Vehicle warning system

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system (100) for controlling a warning system of a vehicle (200), the control system (100) comprising one or more processors (120) collectively configured to receive (310) object data (160) from one or more sensors (220A-G) of the vehicle (200), the object data (160) comprising data indicative of one or more objects in a vicinity of the vehicle (200), wherein the object data (160) comprises one or more characteristics of the one or more objects, generate (320), in dependence on the object data (160), one or more audio signals (170) each comprising a plurality of frequencies, wherein an audio signal (170) is generated for each of the one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle (200), at least one frequency of the audio signal (170) being generated in dependence on at least one characteristic of the respective object; and output (330), to one or more speakers (240) of the vehicle (200), the one or more audio signals (170), wherein each generated audio signal (170) is output to the one or more speakers (240). Aspects of the invention are also related to a system incorporating a control system (100), one or more sensors (220A- G) of the vehicle (200) and one or more speakers (240) of the vehicle (200), a vehicle (200) incorporating a control system (100), and a method (300) of controlling a warning system of the vehicle (200).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a vehicle warning system. Aspects of the invention relate a control system, a system, a vehicle, a method and computer readable instructions. BACKGROUND It is known to provide vehicles with a warning system whereby an audio signal is output to the speakers of the vehicle if a potential hazard is detected within the vicinity of the vehicle, to thereby alert a user of the vehicle. Typically, the same audio signal will be output for all potential hazards, and only provide the user with an indication that a potential hazard exists. If any other information about the potential hazard is provided, it is provided through a human-machine interface of the vehicle dashboard. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system, a system, a vehicle, a method and computer readable instructions as claimed in the appended claims. This disclosure provides a warning system of a vehicle that provides different audio signals to a user depending on the characteristics of the potentials hazards in the vicinity of the vehicle. The warning system detects objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, and then generates and outputs audio signals to alert the user. The audio signal generated for each detected object comprises one or more frequencies that are generated according to the characteristics of the respective object. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a control system for controlling a warning system of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to receive object data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, the object data comprising data indicative of one or more objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the object data comprises one or more characteristics of the one or more objects. The one or more processors are collectively configured to generate, in dependence on the object data, one or more audio signals each comprising a plurality of frequencies, wherein an audio signal is generated for each of the one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, at least one frequency of the audio signal being generated in dependence on at least one characteristic of the respective object, and output, to one or more speakers of the vehicle, the one or more audio signals, wherein each generated audio signal is output to the one or more speakers. In this way, an audio signal is generated and output that is tailored to each object that is a potential hazard to the vehicle. An audio signal comprising a range of different frequencies (e.g., white noise) is generated for each object, depending on the characteristics of the object, such as size and proximity, and then output to the speakers of the vehicle. In doing so, the driver may be alerted to multiple objects and their position relative to the vehicle solely through the audio signals without needing to look around the vehicle or at the vehicle dashboard. The control system comprises one or more controllers collectively comprising at least one electronic processor having an electrical input for receiving an input signal; and at least one memory device electrically coupled to the at least one electronic processor and having instructions stored therein; and wherein the at least one electronic processor is configured to access the at least one memory device and execute the instructions thereon so as to receive object data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, the object data comprising data indicative of one or more objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the object data comprises one or more characteristics of the one or more objects; generate, in dependence on the object data, one or more audio signals each comprising a plurality of frequencies, wherein an audio signal is generated for each of the one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, at least one frequency of the audio signal being generated in dependence on at least one characteristic of the respective object; and output, to one or more speakers of the vehicle, the one or more audio signals, wherein each generated audio signal is output to the one or more speakers. Optionally, the one more characteristics of the one or more objects may comprise at least one of a size of the object, a position of the object relative to the vehicle, an object type, and a velocity of the object relative to the vehicle. