System and method for synthesizing an engine sound

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9944127-B2
Application number	US-201615235515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for synthesizing an engine sound may receive one or more vehicle operational data signals. One or more tone parameters associated with a Shepard tone generator may be modified responsive to the one or more vehicle operation data signals. A Shepard tone may be generated responsive to the modified one or more tone parameters. The Shepard tone may be reproduced using one or more audio transducers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for synthesizing an engine sound comprising:
receiving one or more vehicle operational data signals associated with a vehicle;
modifying one or more tone parameters associated with a Shepard tone generator through a signal processor responsive to the one or more vehicle operational data signals;
generating a Shepard tone responsive to the signal processor that renders the modified one or more tone parameters;
generating an audio post processing feedback parameter by post processing the Shepard tones;
reproducing the Shepard tone using one or more audio transducers;
where the modification of the one or more tone parameters occurs when the vehicle's velocity is substantially constant resulting in a low volume level of the reproduced Shepard tone;
where the signal processor modifies the audio post processing feedback parameter when a vehicle operating condition is detected.

2. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 1 , where the one or more vehicle operational data signals comprises one or more of a motor rotational speed, the vehicle's acceleration, the vehicle's velocity, a motor load, a throttle position and a plurality of power settings.

3. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 1 , where the one or more tone parameters of the Shepard tone generator comprise one or more of a rate of pitch change, a direction of pitch change, a plurality of concurrent tones, a volume level, a loudness level, a plurality of equalization parameters and a plurality of distortion parameters.

4. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 1 , where the one or more audio transducers are located outside of the vehicle.

5. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 1 , where the volume level of the reproduced Shepard tone decreases over time when the vehicle's velocity is substantially constant.

6. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 1 , where the one or more vehicle operational data signals are filtered utilizing a time constant.

7. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 1 , where the act of generating the Shepard's tone simulates rising and failing sounds of an engine under varying operating conditions.

8. A system for synthesizing an engine sound comprising:
a receiver configured to receive one or more vehicle operational data signals associated with a vehicle;
a signal processor configured to modify one or more tone parameters responsive to the one or more vehicle operational data signals;
a Shepard tone generator configured to generate a Shepard tone responsive to the modified one or more tone parameters;
an audio post processor configured to render an audio post-processing parameter in response to the audio post processor's processing of the Shepard tone; and
a reproducer configured to reproduce the Shepard tone using one or more audio transducers;
where the one or more tone parameters are associated with the Shepard tone generator;
where the signal processor is further configured to modify the audio post-processing parameter when a vehicle operating condition is detected; and
where the modification of the one or more tone parameters occurs in response to the vehicle reaching a substantially constant velocity resulting in a lowering of the volume level of the reproduced Shepard tone.

9. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where the one or more vehicle operational data signals comprises one or more of a motor rotational speed, a vehicle acceleration, a vehicle velocity, a motor load, a throttle position and a plurality of power settings.

10. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where the one or more tone parameters of the Shepard tone generator comprise one or more of a rate of pitch change, a direction of pitch change, a plurality of concurrent tones, a volume level, a loudness level, a plurality of equalization parameters and a plurality of distortion parameters.

11. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where the one or more audio transducers may be located inside a vehicle.

12. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where a volume level of the Shepard tone decreases over time when a vehicle velocity is substantially constant.

13. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where the one or more vehicle data signals are filtered.

14. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where the generated Shepard's tone simulates rising and failing sounds of an engine under varying operating conditions.

15. The system for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 8 , where the vehicle operating condition comprises an acceleration and the audio post processing parameter comprises a wet reverberation.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with machine-executable instructions, where execution of the machine-executable instructions is for:
receiving one or more vehicle operational data signals;
modifying one or more tone parameters associated with a Shepard tone generator through a signal processor responsive to the one or more vehicle operational data signals;
generating a Shepard tone responsive to the signal processor that renders the modified one or more tone parameters;
generating an audio post processing feedback parameter by post processing the Shepard tones; and
reproducing the Shepard tone using one or more audio transducers;
where the signal processor modifies the audio post processing feedback parameter when a vehicle operating condition is detected; and
where the modification of the one or more tone parameters occurs when the vehicle's velocity is substantially constant resulting in a low volume level of the reproduced Shepard tone.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , where the one or more vehicle operational data signals comprises one or more of a motor rotational speed, the vehicle's acceleration, the vehicle's velocity, a motor load, a throttle position and power settings.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , where the one or more tone parameters of the Shepard tone generator comprise one or more of a rate of pitch change, a direction of pitch change, a plurality of concurrent tones, a volume level, a loudness level, a plurality of equalization parameters and a plurality of distortion parameters.

19. The method for synthesizing an engine sound of claim 16 , where a volume level of the Shepard tone decreases over time when a vehicle's velocity is substantially constant.

20. A vehicle comprising:
a receiver configured to receive one or more vehicle operational data signals from the vehicle;
a signal processor configured to modify one or more tone parameters responsive to the one or more vehicle operational data signals from the vehicle;
a Shepard tone generator configured to generate a Shepard tone responsive to the modified one or more tone parameters;
an audio post processor configured to render an audio post-processing parameter in response to the audio post processor's processing of the Shepard tone; and
a reproducer configured to reproduce the Shepard tone using one or more audio transducers;
where the one or more tone parameters are associated with a Shepard tone generator;
where the signal processor is further configured to modify the audio post-processing parameter when a vehicle operating condition is detected; and
where the modification of the one or more tone parameters occurs when the vehicle's velocity is substanti

Assignees

• Blackberry Ltd
• Ontario Inc 2236008

Inventors

• Every Mark Robert
• Hetherington Phillip Alan
• Layton Leonard Charles

Classifications

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• B60C9/00 Primary

  Reinforcements or ply arrangement of pneumatic tyres (inserts having reinforcing means B60C5/08; bead structure, e.g. turnup or overlap construction, B60C15/00) · CPC title

• B60Q5/008 Primary

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