Indirectly sensed signal processing in active periodic acoustic noise cancellation

• US 5,502,770 A
• Filed: 11/29/1993
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northern Illinois University
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuo, Sen M., Herold, Robert A., Christensen, M. Kathryn, Ji, Minjiang
• Primary Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/158,328
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71, 381/94, 415/119, 267/136
• US Class Current: 381/71.9
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17853 of the filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17855 for improving speed or power requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17883 the reference signal being derived from a machine operating condition, e.g. engine RPM or vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/121 Rotating machines, e.g. engines, turbines, motors; Periodic or quasi-periodic signals in general
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3028 Filtering, e.g. Kalman filters or special analogue or digital filters
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3032 Harmonics or sub-harmonics
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3045 Multiple acoustic inputs, single acoustic output

Abstract

The system employing and the processing of, an indirectly sensed signal representative of a periodic noise acoustic wave into an input signal for a noise cancelling system where the indirectly sensed signal is converted into a pulse signal per period that carries fundamental and harmonic frequency information of the periodic noise. A tachometer type RPM signal is processed in a counter circuit controlled by a logic circuit to produce a signal of one pulse per revolution with a controlled duration, the pulse amplitude is adjusted, the pulses are low pass filtered and any D.C. is blocked from the noise cancelling system input.

Claims

1. The method of providing an indirectly sensed noise input signal for introduction at an active noise cancellation system input, comprising in combination the steps of:

generating a signal representative of said noise, said signal having sequential pulses within repeating periods,

dividing, an increment of said sequential pulses, out of the sequential pulses in each individual period,

forming each said increment of said sequential pulses into a single, controlled width, converted pulse signal, per period,

reducing the amplitude of each said converted pulse signal,

A filtering from each said converted pulse signal all frequencies above a predetermined value, and, blocking any direct current from said input of said active noise cancellation system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined value is 500 Hz.

3. The method of claim 1 where said dividing out step is accomplished by a sequential pulse counter and an interconnected multiple input logic circuit that provides a signal at a selected count of said counter.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the width of said controlled width converted pulses signals is by selection of the number of said sequential pulses counted in said increment, to be 20% or less of said period.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said direct current blocking step is performed by capacitive coupling.

6. The method of producing a signal representative of, and correlated with, an acoustic noise wave associated with a rotating machine, comprising in combination the steps of:

providing signals each having sequential pulses within each revolution of said machine,

forming a converted pulse signal for each said revolution of said machine each said converted pulse signal having a duration of an increment of said sequential pulses, said duration being 20% or less of the duration of each said revolution of said machine,

reducing the amplitude of said converted pulse signals,

filtering from said converted pulse signals all frequencies above a predetermined value, and

providing capacitive coupling at an output.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined value is 500 Hz.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of forming a converted pulse signal for each revolution of said machine is accomplished by a sequential pulse counter and an interconnected multiple input logic circuit that provides a signal at a selected count of said counter.

9. A signal conversion circuit for converting a signal representative of noise, said signal having sequential pulses within repeating periods, into an analog signal coordinated with the fundamental and low frequency harmonic frequencies of said noise, comprising:

a converted pulse with controlled width forming stage, where said width of said converted pulse is a selected portion of one of said repeating periods,

said forming stage including a sequential pulse counter and a multiple input logic circuit, said sequential pulse counter being interruptable by the output signal of said multiple input logic circuit and the inputs of said multiple input logic circuit being connected into said sequential pulse counter at points determinative of said selected portion of one of said repeating periods, and,

serially connected, following said forming stage,

a converted pulse amplitude reducing stage,

a low frequency passing filtering stage, and,

a direct current blocking stage.

10. The circuit of claim 9 wherein said pulse counter is a binary counter of bistable transistor circuits with an inverter at the output.

11. The circuit of claim 10 wherein said logic circuit is a multiple input Nand circuit with inputs connected to selected transistor circuits in said counter and with the output signal therefrom connected to reset all said transistor circuits.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein said converted pulse amplitude reducing stage includes a variable resistor.

13. The circuit of claim 9 wherein said direct current blocking stage is a capacitive coupling.

14. In a periodic acoustic noise sound cancellation system of the type wherein a cancelling acoustic wave is provided at a location, said cancelling wave being determined by iterative computations based on input signals representing said noise and feedback signals from monitoring at said location, an improved input signal comprising:

a source of sequential pulses within a repeating period of said noise,

signal generating means for forming, a single pulse per period of said repeating periods signals, said single pulse per period signals having a duration of 20% or less of said repeating period, and,

signal adjusting means to deliver, as at least a portion of said input signals to said system, a signal containing the low frequency fundamental and harmonic component information of said single pulse per period signals.

15. The improved input signal of claim 14 wherein the duration of said single pulse per period signals is determined by a selectable count of said sequential pulses.

16. The improved input signal of claim 15 wherein said source of sequential pulses within repeating periods of said noise is a multitoothed wheel RPM signal generator.

17. The improved input signal of claim 16 wherein said signal generating means for forming a single pulse per period of said repeating periods signals is a binary counter reset by a logic circuit at said 20% or less signal duration.