JP2011184036A - Alarm sound generating device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a vehicle outside peripheral person from being troubled with a long-time useless advancing alarm sound, by giving an advancing alarm sound (an S sound and a D sound) to the vehicle outside when its other starting preparation operation is completed, not immediately when selecting a D range. <P>SOLUTION: The advancing alarm sound (the forward starting S sound and the advancing travel D sound) is generated in the following timing. When there is starting preparation operation after (S11) during a stopping state of being less than a vehicle speed Vs(=1 Km/h) in a vehicle speed V and a travel possible state of turning on an ignition switch, that is, when there is switching operation to the D range in a brake nonoperating state of brake switch OFF (S12), or when switched to a non-braking state from a braking state in a D range selecting state (S13), or when switched to the non-braking state from the braking state simultaneously with range switching operation to the D range (S14), a forward starting alarm sound (S) is generated in S15, and afterwards, an advancing travel alarm sound (the D sound) is generated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides vehicle information such as the presence of a vehicle, a driver's intention due to a shift operation, an accelerator operation, a brake operation, and the like, a vehicle traveling direction, and a running state including a vehicle speed as an alarm sound. The present invention relates to an alarm sound generating device, and more particularly, to an alarm sound generating technique for informing a person around the vehicle of vehicle traveling related to the presence of the vehicle.

Vehicles with quiet driving and running noise (including vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines), especially electric vehicles that run only on electric motors (running on EVs), and hybrid vehicles that run on electric motors only (EV mode) For electric vehicles such as
Due to the quietness of driving and driving sounds, the vehicle information such as the presence of the vehicle, the driver's intentions due to shift operations, the traveling direction (forward or backward) of the vehicle, and the driving state including the vehicle speed are warned outside the vehicle. There is a case where it is necessary to warn the vehicle information to a person near the vehicle.

The present invention relates to a technique for generating an alarm sound that informs people around the vehicle of vehicle information, particularly among vehicle information.
Conventionally, a technique as described in Patent Document 1 is known as such an alarm sound generating device.

According to this technology, when an ignition switch is turned on to make the vehicle ready to run, this is detected, and an alarm sound is issued to notify people around the vehicle of the running of the vehicle.
According to such a conventional vehicle alarm sound generation device, an alarm sound has been generated since the vehicle is ready to travel, and the vehicle starts traveling in response to the start operation after the start preparation operation. Since the warning sound is sounding from the front, people around the vehicle can know the running of the vehicle from this sound.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-208307

  However, since the conventional vehicle alarm sound generator described above emits an alarm sound to notify the vehicle travel after the vehicle is ready to travel due to the ignition switch being turned on, the vehicle travel warning is quick. This causes the following problems.

That is, the above-described alarm sound may be just before the vehicle starts to travel, in other words, when the start preparation operation is completed, as is apparent in light of the purpose of generation.
However, as in the past, when the vehicle is ready to run due to the ignition switch being turned on, a warning sound is emitted immediately.However, even if the vehicle is ready to run but the vehicle does not start for the time being, the vehicle is ready to run. A warning sound will be emitted from the moment.
In this case, a warning sound continues to be emitted for a long time from when the vehicle is ready to run due to the ignition switch being turned on until the start of the start by the start operation. Cause trouble.

  However, if the start is detected when the vehicle speed is generated and the above warning sound is generated from the time when the start is detected, the warning sound will not be used in accordance with the purpose of generating the warning sound to alert the vehicle in advance. .

According to the present invention, an alarm sound relating to the traveling of the vehicle is generated at the above request timing, that is, at the completion of the start preparation operation, so that the alarm sound is not generated only when the vehicle is ready to travel. And
As a result, if the vehicle is ready to run but does not start for the time being, the above warning sound will not be emitted unnecessarily, and people outside the vehicle will be inconvenienced by a long and unnecessary warning sound. An object of the present invention is to propose a warning sound generator for a vehicle that is not received.

For this purpose, the vehicle alarm sound generating apparatus according to the present invention is configured as follows.
First, a vehicle alarm sound generation device, which is a basic premise of the gist of the present invention, emits an alarm sound for notifying people around the vehicle of possible vehicle travel by a shift operation in which the driver commands vehicle travel. It is a thing.

The present invention provides an alarm sound generating device for such a vehicle,
The above warning sound is composed of a start warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle that the vehicle shifts from the vehicle stopped state to the running state, and a traveling warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle about the vehicle running,
The present invention is characterized in that a start warning sound generation timing determining means is provided for generating the start warning sound when the shift operation and other start preparation operations are performed.

According to such an alarm sound generator of the present invention,
Because the start warning sound is generated when other start preparation operations are performed in addition to the above shift operation,
When the vehicle is ready to run, the start warning sound is not generated, and when the vehicle is ready to run but the vehicle does not start for the time being, the start warning sound is not wasted and it is unnecessary for a long time. It is possible to solve the above-mentioned problem that people around the vehicle are inconvenienced by a simple start warning sound.

In addition, a warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle that the vehicle is traveling is a start warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle that the vehicle is moving from a stopped state to a traveling state, and notifying people around the vehicle that the vehicle is traveling. By consisting of a running warning sound for
It is possible to increase the cognition that the vehicle has shifted from the stopped state to the traveling state with respect to people around the vehicle.

