Systems and methods for outputting vehicle tire pressure-related audible messages

Abstract

A vehicle is disclosed that includes a detection unit, an exterior speaker system, and a processor. The detection unit may be configured to detect tire pressure of each vehicle tire and detect a user's presence and user location near the vehicle. The exterior speaker system may include a plurality of speakers configured to output audio signals. The processor may be configured to determine, based on inputs received from the detection unit, that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions may be met. The processor may further identify one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers to output an audible message based on a type of the predefined condition that may be met.The processor may further cause the speakers to output the audible message indicating a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

Description

AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure via vehicle exterior speakers or exciters. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Many users use pressure gauges to regularly check the tire pressure of each vehicle tire. Thus, it can be difficult for a user to measure and monitor tire pressure if the user doesn't have a pressure gauge. Furthermore, when the user inflates a tire, sometimes the monitor or display that displays real-time tire pressure may not be readily available to the user. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that can enable a user to conveniently learn 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 vehicle tire pressures when the user can be near the vehicle, thereby eliminating the need to use a pressure gauge to measure tire pressure. In some aspects, the vehicle can include four tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), with a TPMS associated with each vehicle tire. The vehicle can use inputs received from the TPMS to determine a real-time tire pressure of each vehicle tire and can use the external speaker system to output the real-time tire pressure for user convenience.

[0004] In one example aspect, when the user may be adding tire pressure / air to a vehicle tire, the vehicle may identify a speaker closest to the vehicle tire that may be being inflated and cause the identified speaker to output a real-time tire pressure. As an example, the speaker may output "36 psi," "38 psi," or "40 psi" when the user is inflating the vehicle tire. In this case, the user may hear the audible messages regularly and may not be required to use a pressure gauge or view pressure readings on external displays to learn the real-time tire pressure. In some aspects, the vehicle may further cause the speaker to output a warning notification when the tire pressure increases above an upper tire pressure threshold, thereby preventing the user from over-inflating the vehicle tire.The vehicle may follow a similar (and opposite) process if the user may deflate the vehicle tire.

[0005] In another example aspect, if the user may be 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 exterior speakers to emit an audible message that includes an identifier of the vehicle tires that may be experiencing low pressure. For example, the speakers may emit a message indicating "The front left tire has low pressure." In response to hearing such a message, the user may take remedial action before driving the vehicle.

[0006] In yet another example aspect, when the user may be near the vehicle and inspecting the vehicle (e.g., by moving around the vehicle), the vehicle may determine a real-time user location based on inputs received from a sensor suite of the vehicle. The vehicle may further determine a vehicle tire and a speaker closest to the real-time user location. The vehicle may cause the particular speaker to output an audible message including a tire pressure of the particular vehicle tire, thereby allowing the user to conveniently learn the tire pressure without using a pressure gauge.In some aspects, as the user moves around the vehicle, the vehicle may cause the exterior speakers to sequentially output the tire pressure of each vehicle tire, thereby facilitating the vehicle inspection process for the user.

[0007] The vehicle may further be configured to control the volume of the audible messages output from the speakers such that the messages are clearly audible to the user, yet do not disturb other users who may be in the same area as the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle may ensure that the volume of the audible message is greater than an ambient noise level so that the user can comfortably hear the messages.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle that outputs audible messages indicating vehicle tire pressure, thereby eliminating the need to use pressure gauges. Further, the vehicle outputs audible messages, including real-time tire pressure, when the user may be adding air to a vehicle tire, thereby reducing the likelihood of over-inflation. Furthermore, the vehicle outputs audible messages when the tire pressure in one or more vehicle tires may be low, thereby enabling the user to take timely corrective action.

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

[0010] The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of like reference numerals may indicate similar or identical elements. Different elements and / or components than those illustrated in the drawings may be utilized for different embodiments, and some elements and / or components may not be present in different embodiments. The elements and / or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout the disclosure, the singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably depending on the context. Fig. 1 illustrates an environment in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed in this document may be implemented. Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 3 illustrates a top view of a vehicle according to the present disclosure. Fig. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure in accordance with the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The disclosure is described in more detail below in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated and are not intended to be limiting.

[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates an example environment 100 in which techniques 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 car, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a van, a minivan, etc. Further, the vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., driverless) mode and / or partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as a gasoline engine, one or more electrically actuated electric motors, a hybrid system, etc.

