US 2021/0343267 A1Published application

Phased array speaker and microphone system for cockpit communication

AssigneeGulfstream Aerospace Corporation

InventorsScott Bohanan, Vincent Dechellis, Tongan Wang, Joseph Salamone, Jim Jordan, Andrew N. Durrence

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Abstract

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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In an aircraft cockpit that defines an acoustic space with at least one pilot seating location disposed therein and that includes an avionics communication system, a pilot communication system comprising:

a transducer array comprising a plurality of individual acoustic transducers disposed in a spaced relation to one another and combined for deployment within the cockpit;
each of the plurality of acoustic transducers converting sound information between sound information expressed as an electrical signal and sound information expressed as an acoustic wave;
a signal processing circuit having an input port that receives sound information and an output port that supplies sound information after being processed by the signal processing circuit;
the input port being configured for coupling to one of:
the transducer array and the avionics communication system;
the output port being configured to couple to the other of:
the transducer array and the avionics communication system;
the signal processing circuit being coupled to the transducer array to electrically interface with each of the plurality of transducers individually;
the signal processing circuit selectively inserting a set of time delays associated with at least some of the plurality of individual transducers to form a coverage beam within the acoustic space of the cockpit;
the signal processing circuit selectively controlling the time delays associated with the at least some of the plurality of individual transducers to steer the coverage beam in the direction of the pilot seating location.

7 more elements

a microphone array comprising a plurality of individual microphones disposed in a spaced relation to one another and combined for deployment within the cockpit;
each of the plurality of microphones converting sound information expressed as an acoustic wave into sound information expressed as an electrical signal;
a speaker array comprising a plurality of individual speakers disposed in a spaced relation to one another and combined for deployment within the cockpit;
each of the plurality of speakers converting sound information expressed as an electrical signal into sound information expressed as an acoustic wave;
a signal processing system having a first input port that receives sound information from the avionics communication system a second input port that receives sound information from the microphone array, the signal processing circuit being coupled to the microphone array to electrically interface with each of the plurality of microphones individually, the signal processing circuit selectively inserting a first set of time delays associated with at least some of the plurality of individual microphones to form a first coverage beam within the acoustic space of the cockpit;
the signal processing circuit having a first output port that supplies sound information to the avionics communication system and a second output port that supplies sound information to the speaker array, the signal processing circuit being coupled to the speaker array to electrically interface with each of the plurality of speakers individually, the signal processing circuit selectively inserting a second set of time delays associated with at least some of the plurality of individual speakers to form a second coverage beam within the acoustic space of the cockpit.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.