Rotor noise reduction using signal processing
AssigneeKitty Hawk Corporation
InventorCameron Robertson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A takeoff location and a landing location are received for an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle that includes a plurality of rotors. An autonomous and noise-reduced flight trajectory for the autonomous VTOL vehicle is determined based at least in part on the takeoff location, the landing location, a jerk function, and a noise function, including by minimizing the jerk function and minimizing the noise function. A set of one or more desired forces or moments is determined for the autonomous VTOL vehicle based at least in part on autonomous and noise-reduced flight trajectory. A plurality of motor control signals is determined for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the set of one or more desired forces or moments.
Claims18
A system, comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
- receive a takeoff location and a landing location for an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle that includes a plurality of rotors;
- determine an autonomous and noise-reduced flight trajectory for the autonomous VTOL vehicle based at least in part on the takeoff location, the landing location, a jerk function, and a noise function, including by minimizing the jerk function and minimizing the noise function;
- determine a set of one or more desired forces or moments for the autonomous VTOL vehicle based at least in part on autonomous and noise-reduced flight trajectory;
- and
- determine a plurality of motor control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the set of one or more desired forces or moments, wherein:
- the plurality of rotors includes a first phase-locked rotor and a second phase-locked rotor;
- and
- determining the plurality of motor control signals for the plurality of rotors includes determining a first phase-locked motor control signal for the first phase-locked rotor and a second phase-locked motor control signal for the second phase-locked rotor, wherein the first phase-locked motor control signal and the second phase-locked motor control signal cause the first phase-locked rotor and the second phase-locked rotor to respectively rotate at a fixed phase difference.
A method, comprising:
- receiving a takeoff location and a landing location for an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle that includes a plurality of rotors;
- determining an autonomous and noise-reduced flight trajectory for the autonomous VTOL vehicle based at least in part on the takeoff location, the landing location, a jerk function, and a noise function, including by minimizing the jerk function and minimizing the noise function;
- determining a set of one or more desired forces or moments for the autonomous VTOL vehicle based at least in part on autonomous and noise-reduced flight trajectory;
- and
- determining a plurality of motor control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the set of one or more desired forces or moments, wherein:
- the plurality of rotors includes a first phase-locked rotor and a second phase-locked rotor;
- and
- determining the plurality of motor control signals for the plurality of rotors includes determining a first phase-locked motor control signal for the first phase-locked rotor and a second phase-locked motor control signal for the second phase-locked rotor, wherein the first phase-locked motor control signal and the second phase-locked motor control signal cause the first phase-locked rotor and the second phase-locked rotor to respectively rotate at a fixed phase difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.