Patent Publication Number: US-8525695-B2

Title: Automobile beacon, system, and associated method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/771,684, filed Jun. 29, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     People who are blind or visually impaired often rely on their other senses to help compensate for their lack of sight. A visually impaired person may, for example, rely on the sound of his shoes striking the floor to identify rooms, doorways, and objects in the vicinity. Similarly, a visually impaired pedestrian may use the sound and frequency of engine noise to determine the location, speed, and direction of motor vehicles when walking near roadways. 
     With interest in environmentally-friendly sources of energy and the desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil on the rise, the number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) on the road is increasing. Because BEVs and HEVs are powered, at least part of the time, by an electric motor rather than a combustion engine, such vehicles do not produce as much noise as conventional, gas-powered vehicles. These quiet vehicles may be more difficult for a visually impaired person to detect and navigate around as compared to conventional vehicles and, as a result, may present a greater risk of harm to the visually impaired. To avoid such dangers posed by quiet-running vehicles, some visually impaired individuals may need help from other people or may have to avoid certain activities all together. As a result, some visually impaired individuals may lose some of their independence, which may detract from their quality of life. 
     Thus, there is a need for a system that provides a pedestrian with a warning when a vehicle is near without causing prolonged periods of noise that would disrupt other people in the area. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of a system for alerting a pedestrian according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of a user device according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of a system for alerting a pedestrian according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle device according to one embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration of the variation in signal strength as a function of the velocity of the vehicle according to another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary embodiments now will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments and examples are shown. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     Devices, systems, and methods for alerting a pedestrian of a vehicle in the vicinity are provided in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. In general, devices, systems and methods are described for transmitting signals from a vehicle to a device carried by a pedestrian. In response, the pedestrian&#39;s device may generate an alarm, such as a vibration or an audible alarm, informing the pedestrian that a vehicle is nearby. In some cases, the pedestrian&#39;s device may transmit activation signals to the vehicle after receiving the signals from the vehicle. The activation signals may cause speakers on the vehicle to emit an audible alarm, alerting the pedestrian of the presence of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  10  for alerting a pedestrian  12  of a nearby vehicle  14 . The system  10  includes a vehicle device  16  carried by the vehicle  14  and a user device  18  carried by the pedestrian  12 . The vehicle device  16  is configured to send signals  17  to the user device  18  indicating a presence of the vehicle  14 , and the user device  18  is configured to receive the signals  17  from the vehicle device  16 . Typically, the transmission and reception of the signals is performed wirelessly. In response to receiving the signals  17  from the vehicle device  16 , the user device  18  is configured to alert the pedestrian  12  regarding the presence of the vehicle  14  in proximity to the pedestrian  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the user device  18  may include a receiver  20  and a processor  22  in communication with the receiver  20 . The receiver  20  may be configured to receive the signals from the vehicle device  16 , and, in response, the processor  22  may be configured to provide an alert to the pedestrian regarding the presence of the vehicle  14  in the vicinity of the pedestrian  12 . The user device  18  may be configured (i.e., sized and shaped) in various ways. For example, the user device  18  may be configured to fit on a key chain or in the pocket of an individual. The user device  18  may also be configured to clip onto an individual&#39;s belt loop, pocket, or other article of clothing, or may be designed to be worn as an accessory, such as a belt or purse. In some embodiments, the user device  18  may include a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone (as shown in the figures), portable digital assistant (PDA), pager, or other type of voice or text communications system. For example, dedicated circuitry may be integrated with a mobile terminal to provide the functions of the user device  18  simultaneously with the functions of the mobile terminal. 
