Arrangements and methods for enhanced communication on aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11545126-B2
Application number	US-201916355390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 17, 2019
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for at least one of communication and noise attenuation within an aircraft, the arrangement comprising:
an array of first microphones disposed generally in front of a first cockpit seat and unobstructedly directed towards a first aircraft operator when the first aircraft operator is disposed in the first cockpit seat to cooperatively receive a first communication input from the first aircraft operator;
an array of first speakers directed towards the first aircraft operator when disposed in the first cockpit seat to cooperatively provide a first communication output to the first aircraft operator;
an array of second microphones disposed generally in front of a second cockpit seat and unobstructedly directed towards a second aircraft operator when the second aircraft operator is disposed in the second cockpit seat to cooperatively receive a second communication input from the second aircraft operator;
an array of second speakers directed towards the second aircraft operator when disposed in the second cockpit seat to cooperatively provide a second communication output to the second aircraft operator, wherein the first cockpit seat and the second cockpit seat are adjacent to each other; and
a controller(s) that is in communication with the array of first microphones, the array of second microphones, the array of first speakers, and the array of second speakers, and wherein the controller(s) is operative to use an algorithm for controlling communication, wherein the controller(s) is configured to provide adaptive control such that the first aircraft operator can independently control the array of first microphones and the array of first speakers, and the second aircraft operator can independently control the array of second microphones and the array of second speakers to create a customized acoustic environment, independently around each of the first and second aircraft operators.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the first communication output corresponds to one of the second communication input and a communication from an air traffic control tower, and the second communication output corresponds to one of the first communication input and the communication from an air traffic control tower, wherein the first communication input is communicated to one of the array of second speakers, the air traffic control tower, and an onboard aircraft speaker system for communication to aircraft passengers, and wherein the second communication input is communicated to one of the array of first speakers, the air traffic control tower, and the onboard aircraft speaker system for communication to the aircraft passengers.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the array of first microphones is cooperatively configured to receive predominantly the first communication input and not the second communication input while the array of second microphones is cooperatively configured to receive predominantly the second communication input and not the first communication input.

4. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the array of first speakers is cooperatively configured to provide the first communication output and not the second communication output to the first aircraft operator while the array of second speakers is cooperatively configured to provide the second communication output and not the first communication output to the second aircraft operator.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
an active noise cancellation device(s) configured for noise attenuation and in communication with the controller(s), wherein the controller(s) is operative to use the algorithm for controlling the noise attenuation.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 , further comprising:
a monitoring device(s) configured for detecting noise in the aircraft and in communication with the controller(s), wherein the controller(s) is operative to use the algorithm to direct the active noise cancellation device(s) to attenuate the noise in response to a signal from the monitoring device(s).

7. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the first communication output corresponds to the second communication input and the second communication output corresponds to the first communication input.

8. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the first communication output corresponds to the communication from the air traffic control tower and the second communication output corresponds to the communication from the air traffic control tower.

9. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage having an interior and including a cockpit and a cabin area that are disposed in the interior separated by one or more barriers including at least one of a cabin bulkhead or curtain;
a first cockpit seat disposed in the cockpit and configured for supporting a first aircraft operator; and
an arrangement for at least one of communication and noise attenuation for the aircraft, the arrangement comprising:
an array of first microphones disposed in the cockpit generally in front of the first cockpit seat and unobstructedly directed towards the first cockpit seat to cooperatively receive a first communication input from the first aircraft operator;
an array of first speakers disposed in the cockpit and directed towards the first cockpit seat to cooperatively provide a first communication output to the first aircraft operator;
an array of second microphones disposed generally in front of a second cockpit seat and unobstructedly directed towards a second aircraft operator when the second aircraft operator is disposed in the second cockpit seat to cooperatively receive a second communication input from the second aircraft operator;
an array of second speakers directed towards the second aircraft operator when disposed in the second cockpit seat to cooperatively provide a second communication output to the second aircraft operator, wherein the first cockpit seat and the second cockpit seat are adjacent to each other; and
a controller(s) that is in communication with the array of first microphones, the array of second microphones, the array of first speakers, and the array of second speakers, and wherein the controller(s) is operative to use an algorithm for controlling communication, wherein the controller(s) is configured to provide adaptive control such that the first aircraft operator can independently control the array of first microphones and the array of first speakers, and the second aircraft operator can independently control the array of second microphones and the array of second speakers to create a customized acoustic environment, independently around each of the first and second aircraft operators.

10. The aircraft of claim 9 ,
wherein the first communication output corresponds to one of the second communication input and a communication from an air traffic control tower, and the second communication output corresponds to one of the first communication input and the communication from an air traffic control tower, wherein the first communication input is communicated to one of the array of second speakers, the air traffic control tower, and an onboard aircraft speaker system for communication to aircraft passengers, and wherein the second communication input is communicated to one of the array of first speakers, the air traffic control tower, and the onboard aircraft speaker system for communication to the aircraft passengers.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the array of first microphones is cooperatively configured to receive predominantly the first communication input and not the second communication input while the array of second microphones is cooperatively configured to receive predominantly the second communication input and

Assignees

• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inventors

• Davis Bethany
• Mayo Amy
• Bohanan Scott
• Jordan Jim
• Maxon John
• Conti Paul
• Wang Tongan

Classifications

• G10K2210/3012

  Algorithms · CPC title

• G10K11/17857 Primary

  Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones · CPC title

• G10K2200/10

  Beamforming, e.g. time reversal, phase conjugation or similar · CPC title

• G10K2210/1281

  Aircraft, e.g. spacecraft, airplane or helicopter · CPC title

• G10K2210/108

  Communication systems, e.g. where useful sound is kept and noise is cancelled · CPC title