System and method for outputting vehicle tire pressure related audible messages

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for outputting vehicle tire pressure related audible messages. A vehicle is disclosed that includes a detection unit, an external speaker system, and a processor. A detection unit may be configured to detect a tire pressure of each vehicle tire and to detect a user presence and a user location in the vicinity of the vehicle. The external speaker system may include a plurality of speakers configured to output an audio signal. The processor may be configured to determine that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions may be satisfied based on an input obtained from the detection unit. The processor may also identify one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers to output an audible message based on the type of predefined condition that may be satisfied. The processor may also cause the speaker to output the audible message indicative of a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure via an external vehicle speaker or actuator. Background Art

[0002] Many users use a pressure gauge to regularly check the tire pressure of each vehicle tire. In this way, if a user does not have a pressure gauge, the user may find it difficult to measure and monitor the tire pressure. Additionally, when the user may be inflating a tire, sometimes it may not be easy for the user to access a monitor or display depicting the real-time tire pressure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that can facilitate a user to conveniently know the tire pressure of one or more vehicle tires without having to use a pressure gauge. The vehicle can include an external speaker system that includes a plurality of speakers that can output audible messages indicating the vehicle tire pressure when the user may approach the vehicle, thereby eliminating the need to use a pressure gauge to measure the tire pressure. In some aspects, the vehicle can include four tire pressure measurement systems (TPMS), where one TPMS is associated with each vehicle tire. The vehicle can use the input obtained from the TPMS to determine the real-time tire pressure of each vehicle tire and can use the external speaker system to output the real-time tire pressure to facilitate the user.

[0004] In an exemplary aspect, when the user may be filling / inflating the tire pressure of a vehicle tire, the vehicle can identify the speaker closest to the vehicle tire that may be being filled and cause the identified speaker to output the real-time tire pressure. As an example, when the user inflates a vehicle tire, the speaker can output "36 psi", "38 psi", "40 psi". In this case, the user can regularly hear audible messages and may not need to use a pressure gauge or view the pressure reading on an external display to know the real-time tire pressure. In some aspects, when the tire pressure increases to be greater than an upper limit tire pressure threshold, the vehicle can also cause the speaker to output an alarm notification to prevent the user from over-inflating the vehicle tire. When the user may be deflating a vehicle tire, the vehicle can follow a similar (and opposite) process.

[0005] In another exemplary aspect, when the user may be located near or approaching the vehicle and the tire pressure of one or more vehicle tires may be low (e.g., less than a predefined pressure threshold), the vehicle may cause all external speakers to output an audible message that includes an identifier of the vehicle tire(s) that may have low pressure. For example, the speaker can output a message stating "The left front tire has low pressure". In response to hearing such a message, the user can take remedial measures before driving the vehicle.

[0006] In yet another exemplary aspect, when a user may be near the vehicle and inspecting the vehicle (e.g., by moving around the vehicle), the vehicle can determine the real-time user location based on inputs obtained from the vehicle's sensor suite. The vehicle can also determine the vehicle tires and speakers closest to the real-time user location. The vehicle can cause the determined speaker to output an audible message including the tire pressure of the determined vehicle tire, enabling the user to conveniently know the tire pressure without using a pressure gauge. In some aspects, as the user moves around the vehicle, the vehicle can cause the external speakers to output the tire pressure of each vehicle tire one by one, facilitating the user's vehicle inspection process.

[0007] The vehicle can also be configured to control the volume of the audible message output from the speaker such that the user can clearly hear the message without disturbing other users who may be in the same area where the vehicle may be located. Additionally, the vehicle can ensure that the audible message volume is greater than the ambient noise level so that the user can conveniently hear the message.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle that outputs an audible message indicating the vehicle tire pressure, eliminating the need to use a pressure gauge. Additionally, when the user may be inflating a vehicle tire, the vehicle outputs an audible message including the real-time tire pressure, thereby reducing the likelihood of over-inflating the tire. Further, when the tire pressure in one or more vehicle tires may be low, the vehicle outputs an audible message, enabling the user to perform timely remedial measures.

[0009] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout the present disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably.

[0011] Figure 1 An environment is depicted in which the techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0013] Figure 3 A top view of a vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0014] Figure 4 Depicts a flowchart of a method for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure according to the present disclosure. Detailed implementation

[0015] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and the example embodiments are not intended to be limiting.

