Method for outputting an adaptive soundscape in a vehicle interior and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for outputting an adaptive soundscape (3) in a vehicle interior depending on the driving situation, wherein an in-vehicle processing unit imparts a driving-dependent effect to the sound tracks (4) of a song (5) broken down into sound tracks (4) and controls a sound system of the vehicle to output the correspondingly manipulated sound tracks (4) via in-vehicle loudspeakers. The inventive method is characterized in that - the computing unit extracts a sound track characteristic sound track section from each sound track (4), wherein the computing unit generates a base sound track section (7.1) with a first sampling rate and a first time duration and at least one layer sound track section (7.2) with a second sampling rate and a second time duration using granular synthesis, wherein the first sampling rate is smaller than the second sampling rate and the first time duration is larger than the second time duration; and - the computing unit causes the output of the basic sound track section (7-1) when the vehicle is started and, depending on the driving situation, causes the output of a layered sound track section (7.2) for each driving event (1) when driving events (1) occur.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for outputting an adaptive soundscape in a vehicle interior according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1 and to a vehicle with a computing unit and a sound system for carrying out the method.

[0002] The noise level in a vehicle affects the well-being and attention of its occupants. For example, conversations or other noises can be distracting for the driver, while music playing in the vehicle can be pleasant or calming. Some people enjoy the sounds produced by the vehicle itself, such as screeching tires or a crisp engine noise. In particular, the occurrence of such noises during dynamic driving can support or even enhance the driver's enjoyment of driving. This can influence the way the driver interacts with the vehicle.

[0003] In addition to purely objectively assessable facts, such as engine power, fuel consumption, trunk capacity, and the like, people are also enticed to purchase a particular vehicle by emotions. Therefore, it is in a vehicle manufacturer's interest to offer potential buyers the most immersive driving experience possible, one that is associated with a high level of driving pleasure. It is therefore important to make the driving dynamics accessible to the driver through all sensory channels.

[0004] For this purpose, WO 2023 / 011911 A1 discloses a sound experience generator that can be used in a vehicle. The sound experience generator comprises an application executed in a vehicle for reading vehicle data, such as sensor measurements or information transmitted via a vehicle fieldbus. The application executed in the vehicle can process the vehicle data and forward it to an application executed on an external user device. There, the processed vehicle data is normalized and fed to a sound synthesizer. The sound synthesizer stores several different orchestrated acoustic scenes, each comprising different sets of instruments, sounds, effects, and loops. These orchestrated acoustic scenes can be selected as the input signal for playback in the vehicle.Individual channels of the instruments, sounds, effects, and loops contained in the respective orchestrated acoustic scenes are then manipulated by the sound synthesizer depending on the vehicle data. This allows new soundscapes to be generated adaptively depending on the driving situation. The corresponding soundscapes are output via the vehicle's audio system.

[0005] The generation and output of adaptive soundscapes depending on the driving situation is also known, for example, from US 2023 / 0410774 A1 or US 2022 / 0019402 A1. A wide variety of vehicle parameters can be used to adapt the soundscape to be output in the vehicle interior, such as a steering angle, speed, acceleration, the location of the vehicle, for example in the form of a GPS position, and the like.

[0006] Furthermore, DE 10 2013 011 144 A1 discloses a control unit for electric vehicles that records driving parameters and generates synthetic sounds from them in order to simulate driving noise.

[0007] In addition, US 2023 / 0139893 A1 discloses a system for synthesizing engine sounds using granular synthesis. The pitch is varied depending on the engine speed.

[0008] The solutions described above have several disadvantages. For example, the song or underlying audio file used to create the soundscape must have certain properties to be suitable for use in creating adaptive soundscapes. This can require complex manual preprocessing. This leads to a high level of user effort and limits the number of songs that can be used to create adaptive soundscapes. Often, the sound tracks contained in an audio file or song are simply faded in and out depending on vehicle parameters. This prevents adaptation of the soundscapes to the driving dynamics, which is what allows the driver to be deeply immersed in the driving process. Furthermore, soundscapes generated in this way are often perceived as artificial or unnatural.There is therefore a need to further improve corresponding methods for outputting adaptive soundscapes in vehicle interiors.

[0009] Furthermore, the application of effects to sounds is well known in the art. Synthesizers can be used to create entirely new sounds and noises, as well as to impose sound effects on sounds, such as distortion, frequency shift, delay, echo, reverberation, and the like.

[0010] The use of existing sound or music recordings in a new context is also known as "sampling" in the field of acoustics or music. With the help of so-called granular synthesis, it is also possible to create a continuous sound from relatively short sound or tone elements, or to simulate such a sound. This continuous sound actually consists of many individual pieces or fragments. These pieces are also referred to as "grains". These grains are therefore digital sound fragments with a length or playing time on the order of a few milliseconds. Granular synthesis is often used to resynthesize previously sampled audio material. The recorded sound is analyzed and broken down into said grains, which are subsequently reassembled. The individual sound fragments orThe artificially simulated continuous sound can be modulated, for example by so-called time stretching or pitch shifting.

[0011] The present invention is based on the object of providing a method for outputting an adaptive soundscape in a vehicle interior that is even further improved compared to the prior art.

[0012] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for outputting an adaptive soundscape in a vehicle interior depending on the driving situation with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments as well as a vehicle for carrying out the method emerge from the dependent claims.

