US 11,889,278 B1Granted

Vehicle sensor modules with external audio receivers

AssigneeWaymo LLC

InventorsCheng-Han Wu, Choon Ping Chng, Jun Hou, Miklos Szentkiralyi, Rutvik Acharya

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Abstract

Example embodiments relate to vehicle sensor modules with external audio receivers. An example sensor module may include sensors and can be coupled to a vehicle's roof with a first microphone positioned proximate to the front of the sensor module. The sensor module can also include a second microphone extending into a first side of the sensor module such that the second microphone is configured to detect audio originating from an environment located relative to a first side of the vehicle and a third microphone extending into a second side of the sensor module such that the third microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment located relative to a second side of the vehicle, wherein the second side is opposite of the first side.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a vehicle;
a sensor module coupled to a roof of the vehicle such that a gap is formed between portions of a bottom surface of the sensor module and the roof, wherein the sensor module includes one or more sensors;
an elongate extension coupled to the sensor module such that the elongate extension extends out toward a rear of the vehicle;
and
a set of microphones coupled to the sensor module, wherein the set of microphones includes:
(i) a first microphone positioned proximate a front of the sensor module, wherein the first microphone extends into a given portion of the bottom surface of the sensor module proximate the gap;
(ii) a second microphone extending into a first side of the sensor module such that the second microphone is configured to detect audio originating from an environment extending from a first side of the vehicle,
(iii) a third microphone extending into a second side of the sensor module such that the third microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from a second side of the vehicle, wherein the second side is opposite of the first side, and
(iv) a fourth microphone positioned proximate an end of the elongate extension opposite of the sensor module such that the fourth microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from the rear of the vehicle.

6 more elements

A sensor module comprising:

one or more sensors;
an elongate extension coupled to the sensor module such that the elongate extension extends out away from a rear of the sensor module;
and
a set of microphones comprising:
(i) a first microphone positioned proximate a front of the sensor module, wherein the first microphone extends into a given portion of a bottom surface of the sensor module;
(ii) a second microphone extending into a first side of the sensor module such that the second microphone is configured to detect audio originating from an environment extending from the first side of the sensor module, and
(iii) a third microphone extending into a second side of the sensor module such that the third microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from the second side of the sensor module, wherein the second side is opposite of the first side, and
(iv) a fourth microphone positioned proximate an end of the elongate extension opposite of the sensor module such that the fourth microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from the rear of the sensor module.

5 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, audio data from a set of microphones located on a sensor module coupled to a roof of a vehicle, wherein the audio data represents one or more sounds originating from an environment of the vehicle, wherein the sensor module includes an elongate extension coupled to the sensor module such that the elongate extension extends out toward a rear of the vehicle, and wherein the set of microphones comprises:
(i) a first microphone positioned proximate a front of the sensor module, wherein the first microphone extends into a given portion of the bottom surface of the sensor module;
(ii) a second microphone extending into a first side of the sensor module such that the second microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from a first side of the vehicle, and
(iii) a third microphone extending into a second side of the sensor module such that the third microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from a second side of the vehicle, wherein the second side is opposite of the first side
(iv) a fourth microphone positioned proximate an end of the elongate extension opposite of the sensor module such that the fourth microphone is configured to detect audio originating from the environment extending from the rear of the vehicle;
and
based on the audio data, determining a direction of a particular sound relative to the vehicle;
and
controlling the vehicle based on determining the direction of the particular sound relative to the vehicle.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.