KR102872867B1 - External Amplifier, Control Method Therefor, And Electric Vehicle Including Same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an external amplifier for an electric vehicle is provided, including: a voltage converter arranged to increase or decrease the magnitude of an input voltage supplied from a battery of a vehicle according to a driving mode of the vehicle; a switching circuit that switches the voltage converted by the voltage converter; a digital signal processor that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and adjusts a maximum level of the digital signal; one or more amplifier circuits arranged to amplify a digital signal received from the digital signal processor based on a voltage supplied from the voltage converter; a communicator arranged to receive an input signal from the outside; and a controller that controls the voltage converter, the switching circuit, and the digital signal processor based on the input signal received from the communicator.

Description

External Amplifier, Control Method Therefor, And Electric Vehicle Including Same

The present disclosure relates to an external amplifier, a control method thereof, and an electric vehicle including the same.

The material described in this section merely provides background information for the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.

An external amplifier in a vehicle uses the voltage of the vehicle's battery to amplify sound and transmit the amplified sound to the speakers. The external amplifier converts an analog audio signal into a digital signal, and the digital signal is amplified and transmitted to the speakers according to the volume level set in the head unit. To amplify the digital signal, a boost converter circuit is placed inside the external amplifier, which increases the input voltage supplied from the vehicle's battery.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a conventional external amplifier for a vehicle.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional external amplifier for a vehicle boosts the input voltage supplied from a battery (1) using a boost converter (6). The boosted voltage is supplied to an amplifier circuit (7), and the amplifier circuit (7) amplifies the digital signal converted by the digital signal processing unit (3) using the supplied voltage. In the case of a conventional external amplifier for a vehicle, when the output is low, that is, when outputting sound at a low volume, the input voltage consumed is unnecessarily large, which wastes power. This waste of power causes the battery (1) to discharge quickly. In the case of an electric vehicle battery (1), the energy stored in the battery is used to drive the vehicle, so excessive current waste in the sound system can cause a decrease in fuel efficiency.

Accordingly, the main purpose of the present disclosure is to improve the power efficiency of an external amplifier by appropriately converting the input voltage of the external amplifier according to the driving mode of an electric vehicle.

In addition, the main purpose of the present disclosure is to improve the fuel efficiency of electric vehicles by increasing the power efficiency of an external amplifier.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an external amplifier for an electric vehicle is provided, including: a voltage converter arranged to increase or decrease the magnitude of an input voltage supplied from a battery of a vehicle according to a driving mode of the vehicle; a switching circuit that switches the voltage converted by the voltage converter; a digital signal processor that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and adjusts a maximum level of the digital signal; one or more amplifier circuits arranged to amplify a digital signal received from the digital signal processor based on a voltage supplied from the voltage converter; a communicator arranged to receive an input signal from the outside; and a controller that controls the voltage converter, the switching circuit, and the digital signal processor based on the input signal received from the communicator.

In addition, it includes a speaker that provides sound inside a vehicle; a battery that stores energy used for a driving motor that drives the vehicle when the vehicle is driven and an electronic device inside the vehicle; and an external amplifier that receives voltage from the battery, amplifies an audio signal, and transmits the audio signal to the speaker, wherein the external amplifier includes: a voltage converter arranged to increase or decrease the size of an input voltage supplied from the vehicle's battery according to a driving mode of the vehicle; a switching circuit that switches the voltage converted by the voltage converter; a digital signal processor that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and adjusts a maximum level of the digital signal; and one or more amplifier circuits arranged to amplify a digital signal received by the digital signal processor using the voltage supplied from the voltage converter. An electric vehicle is provided, characterized by including a communicator arranged to receive an input signal from the outside; and a controller that controls a voltage conversion unit, a switching circuit, and a digital signal processing unit based on the input signal received from the communicator.

In addition, a method for controlling an external amplifier for an electric vehicle is provided, which includes an operation mode receiving process for receiving information on an operation mode of an electric vehicle battery; a voltage conversion process for boosting the size of an input voltage supplied from the battery of the electric vehicle using a boost converter or reducing it using a buck converter based on the operation mode; and a control process for controlling the maximum level of a signal that the external amplifier can amplify based on the operation mode.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the external amplifier, the electric vehicle including the external amplifier, and the control method of the external amplifier can increase or decrease the input voltage depending on the driving mode of the vehicle by additionally configuring a buck converter circuit as well as a boost converter that increases the input voltage of the battery, thereby having the effect of improving the power efficiency of the external amplifier.

