Classic automobile sound processor

• US 6,356,185 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matthew Allison Herron
• Original Assignee: Jason Carl Plugge, Jay Sterling Plugge
• Inventors: Plugge, Jason Carl, Plugge, Jay Sterling
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/610,310
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/692, 340/384.3, 340/384.7, 340/384.1, 446/410, 446/397, 446/409, 446/404, 381/61, 381/86, 704/278, 104/296, 104/272, 104/258
• US Class Current: 340/384.3
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/34 Arrangements for imitating the noise of motors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/381 Road, i.e. sounds which are part of a road, street or urban traffic soundscape, e.g. automobiles, bikes, trucks, traffic, vehicle horns, collisions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00

Abstract

An automobile sound processor containing prerecorded or synthesized sound signatures of vintage automobiles and motorcycles or other sounds, along with other audio processing components, is integrated with an automobile'"'"'s on-board stereo sound system. A mode selector allows the user to select the desired classic car sound signature to be replicated. Sensors or transducers located in the engine compartment measure engine RPM and manifold vacuum. The sensors communicate instantaneous measurements of engine RPM and manifold vacuum to the sound processor and other audio processing components. The output of the sound processor is a composite audio replication of a selected sound signature. The sound signature is reproduced through the vehicle'"'"'s on-board stereo sound system and modulated by the driving dynamics of the driver'"'"'s car, as if the car were producing these sounds by responding to acceleration and deceleration dynamics.

Claims

1. A sound processor for producing replicated engine sounds in response to the operating dynamics of a vehicle engine, the sound processor comprising:

a sound memory containing at least one sound signature representing at least one engine cycle of an engine sound to be replicated;

an RPM sensor for sensing a rotational speed of the vehicle engine;

an RPM derivative sensor for sensing a first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine; and

an audio processor for producing an audio signal representing a replicated engine sound by continuously repeating a portion of the sound signature from the sound memory corresponding to an integer number of engine cycles, the audio processor modulating the replicated sound signature based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor by adjusting a duration and repetition rate of the portion of the sound signature corresponding to an integer number of engine cycles, wherein the audio processor modulates the audio signal based on the first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM derivative sensor.

2. The sound processor of claim 1, wherein the sound memory contains a multiplicity of sound signatures representing at least one engine cycle of the engine sound to be replicated at different rotational speeds within an operating range, wherein the audio processor selects a sound signature to be replicated from the sound memory based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor, and wherein the audio processor interpolates between different rotational speeds within the operating range by adjusting the duration and repetition rate of the portion of the selected sound signature to be replicated.

3. The sound processor of claim 1, further comprising:

an engine load condition sensor for sensing an engine load condition of the vehicle engine; and

an audio filter for selectively filtering the audio signal produced by the audio processor based on the engine load condition of the vehicle engine sensed by the engine load condition sensor.

4. The sound processor of claim 3, wherein the engine load condition sensor comprises an engine manifold vacuum sensor.

5. The sound processor of claim 1, wherein the sound memory contains a first look-up table containing a multiplicity of sound signatures representing sounds of an engine operating in a first operating condition and a second look-up table containing a multiplicity of sound signatures representing sounds of the engine operating in a second operating condition, and wherein the audio processor selects a first sound signature from the first look-up table and a second sound signature from the second look-up table and blends the first sound signature and the second sound signature to produce a blended sound signature.

6. The sound processor of claim 1, wherein the sound memory contains a multiplicity of sound signatures representing engine sounds of different engines, and wherein the sound processor further comprises a means for selecting a sound signature from the sound memory to be replicated.

7. The sound processor of claim 1, further comprising at least one speaker for producing replicated engine sounds based on said audio signal.

8. A sound processor for producing replicated engine sounds in response to the operating dynamics of a vehicle engine, the sound processor comprising:

a sound memory containing at least one sound signature of an engine sound to be replicated;

an RPM sensor for sensing a rotational speed of the vehicle engine;

an RPM derivative sensor for sensing a first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine; and

an audio processor for producing an audio signal representing a replicated engine sound based on the sound signature from the sound memory, the audio processor modulating the audio signal based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor and based on the first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM derivative sensor.