1 is a control system diagram showing a control system for an alarm sound source that constitutes an alarm sound generator for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart showing a control program for a pre-start warning sound (S sound) executed by the warning sound controller shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control program for forward running warning sound (D sound) executed by the warning sound controller shown in FIG. 1; 3 is a flowchart showing a control program for a reverse warning sound (R sound) executed by the warning sound controller shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a warning sound prohibition control program executed by a warning sound controller shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a warning sound increase control program executed by a warning sound controller shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings.
<Configuration of Example>
FIG. 1 shows a vehicle alarm sound generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and in particular, is a control system diagram of an alarm sound generator constituting the alarm sound generator.
In this embodiment, as an alarm sound generation source, an outside speaker 1 that is an external alarm sound generation source for generating an alarm toward people outside the vehicle, and an in-vehicle alarm for generating an alarm for the driver It is assumed that the vehicle interior speaker 11 is provided as a sound generation source.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle using the alarm sound generating device is an electric vehicle that uses only an electric motor as a power source and runs electrically (EV travels) with this motor.
However, the present invention uses an electric motor and an engine as a power source and has an electric travel mode (EV mode) that travels only by the electric motor, and a hybrid vehicle that travels by power from the electric motor and engine (HEV mode). Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to an engine-equipped vehicle using only the engine as a power source.

The speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment is a space in the motor room in the front part of the vehicle that houses a power source unit consisting of an electric motor, a transmission, etc., which is a power source of an electric vehicle, in particular, foreign matter such as muddy water and stones that are spun up by wheels. Install in a space where no foreign matter such as rain, snow or high-pressure car wash water enters,
By utilizing this space as a resonance box for the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment, the alarm sound generator of this embodiment is configured to be non-directional.

<Alarm sound control system>
The vehicle exterior speaker 1 is controlled to operate together with the vehicle interior speaker 11 by the alarm sound controller 12 shown in FIG.

  For such control, the warning sound controller 12 is selected in accordance with a shift (range selection) operation performed by the driver to command parking and stopping, and the selected range is a parking (P) range and a reverse (R) range. A signal from the range sensor 13 that detects whether the neutral (N) range or the forward (D) range is input.

In addition to the alarm sound controller 12,
A signal from the vehicle speed sensor 14 for detecting the vehicle speed V;
A signal from the brake switch 15 that is turned on when the brake pedal is depressed and turned off when the brake pedal is released,
A signal from the mute switch 16 that is pressed and commanded to mute the sound from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment,
A signal from the sound increase switch 17 that is pressed and commanded to increase the sound from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment,
ON / OFF signal from the ignition switch 18 that enables the power source unit to be driven,
A signal from an obstacle approach distance sensor 19 that detects a distance L between the own vehicle and an obstacle such as another vehicle in the vehicle traveling direction is input.

<Warning sound in the cabin>
In the case of this embodiment, the alarm sound controller 12 of FIG. 1 operates the vehicle interior speaker 11 as follows.
(1) While receiving the R range selection signal from the range sensor 13, an “R range selection alarm sound” (in this embodiment, an intermittent sound) for informing the driver of “selecting the R range” from the vehicle interior speaker 11. The vehicle interior speaker 11 is operated so that a sound is emitted.
(2) While the distance L to the obstacle detected by the obstacle approach distance sensor 19 is less than the set distance, the vehicle interior speaker 11 informs the driver that the vehicle is approaching the obstacle. For example, the vehicle interior speaker 11 is operated so that an “obstacle approach warning sound” is generated by voice.

In addition to these, the alarm sound to be notified to the driver in the passenger compartment includes a “seat belt alarm sound” for alarming that the seat belt is not worn, although not shown.
However, the “seat belt warning sound” may be emitted from the dedicated speaker or buzzer instead of the vehicle interior speaker 11 together with the “obstacle approach warning sound”.

<Warning sound outside the passenger compartment>
Next, the operation control of the outside speaker 1 executed by the alarm sound controller 12 of FIG. 1 will be described below.
In this embodiment, as a warning sound from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment, a short-time previous start warning sound (S sound) that should be generated for warning prior to the previous start, and a warning sound during forward traveling are generated. Set a forward running warning sound (D sound) and a reverse warning sound (R sound) to be generated for warning during reverse running,
The preceding start warning sound (S sound) and the forward travel warning sound (D sound) constitute a forward warning sound for warning the forward movement of the vehicle by the D range.

The forward warning sound (S sound) of the forward warning sound is a soft sound like a soft phone type "Fore", and the forward running warning sound (D sound) is driven by the engine-equipped vehicle. The engine pseudo sound is similar to the engine sound generated inside.
The backward warning sound (R sound) is the same intermittent sound as the “R range selection warning sound” generated from the vehicle interior speaker 11 as described above during the R range selection.

By the way, the forward running warning sound (D sound) is an engine pseudo sound as described above, and continues to be generated for a long time, so it is not preferable to listen to this forward running warning sound (D sound). This forward running warning sound (D sound) is a sound that does not need to be heard by the driver.
On the other hand, the pre-start warning sound (S sound) is a soft phone-type soft sound that is generated only for a short time from the start of start to the start of start. However, since it is preferable for the driver to confirm that the previous start alarm is issued, the previous start alarm sound (S sound) is a sound that the driver wants to hear.

In view of these requirements, in this embodiment, the forward running warning sound (D sound) is an engine pseudo sound as described below, and the pre-start warning sound (S sound) is a soft phone type sound as described below. Use a soft sound.
Considering the sound propagation characteristics between the vehicle interior and exterior of the vehicle, the vehicle is difficult for sound of a relatively high frequency range (normally 1.5 to 6 KHz, depending on the vehicle) to enter the vehicle interior from outside the vehicle interior. In general, sound of a relatively low frequency range (which differs depending on the vehicle, but usually less than 1.5 KHz) is likely to enter the passenger compartment from outside the passenger compartment.

