# US 10,308,176 B2 · Vehicle and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,176 B2 - Document ID: US10308176B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/380,866 - Filed: 2016-12-15 - Published: 2018-05-03 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-01 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company - Inventors: Jung Keun You; Jinseok Hong; MunHwan Cho - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308176B2 ## CPC - B60Q 5/008: {for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching} - G08G 1/005: including pedestrian guidance indicator - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G06V 40/103: {Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition} - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Disclosed are a vehicle and a control method thereof, and more particularly, a technique for imaging a pedestrian near a vehicle, acquiring location information of the pedestrian in real time, and outputting warning sounds in a direction in which the pedestrian is located on the basis of the acquired location information of the pedestrian. The vehicle includes an imaging device configured to capture an image of a pedestrian and acquire location information of the pedestrian, a controller configured to generate a control signal for outputting warning sounds in a direction in which the pedestrian is located based on the acquired location information of the pedestrian when the pedestrian is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and a speaker array configured to output the warning sounds in the direction in which the pedestrian is located based on the generated control signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an imaging device configured to capture an image and acquire location information of a pedestrian appearing in the image; a controller configured to generate a control signal for generating sound outputs that can cause constructive interference in a direction toward where the pedestrian is located and destructive interference in other directions based on the acquired location information of the pedestrian when the pedestrian is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle; and a speaker array configured to generate sound outputs based on the control signal such that a warning sound is amplified in the direction toward where the pedestrian is located by the constructive interference and the warning sound is lessened in other directions by the destructive interference, wherein the controller is configured to: determine pedestrian distribution density of an area based on the location information of the plurality of pedestrians acquired by the imaging device, control the warning sound to the area such that a warning sound to an area having a higher pedestrian distribution density has a higher intensity than a warning sound to an area having a lower pedestrian distribution density, and control the warning sound to the area such that a warning sound to an area having a higher pedestrian distribution density is output to a wider range than a warning sound to an area having a lower pedestrian distribution density. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is configured to acquire coordinate information of the pedestrian with respect to the vehicle by capturing the image of the pedestrian. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control signal for generating sound outputs to an area within a predetermined distance from the pedestrian based on the acquired location information of the pedestrian. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a distance between the vehicle and the pedestrian based on the acquired location information of the pedestrian. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to control intensity of the warning sound by the speaker array based on the calculated distance between the vehicle and the pedestrian. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control signal for removing a warning sound in a direction toward where the pedestrian is not located. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the speaker array is provided at the front of the vehicle and includes at least one speaker configured to output warning sounds. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control intensity of the warning sound output by the speaker array based on location information of the plurality of pedestrians. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a time-to-collision (TTC) between the vehicle and the pedestrian and further configured to control intensity of the warning sound output by the speaker array based on the calculated time-to-collision. ### Claim 10 A method for controlling a vehicle comprising: capturing an image of a pedestrian; acquiring location information of the pedestrian based on the captured image; generating a control signal for generating sound outputs that can cause constructive interference in a direction toward where the pedestrian is located and destructive interference in other directions based on the acquired location information when the pedestrian is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle; determining pedestrian distribution density of an area based on location information of the plurality of pedestrians acquired by an imaging device, wherein the control signal is configured to control a warning sound to the area such that a warning sound to an area having a higher pedestrian distribution density has a higher intensity than a warning sound to an area having a lower pedestrian distribution density, and control the warning sound to the area such that a warning sound to an area having a higher pedestrian distribution density is output to a wider range than a warning sound to an area having a lower pedestrian distribution density; and generating sound outputs based on the control signal using a speaker array of the vehicle such that a warning sound is amplified in the direction toward where the pedestrian is located by the constructive interference and the warning sound is lessened in other directions by the destructive interference. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein acquiring location information of the pedestrian comprises acquiring coordinate information of the pedestrian with respect to the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating a control signal comprises generating a control signal for outputting the warning sound to an area within a predetermined distance from the pedestrian based on the acquired location information of the pedestrian. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating a distance between the vehicle and the pedestrian based on the acquired location information of the pedestrian, wherein generating a control signal comprises controlling intensity of the warning sound by the speaker array based on the calculated distance between the vehicle and the pedestrian. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating a control signal comprises generating a control signal for removing a warning sound in a direction where the pedestrian is not located. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating a time-to-collision (TTC) between the vehicle and the pedestrian. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein generating a control signal comprises controlling intensity of the warning sound output by the speaker array based on the calculated time-to-collision.