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to output the one or more audio signals to the one or more speakers in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle. For example, if an object is in front of the vehicle, the audio signal will be output to the speakers in the front of the vehicle so as to alert the user to an object in front of them. As such, the user will be able to tell from which direction the object is coming based on the position of the speakers emitting the audio signal, without needing to look around the vehicle or at the vehicle dashboard. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine the plurality of frequencies for each audio signal in dependence on one or more of the size of the respective object, the velocity of the respective object relative to the vehicle and the object type of the respective object. In this way, the audio signal output to the driver provides an indication of the size, velocity and / or type of each object that is a potential hazard. Likewise, where there are multiple objects with different size, velocity ortype characteristics, different audio signals are output to the driver so that they can distinguish therebetween. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine whether a difference between a characteristic of a first object and a second object is below a predetermined threshold, generate a first audio signal comprising a first plurality of frequencies for the first object, generate a second audio signal comprising a second plurality of frequencies for the second object, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are generated based on the first plurality of frequencies by modifying at least a portion of the first plurality of frequencies if the difference between the characteristic of the first and second objects is below the predetermined threshold, and output, to the one or more speakers of the vehicle, the first and second audio signals. In this way, if two or more objects are within the vicinity of the vehicle that have similar characteristics, such as size, a slightly different audio signal will still be generated to enable the driver to distinguish therebetween, whilst still being able to distinguish between any other audio signals that relate to other objects with different characteristics. For example, if there are two large, similarly sized vehicles and one small vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle, three different audio signals will be generated for each of the vehicles. The audio signals forthe two large vehicles will have the same range of frequencies, such that the driver will be able to tell that they relate to large objects, but with an audibly different sound so that the driver can tell that there are two separate objects in their vicinity. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to generate the one or more audio signals in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle. For example, an amplitude of each audio signal may be adjusted in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle. In this way, as an object gets closer or further away, the volume of the audio signal will change accordingly, to thereby give the driver an indication of how close the object is to the vehicle. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to generate a pulsed audio signal when the vehicle is moving below a predetermined velocity threshold. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to adjust a rate of the pulsed audio signal in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle. In this way, if the vehicle is moving slowly, the audio signal generated is a pulsed signal that may speed up or slow down depending on the distance to the vehicle, to thereby provide the driver with an indication as to how close the object is to the vehicle. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively further configured to determine, in dependence on the object data, whether the one or more objects are a potential hazard to the vehicle, and generate the one or more audio signals in dependence on the determination. Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively further configured to determine whether the one or more objects are a potential hazard to the vehicle in dependence on one or more of a size of the object, a position of the object relative to the vehicle, an object type, and a velocity of the object relative to the vehicle. In this way, the received object data is filtered to identify the objects that are genuine potential hazards, rather than in the general vicinity, so that the audio signals output to the driver provide meaningful information about the objects in the vicinity of the vehicle. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system comprising the control system as mentioned above, one or more sensors of the vehicle and one or more speakers of the vehicle. According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising the system as mentioned above or the control system as mentioned above. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for controlling a warning system of a vehicle. The method comprises receiving object data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, the object data comprising data indicative of one or more objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the object data comprises one or more characteristics of the one or more objects. The method further comprises generating, in dependence on the object data, one or more audio signals each comprising a plurality of frequencies, wherein an audio signal is generated for each object in the vicinity of the vehicle, at least one frequency of the audio signal being generated in dependence on at least one parameter of the respective object, and outputting, to one or more speakers of the vehicle, the one or more audio signals, wherein each generated audio signal is output to the one or more speakers. According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, are arranged to perform the method as mentioned above. