Trunk-Mounted Acoustic Sensor for Road Surface Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acoustic sensor systems in vehicles face challenges in accurately monitoring the external acoustic scene due to interference from weather conditions, wind, and internal noise, with optimal microphone positioning hindered by water, dust, and engine noise, and internal microphones suffer from human activity interference and acoustic insulation issues.
Innovation Solution
An acoustic sensor system is proposed where a microphone is installed inside the vehicle's trunk, away from weather interference and internal noise sources, utilizing a neural network to process audio signals for effective road surface detection, with the sensor positioned on the trunk's metallic bottom for optimal signal acquisition and reduced damage risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the microphone is installed outside the vehicle in proximity to the wheel for road surface detection, then the measurement precision is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to exposure to weather conditions (wind, rain, dust)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the vehicle trunk as an intermediary location that mediates between the need for external acoustic signal acquisition and protection from environmental damage. The trunk serves as a protected intermediate space where the microphone can process road surface acoustic signals without direct exposure to weather conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the microphone in the conventional external position near the wheel, the patent inverts the approach by installing it inside the vehicle trunk. This inversion allows the system to maintain measurement precision through strategic positioning while eliminating the reliability issues associated with external exposure.
2Reliability
If the microphone is installed inside the passenger compartment, then the reliability is improved by protection from weather, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to internal noise interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selecting a specific location within the vehicle (the trunk) that has different acoustic characteristics compared to the passenger compartment. The trunk provides a local environment with reduced internal noise while maintaining protection from external weather conditions.
3Measurement precision
If the microphone is positioned near the exhaust system and engine, then the measurement precision is improved for detecting mechanical anomalies, but the reliability deteriorates due to engine noise interference
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle trunk acts as an intermediary location that allows the microphone to detect mechanical anomaly signals from the engine and exhaust system without being overwhelmed by their direct noise. The trunk's acoustic environment filters out harmful noise while preserving useful signal information.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for monitoring an acoustic scene outside a vehicle; the system including: a vehicle with wheels and a trunk, an acoustic sensor disposed in the trunk, a control unit operatively connected to the acoustic sensor, and at least one neural network operatively connected to the control unit, and trained in such a way to correlate the characteristics of an audio signal with types of road surfaces; the control unit is configured in such a way to receive an audio signal detected by the acoustic sensor while the vehicle is traveling, extract the characteristics of the audio signal and input said characteristics of the audio signal to the neural network in order to identify the type of road surface covered by the vehicle wheels.