Method and apparatus for detecting a proximate emergency vehicle

A vehicle, comprising:

• a microphone array disposed on the vehicle and including a plurality of microphones;
• a controller, in communication with each of the microphones of the microphone array and disposed to dynamically capture signals generated by the plurality of microphones,
• the controller including an instruction set, the instruction set executable to:
• monitor the signals generated by the plurality of microphones;
• extract a base frequency from the signals generated by the plurality of microphones;
• correlate the extracted base frequency to one of a plurality of known frequencies, wherein the known frequencies are associated with an acoustic sound being emitted from an emergency vehicle;
• subject the signals generated by the plurality of microphones to a modified multiple signal classification routine to determine a direction of arrival of the proximate emergency vehicle relative to the vehicle;
• determine a direction of arrival of a proximate emergency vehicle relative to the vehicle based upon the dynamically captured signals generated by the plurality of microphones;
• and
• control operation of the vehicle based upon the direction of arrival of the proximate emergency vehicle.

A method for controlling operation of a subject vehicle including a plurality of microphones disposed on an external surface thereof, the method comprising:

• dynamically capturing signals generated by the plurality of microphones;
• extracting a base frequency from the dynamically captured signals generated by the plurality of microphones;
• correlating the extracted base frequency to one of a plurality of known frequencies, wherein the known frequencies are associated with audible sound emitted from an emergency vehicle;
• subjecting, via a controller, the dynamically captured signals to a modified multiple signal classification routine to determine a direction of arrival of a proximate emergency vehicle;
• and
• controlling operation of the subject vehicle based upon the direction of arrival of an emergency vehicle proximal to the subject vehicle.