Selective Sound Management for Work Machine Operator Awareness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sound management systems in work machines either attenuate all sound, preventing operators from hearing important environmental cues or maintaining communication, or fail to differentiate between machine noise and other relevant sounds, such as human voices or maintenance alerts.

Innovation Solution

An active sound management system that identifies and selectively manages sound components, allowing operators to hear specific sounds like human voices while canceling or reducing machine noise, and providing alerts for maintenance issues, through a configurable sound management system using sensors, processors, and control signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If overall operator compartment noise reduction through isolation and insulation is implemented, then operator comfort is improved, but all environmental sounds including important cues are attenuated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemachine noiseVSAvoidenvironmental sound information

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The sound management system segments the audio spectrum into different components (machine noise, human voices, environmental sounds) and applies different processing strategies to each segment. This allows selective attenuation of harmful machine noise while preserving important environmental sound information through separate processing channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes audio parameters (gain, attenuation, frequency response) based on the identified sound component. Different parameters are applied to different sound types - machine noise receives attenuation while human voices and important environmental sounds receive preservation or amplification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If personal protective equipment such as ear protection is used, then operator protection from noise is improved, but all sound including communication and alerts is attenuated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise exposureVSAvoidsound information

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The sound management system acts as an intermediary between the noisy environment and the operator's ears. Rather than blocking all sound physically (as ear protection does), the system electronically processes the audio signal to remove harmful components while preserving important information, then delivers the processed sound to the operator.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies dynamic parameter changes to different sound components - attenuating harmful machine noise parameters while maintaining or enhancing parameters for important sounds like human voices and maintenance alerts, allowing selective protection rather than blanket attenuation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If all sound is attenuated to reduce noise exposure, then operator comfort is improved, but operator awareness of machine issues and environmental cues is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise levelVSAvoidoperator awareness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments sound into categories including machine noise, human voices, and environmental sounds. By identifying and separately processing each segment, the system can attenuate harmful machine noise while preserving or amplifying important segments like voices and environmental cues that indicate machine issues or safety concerns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different audio parameters are applied to different sound segments - harmful machine noise receives attenuation parameters while important sounds receive preservation or amplification parameters, maintaining operator awareness of critical information while reducing overall noise exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances operator comfort and safety by enabling selective sound amplification or cancellation based on predefined or user-configured criteria, allowing operators to hear important environmental cues and receive alerts for potential machine issues.

Implementation Method 1

A sound management system in a work machine detects sound and identifies a component of the sound

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSound detection: Sound

Implementation Method 2

The control signal can selectively reduce or cancel noise components, selectively amplify sound components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSound interference: Interference

Data Source

PatentUS20260018184A1Active sound management system in a work machine

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 DEERE & CO

AI summary

A sound management system in a work machine detects sound and identifies a component of the sound, such as machine noise or other components. The sound management system generates a control signal to perform sound management based upon the identified sound component. The control signal can selectively reduce or cancel noise components, selectively amplify sound components, insert sound components, or perform other sound management operations.