Method and device for influencing an impression which is subjectively perceived by an occupant of a vehicle, in particular of a passenger car, when the vehicle is being operated

• US 6,150,733 A
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HEAD Acoustics GmbH (HEAD acoustics China Co., Ltd), Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: HEAD Acoustics GmbH (HEAD acoustics China Co., Ltd), Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Podszun, Werner, Genuit, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/188,676
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 381/71.1, 381/71.4, 381/86, 381/89, 381/332, 381/71.8, 267/140.1, 248/636
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/22 Arrangements for reducing or eliminating reaction, e.g. vibration, from parts, e.g. wheels, of the steering system

Abstract

A method and device are provided for influencing an impression which is subjectively perceived by an occupant of a vehicle, in particular of a passenger car, when the vehicle is being operated. The primary oscillations which are produced when the vehicle is being operated are determined. Data for secondary oscillations are acquired from the primary oscillations and are converted at least in part into vibration oscillations which can be perceived through the human body. At least one of the components of the vehicle body is excited using the vibration oscillations, the vibration oscillations being placed in an interference relationship with the primary oscillations. In particular, the steering wheel is also excited so as to undergo mechanical vibration oscillations.

Claims

1. A method for controlling initial perceptible oscillations which are in a frequency range able to be perceivable by a human body and which are produced in a zone of an interior of a vehicle wherein said initial perceptible oscillations are produced by an operation of said vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

artificially generating secondary oscillations data from the initial perceptible oscillations;

artificially generating vibration oscillations as a function of the secondary oscillations data;

exciting at least one component of a body of the vehicle using the vibration oscillations;

placing the vibration oscillations in an interference relationship with at least determined frequencies of the initial perceptible oscillations, such that at least the determined frequencies of the initial perceptible oscillations produced while the vehicle is operating are changed by the interference; and

wherein a steering wheel of the vehicle is excited so as to undergo mechanical vibration oscillations, said mechanical vibration oscillations of the steering wheel being subjected to the interference with the initial perceptible oscillations.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein vibration oscillations are formed from said component of the initial perceptible oscillations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary oscillations are determined in a frequency band between 0.1 Hz and 20 kHz.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary oscillations are determined in a frequency band between 1 Hz and 16 kHz.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary oscillations are determined in a frequency band between 5 Hz and 16 kHz.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in order to generate vibration oscillations, sample values are extracted from a data field, which data field has been previously written and determined from the initial perceptible oscillations, and wherein said sample values are converted into the vibration oscillations.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vibration oscillations are extracted from a previously written data field as a function of at least one parameter.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the parameter used is at least one of the speed, the rotational speed and the acceleration of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial perceptible oscillations are registered and converted into a primary data record, and wherein those data which are assigned to the vibration oscillations are extracted, as a vibration data record, from the primary data record, and further wherein the vibration data record is converted into vibration oscillations.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the primary data record is stored on a data carrier.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein appropriate vibration oscillations are determined from the initial perceptible oscillations, and wherein a vibration data record is copied from the primary data record, and further wherein, in order to generate acoustic secondary oscillations, the data of the vibration data record also remains in the primary data record.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vibration oscillations are at least one of induced directly at the steering gear and induced directly at the steering wheel.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein only oscillations of a maximum frequency of 300 Hz are induced as vibration oscillations.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein only oscillations of a maximum frequency of 200 Hz are induced as vibration oscillations.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein only oscillations of a maximum frequency of 150 Hz are induced as vibration oscillations.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary data record is formed only from acoustically determined oscillations.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein vibrations of the steering wheel are registered in order to determine a primary data record.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein in order to determine a primary data record using multi-channel technology, both acoustically perceptible oscillations and vibrations at the steering wheel and/or at the seats are registered.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vibrations are registered with at least one of acceleration, speed and displacement sensors.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein a low-frequency loudspeaker is operated with acoustic secondary oscillations which are less than 300 Hz.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein a low-frequency loudspeaker is operated with acoustic secondary oscillations which are less than 200 Hz.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein a low-frequency loudspeaker is operated with acoustic secondary oscillations which are less than 150 Hz.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein an electrodynamic oscillation exciter which induces assigned vibration oscillations into the steering wheel is operated with the data of a vibration data record which are assigned to the steering wheel.

24. A device for controlling initial perceptible oscillations which are in a frequency range able to be perceived by a human body and which are produced in a zone of an interior of a vehicle wherein said perceptible oscillations are produced by an operation of said vehicle, the device comprising:

a vibration exciter operatively coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle in order to excite the steering wheel to undergo determined vibration oscillations;

wherein the determined vibration oscillations are made to interfere with the initial perceptible oscillations produced while the vehicle is operating in order to at least one of reduce determined frequencies of the primary oscillations and increase determined frequencies of the initial perceptible oscillations.

25. The device according to claim 24, further comprising a low-frequency loud speaker which produces low-frequency sound waves for interference with vehicle body borne sound waves.

26. The device according to claim 24, wherein the vibration exciter is an electrodynamic oscillation exciter.

27. The device according to claim 24, wherein the vibration exciter assigned to the steering wheel is an electric motor.

28. The device according to claim 27, wherein the electric motor is a D.C. motor.

29. A method for controlling initial perceptible oscillations which are in a frequency range able to be perceived by a human body and which are produced in a zone of an interior of a vehicle wherein said perceptible oscillations are produced by an operation of said vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

processing the perceptible oscillations to artificially generate data for producing secondary oscillations;

exciting a steering wheel of the vehicle so as to undergo mechanical vibration oscillations based on the data for producing the secondary oscillations;

interfering the vibration oscillations of the steering wheel with the initial perceptible oscillations of the vehicle such that at least certain frequencies of the primary oscillations are changed due to the interference.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the processing act further comprises the acts of:

one of extracting and copying a component of the initial perceptible oscillations;

forming the vibration oscillations based on the component of the initial perceptible oscillations.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the act of processing further comprises the act of determining the primary oscillations in a frequency band between 0.1 Hz and 20 KHz.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the act of processing the initial perceptible oscillations further comprises the acts of:

predetermining a data field of determined vibration oscillations from the initial perceptible oscillations; and

extracting from the data field sample values for vibration oscillations, which sample values are converted into the determined vibration oscillations.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the act of extracting the sample values further comprises the act of extracting the sample values from a predetermined data field as a function of at least one parameter of the vehicle.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the parameter is at least one of a speed, a rotational speed, and an acceleration of the vehicle.