METHOD FOR ACTIVE NOISE REDUCTION IN AN ELECTRIC OR HYBRID VEHICLE AND A CORRESPONDINGLY EQUIPPED VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for active noise reduction in an electric or hybrid vehicle includes (i) detecting noise in an area surrounding the vehicle by at least one sound recording apparatus which is attached to the vehicle, and (ii) generating anti-phase sound by at least one sound output apparatus, which is attached to the vehicle, depending on a signal recorded by the sound recording apparatus. The generated anti-phase sound is generated with respect to a portion of the noise in the area surrounding the vehicle and is output into the area surrounding the vehicle. Also described is a corresponding electric or hybrid vehicle which is designed to perform active noise reduction with respect to its ambient noise.

Claims

1. A method for active noise reduction in an electric or hybrid vehicle, said method comprising: detecting noise in an area surrounding the vehicle by means of at least one sound recording apparatus which is attached to the vehicle; and generating anti-phase sound by means of at least one sound output apparatus, which is attached to the vehicle, depending on a signal recorded by the sound recording apparatus, wherein the generated anti-phase sound is generated with respect to a portion of the noise in the area surrounding the vehicle and is output into the area surrounding the vehicle.

2. The method for active noise reduction as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: processing the detected noise by means of a control unit for generating an actuation signal for the sound output apparatus.

3. The method for active noise reduction as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control unit is an acoustics generating module which is already present in the vehicle.

4. The method for active noise reduction as claimed claim 1, wherein the anti-phase sound is generated only with respect to at least one predetermined frequency band of the noise which is detected in the area surrounding the vehicle.

5. The method for active noise reduction as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one predetermined frequency band with respect to which the anti-phase sound is generated is defined by the noise which is produced during charging of the vehicle.

6. The method for active noise reduction as claimed in claim 4, further comprising adjusting a sound pressure of the generated anti-phase sound depending on the sound pressure of the noise in the at least one predetermined frequency band.

7. A electric or hybrid vehicle with active ambient noise reduction, said electric or hybrid vehicle comprising: at least one sound recording apparatus which is attached to the vehicle and is configured to detect noise in an area surrounding the vehicle; at least one sound output apparatus which is attached to the vehicle and is configured to output sound to the ambient area surrounding the vehicle; a control unit which is coupled to the sound recording apparatus and to the sound output apparatus and is configured to actuate the sound output apparatus depending on a signal recorded by the sound recording apparatus, in such a way that said sound output apparatus outputs an anti-phase sound to a portion of the detected noise.

8. The electric or hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the sound output apparatus in such a way that the anti-phase sound is generated only with respect to at least one predetermined frequency band of the detected noise.

9. The electric or hybrid vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one predetermined frequency band with respect to which the anti-phase sound is generated is defined by the noise which is produced during charging of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE

[0022] The sole figure shows an electric vehicle which is configured for active noise reduction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The invention will be explained with reference to the appended figure which shows an electric vehicle 1 which is designed for active noise reduction by means of the method presented here. The vehicle 1 has a number of microphones 2 (only two are shown here by way of example) which are coupled to an (audio) control unit 4. The vehicle 1 additionally has external loudspeakers 3 which are likewise coupled to the control unit 4. The system comprising the microphones 2, the external loudspeakers 3 and the control unit 4 forms the basis of the method for active noise reduction in an electric or hybrid vehicle. The background noise in the area surrounding the vehicle 1 is acoustically imaged by means of the microphones 2 and processed by the control unit 4. The control unit 4 then actuates the external loudspeakers 3, so that said external loudspeakers output an anti-phase sound which damps or eliminates at least a portion of the background noise surrounding the vehicle 1. Even though the components are all illustrated in the front of the vehicle 1, both the microphones 2 and also the external loudspeakers 3 can be present in a greater number and additionally can also be fitted at different locations in the vehicle 1.

[0024] The control unit 4, including external loudspeakers 3, may be a system for simulating and outputting driving noise (driving noise simulator) which is already implemented in the vehicle 1.

[0025] The vehicle 1 can preferably be equipped with a system for active driving noise damping in the interior of the vehicle 7. Analogously to the system, said system comprises microphones 5 and loudspeakers 6 which are arranged in the passenger compartment 7 and can be coupled to an audio unit (not illustrated in the figure). The control unit 4 can preferably constitute an audio unit which is common to both systems.