is used as the check usage output. The abnormality detection is performed based on whether an integration circuit voltage outputted from the voltage sensor circuit is within a voltage range being an abnormality determination threshold.

Vehicle approach warning apparatus

A vehicle proximity annunciator device reduces an occurrence of a pop noise without an additional circuit changing an output of a power amplifier. A capacitor is located between a connection point connecting multiple resistances generating a reference voltage and a ground terminal. The capacitor causes a rise-up time of the reference voltage to delay at a start of power supply to a power source terminal. A sound emission signal is increased at substantially a same level of the reference voltage so that a variation of a differential voltage between the reference voltage and the sound emission signal falls in a pre-determined range.

Vehicle proximity annunciator device

A control unit generates an annunciation sound signal including multiple frequency components. A sound emission device emits an annunciation sound to an outside of a vehicle according to the annunciation sound signal. The control unit changes a pitch of the annunciation sound signal according to a vehicle speed and changes an output level of the annunciation sound signal according to the pitch of the annunciation sound signal.

Vehicle proximity annunciator device and method for notifying proximity of vehicle

A vehicle approach warning apparatus has a failure determining section and a monitor voltage output circuit connected to a potential change terminal. During a sound emit period where a warning signal is being outputted to an sound emitter for emitting a warning sound, the output circuit outputs a monitor voltage from an output terminal by half-wave rectifying and integrating the warning signal upon a change of a potential of the potential change terminal to a high level. When a short-circuit failure occurs in the sound emitter, the output circuit keeps a potential of the output terminal to a low level during the sound emit period. During the sound emit period, the failure determining section sets the potential of the potential change terminal to a high level and determines whether the short-circuit failure occurs based on the monitor voltage.

In a rain shelter control system for vehicular doorways, an electronic key ECU causes exterior signal transmitters to periodically transmit request signals. When a portable device receives the request signal in an arrival range of the request signals, the portable device generates a response signal responsive to the request signal. When a receiver receives the response signal from the portable device, the electronic key ECU operates to automatically open any of rain shelters near the portable device, so that a holder of the portable device and passengers fold their umbrellas under the opened rain shelters, so that they can get into a vehicle without being exposed to rain. Besides, the electronic key ECU operates to automatically open the rain shelter when they get off the vehicle.

Rain shelter control system and method for doorway

A portable unit locating system is incorporated in a vehicle equipment control system including a portable unit and an in-vehicle unit, which communicate each other for controlling vehicle equipment such as doors. The in-vehicle unit includes inside transmitters, a receiver, a comparison ECU and a display. The transmitters transmit respective request signals in a vehicle compartment. The comparison ECU determines whether any response signal has been received from the portable unit in response the request signals, while gradually varying output levels of the request signals. The comparison ECU then specifies a location of the portable unit based on a change in determination results. The display visually or audibly notifies the specified location of the portable unit to a vehicle user.

Portable unit locating system and method

A vehicle has a reference receiver installed at an outer edge position of a desired detection area in a compartment to receive a signal transmitted from a transmitter in the compartment. The level of signal transmission output of the transmitter is adjusted based on the reception result of the reference receiver. It becomes possible to adjust the signal transmission output of the transmitter in the compartment so as to obtain a desired detection area at all times irrespective of change of the detection area reached by the request signal from the transmitter determined by the compartment or irrespective of variation in the electromagnetic wave environment in which the vehicle is placed.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Haruyuki Tsuzuki