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a block diagram illustrating a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2A shows a schematic illustration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2B shows a schematic illustration of a rear-view of the vehicle of Figure 2a; Figure 3 shows a first flow chart showing operations performed by the control system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a schematic illustration of the vehicle of Figure 2a during the operations performed by the control system of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a second flow chart showing operations performed by the control system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A control system 100 for controlling a warning system of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the control system 100 is installed in a vehicle 200. The control system 100 comprises one or more controller 110. With reference to Figure 1, there is illustrated a control system 100 fora vehicle 200. The control system 100 comprises one or more controller 110. The control system 100 is configured to receive object data 160 from one or more sensors 220A-G of the vehicle 200 and generate one or more audio signals 170 associated with the object data 160. The control system 100 may then output the audio signals 170 to one or more speakers 240 of the vehicle 200 to alert the driver of the vehicle 200 to any potential hazards within the vicinity of the vehicle 200. As described in detail below the control system 100 generates an audio signal 170 that is tailored to each object that is a potential hazard to the vehicle as detected by one or more sensors. The audio signal generated depends on the characteristics of the object which is a potential hazard, such as size and proximity of the object, and then output to the driver. In doing so, the driver may be alerted to multiple objects and their position relative to the vehicle solely through the audio signals without needing to look around the vehicle or at the vehicle dashboard orHMI. The control system 100 as illustrated in Figure 1 comprises one controller 110, although it will be appreciated that this is merely illustrative and a plurality of controllers may be used. The controller 110 comprises processing means 120 and memory means 130. The processing means 120 may be one or more electronic processing device 120 which operably executes computer-readable instructions. The memory means 130 may be one or more memory device 130. The memory means 130 is electrically coupled to the processing means 120. The memory means 130 is configured to store instructions, and the processing means 120 is configured to access the memory means 130 and execute the instructions stored thereon. The controller 110 comprises an input means 140 and an output means 150. The input means 140 may comprise an electrical input 140 of the controller 110. The output means 150 may comprise an electrical output 5 150 of the controller 110. The input 140 is arranged to receive object data 160 from one or more sensors of the vehicle 200. The object data 160 is an electrical signal which is indicative of one or more characteristics of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200. For example, the object data 160 may comprise one or more of the size of an object, the position of an object relative to the vehicle 200, the type of object and a velocity of the object relative to the vehicle 200. The one or more sensors may be any sensor configured to detect objects within the vicinity of the vehicle 200, from which the characteristics the objects can be derived. For example, the one or more sensors may comprise one or more of a radar system, such as a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system, a lidar system, one or more image sensors, and an ultrasonic sensor system. Optionally, the input 140 may be configured to receive an operating conditions signal 165 from one or more further sensors of the vehicle 200. The operating conditions signal 165 is an electrical signal which is indicative of one or more operational conditions of the vehicle 200. For example, the operating conditions signal 165 may comprise one or more of a signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle 200, a signal indicative of an operating mode of the vehicle 200, a signal indicative of the activation of a direction indicator by a user, a signal indicative of the activation of one or more lights by a user (e.g., hazard lights, fog lights, head lights etc.), a signal indicative of the activation of the windscreen wipers by a user, a steering angle signal from angle sensor indicative of an angle of the steering wheel, and a temperature signal from a temperature sensor indicative of the surrounding temperature. The output 150 is arranged to output an audio signal 170 to one or more speakers of the vehicle, the audio signal 170 being indicative of the characteristics of the objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200. The audio signal 170 thereby indicates to the driver of the vehicle 200 the presence of one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200. Figure 2A illustrates a vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2B illustrates a rear-view of the vehicle 200 of Figure 2A. The vehicle 200 comprises controller 110 as illustrated in Figure 1. The controller 110 is shown as mounted within the vehicle 200 and is in communication with one or more sensors 220A-G distributed about the vehicle 200, such that the object data 160 can be received from the one or more sensors 220A-G. It will of course be appreciated that the sensors 220A-G shown in Figures 2A-B are merely illustrative and there may be any number of sensors provided at any suitable location about the vehicle 200. The control system 110 is in further communication with a speaker system 240 located within the vehicle 200 such that the audio signals 170 can be transmitted to the one or more speakers