Audio Canceling Device for UAV Noise Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing presence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in residential areas generates noise that disrupts home environments, and existing technologies lack effective solutions to attenuate UAV audio without affecting other sounds.
Innovation Solution
A computing device that receives audio signals, identifies UAV noise, and generates an attenuation signal through phase shifting and polarity inversion, creating destructive interference to reduce UAV noise while preserving other audio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional noise cancellation methods are used, then general noise reduction is achieved, but other desired audio is also affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the audio spectrum by identifying specific frequency ranges characteristic of UAV noise (typically high-frequency propeller sounds) and applies cancellation only to those segments, preserving other frequency ranges that contain desired audio information
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary detection mechanism (audio signature matching) to identify UAV noise before applying cancellation, allowing selective targeting of UAV audio without affecting other sound sources
2Object-affected harmful factors
If broad-spectrum noise cancellation is applied, then UAV noise is reduced, but speech and other important sounds are also attenuated
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different processing qualities to different audio components: aggressive cancellation to UAV frequency bands while maintaining high fidelity for speech and other desired audio frequencies, creating locally optimized audio quality across the spectrum
3Object-affected harmful factors
If real-time audio processing is implemented, then noise cancellation is effective, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing baseline audio signatures of UAVs in advance and preparing filtering templates, allowing faster real-time processing when actual UAV noise is detected without full computational analysis
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
Effectively reduces UAV noise at a specific location by timing the attenuation signal to coincide with the UAV audio, minimizing disruption to other sounds and enhancing the home environment.
Implementation Method 1
generate an attenuation-signal by, for example, phase shifting and/or inverting the polarity of the detected audio signal that is similar to the audio signature. That attenuation-signal may then be amplified and a sound wave (attenuation-sound wave) transmitted that is directly proportional to the amplitude of the original sound wave carrying the UAV audio, thereby creating destructive interference
Data Source
AI summary
The implementations described include an audio canceling device that receives an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) audio signature representative of audio generated by an unmanned aerial vehicle, monitors audio within an environment in which the audio canceling device is located for audio generated by the UAV, generates an attenuation-signal based on detected audio generated by the UAV, and outputs the attenuation-signal to attenuate the audio generated by the UAV. In one example, the audio canceling device may be used to attenuate audio generated by a UAV that is permeating into a user's home during delivery of an item to the user's home by the UAV.