Apparatus and methods for synthesis of simulated internal combustion engine vehicle sounds

Abstract

Computer-implemented techniques are provided for synthesizing sounds of an internal combustion engine vehicle using a physical model of the vehicle. In general terms, the method includes independently generating and/or synthesizing separate components of the vehicle sound, then combining these components to produce a final sound. Using a physical model of the vehicle, the separate components of the vehicle sound are independently generated from vehicle control parameters characterizing the operating conditions of the vehicle. The components are then combined using mixers and equalizers to produce a realistic vehicle sound. The present technique allows independent control of the separate components of the vehicle sound, is not limited to specific vehicles, and does not require recorded sounds taking large amounts of storage space.

1 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 artificially simulating, in a non-vehicle environment and without actual engine inputs, at least one engine control parameter which characterizes a corresponding simulated engine operating condition, and    generating at least one engine related sound signal corresponding to said engine control parameters,    
   
   
       2 - 3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generation of said engine related and vehicle sound signals are controlled independently.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said engine related and vehicle sound signals are mixed together to produce a combined audio output.  
   
   
       6 - 7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . A method of synthesizing sound signals corresponding to a vehicle having an engine, comprising: 
 artificially simulating, in a non-vehicle environment and without actual vehicle inputs, at least one vehicle control parameter which characterizes a corresponding simulated vehicle operating condition other than an engine operating condition, and    generating at least one vehicle sound signal corresponding to said vehicle control parameters.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , at least one of said vehicle control parameters comprising vehicle speed.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , said vehicle sound signal corresponding to vehicle speed comprising at least one of road noise, wind noise, tire noise and water noise.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein multiple vehicle sound signals are generated and mixed together to produce a combined audio output.  
   
   
       12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . A method of synthesizing sound signals corresponding to a vehicle having an engine, comprising: 
 artificially simulating, in a non-vehicle environment and without actual engine inputs, a plurality of engine control parameters which characterize respective simulated engine control conditions, and    generating engine related sound signals corresponding to said engine control parameters.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said engine control parameters are provided to an engine process model, and said engine related sound signals are generated in response to an output from said engine process model.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , said engine control parameters comprising at least two of engine rotational speed, engine load, vehicle acceleration, transmission gear ratio, throttle position, propeller pitch and fuel mixture.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the outputs from said engine process model comprise engine load, spark event and engine rotational speed signals.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein spark timing controlled sound signals are generated in response to said engine load and spark event outputs from said engine process model.  
   
   
       18 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein engine rotational speed related sound signals are generated in response to said engine load and engine rotational speed outputs from said engine process model.  
   
   
       22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said engine process model comprises an engine physical model which generates said spark event and engine rotational speed outbursts, and a load behavior model which generates said engine load output.  
   
   
       24 - 25 . (canceled)  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the outputs from said engine process model comprise engine load and spark event signals which cooperate to generate at least one of engine resonance, air chop, one-shot sound file playback and exhaust system sound signals.  
   
   
       27 - 29 . (canceled)  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , further comprising: 
 an engine control input which artificially simulates, in a non-vehicle environment and without actual engine inputs, at least one engine control parameter characterizing a corresponding simulated engine operating condition, and    an engine related sound signal synthesizer which generates at least one engine related sound signal corresponding to said engine control parameters.    
   
   
       31 - 32 . (canceled)  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said engine related and vehicle sound signal synthesizers are controlled independently.  
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising a mixer connected to mix said engine related and vehicle sound signals together to produce a combined audio output.  
   
   
       35 - 36 . (canceled)  
   
   
       37 . Apparatus for synthesizing sound signals corresponding to a vehicle having an engine, comprising: 
 a vehicle control input which artificially simulates, in a non-vehicle environment and without actual vehicle inputs, at least one vehicle control parameter characterizing a corresponding simulated vehicle operating condition other than an engine operating condition, and    a vehicle sound signal synthesizer which generates at least one respective vehicle sound signal corresponding to said vehicle control parameters.    
   
   
       38 - 39 . (canceled)  
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein said vehicle sound signal synthesizer generates multiple vehicle sound signals, and further comprising a mixer connected to mix said vehicle sound signals together to produce a combined audio output.  
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein said vehicle control input artificially simulates at least some of said vehicle control parameters as dynamically varying inputs.  
   
   
       42 . Apparatus for synthesizing sound signals corresponding to a vehicle having an engine, comprising: 
 an engine control input which artificially simulates, in a non-vehicle environment and without actual engine inputs, a plurality of engine control parameters characterizing respective simulated engine control conditions, and    an engine related sound synthesizer which generates engine related sound signals corresponding to said engine control parameters.    
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein said engine control input provides said engine control parameters to an engine process model, and said engine related sound signal synthesizer generates said engine related sound signals in response to an output from said engine process model.  
   
   
       44 . (canceled)  
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the outputs from said engine process model comprise engine load, spark event and engine rotational speed signals.  
   
   
       46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said engine related sound signal synthesizer generates spark timing controlled sound signals in response to said engine load and spark event outputs from said engine process model.  
   
   
       47 - 51 . (canceled)  
   
   
       52 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said engine process model comprises an engine physical model which generates said spark event and engine rotational speed outputs, and a load behavior model which generates said engine load output.  
   
   
       53 - 54 . (canceled)  
   
   
       55 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the outputs from said engine process model comprise engine load and spark event signals which cooperate to generate at least one of engine resonance, air chop, one-shot sound file playback and exhaust system sound signals.  
   
   
       56 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein said engine load and spark event signals cooperate to generate an engine resonance sound signal, and said engine load signal and engine resonance sound signal cooperate to generate a turbulence sound signal.  
   
   
       57 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein said engine process model supplies said engine load and spark event signals to an exhaust system model that includes at least one of explosion spreading, turbulence and filtering resonance models to generate said exhaust system sound signal.  
   
   
       58 . (canceled)