Engine sound enhancement based on vehicle selected mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365158-B2
Application number	US-201313938799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2013
Priority date	Jul 10, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A control system is provided for a vehicle having an engine which transitions between an activated mode and a deactivated mode. The control system includes a vehicle bus transmitting a signal indicating a vehicle selected mode and if the engine is operating in one of the activated mode and the deactivated mode. The control system also includes an engine sound enhancement (“ESE”) module configured to receive the signal. The ESE module is configured to select at least one ESE tone and a set of ancillary tones associated with one or more of the deactivated mode, the activated mode, and an activation transition. The ESE module selects a specific type of ancillary tones based on the vehicle selected mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine that transitions between an activated mode and a deactivated mode, comprising:
a vehicle bus transmitting a signal, the signal indicating a vehicle selected mode and if the engine is operating in one of the activated mode and the deactivated mode, the activated mode comprising operation of the engine using all cylinders of the engine and the deactivated mode comprising operation of the engine using fewer than all cylinders of the engine; and
an engine sound enhancement (“ESE”) module configured to receive the signal, the ESE module configured to select at least one ESE tone and a set of ancillary tones if the engine is operating in the deactivated mode, wherein the ESE module selects a specific type of ancillary tones based on the vehicle selected mode.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the specific type of ancillary tones includes one or more of: a half order tone, an even order tone, and an odd order tone.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the ESE tone emulates a dominant order created by the engine in the activated mode, and the ESE module is configured to augment the ESE tone based on the vehicle selected mode.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the ESE tone is configured to conceal a sound created by the engine during an activation transition, wherein the activation transition represents the engine transitioning from the deactivated mode to the activated mode.

5. The control system of claim 4 , wherein one or more tones of the set of ancillary tones are removed and added after the activation transition based on an engine speed.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle selected mode indicates a powerful driving experience is selected, and the set of ancillary tones selected for the powerful driving experience continue from the deactivated mode through an activation transition to the activated mode.

7. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the ESE module selects a plurality of ancillary tones that are half order tones and integer order tones if the vehicle selected mode indicates the powerful driving experience, wherein the half order tones are configured to interact with the integer order tones to create a sound indicating a powerful engine condition.

8. The control system of claim 6 , wherein one or more tones of the set of ancillary tones are removed after the activation transition based on an engine speed.

9. The control system of claim 6 , wherein a dominant order having a greatest amplitude changes at the activation transition.

10. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the ESE module augments one or more tones of the set of ancillary tones based on the vehicle selected mode.

11. A control system for a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine that operates in one of an activated mode and a deactivated mode, comprising:
a vehicle bus transmitting a vehicle selected mode signal and a signal indicating a plurality of operating conditions;
a transition determination module configured to receive the signal and determine a transition signal based on the plurality of operating conditions, wherein the transition signal indicates the engine is about to undergo a transition between the activated mode and the deactivated mode, the activated mode comprising operation of the engine using all cylinders of the engine and the deactivated mode comprising operation of the engine using fewer than all cylinders of the engine; and
an engine sound enhancement (“ESE”) module configured to receive the transition signal and the vehicle selected mode signal, the ESE module configured to select at least one ESE tone and a set of ancillary tones if the transition signal is received, wherein the ESE module selects a specific type of ancillary tones based on the vehicle selected mode.

12. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the specific type of ancillary tones includes one or more of: a half order tone, an even order tone, and an odd order tone.

13. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the ESE tone emulates a dominant order of the engine, and the ESE module is configured to augment the ESE tone based on the vehicle selected mode.

14. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the ESE tone is configured to blend a sound created by the engine during the transition.

15. The control system of claim 14 , wherein one or more tones of the set of ancillary tones are removed and added in the activated mode based on an engine speed.

16. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle selected mode indicates a powerful driving experience is selected, and the set of ancillary tones selected for the powerful driving experience continue through the transition.

17. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the ESE module selects a plurality of ancillary tones that are half order tones and integer order tones if the vehicle selected mode indicates the powerful driving experience, wherein the half order tones are configured to interact with the integer order tones to create a sound indicating a powerful engine condition.

18. The control system of claim 16 , wherein one or more tones of the set of ancillary tones are removed in the activated mode based on an engine speed.

19. The control system of claim 16 , wherein a dominant order having a greatest amplitude changes at the transition.

20. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the ESE module augments one or more tones of the set of ancillary tones based on the vehicle selected mode.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc
• Gm Global Technology Corp Llc
• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Barlow Jr Roger C
• Reilly Scott M
• Klug Dennis
• Valeri Frank C

Classifications

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q5/00 Primary

  Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices · CPC title

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• B60Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• G10K15/04

  Sound-producing devices (G10K15/02 takes precedence) · CPC title