Method and system for identifying wet pavement using tire noise

A wet road surface detection system for a vehicle driving on a road, the wet road surface detection system comprising:

• a sound sensing device coupled to the vehicle for capturing noise of the vehicle tires as the vehicle drives on a road surface;
• and
• a vehicle processor for processing the sounds captured by the audible sensing device, the vehicle processor quantifying a variable sound level of the captured noise at each successive frequency between a first frequency and a second frequency;
• wherein the vehicle processor determines whether each quantified sound level at each successive frequency between the first frequency and the second frequency is above a predetermined sound level threshold, and wherein the vehicle processor determines that the vehicle is driving on a wet road surface in response to each quantified sound level at each successive frequency between the first frequency and the second frequency being above a predetermined sound level threshold.

A method for determining a wet road surface condition for a vehicle driving on a road, the method comprising the steps of:

• capturing tire noise as a vehicle travels on a driving surface of the road using a sound sensing device, the sound sensing device being coupled to the vehicle;
• quantifying a variable sound level of the captured tire noise at each successive frequency between a first frequency and a second frequency by a vehicle processor;
• determining whether each quantified sound level at each successive frequency between the first frequency and the second frequency is above a predetermined sound level threshold;
• and
• the vehicle processor generating a wet driving surface indicating signal in response to determining that each quantified sound level between the first frequency and the second frequency is above the predetermined sound level threshold, the wet driving surface indicating signal being provided to a vehicle controller for shutting baffles on an air intake scoop of a vehicle for preventing water ingestion.