MOTOR VEHICLE ACOUSTIC NOISE REDUCTION SYSTEM

• US 20080306660A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Remtema, Todd M., Campbell, Brett A., Smith, Scott B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions

Abstract

A motor vehicle acoustic noise reduction system is provided. The acoustic noise reduction system particularly reduces or eliminates wind throb in a moving vehicle. The system includes a window sensor operable to sense when a first window of the motor vehicle is open. An air inlet is also included which is actuatable to let air into the motor vehicle when the air inlet is in an open position. An actuator associated with and operable to open or close the air inlet is provided and in communication with a controller. The controller is associated with tie sensor and can energize the actuator to place the air inlet in the open position and let air into the motor vehicle when the window sensor senses the first window is in the open position and communicates this information to the controller.

Claims

1. A method for reducing acoustic noise within a motor vehicle having windows and resulting from lowering a window of the motor vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing when a first window of the motor vehicle is open using a window sensor;

actuating an air inlet to open and let air into the motor vehicle using an actuator;

controlling the actuator to open the air inlet using a controller when the window sensor senses the first window is open and communicates the open window position to the controller; and

activating the controller so as to control the actuator to open the air inlet and let air into the motor vehicle when the window sensor senses the first window of the motor vehicle is in an open position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first window is selected from the group consisting of a front window and a rear window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the air inlet is a second window of the motor vehicle, the second window selected from the group consisting of a front window, a rear window, a rear quarter glass window, a back window and a sunroof window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first window is a rear side window on a sliding door and the air inlet is a rear quarter glass window of the motor vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the controller energizes the actuator to open the rear quarter glass window when the window sensor senses the rear side window has moved from a closed position to an open position of greater than 10 centimeters and communicates open window position to the controller.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the controller energizes the actuator to open the rear quarter glass window when the window sensor senses the rear side window has moved from a closed position to an open position of greater than an amount specified by a user of the motor vehicle and the window sensor communicates the open window position to the controller.

7. The method of claim 1, further including a vehicle movement sensor operable to sense if the motor vehicle is moving.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller energizes the actuator to open the rear quarter glass window when the window sensor senses the rear side window has moved from a closed position to an open position and the vehicle movement sensor senses the motor vehicle is moving;

and

the window sensor communicates the rear side window is open and the vehicle movement sensor communicates the vehicle is moving to the controller.

9. A system for reducing acoustic noise within a motor vehicle having windows comprising:

a window sensor in communication with a window, said sensor operable to sense a position of said window and communicate the window position information to a controller;

an air inlet actuatable to let air into the motor vehicle;

an actuator associated with said air inlet, said actuator operable to place said air inlet in an open position and a closed position;

said controller associated with said window sensor and said actuator, said controller operable to receive said window position information from said window sensor and energize said actuator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said window sensor senses an open position of said window.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said controller energizes said actuator to open said air inlet.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said actuator places said air inlet in an open position, said open position operable to let air into the motor vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said air inlet is a second window.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said window is a rear side window and said air inlet is a rear quarter glass of the motor vehicle.

15. A method for reducing wind throb noise within a motor vehicle having a rear side window and a rear quarter glass, the wind throb noise resulting from lowering the rear side window of the motor vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing when the rear side window of the motor vehicle is open using a window sensor;

actuating a rear quarter glass to let air into the motor vehicle using an actuator when the rear side window is in an open position;

controlling the actuator to place the rear quarter glass in the open position and let air into the motor vehicle when the window sensor senses the rear side window is in the open position and communicates the open window position to the controller; and

activating the controller so as to control the actuator to open the rear quarter glass and let air into the motor vehicle when the sensor senses the rear side window of the motor vehicle is open.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controller energizes the actuator to open the rear quarter glass window when the window sensor senses the rear side window has moved from a closed position to an open position of greater than 10 centimeters and communicates the open window position to the controller.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the controller energizes the actuator to open the rear quarter glass window when the window sensor senses the rear side window has moved from a closed position to an open position of greater than an amount specified by a user of the motor vehicle and the window sensor communicates the open window position to the controller.

18. The method of claim 15, further including a vehicle movement sensor operable to sense if the motor vehicle is moving.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller energizes the actuator to open the rear quarter glass window when the window sensor senses the rear side window has moved from a closed position to an open position and the vehicle movement sensor senses the motor vehicle is moving;

and

the window sensor communicates the open window position and the vehicle movement sensor communicates the vehicle movement information to the controller.