[0016] Figure 1 Depicts an exemplary environment 100 in which the technologies and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. The environment 100 may include a vehicle 102. The vehicle 102 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a sedan, work vehicle, crossover vehicle, van, minivan, etc. Additionally, the vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., driverless) mode or a partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuators, a hybrid system, etc.

[0017] The environment 100 may further include a user 104, who may be located near the vehicle 102. In Figure 1 the exemplary aspect depicted, the user 104 is shown filling the tire pressure / inflating the vehicle tire 106; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this aspect. In other aspects (not shown), the user 104 may be approaching the vehicle 102, opening the door, inspecting the vehicle 102 by moving around the perimeter of the vehicle, and / or performing any other operation near the vehicle 102.

[0018] The vehicle 102 may be configured to output audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure when the user 104 may be located near the vehicle 102 (and / or performing one or more of the above operations). In one exemplary aspect, when the user 104 may be inflating the tire 106, the audible message may enable the user 104 to conveniently know the real-time vehicle tire pressure, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of over-inflating or under-inflating the tire. In another exemplary aspect, the audible message may enable the user 104 to receive a timely alert when the vehicle tire may have a low tire pressure (e.g., less than a predefined pressure threshold) and when the user 104 may be approaching the vehicle 102 and / or opening the door. In such a case, the user 104 may check the corresponding vehicle tire and / or inflate the vehicle tire before driving the vehicle 102. In yet another exemplary aspect, the audible message may enable the user 104 to know the tire pressure of each vehicle tire when the user 104 may be moving around and inspecting the vehicle 102. These exemplary aspects will be described in detail in the following description.

[0019] In some aspects, vehicle 102 may include a detection unit (shown as detection unit 240 in Figure 2 ), which may be configured to detect the presence and location of a user near vehicle 102. Specifically, the detection unit may include a sensor suite (shown as sensor suite 244 in Figure 2 ), which may locate the user's location and / or the location of the user device associated with user 104 when the user 104 may be near vehicle 102 (e.g., within a predefined distance around the vehicle). In an exemplary aspect, the sensor suite may include, but is not limited to, vehicle cameras, radio detection and ranging (radar) sensors, light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) sensors, etc.

[0020] The detection unit may also include one or more tire pressure monitoring systems (or “TPMS”, shown as TPMS 246 in Figure 2 ), which are configured to detect the tire pressure of each vehicle tire. In an exemplary aspect, the detection unit may include four TPMSs, with one TPMS disposed near each vehicle tire. Vehicle 102 may also include an external speaker system, which may include a plurality of speakers (or panel exciters). For example, the external speaker system may include a left front speaker disposed near the left front vehicle tire, a right front speaker disposed near the right front vehicle tire, a left rear speaker disposed near the left rear vehicle tire, and a right rear speaker disposed near the right rear vehicle tire. Vehicle 102 may be configured to control the operation of the external speaker system based on inputs obtained from the detection unit and cause one or more speakers to output an audible message indicating the vehicle tire pressure, as described below.

[0021] In a first exemplary aspect, when vehicle 102 determines, based on inputs obtained from the detection unit, that user 104 may be filling the tire pressure of tire 106, vehicle 102 may determine the speaker (from the external speaker system) closest to the tire 106 that may be being inflated and then cause that speaker to output an audible message including the real-time tire pressure. For example, when the real-time tire pressure associated with tire 106 may be 36 psi, the speaker may output “36 psi” (as shown in the caption 108 of Figure 1 ). When the real-time tire pressure increases (or decreases) by a predefined amount (e.g., 2 psi when user 104 fills the tire pressure), the speaker may output the corresponding real-time tire pressure, such as “38 psi”, “40 psi”, etc.

[0022] In some aspects, vehicle 102 may also determine an optimal volume at which the speaker can output an audible message. When user 104 may be filling the tire pressure in tire 106, the optimal volume can be low enough such that it does not inconvenience other users who may be near vehicle 102 (and away from tire 106), but may be higher than the ambient noise level (e.g., higher than the noise emitted from the compressor used to inflate tire 106).

[0023] In another exemplary aspect, when vehicle 102 (based on inputs obtained from the detection unit) determines that user 104 may be approaching vehicle 102 or is near vehicle 102 and the tire pressure of one or more vehicle tires may be less than a predefined threshold, vehicle 102 may cause all speakers in the external speaker system to output an audible message that includes an identifier of the vehicle tire with less tire pressure. For example, in such a case, the speaker may output "The left front tire has low tire pressure". In such a case, the speaker may output the message at a volume higher than the ambient noise level such that user 104 can conveniently hear the audible message and take remedial measures before driving vehicle 102.