of the speaker system 240. Again, it will be appreciated that the speaker system 240 may comprise any number of speakers distributed about the vehicle 200 at any suitable position. For example, the speaker system 240 may comprise a plurality of speakers, with at least one speaker located next to the driver’s seat, one speaker located next to the front passenger seat, one speaker located at the left side in the back of the vehicle 200 and another speaker located at the right side in the back of the vehicle 200. Vehicle 200 may be a known human controlled vehicle or an EGO vehicle, i.e., a vehicle that is equipped with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving technology and is capable of sensing and navigating its environment without direct input from a human driver. Figure 3 illustrates a method 300 according to an embodiment of the invention. The method 300 is a method of controlling a warning system of a vehicle 200, such as the vehicle 200 illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B and with further reference to Figure 4. The method 300 may be performed by the system 100 illustrated in Figure 1. In particular, the memory 130 may comprise computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor 120, perform the method 300 according to an embodiment of the invention. In the example shown in Figure 4, the vehicle 200 is travelling along a road and approaching an object, which in this case is a further vehicle 400, in its vicinity. It will of course be appreciated that the “objects” described herein may be any object within the vicinity of the vehicle 200 that could be a potential hazard to the vehicle 200, including but not limited to other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, walls, barriers, bollards, lampposts or any other physical object in the surrounding area. At step 310, the controller 110 is configured to receive object data from one or more sensors 220A-G of the vehicle 200. The object data is received as an input signal 160 at the input means 140 of the controller 110 and comprises data indicative of one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200 and the characteristics thereof. In the example shown in Figure 4, the sensor 220C detects a further vehicle 400 in front of the vehicle 200 and determines one or more characteristics thereof. For example, the sensor 220C may comprise a radar transmitter configured to transmit radio waves (shown generally at 420), for example, that are frequency modulated as a function of time, and a receiver for receiving reflections of the radio waves from objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200, from which properties of the objects can be determined. The reflections of the radio waves 420 can then be used to determine the size of the further vehicle 400 (e.g., by measuring the cross-sectional area from the magnitude of the reflected signal), the position of the further vehicle 400 relative to the vehicle 200 (e.g., based on a measured distance, azimuth angle and elevation), a velocity of the further vehicle 400 relative to the vehicle 200 (e.g., by measuring the Doppler shift in frequency), and identify the object type of the further vehicle 400 as a vehicle. Other known object detection methodologies may be used. Whilst Figure 4 shows the use of one sensor 220C to detect the object 400, it will of course be appreciated that objects may be detected by multiple sensors of the vehicle 200. In such cases, if two or more sensors 220A-G have detected an object and there is no detectable gap between the objects detected at each sensor 220A-G, it will be determined that a single object is present. It will also be appreciated that multiple types of sensors may be used in combination. For example, in the scenario shown in Figure 4, one or more image sensors may also be used to capture images of the object to determine one or more characteristics thereof such as the type of object (e.g., car, lorry, wall, pedestrian, cyclist etc.), size or position. At step 320, the controller 110 is configured to generate one or more audio signals based on the received object data 160. In this respect, the processing means 120 receives the input signal 160 from the input means 140 and, upon executing the instructions stored in the memory means 130, generates one or more audio signals. An audio signal is generated for each of the detected objects within the vicinity of the vehicle 200, with each audio signal comprising a plurality of frequencies. For example, the audio signal may be a random noise signal comprising a plurality of different frequencies, such as white noise or grey noise. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the audio signals may comprise any frequency within the audible sound spectrum, that is, frequencies within the range of 20 to 20,000 Hz. At least one frequency of the audio signal is generated in dependence on at least one characteristic of the respective object such that an audio signal is generated that is tailored to the characteristics of the object to which it relates. For example, at least one frequency of the audio signal may be generated based on the size of the object. In this respect, the object data 160 is processed to determine a size characteristic of a detected object. The frequency range of the audio signal may then be determined based on the size characteristic of the detected object. For example, an audio signal having a low average frequency may be generated for larger objects (e.g., a lorry or a truck), whilst an audio signal with a relatively higher average frequency may be generated for smaller objects (e.g., pedestrians, cyclists or smaller motor vehicles). In doing so, separate audio signals may be generated for each object in the vicinity of the vehicle 200 that enable the driver to distinguish between different smaller or larger objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200. Referring to the example shown in Figure 4, the