US 2015.0002312A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2015/0002312 A1 Caskey et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 1, 2015 (54) METHOD TO MITIGATE HONKING OF Publication Classification VEHICLES (51) Int. Cl. (71) Applicant: International Business Machines GSGI/0965 (2006.01) Corporation, Armonk, NY (US) (52) U.S. Cl. CPC .................................... G08G I/0965 (2013.01) (72) Inventors: Sasha P. Caskey, New York, NY (US); USPC .......................................................... 340/902 Dimitri Kanevsky, Ossining, NY (US); Peter K. Malkin, Yorktown Heights, NY (US); Tara N. Sainath, New York, NY (57) ABSTRACT US (US) Mitigating honking, in one aspect, may comprise detecting an (21) Appl. No.: 13/927,338 activation of a vehicle horn, generating a non-audible signal responsive to detecting the activation of the vehicle horn, and (22) Filed: Jun. 26, 2013 transmitting the non-audible signal to at least one recipient. 102 Detect activation of a horn (e.g., vehicle or car horn) is detected 104 Convert or generate into a non-audible signal 106 Transmit the non-audible signal to a targeted recipient device Patent Application Publication Jan. 1, 2015 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2015/0002312 A1 ['31H Patent Application Publication Jan. 1, 2015 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2015/0002312 A1 Patent Application Publication Jan. 1, 2015 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2015/0002312 A1 909 JOSS000Id JOSS000Id Z09) Patent Application Publication Jan. 1, 2015 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2015/0002312 A1 8| <--!> {{OVRIOLS WEILSÅS 8Z ÅRHOVNGIVNI ZZ 9| XVÕIdISICI (S)HOSSROOH? (S),IOVHHALNI (S),IOIA@IGI ZI 9Z US 2015/0002312 A1 Jan. 1, 2015 METHOD TO MITIGATE HONKING OF BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VEHICLES VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 0008 FIG. 1 illustrates a method of mitigating honking, FIELD e.g., of cars or other vehicles in one embodiment of the 0001. The present application relates generally to auto present disclosure. matically mitigating honking and/or honking noise produced, 0009 FIG. 2 illustrates a method for notification of traffic for example, in vehicles. information in one embodiment of the present disclosure. 0010 FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating components of a BACKGROUND system for mitigating honking in one embodiment of the present disclosure. 0002 Drivers honk their cars for a variety of reasons, for 0011 FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic of an example com example, because of a slow moving car or stalled traffic ahead puter or processing system that may implement the honking of them, to get the attention of another, or for other reasons. mitigating system in one embodiment of the present disclo Inventors in the present disclosure have recognized that per SUC. haps if a driver had knowledge of what is going on, for example, in the Surrounding area that is causing the slow DETAILED DESCRIPTION down or traffic stall, the driver might not need to honk as much. Furthermore, the inventors in the present disclosure 0012. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a com have recognized that honking can be used to relay messages munication methodology between vehicles, e.g., cars, may be to other cars, for example, to speed up or move or another established Such that drivers have knowledge of what is going message, without producing the actual Sound. Existing on around them and thus may be able to reduce the number of vehicular communications systems distribute information times they honk their car horns. Such as safety warning and traffic information, but from a 0013. In addition, honking may be implemented as to not central system. produce an actual audible sound. In this way, a message may be relayed from a car to another in a quiet manner. For example, a car horn honking methodology may silence the BRIEF SUMMARY actual sound, but still send a message, for example, to the car 0003. A method of mitigating honking may be provided. in front of or nearby the car generating the honking. Commu The method, in one aspect, may comprise detecting an acti nication techniques such as Wireless, cellular, radio, or usage vation of a horn of a vehicle. The method may also comprise of frequencies (e.g., ultrasound) may be utilized for commu generating a non-audible signal corresponding to Sound that nicating between the cars. would result from the activation of the horn. The method may 0014 That message may be further relayed from the also comprise transmitting the non-audible signal to at least receiving car to another car, for example, the next car in front, one targeted recipient device. and so on, until the message reaches a centrally universal 0004. In another aspect, a method for notification of traffic system. For example, a central universal system could obtain information may be provided. The method, in one aspect, this message via receivers located throughout the driving may comprise detecting a traffic situation requiring notifica environment, e.g., augmenting existing traffic lights and/or at tion to one or more recipients responsive to receiving a non highway junctions. These receivers could receive honking audible signal corresponding to a honk of a vehicle. The messages from a car within their communicative distance or method may also comprise identifying one or more recipients range and, in turn, could communicate directly to the central to be notified with a communication associated with the universal system. Communication may contain an identifier of the car that communicated to the receiver. Communication detected situation. The method may further comprise gener may be performed, e.g., via a mobile IP phone network. So for ating at least one directed, recipient-specific communication example, car honking may be silently transmitted to a to at least one of the one or more recipients. sequence of cars and eventually to a central system. 0005. A system of mitigating honking, in one aspect, may 0015. In another aspect, a message may be relayed back to comprise a processor and a module operable to execute on the each car that honked. For example, the central system may processor, and further operable to detect an activation of a detect based on information gathered, that the cars are not horn. The module may be further operable to generate a moving because of a traffic accident. The central system may non-audible signal corresponding to Sound that would result send a message that provides that information, i.e., occur from the activation of the horn. A transmitter may be operable rence of the traffic accident. The central system, for example, to transmit the non-audible signal to at least one targeted may send the message to the car from which the central recipient device. In another aspect, the module may be oper system received a honking message. Then, that car may relay able to receive a non-audible signal generated by another the message back to another car, and so forth. In one embodi device, and convert the non-audible signal into an audible ment, this message relay can be accomplished using the same honk. communication method used by the initial honking. For 0006. A computer readable storage medium storing a pro example, the receivers used by the central universal system gram of instructions executable by a machine to perform one may also be equipped with honk generators that are enabled to or more methods described herein also may be provided. broadcast or honk a message sent from the central universal 0007 Further features as well as the structure and opera system back to nearby cars. This would allow the central tion of various embodiments are described in detail below universal system to honk back information to cars. with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the draw 0016. In order for the central universal system to send a ings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally message back to particular cars, the honking messages may similar elements. include the identifiers (IDs) of the one or more relevant target US 2015/0002312 A1 Jan. 1, 2015 cars. In one embodiment of a method of the present disclo devices near the intended target. Honks may be sent to one or Sure, this may be accomplished by the honking messages more devices close to or near the intended target when the including an ID for each relevant car (e.g., the car's unique intended target does not contain a honkable device. vehicle identification number (VIN)). In one embodiment, it 0024. Still yet in another aspect, messages may be may be assumed that the relevant cars are still co-located encoded through honking. For example, messages can be sent when the central universal system sends its broadcast. using the horn to express amusement, entertainment, court 0017. An embodiment of a method of the present disclo ship, encouragement, and/or another emotion or expression. Sure may also support movement of the target cars. For The horn may be used to communicate messages to nearby instance, the central universal system may retrieve location vehicles or persons. The messages can be used to express information for each of the relevant cars, e.g., by receiving Support for an idea or bumper Sticker, to imply interest in from each of these cars notifications as to their current loca friendship, or to inform of traffic up ahead, e.g., as the reason tion to the central universal system. The central universal for a slow down. In one embodiment, a message may be system could then send out its broadcast to them via honk encoded using combination of honks, e.g., combinations for receiver/generators located nearby the relevant cars. short and long honks along with breaks (e.g., short, rest, short, 0018. In another aspect, messages may be routed via the short, short, long, long, rest, long, long), similar to Morse cars that keep track of the location of one another, e.g., code mechanism.