External microphone active entrance protection

Abstract

A microphone device for attachment to an exterior portion of a vehicle, the device can include a housing maintaining a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB, a seal element arranged on a side of the housing and defining at least one housing opening, and a cover extending over the seal element and defining a cover opening configured to align with the housing opening in an open state to enable environmental sounds outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element, and configured to block the housing opening in a closed state to protect the microphone element.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 020,203, filed May 5, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The aspects disclosed herein generally relate to external microphone devices. In one example, the external microphone device is arranged to withstand environmental conditions present outside the vehicle. These and other aspects will be discussed in more detail below. Background Technology

[0004] Microphones may need to be packaged on the exterior of a vehicle to support any number of vehicle applications for detecting sounds outside the vehicle. Such microphones may need to be unaffected by a wide range of environmental conditions, such as wind, rain, snow, etc. Additionally, such microphones may be positioned on “Class A” surfaces on the exterior of the vehicle and should provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance for vehicle occupants to complement the vehicle’s exterior styling. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In at least one embodiment, a microphone device for attachment to an external part of a vehicle may include: a housing that holds a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB; a sealing element disposed on one side of the housing and defining at least one housing opening; and a cover that extends over the sealing element and defines a cover opening, the cover opening being configured to align with the housing opening in an open state to allow ambient sound from outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element, and the cover being configured to block the housing opening in a closed state to protect the microphone element.

[0006] In at least another embodiment, a microphone device for attachment to an external part of a vehicle may include: a housing that holds a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB; a sealing element disposed on one side of the housing and defining at least one housing opening to allow ambient sound from outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element; and a cover that extends over the sealing element and is movable between an open state and a closed state, the cover being configured to cover the housing opening in the closed state to protect the microphone element from environmental conditions.

[0007] In at least another embodiment, a microphone system for protecting a microphone on the exterior of a vehicle may include: a housing that holds a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB; a sealing element disposed on one side of the housing and defining at least one opening in the housing to allow ambient sound from outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element; a cover element that extends over the sealing element and is configured to influence an open and closed state on the sealing element; and a controller configured to receive an indication of environmental conditions relating to microphone protection and, in response to the indication, direct at least one of the housing and the cover element to move to a closed state. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure are specifically pointed out in the appended claims. However, other features of the various embodiments will become more apparent and will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 An example microphone system is shown;

[0010] Figures 2A to 2D A cross-sectional view of an external microphone device according to one embodiment is shown, wherein

[0011] Figure 2A An external microphone device in the open position is shown.

[0012] Figure 2B An external microphone device is shown in the off position.

[0013] Figure 2C An external microphone device is shown in the closed position.

[0014] Figure 2D An external microphone device is shown in the open position;

[0015] Figures 3A to 3D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device according to one embodiment is shown, wherein

[0016] Figure 3A An external microphone device in the open position is shown.

[0017] Figure 3B An external microphone device is shown in the off position.

[0018] Figure 3C An external microphone device is shown in the closed position.

[0019] Figure 3DAn external microphone device is shown in the open position;

[0020] Figures 4A to 4D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device according to one embodiment is shown, wherein

[0021] Figure 4A An external microphone device in the open position is shown.

[0022] Figure 4B An external microphone device is shown in the off position.

[0023] Figure 4C An external microphone device is shown in the closed position.

[0024] Figure 4D An external microphone device is shown in the open position;

[0025] Figures 5A to 5D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device according to one embodiment is shown, wherein

[0026] Figure 5A An external microphone device in the open position is shown.

[0027] Figure 5B An external microphone device is shown in the off position.

[0028] Figure 5C An external microphone device is shown in the closed position.

[0029] Figure 5D An external microphone device is shown in the open position;

[0030] Figures 6A to 6D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device according to one embodiment is shown, wherein

[0031] Figure 6A An external microphone device in the open position is shown.

[0032] Figure 6B An external microphone device is shown in the off position.

[0033] Figure 6C An external microphone device is shown in the closed position.

[0034] Figure 6D An external microphone device in the open position is shown; and

[0035] Figure 7 It shows Figure 1 Example flowchart of the system. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Specific embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein as needed; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention as it may be embodied in various forms and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be enlarged or minimized to show details of specific components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to employ the invention in different ways.

[0037] The development of autonomous driving in the automotive industry has facilitated the detection of sounds from outside the vehicle (or the external environment) (i.e., traffic, pedestrians, emergency sirens, etc.). This may require the installation of any number of microphones on the exterior of the vehicle. To achieve proper functionality, the microphones need to withstand environmental conditions such as wind, water, dust, mud, and ice. However, the microphones may also need to be able to withstand other forms of environmental stress, such as the heat and water pressure generated during vehicle washing.

