Vehicle comprising means for detecting noise generated by a tyre

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764602-B2
Application number	US-201314652529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a rear bumper and a microphone. The rear bumper includes an internal cavity that is open towards a front portion of the vehicle. The microphone includes a sound pickup component arranged to acquire a sound signal generated by at least one tire of the vehicle, each of which includes at least one audible wear indicator. The sound pickup component of the microphone is attached to a wall of the rear bumper, and is positioned at a transverse level located between rear tires of the vehicle, preferably in the internal cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a front axle and a rear axle positioned longitudinally offset from each other, the front axle and the rear axle each carrying at least two wheels, each wheel being fitted with a tyre;
a rear bumper structured to include an internal cavity that is open towards a front portion of the vehicle; and
a microphone, which includes a sound pickup component arranged to acquire a sound signal emitted by the tyres of the wheels of the front axle and the tyres of the wheels of the rear axle,
wherein the microphone is positioned within the internal cavity and is fixed to a wall of the rear bumper so that the sound pickup component of the microphone is arranged within the internal cavity transversely between two rear tyres of two rear wheels of the rear axle.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the tyres each includes at least one audible wear indicator.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an orientation of the sound pickup component is determined with respect to the rear bumper so as to detect a sound signal coming from a rear portion of the vehicle.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein, with respect to the sound pickup component, an angle formed between a maximum-signal pickup direction and a horizontal direction towards the rear portion of vehicle is at most 30°.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a position of the sound pickup component is determined with respect to the rear bumper so as to detect a sound signal coming from the rear portion of the vehicle.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the sound pickup component is arranged in or to face a sound passage orifice formed in a substantially vertical part of the wall of the rear bumper.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the sound pickup component is arranged inside the internal cavity of the rear bumper.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the rear axle includes a rear left tyre and a rear right tyre, the rear left and right tyres being positioned substantially symmetrical to one another with respect to a vertical longitudinal midplane of the vehicle, and
wherein a distance from the sound pickup component to one of the rear left and right tyres does not exceed 30% of a distance to another of the rear left and right tyres.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the distance from the sound pickup component to the one of the rear left and right tyres and the distance to the other of the rear left and right tyres are substantially equal.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the motor vehicle includes a single microphone corresponding to the microphone.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the single microphone includes a single sound pickup component.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the single microphone includes at least a first sound pickup component and a second sound pickup component.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a chassis; and
a chassis microphone located at a position level with or under the chassis,
wherein the chassis microphone includes a sound pickup component arranged at a distance from the front axle that is at least twice as great as a distance from the rear axle, and arranged at a distance from a vertical longitudinal midplane of the vehicle that is at least 40% less than a distance from any vertical longitudinal plane passing through one or both of the two rear tyres.

14. A motor vehicle comprising:
a front axle and a rear axle positioned longitudinally offset from each other, the front axle and the rear axle each carrying at least two wheels, each wheel being fitted with a tyre;
a rear bumper structured to include an internal cavity that is open towards a front portion of the vehicle; and
a single microphone, which includes at least a first sound pickup component and a second sound pickup component arranged to acquire a sound signal generated by at least one of the tyres,
wherein the single microphone is fixed to a wall of the rear bumper so that one of the sound pickup components of the microphone is arranged transversely between two rear tyres of two rear wheels of the rear axle,
wherein one or both of a relative position of the first sound pickup component with respect to the rear bumper and an orientation of the first sound pickup component with respect to the rear bumper is or are determined so as to pick up a sound signal coming from a rear portion of the vehicle, and
wherein one or both of a relative position of the second sound pickup component with respect to the rear bumper and an orientation of the second sound pickup component with respect to the rear bumper is or are determined so as to pick up a sound signal coming from the front portion of the vehicle.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the relative positions of the first and second sound pickup components are substantially opposite each other with respect to a common support structure, with the common support structured being arranged between and supporting the first and second sound pickup components, with the first sound pickup component being oriented rearwards, and with the second sound pickup component being oriented frontwards.

16. A rear bumper for a motor vehicle having a front axle and a rear axle positioned longitudinally offset from each other, the front axle and the rear axle each carrying at least two wheels, each wheel being fitted with a tyre, the rear bumper comprising:
a wall defining an internal cavity that is structured to open towards a front portion of the vehicle; and
a microphone that includes a sound pickup component arranged to acquire a sound signal emitted by the tyres of the wheels of the front axle and the tyres of the wheels of the rear axle,
wherein the microphone is attached to the wall and is arranged inside the internal cavity, so that the sound pickup component is positioned within the internal cavity transversely between two rear tyres of two rear wheels of the rear axle of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie
• Michelin Rech Tech

Inventors

• Paturle Antoine

Classifications

• B60C2019/004

  Tyre sensors other than for detecting tyre pressure · CPC title

• B60R11/0247

  for microphones or earphones · CPC title

• B60R19/48

  combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds · CPC title

• B60C19/00

  Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60C11/24 Primary

  Wear-indicating arrangements · CPC title