Airport Noise Monitoring with Virtual and Mobile Recording Validation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aircraft operations, including commercial flights, general aviation, helicopters, air taxis, and drones, produce noise that causes annoyance and potential health issues in urban and suburban areas, necessitating more efficient airport and urban environment sound and noise management.

Innovation Solution

A system integrating virtual noise monitoring with actual noise recordings via a mobile application, utilizing real-time and historic flight track data, and a theoretical noise model to estimate noise impact, combined with a centralized software platform for reporting and complaint tracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional aircraft operations increase in urban and suburban environments, then aircraft operational capacity and productivity improve, but noise impact and harmful effects on communities worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaircraft operational capacityVSAvoidaircraft noise impact

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous noise monitoring with feedback loops that track actual noise levels against predicted levels from flight operations. Mobile applications and physical monitors collect noise data that is fed back to the central server, enabling real-time assessment and management of noise impact from increased aircraft operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a centralized software platform as an intermediary between aircraft operations and community impact assessment. This platform integrates virtual noise monitoring with actual noise recordings, mediating the relationship between increased operational capacity and noise management by providing a systematic way to measure, track, and respond to noise levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If virtual noise monitoring systems use theoretical noise models to estimate noise impact, then noise assessment coverage and productivity improve, but measurement precision and reliability may be compromised compared to actual recordings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise assessment coverageVSAvoidnoise level accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges virtual noise monitoring based on theoretical models with actual noise recordings from mobile applications and physical monitors. The centralized software platform combines both data sources, allowing the benefits of wide coverage from virtual monitoring while maintaining measurement precision through actual recordings at specific locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The centralized software platform serves multiple functions: it processes virtual noise estimates from theoretical models, integrates actual noise recordings from various sources, compares predicted versus measured levels, and generates comprehensive noise impact assessments. This multi-functional approach allows the system to maintain both broad coverage and high precision simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If comprehensive noise monitoring and complaint tracking systems are implemented, then noise management capability and reliability improve, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise management capabilityVSAvoidsystem operational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile application enables users to self-report noise complaints and receive automated assessments. The system automatically compares reported noise levels with predicted levels from flight operations, providing informed assessments to users without requiring manual analysis. This self-service approach increases reliability while reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system accelerates the noise complaint processing workflow by automatically comparing actual recordings with virtual noise estimates and generating rapid assessments. This expedited process maintains high reliability in noise management while reducing the operational burden through automated analysis and decision-support features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #38Strong oxidants (Accelerated oxidation)

Data Source

PatentUS20250362172A1Airport sound and noise management methods and systems

Publication Date: 2025.11.27 VIANAIR INC

AI summary

Methods and systems for airport noise management, which are based on integrating virtual noise monitoring with actual noise recordings via mobile application system, are disclosed. An example method of improving airport noise management includes receiving information associated with a flight segment, generating a virtual noise map for the flight segment that includes a virtual noise metric generated for each of a multiple user-defined locations that span a projection of the flight path on the Earth. The method includes receiving, from a mobile application at a user location, an audio recording that was recorded in a recording interval, generating, based on the virtual noise map for the flight segment, a virtual noise metric associated with the user location, and determining a validity of the audio recording by comparing the virtual noise metric associated with the user location to a recorded noise metric that is calculated based on the audio recording.