In addition, when the driving mode of an electric vehicle is set to improve the fuel efficiency of the battery, the external amplifier can improve the fuel efficiency of the electric vehicle by reducing the input voltage to improve power efficiency.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a conventional external amplifier for a vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electric vehicle including an external amplifier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control method for an external amplifier for an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. When designating components in each drawing, it should be noted that, where possible, identical components are given identical reference numerals, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related known structures or functions will be omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

In describing components of embodiments according to the present disclosure, symbols such as first, second, i), ii), a), b) may be used. These symbols are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the symbols. When a part in the specification is said to "include" or "have" a component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but rather that other components may be included, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electric vehicle including an external amplifier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, an electric vehicle including an external amplifier (100) includes all or part of a battery (10), a head unit (20), a digital signal processor (30), a controller (40), a communicator (50), a voltage converter (60), a switching circuit (70), an amplifier circuit (80), and a speaker (90).

A battery (10) is placed in a vehicle and supplies the voltage required for the operation of electronic devices within the vehicle. In the case of an electric vehicle, it primarily supplies the voltage required for the operation of a wheel driving motor used for driving the vehicle. The battery (10) also supplies voltage to an external amplifier among electronic devices within the vehicle.

The head unit (20) transmits signals regarding audio signals, sound volume, vehicle driving mode, and signal frequency to the external amplifier (100). Here, the audio signals may be analog signals.

The digital signal processing unit (30) is arranged in the external amplifier (100) and converts an analog audio signal received from the head unit (20) into a digital signal. The digital signal processing unit (30) can adjust the maximum level of the digital signal converted during the conversion process into a digital signal, and the maximum level can be set differently depending on the driving mode of the vehicle. Here, the maximum level refers to the maximum value of the audio signal that can be converted into a digital signal. For example, if the maximum level is 5, if there is an analog audio signal whose size exceeds 5, its value can be adjusted to 5 or less. By adjusting the maximum level when converting a signal, the digital signal processing unit (30) can lower the amplification ratio of the external amplifier (100), thereby increasing battery usage efficiency.

The control unit (40) is a type of processor that controls the overall operation of the external amplifier (100), and can control the operation of the voltage converter (60), switching circuit (70), and digital signal processor (30).

Specifically, the control unit (40) may perform control by determining whether to increase or decrease the input voltage supplied from the battery (10) based on the input signal received by the communication unit (50), or may perform a role such as adjusting the maximum level of the signal converted by the digital signal processing unit (30) according to the driving mode of the vehicle.

The communication unit (50) is arranged within the external amplifier (100) to receive input signals from outside the external amplifier (100). The communication unit (50) primarily receives signals related to the vehicle's driving mode and audio volume from the head unit (20), but is not limited thereto and can also transmit and receive signals with other electronic devices within the vehicle. The communication unit (50) transmits input signals received from outside the external amplifier (100) to the control unit (40).

The communication unit (50) may be constructed through an in-vehicle wired network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication, LIN (Local Interconnect Network) communication, MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) communication, or may be constructed through a wireless network such as Bluetooth, but is not limited thereto.

The voltage conversion unit (60) converts the size of the input voltage supplied from the battery (10) according to the driving mode of the vehicle and supplies it to the amplifier circuit (80). The voltage conversion unit (60) includes a boost converter (61) that boosts the input voltage and a buck converter (62) that reduces the input voltage. The vehicle may have two or more driving modes, and the following description will be given as an example of a case where the first to third driving modes can be set.

The driving mode of the vehicle may be set to any one of the first to third modes depending on the power consumption of the battery (10). Here, the first mode is the ECO mode, which is set to save energy stored in the battery (10), and the second mode is the NORMAL mode, which is set to a general driving situation. The third mode is defined as the SPORT mode, which is set to enable the use of maximum output. The driving mode may be manually set by the driver or automatically set by the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) in the vehicle. For example, the ECU may set the driving mode to the first mode ('ECO mode') when the remaining charge of the battery (10) falls below a preset capacity.