[0013] The environment 100 may further include a user 104 who may be located near the vehicle 102. In the exemplary aspect shown in Fig. 1, the user 104 is shown adding tire pressure / air to a vehicle tire 106; however, the present disclosure is not limited to such an aspect. In other aspects (not shown), the user 104 may approach the vehicle 102, open a vehicle door, inspect the vehicle 102 by walking around a vehicle perimeter, and / or perform any other operation in the vicinity of the vehicle 102.

[0014] The vehicle 102 may be configured to output audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure when the user 104 may be in proximity to the vehicle 102 (and / or performing one or more of the actions described above). In one example aspect, the audible messages may allow the user 104 to conveniently learn the real-time vehicle tire pressure when the user 104 may be adding air to the tire 106, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of over- or under-inflation of the tire. In another example aspect, the audible messages may allow the user 104 to receive timely warnings when a vehicle tire may have 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 a vehicle door.In this case, the user 104 may have the corresponding vehicle tire inspected and / or inflate the vehicle tire before driving the vehicle 102. In yet another example aspect, the audible messages may allow the user 104 to learn the tire pressure of each vehicle tire as the user 104 may be moving around and inspecting the vehicle 102. These example aspects are described in detail in the description below.

[0015] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may include a detection unit (in Fig. 2 as detection unit 240) that may be configured to detect a user's presence and user location in the vicinity of the vehicle 102. In particular, the detection unit may include a sensor suite (in Fig. 2 as sensor suite 244) that can locate the user location and / or a location of a user device associated with the user 104 when the user 104 may be in proximity to the vehicle 102 (e.g., within a predefined distance from the vehicle perimeter). In an example aspect, the sensor suite may include, among other things, a vehicle camera, a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor, a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, an ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) sensor, and / or the like.

[0016] The detection unit may further comprise one or more tire pressure monitoring systems (or “TPMS”, in Fig. 2 as TPMS 246) configured to detect a tire pressure of each vehicle tire. In one example aspect, the detection unit may include four TPMSs, with one TPMS disposed proximate each vehicle tire. The vehicle 102 may further include an exterior speaker system, which may include a plurality of speakers (or panel exciters). For example, the exterior speaker system may include a front left speaker disposed proximate a front left vehicle tire, a front right speaker disposed proximate a front right vehicle tire, a rear left speaker disposed proximate a rear left vehicle tire, and a rear right speaker disposed proximate a rear right vehicle tire.The vehicle 102 may be configured to control the operation of the exterior speaker system based on inputs received from the detection unit and cause one or more speakers to output the audible messages indicative of the vehicle tire pressure, as described below.

[0017] In a first exemplary aspect, when the vehicle 102 determines, based on the inputs received from the detection unit, that the user 104 may be adding tire pressure to the tire 106, the vehicle 102 may determine a speaker (from the exterior speaker system) closest to the tire 106 that may be inflated and then cause the speaker to output an audible message including a real-time tire pressure. For example, the speaker may output "36 psi" (as indicated by a heading 108 of Fig. 1), when the real-time tire pressure associated with tire 106 may be 36 psi. Once 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, e.g., "38 psi," "40 psi," etc.

[0018] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may further determine an optimal volume at which the speaker can output the audible message. Perhaps if the user 104 is adding tire pressure to the tire 106, the optimal volume may be low enough that it does not cause inconvenience to other users who may be near the vehicle 102 (and away from the tire 106), but may be higher than an ambient noise level (e.g., higher than the noise emanating from the compressor used to inflate the tire 106).

[0019] In a second example aspect, when the vehicle 102 determines (based on the inputs received from the detection unit) that the user 104 may be approaching or proximate the vehicle 102 and a tire pressure of one or more vehicle tires may be less than a predefined threshold, the vehicle 102 may cause all speakers of the exterior speaker system to output an audible message including an identifier of the vehicle tires that have the lower tire pressure. For example, in this case, the speakers may output "The front left tire has low tire pressure." In this case, the speakers may output the message at a volume that is higher than the ambient noise level, allowing the user 104 to comfortably hear the audible message and take corrective action before driving the vehicle 102.

