US 9,858,947 B2Granted

Drone detection and classification methods and apparatus

AssigneeDroneshield, LLC

InventorsBrian Hearing, John Franklin

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for drone detection and classification are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a sound signal in a microphone and recording, via a sound card, a digital sound sample of the sound signal, the digital sound sample having a predetermined duration. The method also includes processing, via a processor, the digital sound sample into a feature frequency spectrum. The method further includes applying, via the processor, broad spectrum matching to compare the feature frequency spectrum to at least one drone sound signature stored in a database, the at least one drone sound signature corresponding to a flight characteristic of a drone model. The method moreover includes, conditioned on matching the feature frequency spectrum to one of the drone sound signatures, transmitting, via the processor, an alert.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for detecting a drone comprising:

a microphone configured to receive a sound signal;
a sound card configured to record a digital sound sample of the sound signal;
a sample processor configured to:
partition the digital sound sample into a predetermined number of segments,
convert each of the segments into a vector of frequency amplitudes by applying a frequency domain transformation to the segments,
form a composite frequency vector by averaging the vectors,
determine whether a drone component exists within the composite frequency vector by comparing the composite frequency vector to a database of known drone signatures,
determine a drone detection of the drone if the drone component exists within the composite frequency vector,
determine at least one of a distance and a heading related to the drone detection using at least one of the digital sound sample and the drone component of the composite frequency vector, and
transmit a message indicative of the drone detection including the at least one of the distance and the heading;
and
a server communicatively coupled to the sample processor and configured to:
receive the message indicative of the drone detection;
and
display within a user interface a graphical representation of the drone detection including the at least one of the distance and heading of the drone.

12 more elements

A method for detecting a drone comprising:

(i) receiving, in a microphone, a sound signal;
(ii) recording, via a sound card, a digital sound sample of the sound signal;
(iii) partitioning, via a processor, the digital sound sample into a predetermined number of segments;
(iv) converting, via the processor, each of the segments into a vector of frequency amplitudes by applying a frequency domain transformation to the segments;
(v) forming, via the processor, a composite frequency vector by averaging the vectors;
(vi) determining, via the processor, whether a drone component exists within the composite frequency vector by comparing the composite frequency vector to a database of known drone signatures;
(vii) determining, via the processor, a drone detection of the drone if the drone component exists within the composite frequency vector;
(viii) identifying, via the processor, a flight characteristic referencing a drone signature that matches the drone component within the composite frequency vector;
(is) determining, via the processor, an estimated flight path of the drone based on the flight characteristic and a known location of the microphone;
and
(x) displaying, via the processor within a user interface, a graphical representation of the drone detection including at least one of the estimated flight path of the drone and the location of the microphone.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/950,864Filed 24 Nov 2015 · continuation
Priority: 22 Apr 2014
Published: US 2016/0086621 A124 Mar 2016
Granted: 2 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G10L 25/51
Specially adapted for particular use: for comparison or discrimination
G01H 1/00
Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the
G01S 3/80
Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not…:…
G01S 5/18
Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance…:…

Family

Application14/258,304Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Apr 2014
US 2016/0086621 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Mar 2016
US 2015/0302858 A1Published application
US 9,275,645 B2Related patent
US 9,858,947 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.