     The user device  18  may include a vibrating element  24  in communication with the processor  22 . For example, the vibrating element  24  may be a vibrating battery pack or any other component capable of providing mechanical vibration as a detectable output. The processor  22  may be configured to cause the vibrating element  24  to vibrate in response to receiving signals  17  from the vehicle device  16 . In this way, the pedestrian  12  may be able to sense the presence of a vehicle nearby by feeling the mechanical vibration produced by the vibrating element  24 . Characteristics of the vibrations may vary to convey additional information about the vehicle  14  to the pedestrian  12 . For example, the intensity (i.e., strength) of the vibrations may be greater when the vehicle  14  is closer to the pedestrian  12  and may be lesser when the vehicle  14  is farther away. In this way, vibrations that are increasing in intensity may indicate an approaching vehicle  14 , whereas vibrations that are decreasing in intensity may indicate a vehicle  14  that is moving away from the pedestrian  12 . 
     Furthermore, the user device  18  may include a speaker  26  in communication with the processor  22 . If the user device  18  includes or is otherwise part of a mobile terminal, for example, the speaker  26  may be the speaker of the mobile terminal. In any case, the processor  22  may be configured to cause the speaker  26  to issue an audible alarm in response to receiving the signals  17  from the vehicle  14 . The speaker  26  may be configured to issue various types of alarms. For example, the alarm issued by the speaker  26  may be a continuous tone having a constant pitch, or the alarm may vary in one or more respects to convey additional information about the vehicle  14  whose presence was detected. 
     The alarm issued by the speaker  26 , for example, may consist of a series of tones that are separated, one from the next, by a pause according to the strength of the signal  17  received. A weaker signal  17 , such as a signal  17  transmitted by a vehicle  14  that is farther away and/or traveling at a slower velocity, may result in a series of tones that issue at 3-second intervals. A relatively stronger signal  17 , such as a signal  17  transmitted by a vehicle  14  that is closer to the pedestrian  12  and/or traveling at a higher velocity, may result in tones that issue every second. In this way, the tones may sound closer together to the pedestrian as the vehicle  14  approaches, making a continuous or almost continuous sound when the vehicle  14  is closest to the pedestrian  12  (e.g., when the vehicle  14  is passing next to the pedestrian  12 ). Thus, the pedestrian  12  may be able to gauge how much time he has until the vehicle passes. Similarly, the alarm issued by the speaker  26  may vary in pitch, going from a lower pitch to a higher pitch as the vehicle gets closer to the pedestrian, likewise providing the pedestrian with additional information regarding the speed, distance, and/or direction of travel of the vehicle. It is important to note, however, that the frequency of the tones sounded by the alarm may be independent of the frequency of the signals  17  received from the vehicle device  16 . Thus, although the alarm issued by the speaker  26  may be a series of tones sounded at equal intervals in some situation, the signals  17  may not necessarily be transmitted by the vehicle device  16  at constant intervals, as will be described below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in some embodiments instead of the user device  18  issuing the alarm (for example, generating vibrations or producing a series of tones), the user device  18  may send signals back to the vehicle device  16  to cause the vehicle device  16  to issue the alarm. In this regard, the user device  18  may include a transmitter  28  in communication with the processor  22 . The processor  22  may be configured to instruct the transmitter  28  to transmit activation signals  19  to the vehicle device  16  in response to receiving the signals  17  indicating the presence of the vehicle  14 . The activation signals  19  may cause the vehicle device  16  to issue an audible alarm  31 , for example through one or more speakers  30  that may be mounted on the vehicle  14 , as described below. The audible alarm  31  may, for example, announce the presence of the vehicle (e.g., by repeating the phrase “vehicle approaching” or “caution”) or may consist of a constant or variable tone, as described above in conjunction with the speaker  26  of the user device  18 . The pedestrian  12  may be able to judge the direction that the vehicle is traveling (e.g., towards the pedestrian or away from the pedestrian) according to the frequency of the alarm (i.e., the Doppler effect) and may also be able to determine the relative distance of the vehicle  14  based on the volume of the alarm. 
