Vehicle Audio Control Based on Road Surface Characteristics
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle audio systems fail to enhance or maintain user enjoyment by not accounting for road type and smoothness, leading to unexpected sounds during vehicle operation, which can detract from the driving experience.
Innovation Solution
An audio control system that determines road type and smoothness using sensors and GPS, adjusting microphone signals to enhance or cancel specific frequencies, thereby generating a consistent and enjoyable audio experience based on vehicle operation modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional audio systems play road sounds without adjustment, then the system is simple and reliable, but user enjoyment deteriorates due to unexpected sounds on different road types
Solution Approach 1:
The audio control system dynamically adjusts microphone signal magnitudes based on real-time road condition detection. The system transitions from a static audio playback system to a dynamic one that continuously adapts to changing road surfaces, vehicle speeds, and operating modes (autonomous vs. non-autonomous), resolving the contradiction by making the system adaptable without excessive complexity through targeted dynamic adjustment of specific frequency magnitudes
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes audio output parameters (microphone signal magnitudes at specific frequencies) based on detected road conditions. By monitoring road surface characteristics and adjusting audio parameters accordingly, the system enhances expected road sounds while suppressing unexpected ones, achieving adaptability through parameter modification rather than complete system redesign
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system enhances all road sounds equally, then user enjoyment improves, but unexpected sounds on rough roads worsen the experience
Solution Approach 1:
The audio control system applies different processing to different frequency components of road sounds. Instead of uniformly enhancing all road sounds, the system selectively adjusts magnitudes of specific microphone signals corresponding to different frequencies, enhancing expected road surface sounds while suppressing unexpected sounds, thus applying local quality differentiation to resolve the contradiction
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from road condition monitoring (via suspension acceleration sensors and GPS) to continuously adjust audio output. By comparing detected road characteristics with expected sound profiles for different road types, the system dynamically modifies audio processing to enhance expected sounds and suppress unexpected ones, resolving the contradiction through closed-loop feedback control
3Manufacturing precision
If the system processes all microphone signals uniformly, then processing is simple, but audio quality deteriorates due to lack of frequency-specific optimization
Solution Approach 1:
The audio control system segments the microphone signal processing into multiple frequency-specific processing channels. Each microphone signal is processed independently with its own magnitude adjustment based on detected road conditions, allowing precise control over different frequency components without requiring complex full-spectrum processing, thus achieving precision through segmentation
Data Source
AI summary
A sound control module is configured to, based on a type of road over which a vehicle is traveling and a smoothness of the road, at least one of: determine a first frequency and a first increase at which to increase a first magnitude of a microphone signal; and determine a second frequency and a first decrease at which to decrease a second magnitude of the microphone signal. An audio driver module is configured to: receive the microphone signal from a microphone of the vehicle; generate an adjusted microphone signal by at least one of: increasing the first magnitude of the microphone signal at the first frequency based on the first increase; and decreasing the second magnitude of the microphone signal at the second frequency based on the first decrease; and apply power to a speaker of the vehicle based on the adjusted microphone signal.