[0024] In a third exemplary aspect, when vehicle 102 (based on inputs obtained from the detection unit) determines that user 104 may be moving around the vehicle perimeter and inspecting vehicle 102, vehicle 102 can track the movement of the user and identify the speaker and the vehicle tire that is closest to the user's real-time position as the user 104 moves. In response to identifying the speaker and the vehicle tire, when user 104 moves to or is near that vehicle tire, vehicle 102 may cause the speaker to output the tire pressure of that vehicle tire. As an example, when user 104 may be near the left front vehicle tire, the left front speaker may output the tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire, and when user 104 may be near the right front vehicle tire, the right front speaker may output the tire pressure of the right front vehicle tire, and so on. In this way, as user 104 moves around vehicle 102, user 104 can auditorily hear the tire pressure of each vehicle tire and may not need a pressure gauge to measure the tire pressure when inspecting vehicle 102.

[0025] Further details of the vehicle are described below in conjunction with Figure 2 description of the vehicle.

[0026] Vehicle 102 implements and / or performs operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Additionally, any actions taken by user 104 based on recommendations or notifications provided by vehicle 102 should comply with all rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102 (e.g., federal, state, national, city, etc.). Recommendations or notifications provided by vehicle 102 should be considered as suggestions and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102.

[0027] Figure 2 FIG. depicts a block diagram of a system 200 for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure according to the present disclosure. In the description Figure 2 while, reference will be made to Figure 3 .

[0028] System 200 may include a vehicle 202 and a user device 204 communicatively coupled to each other via one or more networks 206 (or network 206). Vehicle 202 may be the same as vehicle 102 described above in connection with Figure 1 User device 204 may be associated with user 104 and may be, for example, a mobile phone, laptop computer, computer, tablet, wearable device, or any other similar device having communication capabilities.

[0029] Network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. Network 206 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPDA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Fifth Generation (5G), to name just a few examples.

[0030] Vehicle 202 may include a plurality of units, the plurality of units including but not limited to an automotive computer 208, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 210, and an audible message unit 212 (or unit 212). VCU 210 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 214 configured to communicate with the automotive computer 208.

[0031] In some aspects, the user device 204 may be configured to connect to the vehicle computer 208 and / or the unit 212 via the network 206, which may communicate via one or more wireless connections, and / or the user device may directly connect to the vehicle 202 by using the Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, protocols, Wi-Fi, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and other possible data connection and sharing technologies.

[0032] According to the present disclosure, the vehicle computer 208 and / or the unit 212 may be installed anywhere in the vehicle 202. Additionally, the vehicle computer 208 may operate as a functional part of the unit 212. The vehicle computer 208 may be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 216 and a memory 218. Additionally, the unit 212 may be separate from the vehicle computer 208 (as Figure 2 shown), or may be integrated as part of the vehicle computer 208.

[0033] The processor 216 may be arranged to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., the memory 218 and / or Figure 2 one or more external databases not shown in the figure) that are arranged to communicate with a corresponding computing system. The processor 216 may utilize the memory 218 to store programs in the form of code and / or store data to perform aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. The memory 218 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores the code for the audible message management program. The memory 218 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Flash Memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), etc.).

[0034] According to some aspects, the VCU 210 may share a power bus with the vehicle computer 208 and may be configured and / or programmed to operate in a vehicle system, a connected server, and other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle fleet ( Figure 2Coordinate data among (not shown in the figure). The VCU 210 can include any combination of or communicate with the ECUs 214, such as, for example, a body control module (BCM) 220, an engine control module (ECM) 222, a transmission control module (TCM) 224, a telematics control unit (TCU) 226, a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 228, etc. The VCU 210 can also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 230, which can connect and / or control one or more vehicle sensing systems 232. The vehicle sensing system 232 can include one or more vehicle sensors, including but not limited to radio detection and ranging (RADAR or "radar") sensors configured to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102 using radio waves, seat area latch sensors, seat area sensors, light detection and ranging ("lidar") sensors, door sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, wheel sensors, one or more ambient weather or temperature sensors, vehicle interior and exterior cameras, steering wheel sensors, vehicle accelerometers, vehicle gyroscopes, vehicle magnetometers, etc.

