Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Tongan Wang

Scott Bohanan

Jim Jordan

John Willett Maxon, Jr

Paul Conti

David Charles Hornick

Andrew Foose

Josef A Fila

Brian G Cook

Bethany Davis

Vincent DeChellis

John Maxon

Josef Fila

Jr Maxon John Willett

Matthew Wallace

Kristopher Lynch

Mike Lucas

Michael Eugene Lucas

Andrew S Foose

Tyler Relf

Amy Mayo

Justin Maas

Michael Brinley

Stefan Eling

Nicholas Ward

Knut Pedersen

Christine Applegren

David C Hornick

Joseph Salamone

Andrew N Durrence

Jr John W Maxon

John Willet Maxon

John Willett Maxon

Jr Maxon John W

The aircraft intercom employs beam steerable microphone arrays and speaker arrays deployed in each of a plurality of zones within the aircraft. A speech recognizer generates recognition text from utterances picked up by the microphone arrays. A direction control processor analyzes the arrival time of signals from the microphone arrays to identify utterance location, which is then used to control the beam direction of at least one steerable speaker array. A dialogue manager processor coupled to the speech recognizer and to each of the plurality of microphone arrays and plurality of speaker arrays responds to a set of predefined keywords to selectively route a voiced communication from a first selected zone to a second selected zone using the microphone array and speaker array disposed in each of the first and second selected zones.

Directional array intercom for internal communication on aircraft

The interactive aircraft cabin environment control system employs at least one microphone array disposed within the cabin to capture spoken utterances from a passenger and is configured to provide an estimation of passenger location within the cabin based on arrival time analysis of the spoken utterances. A data source onboard the aircraft provides flight context information. Such data sources include sensors measuring real-time parameters on the aircraft, the current flight plan of the aircraft, singly and in combination. A control processor, coupled to the microphone array, is configured to ascertain passenger identity based on the spoken utterances. The control processor is programmed and configured to learn and associate passenger preference to passenger identity. The control processor is receptive of the estimation of passenger location and is coupled to provide supervisory control over at least one device forming a part of the cabin environment according to passenger location, passenger preference obtained from passenger identity and flight context information.

Interactive aircraft cabin environment

Audio content is controllably directed to or from an aircraft occupant, such as the pilot or a passenger using a microphone array of at least two transducers, positioned onboard an aircraft to pick up utterances of the aircraft occupant. An electronically steerable transducer array coupled to an onboard an aircraft audio system, such as an avionics communication system or in-flight entertainment system supplies audio content to the aircraft occupant. A signal processor coupled to the microphone array processes utterances sensed by the transducers using a time of arrival algorithm to determine an utterance originating direction. A controller circuit then supplies a pointing direction control signal to the steerable beamforming speaker array or microphone array based on the utterance originating direction to cause the steerable transducer array to direct the audio content in the direction of the sensed utterance and thereby direct the audio content to or from the aircraft occupant.

Microphone array onboard aircraft to determine crew/passenger location and to steer a transducer beam pattern to that location

The improved active noise cancellation system for forced air heating or cooling systems onboard aircraft employs a duct having a proximal end coupled to the fan unit to entrain the airflow stream in the direction of a distal end of the duct. A reference sensor is positioned within the proximal end of the duct. A means is provided for injecting an audio frequency control signal into the airflow stream in a manner that does not substantially impede the airflow stream. An error sensor is positioned at the distal end of the duct where it is responsive to sounds carried by the airflow stream, including the audio frequency control signal. An electronic circuit coupled to the reference sensor and to the error sensor supplies a noise abating control signal to energize the control transducer and thereby substantially reduce at least one noise harmonic of the fan unit through destructive interference.

Active noise cancellation of equipment fan noise on aircraft

Outflow valve assemblies for an aircraft, aircraft including an outflow valve assembly, and methods for installing an outflow valve assembly on an aircraft, are provided. In one example, an outflow valve assembly includes a louver that is movably disposed to at least partially cover an opening formed through a fuselage on an aircraft. A motor is coupled to the louver and is configured to move the louver between a closed position to obstruct fluid communication through the opening and an open position to allow fluid communication through the opening between inside and outside of the aircraft. A sound absorptive panel is disposed adjacent to the opening to attenuate noise that is generated when the louver is in the open position.

Outflow valve assembly including sound absorption and aircraft including the same

To reduce engine noise in the cabin of an aircraft a plurality of error microphones is deployed at predetermined locations within the cabin to produce error microphone response signals associated with the engine noise in the cabin. Engine vibration inputs are obtained from sensors coupled to the aircraft engines. A processor is used to code the error microphone response signals into an encoded modal response in the cabin through a coding matrix. A processor is used to apply an adaptive filter to determine a plurality of modal signals needed to cancel the encoded modal response in the cabin. A processor is used to decode the modal signals into speaker input signals through a decoding matrix. Speaker input signals are then sent to a plurality of speakers to reduce the engine noise in the cabin.

