Engine sound production systems and methods

• US 10,140,970 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2017
• 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., Seldon, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Elbin, Jesse A
• Application Number:
  US15/664,433
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 381 58, 381 86
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• 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: F02M 35/1294 Amplifying, modulating, tuning or transmitting sound, e.g. directing sound to the passenger cabin; Sound modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/24 Control dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

An audio system of a vehicle includes a detection module configured to detect an occurrence of a sound when a pressure measured by an exhaust pressure sensor in an exhaust system is greater than a predetermined pressure. A sound control module is configured to, in response to the detection of the sound, increase a magnitude of a predetermined sound to be output within a passenger cabin of the vehicle. An audio driver module is configured to apply power to a speaker of the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on the predetermined sound.

Claims

1. An audio system of a vehicle, comprising:

a detection module configured to detect an occurrence of a sound when a pressure measured by an exhaust pressure sensor in an exhaust system is greater than a predetermined pressure;

a sound control module configured to, in response to the detection of the sound, increase a magnitude of a predetermined sound to be output within a passenger cabin of the vehicle; and

an audio driver module configured to apply power to a speaker of the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on the predetermined sound.

2. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the detection module is configured to detect the occurrence of the sound when a vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed.

3. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising:

a deceleration module configured to set a deceleration signal to a first state when a vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined speed and a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle is less than a predetermined acceleration,

wherein the predetermined acceleration is less than zero and the predetermined speed is greater than zero, and

wherein the detection module is configured to detect the occurrence of the sound when the deceleration signal is in the first state.

4. The audio system of claim 3 wherein:

the deceleration module is configured to set the deceleration signal to a second state when at least one of;

the vehicle speed is less than the predetermined speed; and

the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle is less than the predetermined acceleration, and

the detection module is configured to not detect the occurrence of the sound when the deceleration signal is in the second state.

5. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising:

a classification module configured to classify a type of the sound as one of;

a first type of the sound; and

a second type of the sound,

wherein the sound control module is configured to;

select a first predetermined sound as the predetermined sound when the type of the sound is the first type of the sound; and

select a second predetermined sound as the predetermined sound when the type of the sound is the second type of the sound.

6. The audio system of claim 5 wherein the classification module is configured to classify the sound based on the pressure measured by the exhaust pressure sensor.

7. The audio system of claim 5 wherein the classification module is configured to classify the sound based on a rate of increase (ROI) of the pressure measured by the exhaust pressure sensor.

8. The audio system of claim 7 wherein the classification module is configured to:

classify the type of the sound as the first type when the ROI of the pressure measured by the exhaust pressure sensor is greater than a predetermined ROI; and

classify the type of the sound as the second type when the ROI of the pressure measured by the exhaust pressure sensor is less than the predetermined ROI.

9. The audio system of claim 8 further comprising:

a base module configured to set a base ROI in the magnitude of the sound to be output within the passenger cabin of the vehicle to;

a first predetermined ROI when the type of the sound is classified as the first type of the sound; and

a second predetermined ROI when the type of the sound is classified as the second type of the sound,

wherein the first predetermined ROI is greater than the second predetermined ROI; and

wherein the sound control module is configured to increase the magnitude of the sound to be output within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on the base ROI.

10. The audio system of claim 9 further comprising:

an adjusting module configured to produce an adjusted ROI by adjusting the base ROI based on an adjustment value,

wherein the sound control module is configured to increase the magnitude of the predetermined sound to be output within the passenger cabin of the vehicle at the adjusted ROI.

11. The audio system of claim 10 wherein the adjusting module is configured to set the adjusted ROI based on one of:

a sum of the adjustment value and the base ROI; and

a product of the adjustment value and the base ROI.

12. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising an adjustment module configured to:

set the adjustment value to a first predetermined value when a driver selected mode is a first mode; and

set the adjustment value to a second predetermined value when the driver selected mode is a second mode.

13. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising a learning module configured to set the adjustment value based on a difference between:

the base ROI; and

an ROI in sound within the passenger cabin measured using a microphone within the passenger cabin.

14. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising an adjustment module configured to:

set the adjustment value to a first predetermined value when an opening of an aperture of the passenger cabin is a first opening; and

set the adjustment value to a second predetermined value when the opening of the aperture of the passenger cabin is a second opening,

wherein the first predetermined value is greater than the second predetermined value, and

wherein the first opening is less than the second opening.

15. The audio system of claim 9 further comprising:

an adjusting module configured to produce an adjusted ROI by adjusting the base ROI based on a first adjustment value and a second adjustment value,

wherein the sound control module is configured to increase the magnitude of the predetermined sound to be output within the passenger cabin of the vehicle at the adjusted ROI;

an adjustment module configured to;

set the first adjustment value to a first predetermined value when a driver selected mode is a first mode; and

set the first adjustment value to a second predetermined value when the driver selected mode is a second mode; and

a learning module configured to set the second adjustment value based on a difference between;

the base ROI; and

an ROI in sound within the passenger cabin measured using a microphone within the passenger cabin.

16. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the audio driver module is configured to increase power applied to the speaker in response to the increase in the magnitude.

17. A method of controlling audio within a vehicle, comprising:

detecting an occurrence of a sound when a pressure measured by an exhaust pressure sensor in an exhaust system is greater than a predetermined pressure;

in response to the detection of the sound, increasing a magnitude of a predetermined sound to be output within a passenger cabin of the vehicle; and

applying power to a speaker of the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on the predetermined sound.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

classifying a type of the sound as one of;

a first type of the sound; and

a second type of the sound;

selecting a first predetermined sound as the predetermined sound when the type of the sound is the first type of the sound; and

selecting a second predetermined sound as the predetermined sound when the type of the sound is the second type of the sound.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the classifying includes classifying the sound based on the pressure measured by the exhaust pressure sensor.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the classifying includes classifying the sound based on a rate of increase (ROI) of the pressure measured by the exhaust pressure sensor.