9. The sound processor of claim 8, wherein the audio processor modulates the audio signal by adjusting a repetition rate of the sound signature based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor.

10. The sound processor of claim 8, wherein the audio processor changes the volume of the audio signal proportional to the first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM derivative sensor.

11. The sound processor of claim 8, wherein the audio processor synchronizes the audio signal by adjusting a repetition rate of the sound signature based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor, and wherein the audio processor changes the volume of the audio signal proportional to the first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM derivative sensor.

12. The sound processor of claim 8, further comprising:

an engine load condition sensor for sensing an engine load condition of the vehicle engine; and

an audio filter for selectively filtering the audio signal produced by the audio processor based on the engine load condition of the vehicle engine sensed by the engine load condition sensor.

13. The sound processor of claim 12, wherein the engine load condition sensor comprises an engine manifold vacuum sensor.

14. The sound processor of claim 8, wherein the sound memory contains a multiplicity of sound signatures representing engine sounds of different engines, and wherein the sound processor further comprises a means for selecting a sound signature from the sound memory to be replicated.

15. The sound processor of claim 8, further comprising at least one speaker for producing replicated engine sounds based on said audio signal.

16. The sound processor of claim 8, wherein the sound memory contains a first look-up table containing a multiplicity of sound signatures representing sounds of an engine operating in a first operating condition and a second look-up table containing a multiplicity of sound signatures representing sounds of the engine operating in a second operating condition, and wherein the audio processor selects a first sound signature from the first look-up table and a second sound signature from the second look-up table and blends the first sound signature and the second sound signature to produce a blended sound signature.

17. The sound processor of claim 16, wherein the audio processor modulates the audio signal by amplifying at least one of the first sound signature or the second sound signature as a function of the first derivative of the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM derivative sensor.

18. A sound processor for producing replicated engine sounds in response to the operating dynamics of a vehicle engine, the sound processor comprising:

a sound memory containing at least one sound signature representing at least one engine cycle of an engine sound to be replicated, wherein the sound memory contains a first look-up table containing a multiplicity of sound signatures representing sounds of an engine operating in a first operating condition and a second look-up table containing a multiplicity of sound signatures representing sounds of the engine operating in a second operating condition;

an RPM sensor for sensing a rotational speed of the vehicle engine;

an audio processor for producing an audio signal representing a replicated engine sound by continuously repeating a portion of the sound signature from the sound memory corresponding to an integer number of engine cycles, the audio processor modulating the replicated sound signature based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor by adjusting a duration and repetition rate of the portion of the sound signature corresponding to an integer number of engine cycles, wherein the audio processor selects a first sound signature from the first look-up table and a second sound signature from the second look-up table and blends the first sound signature and the second sound signature to produce a blended sound signature.

19. The sound processor of claim 18, wherein the sound memory contains a multiplicity of sound signatures representing at least one engine cycle of the engine sound to be replicated at different rotational speeds within an operating range, wherein the audio processor selects a sound signature to be replicated from the sound memory based on the rotational speed of the vehicle engine sensed by the RPM sensor, and wherein the audio processor interpolates between different rotational speeds within the operating range by adjusting the duration and repetition rate of the portion of the selected sound signature to be replicated.

20. The sound processor of claim 18, further comprising:

an engine load condition sensor for sensing an engine load condition of the vehicle engine; and

an audio filter for selectively filtering the audio signal produced by the audio processor based on the engine load condition of the vehicle engine sensed by the engine load condition sensor.

21. The sound processor of claim 20, wherein the engine load condition sensor comprises an engine manifold vacuum sensor.

22. The sound processor of claim 18, wherein the sound memory contains a multiplicity of sound signatures representing engine sounds of different engines, and wherein the sound processor further comprises a means for selecting a sound signature from the sound memory to be replicated.

23. The sound processor of claim 18, further comprising at least one speaker for producing replicated engine sounds based on said audio signal.