Unmanned flying object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377198-B2
Application number	US-201816147937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2018
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

An unmanned flying object, capable of suppressing an increase in overall size while having a configuration to reduce noise, is provided. The unmanned flying object includes a duct that corresponds to: at least one generator that generates airflow; at least one microphone; and at least one speaker. The duct covers the at least one generator in a direction perpendicular to an airflow direction, passes the airflow in the airflow direction, includes a space between inner and outer peripheral surfaces, and defines an opening at the end of the space in the airflow direction. A shape of the inner peripheral surface is tapered in the airflow direction. The at least one microphone is positioned in the space. The at least one speaker is positioned closer to the at least one generator than the at least one microphone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned flying object, comprising:
a duct
at least one generator that generates force to fly the unmanned flying object and generates airflow;
at least one microphone; and
at least one speaker; and

a processor that generates a second signal according to a first signal outputted from the at least one microphone, wherein
the duct covers the at least one generator in a direction perpendicular to an airflow direction that is a direction in which the airflow is generated by the at least one generator, passes the airflow in the airflow direction, includes a space between an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, and defines an opening at the end of the space in the airflow direction,
a shape of the inner peripheral surface of the duct is tapered in the airflow direction,
the at least one microphone is positioned in the space of the duct, and
the at least one speaker is positioned closer to the at least one generator than the at least one microphone, and outputs a sound according to the second signal.

2. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
a position of the at least one microphone corresponds to a position in the space at the end of the duct in the airflow direction.

3. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one microphone is positioned in a region of the space where a distance to the outer peripheral surface is shorter than a distance to the inner peripheral surface.

4. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one microphone is fixed, through a connector, to at least one of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the duct.

5. The unmanned flying object according to claim 4 , wherein
the connector is an elastic body.

6. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one microphone is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the duct.

7. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of ducts.

8. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
a length of the duct in the airflow direction is one-third to twice a width of the duct in the direction perpendicular to the airflow direction.

9. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening defined by the duct at the end of the space in the airflow direction is completely opened.

10. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening defined by the duct at the end of the space in the airflow direction is partially opened.

11. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one speaker is positioned inside an airway of the duct.

12. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one speaker is positioned outside an airway of the duct.

13. A duct assembly for an unmanned flying object, the duct assembly comprising:
a duct;
at least one generator that generates force to fly the unmanned flying object and generates airflow;
at least one microphone; and
at least one speaker,
the duct covers the at least one generator in a direction perpendicular to an airflow direction that is a direction in which the airflow is generated by the at least one generator, passes the airflow in the airflow direction, includes a space between an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, and defines an opening at the end of the space in the airflow direction,
a shape of the inner peripheral surface of the duct is tapered in the airflow direction,
the at least one microphone is positioned in the space of the duct, and
the at least one speaker is positioned closer to the at least one generator than the at least one microphone, and outputs a sound according to a signal.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Konishi Kazunobu
• John Stephen William
• Asai Katsuhiko
• Mizuno Ko

Classifications

• B64U50/14

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title

• B64U20/20

  for noise reduction · CPC title

• B64U30/26

  Ducted or shrouded rotors · CPC title

• B64U10/13 Primary

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• G10K11/17875

  using an error signal without a reference signal, e.g. pure feedback · CPC title