[0035] In some aspects, the VCU 210 can control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets received from the user device 204 and / or one or more connected servers, one or more instruction sets stored in the memory 218, including instructions operating as part of the unit 212.

[0036] The TCU 226 can be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and outside the vehicle 102, and can include a navigation (NAV) receiver 234 for receiving and processing GPS signals, a Bluetooth low energy module (BLEM) 236, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, and / or other wireless transceivers that may be capable of being configured for wireless communication (including cellular communication) between the vehicle 202 and other systems (such as, for example, a vehicle key fob ( Figure 2 (not shown in the figure), the user device 204, etc.), computers, and modules. Figure 2 The TCU 226 can be arranged to communicate with the ECUs 214 via a bus.

[0037] The ECUs 214 can control various aspects of vehicle operation and communication using inputs from a human driver, inputs from the automotive computer 208, the unit 212, and / or wireless signal input / command signals received via a wireless connection from other connected devices (such as the user device 204, etc.).

[0038] The BCM 220 generally includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and variable reactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include a processor-based power distribution circuit that can control functions associated with a vehicle body (such as lights, windows, safety devices, cameras, audio systems, speakers, wipers, door locks and access controls, and various comfort controls, etc.). The BCM 220 can also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to interact with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 not shown in

[0039] The DAT controller 228 can provide level 1 to level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functions, which can include, for example, active parking assistance, vehicle reverse assistance, and / or adaptive cruise control, etc. The DAT controller 228 can also provide aspects of user and environmental inputs that can be used for user authentication.

[0040] In some aspects, the automotive computer 208 can be connected to an infotainment system or a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) 238. The HMI 238 can include a touchscreen interface portion, and can include voice recognition features, biometric recognition capabilities that can identify users based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the HMI 238 can also be configured to receive user instructions via the touchscreen interface portion, and / or output or display notifications, navigation maps, etc. on the touchscreen interface portion.

[0041] The computing system architectures of the automotive computer 208, VCU 210, and / or unit 212 may omit certain computing modules. It should be readily understood that Figure 2 the computing environment depicted in

[0042] is an example of a possible implementation according to the present disclosure, and should not be considered restrictive or exclusive. Figure 2As shown. The sensor suite 244 can be configured to detect the presence and location of a user near the vehicle 202. In an exemplary aspect, the sensor suite 244 can include multiple sensors, including but not limited to one or more vehicle cameras, radar sensors, lidar sensors, UWB sensors, BLE sensors, radio access technology responders, and the like. In some aspects, the sensor suite 244 can detect the presence and location of a user near the vehicle 202 based on images, inputs, etc. captured by vehicle cameras, radar sensors, lidar sensors, etc. In other aspects, the sensor suite 244 can detect the presence and location of a user near the vehicle 202 by determining the presence of a user device 204 (which the user 104 may carry) near the vehicle 202 and by using, for example, UWB sensors, BLE sensors, radio access technology responders, etc. to locate / determine the user device location.

[0043] In some aspects, the vehicle 202 can include four TPMSs 246, with one TPMS disposed near each vehicle tire. The TPMS 246 can be configured to continuously (or at a predefined frequency) detect the tire pressure of each vehicle tire.

[0044] The external speaker system 242 can include multiple external speakers configured to output audio signals. For example, as Figure 3 shown, the external speaker system 242 can include a left front speaker 242a, a right front speaker 242b, a left rear speaker 242c, and / or a right rear speaker 242d. In an exemplary aspect, the left front speaker 242a can be disposed near the left front vehicle tire 106a, the right front speaker 242b can be disposed near the right front vehicle tire 106b, the left rear speaker 242c can be disposed near the left rear vehicle tire 106c, and / or the right rear speaker 242d can be disposed near the right rear vehicle tire 106d.

[0045] According to some aspects, the unit 212 can be integrated with and / or executed as part of the ECU 214. The unit 212, whether it is integrated with the automotive computer 208 or the ECU 214, or operates as an independent computing system in the vehicle 102, can include a transceiver 248, a processor 250, and a computer-readable memory 252.

[0046] The transceiver 248 can be configured to receive information / inputs from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 204, one or more connected servers, etc.) via the network 206. Additionally, the transceiver 248 can transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc. to external devices or systems. Further, the transceiver 248 can be configured to receive information / inputs from vehicle components such as the detection unit 240, vehicle sensing system 232, one or more ECUs 214, etc. Additionally, the transceiver 248 can transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to vehicle components such as the BCM 220, HMI 238, external speaker system 242, etc.

