US 11,702,005 B2
Adaptive vehicle horn
Derek A. Thompson, Ypsilanti, MI (US); and Krishna V. Buddharaju, Northville, MI (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on May 21, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/879,869.
Prior Publication US 2021/0362649 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. B60Q 5/00 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01)
CPC B60Q 5/005 (2013.01) [B60Q 5/001 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G01S 2013/9323 (2020.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a vehicle horn having a signal-based mode and a sound-based mode, wherein in the signal-based mode, the vehicle horn is configured to output an electronic signal; and wherein in the sound-based mode, the vehicle horn is configured to output an audible signal;
one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being configured to acquire driving environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of an ego vehicle;
one or more processors, the one or more processors being operatively connected to the vehicle horn;
one or more data stores operatively connected to the one or more processors and storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
analyze the driving environment data acquired by the one or more sensors to detect an object of interest therein, the object of interest being at least one of a person, an animal, and a vehicle;
when a vehicle is detected, determine whether the vehicle is a connected vehicle or a non-connected vehicle;
select the sound-based mode when a person, an animal, or a non-connected vehicle is detected;
select the signal-based mode when the only object of interest detected is one or more connected vehicles, whereby no person, animal, or non-connected vehicle is detected;
receive a horn command; and
responsive to receiving the horn command, cause the vehicle horn to output a horn signal based on the selected mode.