  From these facts, in the present embodiment, the forward running warning sound (D sound) is difficult to enter the vehicle interior from outside the vehicle compartment, but is relatively high in a certain frequency range (preferably 2 to 4 kHz) that is easily heard by people around the vehicle exterior. As an engine pseudo sound, an unnecessary forward travel warning sound (D sound) is prevented from being heard by the driver in the passenger compartment, and this makes the driver uncomfortable with the D sound (engine pseudo sound). In addition, the person around the vehicle can surely hear the D sound (pseudo engine sound) and can recognize the presence and running of the vehicle.

  However, if the previous start warning sound (S sound) is also set to the same engine pseudo sound, the driver in the passenger compartment can hear the previous start warning sound (S sound) and recognize that the previous start warning has been issued. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to make the previous start warning sound (S sound) louder than the horn sound volume, which will surprise the surrounding people.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the pre-start warning sound (S sound) is a soft sound such as a soft phone type “fore-on” in a relatively low frequency range that easily enters the vehicle interior from the outside of the vehicle interior.
Due to its low frequency range, the pre-start warning sound (S sound) set in this way is easy to enter the passenger compartment from outside the vehicle compartment, without making the volume loud (without surprise the surrounding people) The driver in the room can hear the previous start warning sound (S sound) and can reliably recognize that the previous start warning has been made.
The previous start warning sound (S sound) is a soft soft phone type sound and is generated only for a short time from the start of the start to the start of the start, so it is not an unpleasant sound for the driver. Will not make you uncomfortable.

<Previous start warning sound (S sound)>
In controlling the preceding start warning sound (S sound), the warning sound controller 12 in FIG. 1 executes the control program in FIG. 2 to perform the control.
First, in step S11, it is checked whether or not the vehicle is in a stop determination state in which the vehicle speed V is less than the stop determination vehicle speed Vs (= 1 Km / h) and the vehicle is in a travelable state in which the ignition switch 18 is turned on.
If the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the stoppage determination vehicle speed Vs (= 1 Km / h) and it is determined that the vehicle is traveling, or if the vehicle is in a travel impossible state where the ignition switch 18 is turned off, the control is terminated as it is and step S15 is performed. By skipping, no S sound is generated.

If it is determined in step S11 that the vehicle is stopped (V <Vs) and it is determined that the vehicle is ready to travel (ignition switch 18 is ON),
In step S12, it is checked whether or not there has been a range switching operation to the D range when the brake switch 15 is in the OFF state (the brake is not activated)
If "Yes", in step S15, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that a soft phone type soft "Fore" sound is generated.

If the determination in step S12 is “No”, the brake switch 15 is switched from ON to OFF in the state where the D range is selected in step S13 (the brake pedal is released from the braking state where the brake pedal is depressed). Has been switched to a non-braking state)
If "Yes", in step S15, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that a soft phone type soft "Fore" sound is generated.

When the determination in step S13 is “No”, in step S14, simultaneously with the range switching operation to the D range, switching from the braking state in which the brake pedal is depressed to the non-braking state in which the brake pedal is released is performed. Check whether the brake switch 15 has been switched from ON to OFF.
If "Yes", in step S15, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that a soft phone type soft "Fore" sound is generated.

  By the way, in step S13 or step S14, while the operation of slowly returning the brake pedal from the depressed state is being performed, the brake switch 15 remains ON and has not been switched OFF because the foot has not yet been released. Therefore, the control does not proceed to step S15 and the S sound cannot be generated.

If the driver misunderstands that an S sound is generated during such gentle brake pedal return operation, the driver recognizes that the person in the vicinity of the vehicle should be aware of the start of driving by the S sound. Therefore, it is not preferable for safe driving.
By the way, the braking force decreases even by a gentle brake pedal return operation, and the vehicle may start due to, for example, the creep force or the road surface gradient of the downhill road, which requires attention in safe driving.

However, in this embodiment, as described above, the S sound is used as an alarm sound in a relatively low frequency range that is easy to enter the vehicle interior from the outside of the passenger compartment, and the driver can surely hear the S sound to Therefore, it is possible to reliably recognize that no S sound was generated during the above-described gentle brake pedal return operation.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the driver does not mistake that the S sound is generated during the gentle brake pedal return operation, and the driver recognizes the start of driving because the person near the vehicle has not heard the S sound. Recognizing that this is not the case, it is possible to strive for safe driving, which is very advantageous for safe driving.

  If the determination in step S14 is “No”, the control is terminated as it is and step S15 is skipped, so that no S sound is generated.

That is, during a stop (V <Vs) where the vehicle is ready to travel (ignition switch 18 is ON) (step S11),
When there is a range switching operation to D range in the non-braking state with the brake pedal released (step S12), or
In the D range selection state, when switching from the braking state where the brake pedal is depressed to the non-braking state where the brake pedal is released (step S13), or
When the range switching operation to the D range and the switching from the braking state in which the brake pedal is depressed to the non-braking state in which the brake pedal is released (step S14),
In step S15, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so as to generate S sound, and otherwise, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is kept in an inoperative state and S sound is not generated.

In this way, while the vehicle is stopped (step S11),
When the brake pedal is released (non-braking) and there is a shift operation to the D range (step S12), or
When the foot that was depressing the brake pedal is released from the brake pedal in the D range selection state (step S13), or
When the shift operation to the D range and the brake release operation to release the foot that was depressing the brake pedal from the brake pedal at the same time (step S14),
In step S15, when the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that the S sound is generated, the S sound is generated immediately before the start of traveling.

Here, if the S sound is generated when the ignition switch 18 is turned on and the vehicle is ready to run, the S sound is generated too early. Sound is generated wastefully, and there is a problem that an S sound is generated in the meantime and surrounding people are confused while there is a long time to start running.
However, if the S sound is generated after the start of traveling, there is a problem that the meaning of the alarm is weakened because the purpose of generating the S sound for alarming the start of traveling is not met.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, the S sound is generated when the start preparation operation is completed, that is, immediately before the start of traveling.
Although there is a long time before the start of driving, it is possible to avoid the problem that S sound is generated and the surrounding people are confused and the meaning of the alarm due to S sound fades.

