# US 12,223,831 B2 · Detecting and responding to sirens

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- Number: US 12,223,831 B2
- Document ID: US12223831B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/508,354
- Filed: 2023-11-14
- Published: 2024-03-14
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- 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/US12223831B2

## 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 vehicle comprising:
a plurality of time-synchronized microphones configured to detect a siren noise of an emergency vehicle; and
one or more processors operably coupled with the plurality of time-synchronized microphones, the one or more processors configured to use output from the plurality of time- synchronized microphones to perform a comparison of an estimated bearing of the emergency vehicle to map information identifying locations of one or more road segments, and control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode to perform a maneuver in response to a result of the comparison.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode to perform the maneuver in response to the detection of the siren noise prior to visual detection of the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to use the output from the plurality of time-synchronized microphones to estimate a range to the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to use the output from the plurality of time-synchronized microphones to estimate a velocity of the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the maneuver is the vehicle changing from a first lane to a second lane.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the maneuver is pulling the vehicle over onto a shoulder area.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the maneuver is decreasing a speed of the vehicle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform beamforming to focus the time-synchronized microphones on one or more possible locations of the siren noise.

### Claim 9

A method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors of a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode, output from a plurality of time-synchronized microphones;
detecting in the output, by the one of more processors, a siren noise of an emergency vehicle in an external environment of the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode;
performing, by the one or more processors, a comparison of an estimated bearing of the emergency vehicle to map information identifying locations of one or more road segments; and
controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode to perform a maneuver in response to a result of the comparison.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode to perform the maneuver in response to the detection of the siren noise is performed prior to visual detection of the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
using, by the one or more processors, the output from the plurality of time-synchronized microphones to estimate a range to the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
using, by the one or more processors, the output from the plurality of time-synchronized microphones to estimate a velocity of the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the maneuver is the vehicle changing from a first lane to a second lane.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the maneuver is pulling the vehicle over onto a shoulder area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the maneuver is decreasing a speed of the vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
performing, by the one or more processors, beamforming to focus the time-synchronized microphones on one or more possible locations of the siren noise.