[0020] In a third exemplary aspect, when the vehicle 102 determines (based on inputs received from the detection unit) that the user 104 may be moving around the vehicle perimeter and inspecting the vehicle 102, the vehicle 102 may track the user's movement and identify a speaker and vehicle tire closest to the user's real-time location as the user 104 moves. In response to identifying the speaker and vehicle tire, the vehicle 102 may cause the speaker to output a tire pressure of the vehicle tire when the user 104 is moving or is in proximity to the vehicle tire.As an example, the front left speaker may output tire pressure of the front left vehicle tire when the user 104 may be near the front left vehicle tire, while the front right speaker may output tire pressure of the front right vehicle tire when the user 104 may be near the front right vehicle tire, and so on. In this way, the user 104 can audibly hear the tire pressure of each vehicle tire as the user 104 moves around the vehicle 102 and may not need pressure gauges to measure tire pressure while inspecting the vehicle 102.

[0021] Further vehicle details are below in connection with Fig. 2 described.

[0022] The vehicle 102 implements and / or performs operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the user manual and safety guidelines. In addition, any action taken by the user 104 based on recommendations or notifications provided by the vehicle 102 should comply with any regulations specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102 (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.). The recommendation or notifications as provided by the vehicle 102 should be treated as suggestions and followed only in accordance with any regulations specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0023] Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure in accordance with the present disclosure. During the description of Fig. 2 will be on Fig. 3 is referred to.

[0024] The system 200 may include a vehicle 202 and a user device 204 communicatively coupled via one or more networks 206 (or a network 206). The vehicle 202 may be the same as the vehicle 102 described above in connection with Fig. 1. The user device 204 may be associated with the user 104 and may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other similar device with communication capabilities.

[0025] Network 206 illustrates an example communications infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of this disclosure may communicate. Network 206 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or another configuration operating using any one or more of any known communications protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Bluetooth ® , BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, 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 a few examples.

[0026] The vehicle 202 may include a plurality of units, including, but not limited to, a vehicle computer 208, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 210, and an audible message unit 212 (or unit 212). The VCU 210 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 214 arranged in communication with the vehicle computer 208.

[0027] In some aspects, user device 204 may be configured to connect to vehicle computer 208 and / or unit 212 via network 206, which may communicate via one or more wireless connections, and / or may connect using near field communication (NFC) protocols, Bluetooth ®protocols, Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband (UWB), and other possible data connection and sharing techniques directly to the vehicle 202.

[0028] The vehicle computer 208 and / or the unit 212 may be installed anywhere in the vehicle 202 in accordance with the disclosure. Furthermore, the vehicle computer 208 may operate as a functional component 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. Furthermore, the unit 212 may be separate from the vehicle computer 208 (as in Fig. 2) or integrated as part of the vehicle computer 208.

[0029] The processor(s) 216 may be arranged in communication with one or more storage devices arranged in communication with the respective computing systems (e.g., the memory 218 and / or one or more external databases located in Fig. 2 are not shown). The processor(s) 216 may utilize the memory 218 to store programs in code and / or store data for performing aspects consistent with the disclosure. The memory 218 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores audible message management program code. The memory 218 may include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM), etc.) and any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g.,erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0030] In some aspects, the VCU 210 may share a power bus with the vehicle computer 208 and may be configured and / or programmed to transfer data between vehicle systems, connected servers, and other vehicles (in Fig. 2 not shown) operating as part of a vehicle fleet. The VCU 210 may include or communicate with any combination of the ECUs 214, such as 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 technologies (DAT) controller 228, etc. The VCU 210 may further include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 230 that has connectivity to and / or controls one or more vehicle sensor systems 232.The vehicle sensor system 232 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including, but not limited to, a radio-detected distance and speed sensor (RADAR or “radar” sensor) configured to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102 using radio waves, seat belt buckle sensors, seat area sensors, an optical distance and speed sensor (“LIDAR” sensor), door sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, wheel sensors, one or more ambient weather or temperature sensors, vehicle interior and exterior cameras, steering wheel sensors, a vehicle accelerometer, a vehicle gyroscope, a vehicle magnetometer, etc.

[0031] In some aspects, the VCU 210 may control operational aspects of the vehicle and implement one or more sets of instructions received from the user device 204 and / or one or more connected servers from one or more sets of instructions stored in the memory 218 that include instructions operable as part of the unit 212.