<Forward travel warning sound (D sound)>
In controlling the forward running warning sound (D sound), the warning sound controller 12 in FIG. 1 executes the control program in FIG. 3 to perform the control.
First, in step S21, it is checked whether or not the S sound is generated by the operation of the speaker 1 outside the vehicle.
If the S sound is being generated, it is checked in step S22 whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 500 msec) has elapsed from the generation of the S sound, and the control is terminated until the predetermined time (500 msec) has elapsed. Thus, the S sound started to be generated in step S15 in FIG. 2 is continuously generated.

  Note that the predetermined time (for example, 500 msec) is determined after the driver begins to select the D range and release the brake pedal (steps S12 to S14 in FIG. 2), that is, in response to the completion of the start preparation operation, Step S15 in FIG. 2 can be arbitrarily determined from the measurement data and the time until the start operation by the driver.

When it is determined in step S22 that a predetermined time (500 msec) has elapsed since the generation of the S sound, that is, after the S sound is continuously generated for this predetermined time, the control proceeds to step S23, where the S sound is changed to the D sound. Make a crossfade to.
This crossfade from the S sound to the D sound gradually reduces the sound pressure level of the S sound that is occurring, and gradually increases the sound pressure level of the D sound (pseudo engine sound). This is to switch the operating state of the speaker 1 outside the vehicle so that the sound is gradually switched to the D sound, so that the switching from the S sound to the D sound can be performed without causing a sense of discomfort to the surrounding people.

In the present embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 2, the S sound is generated when the start preparation operation is completed (immediately before the start of traveling) (steps S12 to S15 in FIG. 2).
The S sound is generated at the optimal timing immediately before the start of driving when the start of the vehicle should be warned, and the generation timing of the D sound generated as described above following the S sound is also optimal and the driving is performed. Although there is a long time to start, it is possible to avoid the problem that the sound of D is generated and the surrounding people are confused and the meaning of the warning of forward running by the sound of D is diminished.

If it is determined in step S21 that the speaker 1 outside the vehicle is not generating S sound, it is checked in step S24 whether or not the ignition switch 18 is in a travelable state.
If the vehicle is ready to run, it is checked in step S25 if the D range is selected.
If it is in the D range selection state, it is checked in step S26 whether or not the vehicle speed V is being determined to be traveling at a vehicle stop determination vehicle speed Vs or higher.
When it is determined in step S24 that the vehicle is ready to travel, in step S25 it is determined that the vehicle is in the D range selection state, and in step S26 it is determined that the vehicle is traveling (V ≧ Vs), in step S27, a D sound (pseudo engine sound) is generated. The outside speaker 1 is operated.

The sound D is an engine pseudo-noise as described above, but the frequency is kept high within a certain high frequency range where it is difficult to enter the vehicle compartment from outside the vehicle compartment while keeping the sound pressure level constant. Set to a frequency that increases as the vehicle speed increases.
In this way, when the sound D is set to a constant sound pressure level and the engine pseudo-noise is such that the frequency increases at higher vehicle speeds,
For people outside the vehicle, the distance to the vehicle can be determined from the volume of the D sound (the higher the volume of the D sound, the closer the vehicle is), and the vehicle speed can be determined from the level of the D sound (D The higher the sound, the higher the vehicle speed), and it is possible to know how close the vehicle is and how close it is from the D sound alone.

In the next step S28, it is checked whether or not the vehicle speed V after the start has reached the D sound unnecessary lower vehicle speed lower limit (D sound fade-out vehicle speed) of 30 Km / h or more. If the determination in step S28 is "No" In step S29, whether or not the vehicle speed V is lower than the D-sound fade-in vehicle speed of 25 Km / h, which is lower by a hysteresis (5 Km / h) than the D-sound unnecessary vehicle speed lower limit (D-sound fade-out vehicle speed) of 30 Km / h. To check.
When it is determined in step S28 that the vehicle speed V after the start has reached the D sound unnecessary lower vehicle speed lower limit (D sound fade-out vehicle speed) of 30 km / h, the D sound generated in step S27 gradually decreases in step S31. The vehicle exterior speaker 1 is activated so that it disappears (fades out).

If it is determined in step S29 that the vehicle speed V is less than the D-sound fade-in vehicle speed of 25 km / h, it is checked in step S32 whether or not a D-sound is being generated. If so, in step S33, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that the D sound gradually increases from the sound pressure level 0 (fades in).
If it is determined in step S32 that the D sound is being generated, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that the D sound is continuously generated by terminating the control as it is.

If it is determined in step S29 that the vehicle speed V is greater than or equal to the D sound fade-in vehicle speed 25Km / h, that is, the vehicle speed V is the D sound unnecessary vehicle speed lower limit (D sound fade-out vehicle speed) 30Km / h and the D sound fade-in vehicle speed 25Km / h. If the vehicle speed is in the hysteresis range between h and
By ending the control as it is, the operating state of the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is maintained in the current state, and the D sound generation state is maintained in the current state.

  If it is determined in step S24 that the ignition switch 18 is OFF and the vehicle cannot travel, the D sound is unnecessary. Therefore, the control proceeds to step S31 and the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that the D sound fades out. .

Also, if it is determined in step S25 that the D range is selected, or if it is still in the D range selected state but it is determined that the vehicle is stopped in step S26, the D sound is not necessary, so the D sound fades out. It is necessary to actuate the vehicle exterior speaker 1 so that the D sound control in this case is performed as follows.
First, in step S34, it is checked whether or not the stopped state of the vehicle speed V = 0 km / h has continued for a set time (here, 10 seconds). If the determination result here is “Yes”, the control proceeds to step S31. Then, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that the D sound fades out.

