System for simulated multi-gear vehicle sound generation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A simulated vehicle sound generator system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a memory configured to store sound information for an engine;
a processor in communication with the memory; and
a simulated vehicle sound generation module executable by the processor to;
receive a signal indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle, where the operating condition relates to an engine type, a road speed of the vehicle and a throttle position;
select a first simulated gear in response to the operating condition of the vehicle;
generate a sound signal based on sound information retrieved from the memory, the sound signal configured to drive at least one sound generation device to produce variable sound waves to simulate operation of the engine in the first simulated gear;
determine a shift condition between simulated gears in response to the operating condition indicative of the road speed of the vehicle reaching a variable threshold point corresponding to the first simulated gear, the variable threshold point being variable based on the operating condition indicative of the throttle position of the vehicle;
select a second simulated gear in response to the determined shift condition; and
adjust the sound signal in response to the determined shift condition, the sound signal being adjusted to drive the at least one sound generation device to produce variable sound waves to simulate operation of the engine in the shift condition and in the second simulated gear.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle sound generator system is configured to generate a signal configured to drive one or more speakers produce sound waves simulating sounds associated with a desired engine type. The signal is based on one or more operating conditions of a vehicle. The vehicle sound generator system is configured to select sounds from a plurality of sounds based on the operating conditions of the vehicle. Each sound corresponds to a simulated sound of an engine operating in a respective gear. The vehicle sound generator system may generate the signal to drive the speakers to produce selected sounds to simulate shifting between the respective gears.
41 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A simulated vehicle sound generator system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
-
a memory configured to store sound information for an engine; a processor in communication with the memory; and a simulated vehicle sound generation module executable by the processor to; receive a signal indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle, where the operating condition relates to an engine type, a road speed of the vehicle and a throttle position; select a first simulated gear in response to the operating condition of the vehicle; generate a sound signal based on sound information retrieved from the memory, the sound signal configured to drive at least one sound generation device to produce variable sound waves to simulate operation of the engine in the first simulated gear; determine a shift condition between simulated gears in response to the operating condition indicative of the road speed of the vehicle reaching a variable threshold point corresponding to the first simulated gear, the variable threshold point being variable based on the operating condition indicative of the throttle position of the vehicle; select a second simulated gear in response to the determined shift condition; and adjust the sound signal in response to the determined shift condition, the sound signal being adjusted to drive the at least one sound generation device to produce variable sound waves to simulate operation of the engine in the shift condition and in the second simulated gear. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
10. A method of generating simulated engine sounds in an audio system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
-
receiving a first current operating condition indicative of a current speed of the vehicle for a selected one of a plurality of engine types and a second current operating condition indicative of a current throttle position of the vehicle with a processor; selecting, with the processor, a first simulated gear from a plurality of respective simulated gears in response to the received first and second current operating conditions of the vehicle; driving a sound generation device of the vehicle to produce variable sound waves to simulate variable operation of an engine within a first operating range of the first simulated gear based on the first and second current operating conditions of the vehicle; mapping a plurality of threshold values to the first operating range of the first simulated gear; the processor dynamically determining a shift condition based on variations in the first and second current operating conditions of the vehicle and a threshold value in the first operating range of the first simulated gear; selecting a second simulated gear from the plurality of respective simulated gears in response to the determined shift condition and the first and second current operating conditions of the vehicle; and driving the at least one sound generation device of the vehicle to produce variable sound waves to simulate variable operation of the engine during the shift condition when transitioning from the first simulated gear to the second simulated gear within the second operating range of the second simulated gear based on the first and second current operating conditions of the vehicle, the first operating range and the second operating range being different. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions executable with a processor, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:
-
instructions to select a first simulated gear of a vehicle based on a first signal indicative of a first current operating condition of the vehicle with a selected engine type from a plurality of engine types and a second signal indicative of a second current operating condition of the vehicle, wherein the first current operating condition is a variable threshold of a road speed of the vehicle and the second current operating condition is indicative of a load of the vehicle; instructions to drive at least one sound generation device in the vehicle to variably produce a simulated sound of an engine operating in an operating range of the first simulated gear as the first signal indicative of the first current operating condition of the vehicle changes and the second signal indicative of a second current operating condition of the vehicle changes; instructions to dynamically select a second simulated gear of a vehicle in response to a shift condition identified from variations in the relationship of the variable threshold of the road speed of the vehicle with respect to the second signal indicative of the second current operating condition of the vehicle; and instructions to drive the at least one sound generation device in the vehicle to variably produce a simulated sound of the engine operating in an operating range of the second simulated gear as the first signal indicative of the first current operating condition of the vehicle, the second signal indicative of a second current operating condition of the vehicle changes, and during a transition period between the first simulated gear and the second simulated gear. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification