# US 10,319,228 B2 · Detecting and responding to sirens > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,319,228 B2 - Document ID: US10319228B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/689,336 - Filed: 2017-08-29 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-27 - Assignees: Waymo LLC - Applicants: Waymo LLC - Inventors: David Harrison Silver; Angus Leigh; Benjamin Ingram; Jennifer Taylor; Vaibhav Nangia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319228B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/0965: responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle - G01S 3/8083: {determining direction of source} - G01S 5/22: Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/28 takes precedence) - G01S 11/14: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - G06F 16/683: using metadata automatically derived from the content - G06F 16/686: {using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings} - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - G01S 13/862: {Combination of radar systems with sonar systems} - G01S 13/865: {Combination of radar systems with lidar systems} - G01S 13/867: {Combination of radar systems with cameras} - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 2013/9318: {Controlling the steering} - G01S 2013/93185: {Controlling the brakes} - G01S 2013/9319: {Controlling the accelerator} - G01S 2013/9323: {Alternative operation using light waves} - G01S 2013/9324: {Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves} - G01S 2013/93273: {on the top of the vehicles} - G01S 2205/01: specially adapted for specific applications - G08G 1/09623: {Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence)} - G08G 1/09626: {where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map} - H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract The technology relates to detecting and responding to emergency vehicles. This may include using a plurality of microphones to detect a siren noise corresponding to an emergency vehicle and to estimate a bearing of the emergency vehicle. This estimated bearing is compared to map information to identify a portion of roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling. In addition, information identifying a set of objects in the vehicle's environment as well as characteristics of those objects is received from a perception system is used to determine whether one of the set of objects corresponds to the emergency vehicle. How to respond to the emergency vehicle is determined based on the estimated bearing and identified road segments and the determination of whether one of the set of objects corresponds to the emergency vehicle. This determined response is then used to control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting and responding to emergency vehicles, the method comprising: using, by one or more processors, a plurality of microphones arranged at different locations on a vehicle to detect a siren noise corresponding to an emergency vehicle; using, by the one or more processors, output from the plurality of microphones to estimate a bearing, a range and a relative velocity of a source of the detected siren noise; comparing, by the one or more processors, the estimated bearing to map information to identify a portion of a roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling; determining, by the one or more processors, whether one vehicle of a plurality of vehicles within range of one or more sensors of a perception system of the vehicle corresponds to the emergency vehicle by determining information including at least one of a heading, location or relative velocity of each of the plurality of vehicles and, estimating a likelihood of each of the plurality of vehicles being the source of the detected siren noise by comparing the determined information of each of the plurality of vehicles to the estimated bearing, range and relative velocity of the source of the detected siren noise; determining, by the one or more processors, how to respond to the emergency vehicle based on the estimated bearing and the identified portion of the roadway and the estimated likelihoods of each of the plurality of vehicles being the source of the siren noise; and controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode based on the determination of how to respond to the emergency vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising using output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate the range of the source of the detected siren noise. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising using output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate the relative velocity of the source of the detected siren noise. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle includes changing from a first lane to a second lane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle includes pulling the vehicle over onto a shoulder area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle includes continuing on a current trajectory of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle further includes decreasing a speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 A method of detecting and responding to emergency vehicles, the method comprising: using, by one or more processors, a plurality of microphones arranged at different locations on a vehicle to detect a siren noise corresponding to an emergency vehicle; using, by the one or more processors, output from the plurality of microphones to estimate a bearing, a range and a relative velocity of a source of the detected siren noise; comparing, by the one or more processors, the estimated bearing to map information to identify a portion of a roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling; receiving, from a perception system of the vehicle having one or more sensors, information identifying a set of objects in the vehicle's environment as well as characteristics of the set of objects, the set of objects including a plurality of vehicles, the characteristics for each of the plurality of vehicles including at least one of a heading, location or relative velocity; determining based on the received information, by the one or more processors, whether one of the plurality of vehicles corresponds to the emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of the set of objects, including estimating a likelihood of each of the plurality of vehicles being the source of the detected siren noise by comparing the characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles to the estimated bearing, range and relative velocity of the source of the detected siren noise; determining, by the one or more processors, how to respond to the emergency vehicle based on the estimated bearing, the identified portion, and the determination of whether the one of plurality of vehicles corresponds to the emergency vehicle according to the estimated likelihoods of each of the plurality of vehicles being the source of the siren noise; and controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode based on the determination of how to respond to the emergency vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising using output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate the range of the source of the detected siren noise. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising using output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate the relative velocity of the source of the detected siren noise. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing, by the one or more processors, the estimated bearing to map information to identify a portion of roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling, and wherein determining how to respond to the emergency vehicle is further based on the estimated bearing and the portion of roadway. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying a first likelihood that each given vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is the emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of that given vehicle, and wherein determining whether one of the plurality of vehicles corresponds to the emergency vehicle is further based on any first likelihoods. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying a second likelihood that each given vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is not the emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of that given vehicle, and wherein determining whether one of the plurality of vehicles corresponds to the emergency vehicle is further based on any second likelihoods. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein controlling the vehicle includes stopping at an intersection when the vehicle would otherwise have right of way to proceed through the intersection. ### Claim 15 A system for detecting and responding to emergency vehicles, the system comprising one or more processors configured to: use a plurality of microphones arranged at different locations on a vehicle to detect a siren noise corresponding to an emergency vehicle; use output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate a bearing, a range and a relative velocity of a source of the detected siren noise; compare the estimated bearing to map information to identify a portion of roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling; receive, from a perception system of the vehicle having one or more sensors, information identifying a set of objects in the vehicle's environment as well as characteristics of the set of objects, the set of objects including a plurality of vehicles, the characteristics for each of the plurality of vehicles including at least one of a heading, location or relative velocity; determine based on the received information whether one of the plurality of vehicles corresponds to the emergency vehicle based on the characteristics of the set of objects, including estimation of a likelihood of each of the plurality of vehicles being a source of the detected siren noise by comparison of the characteristics of each of the plurality of vehicles to the estimated bearing, range and relative velocity of the source of the detected siren noise; determine how to respond to the emergency vehicle based on the estimated bearing, the portion of roadway, and the determination of whether one of the plurality of vehicles corresponds to the emergency vehicle according to the estimated likelihoods of each of the plurality of vehicles being the source of the siren noise; and control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode based on the determination of how to respond to the emergency vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to use output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate the range of the source of the detected siren noise. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to use output from the plurality of microphones over time to estimate the relative velocity of the source of the detected siren noise. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, further comprising the vehicle.