If it is determined in step S34 that the vehicle is not in a stopped state with a vehicle speed V = 0 km / h, or if it is determined that the stopped state does not last longer than the set time (10 seconds)
In step S35, it is checked whether it is a non-traveling range of P range or N range, and if the determination result is “Yes”,
In step S36, it is checked whether or not the vehicle speed V is less than the stop determination vehicle speed Vs, and if the determination result is “Yes”,
In step S31, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is operated so that the sound D fades out.

In other words, while it is determined in step S34 that the vehicle is not in a stopped state with a vehicle speed V = 0 km / h, or even if the vehicle is stopped, it is determined that this stopped state does not continue for a set time (10 seconds) or longer.
When the selected range is the non-running range (P, N range) (step S35) and the vehicle speed V is being determined to stop less than the stop determination vehicle speed Vs (step S36), the D sound is unnecessary. The D sound is faded out (step S31).

  However, when it is determined in step S35 that the vehicle is not in the non-traveling range (P, N range), or even if it is determined in step S35 that the vehicle is in the non-traveling range (P, N range), the vehicle speed V is determined to be the stop vehicle speed Vs in step S36. During the travel determination that is determined as described above, since the D sound is necessary, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is continuously operated so as to continue generating the D sound by advancing the control to step S27.

Even if it is determined that the vehicle is in the non-traveling range (P, N range) in step S35, the D sound continues to be generated during the traveling determination in which it is determined in step S36 that the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the stoppage determination vehicle speed Vs. If you do so,
If the vehicle is still traveling due to inertia even after switching from the D range to the non-traveling range (P or N range), the D sound will continue to be generated from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment. It is possible to alert the person in the vicinity of the front end with a warning while driving the vehicle.

Also, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the D range is selected in step S25, or the D sound is no longer necessary because it is still in the D range selected state but is determined to be stopped in step S26. In step S31, the D sound is continuously generated without fading out, and the D sound fading out in step S31 is performed for the first time when it is determined in step S34 that the vehicle speed V = 0 km / h has been stopped for a set time (10 seconds). I did so,
In a congested road where the vehicle speed V = 0 km / h does not last for the set time (10 seconds), the D sound fades out each time the vehicle stops, and the S sound is generated by the S sound control in Fig. 2 (step S15). Annoyance can be avoided.
In order to achieve this object more reliably, the above set time can be changed automatically while measuring the stop time on a congested road or manually by the driver considering the stop time on a congested road. It is good to do so.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is determined in step S13 or step S14 in FIG. 2 that the brake switch 15 is switched from ON to OFF by releasing the brake pedal, an S sound is generated in step S15.
While the brake pedal is being slowly returned from the depressed position, the brake pedal has not yet been released, and before the brake switch 15 is switched from ON to OFF, an S sound is generated in step S15. Not.

By the way, such a gentle brake pedal return operation also reduces the braking force, and the vehicle may start to move due to, for example, creep force or the slope of the downhill road. There is a need.
However, since the vehicle movement start alarm is an alarm after the vehicle starts to move, the D sound that warns the traveling is more appropriate than the S sound that warns the start.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when a slow return operation of the brake pedal is performed so that no S sound is generated, step S21 in FIG. 3 advances the control to steps S24 to S26. During the travel determination in which it is determined in step S26 that the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the stop determination vehicle speed Vs, a D sound is generated in step S27.
When the vehicle starts moving slowly by the brake pedal slow return operation, the D sound is generated instead of the S sound, and the movement of the vehicle is more suitable for the driving warning than the S sound for the start warning. Alarm can be surely made by D sound.

<Reverse warning sound (R sound)>
In controlling the reverse warning sound (R sound), the warning sound controller 12 in FIG. 1 executes the control program in FIG. 4 to perform the control.
First, in step S41, it is checked whether or not the ignition switch 18 is in an ON-runnable state.
If the vehicle is ready to run, it is checked in step S42 whether the R range is selected.
If the R range is selected, the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is actuated so that an R sound is generated in step S43.

That is, when the ignition switch 18 is ON (step S41) and the R range is selected (step S42), an R sound is immediately generated from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 (step S43).
Since the R sound is generated from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 immediately after the R range is selected (steps S42 and S43), as described above, the “R range selection alarm is issued from the vehicle interior speaker 11 during the R range selection. It occurs at the same time as sound.

And as described above, the R sound from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is the same type of vehicle information as the “R range selection alarm sound” from the vehicle interior speaker 11, so it is the same intermittent sound as the “R range selection alarm sound”.
When generating the R sound (intermittent sound) from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 in step S43, it is generated in synchronization with the intermittent “R range selection alarm sound” generated from the vehicle interior speaker 11.

  Note that, on the contrary, the intermittent “R range selection alarm sound” from the vehicle interior speaker 11 may be synchronized with the R sound (intermediate sound) from the vehicle exterior speaker 1.

In any case, when synchronizing the R sound (intermittent sound) from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 and the intermittent “R range selection alarm sound” from the vehicle interior speaker 11 as described above,
The R sound from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 that does not need to be heard by the driver is put on the intermittent “R range selection alarm sound” from the vehicle interior speaker 11 so that it cannot be heard by the driver. This eliminates the annoyance of unnecessary R sounds from 1 being heard by the driver.