[0013] A generic method for outputting an adaptive soundscape in a vehicle interior depending on the driving situation, wherein an in-vehicle processing unit imposes an effect dependent on the driving situation on the sound tracks of a song broken down into sound tracks and controls a sound system of the vehicle to output the correspondingly manipulated sound tracks via in-vehicle loudspeakers, is further developed according to the invention in that - the computing unit extracts a sound track characteristic sound track section from each sound track, wherein the computing unit generates a base sound track section with a first sampling rate and a first time duration and at least one layer sound track section with a second sampling rate and a second time duration using granular synthesis, wherein the first sampling rate is smaller than the second sampling rate and the first time duration is larger than the second time duration; and - the computing unit causes the output of the basic sound track section when the vehicle is started and, depending on the driving situation, causes the output of a layered sound track section for each driving event when driving events occur.

[0014] The method involves digitally processing a song, for example in the form of a computer-readable audio file, in order to obtain the sound tracks it contains. A song thus represents a composition made up of the various sound tracks. For example, each sound track can be assigned its own instrument, noise, or vocals. A song that has already been broken down into sound tracks can be provided by a music provider, also known as a content provider. It is also possible to process a song that has not yet been broken down into individual sound tracks using an algorithm that extracts the respective sound tracks from the song. Such an algorithm can be executed in the vehicle itself, for example on the computing unit itself, or on a central computing device that has a communication connection to the vehicle, such as a cloud server.The algorithm can be based on artificial intelligence, in particular machine learning methods can be applied.

[0015] For each sound track, the computing unit extracts at least one sound track excerpt. This means that for all sound tracks contained in the song, both a respective base sound track excerpt and a layered sound track excerpt are generated, or the base sound track excerpt is generated from a first sound track and at least one layered sound track excerpt is generated from another sound track. Further layered sound track excerpts can be extracted from further sound tracks. The base sound track excerpt and the at least one layered sound track excerpt differ in their sampling rate and duration. Thus, the base sound track excerpt and the at least one layered sound track excerpt sound different, even if the same sound track is used to generate the respective sound track excerpts.However, it is preferable to use different sound tracks to create the base sound track section and the layered sound track section(s) in order to create an even more diverse sound experience.

[0016] With the help of granular synthesis, it is possible to extract samples, i.e., sound track excerpts, from the respective sound tracks and string them together seamlessly to form a loop, thus providing a continuous sound experience. In the following, we will refer only to sound track excerpts, or base sound track excerpts and layered sound track excerpts, whereby this specifically means that these excerpts are played repeatedly, i.e., in the manner of the loop described above.

[0017] Due to the longer duration and the lower sampling rate, the base sound track excerpt appears quieter than the respective layered sound track excerpts, so that by combining the base sound track excerpt and the layered sound track excerpts, a layered soundscape can be built up in the vehicle interior depending on the driving situation. Thus, when the vehicle is started, only the base sound track excerpt, or the repetitions of the base sound track excerpt seamlessly strung together to form a continuous soundscape, are played. "Starting the vehicle" here refers to the starting or switching on of the on-board electronics or the starting of the vehicle's drive unit. With the help of the base sound track excerpt, a soundscape emitted by the drive unit or on-board electronics can be simulated.During operation, driving events occur, such as the acceleration or braking of the vehicle, as well as steering maneuvers. These will be discussed in more detail below. Such driving events lead to a change in the soundscape perceived by vehicle occupants. For example, if a vehicle with a combustion engine accelerates, the noise emitted by the vehicle's drivetrain increases. As the engine speed increases, the perceived frequency also increases. The same applies to vehicles with electric motors and battery-electric vehicles. As the speed increases, the perceptible soundscape also becomes more complex. In particular, wind noise and / or rolling noise from the vehicle's tires can be perceived.By layering the adaptive soundscape and additionally outputting layered soundtrack excerpts depending on the driving events, corresponding effects can be simulated that contribute to increasing the complexity of the perceived soundscape in the vehicle interior. Adding appropriate sound layers in correlation with the driving events ensures a psychoacoustic connection between the adaptive soundscape and the driving experience. This ensures a particularly deep immersion of the driver in both the soundscape and the driving experience. The driving dynamics can thus be accessed by the driver via an acoustic transmission channel.

[0018] The applicant has recognized that deep immersion is made possible by the layered construction and dismantling of the adaptive soundscape. Accordingly, the soundscape can be formed by at least two sound layers, namely a first sound layer based on the repeated output of the base soundtrack excerpt and a second sound layer based on the repeated output of the layered soundtrack excerpt. According to the invention, this layered structure can be repeated as often as desired, so that more and more sound layers can be incorporated into the adaptive soundscape. These additional sound layers are based on the repeated output of additional layered soundtrack excerpts. These additional layered soundtrack excerpts can be based on or have the same sampling rate and duration as the first layered soundtrack excerpt.Several or all layered sound track sections can thus be generated through granular synthesis based on the second sampling rate and the second duration. It is also possible to further adjust the sampling rate and duration to generate additional layered sound track sections. As the soundscape builds up, it becomes increasingly extensive and restless. Accordingly, the sampling rate is further increased and the duration further decreased.

[0019] Since the sound of the respective sound tracks is already changed by the application of granular synthesis, this can be understood as the imprinting of effects on the respective sound tracks.

[0020] With the aid of the method according to the invention, it is no longer necessary to pre-process corresponding songs or the underlying audio files manually. It is only necessary to extract the sound tracks from a corresponding song, if this has not already been done. This makes it possible to use all possible available songs to create corresponding adaptive soundscapes. Corresponding songs or audio files can be carried on a computer-readable storage medium, to which the vehicle's internal processing unit has at least read access. The computer-readable storage medium can be integrated into the processing unit or designed externally for this purpose, for example in the form of a USB stick, a flash memory card, a mobile device connected to the vehicle wired or wirelessly, and the like. Music orCorresponding songs can also be fed into the vehicle via a streaming service over the internet, allowing access to relatively large music libraries. For this purpose, the vehicle can be equipped with a telecommunications unit, allowing the computing unit to be connected to the internet via mobile network or Wi-Fi.

