Engine Harmonic Enhancement System for Hybrid Vehicle Sound Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid vehicle engine sound enhancement systems struggle to provide a consistent sonic experience during transitions from internal combustion to electric power, and existing systems fail to balance engine sound levels inside and outside the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine engine harmonic enhancement gains based on RPM, engine load, and other operating conditions, applying distinct gains to each harmonic to create a desired sonic experience, using circuitry that processes engine speed, load, and operational parameters to adjust sound levels and imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If engine sound enhancement is applied to provide loud and stimulating engine sound inside the vehicle, then the sonic experience of driver and occupants is improved, but the noise level outside the vehicle increases causing annoyance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different enhancement gains to different harmonics of the engine sound, creating localized quality variations in the frequency domain. By selectively amplifying certain harmonics more than others based on their contribution to perceived engine character versus noise pollution, the system achieves improved sonic experience inside the vehicle while minimizing external noise annoyance.
2Device complexity
If a single enhancement gain is applied to all harmonics, then the system complexity is reduced, but the ability to provide realistic and consistent engine sound experience during transitions is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the engine sound into multiple harmonics and applies individual enhancement gains to each harmonic. This segmentation allows the system to maintain realistic engine character during transitions between internal combustion and electric power by selectively enhancing harmonics that contribute to perceived engine presence while suppressing those that create unnatural sounds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the enhancement gain for each harmonic based on real-time operating conditions including RPM, engine load, and transition state. This dynamic adaptation ensures consistent engine sound experience during power source transitions by modifying the enhancement profile to match the current operational context.
3Measurement precision
If harmonic enhancement gains are determined based on multiple parameters including RPM and engine load, then the accuracy of engine sound reproduction is improved, but the computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-determines enhancement gains for various combinations of RPM and engine load parameters and stores them in lookup tables. During operation, the system simply retrieves the appropriate gain values based on current parameter readings, avoiding complex real-time calculations while maintaining high accuracy in engine sound reproduction.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An engine harmonic enhancement system. The EHE system uses multiple parameters, such as engine load, gear, number of cylinders operating, and transmission ratio, to determine EHE gains to determine EHE gain. The EHE system determines a separate EHE gain for each harmonic.