In addition, by synchronizing the above R sound (intermittent sound) with the intermittent “R range selection alarm sound”, the R sound (intermittent sound) from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 and the intermittent “R” from the vehicle interior speaker 11 None of the “range selection warning sounds” is generated, and the period during which these are not heard by the driver, that is, the period during which the driver can easily hear other warning sounds becomes longer.
Therefore, the driver can surely hear the other warning sounds, such as the “obstruction approach warning sound” and the “seat belt warning sound”, over the long period of time, and can obtain the corresponding information without fail. Other warning sounds can be recognized quickly by the driver, which is very advantageous for safety.

If it is determined in step S41 that the ignition switch 18 is OFF and incapable of traveling, the reverse traveling is impossible and the generation of the R sound is unnecessary.
The control is terminated as it is and step S43 is skipped, so that no R sound is generated (the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is deactivated).

If it is determined in step S42 that the R range is not selected, it is checked in step S44 whether the non-running range (P or N range) is selected, and the non-running range (P or N range) is not selected. When determining that it is in the D range selection state, since the generation of R sound is unnecessary,
The control is terminated as it is and step S43 is skipped, so that no R sound is generated (the vehicle exterior speaker 1 is deactivated).

If it is determined in step S44 that the non-traveling range (P or N range) is selected, it is checked in step S45 whether or not the vehicle speed V is determined to be less than the stop determination vehicle speed Vs.
If it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, the outside speaker 1 is operated in step S46 so that the R sound generated in step S43 gradually decreases and disappears (fades out).

However, even if it is determined that the non-traveling range (P or N range) is selected in step S44, it is recognized in step S45 that the vehicle speed V is not being determined to be less than the stop determination vehicle speed Vs (that is, the travel determination is being performed). Since the vehicle is moving backward even in the non-traveling range (P or N range), the control proceeds to step S47, and the loudspeaker outside the vehicle 1 continues so that the R sound started to be generated in step S43 is continuously generated. Continue to operate.
By doing so, if the vehicle is still moving backward due to inertia even after switching from the R range to the non-running range (P or N range), the R sound will continue to be generated from the outdoor speaker 1, Even in such a case, it is possible to alert the person in the vicinity of the rear end of the vehicle with a warning while the vehicle is moving backwards.

However, the R sound is generated in step S47 when it is determined in step S42 that the R range is not selected. At this time, as is clear from the above description, the “R range selection alarm” is given from the vehicle interior speaker 11. No sound is generated,
There is no need to synchronize the R sound from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 and the “R range selection alarm sound” from the vehicle interior speaker 11 as in step S43.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the D sound is generated by the driver while stopping (step S11 in FIG. 2), such as D range selection and brake pedal release (steps S12 to S14 in FIG. 2). In contrast to the generation of the S sound in response to (step S15 in the figure), for example, after a predetermined time (step S22 in FIG. 3) such as 500 msec has elapsed,
As described above with reference to FIG. 4, the R sound is generated immediately when the R range selection operation by the driver (step S42 in FIG. 4) is performed (step S43 in FIG. 4). The reason is as follows. is there.

In other words, the vehicle is intended to travel forward, and traveling backward is more difficult for the driver than traveling forward,
People in the vicinity have predicted that the vehicle will normally move in the forward direction, and originally paid attention to the forward travel, but the reverse travel is a movement in the unexpected direction of the vehicle. The situation is not paying much attention.

Therefore, the reverse warning sound (R sound) that should be generated for warnings when traveling backward is an alarm sound when traveling in a direction that the driver is unfamiliar with, and the surrounding people are traveling in unexpected directions. Since it is a warning sound at the time, it is preferable for safety that it is generated as early as possible to call attention to the people around.
On the other hand, the forward running warning sound (D sound) that should be generated for warning during forward running is the warning sound when driving in the direction familiar to the driver, and the surrounding people expect Since it is a warning sound when traveling in the original direction of the vehicle, the D sound is an engine pseudo sound as described above, and it is better to make the D sound generation time as short as possible to ensure the quietness of the vehicle Together with this, it is preferable to generate the D sound as late as possible.

In the present embodiment, in view of such a request, as described above, the R sound is not generated immediately when the R range selection operation by the driver (step S42 in FIG. 4) is performed (step S43 in FIG. 4).
Of the soft S type soft S sound and the engine pseudo sound that make up the warning sound for forward driving, the former S sound is the D range by the driver while stopped (step S11 in FIG. 2) as described above. When the start preparation operation such as selection and release of the brake pedal is completed (steps S12 to S14 in FIG. 2), the latter D sound is generated after the S sound (step S15 in FIG. It is generated after a predetermined time such as 500 msec (step S22 in FIG. 3) elapses.
Therefore, step S12 to step S15 in FIG. 2 constitute a start warning sound generation timing determination means in the present invention.

Thus, by determining the generation timing of the forward warning sound and the generation timing of the backward warning sound,
Warning sounds can be generated at the above-mentioned required timings both when traveling forward and when traveling backwards. Unnecessary forward warning sounds that are too early can impair the quietness of the vehicle or make the driver uncomfortable. In addition, it is possible to accurately warn the people around the vehicle of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

<Alarm sound prohibition control>
In the middle of the night or in residential areas, alarm sounds from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle, such as S, D, and R sounds, can be annoying. In such cases, the driver can turn off the mute switch 16 in FIG. Press to issue a warning sound prohibition command.
Here, it is assumed that the mute switch 16 is self-returned when it is not pressed and is maintained in the normal position (OFF position), and is turned on each time it is pressed to issue a warning sound prohibition command.

The alarm sound controller 12 shown in FIG. 1 executes the control program shown in FIG. 5 and performs the alarm sound inhibition control as follows when the alarm sound prohibit command is input from the mute switch 16.
In step S51, it is checked whether or not the mute switch 16 is turned on, whether or not the alarm sound prohibition command is present is checked, and control is performed while the mute switch 16 is not turned on (the alarm sound prohibition command is not issued). The process is terminated immediately and the prohibition of the warning sound is not executed, thereby generating the warning sound as described above with reference to FIGS.

