Delivery sound masking and sound emission

• US 9,646,597 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• 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., Hensel, Fabian, Erdozain, Jr., Jack, Lindskog, David, Martin, Sheridan Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAVERAS, KENNY ABEL
• Application Number:
  US14/977,455
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• 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 cancelation.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a propulsion system including propulsion units that include at least;

a propeller; and

a motor;

a speaker;

one or more processors; and

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

determine a first stage of a flight to deliver a package to a destination associated with a customer;

cause the speaker to emit a first sound during the first stage of flight that masks at least part of noise generated from operation of the motor and rotation of the propeller;

determine a second sound to be emitted by the UAV, the second sound associated with a preference of the customer;

determine that the UAV is executing an approach to the destination or executing a landing at the destination; and

cause the speaker to emit the second sound during the approach, during the landing, or both.

2. The UAV as recited in claim 1, further comprising a microphone to generate input sound signals based on the noise generated from the operation of the motor and rotation of the propeller, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

generate inverted sound signals based on the input sound signals, the inverted sound signals to cancel at least part of the noise generated from the operation of the motor and the rotation of the propeller; and

cause the speaker to emit the first sound based on the inverted sound signals.

3. The UAV as recited in claim 1, wherein the first sound mimics at least one of a sound associated with an animal or a bird, a sound associated with wind, a sound associated with water, a sound associated with a fictitious or real person, or a sound associated with a cartoon character or robot.

4. The UAV as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the UAV is currently located over a first environment; and

select the first sound from the memory that stores the first sound associated with the first environment and a second sound associated with a second environment.

5. The UAV as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one sound device coupled to the propeller or a shaft that couples the motor to the propeller, the at least one sound device to cause the UAV to emit a third sound that masks at least part of the noise generated from the operation of the motor and rotation of the propeller.

6. The UAV as recited in claim 1, 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 second sound being identifiable by the customer to inform the customer that arrival of the package is imminent.

7. A method, comprising:

determining a flight plan to cause an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to execute a flight to deliver a package to a destination associated with a customer;

selecting a sound stored in a storage device to be emitted by the UAV during the flight, the sound to mask at least part of noise generated from operation of UAV; and

causing a speaker to emit the sound during at least a portion of the flight.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising receiving a selection of the sound from the customer.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the sound is associated with a commercial entity that is associated with at least one item included in the package to be delivered to the customer.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the sound comprises at least part of a song.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising determining a stage of flight of the UAV, and wherein the selecting the sound is based at least in part on the stage of flight of the UAV.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the sound is a first sound, and further causing the UAV to emit a second sound at a different stage of flight of the UAV.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising selecting the sound based on information associated with the customer, the information derived from at least one of a transaction history of the customer or customer account information.

14. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising determining that the UAV is currently located over a first environment, and wherein the selecting the sound includes selecting the sound based on a predetermined association between the sound and the first environment.

15. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the sound is a first sound, and further comprising:

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

generating inverted sound signals based 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 second sound based on the inverted sound signals.

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)

select a sound, stored in a storage device, to be emitted by the UAV during at least a portion of the delivery to the destination, the sound to mask at least part of noise generated from operation of UAV; and

cause a speaker to emit the sound during at least a portion of the delivery.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the package is associated with a customer, and wherein the selecting the 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 sound mimics at least one of a sound associated with an animal, a bird, a fictitious or real person, a cartoon character, or a robot, or a sound associated with weather.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the sound is selected based at least on feedback previously received from bystanders that heard sounds from the UAV.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine an altitude of the UAV, and wherein causing the speaker to emit the sound is based on the altitude being less than a threshold altitude.