Vehicle engine sound enhancement

• US 9,299,337 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Hera, Cristian M., Klug, Dennis D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANMAVO, KUASSI A
• Application Number:
  US13/004,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20120177214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 381/73.1, 381/61, 381/66, 381/86, 381/71.1, 381 98-103, 381/62, 381/302, 381/119, 381/77, 700/94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

determining a target shape of the plurality of harmonics, the target shape comprising, for each of the harmonics of the plurality of the harmonics, a gain value as a function of the RPM of the engine;

determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve comprising gain values as a function of engine load; and

combining the plurality of harmonics, the target shape of the plurality of harmonics, and the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve to produce a set of harmonic enhancement signals;

wherein determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve comprises, for at least one of the plurality of harmonics, determining a set of gain values as a function of engine load that is different from a set of gain values as a function of engine load corresponding to the other harmonics,

wherein determining of an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve for at least one of the plurality of harmonics 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 curve, and

wherein the parameter is a transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve further comprises determining separately an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve corresponding to each of the plurality of harmonics of the fundamental engine frequency, wherein the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve corresponding to at least one of the harmonics is different that the engine harmonic enhancement gain curves 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 curve.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a rate of change of the RPM of the engine of the vehicle; and

ceasing to produce the set of harmonic enhancement signals, when the rate of change of the RPM is steady or decreasing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein producing the set of harmonic enhancement signals comprises, for each harmonic of the plurality of harmonics, combining that harmonic, the gain value of the target shape for that harmonic, and the set of gain values of the gain curve for that harmonic separately from the other harmonics.

6. 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;

circuitry for determining a target shape of the plurality of harmonics, the target shape comprising, for each of the harmonics of the plurality of the harmonics, a gain value as a function of the RPM of the engine;

circuitry for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve comprising gain values as a function of engine load; and

circuitry for combining the plurality of harmonics, the target shape of the plurality of harmonics, and the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve to produce a set of harmonic enhancement signals;

wherein the circuitry for determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve determines, for at least one of the plurality of harmonics a set of gain values as a function of engine load that is different from a set of gain values as a function of engine load corresponding to the other harmonics,

wherein the circuitry for determining of an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve for at least one of the plurality of harmonics comprises;

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

circuitry responsive to the value of the parameter and the engine load, for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve, and

wherein the parameter is a transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the circuitry for determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve comprises circuitry for separately determining an engine harmonic gain curve for each harmonic.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the circuitry for determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve further comprises circuitry for determining separately an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve corresponding to each of the plurality of harmonics of the fundamental engine frequency, wherein the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve corresponding to at least one of the harmonics is different that the engine harmonic enhancement gain curves 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 curve.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

circuitry for determining a rate of change of the RPM of the engine of the vehicle; and

circuitry for ceasing to produce the set of harmonic enhancement signals, when the rate of change of the RPM is steady or decreasing.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the circuitry for producing the set of harmonic enhancement signals combines the gain value of the target shape for each harmonic of the plurality of harmonics with the set of gain values of the gain curve for that harmonic separately from the other harmonics.

11. 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;

determining a target shape of the plurality of harmonics, the target shape comprising, for each of the harmonics of the plurality of the harmonics, a gain value as a function of the RPM of the engine;

determining an engine harmonic enhancement gain curve comprising gain values as a function of engine load; and

combining the plurality of harmonics, the target shape of the plurality of harmonics, and the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve to produce a set of harmonic enhancement signals;

wherein determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve comprises;

determining a transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission; and

responsive to the transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission and the engine load, determining the engine harmonic enhancement gain curve.