  When it is determined in step S51 that the mute switch 16 has been turned on (a warning sound prohibition command has been issued), the generation of a warning sound is prohibited in step S52, and the speaker 1 outside the vehicle is used regardless of the control according to FIGS. The alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) should not be generated.

In the next step S53, it is checked whether or not the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the D sound unnecessary vehicle speed lower limit value (D sound fade-out vehicle speed) 30Km / h described above in step S28 in FIG. ", The control is terminated as it is, and the prohibition of alarm sound generation in step S52 is continued.
When it is determined in step S53 that the vehicle speed V is greater than or equal to the D-sound fade-out vehicle speed (30 km / h), the control proceeds to step S54, and the control for the control according to FIGS. A warning sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) is generated from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle in the street.

  According to the above warning sound prohibition control, when the warning sound from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle is annoying because it is late at night or in a residential area, when the driver presses the mute switch 16 (step S51), FIG. Regardless of the control in step 4, the alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) can be prohibited from being emitted from the speaker outside the vehicle (step S52). Can avoid inconvenience.

By the way, if the driver presses the mute switch 16 and prohibits the generation of the alarm sound, the alarm sound will not be emitted even after traveling to a place where the alarm sound will not be annoying. Don't do that.
Therefore, in this embodiment, when the vehicle speed V exceeds the D sound fade-out vehicle speed (30 Km / h) (step S53), it is determined that the vehicle has traveled to a place where the alarm sound is not annoying, and the above alarm sound generation prohibition is prohibited. By releasing (step S54), an alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) can be generated from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle as controlled by FIGS.

  By doing so, it is possible to avoid the above-mentioned problem that the warning sound is not emitted even after traveling to a place where the warning sound does not bother, and the warning device does not serve as a safety device.

  As in this example, when the vehicle speed V exceeds the D-sound fade-out vehicle speed (30 Km / h), the warning sound prohibition release condition is established, and when this condition is satisfied, the warning sound is not disturbed. When judging that the vehicle has traveled and canceling the prohibition of the alarm sound, the following effects can be obtained.

  In other words, when the warning sound prohibition release condition is the vehicle speed V <D sound fade-out vehicle speed (30 km / h), this low vehicle speed range is the D sound generation vehicle speed region as apparent from the above, so this low vehicle speed Even if you press the mute switch 16 in the area (turn it on) and prohibit the alarm sound, even if the alarm sound is still annoying when you take your finger off the mute switch 16, The prohibition of the alarm sound is canceled and an alarm sound is generated, which causes a problem of inconvenience to neighboring people.

However, in this embodiment, the alarm sound prohibition cancellation condition is set when the vehicle speed V exceeds the D sound fade-out vehicle speed (30 Km / h), and the prohibition of the alarm sound is canceled when this condition is satisfied. ,
When vehicle speed V is lower than D sound fading out (30Km / h) at low vehicle speed range (D sound generation vehicle speed range) and mute switch 16 is turned on and the finger is released from mute switch 16, the prohibition of warning sound is released It is possible to avoid the above-mentioned problem that an alarm sound is emitted and annoying other people in the vicinity, even though the alarm sound is still annoying. .

<Alarm sound increase control>
When driving in a noisy place such as a factory or a busy street, the warning sound from the outside speaker 1 such as S, D, R sounds will be given to the people around you if the sound level is at the specified level. In this case, the driver presses the sound increase switch 17 in FIG. 1 and issues a warning sound increase command.
Here, it is assumed that the sound increase switch 17 is self-returned when it is not pressed and is kept in the normal position (OFF position), and is turned ON every time it is pressed to issue an alarm sound increase command.

When the warning sound increase command is input from the sound increase switch 17, the warning sound controller 12 of FIG. 1 executes the control program of FIG. 6 and performs the warning sound increase control as follows.
In step S61, it is checked whether or not the sound increase switch 17 is turned on, the presence or absence of the alarm sound increase command is checked, and while the sound increase switch 17 is not turned on (the alarm sound increase command is not issued), The control is terminated as it is, and the alarm sound is not increased, so that the sound pressure level of the alarm sound generated as described above with reference to FIGS.

  When it is determined in step S61 that the sound increase switch 17 is turned on (alarm sound increase command is issued), the alarm sound is increased in step S62, and the vehicle exterior speaker 1 that is emitted under the control of FIGS. The sound pressure level of the alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) is increased so that the sound becomes louder than the specified value.

In the next step S63, it is checked whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the sound increase switch 17 was turned on (the generation of an alarm sound increase command). If the determination result here is "No", that is, the sound increase If it is determined that the predetermined time has not yet elapsed since the switch 17 is turned on (generation of an alarm sound increase command), the control is terminated as it is, and the alarm sound increase in step S62 is continuously performed. .
When it is determined in step S63 that the predetermined time has elapsed since the sound increase switch 17 is turned on (generation of an alarm sound increase command), the control is advanced to step S64, and the increase of the alarm sound in step S62 is canceled. The sound pressure level of the alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) generated from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 generated under the control of FIGS. 2 to 4 is reduced to a specified value.
To generate.

  According to the above alarm sound increase control, the driver can increase the sound increase switch 17 when a surrounding person is difficult to hear the alarm sound from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment due to a noisy place such as a factory or a downtown area. (Step S61), the alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 emitted under the control of FIGS. 2 to 4 can be increased by increasing the sound pressure level (step S61). S62) Even in noisy places such as factories and downtowns, the surrounding people can hear the alarm sound from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment without fail.

