Delivery sound masking and sound emission

• US 10,102,493 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian C., Erdozain, Jr., Jack, Hensel, Fabian, Lindskog, David, Martin, Sheridan Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taveras, Kenny A.
• Application Number:
  US15/479,016
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/008 characterised by vibration absorbing or balancing means
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/10 using other surface properties, e.g. roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2220/00 Active noise reduction systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/20 for noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/20 Transmission of mechanical power to rotors or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 : Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/355 : Geolocation input, i.e. control of musical parameters based on location or geographic position, e.g. provided by GPS, WiFi network location databases or mobile phone base station position databases
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/181 : Billing, i.e. purchasing of data contents for use with electrophonic musical instruments; Protocols therefor; Management of transmission or connection time therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/315 : Sound category-dependent sound synthesis processes [Gensound] for musical use; Sound category-specific synthesis-controlling parameters or control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/325 : Birds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/371 : Gensound equipment, i.e. synthesizing sounds produced by man-made devices, e.g. machines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/381 : Road, i.e. sounds which are part of a road, street or urban traffic soundscape, e.g. automobiles, bikes, trucks, traffic, vehicle horns, collisions
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/411 : Water, e.g. seashore, waves, brook, waterfall, dripping faucet
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/431 : Natural aerodynamic noises, e.g. wind gust sounds, rustling leaves or beating sails
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1752 : Masking
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/178 : by electro-acoustically regenerating the original acoustic waves in anti-phase
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 : characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 : handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 : using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 : additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/121 : Rotating machines, e.g. engines, turbines, motors; Periodic or quasi-periodic signals in general
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1281 : Aircraft, e.g. spacecraft, airplane or helicopter

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may emit masking sounds during operation of the UAV to mask other sounds generated by the UAV during operation. The UAV may be used to deliver items to a residence or other location associated with a customer. The UAV may emit sounds that mask the conventional sounds generated by the propellers and/or motors to cause the UAV to emit sounds that are pleasing to bystanders or do not annoy the bystanders. The UAV may emit sounds using speakers or other sound generating devices, such as fins, reeds, whistles, or other devices which may cause sound to be emitted from the UAV. Noise canceling algorithms may be used to cancel at least some of the conventional noise generated by operation of the UAV using inverted sounds, while additional sound may be emitted by the UAV, which may not be subject to noise cancellation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a destination for delivery of a package by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

causing a speaker onboard the UAV to emit a first sound during at least a first portion of the delivery to the destination, the first portion corresponding to at least a cruising stage of flight;

selecting a second sound to be emitted by the speaker during at least a second portion of the delivery to the destination, the selecting the second sound based at least in part on at least one of a user preference, contents of the package, or the destination and the second portion corresponding to at least an approach or landing stage of flight; and

causing the speaker to emit the second sound during at least the second portion.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of the second sound from at least one of a customer associated with the destination, a merchant that provides an item included in the package, or a supplier of the item included in the package.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting the second sound based at least in part on a prior sound association with a commercial entity that is associated with at least one item included in the package.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising tracking a location of the UAV to determine a stage of flight of the UAV, and wherein selecting the second sound is based at least in part on the stage of flight of the UAV.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first sound comprises a transit sound to mask a sound of the UAV.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising accessing a transaction history of a customer associated with the delivery or customer account information associated with the customer, and wherein selecting the second sound is based at least in part on the transaction history of the customer or the customer account information.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the UAV is currently located over a particular environment; and

selecting a third sound based at least in part on a predetermined association between the sound and the particular environment.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input sound signals from a microphone based at least in part on a noise generated from operation of the UAV;

generating inverted sound signals based at least in part on the input sound signals, the inverted sound signals to cancel at least part of the noise generated from the operation of the UAV; and

causing the speaker to emit a third sound based at least in part on the inverted sound signals.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a speaker;

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

track a location of the UAV during a flight to deliver a package to a destination associated with a customer;

cause the speaker to emit a first sound during at least a first portion of the flight, the first portion corresponding to at least a cruising stage of the flight;

access data associated with a second sound to be emitted by the speaker, the second sound associated with at least one of a commercial entity or a preference of the customer;

determine that the UAV is executing a second portion of the flight, the second portion corresponding to at least a flight approach stage of the flight; and

cause the speaker to emit the second sound during at least the flight approach stage of the flight.

10. The UAV as recited in claim 9, wherein determine that the UAV is executing a second portion of the flight includes determining that the UAV is within a threshold distance from the destination and causing the speaker to emit the second sound in response to determining that the UAV is within the threshold distance from the destination.

11. The UAV as recited in claim 9, wherein the second sound mimics at least one of a sound associated with a living being or a sound associated with a natural environment.

12. The UAV as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to cause the speaker to emit a third sound during a third portion of the flight, the different sound selected based at least in part on a location of the UAV.

13. The UAV as recited in claim 9, further comprising at least one sound device coupled to a propeller or a shaft that couples a motor to the propeller, the at least one sound device to cause the UAV to emit at least one of the first sound or the second sound.

14. The UAV as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to upload the second sound from a profile associated with the customer, the sound being identifiable by the customer to inform the customer that arrival of the package is imminent.

15. The UAV as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine an altitude of the UAV, and wherein cause the speaker to emit the second sound is based at least in part on the altitude being less than a threshold altitude.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a destination for delivery of a package by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

cause a speaker onboard the UAV to emit a first sound during at least a first portion of a flight to the destination, the first portion corresponding to at least a cruising stage of the flight;

select a second sound to be emitted by the speaker during at least a second portion of the flight to the destination, the second portion corresponding to at least an approach or landing stage of the flight; and

upload the second sound to the UAV for playback by the speaker during at least the second portion of the flight.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the package is associated with a customer, and wherein select the second sound is based at least in part on a preference or attribute associated with the customer.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the second sound mimics at least one of a sound associated with an animal, a bird, a fictitious or real person, a cartoon character, a robot, or a sound associated with weather.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the second sound is selected based at least in part on a profile associated with a customer to receive the package.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the one or more processors to upload the second sound from a profile associated with the customer.