IP Library Granted Patent US 12711861
Granted Patent B2
US 12711861 · App. 18/884,594 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Vehicle notification device, vehicle notification method, and storage medium

Inventor: Hiroyuki Sakakibara (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G08G1/0967B60Q9/00G08G1/0965
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12711861
App. No.
18/884,594
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle notification device acquires the speed limit applied to the own lane based on the image data acquired by the camera device, and generates a notification sound from the buzzer when the host vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit. The vehicle notification device acquires the traveling environment sound in the vehicle cabin using the vehicle cabin microphone, and acquires the frequency band and the sound pressure of the traveling environment sound. Then, the vehicle notification device changes the “frequency band and sound pressure” of the notification sound generated from the buzzer in accordance with the frequency band and sound pressure of the acquired traveling environment sound.

Claims (15)

1 . A vehicle notification device comprising:

a sound generation device mounted on a host vehicle; and

a controller that controls the sound generation device, wherein the controller is configured to

acquire an environmental sound in a vehicle cabin of the host vehicle, via a vehicle cabin microphone that converts sounds in the vehicle cabin into electric signals,

perform waveform analysis including frequency analysis of the acquired environmental sound and acquire a frequency band and a sound pressure of the environmental sound,

determine a frequency band and a sound pressure of a notification sound based on the acquired frequency band and the acquired sound pressure of the acquired environmental sound by referring to a lookup table in which a plurality of frequency bands and a plurality of sound pressures of environmental sounds, and corresponding frequency bands and sounds pressures of notification sounds that are audible and unobtrusive to an occupant, are stored in association with each other, and

execute a notification operation to notify an occupant of the host vehicle that the host vehicle is in a predetermined state by causing the sound generation device to generate a notification sound in the determined frequency band and the determined sound pressure.

2 . The vehicle notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to

acquire a host vehicle speed that is a speed of the host vehicle,

acquire a speed limit applied to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and

indicate that the host vehicle is traveling beyond the limit speed as the predetermined state by executing the notification operation when the host vehicle speed exceeds the limit speed.

3 . The vehicle notification device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the acquired frequency band of the acquired environmental sound is equal to or lower than 125 (Hz) and the acquired sound pressure is higher than a predetermined threshold, the controller causes the sound generation device to generate a notification sound having a frequency band of 1600 (Hz)±50 (Hz) and a sound pressure of 63 (dB).

4 . The vehicle notification device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the acquired frequency band of the acquired environmental sound is higher than 125 (Hz) and equal to or lower than 1000 (Hz) and the acquired sound pressure is higher than a predetermined threshold, the controller causes the sound generation device to generate a notification sound having a frequency band of 800 (Hz)±50 (Hz) and a sound pressure of 63 (dB).

5 . The vehicle notification device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the acquired frequency band of the acquired environmental sound is higher than 1000 (Hz) and the acquired sound pressure is higher than a predetermined threshold, the controller causes the sound generation device to generate a notification sound having a frequency band of 450 (Hz)±50 (Hz) and a sound pressure of 67 (dB).

6 . The vehicle notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cancel the environmental sound by transmitting a sound wave having a wave shape opposite to a wave shape of the environmental sound to the vehicle cabin.