audio signal generated for the further vehicle 400 may be a random noise signal having an average frequency of approximately 10,000Hz. If a second larger object, such as a lorry or truck, was then also detected in the vicinity of the vehicle 200 (e.g., behind the vehicle 200), a second audio signal would be generated, which may be a random noise signal having an average frequency of approximately 1,000Hz. As another example, at least one frequency of the audio signal may be generated based on the type of object. In this respect, the object data 160 is processed to determine an object type characteristic of a detected object. The frequency range of the audio signal may then be determined based on the object type characteristic of the detected object. For example, a first range of frequencies may be used for cars, a second range of frequencies may be used for lorries or trucks, a third range of frequencies may be used for pedestrians and so on. In doing so, the driver will be able to associate a particular sound with a particular type of object. As a further example, at least one frequency of the audio signal may be generated based on the velocity of the object relative to the vehicle 200. In this respect, the object data 160 is processed to determine a velocity characteristic of a detected object. The frequency range of the audio signal may then be determined based on the velocity characteristic of the detected object. For example, as described above, an initial range of frequencies of the audio signal may be first selected based on another characteristic of the object, such as size and / or object type. A Doppler effect may then be applied to the audio signal based on the velocity of the object relative to the vehicle 200, such that the frequencies of the audio signal are shifted according to the velocity at which the object is travelling, thereby providing an indication of the speed at which the object is travelling and any changes in speed. For example, if the object is travelling at a high speed relative to the vehicle 200 (e.g., above 80kph), the range of frequencies or the average frequency may be increased, and then decreased if the object slows down to a lower speed. In some cases, two objects may be detected within the vicinity of the vehicle 200 having the same or similar characteristics to the extent that the audio signals generated for each respective object will have substantially the same audible sound. That is, the audio signals for each object will comprise the same range of frequencies or have the same average frequency. In this case, it may be harder for the driver to determine that there are two or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200 from the audio output. Accordingly, in some cases where two or more objects are detected, the processor 120 may be configured to first determine whether a difference between one or more characteristics of the detected objects is below a predetermined threshold. For example, the processor 120 may determine whether a difference between the size characteristics of the detected objects are within a predetermined threshold. In this respect, the predetermined threshold may be a 10% difference in cross-sectional area, such that, if two objects have less than 10% difference in cross-sectional area, the audio signal for one of the objects will be modified in order to distinguish between the two objects. Optionally, the position characteristics of the two objects may also be taken into consideration, such that, if the angle of the two objects from the perspective of the driver is more than 10°, there may be no need to provide different audio signals to distinguish between the two objects. Instead, the same audio signal may be generated for both objects since they will be output to different sets of speakers 240, as discussed further below, thereby enabling the driver to distinguish between the two objects. In order to distinguish between the two objects, the frequency range of the audio signal for one of the objects may be modified in some way so that two audio signals that are audibly different will be generated. For example, an audio signal comprising a first plurality of frequencies may be generated for the first object, whilst an audio signal comprising a second plurality of frequencies may be generated for the second object, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are generated by modifying the first plurality of frequencies in some way, such that a different audible sound is produced. It will of course be appreciated that the first plurality of frequencies may be modified in any suitable way. As one example, one or more frequencies of the first plurality of frequencies may be weighted such that those frequencies have a different amplitude (i.e., volume), to thereby produce a different audible sound. As another example, the first plurality of frequencies may be modified by periodically changing the average frequency in a recursive pattern, to thereby produce a noticeable and predicted pitch change that enables the driver to distinguish the second audio signal from the first audio signal. The generation of the signals that are audibly different for the different objects having the same or similar characteristics aides the driver in identifying the presence of two or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200. The audio signals may be further generated in dependence on the position of the detected objects relative to the vehicle 200. In this respect, the object data 160 is processed to determine a position characteristic of a detected object, the position characteristic comprising the distance between the object and the vehicle 200. The amplitude of the audio signal generated for each respective object may then be adjusted based on the position of the object relative to the vehicle 200. For example, the amplitude of the audio signal may be increased as the distance between the object and the vehicle 