A method and apparatus for controlling the sound field in a vehicle cabin or the like

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 for controlling the sound field in a passenger compartment of a vehicle having an engine and wherein said passenger compartment takes the form of an enclosed space defined by said structural panels, characterized by the steps of: sensing a vibration of said engine which vibration tends to vibrate said structural panels and produce an audible resonance sound therein; producing a signal indicative of the sensed vibration; comparing said signal with data pre stored in a memory; and producing an audio frequency vibration within said compartment in accordance with said comparison of said signal and said data which vibration cancels said audible resonance sound.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the steps of: sensing the load on the engine; and permitting the production of said vibration when the load on said engine is sensed to be within a predetermined range.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the steps of: sensing the gear position of a transmission associated with said engine; and permitting the production of said vibration only when said gear position is sensed to be in a predetermined position.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the steps of: sensing the weight acting on a floor panel of said passenger compartment which floor panel defines one of said structural panels; and modifying the production of said vibration in response to the sensed weight.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the steps of: individually producing vibrations which selectively cancel audible resonance noise vibrations which occur in the longitudinal, lateral and vertical directions within said passenger compartment.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized D y the steps of: using the ignition pulses of said engine to sense said vibration.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 for controlling the sound field in a passenger compartment (18) of a vehicle having an engine and wherein said passenger compartment takes the form of an enclosed space defined by said structural panels, characterized in that: said sensor (10) is an engine vibration sensor for (a) sensing the vibration of said engine whieh tends to vibrate said structural panels and to produce an audible resonance sound therein, and (b) producing a signal indicative thereof; said circuit (12) includes a memory (40;100) in which data is prestored, said circuit being arranged to receive said signal and compare same with said data; and said vibration generating device (14) is an audio frequency vibration generating device disposed in said compartment (18), said device being arranged to be energized by said circuit in response to the comparison of said signal with said data indicating that audible resonance noise will be produced in said compartment and produce a vibration which cancels said audible resonance noise.

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized by an engine load sensor for sensing the load on said engine and producing a signal indicative thereof, said circuit (12) being arranged to be responsive to the output of said load sensor in a manner to permit said audible resonance noise cancelling vibration to be produced only when said load is sensed to be within a predetermined range.

Claim 13

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized by a gear position sensor (50) for sensing the gear position of a transmission associated with said engine and producing a signal indicative thereof, said circuit (12) being arranged to permit said audible resonance sound cancelling vibration only when said gear position sensor indicates that the transmission associated with said engine is in a predetermined gear position.

Claim 14

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized by a weight sensor (52) for sensing the weight applied to a floor panel of said passenger compartment which floor panel defines one of said structural panels, said circuit being arranged to modify the energization of said device in response to the output of said weight sensor.

Claim 15

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said device is arranged to produce vibrations which selectively cancel resonance noise occuring in the longitudinal, lateral and vertical directions of said compartment respectively.