[0047] The processor 250 and the memory 252 can be the same as or similar to the processor 216 and the memory 218, respectively. In some aspects, the processor 250 can utilize the memory 252 to store programs in the form of code and / or store data to execute aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. The memory 252 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores code for an audible message management program. In some aspects, the memory 252 can additionally store a three-dimensional (3D) map or geometry associated with the vehicle 202, including position coordinates of one or more vehicle components, vehicle dimensions, etc.

[0048] In operation, the processor 250 can continuously or at a predefined frequency obtain inputs from the detection unit 240. Specifically, the processor 250 can continuously or at a predefined frequency obtain inputs from the sensor suite 244 and each TPMS 246. In response to obtaining an input from the detection unit 240, the processor 250 can determine whether a predefined condition among a plurality of predefined conditions can be satisfied based on the obtained input. In an exemplary aspect, the plurality of predefined conditions can include, but are not limited to, a rate of change of tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire being greater than a predefined rate threshold (as determined via an input obtained from the TPMS 246), a tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire being less than a predefined tire pressure threshold (as determined via an input obtained from the TPMS 246) and a user presence being detected near the vehicle 202 (as determined via an input obtained from the sensor suite 244), a user presence being detected near the vehicle 202 and a rate of change of the user position being greater than a predefined position threshold (as determined via an input obtained from the sensor suite 244), and so on.

[0049] In response to determining that a predefined condition from among a plurality of predefined conditions can be satisfied based on the obtained input, the processor 250 can determine the type of the predefined condition that can be satisfied based on the input obtained from the detection unit 240. In some aspects, when the rate of change of the tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire (from the four vehicle tires 106a to 106d) may be greater than a predefined rate threshold, the processor 250 can determine that a first type of predefined condition can be satisfied. As an example, when the user 104 may be filling the tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire 106a, the rate of change of the tire pressure associated with the left front vehicle tire 106a can be greater than the predefined rate threshold (e.g., in the range of 0.4 to 0.8 psi per second). In such a case, the processor 250 can determine that the first type of predefined condition can be satisfied. In some aspects, the predefined rate threshold can be adjustable and can be increased or decreased after the processor 250 determines that the first type of predefined condition can be satisfied for at least one vehicle tire.

[0050] In further aspects, when the tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire can be less than a predefined tire pressure threshold and a user presence can be detected near the vehicle 202, the processor 250 can determine that a second type of predefined condition can be satisfied. As an example, when the user 104 may be approaching the vehicle 202 and / or opening the door and the processor 250 determines that one or more vehicle tires (from the four vehicle tires 106a to 106d) may have low tire pressure (i.e., less than the predefined tire pressure threshold), the processor 250 can determine that the second type of predefined condition can be satisfied.

[0051] In yet another aspect, when a user presence near the vehicle 202 can be detected and the rate of change of the user position can be greater than a predefined position threshold, the processor 250 can determine that a third type of predefined condition can be satisfied. As an example, when the user 104 may be moving around the vehicle perimeter and inspecting the vehicle 202, the processor 250 can determine that the third type of predefined condition can be satisfied.

[0052] The above exemplary predefined conditions should not be construed as restrictive, and the processor 250 can determine other types of predefined conditions without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] In response to determining the type of predefined conditions that can be met, the processor 250 can identify one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers associated with the external speaker system 242 based on the type of predefined conditions that can be met to output an audible message. Then, the processor 250 can cause the identified speaker(s) to output an audible message that indicates the tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires (from vehicle tires 106a to 106d), as described below.

[0054] In a first exemplary aspect, when the processor 250 determines that a first type of predefined condition can be met (e.g., when the user 104 may be filling the tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire 106a), the processor 250 can identify the speaker(s) from the speakers 242a to 242d that may be closest to the left front vehicle tire 106a. For example, in this case, the processor 250 can identify that the left front speaker 242a may be closest to the left front vehicle tire 106a. In response to identifying that the left front speaker 242a may be closest to the left front vehicle tire 106a, the processor 250 can (based on the input obtained from the associated TPMS 246) determine the real-time tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire 106a and cause the left front speaker 242a to output an audible message that includes the real-time tire pressure. For example, the audible message can output "36 psi" (as Figure 1 shown). Additionally, when the real-time tire pressure increases by a predefined increment (e.g., 2 psi), the processor 250 can cause the left front speaker 242a to output another audible message that includes the real-time tire pressure (e.g., "38 psi", "40 psi", etc.).