200 decreases, and then decreased as the distance between the object and the vehicle 200 increases. In doing so, the driver is provided with an indication as to how close an object is to the vehicle 200. In cases where the distance between the object and the vehicle 200 is below a predetermined distance threshold, for example, less than 5 meters, a pulsed audio signal may be generated. Optionally, the audio signals may be generated in dependence on one or more operational conditions of the vehicle 200, for example, the velocity at which the vehicle 200 is operating or the activation of an operating mode such as a parking assist mode. The operational conditions may be received as an input signal 165 at the input means 140 of the controller 110 that comprises data indicative of the operational conditions of the vehicle 200 such as the velocity at which the vehicle 200 is moving orthe activation of an operating mode such as a parking assist mode. For example, the audio signals may be generated as a continuous audio signal if the vehicle 200 is moving above a predetermined velocity threshold, or as a pulsed audio signal if the vehicle 200 is moving below the predetermined velocity threshold. The predetermined velocity threshold may be set at any suitable velocity, for example, any velocity between 5kph and 20kph. Once the processing means 120 has generated the audio signals for each respective object, the controller 110 outputs, at step 330, the audio signals 170 to one or more speakers 240 of the vehicle 200. The audio signals 170 may be output to one or more of the speakers 240 based on at least one characteristic of the respective object. For example, the audio signals 170 may be output to one or more of the speakers 240 based on the position of the object relative to the vehicle 200 such that the output from the position of the speakers 240 corresponds to the relative position of the object. Referring to the example shown in Figure 4, the audio signal 170 will be output to the speakers 240 located in front, left side of the vehicle 200 to correspond to the relative position of the further vehicle 400. In doing so, the driver will be able to determine that the further vehicle 400 is in front of the vehicle 200 and to the left side based on the position of the speakers 240 outputting the audio signal 170. In order to output the audio signals 170 to the speakers 240 based on the relative position of the detected objects, the processor 120 may be configured to determine one or more coordinate positions of the detected objects and then map these coordinate positions to at least one of the speakers 240 of the vehicle 200 to determine which speakers 240 the audio signal 170 will be output to and the amplitude of the audio signal 170 at those respective speakers 240. This may be done by splitting the detected objects into virtual audio objects that are each allocated an [x, y, z] coordinate position. For example, a car or pedestrian may be allocated a single audio object with a single coordinate position, whilst a lorry or truck may be allocated three audio objects with three coordinate positions. Referring again to the example in Figure 4, the further vehicle 400 may be allocated a single audio object, the coordinates of which may then be mapped to all of the speakers 240 in the front of the vehicle 200. The audio signal 170 may then be output to all of the front speakers 240, with the audio signal 170 being rendered the most loudly in the speaker 240 that is closest to the coordinates of the further vehicle 400 so that the driver can infer where the object is relative to the vehicle 200. As noted above, the amplitude of the audio signal 170 output to the speakers 240 may be adjusted as objects become closer or further away so that the driver may infer how close the object is to the vehicle 200 from the volume of the audio signal 170. Likewise, in the case of a moving object, the audio signal 170 may be output to different speakers 240 as the object changes position relative to the vehicle 200 so that the driver may infer the direction in which the object is moving. In further embodiments the rendering of the object to the co-ordinate position may be performed using known commercially available tools such as Dolby® Atmos®. Optionally, the audio signals 170 may be further modified in dependence on the location of the speakers 240 to which they are output, to help the driver distinguish where the audio signal 170 is coming from. For example, audio signals output to the front speakers 240 may be modified in one particular way, for example, by changing one or more frequencies of the audio signal in a regular pattern, whilst the audio signals output to the back speakers may be modified in a different way or with no further modification at all. In doing so, audio signals 170 that are output to the front speakers 240 will have a characteristic sound that is different to audio signals 170 output to the back speakers 240. As such, based on the sound, amplitude and direction of the audio signals 170 generated and output to the speakers 240, the driver will be alerted to the position, size, velocity and / or type of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200. Figure 5 is a flowchart 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart 500 illustrates further steps performed by the control system 100 of Figure 1 in controlling a warning system of a vehicle 200, such as the vehicle 200 illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B. In particular, the memory 130 may comprise computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor 120, perform the method 500 according to an embodiment of the invention. The method 500 shown in Figure 5 provides a method of determining whether one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 200 are a potential hazard to the vehicle 200. It will be appreciated that the method 500 may be performed between steps 310 and 320 of the method 