     In addition, the presence of the pedestrian in possession of the user device  18  may be conveyed to the driver of the vehicle  14  through the activation signals  19 . Examples of devices, systems, and methods for conveying this information to the driver are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/771,718 entitled “Driver Notification System, Device, and Associated Method” (Verizon Reference Number 20070132), filed concurrently, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     The user device  18  may also include other components to facilitate the use and configuration of the user device  18  by the pedestrian  12 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the user device  18  may include a keypad  32  or any other user input device that can allow the user device  18  to receive data from the user (i.e., the pedestrian  12 ). In this way, the pedestrian  12  may be able to select the type of output produced by the user device  18  upon receiving signals  17  from the vehicle device  16  (such as vibration versus audible) as well as adjust other options (such as the strength of the activation signals  19 , the tone used for the audible alarm, etc.). In some embodiments, the user device  18  may be configured to distinguish between approaching vehicles and vehicles that are moving away from the pedestrian  12 . For example, the user device  18  may consider the amplitude of the signals  17  to determine that signals  17  that are increasing in strength are approaching the user device  18  and signals  17  that are decreasing in strength are moving away. In this regard, the user device  18  may be configured to provide alerts to the pedestrian  12  only for those vehicles that are approaching, rather than for those that are approaching and for those that are moving away. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the vehicle device  16  that is configured to send the signals  17  to the user device  18  may include a transmitter  34  and a processor  40  in communication with the transmitter  34 . In some embodiments, the vehicle device  16  may also include a receiver  36  and one or more speakers  30  in communication with the processor  40 . The receiver  36  may be configured to receive activation signals  19  (see  FIG. 3 ) from the user device  18 , as previously described, and the speaker or speakers  30  may be configured to issue an audible alarm  31  as instructed by the processor  40  when the activation signals  19  are received from the user device  18  by the receiver  36 . 
     The vehicle device  16  may be mounted on the outside of the vehicle  14 , such as at the front of the vehicle (e.g., on the hood as shown in the figures) or on the roof of the vehicle, or the vehicle device  16  may be located inside the vehicle, similar to a stereo or navigation system installation. In embodiments including one or more speakers  30 , the speaker(s)  30  may be co-located with the transmitter  34 , receiver  36 , and processor  40 , for example at the front exterior of the vehicle  14 , or the speaker(s)  30  may be located at a separate location. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the speaker(s)  30  may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle, physically separate from the remainder of the vehicle device  16 , whereas the vehicle device  16  (i.e., the transmitter  34 , receiver  36 , and processor  40 ) may be located at the front of the vehicle  14 . Regardless of whether the speaker(s)  30  are physically integrated with the rest of the vehicle device  16 , circuitry may connect the transmitter  34 , receiver  36 , and speaker(s)  30  with the processor  40  such that the vehicle device  16  may transmit signals  17  to the user device  18  and respond to any activation signals  19  which may be sent by the user device  18 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the signals  17  transmitted by the transmitter  34  may be a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted on a controlled frequency that all equipped vehicles share. For example, a frequency or range of frequencies may be set aside by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use only by vehicles  14  carrying vehicle devices  16  such that the reserved frequencies would be unavailable to the public without appropriate licensing. Vehicle manufacturers could then be issued a general license that acts as an umbrella for all vehicles  14  manufactured with vehicle devices  16 . 
     Furthermore, the transmitter  34  may be configured to transmit the signals  17  in random bursts. For example, the time between bursts may be governed by a random number generator (RNG)  41  in the processor  40 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Thus, although two vehicles may both be transmitting  100  bursts per second, for example, the intervals between bursts (i.e., how the 100 bursts are distributed through that one second of time) may be governed by the RNG  41 , and the distribution of the 100 bursts may be different as between the two vehicles. In this way, creation of a complex Fresnel field as a result of multiple vehicles transmitting signals  17  according to a constant function (e.g., a constant sine wave) may be avoided, and the risk of signals  17  transmitted by one vehicle canceling out signals  17  transmitted by another vehicle may be reduced. Although when a number of vehicles  14  are present it may still be statistically possible for random bursts from two vehicle devices  16  to cancel each other out, the duration of the cancellation would be relatively insignificant (on the order of 1/100 of a second, using the example above) and would have no practical effect on the functioning of the user device  18 . Furthermore, the user device  18  may still receive signals  17  from the other vehicles  14  transmitting the signals  17 . Thus, even though the pedestrian may not necessarily be able to determine how many vehicles  14  are in the vicinity, the pedestrian may still be alerted that at least one vehicle  14  is in the vicinity. 
