Patent ID: 9574472
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: F01N,Y02T

Claim:
1. A vehicle having an engine compartment and a passenger compartment and designed to increase an engine sound during a downshift comprising: an engine configured to generate power at a rotational speed and to generate noise as a byproduct of the power; a transmission coupled to the engine and configured to operate in a first gear corresponding to a first gear ratio and a second gear corresponding to a second gear ratio that is less than the first gear ratio such that the rotational speed of the engine increases as the transmission is shifted from the second gear to the first gear; a tube positioned in the engine compartment of the vehicle and configured to transfer the noise of the engine; a valve coupled to the tube and configured to be positioned in a first state to reduce the noise of the engine heard in the passenger compartment of the vehicle to a first volume and a second state to reduce the noise of the engine heard in the passenger compartment of the vehicle to a second volume that is greater than the first volume; and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the engine, the transmission and the valve and configured to control the valve to switch from the first state to the second state when the transmission shifts from the second gear to the first gear.