300, such that once object data 160 has been received at step 310, the method 500 will be performed to determine whether each detected object is a potential hazard based on the received object data 160, with an audio signal then be generated at step 320 if the object is identified as a potential hazard. At step 510, the controller 110 is configured to determine whether an object is a potential hazard based on the type of object. In this respect, the object data 160 is processed to determine an object type characteristic of a detected object, and determine whether the object corresponds to a known object type based on one or more known object types, which may be stored in the memory means 130. In this respect, the memory means 130 may store a first list of known object types that are associated with a particular location and categorised as potential hazards (e.g., lane markings, traffic cones, pedestrians, cyclists) and a second list of known object types that are categorised as not potential hazards (e.g., plastic bags or other trash), in which case there is no need to generate an audio signal for the object. For the objects in the first list of known object types, there may be an audio signal with a pre-defined set of frequencies stored in the memory means 130, in which case the method will proceed to step 320 to generate the pre-defined audio signal. For example, if the object is identified as a set of lane markings, a pre-defined audio signal may be used to alert the driver if the vehicle 200 gets too close to the edge of the lane markings. If the object is not determined to correspond to a known object type at step 510, steps 520-540 will be performed, either in sequence or in parallel, to determine whether the unknown object is a potential hazard. At step 520, the controller 110 is configured to determine a predicted trajectory of the vehicle 200 based on one or more operating conditions of the vehicle 200. In this respect, the operational conditions signal 165 is processed to determine one or more operating conditions of the vehicle 200, such as, whether a direction indicator is activated. The controller 110 is then configured to predict the trajectory of the vehicle 200 based on one or more of the operating conditions. For example, if the operating conditions signal 165 comprises a signal indicating that the direction indicator has been activated and indicating left, the controller 110 will determine a predicted trajectory in a left direction for a range of possible steering wheel angles, for example, 0° to 180° in an anticlockwise direction. If there is no indication that a direction indicator is activated, the predicted trajectory will be determined to be along a generally straight line. At step 530, the controller 110 is configured to determine a trajectory of a moving object relative to the vehicle 200 based on the object data 160 and one or more operating conditions of the vehicle 200. In this respect, the object data 160 will be processed to determine the position and velocity of the object relative to the vehicle 200, the operating conditions signal 165 will be processed to determine one or more of a speed of the vehicle 200, whether one or more lights of the vehicle 200 are activated, whether the windscreen wipers are activated, a steering wheel angle and a temperature of the surrounding area. The processing means 120 will then determine a predicted time to collision based on the position and velocity of the object relative to the vehicle 200. If the predicted time to collision is below a threshold time, such that it is within a threshold distance from the vehicle 200, the object will be determined to be a hazard. The threshold distance may be determined based on the operating conditions of the vehicle, the threshold distance being the minimum distance the object can be from the vehicle 200 without a collision occurring. As such, as the threshold distance changes, the threshold time may change correspondingly. The threshold distance may be determined based on one or more of the trajectory or the predicted trajectory (as determined at step 520) of the vehicle 200, the speed of the vehicle 200, a predicted reaction time of the driver, and a predicted braking distance. In this respect, the predicted reaction time and braking distance may be determined based on whether one or more lights of the vehicle 200 are activated, whether the windscreen wipers are activated, and / or a temperature of the surrounding area. For example, if the operating conditions signal 165 comprises a signal indicating that the fog lights are on, this will indicate that the visibility of the driver may be reduced and thus their predicted reaction time may be greater than in clearer conditions. If the operating conditions signal 165 comprises a signal indicating that the windscreen wipers are on, or that the surrounding area has a temperature below 0°, this may indicate wet or icy conditions, and thus the predicted braking distance may be increased. The parameters of the threshold distance calculation may be weighted differently around the perimeter of the vehicle 200, such that the threshold distance may be smaller or larger in some directions. For example, the braking distance may have a zero or near-negligible weighting for calculating the threshold distance at the side of the vehicle 200 (since any braking will have little or no effect on side impacts), such that the threshold distance at the sides of the vehicle may be smaller than in the front or rear of the vehicle 200. At step 540, the controller 110 is configured to determine whether an object is a potential hazard based on the position of the object relative to the vehicle 200. In this respect, the object data 160 is processed to determine a position of the object relative to the vehicle 200. If the object is within a predetermined minimum distance of the vehicle 200, it will be determined to be a hazard. For example, the predetermined minimum distance may be 2 metres from the vehicle 200. It will be appreciated that the predetermined minimum distance may be adapted based on one or more operating conditions of the vehicle 200, such as the temperature of the surrounding area, which may be indicative of icy conditions. Once an object has been determined to be a hazard, the controller 110 will then generate an audio signal for the respective object, as described with reference to step 320 above. It will be appreciated that steps 520, 530 and 540 may be performed in any order, in sequence or in parallel. Additionally, once an object has been identified as a potential hazard at one of the steps 510, 520, 530 and 540, the other steps may be dispensed with, and the method will proceed to step 320 shown in Figure 3 to generate an audio signal for the object. