Patent Publication Number: US-2017361770-A1

Title: Vehicle horn device and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/351,793 filed 17 Jun. 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic communications and more specifically relates to audible indications of vehicles. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Automobile and vehicle manufacturers provide vehicle horn tones to comply with standards. These standards dictate that the horn tone be set in relation to the vehicle size. The larger the vehicle, the lower the tone, and vice versa. These horn tones, and the volume of the horn tones, are set when the automobile or vehicle is manufactured and are not customizable by the owner. A suitable solution is desired. 
     U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0299748 to Reid relates to a promotional vehicle audio system. The described promotional vehicle audio system includes a voice synthesizer to play a horn tone “Jeep, Jeep” imitating the “Beep, Beep” voice, cadence, and rhythm of the Road Runner®. This is specific to the Jeep® brand and enables the user to either use the existing factory horn, or a separate loudspeaker to play the new horn tone as desired. The main elements of the system are a voice synthesizer, a loudspeaker, and an engagement device mounted on or near the steering wheel, which will operate the voice synthesizer and can be used to project the promotional message, “Jeep, Jeep” via the vehicle horn. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known electronic communications art, the present disclosure provides a novel vehicle horn device. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a vehicle horn device. 
     An electronic communication system for a land vehicle is disclosed herein. The electronic communication system for a land vehicle includes a processor, a memory configured to store at least one sound file executable via the processor, an audio output device configured to emit audible communications from the at least one sound file to an environment external to the land vehicle, a power supply configured to receive electrical energy from an electrical system of the land vehicle, and to provide power to the audio output device, and a controller including an audio selector configured to select from a plurality of audio output files stored in the memory, and an activation switch configured to power and activate the audio output device to emit said audible communications from the at least one sound file to an environment external to the land vehicle. 
     According to another embodiment, a method of installing the above vehicle horn device is also disclosed herein. The method of installing the vehicle horn device includes the steps of mounting the horn to the interior surface of the vehicle via the mounting bracket, coupling at least one standardized data connection with the input interface, coupling the audio output device with an output interface of the housing, connecting the power supply to receive electrical power from the vehicle, co-locating the activation means proximate to a user-seat in said vehicle interior, and sounding the horn via said activation means. 
     For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a vehicle horn device, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a land vehicle including an electronic communication system for a land vehicle during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the electronic communication system for a land vehicle in an original equipment configuration, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is schematic diagram of the electronic communication system for a land vehicle in an aftermarket configuration, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an electronic communication system for a land vehicle, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of use for an electronic communication system for a land vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to electronic communications and more particularly to a vehicle horn device, as used to improve electronic communication systems. 
     Generally, disclosed herein is a vehicle horn, which may comprise a custom vehicle horn for Jeep brand automobiles. When activated, the vehicle horn may comprise the sound “Jeeeeeep”. The vehicle horn may be activated via the factory-installed horn activator button. Other automobile brand sounds can also be produced using teachings described herein. 
     Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , various views of an electronic communication system  100 . 
       FIG. 1  shows an electronic communication system during an ‘in-use’ condition  150 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the electronic communication system  100  may be beneficial for use by a user  140  to provide audible indications. As illustrated and discussed further below, the electronic communication system  100  may include elements that are able to emit audible communications  151  to an environment which may be external to a land vehicle  5 . 
     The audible communications  151  may include at least one of spoken words, musical notes, and alternately, horn sounds. The horn sounds may further include auto horn sounds. The user  140  may initiate or sound the audible communications  151  from an activation switch  215  that may be configured to power and activate an audio output device  120  ( FIG. 2 ). According to this embodiment, the activation switch  215  may be the steering-wheel horn pushbutton  217 , commonly used in land vehicles  5 . 
     According to one embodiment, the electronic communication system  100  may be arranged as a kit  105 . In particular, the electronic communication system  100  may further include a set of instructions  155 . The instructions  155  may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the electronic communication system  100  (such that the electronic communication system  100  can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner). 
       FIG. 2  shows the electronic communication system  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the electronic communication system  100  is integrated with the land vehicle  5  ( FIG. 1 ) as original equipment. The electronic communication system  100  may include a processor  110 , a memory  115 , an audio output device  120 , a power supply  125 , and a controller  130 . The processor  110  may be configured to execute at least one sound file  200  that is stored on and accessible from the memory. The processor  110  may be further configured to translate the at least one sound file  200  to an audio output device  120  to emit audible communications  151  ( FIG. 1 ) to an environment external to the land vehicle  5 . 
     The at least one sound file  200  may include at least one of spoken words, musical notes, and horn sounds. The spoken words may include the name of at least one automobile manufacturer, and alternately the name of at least one type of automobile to enable a user-owner to have a non-traditional horn sound. This may allow the user-owner to express pride in driving the product of the at least one automobile manufacturer, and alternately pride in driving the specific type of automobile when “honking” the horn. 
