Characterizing, synthesizing, and/or canceling out acoustic signals from sound sources

A method of characterizing a sound source, comprising the steps of:

• generating a measured primary excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• generating a parameterized primary excitation function from the measured excitation function;
• subtracting the parameterized primary excitation function from the measured primary excitation function to create an estimated secondary excitation function;
• selecting a chaotic excitation function from a set of chaotic excitation functions which best fits the estimated secondary excitation function;
• identifying the chaotic excitation function as a parameterized secondary excitation function;
• characterizing acoustic emissions from the sound source;
• and
• generating, from the parameterized primary excitation function, from the parameterized secondary excitation function, and from the acoustic emissions, a function which represents the sound source.

A method of characterizing a sound source, comprising the steps of:

• generating a parameterized primary excitation function from primary excitations of the sound source;
• generating a parameterized secondary excitation function from secondary excitations of the sound source using a second EM sensor;
• generating a parameterized acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a primary transfer function from the parameterized primary excitation function and the parameterized acoustic function, whereby primary excitations of the sound source are characterized;
• convolving the parameterized primary excitation function and the primary transfer function to generate an estimated primary acoustic function;
• subtracting the estimated primary acoustic function from the parameterized acoustic function to generate an estimated secondary acoustic function;
• and
• calculating a secondary transfer function from the parameterized secondary excitation function and the estimated secondary acoustic function, whereby secondary excitations of the sound source are characterized.

A method of characterizing a sound source, comprising the steps of:

• generating a parameterized primary excitation function from primary excitations of the sound source;
• generating a parameterized acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a primary transfer function from the parameterized primary excitation function and the parameterized acoustic function, whereby primary excitations of the sound source are characterized;
• convolving the parameterized primary excitation function and the primary transfer function to generate an estimated primary acoustic function;
• subtracting the estimated primary acoustic function from the parameterized acoustic function to generate an estimated secondary acoustic function;
• retrieving a pre-selected excitation function;
• and
• calculating a secondary transfer function from the pre-selected excitation function and the estimated secondary acoustic function, whereby secondary excitations of the sound source are characterized.

A method for canceling out acoustic signals from a sound source, comprising the steps of:

• generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• receiving cancellation instructions;
• convolving the excitation function with the transfer function to synthesize a canceling acoustic signal;
• and
• broadcasting the canceling acoustic signal proximate to the acoustic emissions.

A method of identifying a sound source, comprising the steps of:

• generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• comparing the transfer function to a set of pre-stored transfer functions corresponding to a set of known sound sources;
• and
• identifying the sound source as one in the set of known sound sources whose transfer function best matches the transfer function of the sound source.

A system for characterizing a sound source, comprising:

• means for characterizing excitations from the sound source;
• means for characterizing acoustic emissions from the sound source;
• and
• means for generating, from the excitations and the acoustic emissions, a function which represents the sound source.

A system for characterizing a sound source, comprising:

• means for generating a measured primary excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• means for generating a parameterized primary excitation function from the measured excitation function;
• means for subtracting the parameterized primary excitation function from the measured primary excitation function to create an estimated secondary excitation function;
• means for selecting a chaotic excitation function from a set of chaotic excitation functions which best fits the estimated secondary excitation function;
• means for identifying the chaotic excitation function as a parameterized secondary excitation function;
• means for characterizing acoustic emissions from the sound source;
• and
• means for generating, from the parameterized primary excitation function, from the parameterized secondary excitation function, and from the acoustic emissions, a function which represents the sound source.

A system for characterizing a sound source, comprising:

• means for generating a parameterized primary excitation function from primary excitations of the sound source;
• means for generating a parameterized secondary excitation function from secondary excitations of the sound source using a second EM sensor;
• means for generating a parameterized acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• means for calculating a primary transfer function from the parameterized primary excitation function and the parameterized acoustic function, whereby primary excitations of the sound source are characterized;
• means for convolving the parameterized primary excitation function and the primary transfer function to generate an estimated primary acoustic function;
• means for subtracting the estimated primary acoustic function from the parameterized acoustic function to generate an estimated secondary acoustic function;
• and
• means for calculating a secondary transfer function from the parameterized secondary excitation function and the estimated secondary acoustic function, whereby secondary excitations of the sound source are characterized.

A system for characterizing a sound source, comprising:

• means for generating a parameterized primary excitation function from primary excitations of the sound source;
• means for generating a parameterized acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• means for calculating a primary transfer function from the parameterized primary excitation function and the parameterized acoustic function, whereby primary excitations of the sound source are characterized;
• means for convolving the parameterized primary excitation function and the primary transfer function to generate an estimated primary acoustic function;
• means for subtracting the estimated primary acoustic function from the parameterized acoustic function to generate an estimated secondary acoustic function;
• means for retrieving a pre-selected excitation function;
• and
• means for calculating a secondary transfer function from the pre-selected excitation function and the estimated secondary acoustic function, whereby secondary excitations of the sound source are characterized.

