Motor vehicle having a control apparatus for at least one loudspeaker of an exhaust system of the motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10871093-B2
Application number	US-201716073603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

Combustion gas of an internal combustion engine passes through an exhaust system to an outlet opening. A detection device generates a state signal that describes an engine noise of the internal combustion engine. A control apparatus actuates at least one loudspeaker to produce a sound at the outlet opening based on the state signal to compensate for the engine noise or produce another engine noise, independently of the state signal based on predetermined audio data and thereby to use the at least one loudspeaker to audibly output an advisory signal described by the audio data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
doors;
a locking system for the doors;
an internal combustion engine producing a combustion gas during operation;
an exhaust system having at least one pipe taking away the combustion gas, during operation of the internal combustion engine, to at least one outlet opening of the exhaust system;
a sensing device generating a state signal, during operation of the internal combustion engine, that describes at least one of a current engine noise and a current operating parameter characterizing operation;
a detection device configured to detect a predetermined output situation, including at least one change of state of the locking system, and to generate a trigger signal in response to the predetermined output situation;
at least one loudspeaker configured to emit a sound into a respective pipe of the exhaust system toward the at least one outlet opening; and
a control apparatus configured to actuate the at least one loudspeaker to produce the sound based on the state signal to at least partially compensate for the current engine noise and/or to at least partially replace the current engine noise with a predetermined other engine noise, and, independently of the state signal, based on predetermined stored audio data, to audibly output an advice signal described by the audio data in response to the trigger signal that is independent of the state signal and generated in the predetermined output situation with a predetermined time delay.

2. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to output the advice signal with the internal combustion engine switched off.

3. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the detection device is configured to detect as the predetermined output situation a parking phase in which the motor vehicle is parked and a driver has exited the motor vehicle.

4. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detection device is configured to detect as the predetermined output situation a parking phase in which the motor vehicle is parked and a driver has exited the motor vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 ,
further comprising an operator control device, and
wherein the detection device is configured to detect as the predetermined output situation a predetermined operating action by a user of the operator control device for the motor vehicle.

6. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 5 ,
further comprising a transmission having a reverse gear and at least one forward gear, and
wherein the detection device is configured to detect as the predetermined output situation the reverse gear selected with the internal combustion engine running.

7. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 5 ,
further comprising a chassis, and
wherein the control apparatus is configured to generate the advice signal only when at least one predetermined driving mode from multiple activable driving modes, each of which stipulates a different mode of operation of at least one of the internal combustion engine and the chassis of the motor vehicle, is activated in the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 ,
further comprising a chassis, and
wherein the control apparatus is configured to generate the advice signal only when at least one predetermined driving mode from multiple activable driving modes, each of which stipulates a different mode of operation of at least one of the internal combustion engine and the chassis of the motor vehicle, is activated in the motor vehicle.

9. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to output an imitated heartbeat, as the advice signal.

10. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a configuration device configured to set the audio data based on at least one of a user input and from among multiple predetermined audio data records.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Rüegg Markus

Classifications

• H04R29/001

  for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Q5/008

  for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching · CPC title

• F01N1/065 Primary

  by using an active noise source, e.g. speakers · CPC title

• B01J2219/00024

  Revamping, retrofitting or modernisation of existing plants · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title