When the control unit (40) receives a signal indicating that the vehicle's driving mode is set to the first mode ('ECO mode'), it transmits a control signal to the voltage conversion unit (60) to control the input voltage supplied from the battery (10) to be reduced. After receiving the control signal to reduce the input voltage, the voltage conversion unit (60) reduces the voltage using the buck converter (62). Since the magnitude of the reduced voltage must satisfy the minimum operating voltage of the amplifier circuit (80), it must be greater than or equal to the minimum operating voltage of the amplifier circuit (80). For example, when the input voltage supplied from the battery (10) is 13.5 V and the minimum operating voltage of the amplifier circuit (80) is 6 V, the voltage conversion unit (60) can reduce the voltage to 6.5 V using the buck converter (62). The magnitude of the reduced voltage is not limited to 6.5 V.

When the control unit (40) receives a signal indicating that the vehicle's driving mode is set to the second mode ('NORMAL mode') or the third mode ('SPORT mode'), it transmits a control signal to the voltage conversion unit (60) to control the input voltage supplied from the battery (10) to be boosted. After receiving the control signal to boost the input voltage, the voltage conversion unit (60) boosts the voltage using the boost converter (61). For example, when the supplied input voltage of the battery (10) is 13.5 V, the voltage conversion unit (60) can boost the voltage to 22 V using the boost converter (61). The magnitude of the voltage boosted by the boost converter (61) is not limited to 22 V, and the boost converter (61) can be designed to boost to a magnitude such as 25 V or 35 V as needed.

The present disclosure is the same in that it boosts the input voltage when set to the second mode ('NORMAL mode') or the third mode ('SPORT mode'). In the second mode ('NORMAL mode') and the third mode ('SPORT mode'), high-quality sound can be provided to the driver by boosting the input voltage in the same way. However, the degree of amplification can be varied by adjusting the maximum level of the amplified signal depending on the mode. Here, the maximum level refers to the size of the signal that can be converted to the maximum when the digital signal processing unit (30) converts an analog audio signal into a digital signal. The digital signal processing unit (30) can adjust the maximum size of the sound transmitted to the speaker (90) by adjusting the maximum level. The maximum level can be set to be divided into a first level to a third level depending on the size. Among the first to third levels, the maximum level of the first level is defined to be the smallest, and the maximum level of the third level is defined to be the largest. The control unit (40) sets the maximum level to the first level when the driving mode is set to the first mode ('ECO mode'). The control unit (40) sets the maximum level to the second level when the driving mode is set to the second mode ('NORMAL mode'). Finally, the control unit (40) sets the maximum level to the third level when the driving mode is set to the third mode ('SPORT mode').

The switching circuit (70) switches the voltage converted in the voltage conversion unit (60) and input to the amplifier circuit (80). The switching circuit (70) can supply the voltage boosted from the boost converter (61) to the amplifier circuit (80) or the voltage reduced from the buck converter (62) to the amplifier circuit (80) according to the control signal of the control unit (40).

The amplifier circuit (80) receives the voltage converted from the voltage converter (60) and amplifies the digital signal converted by the digital signal processor (30). The control unit (40) can adjust the degree to which the amplifier circuit (80) amplifies the digital signal based on information regarding the size of the sound volume received from the head unit (20). The amplified digital signal is transmitted to the speaker (90).

When the input power is 13.5 V, refer to Table 1 to explain the difference in efficiency when the external amplifier (100) uses the input power as is and when the input power is reduced and used.

Here, is the input voltage supplied to the external amplifier (100), The voltage supplied to the amplifier circuit (80), The power output from the amplifier circuit (80) is the current obtained by subtracting the measured current when the amplifier circuit (80) outputs 8 W of power from the measured current when the audio is in the mute state. The power supplied to the amplifier circuit (80), and is the efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80).

also, is the power output from the external amplifier (100), is the measured value of the total current consumption of the external amplifier (100), The power supplied to the external amplifier (100), and is the efficiency of the external amplifier (100).

Efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80) ) is the power output from the amplifier circuit (80). ) is supplied to the amplifier circuit (80). ) is the value multiplied by 100. If the input voltage of the battery (10) is used as is, the efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80) is And, when the input voltage is reduced to 6.5 V and used, the efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80) is As such, there is no significant difference in the efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80).

Efficiency of external amplifier (100) ) is the power output from the amplifier circuit (80). ) is supplied to the amplifier circuit (80). ) is the value multiplied by 100. If the input voltage of the battery (10) is used as is, the efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80) is And, when the input voltage is reduced to 6.5 V and used, the efficiency of the amplifier circuit (80) is As a standard, there is a significant difference in efficiency when the entire external amplifier (100) is used. When the input voltage is reduced, the efficiency can be increased by approximately 28% compared to when the input voltage is used as is.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control method for an external amplifier for an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The control unit (40) receives information regarding the operating mode of the electric vehicle battery (S31). The operating mode can be set to a first mode, a third mode, or a third mode, and can be set manually or automatically. Here, the first mode is the ECO mode, which is set to conserve the battery (10), and the second mode is the NORMAL mode, which is set for general driving situations.

The control unit (40) boosts the input voltage supplied from the battery (10) of the electric vehicle using the boost converter (61) or reduces the input voltage using the buck converter (62) based on the received operation mode. The control unit determines whether the received operation mode is set to the first mode (S32). The third mode is the SPORT mode, which is set to enable the use of maximum output. If it is determined that the operation mode is set to the first mode, the input voltage is reduced using the buck converter (62) (S33), and if it is determined otherwise, the input voltage is increased using the boost converter (61) (S35).

After boosting or lowering the input voltage, the control unit (40) adjusts the maximum level of the signal that the external amplifier (100) can amplify based on the received operating mode. When the control unit (40) performs process S33, the maximum level of the signal that the external amplifier (100) can amplify is set to the first level (S34). Although FIG. 3 illustrates the order in which process S33 is performed and then process S34 is performed, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the order in which processes S33 and S34 are performed may be changed or performed simultaneously. Here, the maximum level may be set to the first to third levels, and among the first to third levels, the maximum level of the first level is the smallest, and the maximum level of the third level is the largest.

When process S35 is performed, the control unit (40) determines whether the operation mode is set to the second mode (S36). If the control unit (40) determines that the operation mode is set to the second mode, it sets the maximum level of the signal that the external amplifier (100) can amplify to the second level (S37). Conversely, if the control unit (40) determines that the operation mode is not set to the second mode, it sets the maximum level of the signal that the external amplifier (100) can amplify to the third level (S38).

After the control unit (40) performs process S34, S37 or S38, the present algorithm is terminated.

The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of the present embodiment, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present embodiment, but rather to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present embodiment should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the present embodiment.

10: Battery 20: Head unit
30: Digital signal processing unit 40: Control unit
50: Communication section 60: Voltage conversion section
70: Switching circuit 80: Amplifier circuit
90: Speaker 100: External amplifier

Claims (14)

