System and method for controlling a speaker in vehicle cabin to play sounds produced by an engine and/or a driveline during a vehicle launch and a transmission upshift

• US 10,086,754 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Valeri, Frank C., Reilly, Scott M., Barlow, Roger C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mooney, James
• Application Number:
  US15/472,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20180281677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 381 86
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/008 for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/904 Component specially adapted for hev

Abstract

A system according to the present disclosure includes a launch identification module and a speaker control module. The launch identification module is configured to monitor a speed of a vehicle and identify a vehicle launch when the vehicle speed increases from zero to a value greater than zero. The speaker control module is configured to monitor an acceleration of the vehicle control a speaker in a cabin of the vehicle to play a first sound that simulates a sound produced by at least one of an engine and a driveline during a vehicle launch when a vehicle launch is identified and the vehicle acceleration is greater than a predetermined acceleration. The speaker control module is also configured to control the speaker to not play the first sound during a vehicle launch when a vehicle launch is identified and the vehicle acceleration is less than or equal to the predetermined acceleration.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a launch identification module configured to;

monitor a speed of a vehicle; and

identify a vehicle launch when the vehicle speed increases from zero to a value greater than zero; and

a speaker control module configured to;

monitor an acceleration of the vehicle;

control a speaker in a cabin of the vehicle to play a first sound that simulates a vehicle launch sound produced by at least one of an engine and a driveline when the vehicle launch is identified and the vehicle acceleration is greater than a predetermined acceleration; and

control the speaker to not play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and the vehicle acceleration is less than or equal to the predetermined acceleration.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an upshift identification module configured to:

monitor a shift status of a transmission of the vehicle and a shift direction of the transmission; and

identify when the transmission is upshifted from one gear to another gear that is greater than the one gear based on the shift status and the shift direction, wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play a second sound that simulates a transmission upshift sound produced by at least one of the engine and the driveline when the transmission is upshifted.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play the second sound when the transmission is upshifted and the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play the second sound when the transmission is upshifted and a gear number of the transmission is less than a gear number threshold.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play the second sound when the transmission is upshifted, engine speed is within a predetermined range, and an amount of torque produced by a powertrain of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined torque.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the speaker control module is configured to determine whether to control the speaker to play the first sound independent of engine speed.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and a transmission of the vehicle is in one of first gear and second gear.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and engine speed is within a predetermined range.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the speaker control module is configured to control the speaker to play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and an amount of torque produced by a powertrain of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined torque.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the speaker control module is configured to:

control the speaker to play the first sound for a predetermined period; and

control the speaker to stop playing the first sound when the predetermined period expires.

11. A method comprising:

monitoring a speed of a vehicle; and

identifying a vehicle launch when the vehicle speed increases from zero to a value greater than zero;

monitoring an acceleration of the vehicle;

controlling a speaker in a cabin of the vehicle to play a first sound that simulates a vehicle launch sound produced by at least one of an engine and a driveline when the vehicle launch is identified and the vehicle acceleration is greater than a predetermined acceleration; and

controlling the speaker to not play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and the vehicle acceleration is less than or equal to the predetermined acceleration.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

monitoring a shift status of a transmission of the vehicle and a shift direction of the transmission;

identifying when the transmission is upshifted from one gear to another gear that is greater than the one gear based on the shift status and the shift direction; and

controlling the speaker to play a second sound that simulates a transmission upshift sound produced by at least one of the engine and the driveline when the transmission is upshifted.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising controlling the speaker to play the second sound when the transmission is upshifted and the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising controlling the speaker to play the second sound when the transmission is upshifted and a gear number of the transmission is less than a gear number threshold.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising controlling the speaker to play the second sound when the transmission is upshifted, engine speed is within a predetermined range, and an amount of torque produced by a powertrain of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined torque.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining whether to control the speaker to play the first sound independent of engine speed.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the speaker to play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and a transmission of the vehicle is in one of first gear and second gear.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the speaker to play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and engine speed is within a predetermined range.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the speaker to play the first sound when the vehicle launch is identified and an amount of torque produced by a powertrain of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined torque.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

controlling the speaker to play the first sound for a predetermined period; and

controlling the speaker to stop playing the first sound when the predetermined period expires.