By the way, if the driver presses the sound increase switch 17 to increase the alarm sound, when driving to a place where it is not noisy, neighboring people will be disturbed by an alarm sound larger than the standard Become.
Therefore, in this embodiment, when the predetermined time has elapsed after the sound increase switch 17 is turned ON (generation of the alarm sound increase command) (step S63), by canceling the increase of the alarm sound (step S64), Alarm sound (S sound, D sound, R sound) generated from the vehicle exterior speaker 1 generated under the control of FIGS. 2 to 4 can be lowered so that the sound pressure level becomes a specified level.

  By doing so, when the above-mentioned fixed time has passed since the sound-increasing switch 17 is turned on, it is determined that the vehicle has traveled to a quiet place such as a suburban area or a residential area. The alarm sound from the speaker 1 (S sound, D sound, R sound) is lowered to the specified sound pressure level, so that the alarm sound increase state due to ON of the sound increase switch 17 will not continue forever, a quiet place Thus, people in the vicinity of the vehicle will not be bothered by a loud warning sound.

<Effects of Example>
According to the vehicle alarm sound generating device according to the embodiment described above, the S sound of the former out of the S sound and the D sound constituting the forward alarm sound is stopped as described above (step S11 in FIG. 2). Is generated when the start preparation operation such as D range selection and brake pedal release by the driver is completed (step S12 to step S14 in FIG. 2), and the latter D sound is generated after the S sound is generated (as shown above). Step S15), for example, after a predetermined time (step S22 in FIG. 3) such as 500 msec has elapsed,
The following effects can be achieved.

In other words, the R sound generated when traveling backward is an alarm sound when driving in an unfamiliar direction with the driver, and an alarm sound when driving in an unexpected direction by people around the vehicle, so it is as early as possible. For safety reasons, it is preferable to alert the people around the vehicle.
Warning sound for forward movement (S sound and D sound) generated when traveling forward is an alarm sound when traveling in the direction familiar to the driver, and in the original direction of the vehicle expected by people around the vehicle It is preferable that the alarm sound be generated as late as possible in order to ensure the quietness of the vehicle.

According to the generation timing of the forward warning sound (S sound and D sound) according to the above-described embodiment, this forward warning sound (first generated S sound) is added to the forward shift operation to the D range. Therefore, when another start preparation operation (release of the brake pedal in the illustrated example) is performed (step S12 to step S14 in FIG. 2) (step S15 in FIG. 2),
If the vehicle is ready to run, the warning sound for forward movement will not be generated, and if the vehicle is ready to run but the vehicle will not start for the time being, the warning sound for forward movement will not be wasted. The above-mentioned problem that a person around the vehicle is inconvenienced by a warning sound for a long forward use can be solved, and the quietness of the vehicle is impaired or the driver is uncomfortable. Can also be avoided.

Further, in this embodiment, when a start preparation operation (step S12 to step S14 in FIG. 2) such as D range selection and brake pedal release by the driver is completed, a soft S type soft S sound is first generated (same as above). Step S15 in the figure)
When the start preparation operation is completed (immediately before the start of running), a soft S sound can warn people around the vehicle that the vehicle will start moving forward.

Further, a predetermined time from the start of S sound generation in response to the completion of the start preparation operation (step S12 to step S14 in FIG. 2) (step S15 in FIG. 2) to the generation of D sound (step S23 in FIG. 3) (FIG. As described in step S22) of 3 above, since it corresponds to the time from the completion of the start preparation operation to the start operation,
It is possible to further secure the above-mentioned effect of preventing the people around the vehicle from being disturbed by an alarm sound (S sound and D sound) for a long time, which is unnecessary, and the vehicle. It is also possible to avoid the problem that the quietness of the vehicle is impaired or the driver is uncomfortable.

<Other examples>
In the embodiment described above, as described above with reference to FIG. 4, when the ignition switch 18 is ON (step S41) and the R range is selected (step S42), an R sound is immediately generated from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment. (Step S43)
Even during reverse travel by selecting the R range, the reverse warning sound (S sound and R sound) has the same timing as the forward warning sound (S sound and D sound) during forward travel. ) May be generated from the speaker 1 outside the vehicle compartment so that the same effect can be obtained.

1 Outside speaker
11 Car interior speakers
12 Alarm sound controller
13 Range sensor
14 Vehicle speed sensor
15 Brake switch
16 Mute switch
17 Sound increase switch
18 Ignition switch
19 Obstacle approach distance sensor

Claims (5)

In an alarm sound generating device for a vehicle that emits an alarm sound for notifying people around the vehicle of possible vehicle travel by a shift operation in which the driver commands vehicle travel,
The warning sound is composed of a start warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle that the vehicle is transitioning from the vehicle stopped state to the running state, and a running warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle about the vehicle running,
A vehicle warning sound generating device comprising: a starting warning sound generation timing determining means for generating the starting warning sound when the shift operation and other start preparation operations are performed. In the vehicle alarm sound generator according to claim 1,
The other start preparation operation is release of the brake pedal,
The start warning sound generation timing determining means generates a start warning sound when both the shift operation and the brake release operation by releasing the brake pedal are completed. Generator. In the vehicle alarm sound generator according to claim 2,
The start warning sound is emitted only for a predetermined time from the completion of both the shift operation and the brake release operation by releasing the brake pedal,
The vehicle warning sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the driving warning sound is generated following the start warning sound. In the vehicle alarm sound generator according to claim 3,
The vehicle alarm sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is a time from when both the shift operation and the brake releasing operation by releasing the brake pedal are completed until the start operation is performed. In the vehicle alarm sound generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The start warning sound is a pre-start warning sound for notifying people around the vehicle that the vehicle shifts from the vehicle stop state to the forward drive state,
The vehicle warning sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the driving warning sound is a forward driving warning sound for notifying a person around the vehicle of the forward driving of the vehicle.

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