     Further, the at least one sound file  200  may be configured to repeat the name of the at least one automobile manufacturer, and alternately the name of the at least one type of automobile, for a user-selected number of iterations. As mentioned above, at least one sound file  200  may include horn sounds, with the horn sounds further including auto horn sounds as additional choices for the user-owner. In addition, the at least one sound file  200  may be configured to be able to change, and alternatively add, additional audible communications  151  such as a theme song from a favorite television show, a favorite sports team fight song, and the like. 
     The power supply  125  for the electronic communication system  100  may be powered off-board, thus being configured to receive electrical energy from an electrical system  15  of the land vehicle  5 , and provide electrical power to the audio output device  120 . 
     The controller  130  may be configured as a user-interface, and may include an activation switch  215 . The controller  130  may further include an audio selector  210  and a volume adjuster  216 . The audio selector  210  may be configured to select from a plurality of audio output files (sound file  200 ) stored in the memory  115  of the processor  110 . In addition, the activation switch  215  may be configured to power and activate the audio output device  120  to emit the audible communications  151  ( FIG. 1 ) from at least one sound file  200  to an environment external to the land vehicle  5  ( FIG. 1 ). According to one embodiment, the activation switch  215  may be a steering-wheel horn pushbutton of the land vehicle  5 , and the audio selector  210  and the volume adjuster  216  may be also integrated into the steering-wheel horn pushbutton. Further, the volume adjuster  216  may be configured so that the user  140  ( FIG. 1 ) may vary the volume level of the output from the audio output device  120 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an electronic communication system for a land vehicle according to an alternative embodiment. Here, the electronic communication system  100  is added to the land vehicle  5  ( FIG. 1 ) an aftermarket configuration. In this embodiment, the electronic communication system for a land vehicle  300  may supplement the existing audible horn system of the vehicle  5 . The horn for a vehicle  300  may include a processor  310 , a memory  330 , at least one power supply  340 , an audio output device  350 , a housing  360 , and activation means  370 . The activation means  370  may be configured to be controlled by a user  140  ( FIG. 1 ) from the vehicle interior, and further configured to initiate the audible non-conventional horn sound to an environment external to the vehicle  5 . 
     The processor  310  may include a signal processor  311 , a memory  330 , and at least one power supply  340 . The signal processor  311  may be configured to index and play digital sound files  320  from the memory  330 , with the memory  330  configured to store at least one digital sound file  321  that may be executable via the processor  310 . In further referring to the digital sound files  320 , the digital sound files  320  may include at least one of voice, music, and traditional horn sounds, which may include traditional auto horn sounds. The processor  310  may be configured to direct digital sound files  320  to an audio output device  350  that may emit a non-conventional horn sound  327  to an environment external to the vehicle  5 . 
     The electronic communication system for a land vehicle  300  may be configured to include at least one power supply  340  that may further be configured to provide operating power to the vehicle horn  35 . In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one power supply  340  may be a rechargeable, self-contained battery  341 . Alternately, the at least one power supply  340  may be configured to receive electrical power  20  from the vehicle  5 . 
     The signal processor  311 , the memory  330 , and the at least one power supply  340  may be contained in a housing  360  configured to fixedly-retain the processor  310 , the memory  330 , and the power supply  340 . The exterior of the housing  360  may be configured to mount to an interior surface of the vehicle  5  via at least one mounting bracket  362 . Further, the housing  360  may be of ruggedized construction to withstand varying ambient conditions and protect the processor  310 , the memory  330 , and the power supply  340  within the housing  360 . The housing  360  may include an input interface  363  configured to removably couple with at least one type of standardized data connection  364 . At least one standardized data connection  364  may include at least one of a USB connector, a threaded connector with a back shell, and the like. Alternately a wireless communication connection may be used. The housing  360  may also include an output interface  368 , which may be configured to removably couple with the audio output device  350 . Further, the audio output device  350  may be selected from a group which may include an analog speaker, a digital audio player, and a vehicle horn. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of the electronic communication system  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic communication system  100  for a vehicle  5  ( FIG. 1 ) may include the processor  110 , a memory  115 , an audio output device  120 , a power supply  125 , and a controller  130 . When electrical power  20  is available after engaging the starter  30  of the vehicle  5 , the electrical current flows through the fuse  35  and is made available to the power supply  125  located within the processor  110 . Upon activation of the controller  130 , which may be the steering-wheel horn pushbutton  217 , the power supply  125  powers the processor  110  to access the memory  115  to retrieve and process the at least one sound file  200  to emit audible communications  151  to an audio output device  120 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for electronic communication system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the method for electronic communication system for a vehicle  500  may include one or more components or features of the electronic communication system for a vehicle  100  as described above. As illustrated, the method for use of an electronic communication system  500  may include the steps of: step one  501 , mounting the horn to the interior surface of the vehicle via the mounting bracket; step two  502 , coupling at least one standardized data connection with the input interface; step three  503 , coupling the audio output device with an output interface of the housing; step four  504 , connecting the power supply to receive electrical power from the vehicle; step five  505 , co-locating the activation means proximate to a user-seat in said vehicle interior; and step six  506 , sounding the horn via the activation means. 
     It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for electronic communication system for a vehicle (e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.), are taught herein. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.