[0055] In some aspects, the processor 250 can also determine the optimal volume associated with the first type of predefined condition at which the left front speaker 242a can output an audible message and then cause the left front speaker 242a to output the audible message at that optimal volume. As an example, when the processor 250 determines that the first type of predefined condition can be met, the processor 250 can determine the optimal volume such that only the user 104 located near the left front speaker 242a can hear the audible message and other users who may be in the same area as the vehicle 202 are not disturbed. In other words, in this case, the optimal volume can be less than a predefined volume threshold such that the audible message can have a low volume.

[0056] In some aspects, the detection unit 240 may further include a microphone (not shown), which may be configured to capture ambient noise near the vehicle 202. The processor 250 may obtain an input from the microphone and determine the ambient noise level based on the obtained input. The processor 250 may also determine an optimal volume to output an audible message such that the volume may be greater than the ambient noise volume. As an example, when the user 104 may be filling the tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire 106a, the processor 250 may determine the optimal volume such that it may be greater than the sound emitted by the compressor providing pressure to the left front vehicle tire 106a. This may enable the user 104 to conveniently hear the audible message including the real-time vehicle tire pressure.

[0057] In additional aspects, the processor 250 may determine that the real-time vehicle tire pressure associated with the left front vehicle tire 106a may be greater than a predefined upper limit tire pressure threshold (e.g., when the user 104 may be filling the tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire 106a). In response to such determination, the processor 250 may cause the left front speaker 242a to output an alert notification, thereby preventing the user 104 from over-inflating the left front vehicle tire 106a.

[0058] When the user 104 may be reducing or deflating the tire pressure in one or more vehicle tires, a similar (and opposite) process may be followed. In such a case, when the tire pressure decreases from a higher value to a lower value, the processor 250 may cause the left front speaker 242a / external speaker system 242 to output an audible message.

[0059] Furthermore, when the processor 250 determines that the rate of change of the tire pressure associated with the left front vehicle tire 106a may have decreased below a predefined low rate threshold, the processor 250 may prohibit the left front speaker 242a from outputting any additional audible messages.

[0060] In a second exemplary aspect, when the processor 250 determines that a second type of predefined condition can be satisfied (e.g., when the tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire can be less than a predefined tire pressure threshold and a user presence can be detected near the vehicle 202), the processor 250 can determine the identifier of the vehicle tire whose tire pressure can be less than the predefined tire pressure threshold. For example, when the tire pressure of the left front vehicle tire 106a can be less than the predefined tire pressure threshold, the processor 250 can determine the identifier as "left front vehicle tire". In response to identifying the tire identifier, the processor 250 can cause all speakers associated with the external speaker system 242 to output an audible message including the tire identifier. For example, in this case, the processor 250 can cause the left front speaker 242a, the right front speaker 242b, the left rear speaker 242c, and / or the right rear speaker 242d to output an audible message that states, for example, "The left front vehicle tire has low tire pressure". In response to hearing such a message, the user 104 can take a remedial measure before driving the vehicle 202. In this case, as described above, the audible message can be output from the speaker to ensure that the user 104 clearly hears the message and takes a timely remedial measure.

[0061] Also in this case, the processor 250 can determine the ambient noise level based on the input obtained from the microphone / detection unit 240 and then determine the optimal volume for outputting the audible message based on the ambient noise level. Specifically, in this case, the processor 250 can cause the left front speaker 242a, the right front speaker 242b, the left rear speaker 242c, and / or the right rear speaker 242d to output the audible message at a volume that can be greater than the ambient noise level (thus facilitating the user 104 to conveniently hear the audible message).

[0062] In a third exemplary aspect, when the processor 250 determines that a third type of predefined condition can be satisfied (e.g., when a user presence can be detected near the vehicle 202 and the rate of change of the user position can be greater than a predefined position threshold), the processor 250 can determine the real-time user position near the vehicle 202 based on the input obtained from the sensor suite 244. In response to determining the real-time user position, the processor 250 can determine the "zone" near the vehicle 202 in which the user 104 may be located based on the real-time user position and the 3D map or geometry associated with the vehicle 202 (which can be stored in the memory 252). For example, the processor 250 can determine whether the user 104 may be located in zone "Z1", "Z2", "Z3", or "Z4" based on the real-time user position and the 3D vehicle map or geometry (as Figure 3 shown).

