IP Library Granted Patent US 12,196,870
Granted Patent B2
US 12,196,870 · App. 18/239,807 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Device for acoustic source localization

Inventors: Kathleen Ann Griggs (Vienna, VA); Stephen Patrick Griggs (Vienna, VA)
Assignee: Databuoy Corporation
G01S3/808G01S5/18G08B13/1672G08B29/188
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,196,870
App. No.
18/239,807
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Acoustic signals from an acoustic event are captured via sensing nodes of sensor group(s) that comprise a group of sensing nodes at a location comprising spatial boundaries. Each of the sensing nodes comprise a sensor area. Each of the sensor group(s) is based on: range limits of each of the sensing nodes; shared sensing areas of the sensing nodes; and intersections between the sensor area for each of the sensing nodes and the spatial boundaries. Solutions(s) are generated by processing the acoustic signals. The solution(s) indicate the location of the acoustic event. A strength of solution compliance value for at least one of the solution(s) is determined. A refined solution is generated employing: sensor contributions of sensing nodes; and the strength of solution compliance value with the spatial boundaries and at least one of the solution(s). A report is created comprising the location of the acoustic event.

Claims (41)

1. A device for locating a source of an acoustic event comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to:

capture acoustic signals from an acoustic event via sensing nodes of at least one sensor group, the at least one sensor group comprising a group of sensing nodes at a location, wherein:

the location comprises spatial boundaries;

each of the sensing nodes comprise a sensor area; and each of the at least one sensor group based on:

range limits of each of the sensing nodes; shared sensing areas of the sensing nodes; and

intersections between the sensor area for each of the sensing nodes and the spatial boundaries; and

generate at least one solution by processing the acoustic signals;

determine a strength of solution compliance value for at least one of the at least one solution;

generate a refined solution employing:

sensor contributions of sensing nodes; and

the strength of solution compliance value with the spatial boundaries;

determine a location of an impulsive acoustic signals based at least in part on at least one of the at least one solution and the refined solution; and

a hub configured for control of the group of sensing nodes at the location and for communicating a report including the location of the acoustic event to one or more of a data repository and a service at a remote location via a communications link.

2. The device of claim 1 , where the one solution and the refined solution are utilized to discriminate false alarms due at least in part by multi-path acoustic waves.

3. The device of claim 1 , where the one solution and the refined solution are utilized to discriminate false alarms due at least in part to reverberations.

4. The device of claim 1 , where the one solution and the refined solution are utilized to discriminate false alarms due at least in part to signal characteristics.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that cause the device to determine a false alarm based at least in part on the group of sensing nodes.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that cause the device to generate the report indicating the type of acoustic event based at least in part on the acoustic signals.

7. The device of claim 1 , where the location comprises an enclosed space.

8. The device of claim 1 , where the enclosed space is indoors.

9. The device of claim 1 , where the group of sensing nodes comprises multi-sensors.

10. The device of claim 1 , where the device is operatively coupled to one or more interfaces.

11. The device of claim 1 , where the impulsive acoustic signals comprise one or more types of noises.

12. The device of claim 11 , where the types of noises include gun shots, muzzle blasts, bullet shockwaves, explosives and other noises.

13. The device of claim 1 , where the impulsive acoustic signals are categorized.

14. The device of claim 1 , where the device is operatively coupled to one or more networks.

15. The device of claim 1 , where the location comprises shared enclosed space and outdoor space.

16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising the hub configured to receive the report, the hub comprising at least one of the following:

a communications hub;

a sensor control gateway; and

the data repository.

17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising the hub configured to extract incoming audio data collected in the memory and to process said audio data to further verify if the acoustic event occurred.

18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising the hub configured to collect audio data from the group of sensing nodes at the location that continuously monitor the acoustic environment of the location.

19. The device of claim 1 , further comprising the hub configured to send a report when the acoustic event occurs that includes collected audio data or processed audio data.

20. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of the sensing nodes of the group of sensing nodes manually aligned to a mounting location of the one or more sensing nodes to locate the sensor orientation of the one or more sensing nodes relative to the mounting location.

21. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of the sensing nodes of the group of sensing nodes installed in a luminaire, where the one or more of the sensing nodes installed in the luminaire are aligned with respect to the luminaire.

22. The device of claim 1 , where the location of the group of sensing nodes provides the sensor position of the group of sensing nodes relative to a map or map image and a geocoded sensor location and orientation of each sensing node of the group of sensing nodes that can be stored.

23. The device of claim 1 , where the hub is configured to compute and map a field of view of a sensing node of the group of sensing nodes and where a maximum distance of the radial field of view corresponds to a maximum range from where an acoustic event will produce a detectable signal.

24. The device of claim 23 , further comprising the hub configured to correlate the field of view of the detectable signal with the locations and area of coverage of sensing nodes of the group of sensing nodes nearby the sensing node.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2023
From: GRIGGS, STEPHEN PATRICK; GRIGGS, KATHLEEN ANN
To: DATABUOY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064842/0137 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 18203943 · May 31, 2023
Continuation 17685761 · Mar 3, 2022
Continuation 16937702 · Jul 24, 2020
Continuation 16207163 · Dec 2, 2018
Continuation 15873917 · Jan 18, 2018
Continuation 14863624 · Sep 24, 2015
Provisional Application 62138474 · Mar 26, 2015
Related Publication 20230408623A1 · Dec 21, 2023
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Cited By (1)
US 12,372,599