[0021] The songs used to create the adaptive soundscape can be selected by the driver based on their personal preferences. Songs can also be pre-curated. This curation can be done manually or with the help of an algorithm, for example, based on the driver's musical preferences or historical listening behavior.

[0022] The adaptive soundscape generated in the vehicle interior using the method according to the invention appears natural and thus not artificial. This reduces stress, improves concentration, and enhances driving pleasure. This improves road safety. Furthermore, every journey in the vehicle is experienced as unique. The content of the soundtracks is modified from the original depending on the driving events, ensuring an exciting driving experience. This ensures that the driver's use of the vehicle remains particularly memorable.

[0023] An advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides that the computing unit stops outputting the base sound track section as soon as the output of at least one layered sound track section begins. As already described, the layered sound track sections can be layered over the base sound track section to form the adaptive soundscape. Depending on the driving situation, it is then advantageously possible to also fade out at least the base sound track section. Since the base sound track section is intended to simulate the activated on-board electronics or the switched-on drive unit, the base sound track section is characterized by a corresponding harmony or calm. By switching off the base sound track section, the soundscape perceived in the vehicle interior can be made even more exciting.

[0024] Advantageously, additional layered soundtrack excerpts are gradually incorporated into the adaptive soundscape, with the subsequently played layered soundtrack excerpts sounding more "exciting" to the driver. Corresponding layered soundtrack excerpts can thus increase in tempo, volume, dissonance, and the like. The correspondingly earlier, and thus quieter or more harmonious-sounding layered soundtrack excerpts can also be gradually faded out. If the driving situation becomes "quieter," for example, an acceleration maneuver is ended or the vehicle changes from a curve to a straight line, the adaptive soundscape can be gradually reduced layer by layer in the opposite direction, so that the driving situation also appears acoustically calmer again.This means that the output of the layered sound track sections added later is terminated in reverse order until only a few layered sound track sections or even just the basic sound track section are played in the vehicle interior.

[0025] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is further provided that the first sampling rate is 20 grains per second with a grain size of 1000 ms and a grain overlap of 50, and the first time period is 10 seconds. To generate the base soundtrack section, the sampled grains are distributed in a random order over the first time period. Using the comparatively large grain size ensures that acoustic artifacts are minimally perceptible. Transitions between the individual grains can be eliminated due to the high overlap.

[0026] The processing unit preferably distributes the grains in the base sound track section so that each grain is played back within a time window of plus or minus 5 seconds around its respective recording in the base sound track section. The individual grains are smeared over a period of 10 seconds by temporal diffusion, i.e., playback 5 seconds before or after the corresponding sample in the song or sound track. This ensures smooth transitions between chords. Changes in dynamics are eliminated due to the hard compression.

[0027] The corresponding base soundtrack excerpt is then seamlessly joined together, as already described, to form a loop. This loop is particularly preferably the same length or duration as the underlying song. For example, if the driver uses a favorite song to create the adaptive soundscape, the adaptive soundscape based on this song will be played with the same duration. The underlying song can then be changed.

[0028] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is further provided that the second sampling rate is 719 grains per second with a grain size of 121 ms and a grain overlap of 87, and the second time period is 8 seconds. To generate the layered sound track section, the sampled grains are distributed in a random order over the second time period. Based on these parameters for the granular synthesis, harsh transitions in the sound track used can be smoothed. Even higher parameters can also be used, which result in the corresponding layered sound track section sounding more like noise and acquiring a metallic character.

[0029] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that the computing unit imparts an additional effect to the base sound track section, the at least one layered sound track section, and / or a section of a sound track as a function of a driving event, and causes the output of a base sound track section, layered sound track section, and / or sound track section manipulated by the additional effect. Thus, in addition to the effects created by applying granular synthesis, further additional effects can be imparted to the sound tracks in the song. Corresponding additional effects can be imparted only to the base sound track section, the layered sound track section, or a section of a sound track, or to multiple sound track sections and / or the section of a sound track.If additional effects are applied to a section of a soundtrack, i.e., the underlying soundtrack itself is provided with additional effects, the section of the soundtrack used should be carefully selected, as its psychoacoustic effect on the driver should match the character of the song and the current driving situation. Corresponding sections in soundtracks can be identified using a separate algorithm, particularly one based on artificial intelligence. Manually "reading" corresponding soundtrack sections is also conceivable.

[0030] Preferably, at least one of the following additional effects is applied: an echo, a volume adjustment, a frequency shift, a frequency cancellation, a frequency amplification, a chorus, a reverb, a delay, a saturation, a compression, a change in the position of a virtual sound source in the vehicle interior, and / or a distortion. Thus, the respective soundtrack sections, or even individual sections of a soundtrack itself, can be provided with additional effects in a variety of ways. This allows the adaptive soundscape to be adapted to the driving situation in a variety of ways, contributing to an even deeper immersion for the driver.

[0031] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the computing unit manipulates the soundscape to be output in the vehicle in at least one of the following driving situations: exceeding a specified accelerator pedal and / or brake pedal actuation speed, exceeding a specified accelerator pedal and / or brake pedal position, exceeding a specified power output and / or power change from the drive unit of the vehicle, exceeding a specified speed and / or speed change from the drive unit of the vehicle, exceeding a specified torque output and / or torque change from the drive unit of the vehicle, exceeding a specified longitudinal and / or lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle and / or the use of the kickdown.

[0032] This provides a wide range of different driving events that can be used to manipulate the soundscape. "Manipulating the soundscape" refers to the addition or removal of individual sound layers from the adaptive soundscape. Furthermore, additional effects can be applied to a specific sound layer, or the application of these effects can be adjusted.