Active noise cancellation of tonal noise by manipulating characteristic acoustic modes

A sound pickup transducer array, deployed within an enclosed area, is coupled to a sound recorder. A processor, coupled to the sound recorder, provides a button or speech recognizer through which a person in the enclosed area issues a command signifying the occurrence of a sound for which categorizing is requested. The processor is programmed to respond to the issued command by extracting and storing an audio snippet copied from the audio recorder, in a digital memory, where the snippet corresponds to sound captured before, during and after the issued command. The processor communicates the stored audio snippet to an artificial intelligence system trained to categorize sounds as to what produced them. The artificial intelligence system may employ trained model feature extraction, a neural network categorization system, and/or direction of sound arrival analysis.

Noise event location and classification in an enclosed area

Arrangements for communication and/or noise attenuation within an aircraft, and aircraft and methods for making aircraft including such arrangements are provided. In one example, an arrangement includes an array of first microphones cooperatively configured to be directed towards a first aircraft operator when disposed in a first cockpit seat to receive a first communication input from the first aircraft operator. An array of first speakers is cooperatively configured to be directed towards the first aircraft operator when disposed in the first cockpit seat to provide a first communication output to the first aircraft operator.

Arrangements and methods for enhanced communication on aircraft

Sealers and methods for making a sealer are provided. In one example, the sealer includes an exterior wall extending in a longitudinal direction and at least partially surrounding a first channel. A first plurality of interior walls are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in the first channel transverse to the longitudinal direction to subdivide the first channel into a first plurality of cells.

Sealer for mitigating leakage on a vehicle

An aircraft includes a turbine engine, a vibration sensor, and a processor. The vibration sensor is attached to the turbine engine and is configured to output a vibration sensor signal. The processor is programmed to determine whether the vibration sensor signal indicates that fan case liner damage has occurred due to icing conditions. The processor is further programmed to indicate that a fan case inspection should be conducted in response to the vibration sensor signal indicating that fan case liner damage has occurred.

Detection of fan case liner damage during turbine engine operation

The pilot communication system employs a transducer array of individual spaced apart speakers and/or microphones for deployment within the cockpit. A signal processing circuit interfaces with the transducer array and also with the aircraft avionics communication system, and selectively applies different time delays to the individual speakers and/or microphones to create in the array an acoustic beam having steerable coverage within the acoustic space of the cockpit. By adjusting the time delays the signal processing circuit directs and focuses sound from the speakers to the pilot and similarly focuses the microphones on the pilot's mouth. In this way the pilots can communicate with each other and with air traffic control without the need to wear headsets. The system also significantly reduces flight deck warnings from being introduced into the cabin environment.

Phased array speaker and microphone system for cockpit communication

An aircraft includes a fuselage, a cabin surface, and a first chamber. The cabin surface is disposed within the fuselage and defines a first aperture and at least part of a cabin air mass having a first acoustic mode. The first chamber is acoustically coupled with the aperture and has a length that is one quarter of a wavelength of sound at the first acoustic mode.

Aircraft with cabin acoustic systems having quarter wavelength absorbers

Aircraft, wing-to-body fairing assemblies, and air exchange systems are provided. An aircraft includes a fuselage, a wing secured to the fuselage, an outer skin panel, and an air exchange system. The outer skin panel is secured to the wing and/or the fuselage and at least partially defines a cavity. The air exchange system is secured to the outer skin panel and exchanges air between the cavity and an external environment. The air exchange system includes an air inlet, a diffuser, and a silencer. The air inlet is disposed in the outer skin panel and accommodates an air flow between the cavity and the external environment. The diffuser is attached to the air inlet and has a varying cross sectional area to change the speed of the air flow. The silencer is attached to the diffuser and communicates the air flow between the diffuser and the cavity and reduces noise.

Aircraft and air exchange systems for ventilated cavities of aircraft

Embodiments of thermal-acoustic sections for an aircraft for reducing noise along an acoustic path produced from an acoustic source are provided herein. The thermal-acoustic section comprises a first porous layer having a first characteristic acoustic impedance. A second porous layer is disposed adjacent to the first porous layer and has a second characteristic acoustic impedance that is greater than the first characteristic acoustic impedance. The thermal-acoustic section is configured to be positioned along the acoustic path such that at least a portion of the noise from the acoustic source is directed through the first porous layer to the second porous layer to promote absorption of the noise.

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Savannah, GA, United States of America

Tongan Wang