[0032] The TCU 226 may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity with wireless computing systems inside and outside the vehicle 102, and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 234 for receiving and processing a GPS signal, a BLE ® -Module (BLEM) 236, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and / or other wireless transceivers (in Fig. 2 not shown) that are used for wireless communication (including cellular communication) between the vehicle 202 and other systems (e.g., a vehicle remote key, in Fig. 2, the user device 204, etc.), computers, and modules. The TCU 226 may be arranged in communication with the ECUs 214 via a bus.

[0033] The ECUs 214 may control aspects of vehicle operation and communication using inputs from human drivers, inputs from the vehicle computer 208, the unit 212, and / or via wireless signal inputs / command signals received over the wireless connection(s) from other connected devices, such as, but not limited to, the user device 204.

[0034] The BCM 220 generally includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and variable throttles associated with the vehicle systems, and may include processor-based power distribution circuits that can control functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, security, camera(s), audio system(s), speakers, windshield wipers, door locks and access control, various convenience controls, etc. The BCM 220 may also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs (in Fig. 2 not shown).

[0035] The DAT controller 228 may provide Level 1 to Level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functionality, which may include, for example, active parking assistance, vehicle backup assistance, and / or adaptive cruise control, among other features. The DAT controller 228 may also provide aspects of user and environmental input usable for user authentication.

[0036] In some aspects, the motor vehicle computer 208 may connect to an infotainment system or human-machine interface (HMI) 238 of the vehicle. The HMI 238 may include a touchscreen interface portion and may include voice recognition features, biometric identification capabilities that may identify users based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint identification, or other biological identification means. In other aspects, the HMI 238 may be further configured to receive user instructions via the touchscreen interface portion and / or output or display notifications, navigation maps, etc. on the touchscreen interface portion.

[0037] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 208, the VCU 210 and / or the unit 212 may omit certain computing modules. It is readily understood that the Fig. 2 is an example of a possible implementation according to the present disclosure and thus should not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0038] The vehicle 102 may further include a detection unit 240 and an exterior speaker system 242. The detection unit 240 may include a sensor suite 244 and one or more TPMS 246. In some aspects, the sensor suite 244 may be part of the vehicle sensor system 232 and / or the TCU 226. In other aspects, the sensor suite 244 may be a separate unit, as shown in Fig. 2. The sensor suite 244 may be configured to detect a user's presence and user location in the vicinity of the vehicle 202. In an example aspect, the sensor suite 244 may include a variety of sensors, including, but not limited to, one or more vehicle cameras, radar sensors, lidar sensors, UWB sensors, BLE sensors, radio access technology responders, and / or the like. In some aspects, the sensor suite 244 may detect the user's presence and user location in the vicinity of the vehicle 202 based on images, inputs, etc., captured by the vehicle cameras, radar sensors, lidar sensors, and / or the like.In other aspects, the sensor suite 244 may detect the user's presence and user location near the vehicle 202 by determining the presence of the user device 204 (which the user 104 may be carrying) near the vehicle 202 and locating / determining the user device location, for example, using the UWB sensors, the BLE sensors, the radio access technology responders, and / or the like.

[0039] In some aspects, the vehicle 202 may include four TPMS 246, with one TPMS located near each vehicle tire. The TPMS 246 may be configured to continuously (or at a predefined frequency) detect a tire pressure of each vehicle tire.

[0040] The external speaker system 242 may include a plurality of external speakers configured to output audio signals. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the exterior speaker system 242 may include a front left speaker 242a, a front right speaker 242b, a rear left speaker 242c, and / or a rear right speaker 242d. In one example aspect, the front left speaker 242a may be located near a front left vehicle tire 106a, the front right speaker 242b may be located near a front right vehicle tire 106b, the rear left speaker 242c may be located near a rear left vehicle tire 106c, and / or the rear right speaker 242d may be located near a rear right vehicle tire 106d.

[0041] In accordance with some aspects, unit 212 may be integrated with and / or implemented as part of ECUs 214. Whether integrated with vehicle computer 208 or ECUs 214 or operating as a standalone computing system within vehicle 102, unit 212 may include a transceiver 248, a processor 250, and computer-readable memory 252.

[0042] The transceiver 248 may be configured to receive information / inputs from one or more external devices or systems, e.g., the user device 204, one or more connected servers, and / or the like, via the network 206. Furthermore, the transceiver 248 may transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc., to the external devices or systems. Additionally, the transceiver 248 may be configured to receive information / inputs from vehicle components, such as the detection unit 240, the vehicle sensor system 232, one or more ECUs 214, and / or the like. Furthermore, the transceiver 248 may transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to the vehicle components, such as the BCM 220, the MMS 238, the exterior speaker system 242, and / or the like.