[0033] For example, the position of the accelerator or brake pedal can be monitored. Once a certain position is reached, the adaptive soundscape is then changed. The soundscape can also be changed if a change in the corresponding pedal position is detected. A distinction can be made between positive and negative changes in the pedal position. If, for example, a positive pedal stroke is detected, the frequency, i.e., the pitch, of the correspondingly manipulated soundscape layer or the base soundtrack section, the layered soundtrack section, and / or the section of a respective soundtrack can be raised.

[0034] The power delivered by the drive unit changes with the torque delivered and the engine speed. The soundscape can be altered if one of these parameters changes. A distinction can also be made between positive and negative power. This allows the vehicle to recover energy through recuperation. This recuperation process can be accompanied by the incorporation of characteristic sound layers into the soundscape.

[0035] The adaptive soundscape can also be changed when using the kickdown. In particular, the duration of the kickdown can be used as a parameter for adjusting the soundscape. For example, with continued use of the kickdown, the frequency or pitch of the underlying acoustic signal can be continuously increased.

[0036] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that the computing unit categorizes the song as well as the base sound track excerpt and the at least one layered sound track excerpt based on psychoacoustic characteristics and / or the genre and outputs only those base sound track excerpts and layered sound track excerpts that correspond to the category of the song. This further enhances the deep immersion in the driving process for the person driving the vehicle. In this way, music can be divided into categories based on a variety of characteristic features. Music differs, for example, in terms of timbre, rhythm, the type of instruments used, the semantics contained in a song's lyrics, and the like. Assigning a piece of music to a genre already represents a categorization that can provide orientation. Such an assignment to a genre canThe underlying audio file can be assigned metadata. The processing unit can read and process this metadata. Corresponding audio files can also be processed and analyzed by the processing unit. This allows the corresponding psychoacoustic characteristics to be automatically found and the song to be assigned to a category accordingly. The base sound track excerpts and layered sound track excerpts are assigned to the respective categories in a similar way.

[0037] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that the computing unit plays the song without outputting it via the loudspeakers and causes the base soundtrack excerpt and / or the at least one layered soundtrack excerpt to be output via the loudspeakers to supplement the soundscape and substitute for the song, if the soundtrack underlying the base soundtrack excerpt or layered soundtrack excerpt contains temporal content in the played song. This is also referred to as a "passive effect" and is explained in detail in the description of the figures.

[0038] A generic vehicle comprising a computing unit and a sound system is further developed according to the invention in that the computing unit and the sound system are configured to carry out a method as described above. The computing unit therefore has read access to a computer-readable storage medium on which machine-interpretable instructions are stored which, when executed by a processor of the computing unit, cause the processor to provide the method according to the invention. The computing unit controls the sound system and outputs the corresponding adaptive soundscape via the speakers of the sound system. For example, this can be a stereo sound system. The sound system can also be capable of generating so-called 3D sound or providing a three-dimensional acoustic soundscape. The sound system can, for example, be capable of processing the Dolby Atmos sound format.This makes it possible to virtually position individual sound layers of the adaptive soundscape, or the corresponding virtual sound sources of the respective sound layers, at different locations within the vehicle interior. One or more virtual sound sources can be used to output a specific sound layer. The position of such a virtual sound source can be changed, for example, depending on the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle, in order to adapt the soundscape to the driving situation.

[0039] The vehicle can be any road vehicle, such as a car, truck, van, bus, or similar. Generally, it could also be a rail vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft.

[0040] Further advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention for outputting adaptive soundscapes in a vehicle interior also emerge from the exemplary embodiments which are described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0041] Showing: Fig. 1 a schematic flow diagram of the method according to the invention; Fig. 2 a schematic layer structure of the adaptive soundscape emitted in the vehicle interior; Fig. 3 a diagram showing the categorization of music based on psychoacoustic criteria; Fig. 4 - Fig. 11 a schematic signal flow diagram for different layers of the soundscape to which a passive effect is applied; and Fig. 12 - Fig. 17 a schematic signal flow diagram for different layers of the soundscape to which active effects are applied.

[0042] Using a method according to the invention for outputting adaptive soundscapes in vehicle interiors depending on the driving situation, it is possible to achieve a deep immersion of the driver in the driving situation. The driving dynamics can be conveyed to the driver via an acoustic transmission path.

[0043] In a Fig. In step 101 shown in Figure 1, a song 5 or an underlying audio file is fed to an in-vehicle computing unit, wherein the song 5 is composed of multiple sound tracks 4. The sound tracks 4 may already be extracted or may be extracted from the song 5 by the computing unit itself, preferably using machine learning methods. In particular, each sound track 4 comprises the sounds, vocals, or the like emitted by a single instrument. For example, there may be a sound track 4 for each of the individual drums and cymbals of a drum kit, an electric guitar, a piano, and vocals. Such a sound track 4 is often simply referred to as a "track."

[0044] In a step 102, the computing unit analyzes the respective sound tracks 4 and the song 5 and assigns the song 5 and the sound tracks 4 to different categories depending on the underlying genre and / or psychoacoustic parameters. For this purpose, for example, the dynamics, intensity, interval matching, noise matching, and the like can be analyzed. Possible categories could be, for example, "Moderate Dance, Tonal Synthetic, Disharmonic Electro, Guitar Overdrive, Natural Soft," and the like.

