Noise suppression device, system, and method

• US 9,190,071 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Butts, Donald J., Welsh, William A., Millott, Thomas A., Drost, Stuart K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, REGINA NEAL
• Application Number:
  US13/618,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20140079234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/121 Rotating machines, e.g. engines, turbines, motors; Periodic or quasi-periodic signals in general
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/128 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1281 Aircraft, e.g. spacecraft, airplane or helicopter
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02085 Periodic noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0216 characterised by the method used for estimating noise

Abstract

A noise-suppression assembly of a mechanical drive system having a rotational frequency includes an audio filter unit configured to receive a first audio signal and a timing signal of the mechanical drive system. The audio filter unit generates a noise-cancellation signal based on a frequency of the timing signal to suppress a noise generated by the mechanical drive system and to apply the noise-cancellation signal to the first audio signal to produce a filtered first audio signal. The frequency of the timing signal is based on the rotational frequency of the mechanical drive system.

Claims

1. A noise-suppression assembly of a mechanical drive system having a rotational frequency, the mechanical drive system including a rotor of a helicopter, the assembly comprising:

an audio filter unit configured to receive a first audio signal and a timing signal of the mechanical drive system, the audio filter unit configured to generate a noise-cancellation signal based on a frequency of the timing signal, said frequency based on the rotational frequency of the rotor, to suppress a noise generated by the mechanical drive system and to apply the noise-cancellation signal to the first audio signal to produce a filtered first audio signal, the frequency based on a signal obtained from at least one sensor located on the rotor, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor configured to detect the position of the rotor relative to a fixed position.

2. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 1, wherein the audio filter unit is further configured to determine harmonic frequencies corresponding to the frequency of the timing signal and to generate the noise-cancellation signal based on the frequency of the timing signal and the harmonic frequencies.

3. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 2, wherein the audio filter unit is configured to determine the harmonic frequencies according to physical structures of gears in the mechanical drive system.

4. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 2, wherein the rotational frequency of the mechanical drive system corresponds to a gear in a gear system, and

determining the harmonic frequencies includes determining a rotational frequency of a rotor.

5. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 1, further comprising a microphone,

wherein the first audio signal is input from the microphone and the first audio signal includes the noise generated by the mechanical drive system.

6. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 5, wherein the audio filter unit is configured to generate the noise-cancellation signal based on the frequency of the timing signal and the noise in the first audio signal.

7. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 1, further comprising a speaker,

wherein the filtered first audio signal is output to the speaker to generate a sound.

8. The noise-suppression assembly of claim 7, further comprising a feedback microphone configured to generate a second audio signal including the noise generated by the mechanical drive system,

wherein the second audio signal is output from the feedback microphone to the audio filter unit, and the audio filter unit generates the noise-cancellation signal based on the frequency of the timing signal and the noise in the second audio signal.

9. A noise-suppression system, comprising:

a mechanical drive system of a helicopter including a rotor and having a rotational frequency;

at least one sensor located on the rotor, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor configured to detect the position of the rotor relative to a fixed position;

a timing signal generator to generate a timing signal that corresponds to the rotational frequency of the rotor based on a signal from the at least one sensor; and

an audio system including an audio filter unit configured to receive a first audio signal and the timing signal, the audio filter unit configured to generate a noise-cancellation signal corresponding to the rotational frequency of the rotor based on the timing signal to suppress noise from the mechanical drive system and to apply the noise-cancellation signal to the first audio signal to produce a filtered first audio signal.

10. The noise-suppression system of claim 9, wherein the audio system is configured to calculate one or more harmonic frequencies based on rotational ratios of mechanical components within the mechanical drive system to the rotational frequency, and to generate the noise-cancellation signal based on the rotational frequency and the one or more harmonic frequencies.

11. The noise-suppression system of claim 9, further comprising at least one headset including an earpiece including a speaker, and a mouthpiece including a first microphone.

12. The noise-suppression system of claim 11, wherein the filtered first audio signal is output to the speaker.

13. The noise-suppression system of claim 10, wherein the first audio signal is output from the first microphone and includes the noise from the mechanical drive system, and

the audio filter unit is configured to generate the noise-cancellation signal based on the timing signal and the noise in the first audio signal.

14. The noise-suppression system of claim 10, further comprising a switch to output the first audio signal to the speaker when the switch is in an ON state and to prevent output of the first audio signal to the speaker when the switch is in an OFF state,

wherein the audio filter unit is configured to generate the noise-cancellation signal continuously when the switch is in the ON state and when the switch is in the OFF state.

15. The noise-suppression system of claim 10, further comprising a feedback microphone located on the earpiece, the feedback microphone configured to output a second audio signal including the noise from the mechanical drive system,

wherein the audio filter unit is configured to generate the noise-cancellation signal based on the frequency of the timing signal and the noise in the second audio signal.

16. A method of suppressing noise in a mechanical drive system having a rotational frequency, the mechanical drive system including a rotor of a helicopter, the method comprising:

receiving a first audio signal;

receiving a timing signal based on the rotational frequency of the rotor from at least one sensor located on the rotor, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor configured to detect the position of the rotor relative to a fixed position;

determining a frequency of the timing signal;

generating a noise-suppression signal based on the frequency of the timing signal; and

applying the noise-suppression signal to the first audio signal to produce a filtered first audio signal wherein a noise generated by the mechanical drive system in the first audio signal is suppressed,

wherein the noise-suppression signal is continuously applied to the first audio signal such that transients generated by starting and stopping of the application of the noise-suppression signal are avoided.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining one or more harmonic frequencies corresponding to mechanical components in the mechanical drive system,

wherein the noise-suppression signal is generated based on the frequency of the timing signal and the one or more harmonic frequencies.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first audio signal is generated by a microphone and includes the noise generated by the mechanical drive system.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a second audio signal from a feedback microphone, the second audio signal including the noise generated by the mechanical drive system,

wherein the noise-suppression signal is generated based on the frequency of the timing signal and the noise in the second audio signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second audio signal includes a sound generated by the first audio signal and the noise generated by the mechanical drive system.