Patent ID: 11889278
Assignee: WAYMO LLC
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B | IPC B  H

Claim 15:
16. 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.