[0063] In response to determining the real-time user location or zone as described above, the processor 250 may determine the vehicle tire that is closest to the real-time user location or within the zone. For example, when the user 104 may be located in the zone "Z1", the processor 250 may determine that the left front vehicle tire 106a may be closest to the real-time user location. In response to determining that the left front vehicle tire 106a may be closest to the real-time user location, the processor 250 may determine the tire pressure associated with the left front vehicle tire 106a based on the input obtained from the associated TPMS 246. The processor 250 may also determine the speaker (e.g., the left front speaker 242a) that may be closest to the left front vehicle tire 106a or within the zone "Z1". The processor 250 may also cause the left front speaker 242a to output an audible message including the tire pressure associated with the left front vehicle tire 106a. For example, the left front speaker 242a may output an audible message stating "The pressure of the left front vehicle tire is 36 psi".

[0064] When the user 104 moves around the vehicle 202 (thereby changing the "zone" in which the user 104 may be located), the processor 250 may cause the speakers 242a to 242d to output one by one the tire pressures of the vehicle tires that may be closest to the real-time user location. In this way, during a vehicle inspection, the user 104 can conveniently know the tire pressure of each vehicle tire without having to use a pressure gauge.

[0065] In some aspects, if the user 104 may be standing / located between two zones, the processor 250 may cause the external speaker system 242 not to output any tire pressure, or may cause the external speaker system 242 to output the tire pressures of the vehicle tires associated with the two zones where the user 104 may be standing.

[0066] In additional aspects, if the user 104 may move back and forth between two or more zones, the processor 250 may cause the speaker of the zone that takes the most duration or a duration higher than a predefined duration threshold for the user 104 to output an audible message. Additionally, if there are multiple users in multiple zones or there are false locations due to non-human objects or obstacles, the processor 250 may cause the speaker to output only the pressure of the zone where the most reliably detected location is present.

[0067] Although the above description describes aspects in which the external speaker system 242 outputs audible messages indicating tire pressure, in additional aspects, one or more visual indicators (e.g., light-based indicators) may also be used to indicate tire pressure. Additionally, in some aspects, audio cues and rings may be used to indicate tire pressure.

[0068] Figure 4Depicts a flowchart of a method 400 for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure according to the present disclosure. Reference may continue to be made to the previous figures for description. Figure 4 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Additionally, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than those shown or described herein and may include those steps in a different order than the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0069] Method 400 begins at step 402. At step 404, method 400 may include determining by processor 250 that a predefined condition from among a plurality of predefined conditions can be satisfied based on an input obtained from detection unit 240. At step 406, the method may include identifying, by processor 250, one or more speakers from among a plurality of speakers associated with external speaker system 242 to output an audible message based on the type of the predefined condition that can be satisfied.

[0070] At step 408, method 400 may include causing the identified speaker to output an audible message by processor 250, the audible message indicating a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

[0071] Method 400 may end at step 410.

[0072] In the foregoing disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments.

[0073] Furthermore, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to particular system components. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but not in function.

[0074] It should also be understood that the term "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the term "example" as used herein denotes one of a number of examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is given to the particular example being described.

[0075] A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device can include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions can be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0076] Regarding the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring in accordance with a certain ordered sequence, such processes can be practiced by performing the described steps in a different order than that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the description of the processes herein is provided for purposes of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0077] Accordingly, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather should be determined with reference to the appended claims and the entire scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is expected and anticipated that the technologies discussed herein will evolve in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it should be understood that this application is capable of modification and change.

[0078] Unless expressly stated to the contrary herein, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as described herein. Specifically, unless the claims recite an express limitation to the contrary, the use of the singular articles such as "a," "the," and "said" should be construed to recite one or more of the indicated elements. Conditional language, such as, but not limited to, "can," "could," "might," or "may," typically implies that certain embodiments can include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments do not include certain features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments necessarily require each feature, element, and / or step.