[0043] Processor 250 and memory 252 may be the same as or similar to processor 216 and memory 218, respectively. In some aspects, processor 250 may utilize memory 252 to store programs in code and / or store data for performing aspects consistent with the disclosure. Memory 252 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores the audible message management program code. In some aspects, memory 252 may additionally store a three-dimensional (3D) map or geometry associated with vehicle 202, including location coordinates of one or more vehicle components, vehicle dimensions, and / or the like.

[0044] In operation, the processor 250 may receive inputs from the detection unit 240 continuously or at a predefined frequency. In particular, the processor 250 may receive inputs from the sensor suite 244 and each TPMS 246 continuously or at a predefined frequency. In response to receiving the inputs from the detection unit 240, the processor 250 may determine whether a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions may be met based on the received inputs.In an example aspect, the plurality of predefined conditions may include, among other things, a rate of change in tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire being greater than a predefined rate threshold (as determined via inputs received from TPMS 246), a tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire being less than a predefined tire pressure threshold (as determined via inputs received from TPMS 246), a user's presence near vehicle 202 being detected (as determined via inputs received from sensor suite 244), a user's presence near vehicle 202 being detected and a user location rate of change being greater than a predefined location threshold (as determined via inputs received from sensor suite 244), and / or the like.

[0045] In response to determining that a predefined condition from the plurality of predefined conditions may be met based on the received inputs, the processor 250 may determine, based on the inputs received from the detection unit 240, a type of the predefined condition that may be met. In some aspects, the processor 250 may determine that a first type of predefined condition may be met when the rate of change of tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire (of the four vehicle tires 106a-d) may be greater than the predefined rate threshold. As an example, if the user 104 may be adding tire pressure to the front left tire 106a, the rate of change of tire pressure associated with the front left tire 106a may 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, processor 250 may determine that the first type of predefined condition may be met. In some aspects, the predefined rate threshold may be tunable and may increase or decrease after processor 250 determines that the first type of predefined condition may be met for at least one vehicle tire.

[0046] In further aspects, the processor 250 may determine that a second type of predefined condition may be met when a tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire may be less than a predefined tire pressure threshold and the user's presence near the vehicle 202 may be detected. As an example, if the user 104 may be approaching the vehicle 202 and / or opening a vehicle door and the processor 250 determines that one or more vehicle tires (of the four vehicle tires 106a-d) may have low tire pressure (i.e., less than the predefined tire pressure threshold), the processor 250 may determine that the second type of predefined condition may be met.

[0047] In yet another aspect, processor 250 may determine that a third type of predefined condition may be met if the user's presence in the vicinity of vehicle 202 can be detected and the rate of change of the user's location may be greater than the predefined location threshold. As an example, processor 250 may determine that the third type of predefined condition may be met if user 104 may be moving around the vehicle perimeter and inspecting vehicle 202.

[0048] The exemplary predefined conditions described above should not be construed as limiting, and the processor 250 may determine other types of predefined conditions without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] In response to determining the type of predefined condition that may be met, processor 250 may identify one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers associated with external speaker system 242 to output an audible message based on the type of predefined condition that may be met. Processor 250 may cause the identified speaker(s) to output an audible message indicating a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires (of vehicle tires 106a-d), as described below.

[0050] In a first example aspect, when the processor 250 determines that the first type of predefined condition may be met (e.g., when the user 104 may be adding tire pressure to the front left vehicle tire 106a), the processor 250 may identify a speaker from the speakers 242a-d that may be closest to the front left tire 106a. For example, in this case, the processor 250 may identify that the front left speaker 242a may be closest to the front left tire 106a. In response to identifying that the front left speaker 242a may be closest to the front left vehicle tire 106a, the processor 250 may determine a real-time tire pressure of the front left vehicle tire 106a (based on the inputs received from the associated TPMS 246) and cause the front left speaker 242a to output an audible message including the real-time tire pressure.For example, the audible message may read “36 psi” (as in . Fig. 1). Further, once the real-time tire pressure increases by a predefined increment (e.g., by 2 psi), the processor 250 may cause the front left speaker 242a to output another audible message including the real-time tire pressure (e.g., "38 psi," "40 psi," and so on).