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a warning system of a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to:receive object data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, the object data comprising data indicative of one or more objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the object data comprises one or more characteristics of the one or more objects;generate, in dependence on the object data, one or more audio signals each comprising a plurality of frequencies, wherein an audio signal is generated for each of the one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, at least one frequency of the audio signal being generated in dependence on at least one characteristic of the respective object; andoutput, to one or more speakers of the vehicle, the one or more audio signals, wherein each generated audio signal is output to the one or more speakers.

2. A control system according to claim 1, wherein the one more characteristics of the one or more objects comprises at least one of a size of the object, a position of the object relative to the vehicle, an object type, and a velocity of the object relative to the vehicle.

3. A control system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to output the one or more audio signals to the one or more speakers in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle.

4. A control system according to claims 2 or 3, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to determine the plurality of frequencies for each audio signal in dependence on one or more of the size of the respective object, the velocity of the respective object relative to the vehicle and the object type of the respective object.5 A control system according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein one or more processors are collectively configured to:determine whether a difference between a characteristic of a first object and a second object is below a predetermined threshold;generate a first audio signal comprising a first plurality of frequencies for the first object;generate a second audio signal comprising a second plurality of frequencies for the second object, wherein the second plurality of frequencies are generated based on the first plurality of frequencies by modifying at least a portion of the first plurality of frequencies if the difference between the characteristic of the first and second objects is below the predetermined threshold; andoutput, to the one or more speakers of the vehicle, the first and second audio signals.

6. A control system according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to generate the one or more audio signals in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle.

7. A control system according to claim 6, wherein an amplitude of each audio signal is adjusted in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle.

8. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to generate a pulsed audio signal when the vehicle is moving below a predetermined velocity threshold.

9. A control system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to adjust a rate of the pulsed audio signal in dependence on the position of each respective object relative to the vehicle.

10. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more processors are collectively further configured to determine, in dependence on the object data, whether the one or more objects are a potential hazard to the vehicle, and generate the one or more audio signals in dependence on the determination.

11. A control system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are collectively further configured to determine whether the one or more objects are a potential hazard to the vehicle in dependence on one or more of a size of the object, a position of the object relative to the vehicle, an object type, and a velocity of the object relative to the vehicle.

12. A system comprising the control system of any preceding claim, one or more sensors of the vehicle and one or more speakers of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 12 or the control system of claims 1-11.

14. A method for controlling a warning system of a vehicle, the method comprising:receiving object data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, the object data comprising data indicative of one or more objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the object data comprises one or more characteristics of the one or more objects;generating, in dependence on the object data, one or more audio signals each comprising a plurality of frequencies, wherein an audio signal is generated for each object in the vicinity of the vehicle, at least one frequency of the audio signal being generated in dependence on at least one parameter of the respective object; andoutputting, to one or more speakers of the vehicle, the one or more audio signals, wherein each generated audio signal is output to the one or more speakers.

15. Computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, are arranged to perform a method according to claim 14.

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