[0079] According to the present invention, a method for outputting an audible message includes: determining, by a processor, that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions is satisfied based on an input obtained from a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is configured to: detect the tire pressure of each vehicle tire; and detect the presence and location of a user near the vehicle; identifying, by the processor, one or more speakers from a plurality of speakers of an external speaker system configured to output an audio signal to output the audible message based on the type of the satisfied predefined condition; and causing the one or more speakers to output the audible message, wherein the audible message indicates the tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

[0080] In one aspect of the present invention, the detection unit includes one or more tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).

[0081] In one aspect of the present invention, the detection unit includes a sensor suite, the sensor suite including at least one of a vehicle camera, a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor, a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, an ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor, and a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) sensor.

[0082] In one aspect of the present invention, the plurality of speakers includes a left front speaker disposed near the left front vehicle tire, a right front speaker disposed near the right front vehicle tire, a left rear speaker disposed near the left rear vehicle tire, and / or a right rear speaker disposed near the right rear vehicle tire.

[0083] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions is satisfied based on an input obtained from a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is configured to: detect the tire pressure of each vehicle tire; and detect the presence and location of a user near the vehicle; identify one or more speakers from a plurality of speakers of an external speaker system configured to output an audio signal to output an audible message; and cause the one or more speakers to output the audible message, wherein the audible message indicates the tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: A detection unit, the detection unit being configured to: Detect the tire pressure of each vehicle tire; And Detect the presence and location of a user near the vehicle; An external speaker system, the external speaker system including a plurality of speakers configured to output an audio signal; And A processor communicatively coupled to the detection unit and the external speaker system, wherein the processor is configured to: Determine that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions is satisfied based on an input obtained from the detection unit; Identify one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers to output an audible message based on the type of the satisfied predefined condition; And Cause the one or more speakers to output the audible message, wherein the audible message indicates the tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes one or more tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a sensor kit, the sensor kit including at least one of a vehicle camera, a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor, a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, an ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor, and a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) sensor.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the sensor kit determines the presence and location of the user near the vehicle by determining the presence and location of a user device near the vehicle.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of speakers include a left front speaker disposed near the left front vehicle tire, a right front speaker disposed near the right front vehicle tire, a left rear speaker disposed near the left rear vehicle tire, and / or a right rear speaker disposed near the right rear vehicle tire.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the rate of change of the tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire is greater than a predefined rate threshold, the processor determines that a first type of the predefined condition is satisfied, and wherein the at least one vehicle tire is one of the left front vehicle tire, the right front vehicle tire, the left rear vehicle tire, or the right rear vehicle tire.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to determining that the first type of the predefined condition is satisfied, determine the speaker among the plurality of speakers that is closest to the at least one vehicle tire; Determine the real-time tire pressure of the at least one vehicle tire; Determine an optimal volume associated with the first type of the predefined condition to output the audible message; And Cause the speaker to output the audible message including the real-time tire pressure at the optimal volume.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein when the first type of the predefined condition is satisfied, the optimal volume is less than a predefined volume threshold.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the detection unit further includes a microprocessor, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine an ambient noise level based on an input obtained from the microprocessor, and wherein the optimal volume is based on the ambient noise level.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the speaker to output an alert notification when the real-time tire pressure exceeds a predefined upper tire threshold.

11. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire is less than a predefined tire pressure threshold and the presence of the user is detected near the vehicle, the processor determines that a second type of the predefined condition is satisfied, and wherein the at least one vehicle tire is one of the left front vehicle tire, the right front vehicle tire, the left rear vehicle tire, or the right rear vehicle tire.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine an identifier of the at least one vehicle tire; and cause the left front speaker, the right front speaker, the left rear speaker, and the right rear speaker to output the audible message including the identifier.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine an optimal volume for outputting the audible message, wherein the optimal volume is based on the ambient noise level; and cause the left front speaker, the right front speaker, the left rear speaker, and the right rear speaker to output the audible message at the optimal volume.

14. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the presence of the user is detected near the vehicle and the rate of change of the user position is greater than a predefined position threshold, the processor determines that a third type of the predefined condition is satisfied.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a real-time user position based on the input; determine the vehicle tire closest to the real-time user position from the left front vehicle tire, the right front vehicle tire, the left rear vehicle tire, and / or the right rear vehicle tire; determine the real-time tire pressure of the vehicle tire based on the input; determine the speaker closest to the vehicle tire from the left front speaker, the right front speaker, the left rear speaker, and the right rear speaker; and cause the speaker to output the audible message including the real-time tire pressure.

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