[0051] In some aspects, the processor 250 may further determine an optimal volume associated with the first type of predefined condition under which the front left speaker 242a may output the audible message, and then cause the front left speaker 242a to output the audible message at the optimal volume. As an example, if the processor 250 determines that the first type of predefined condition may be met, the processor 250 may determine the optimal volume such that only the user 104 located near the front left 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 may be less than a predefined volume threshold, so that the audible message may have a low volume.

[0052] In some aspects, the detection unit 240 may further include a microphone (not shown) that may be configured to capture ambient noise in the vicinity of the vehicle 202. The processor 250 may receive the inputs from the microphone and determine an ambient noise level based on the received inputs. The processor 250 may further determine the optimal volume for outputting the audible message, such that the volume may be higher than the ambient noise level. As an example, when the user 104 is inflating the front left vehicle tire 106a with tire pressure, the processor 250 may determine the optimal volume, such that it may be higher than the noise emitted by the compressor providing pressure to the front left vehicle tire 106a. This may allow the user 104 to comfortably hear the audible message including the real-time vehicle tire pressure.

[0053] In further aspects, the processor 250 may determine that the real-time vehicle tire pressure associated with the front left vehicle tire 106a may be higher than a predefined upper tire pressure threshold (e.g., when the user 104 may be adding tire pressure to the front left vehicle tire 106a). In response to such a determination, the processor 250 may cause the front left speaker 242a to emit a warning notification, thereby preventing the user 104 from over-inflating the front left vehicle tire 106a.

[0054] A similar (and opposite) process may be followed if the user 104 may reduce or deflate the tire pressure in one or more vehicle tires. In this case, the processor 250 may cause the front left speaker 242a / external speaker system 242 to output audible messages when the tire pressure decreases from a higher value to a lower value.

[0055] Additionally, the processor 250 may disable the front left speaker 242a to output any further audible message if the processor 250 determines that the rate of change of tire pressure associated with the front left vehicle tire 106a may have decreased below a predefined low rate threshold.

[0056] In a second example aspect, if the processor 250 determines that the second type of predefined condition may be met (e.g., if the tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire may be less than the predefined tire pressure threshold and the presence of the user in proximity to the vehicle 202 may be detected), the processor 250 may determine an identifier of the vehicle tire whose tire pressure may be less than the predefined tire pressure threshold. For example, if the tire pressure of the front left tire 106a may be less than the predefined tire pressure threshold, the processor 250 may determine the identifier as "front left tire." In response to identifying the tire identifier, the processor 250 may 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 may cause the front left speaker 242a, the front right speaker 242b, the rear left speaker 242c, and / or the rear right speaker 242d to output an audible message indicating, for example, "The front left vehicle tire has low tire pressure." In response to hearing such a message, the user 104 may take corrective action before driving the vehicle 202. In this case, the audible message may be output from the speakers as described above to ensure that the user 104 hears the message clearly and takes corrective action in a timely manner.

[0057] In this case, too, the processor 250 may determine the ambient noise level based on the inputs received from the microphone / detection unit 240 and then determine an optimal volume for outputting the audible message based on the ambient noise level. Specifically, in this case, the processor 250 may cause the front left speaker 242a, the front right speaker 242b, the rear left speaker 242c, and / or the rear right speaker 242d to output the audible message at a volume that may be greater than the ambient noise level (thereby allowing the user 104 to comfortably hear the audible message).

[0058] In a third example aspect, if the processor 250 determines that the third type of predefined condition may be met (e.g., if the user's presence can be detected near the vehicle 202 and the rate of change of the user's location may be greater than the predefined location threshold), the processor 250 may determine a real-time user location near the vehicle 202 based on the inputs received from the sensor suite 244. In response to determining the real-time user location, the processor 250 may determine a "zone" near the vehicle 202 in which the user 104 may be located based on the real-time user location and the 3D map or geometry associated with the vehicle 202 (which may be stored in the memory 252).For example, based on the real-time user location and the 3D vehicle map or geometry, the processor 250 may determine whether the user 104 may be in zone "Z1", "Z2", "Z3", or "Z4" (as shown in FIG. Fig. 3 shown).