A system for canceling out acoustic signals from an sound source, comprising:

• means for generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• means for generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• means for calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• means for receiving cancellation instructions;
• means for convolving the excitation function with the transfer function to synthesize a canceling acoustic signal;
• and
• means for broadcasting the canceling acoustic signal proximate to the acoustic emissions.

A system for identifying a sound source, comprising:

• means for generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• means for generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• means for calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• means for comparing the transfer function to a set of pre-stored transfer functions corresponding to a set of known sound sources;
• and
• means for identifying the sound source as one in the set of known sound sources whose transfer function best matches the transfer function of the sound source.

A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to characterize a sound source, by performing the steps of:

• characterizing excitations from the sound source;
• characterizing acoustic emissions from the sound source;
• and
• generating, from the excitations and the acoustic emissions, a function which represents the sound source.

A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to characterize a sound source, by performing the steps of:

• generating a parameterized primary excitation function from primary excitations of the sound source;
• generating a parameterized secondary excitation function from secondary excitations of the sound source using a second EM sensor;
• generating a parameterized acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a primary transfer function from the parameterized primary excitation function and the parameterized acoustic function, whereby primary excitations of the sound source are characterized;
• convolving the parameterized primary excitation function and the primary transfer function to generate an estimated primary acoustic function;
• subtracting the estimated primary acoustic function from the parameterized acoustic function to generate an estimated secondary acoustic function;
• and
• calculating a secondary transfer function from the parameterized secondary excitation function and the estimated secondary acoustic function, whereby secondary excitations of the e sound source are characterized.

A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to characterize a sound source, by performing the steps of:

• generating a parameterized primary excitation function from primary excitations of the sound source;
• generating a parameterized acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a primary transfer function from the parameterized primary excitation function and the parameterized acoustic function, whereby primary excitations of the sound source are characterized;
• convolving the parameterized primary excitation function and the primary transfer function to generate an estimated primary acoustic function;
• subtracting the estimated primary acoustic function from the parameterized acoustic function to generate an estimated secondary acoustic function;
• retrieving a pre-selected excitation function;
• and
• calculating a secondary transfer function from the pre-selected excitation function and the estimated secondary acoustic function, whereby secondary excitations of the sound source are characterized.

A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to synthesizing acoustic signals representing a sound source, by performing the steps of:

• receiving synthesis instructions;
• retrieving a primary excitation function from a memory based on the synthesis instructions;
• retrieving a primary transfer function from the memory based on the synthesis instructions;
• and
• convolving the primary excitation function with the primary transfer function to synthesize a first acoustic signal.

A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to canceling out acoustic signals from a sound source, by performing the steps of:

• generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• receiving cancellation instructions;
• convolving the excitation function with the transfer function to synthesize a canceling acoustic signal;
• and
• broadcasting the canceling acoustic signal proximate to the acoustic emissions.

A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to identify a sound source, by performing the steps of:

• generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• comparing the transfer function to a set of pre-stored transfer functions corresponding to a set of known sound sources;
• and
• identifying the sound source as one in the set of known sound sources whose transfer function best matches the transfer function of the sound source.

A system for characterizing acoustic signals from a sound source, comprising:

• a first electromagnetic (EM) sensor monitoring primary excitations from the sound source;
• a first acoustic sensor monitoring a first set of acoustic emissions from the sound source;
• an EM processor, coupled to the EM sensor, for converting the primary excitations into a primary excitation function;
• an acoustic processor, coupled to the acoustic sensor, for converting the first set of acoustic emissions into a first acoustic function;
• a transfer function processor, coupled to the EM processor and the acoustic processor, for generating a primary transfer function from the primary excitation function and the first acoustic function.

A system for synthesizing acoustic signals from a sound source, comprising:

• a memory containing a primary excitation function and a primary transfer function;
• a synthesis control unit for generating synthesis instructions;
• and
• a synthesis processor, coupled to the synthesis control unit and the memory, for retrieving the primary excitation function and the primary transfer function, and for convolving the primary excitation function with the primary transfer function to synthesize a first acoustic signal.

A system for canceling out acoustic signals from a sound source, comprising:

• an electromagnetic processor for generating an excitation function from excitations of the sound source;
• an acoustic processor for generating an acoustic function from acoustic emissions of the sound source;
• a transfer function processor, coupled to the electromagnetic processor and the acoustic processor, for calculating a transfer function from the excitation function and the acoustic function;
• a synthesis processor, coupled to the transfer function processor, for receiving cancellation instructions, for convolving the excitation function with the transfer function to synthesize a canceling acoustic signal;
• and
• a broadcasting unit, coupled to the synthesis processor, for broadcasting the canceling acoustic signal proximate to the acoustic emissions.