[0045] In a step 103, the respective sound tracks 4 are subjected to a so-called granular synthesis. In this process, a base sound track section 7.1 and at least one layered sound track section 7.2 are generated by the computing unit. An algorithm 6.1 for generating the base sound track section 7.1 can also be referred to as an "idleizer algorithm," and an algorithm 6.2 for generating the layered sound track section(s) 7.2 can be referred to as a "summarizer algorithm." The "idleizer algorithm" uses a first sampling rate and generates the base sound track section 7.1 with a first time duration. The "summarizer algorithm" uses a second sampling rate and generates respective layered sound track sections 7.2 with a second time duration. The first sampling rate is lower than the second sampling rate, and the first time duration is higher than the second time duration. Additional layered sound track sections 7.2 are generated which have an even shorter time duration than the second time duration and a higher sampling rate than the second sampling rate.

[0046] In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, both the base sound track section 7.1 and a layered sound track section 7.2 are generated from the piano's sound track 4. Further layered sound track sections 7.2 can then be generated from additional sound tracks 4 by the processing unit.

[0047] Particularly preferably, the first sampling rate is 20 grains per second with a grain size of 1000 ms and a grain overlap of 50. The first time period is advantageously 10 seconds. The sampled grains are preferably distributed in a random order over the first time period. In particular, for the base sound track section 7.1, the grains are distributed such that they are played back within a time window of plus / minus 5 seconds around their respective recording.

[0048] The second sampling rate is preferably 719 grains per second with a grain size of 121 ms and a grain overlap of 87. The second time period is preferably 8 seconds, wherein the sampled grains are also distributed in a random order over the respective second time period to generate the respective layered sound track sections 7.2.

[0049] In an optional step 104, further additional effects can be applied to the respective base sound track sections 7.1, layered sound track sections 7.2, and sections of a respective sound track 4 itself. This will be discussed in more detail below.

[0050] Preferably, the computing unit outputs only those basic sound track excerpts 7.1, layered sound track excerpts 7.2 and / or sections of sound tracks 4 that are assigned to the same category as the song 5 itself. If this is not important, the execution of step 102 can also be omitted.

[0051] In a step 105, the respective channels or sound tracks 4 or sound layers are mixed together and output via the vehicle's sound system in the vehicle interior. When the vehicle is started, the output of the basic sound track section 7.1 is effected by the processing unit, whereby, depending on the driving situation, upon the arrival of Fig. 2 driving events shown 1 for each driving event 1 layered sound track excerpts 7.2 in the form of sound layers additionally in the also in Fig. 2 shown adaptive soundscape 3 can be installed.

[0052] Fig. Figure 2 shows such a schematic layered structure of the adaptive soundscape 3 in the form of a diagram. Time is represented on the abscissa, and the soundscape spectrum or pitch or pitch is represented on the ordinate.

[0053] First, the vehicle starts, meaning the starter is activated or the on-board electronics are started. The processing unit begins by outputting the base sound track section 7.1. The base sound track section 7.1 is repeated seamlessly to produce a continuous sound in the form of a loop. The output of the base sound track section 7.1 can also be referred to as the "idle layer."

[0054] Over time, various driving events 1 take place, such as performing an acceleration process, performing a braking process, performing steering operations, activating the kickdown, and the like. Fig. 2, with each driving event 1, further layers 2 are incorporated into the adaptive soundscape 3. A first layer 2 could, for example, comprise drums, a second layer 2 bass, a third layer 2 another instrument and one of the top layers 2 vocals. The upper layers 2 have a more intense effect on the person driving the vehicle. As time progresses, driving events 1 end, so that the respective layers 2 are gradually reduced. The output of a corresponding sound layer is therefore stopped. Before the vehicle comes to a standstill, only the "idle layer" is output again.

[0055] Fig. 3 shows a possible visualization of the different categories to which corresponding songs 5 ​​or song components can be assigned in step 102. Fig. Figure 3 shows two two-dimensional diagrams, each of which is divided into four fields. Each song 5 or song component is assigned a category of each diagram, resulting in a total of 16 different categories. The interval consonance is plotted on the abscissa of the first diagram, and the tonal consonance on the ordinate. The abscissa of the second diagram shows the intensity, and the ordinate the dynamics of the respective piece of music or section of music. Each of the 16 different categories has specific properties that can influence the design of the effects or additional effects subsequently applied to the respective layers 2 of the soundscape 3. The basic rule is that an effect should not appear more dissonant than the piece or song 5 to which it is assigned.However, a particular effect must not be too subtle, as otherwise it would not be sufficiently perceived. An effect in the category "Interval Dissonance, Sound Dissonance / Intense and Dynamic" should therefore have the same characteristics as the respective song 5 in order to be perceived as belonging to song 5.

[0056] The term "sound consonance" depends on the parameters of noisiness and sharpness. It describes the average overall sound of a piece. Mildness and sonorousness lead to sound consonance, while sharpness and noisiness lead to sound dissonance.

[0057] The concept of interval consonance depends on the parameters of roughness and interval friction. It describes the average harmonic tension of a piece. Interval friction and roughness lead to interval dissonance, while interval blending and smoothness lead to interval consonance.

[0058] Intensity describes the potential of a sound to attract attention. It results from a combination of the five consonance parameters and the selection parameter shift (defined as a change within the time window of subjective presence).

[0059] Dynamics describe changes in intensity within a piece. They can be defined using the selection parameter novelty (defined as changes outside the temporal window of the subjective present). High dynamics mean strong differences in momentary intensity.

[0060] Before being output via the speakers of the sound system in the vehicle interior, a respective additional effect can be applied to a base sound track section 7.1, layered sound track section 7.2 and / or a section of a sound track 4 itself. These additional effects can be divided into passive effects and active effects, whereby Fig. 4 to 11 different examples of passive effects are shown and in the Fig. 12 to 17 different active effects are presented.