[0059] In response to determining the real-time user location or zone, as described above, the processor 250 may determine a vehicle tire that is closest to the real-time user location within the zone. For example, if the user 104 may be located in zone "Z1," the processor 250 may determine that the front left tire 106a may be closest to the real-time user location. In response to determining that the front left tire 106a may be closest to the real-time user location, the processor 250 may determine a tire pressure associated with the front left tire 106a based on the inputs received from the associated TPMS 246. The processor 250 may further determine a speaker (e.g., the front left speaker 242a) that may be closest to the front left tire 106a or within zone "Z1."The processor 250 may further cause the left front speaker 242a to output an audible message including the tire pressure associated with the front left vehicle tire 106a. For example, the front left speaker 242a may output an audible message indicating "The front left vehicle tire has a pressure of 36 psi."

[0060] As the user 104 moves around the vehicle 202 (thereby changing the "zones" in which the user 104 may be located), the processor 250 may cause the speakers 242a-d to sequentially output the tire pressure of the vehicle tires that may be closest to the real-time user location. In this way, the user 104 can conveniently learn the tire pressure of each vehicle tire during the vehicle inspection without having to use a pressure gauge.

[0061] In some aspects, if the user 104 may be standing / located between two zones, the processor 250 may either cause the external speaker system 242 to not output tire pressure or cause the external speaker system 242 to output tire pressures for vehicle tires associated with both zones in which the user 104 may be standing.

[0062] In further aspects, when the user 104 moves between two or more zones, the processor 250 may cause the speaker of the zone in which the user 104 spends the most time or a time duration above a predefined time duration threshold to output the audible message. Furthermore, when multiple users are present in multiple zones or there are doubtful locations due to non-human objects or obstructions, the processor 250 may cause the speaker to output only the pressure of the most reliably detected zone.

[0063] Although the above description describes an aspect 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. Furthermore, in some aspects, audio prompts and beeps may be used to indicate tire pressures.

[0064] Fig. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 400 for outputting audible messages related to vehicle tire pressure in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig.4 may be described with continued reference to previous figures. The following process is exemplary and not limited to the steps described below. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include these steps in an order different from the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0065] The method 400 starts at step 402. At step 404, the method 400 may include determining, by the processor 250, that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions may be met based on inputs received from the detection unit 240. At step 406, the method may include identifying, by the processor 250, one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers associated with the outdoor speaker system 242 to output an audible message based on a type of the predefined condition that may be met.

[0066] At step 408, the method 400 may include causing, by the processor 250, the identified speaker(s) to output the audible message indicating a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires.

[0067] The method 400 may end at step 410.

[0068] In the foregoing disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, such phrases are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, if a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with one embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize such a feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0069] Furthermore, the functions described in this document may be performed in one or more of hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components, as appropriate. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and procedures described in this document. Certain terms used throughout the specification and claims refer to specific system components. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the components may be referred to by other names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not in function.

[0070] It is also understood that the word "example," as used in this document, is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting. In particular, the word "example," as used in this document, indicates one of several examples, and it is understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the particular example described.

[0071] A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., physical) 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 may take many forms, including, without limitation, non-transitory media and volatile media. Computing devices may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices, such as those listed above, and may be stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0072] With reference to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described in this specification, it is to be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc., have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order that differs from the order described in this specification. Further, it is to be understood that certain steps could be performed concurrently, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described in this specification could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes in this specification are for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the claims.

[0073] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will become apparent from a reading of the foregoing description. The scope should be determined not by reference to the foregoing description, but instead by reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the art discussed herein and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. Overall, it is to be understood that the application is susceptible to modification and variation.

[0074] All terms used in the claims are intended to have the general meaning known to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the technology described in this specification refers, unless expressly stated otherwise herein. In particular, the use of the singular articles, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," etc., is intended to refer to one or more of the specified elements, unless a claim expressly limits otherwise.Conditional language, such as, but not limited to, "may," "could," "may," or "may possibly," is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements, and / or steps, whereas other embodiments may not include them, unless specifically stated otherwise or clear from the particular context used. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

[0075] 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 met based on inputs received from a detection unit, the detection unit configured to: detect a tire pressure of each vehicle tire; and detect a presence of a user and a user location near a vehicle; identifying, by the processor, one or more speakers from a plurality of speakers of an exterior speaker system configured to output audio signals to output the audible message based on a type of the predefined condition that is met;and causing, by the processor, the one or more speakers to output the audible message, the audible message indicative of a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires;

[0076] In one aspect of the invention, the detection unit comprises one or more tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).

