Vehicle Audio System Replicating Engine Pop Sounds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle audio systems fail to replicate the natural sounds produced by internal combustion engines, such as pop and burble sounds, which are often attenuated by sound damping devices, leading to a diminished aural experience for drivers, especially during deceleration events.
Innovation Solution
An audio control system that utilizes an exhaust pressure sensor to detect the occurrence of these sounds and adjusts the magnitude of sound output via speakers within the passenger cabin, based on the type and rate of increase of exhaust pressure, to replicate the natural engine sounds, taking into account driver-selected modes and cabin opening configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If sound damping devices are used to reduce engine noise, then noise reduction is improved, but the natural engine sounds (pop and burble) are attenuated, worsening the aural experience
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates artificial copies of natural engine sounds using speakers and audio output devices. The audio control module generates synthetic pop and burble sounds that replicate the characteristics of natural engine acoustics, allowing the vehicle to maintain noise reduction while preserving the desired aural experience through synthesized sound reproduction
Solution Approach 2:
The audio control module acts as an intermediary between the exhaust pressure sensor and the speakers. It processes sensor data, determines appropriate sound characteristics, and controls the audio output devices to produce sounds that compensate for what is lost due to sound damping, effectively mediating between noise reduction requirements and aural experience expectations
2Measurement precision
If exhaust pressure is monitored to detect engine sounds, then sound detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional sensors and control modules
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust pressure sensor serves multiple functions: it monitors exhaust pressure for engine performance diagnostics and simultaneously detects the occurrence and characteristics of engine sounds for audio reproduction. This multi-functionality allows accurate sound detection without adding dedicated sound sensors, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining detection precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the exhaust pressure sensor continuously monitors pressure, the audio control module processes this data to detect sound events, and the speakers reproduce the detected sounds in real-time. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables accurate sound detection and reproduction using existing sensor infrastructure, minimizing the need for additional complex components
Data Source
AI summary
An audio system of a vehicle includes a detection module configured to detect an occurrence of a sound when a pressure measured by an exhaust pressure sensor in an exhaust system is greater than a predetermined pressure. A sound control module is configured to, in response to the detection of the sound, increase a magnitude of a predetermined sound to be output within a passenger cabin of the vehicle. An audio driver module is configured to apply power to a speaker of the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on the predetermined sound.