[0061] The main characteristic of passive effects is the high similarity of the output signal to the sound character of the piece, i.e., the underlying song 5, which is why passive effects fit particularly naturally into the soundscape 3. Depending on their specific sound character, the effects match certain sound characteristics and are suitable for a corresponding musical category. Since their musicality creates only a slight associative-technical connection to the vehicle, they are primarily used selectively and briefly and serve to generate interactive details. The principles of cross-modal associations are observed and utilized to create a direct connection to the music.

[0062] Passive effects therefore occur depending on the temporal appearance of the content of the underlying sound track 4 in the song 5 and their intensity varies depending on the driving events 1.

[0063] Fig. Figure 4 shows a first possible embodiment of such a passive effect. Fig. The example shown in Figure 4 is called "pedal bubbles." This effect occurs when the accelerator or brake pedal is pressed quickly. Fig. Figure 4 shows a signal flow diagram. The input signal is provided, indicated by a box 401. This is referred to here as a channel and corresponds to the base sound track section 7.1, a layered sound track section 7.2, or even a section of a sound track 4 itself. The input signal first undergoes a so-called grain delay, indicated by a box 402. The grain delay is an echo with granular synthesis, the operating principle of which is similar to a so-called pitch shifter. The signal is then shifted in time using a panorama control, indicated by a box 403, to cause the resulting layer 2 to sound from a different position in the vehicle interior. The panorama control 403 is coupled to a low-frequency oscillator (LFO), indicated by a box 404. Finally, the signal passes through a volume control, which is indicated by a box 405.

[0064] Both the frequency of the low-frequency oscillator and the volume are coupled to a derivative-linked envelope. The effect creates a fluttering cloud of sound fragments. The specific sound characteristics of the input signal are preserved but are temporally decorrelated. Transients and dynamic differences disappear due to the granulation. The effect is triggered when the pedal stroke exceeds a specified difference within 50 ms. The envelope reaches its maximum within 100 ms and decreases again within 1500 ms. To control the low-frequency oscillator 404 and the volume control 405, the processing unit accesses vehicle data 406. The respective pedal position or pedal stroke is tapped, indicated by a respective box 407. The vehicle data 406 can be read by the processing unit, for example, via a vehicle's fieldbus system.For example, this fieldbus is a CAN bus, an Ethernet data line or the like.

[0065] If the vehicle's built-in sound system is capable of distributing audio three-dimensionally throughout the vehicle interior, the distribution of a corresponding sound source can be randomized throughout the room. This makes the sound appear even more blurred to the vehicle occupants.

[0066] Fig. Figure 5 shows another passive additional effect, referred to here as "Pedal Waves." This effect occurs when the accelerator or brake pedal is pressed quickly and forcefully. It behaves similarly to the Pedal Bubbles effect. It obtains its sound through the use of a frequency shifter 501, which, when summed with the signal, results in periodic cancellations. The signal first passes through the frequency shifter 501, whose difference constant is, for example, 5 Hz. The signal then passes through a volume control 405, with the volume being proportional to the pedal position. The effect creates a wave-like modulation. It is more noticeable at the beginning and eventually transitions smoothly back into the music. Overall, the effect is restrained in its effect, as the overall sound character of the input signal is retained, apart from the occasional cancellations.

[0067] Fig. Figure 6 shows another passive additional effect, referred to here as "Kick Boost." This effect occurs under load and selectively amplifies low-frequency peaks. The input signal is fed through a bandpass filter 601 into the so-called sidechain 602 of a gate 603. A specific frequency spectrum can be selected via the filter to prevent the gate from opening accidentally. Gate 603 determines the profile of a low-pass filtered input signal. A corresponding low-pass filter 604 is provided for this purpose. Peaks that pass through bandpass filter 601 with sufficient energy and open gate 603 thus selectively amplify existing pulses. This effect is most often used to amplify rhythmic signals with low-frequency components, such as drums or bass. Accordingly, sound track 4 (or base sound track section 7.1 or layered sound track section 7.2) of the drums or bass is used for channel 401.It intensifies the music. Therefore, it is noticeable but unobtrusive. Its intensity is proportional to the load 605. In this context, load can be understood as the power, torque, and / or speed delivered by the vehicle's drive unit.

[0068] Fig. Figure 7 shows another passive additional effect, referred to here as "Load Widening." This effect also occurs under load and decorrelates multi-channel audio signals to expand the stereo image. The input signal passes through several parallel bandpass filters 601, followed by various decorrelation effects such as chorus 701, reverb 702, and delay 703. The effect intensifies at the moment of acceleration. The change in the stereo acoustics simulates greater distance from the sound sources contained in the music. It has a powerful yet unobtrusive effect.

[0069] Fig. Figure 8 shows another example of a passive additional effect, referred to here as "load phattening." This effect also occurs under load and primarily amplifies low and high frequencies. Furthermore, the input signal is saturated and compressed. Overall, the overall sound becomes more massive and present. This intensifies the musical experience during acceleration. Associatively, this sensation aligns with the expectation, previously associated with combustion engines, of receiving acoustic information from the engine and exhaust system during periods of high load. In this way, the effect fits seamlessly into the overall experience, both associatively and musically. The input signal undergoes saturation, indicated by a speaker 801, followed by adjustment by an equalizer 802, and is then fed to a corresponding compressor 803 for compression.