[0077] In one aspect of the invention, the detection unit comprises a sensor suite comprising at least one of a vehicle camera, a sensor for radio-based distance and speed measurement (radar sensor), a sensor for optical distance and speed measurement (lidar sensor), an ultra-wideband sensor (UWB sensor), and a Bluetooth low energy sensor (BLE sensor).

[0078] In one aspect of the invention, the plurality of speakers includes a front left speaker disposed proximate a front left vehicle tire, a front right speaker disposed proximate a front right vehicle tire, a rear left speaker disposed proximate a rear left vehicle tire, and a rear right speaker disposed proximate a rear right vehicle tire.

[0079] 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 met based on inputs received from a detection unit, the detection unit configured to: detect a tire pressure of each vehicle tire; and detect a presence of a user and a user location near a vehicle; identify one or more speakers from a plurality of speakers of an exterior speaker system configured to output audio signals to output an audible message based on a type of the predefined condition being met;and causing the one or more speakers to output the audible message, wherein the audible message indicates a tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires;

Claims

[1] Vehicle comprising: a detection unit configured to: Detecting a tire pressure of each vehicle tire; and Detecting a user's presence and user location near the vehicle; an outdoor speaker system comprising a plurality of speakers configured to output audio signals; and a processor communicatively coupled to the detection unit and the outdoor speaker system, the processor configured to: Determining that a predefined condition from a plurality of predefined conditions is met based on inputs received from the detection unit; Identifying one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers to output an audible message based on a type of the predefined condition being met; and Causing the one or more speakers to output the audible message, the audible message indicating the tire pressure associated with one or more vehicle tires. [2] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises one or more tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). [3] The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a sensor suite including at least one of a vehicle camera, a radar sensor, an optical lidar sensor, an ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor, and a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) sensor. [4] The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the sensor suite determines the user's presence and user location near the vehicle by determining a presence of a user device and a user device location near the vehicle. [5] The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of speakers includes a front left speaker disposed near a front left vehicle tire, a front right speaker disposed near a front right vehicle tire, a rear left speaker disposed near a rear left vehicle tire, and a rear right speaker disposed near a rear right vehicle tire. [6] The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor determines that a first type of predefined condition is met when a rate of change of tire pressure associated with at least one vehicle tire is greater than a predefined rate threshold, and wherein the at least one vehicle tire is one of the front left tire, the front right tire, the rear left tire, or the rear right tire. [7] The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determining a speaker closest to the at least one vehicle tire from the plurality of speakers in response to determining that the first type of predefined condition is met; Determining a real-time tire pressure of the at least one vehicle tire; Determining an optimal volume associated with the first type of predefined condition for outputting the audible message; and Cause the speaker to output the audible message, which includes the real-time tire pressure, at the optimal volume. [8] The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the optimal volume is less than a predefined volume threshold when the first type of predefined condition is met. [9] The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the detection unit further comprises a microprocessor, the processor further configured to determine an ambient noise level based on inputs received from the microprocessor, and wherein the optimal volume is based on the ambient noise level. [10] The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the speaker to issue a warning notification when the real-time tire pressure exceeds a predefined upper tire threshold. [11] The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor determines that a second type of predefined condition is met 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 in proximity to the vehicle is detected, and wherein the at least one vehicle tire is one of the front left tire, the front right tire, the rear left tire, or the rear right tire. [12] The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determining an identifier of the at least one vehicle tire; and Cause the front left speaker, the front right speaker, the rear left speaker, and the rear right speaker to output the audible message that includes the identifier. [13] The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determining an optimal volume for outputting the audible message, wherein the optimal volume is based on an ambient noise level; and Make the front left speaker, front right speaker, rear left speaker, and rear right speaker output the audible message at the optimal volume. [14] The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor determines that a third type of predefined condition is met when the presence of the user is detected near the vehicle and a rate of change of the user location is greater than a predefined location threshold. [15] The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determining a real-time user location based on the inputs; Determining a vehicle tire that is closest to the real-time user location from the front left tire, the front right tire, the rear left tire, and / or the rear right tire; Determining a real-time tire pressure of the vehicle tire based on the inputs; Determining a speaker that is closest to the vehicle tire from the front left speaker, the front right speaker, the rear left speaker, and the rear right speaker; and Cause the speaker to output the audible message that includes the real-time tire pressure.

Images