Method and system for obtaining acoustical measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12223853-B2
Application number	US-202217938288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2022
Priority date	Oct 5, 2022
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for conducting acoustical measurements via an inflatable mannequin. In one embodiment, a system comprises an inflatable mannequin that comprises a detachable mannequin head, a plurality of inflatable anatomical parts, and a plurality of configurable joints, an inflation system that calibrates and controls inflation of the plurality of anatomical parts of the inflatable mannequin; and a joint control system that calibrates and controls the plurality of configurable joints via joint motors. In another embodiment, a first method comprises selecting a mannequin profile based on sizes of anatomical parts of the inflatable mannequin and second method comprises conducting acoustical measurements with the selected mannequin profile. In this way, acoustical measurements may be conducted to develop audio processing schemes that widen the sweet spot in an interior of a vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an inflatable mannequin that comprises a mannequin head, a plurality of inflatable anatomical parts, and a plurality of configurable joints;
wherein the plurality of inflatable anatomical parts comprises a mannequin skeleton that includes a plurality of mannequin skeleton parts; and
wherein a mannequin skeleton part is a smallest size configuration for an inflatable anatomical part and a plurality of inflation compartments that envelop or are positioned beside a mannequin skeleton part to increase a size of the plurality of inflatable anatomical parts.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inflation system that controls inflation of the plurality of inflatable anatomical parts of the inflatable mannequin; and
a joint control system that controls the plurality of configurable joints via joint motors.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mannequin head is detachable and the mannequin head includes cavities positioned in an ear region.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein microphones are embedded via microphone inserts.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inflatable anatomical parts further comprises:
an inflatable mannequin torso that comprises a mannequin skeleton torso that includes an upper mannequin skeleton torso and a lower extendable mannequin skeleton spine, a first mannequin torso inflation compartment that envelops an upper left ventral portion of the upper mannequin skeleton torso, a second mannequin torso inflation compartment that envelops an upper right ventral portion of the upper mannequin skeleton torso, a third mannequin torso inflation compartment that envelops a dorsal portion of the upper mannequin skeleton torso, and a fourth mannequin torso inflation compartment that envelops the lower extendable mannequin skeleton spine;
inflatable mannequin legs that comprise a first extendable left mannequin skeleton leg, a second extendable left mannequin skeleton leg, a first extendable right mannequin skeleton leg, and a second extendable right mannequin skeleton leg, and a first left mannequin leg inflation compartment that envelops the first extendable left mannequin skeleton leg, a second left mannequin leg inflation compartment that envelops the second extendable right mannequin skeleton leg, a third left mannequin leg inflation compartment that is positioned beside an upper ventral and dorsal portion of the first extendable left mannequin skeleton leg, a first right mannequin leg inflation compartment that envelops the first extendable right mannequin skeleton leg, a second right mannequin leg inflation compartment that envelops the second extendable right mannequin skeleton leg, and a third right mannequin leg inflation compartment that is positioned beside the upper ventral and dorsal portion of the first extendable right mannequin skeleton leg; and
inflatable mannequin arms that comprise a first extendable left mannequin skeleton arm, a second extendable left mannequin skeleton arm, a first extendable right mannequin skeleton arm, and a second extendable right mannequin skeleton arm, and a first left mannequin arm inflation compartment that envelops the first extendable left mannequin skeleton arm, a second left mannequin arm inflation compartment that envelops the second extendable right mannequin skeleton arm, a third left mannequin arm inflation compartment that is positioned beside the upper ventral and dorsal portion of the first extendable left mannequin skeleton arm, a first right mannequin arm inflation compartment that envelops the first extendable right mannequin skeleton arm, a second right mannequin arm inflation compartment that envelops the second extendable right mannequin skeleton arm, and a third right mannequin arm inflation compartment that is positioned beside the upper ventral and dorsal portion of the first extendable right mannequin skeleton arm.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled with an inflation system and a joint control system including instructions for adjusting the plurality of configurable joints via joint motors to position the system in a plurality of postures based on a postural configuration adjustment sequence.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the inflation system that controls inflation of the plurality of inflatable anatomical parts of the inflatable mannequin comprises:
at least one controller in a plurality of controllers wherein executable instructions are stored in at least one memory or a plurality of memories and executed by at least one processor of a plurality of processors to inflate an inflatable mannequin torso, inflatable mannequin legs, and inflatable mannequin arms;
a compressor communicatively coupled to the at least one controller to provide air to the inflatable mannequin torso, the inflatable mannequin legs, and the inflatable mannequin arms of the inflatable mannequin; and
at least one pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one controller to monitor pressure in an interior space of the inflatable mannequin.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the joint control system that controls the plurality of configurable joints via joint motors comprises:
at least one controller in a plurality of controllers wherein executable instructions are stored in at least one memory of a plurality of memories and executed by at least one processor of a plurality of processors to adjust a postural configuration of the inflatable mannequin based on set point positions and feedback from encoders on joints; and
joint motors that are electronically and mechanically coupled to the plurality of configurable joints and communicatively coupled to the at least one controller.

9. A method for creating a mannequin profile in a vehicle, comprising:
adjusting lengths of an inflatable mannequin torso that is extendable, inflatable mannequin legs that are extendable, and inflatable mannequin arms that are extendable;
adjusting an inflation pressure level of an inflatable mannequin with a plurality of inflatable anatomical parts positioned in the vehicle responsive to a target; and
storing acoustical measurements at the target.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting motors at joints of the inflatable mannequin responsive to a desired position of the inflatable mannequin, wherein storing includes storing acoustical measurements at the target and the desired position.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a head of the inflatable mannequin is a detachable mannequin head calibrated based on point-to-point measurements of the head of the inflatable mannequin, and wherein inflatable anatomical parts are the inflatable mannequin torso that includes an extendable mannequin skeleton torso, inflatable mannequin legs that include extendable mannequin skeleton legs, and inflatable mannequin arms that includes extendable mannequin arms.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting the inflation pressure level of the inflatable mannequin to a plurality of targets and storing acoustical measurements at the plurality of targets.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inflation pressure level is automatically controlled to the target based on feedback from one or more pressure sensors coupled to the inflatable mannequin via an actuator.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein acoustical measurements are not obtained while adjusting pressure, and wherein adjusting of pressure does not occur while obtaining acoustical measurements.

15. A method for adjusting a postural configuration of an inflatable mannequin, comprising:
receiving a sele

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Cai Tingli
• Olsen Martin
• Trestain Christopher Michael

Classifications

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R1/222

  for microphones (H04R1/24, H04R1/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04R1/083

  Special constructions of mouthpieces · CPC title

• G10L19/02

  using spectral analysis, e.g. transform vocoders or subband vocoders · CPC title