[0070] Fig. Figure 9 shows another exemplary embodiment of a passive additional effect, referred to here as "lateral shift." This effect occurs with lateral acceleration. It is primarily used for the vocal track. It influences the stereo distribution of the audio signal in curve situations. If the vehicle steers to the left, the panorama is also shifted more to the left. As a result, the sound source appears to change its position in the direction of travel. In this way, attention is drawn to the curve not only by the visual but also by the acoustic situation. Due to the strong correlation between visual, kinesthetic, and acoustic experience, the effect reinforces the overall impression while remaining unobtrusive. To control the panorama 403, corresponding lateral accelerations—that is, the transverse acceleration acting on the vehicle—are tapped from the vehicle data 406, indicated by a box 901.

[0071] Fig. Figure 10 illustrates another example of a passive overdrive effect, referred to here as "Load Overdrive." This effect also occurs under load. Its purpose is to increase the instantaneous intensity. The input signal passes through a distortion filter 1001 and then a volume control 405. The volume control 405 is coupled to the vehicle's load values ​​and controls the ratio between the distorted and pure signal. This adds noise-like characteristics to the overall sound. The effect accompanies acceleration curves. It is clearly noticeable but blends naturally into the overall sound.

[0072] Fig. Figure 11 shows another example of a passive additional effect. This additional effect is referred to here as a “pedal glitch.” Pedal glitch occurs during rapid pedal interaction. The effect reacts to both positive and negative pedal stroke. The effect is track-specific, whereby in this case we mean the respective sound tracks 4 or layers 2 of the soundscape 3 and not lanes driven on by the vehicle. The effect is not suitable for consonant, harmonic, or percussive signals. Unlike most passive effects, this is not a parallel effect, but a serial effect that influences the input signal as a whole. It should therefore be noted at this point that not just one effect / additional effect, but also several such effects can be applied to a respective base sound track section 7.1 and / or layered sound track section 7.2.With a positive pedal stroke, the signal is shifted positively by, for example, 200 Hz; with a negative pedal stroke, it is shifted negatively by, for example, 100 Hz. This process is directly coupled to a derivative curve. This curve results from the position difference of the pedal within 350 ms. Since frequency shifter 501 linearly transforms all partials of the signal, the resulting partials are no longer in integer relationships to each other. The sound becomes noisier and thus more dissonant.

[0073] The Fig. Figures 12 to 17 illustrate signal flow diagrams for active effects. Active effects are additional sound generators that are not directly related to the musical content. They form the connection between vehicle noises and music and are intended to provide the driver with information about the current driving situation without conflicting with the music. Either a section of a sound track 4 is played directly, or the effect is applied to a corresponding layered sound track section 7.2. This preserves the basic sound characteristics of the source material. This ensures that the effect fits well with the respective piece of music, i.e., song 5. Adaptation to different musical categories is achieved via specific effect chains and parameter dependencies.

[0074] Active effects are therefore only output when their specific trigger signal occurs in response to a driving event 1. Active effects are also varied depending on the driving events 1.

[0075] Fig. Figure 12 shows an example of an active effect, referred to here as an "Acceleration Riser." The effect occurs during acceleration. The intensity depends on Load 605, and the pitch 1204 on the speed 1201. It is granularly synthesized from parts of the source material. In addition, a chain of comb filters 1205 generates a resonance pattern that lends the sound mechanical, metallic qualities.

[0076] The result is an effect that blends harmoniously and tonally with the music, yet sounds technical enough to be perceived as belonging to the vehicle. A 1202 box represents a so-called trigger, abbreviated here as MIDI. A 1203 box represents a sound generator, also known as a synthesizer.

[0077] Depending on the musical characteristics, the effect is made more consonant or dissonant. Tonality is relativized by the pitch progression and, in this respect, does not lead to sustained interval friction. Accordingly, its consonance is defined primarily by the distribution of sharp and noisy components.

[0078] Fig. Figure 13 shows another exemplary embodiment of an active effect, referred to here as a "deceleration chopper." This effect occurs during braking. Its intensity depends on the braking intensity. A corresponding recuperation output is indicated by box 1301.

[0079] The key feature of this effect is the rhythmization, the frequency of which depends on the speed 1201. Depending on musical characteristics, this rhythm is stronger, weaker, synchronous, or asynchronous, as is a pitch progression dependent on the speed 1201. The associative relationship to the vehicle and speed-dependent, periodically occurring sound events of a mechanical nature arises from these properties. The effect can be compared to the sound of a helicopter rotor. The tonality of the effect can behave statically if its pitch 1204 does not cause any disturbing interval dissonances with the music. If it behaves statically, it can also assume a harmonic function (tonic, dominant) and lead to either tension or resolution at the moment of braking. If the effect behaves variably and follows the speed 1201 at pitch 1204, the same criteria apply as for the Acceleration Riser effect.This reduces interval dissonances and emphasizes the sharpness and noise characteristics. A filter, indicated by a box 1302, is also controllable via a low-frequency oscillator 404.

[0080] Fig. Figure 14 illustrates another example of an active effect, referred to here as "lateral friction." The effect occurs during lateral acceleration. Its intensity is proportional to this. The effect has a low frequency spectrum. Therefore, the effect blends well with the driving noise and thus remains in the background. Its sound is reminiscent of tire noise, such as rolling noise, which is why it fits naturally and intuitively into the driving situation. The spectrum has no sharp components. The effect can therefore move between tonality and noise, although the latter does not manifest itself as dissonant due to the low selectivity in the low range.

[0081] Fig. Figure 15 illustrates another embodiment of an active effect, referred to here as "Acceleration Morph." The effect occurs under load and at low speeds 1503. The current driving speed of the vehicle is also part of the vehicle data 406. Its task is to interactively convey information about the driving situation at low speeds 1503. The effect is controlled via two central parameters, namely the load and load change. The limit frequency or intersection frequency 1501, also referred to as the cutoff frequency, is directly dependent on the load 605 and is proportional to it. Secondly, the resonance 1502 of the filter 1302 is controlled by a derivative-bound envelope, which amplifies the resonance 1502 at the moment of a load change. The resonance 1502 reacts to a specific increase in the load 605 within 50 ms.The resulting envelope rises over 100 ms and then falls again over 1500 ms. The noise generated by the Acceleration Morph resembles the sound of a combustion engine at low speeds.

