VEHICLE ENGINE SOUND ENHANCEMENT

• US 20120177214A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Hera, Cristian M., Klug, Dennis D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,299,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/73.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/34 Arrangements for imitating the noise of motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/371 Gensound equipment, i.e. synthesizing sounds produced by man-made devices, e.g. machines
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 Automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3016 Control strategies, e.g. energy minimization or intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3031 Hardware, e.g. architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3046 Multiple acoustic inputs, multiple acoustic outputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/22 for obtaining desired frequency characteristic only circuit for combining transducers having different responses H04R3/00; for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

An engine harmonic enhancement system. The EHE system uses multiple parameters, such as engine load, gear, number of cylinders operating, and transmission ratio, to determine EHE gains to determine EHE gain. The EHE system determines a separate EHE gain for each harmonic.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a fundamental frequency corresponding to the RPM of an engine of a vehicle;

determining a plurality of harmonics of the fundamental frequency; and

determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain for at least one of the plurality of harmonics that is different from the engine harmonic enhancement gains corresponding to the other harmonics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain comprises separately determining an engine harmonic gain for each harmonic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an engine harmonic gain comprises determining the engine load.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the engine load comprises one of determining the accelerator pedal position, determining the mass air flow, determining the manifold absolute pressure, or determining the engine torque.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of an engine harmonic gain for the at least one of the plurality of harmonics further comprises

determining the value of a parameter other than the engine load related to an operating condition of a vehicle;

and

responsive to the value of the parameter and the engine load, determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the circuitry for determining of an engine harmonic gain for at least one of the plurality of harmonics comprises

determining the value of a first parameter related to an operating condition of a vehicle;

determining the value of a second parameter, different from the first parameter, related to an operating condition of the vehicle; and

responsive to the value of the first parameter and the second parameter, determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first parameter is the gear in which the vehicle is operating.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first parameter is the number of cylinders that are operating.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first parameter is the transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises selecting an engine enhancement gain from a look up table.

11. An engine harmonic enhancement system, comprising:

circuitry for providing a fundamental frequency corresponding to the RPM of the engine;

circuitry for determining a plurality of harmonics of the fundamental frequency; and

circuitry for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain for at least one of the plurality of harmonics that is different from the engine harmonic enhancement gains corresponding to the other harmonics.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain comprises circuitry for separately determining an engine harmonic gain for each harmonic.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for determining an engine harmonic gain comprises circuitry for determining the engine load.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry for determining the engine load comprises one of circuitry for determining the accelerator pedal position, circuitry for determining the mass air flow, circuitry for determining the manifold absolute pressure, or circuitry for determining the engine torque.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for determining and engine harmonic gain further comprises circuitry for determining the value of a parameter other than the engine load related to an operating condition of a vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for determining of an engine harmonic gain for at least one of the plurality of harmonics comprises

circuitry for determining the value of a first parameter related to an operating condition of a vehicle;

circuitry for determining the value of a second parameter related to an operating condition of the vehicle, different from the first parameter; and

circuitry responsive to the value of the first parameter and the second parameter, for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first parameter is the gear in which the vehicle is operating.

18. The apparatus method of claim 16, wherein the first parameter is the number of cylinders that are operating.

19. The apparatus method of claim 16, wherein the first parameter is the transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission.

20. A method comprising:

determining the value of a first parameter related to an operating condition of a vehicle;

determining the value of a second parameter, different from the first parameter, related to an operating condition of the vehicle; and

responsive to the value of the first parameter and the second parameter, determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain comprises determining separately a gain corresponding to each of the plurality of harmonics of the fundamental engine frequency, wherein the engine harmonic gain corresponding to at least one of the harmonics is different that the engine harmonic gains corresponding to the other harmonics;

and

further comprising applying to the fundamental engine frequency and to each of the plurality of harmonics of the fundamental engine frequency a corresponding engine harmonic enhancement gain.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first parameter is the gear in which the vehicle is operating.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the first parameter is the number of cylinders that are operating.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first parameter is the transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the second parameter is the engine load.

26. Apparatus comprising:

circuitry for determining the value of a first parameter related to an operating condition of a vehicle;

circuitry for determining the value of a second parameter related to an operating condition of the vehicle, different from the first parameter; and

circuitry responsive to the value of the first parameter and the second parameter, for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the circuitry for determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain comprises circuitry for determining separately an engine harmonic gain corresponding to each of the plurality of harmonics of the fundamental engine frequency, wherein the engine harmonic gain corresponding to at least one of the harmonics is different that the engine harmonic gains corresponding to the other harmonics;

and

further comprising circuitry for applying to the fundamental engine frequency and to each of the plurality of harmonics of the fundamental engine frequency a corresponding engine harmonic enhancement gain.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first parameter is the gear in which the vehicle is operating.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first parameter is the number of cylinders that are operating.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first parameter is the transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the second parameter is the engine load.