# US 10,766,479 B2 · Sound and vibration enhancement in hybrid vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,479 B2 - Document ID: US10766479B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/103,285 - Filed: 2018-08-14 - Published: 2020-02-20 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-14 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Abril A. Galang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766479B2 ## CPC - B60W 20/15: Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect - B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60L 2240/12: Speed - B60W 2510/0638: Engine speed - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract A system and method counters the “rubber band-like effect” in hybrid vehicles by introducing engine noise and/or vibration into a vehicle compartment when the engine reaches a threshold or maximum RPM, but the electric motor continues to provide additional power to increase vehicle speed. An acoustic tube coupling the engine to the passenger compartment is used to simulate the increased engine noise. Vibration mechanisms in the passenger compartment are used to simulate the engine vibration in the passenger compartment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for operating a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and electric motor, the method comprising: during operation of a hybrid vehicle, obtaining engine revolutions per minute (“RPM”) and vehicle speed data using a hybrid control unit; determining an engine RPM threshold has been met based on the obtained RPM or vehicle speed data; receiving a signal indicating a vehicle speed increase after the engine RPM threshold has been met, the increase in the vehicle speed being caused by the electric motor; and in response to the increase in vehicle speed beyond the engine RPM threshold, performing at least one of the following operations: introducing engine noise into a passenger compartment of the vehicle through an acoustic tube which acoustically couples the engine to the passenger compartment; or introducing vibration into the passenger compartment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, further comprising adjusting an amount of engine noise allowed to travel through the acoustic tube as a function of the vehicle speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, further comprising adjusting an amount of vibration introduced into the passenger compartment as a function of the vehicle speed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the vibrations are introduced using vibration mechanisms positioned inside the passenger compartment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein introducing the vibrations comprises causing a vehicle steering wheel to vibrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein introducing the vibrations comprises causing a vehicle acceleration pedal to vibrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein introducing the vibrations comprises causing a vehicle seat to vibrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein introducing the vibration comprises reducing damping function of a vehicle vibration damping system. ### Claim 9 A system for operating a hybrid vehicle, the system comprising: an internal combustion engine and electric motor; a non-transitory memory; and one or more hardware processors coupled to the engine, electric motor, and non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising: during operation of the hybrid vehicle, obtaining engine revolutions per minute (“RPM”) and vehicle speed data; determining an engine RPM threshold has been met based on the obtained RPM or vehicle speed data; receiving a signal indicating a vehicle speed increase after the engine RPM threshold has been met, the increase in the vehicle speed being caused by the electric motor; and in response to the increase in vehicle speed beyond the engine RPM threshold, performing at least one of the following operations: introducing engine noise into a passenger compartment of the vehicle through an acoustic tube which acoustically couples the engine to the passenger compartment; or introducing vibration into the passenger compartment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the acoustic tube comprises a governor to adjust an amount of engine noise traveling through the acoustic tube as a function of the vehicle speed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system as defined in claim 9, further comprising the operation of adjusting an amount of vibration introduced into the passenger compartment as a function of the vehicle speed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system as defined in claim 9, further comprising a vibration mechanism positioned inside the passenger compartment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the vibration mechanism is positioned on a vehicle steering wheel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the vibration mechanism is positioned on a vehicle acceleration pedal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the vibration mechanism is positioned on a vehicle seat. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system as defined in claim 9, wherein introducing the vibration comprises the operation of reducing a damping function of a vehicle vibration damping system. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising: during operation of a hybrid vehicle, obtaining engine revolutions per minute (“RPM”) and vehicle speed data using a hybrid control unit; determining an engine RPM threshold has been met based on the obtained RPM data or vehicle speed data; receiving a signal indicating a vehicle speed increase after the engine RPM threshold has been met, the increase in the vehicle speed being caused by the electric motor; and in response to the increase in vehicle speed beyond the engine RPM threshold, performing at least one of the following operations: introducing engine noise into a passenger compartment of the vehicle through an acoustic tube which acoustically couples the engine to the passenger compartment; or introducing vibration into the passenger compartment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the engine noise or vibration are introduced as a function of vehicle speed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the vibrations are introduced using vibration mechanisms positioned on at least one of a steering wheel, acceleration pedal, or vehicle seat. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein introducing the vibration comprises reducing damping of a vehicle vibration damping system.