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EP-4738344-A1 - METHOD FOR GENERATING OUTPUT DATA INDICATIVE OF AN OUTPUT SOUND FOR A WARNING DEVICE OF A VEHICLE, DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS, COMPUTER PROGRAM, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, SOUND SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE, USE OF OUTPUT DATA IN A SOUND SYSTEM OF A VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE

EP4738344A1EP 4738344 A1EP4738344 A1EP 4738344A1EP-4738344-A1

Abstract

The disclosure relates to method for generating output data indicative of output sound for warning device of vehicle. The method comprises: obtaining first data indicative of a first partial of a sound characterized by a first frequency; obtaining second data indicative of a second partial of the sound characterized by a second frequency; and obtaining the output data indicative of the output sound by combining the first data and the second data. The combining comprises phase shifting the first partial of the sound and the second partial of the sound with respect to one another, wherein value indicative of power and/or energy of the output sound is higher than value indicative of power and/or energy of the sound. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to; a data processing apparatus; a computer program; a computer-readable storage medium; a sound system for a vehicle; a use of output data, generated by executing the method; and to a vehicle.

Inventors

  • Rötz, Markus
  • Ewald, Jonatan

Assignees

  • Volvo Car Corporation

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241031

Claims (13)

  1. A method for generating output data indicative of an output sound for a warning device (13) of a vehicle (11), wherein the method comprises: - obtaining (S11) first data indicative of a first partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of a sound characterized by a first frequency; - obtaining (S12) second data indicative of a second partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound characterized by a second frequency; and - obtaining (S2) the output data indicative of the output sound by combining the first data and the second data, wherein the combining comprises a phase shifting of the first partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound and the second partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound with respect to one another, and wherein a value (30') indicative of power and/or energy of the output sound is higher than a value (30) indicative of power and/or energy of the sound.
  2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the value (30) indicative of power and/or energy of a sound is obtained based on a root-mean-square value and/or a crest factor.
  3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises obtaining (S13) at least one further data each indicative of a corresponding further partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound characterized by a corresponding frequency, wherein the obtaining (S2) the output data indicative of the output sound comprises combining the first data, the second data, and the at least one further data by phase shifting of the first partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound, the second partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound, and the at least one further partial (201 to 203, 211 to 215, 301, 302) of the sound with respect to one another, and wherein the value (30') indicative of power and/or energy of the output sound is higher than the value (30) indicative of power and/or energy of the sound.
  4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the obtaining (S2) of the output data indicative of the output sound is performed by applying an optimization algorithm.
  5. The method of claim 4, wherein the optimization algorithm has an objective of maximizing the value (30') indicative of power and/or energy of the output sound.
  6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, upon the obtaining (S2) of the output data indicative of the output sound, the method comprises: - storing the output data as a sound file; and/or - providing the sound file or the output data for outputting by the warning device (13) of the vehicle (11); and/or - causing outputting of the sound file or the output sound, of which the output data is indicative by the vehicle (11).
  7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first data is indicative of a sine wave of the first frequency and the second data is indicative of a sine wave of the second frequency.
  8. A data processing apparatus (10) comprising means for carrying out the steps of a method of any one of the preceding claims.
  9. A computer program (103) comprising instructions which, when the program (103) is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of a method of any one of the claims 1 to 7.
  10. A computer-readable storage medium (102) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of a method of any one of the claims 1 to 7.
  11. A sound system (12) for a vehicle (11) comprising a loudspeaker (14), wherein the sound system (12) is configured for: - obtaining output data indicative of an output sound, generated by the data processing apparatus (10) according to claim 8; and - causing the loudspeaker (14) of the vehicle (11) to output the output sound.
  12. A use of output data, generated by executing the steps of a method of any one of the claims 1 to 7, in a sound system (12) of a vehicle (11).
  13. A vehicle (11) comprising a sound system (12) according to claim 11.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a method for generating output data indicative of an output sound for a warning device of a vehicle. Furthermore, the present disclosure is directed to a data processing apparatus, a computer program and a computer-readable storage medium. The present disclosure is also directed to a sound system for a vehicle. Moreover, the present disclosure is directed to a use of output data, generated by executing the method, and to a vehicle. BACKGROUND ART There are many requirements that are to be met with regard to a sound, output of which is caused by a warning device of a vehicle. The warning output sounds, i.e., sounds outputs of which are caused by warning devices of the vehicles, require a certain sound pressure level to be achieved when output. A well-known example of vehicle warning signals are horn signals having sounds that are automatically recognized by people as a horn because of their typical sound characteristics. A new technology has emerged recently, which uses loudspeakers for outputting warning signals/sounds instead of a traditional warning outputting devices such as signal horns. Using a loudspeaker for outputting warnings requires an entirely different signal chain compared to the traditional warning outputting device. According to the new technology, a warning sound or a corresponding warning sound file respectively is played back through an amplifier and the loudspeaker itself. In view of this, the warning sound or a corresponding warning sound file respectively needs to be carefully designed such that it fulfills specific requirements of the loudspeaker. The requirements comprise, for example, sound pressure level and frequency content. The more power and/or energy the sound or the sound file contains the better are the pre-requisites for the rest of the signal chain for outputting/playing back the output sound or output signal file respectively. Thus, when moving from traditional warning outputting devices such as traditional signal horns to powerful loudspeakers for outputting/playing back corresponding warnings, warning sounds or warning sound files respectively are required that comply with the requirements of the loudspeakers that play back/output the warning sounds or warning sound files. The warning sounds or warning sound files respectively require a correspondingly increased power and/or energy level. This, however, may be problematic because increasing the energy/power content of a specific sound file leads to a coincident introduction of additional artifacts and harmonics into the sound/sound file. The additional artifacts and harmonics change the characteristics of the sound/sound file significantly. The known methods implement clipping of the sound, which cuts the waveform off and adds unwanted harmonics into the sound. SUMMARY It is an objective of the present disclosure to improve sounds or sound files for outputting by a warning device of a vehicle. The improvement may comprise, for example, increasing the energy and/or power level in a sound (e.g. in a sound of a sound file) without changing the characteristics of the sound. The problem is at least partially solved or alleviated by the subject matter of the independent claims of the present disclosure, wherein some of possible further examples are incorporated in the dependent claims. According to a first aspect, there is provided a method for generating output data indicative of an output sound for a warning device of a vehicle. According to the present disclosure, the method comprises: obtaining first data indicative of a first partial of a sound characterized by a first frequency; obtaining second data indicative of a second partial of the sound characterized by a second frequency; and obtaining the output data indicative of the output sound by combining the first data and the second data, wherein the combining comprises a phase shifting of the first partial of the sound and the second partial of the sound with respect to one another, and wherein a value indicative of power and/or energy of the output sound is higher than a value indicative of power and/or energy of the sound. According to the present disclosure, output data indicative of an output sound may comprise an output sound, i.e., data of the output sound as well as an output sound file, which comprises the output sound, i.e., the data of the output sound. A partial of a sound is a frequency of the sound. The sounds, considered herein, are composed of many (at least two) frequencies, which are referred to as partial tones or partials. Generally, as well known, a partial of a sound is an individual sinusoidal component that makes up a corresponding tone of the sound. Each partial represents a specific frequency within the sound. Some examples of sound partials will be exemplary described in more detail below. The terms of power of a sound and energy of a sound are well known. A value indicative of power and/or ener