     As previously mentioned, the transmitter  34  may also be configured to transmit the signals  17  with a signal strength that is associated with the speed of the vehicle  14 . For example, instead of transmitting the signals  17  at a constant amplitude (i.e., a constant strength), the transmitter  34  may transmit the signals  17  at an amplitude that is a function of the velocity of the vehicle  14 . For instance,  FIG. 5  shows two vehicles A, B approaching a pedestrian  12  carrying a user device  18 . Vehicles A and B are at the same distance X away from the pedestrian  12 . However, vehicle A is traveling three times as fast as vehicle B (as represented by three velocity lines coming off the rear of vehicle A as compared to the one line off B). The function typically implemented by the processor  40  that provides appropriate commands to the transmitter  34  governing the amplitude of the signals  17  may dictate that the higher velocity vehicle A may transmit the signals  17  at a greater amplitude (higher strength) than the lower velocity vehicle B, as indicated by the darker dashed line representing the signals  17 . The signals  17  from vehicle A may thus be attenuated (i.e., become too weak to be detected) at a distance Z, whereas the signals  17  from vehicle B may be attenuated at a shorter distance Y. In this way, the signals  17  from vehicle A may reach the pedestrian  12  even though the lower signal strength of vehicle B do not. Thus, a pedestrian  12  standing at a distance X from both vehicles A and B may receive only the set of signals  17  that would cause the pedestrian  12  to react—in this case the signals  17  from vehicle A. 
     As previously mentioned, in some embodiments (as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) in which the vehicle device  16  includes a receiver  36  and one or more speakers  38 , the vehicle device  16  may be configured to receive activation signals  19  from the user device  18 . The activation signals  19  received by the vehicle device  16  may be an RF signal, as described above in conjunction, with the signals  17  transmitted by the vehicle device  16 . The activation signals  19  may be transmitted by the user device  18  using a different frequency than the frequency used by the vehicle device  16  to transmit the signals  17  so that a particular vehicle device  16  may distinguish the activation signals  19  from other signals  17  that may be transmitted by other vehicles  14  with vehicle devices  16 . Alternatively, the activation signals  19  may be modulated or may otherwise include information characterizing those signals as activation signals  19 . For example, the activation signals  19  may include a header indicating that the signals are being transmitted by a particular user device  18 . In this way, the same frequency may be used by the user device  18  to transmit the activation signals  19  as is used by the vehicle device  16  to transmit the signals  17 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , in some embodiments including a receiver  36  and one or more speakers  30  of the vehicle device  16 , the processor  40  may be configured to instruct the speaker(s)  30  to issue an audible alarm  31  as long as the receiver  36  continues to receive the activation signals  19  and for a predetermined amount of time after the receiver  36  ceases to receive the activation signals  19 . For example, there may be a two-second delay between the time the receiver  36  stops receiving activation signals  19  from the user device  18  and the time the processor  40  stops instructing the speaker(s)  30  to issue the audible alarm. In this way, even if transmission of the activation signals  19  by the user device  18  is interrupted for some reason, for example if the activation signals  19  are blocked by a building, a wall, or some other structure or if other signals in the area momentarily cancel out the activation signals  19 , the pedestrian  12  may continue to perceive the audible alarm despite the transient obstruction of the activation signals  19 . Otherwise, without such a delay, the pedestrian  12  may get the false impression that the vehicle  14  is no longer approaching (e.g., the vehicle  14  has turned and is no longer heading toward the pedestrian  12 ). However, if the vehicle  14  has indeed turned or is otherwise no longer in the vicinity of the pedestrian  12 , the speaker(s)  30  may stop issuing the audible alarm following the predetermined time delay (e.g., 2 seconds), thereby conveying to the pedestrian  12  that there is no longer a vehicle  14  in the area. 
     In the preceding specification, various embodiments of the claimed invention have been described. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.