[0082] Likewise, a corresponding active effect can be applied to the base sound track section 7.1 or the “Idle Layer”, which can be determined by Fig. 16 is illustrated by way of example. The additional effect depends on the driving events or vehicle parameters Load 605 and the driving speed 1503. The ignition status 1601 serves as the trigger. The sound character encompasses all core characteristics of the underlying song 5. The idle layer serves as a summary and announcement. Depending on the harmonic structure of the underlying piece of music, the idle layer must also fulfill certain harmonic requirements to ensure a seamless transition into the piece of music. Parameters of the granular synthesis can be controlled via Load 605, which is indicated by a box 1602.

[0083] Based on Fig. 17 illustrates another embodiment of an active additional effect. Fig. The additional effect shown in Figure 17 is also known as the "Kickdown Riser." The Kickdown Riser occurs while the vehicle's kickdown function is active. The effect emphasizes the occurring acceleration with an ascending tonal gradient. A corresponding kickdown signal is indicated by a box 1701 taken from the vehicle data 406. The Kickdown Riser is designed similarly to the Acceleration Riser, but its pitch does not correlate with the engine speed, but rather with the duration of the kickdown activation.

[0084] The Fig. The effects shown in Figures 4 to 17 can be seen in the form of layers 2 within the Fig.2. With the aid of the method according to the invention, this allows the driver to experience the driving dynamics or driving situation more intuitively, resulting in a deeper immersion in the driving experience. The soundscape 3 sounds natural, which improves driving pleasure and the driver's concentration, and reduces stress. By appropriately breaking down songs 5 ​​or underlying audio files into respective sound tracks 4, possibly supported by audio processing, the broad use of all possible pieces of music is possible.

Claims

[1] Method for outputting an adaptive soundscape (3) in a vehicle interior depending on the driving situation, wherein an in-vehicle computing unit imposes an effect dependent on the driving situation on the sound tracks (4) of a song (5) broken down into sound tracks (4) and controls a sound system of the vehicle to output the correspondingly manipulated sound tracks (4) via in-vehicle loudspeakers, characterized by , that - the computing unit extracts a sound track characteristic sound track section from each sound track (4), wherein the computing unit generates a base sound track section (7.1) with a first sampling rate and a first time duration and at least one layer sound track section (7.2) with a second sampling rate and a second time duration using granular synthesis, wherein the first sampling rate is smaller than the second sampling rate and the first time duration is larger than the second time duration; and - the computing unit causes the output of the basic sound track section (7.1) when the vehicle is started and, depending on the driving situation, causes the output of a layered sound track section (7.2) for each driving event (1) when driving events (1) occur. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the computing unit stops outputting the base sound track section (7.1) as soon as the output of at least one layer sound track section (7.2) begins. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the first sampling rate is 20 grains per second with a grain size of 1000 ms and a grain overlap of 50 and the first time period is 10 seconds, whereby to generate the base sound track section (7.1) the sampled grains are distributed in a random order over the first time period. [4] Method according to claim 3, characterized bythat the computing unit distributes the grains in the base sound track section (7.1) in such a way that a respective grain is reproduced in a time window of plus / minus 5 seconds around its respective recording in the base sound track section (7.1). [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the second sampling rate is 719 grains per second with a grain size of 121 ms and a grain overlap of 87 and the second time period is 8 seconds, wherein to generate the layered sound track section (7.2) the sampled grains are distributed in a random order over the second time period. [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized bythat the computing unit imposes an additional effect on the base sound track section (7.1), the at least one layered sound track section (7.2) and / or a section of a sound track (4) as a function of a driving event (1) and causes the output of the base sound track section (7.1), layered sound track section (7.2) and / or sound track section manipulated by the additional effect. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by that at least one of the following additional effects is imposed: an echo, a volume adjustment, a frequency shift, a frequency cancellation, a frequency amplification, a chorus (701), a reverberation (702), a delay (703), a saturation (801), a compression, a change in the position of a virtual sound source in the vehicle interior and / or a distortion. [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized bythat the computing unit manipulates the soundscape (3) to be output in the vehicle in at least one of the following driving situations: exceeding a specified accelerator pedal and / or brake pedal actuation speed, exceeding a specified accelerator pedal and / or brake pedal position, exceeding a specified power output and / or power change from the drive unit of the vehicle, exceeding a specified speed and / or speed change from the drive unit of the vehicle, exceeding a specified torque output and / or torque change from the drive unit of the vehicle, exceeding a specified longitudinal and / or lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle and / or the use of the kickdown. [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized bythat the computing unit categorizes the song (5) as well as the base sound track excerpt (7.1) and the at least one layered sound track excerpt (7.2) based on psychoacoustic characteristics and / or the genre and causes the output of only those base sound track excerpts (7.1) and layered sound track excerpts (7.2) that correspond to the category of the song (5). [10] Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by that the computing unit plays the song (5) without outputting it via the loudspeakers and causes the base sound track excerpt (7.1) and / or the at least one layered sound track excerpt (7.2) to be output via the loudspeakers to supplement the soundscape (3) in order to substitute the song (5) if the sound track (4) underlying the base sound track excerpt (7.1) or layered sound track excerpt (7.2) has a content temporally in the played song (5). [11] Vehicle comprising a computing unit and a sound system, characterized bythat the computing unit and the sound system are configured to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 10.

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