A voltage converter arranged to increase or decrease the size of the input voltage supplied from the battery of the vehicle according to the driving mode of the vehicle;
A switching circuit that switches the voltage converted in the above voltage conversion unit;
A digital signal processor that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and controls the maximum level of the digital signal;
One or more amplifier circuits arranged to amplify the digital signal received from the digital signal processing unit based on the voltage supplied from the voltage conversion unit;
A communicator arranged to receive an input signal from the outside; and
A control unit (controller) that controls the voltage conversion unit, the switching circuit, and the digital signal processing unit based on the input signal received from the communication unit.
Including,
The above driving mode is set to one of the first to third modes depending on the power consumption of the battery of the vehicle,
When the communication unit receives an input signal indicating that the driving mode is set to the first mode, the voltage conversion unit reduces the input voltage, and the switching circuit switches to supply the reduced input voltage to the amplifier circuit.
When the communication unit receives an input signal indicating that the driving mode is set to the second mode and the third mode, the voltage conversion unit boosts the input voltage, and the switching circuit switches to supply the boosted input voltage to the amplifier circuit.
An external amplifier for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the first mode is an ECO mode set to save battery power, the second mode is a NORMAL mode set in normal driving conditions, and the third mode is a SPORT mode set to enable use of maximum output. In the first paragraph,
The above voltage conversion unit,
A boost converter that boosts the input voltage; and
An external amplifier for an electric vehicle, characterized in that it includes a buck converter that reduces the input voltage. delete In the first paragraph,
The above maximum level is set to either the smallest first level or the largest third level, depending on the size.
The above control unit,
When the above driving mode is set to the first mode, the maximum level is set to the first level,
When the above driving mode is set to the second mode, the maximum level is set to the second level.
An external amplifier for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the maximum level is set to the third level when the driving mode is set to the third mode. delete In the first paragraph,
An external amplifier for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the above communication unit is any one of CAN (Controller Area Network) communication, LIN (Local Interconnect Network) communication, or MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) communication. Speakers that provide sound inside the vehicle;
A battery that stores energy used for the driving motor that drives the vehicle and the electronic devices in the vehicle; and
Including an external amplifier that receives voltage from the battery, amplifies an audio signal, and transmits the audio signal to the speaker.
The above external amplifier is,
A voltage converter arranged to increase or decrease the size of the input voltage supplied from the vehicle's battery depending on the vehicle's driving mode;
A switching circuit that switches the voltage converted in the above voltage conversion unit;
A digital signal processor that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and controls the maximum level of the digital signal;
One or more amplifier circuits arranged to amplify the digital signal received from the digital signal processing unit using the voltage supplied from the voltage conversion unit;
A communicator arranged to receive an input signal from the outside; and
A control unit (controller) that controls the voltage conversion unit, the switching circuit, and the digital signal processing unit based on the input signal received from the communication unit.
Including,
The above driving mode is set to one of the first to third modes depending on the power consumption of the battery of the vehicle,
When the communication unit receives an input signal indicating that the driving mode is set to the first mode, the voltage conversion unit reduces the input voltage, and the switching circuit switches to supply the reduced input voltage to the amplifier circuit.
When the communication unit receives an input signal indicating that the driving mode is set to the second mode and the third mode, the voltage conversion unit boosts the input voltage, and the switching circuit switches to supply the boosted input voltage to the amplifier circuit.
An electric vehicle characterized in that the first mode is an ECO mode set to save the battery, the second mode is a NORMAL mode set in normal driving conditions, and the third mode is a SPORT mode set to enable use of maximum output. In paragraph 7,
The above voltage conversion unit,
A boost converter that boosts the input voltage; and
An electric vehicle characterized by including a buck converter that reduces the input voltage. delete In paragraph 7,
The above maximum level is set to either the smallest first level or the largest third level, depending on the size.
The above control unit,
When the above driving mode is set to the first mode, the maximum level is set to the first level,
When the above driving mode is set to the second mode, the maximum level is set to the second level.
An electric vehicle characterized in that when the driving mode is set to the third mode, the maximum level is set to the third level. delete In a control method of an external amplifier for an electric vehicle,
An operating mode receiving process for receiving information about the operating mode of an electric vehicle battery;
A voltage conversion process for increasing the input voltage supplied from the battery of the electric vehicle using a boost converter or decreasing the input voltage using a buck converter based on the above operation mode; and
A control process for controlling the maximum level of a signal that the external amplifier can amplify based on the above operating mode.
Including,
In the above operation mode reception process,
The above operation mode is set to one of the first mode to the third mode depending on the power consumption of the battery,
The first mode is ECO mode, which is set to save battery power, the second mode is NORMAL mode, which is set for normal driving situations, and the third mode is SPORT mode, which is set to use maximum output.
In the above voltage conversion process,
A control method for an external amplifier for an electric vehicle, characterized in that when it is determined that the above operation mode is set to the first mode, the input voltage is reduced using the buck converter, and when it is determined that the above operation mode is not set to the first mode, the input voltage is increased using the boost converter. delete In paragraph 12,
A control method for an external amplifier for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the size of the above maximum level is proportional to the increase in the level of battery power consumption in the above operating mode.