Engine Vibration Sensor Active Noise Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active noise control and active sound design technologies in vehicles fail to accurately reflect engine vibration characteristics and driving conditions, leading to delayed and mismatched noise perception for the driver, which affects the perceived quality of the vehicle experience.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a sound generator mounted inside the engine compartment, a vibration sensor for real-time engine vibration measurement, a signal processing controller to maintain linearity of engine noise, and an amplifier to generate reinforcement noise, along with sensors for driving conditions, and a PID controller to ensure the engine noise corresponds to a pre-set target sound map.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If active noise control technology uses a microphone to sense noise and a speaker to generate control noise, then the interior noise of the vehicle is reduced, but the speaker control is delayed and the driver may sense the difference or delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary sensor that directly measures engine vibration at the noise source rather than measuring the resulting interior noise through a microphone. This intermediary measurement point eliminates the time delay associated with sound propagation and speaker response, as the system now directly controls the vibration source based on real-time vibration data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the acoustic measurement system (microphone detecting sound waves) with a mechanical vibration measurement system (sensor detecting engine vibration). This substitution allows for direct measurement of the noise source before it propagates as sound, eliminating the time lag inherent in acoustic measurement and control loops.
2Ease of operation
If the speaker is mounted in the vehicle interior for existing active noise control systems, then the control signal can be outputted, but the location or origin of engine noise from an engine compartment and the location or origin of the separate noise generated through the speaker are different, causing the driver to feel, hear, or sense the difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the noise control function from the vehicle interior speaker system and relocates it to the engine compartment. By placing the sound generator near the engine, the system generates control noise at the same location as the engine noise source, ensuring spatial consistency and eliminating the perceptual discrepancy for the driver.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the engine noise characteristics by using a sensor to detect engine vibration and generating a corresponding control signal that produces sound matching the original engine noise profile. This copying approach ensures the control noise accurately replicates the characteristics and origin of the engine noise.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sound-absorbing materials are used to block noise, then high-frequency noise over 500 Hz is reduced, but the size of the sound-absorbing materials should be increased to be effective for low-frequency noise, increasing cost and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical sound-absorbing material system with an active electronic noise control system. Instead of using bulky materials to physically block noise, the system uses sensors to detect vibration and electronically generates control signals that produce anti-phase sound waves, actively canceling noise without requiring additional weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from passive physical blocking to active dynamic control. The system continuously adjusts the control signal parameters based on real-time vibration detection, allowing effective noise cancellation across different frequencies without the size and weight constraints of passive sound-absorbing materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus provides immediate and natural engine noise that reflects engine vibration characteristics, reducing disconnection issues and enhancing the perceived quality of the vehicle experience by ensuring the reinforcement noise aligns with the actual engine noise, thus improving driver satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration sensor for real-time engine vibration measurement
Implementation Method 2
the active noise control technology may control the noise equal to or less than a booming band via using a reverse phase sound source
Implementation Method 3
The analog control signal is then applied to an amplifier 4
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for controlling engine noise reflecting engine vibration and driving conditions includes a sound generator that generates reinforcement noise in order to reinforce non-linear engine noise. The apparatus includes a vibration sensor measuring engine vibration as a noise source of the engine, a signal processing controller receiving the signal of the vibration sensor in real time and controlling the sound generator so that the engine noise may maintain linearity, and an amplifier receiving and then amplifying a control signal of the signal processing controller to transfer the amplified control signal to the sound generator.