Patent Document ID: 7741962
Application ID: 11539704
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for providing an audible signal representative of a vehicle environment to a vehicle operator within a vehicle, the environment including an object having a location and a relative velocity, the apparatus comprising: a sensor system, providing sensor data related to the vehicle environment, the sensor system being supported by the vehicle; an electronic circuit receiving the sensor data, the electronic circuit determining a plurality of audible signal variables from the sensor data; and an audio system comprising a plurality of speakers within the vehicle, the audio system providing the audible signal having the audible signal variables, wherein each audible signal variable conveys information about the vehicle environment, the audible signal including a plurality of tone pulses, each tone pulse having audible signal variables allowing perception of the location and the relative velocity of the object, the audible signal variables being selected from a group of variables consisting of: frequency, amplitude, time delay from a reference time, and tone pulse duration.