[0038] External microphone devices as disclosed herein are typically arranged to withstand such conditions and are configured to protect the microphone assembly from the heat and water pressure that may be generated by water sprayers used for washing vehicles. For example, the water sprayer may be a hose or spray mechanism to spray downwards from the vehicle. The water sprayer may also be part of an automated car wash system. In one example, when the microphone is not required to detect external sounds, the device may physically close and protect the passageway into the microphone assembly to prevent any water or heat from reaching the microphone. This can be achieved by covering the opening with a latching device such as a piezoelectric, magnetic, or mechanically actuated system.

[0039] Specifically, the microphone assembly may include a printed circuit board (PCB) having a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based microphone located inside a housing and protected externally by an acoustic diaphragm. A sealing element may be arranged between the microphone and the housing or vehicle body to improve sound wave transmission to the microphone, thereby preventing unwanted sound leakage. The acoustic diaphragm protects the microphone during operation (in the open position) and can activate a protection system to shut off the connection between the microphone and the outside in the event of potential damage to the microphone (e.g., during a car wash or parking). These and other aspects will be discussed in more detail below.

[0040] Figure 1An example microphone system 100 for vehicle 102 is shown. Vehicle 102 may be an autonomous vehicle or employ autonomous features. These features can be facilitated and enabled by sound acquired from microphone device 106. Device 106 is typically configured to be mounted on any external part of vehicle 102. For example, device 106 may be located on: a front or rear bumper, any door of the vehicle, a side panel or rear roof side panel of vehicle 105, the roof of vehicle 102, the hood / lift door / trunk of vehicle 102, etc. It should be appreciated that the portion of vehicle 102 accommodating device 106 may define a cavity (not shown) suitable for receiving device 106.

[0041] Device 106 typically includes a housing and cover (as shown in Figures 2 through 6) and at least one microphone element 120 (hereinafter referred to as "microphone element 120"). Microphone element 120 is typically configured to detect ambient noise outside vehicle 102 and provide the detected ambient noise to any controller (or processor) (not shown) located in or around vehicle 105. In one example, microphone element 120 may be implemented as a (MEMS) microphone. Printed circuit board (PCB) 116 supports microphone element 120 and includes traces and connections for electrical coupling to microphone element 120.

[0042] The microphone device 106 may also include an actuation device or actuator device 126. This device may be configured to close the opening leading to the microphone element 120 to protect the element 120 from heat or water pressure. The actuation device 126 may act as a latch to close the opening. This is described below in more detail with respect to Figures 2 through 6. Figures 2 through 4 show a system in which the actuation device 126 drives a housing containing the microphone element 120 such that the housing moves relative to the cover to a closed position. Figures 5 and 6 show a system in which the actuation device 126 drives the cover to the closed position and the housing remains stationary relative to the cover.

[0043] Vehicle 102 may include various vehicle ECUs 124 (electronic control units). ECUs 124 may include those configured to provide control, in particular, of engine operating components, body control modules, etc. ECUs 124 may provide vehicle status indicators, such as driving, neutral, parked, reversing, or standby.

[0044] Vehicle 102 may also include a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 128 configured to provide current location and heading information. The location of vehicle 102 can indicate that vehicle 102 is present at a specific location such as a car wash.

[0045] ECU 124 and GPS module 128 may be included in the vehicle's computing platform. Additionally, microphone device 106 may also be included in the computing platform via PCB 116 or another component. Each of microphone device 106 and vehicle 102 may include a controller, which may include one or more processors configured to execute instructions, commands, and other routines to support the processes described herein. For example, PCB 116 and / or ECU 124 may be configured to determine whether and when to move microphone device 106 to a closed position to protect microphone element 120. At least one of the controllers may instruct actuator 126 to move a cover element (i.e., housing, cover, or cap) to a closed position. The controller may also instruct actuator 126 to move back to an open position so that microphone device 106 can continue to acquire noise signals from outside vehicle 102.

[0046] The controller can determine that the microphone device 106 should be in the off position in response to receiving an indication of environmental conditions related to microphone protection. In one example, this indication may occur in response to the ECU 124 instructing the vehicle 102 to be in a state such as parked or neutral. In the parked and neutral states, autonomous features may not be used or required, and therefore, the signal provided by the microphone device 106 may not be necessary. In this case, to protect the microphone device 106, the controller may instruct the device 106 to move to the off position. It should be noted that during a car wash, it is assumed that the vehicle 102 is parked, or, for an automatic car wash, may be in neutral. Therefore, in these states, the device 106 will be off and thus protected from any potential high pressure or heat.

[0047] In another example, the GPS module 128 may receive an indication of the location of vehicle 102 at a known car wash. This may also trigger device 106 to shut down, thus protecting microphone element 120. In this example, device 106 may shut down regardless of the vehicle status received from ECU 124. Alternatively, two indications may be required before the controller sends a command to shut down device 106.

[0048] Such instructions and other data can be maintained in a non-volatile manner using various types of computer-readable storage media (not shown). Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media or storage devices) include any non-transitory medium (e.g., tangible media) that participates in providing instructions or other data that can be read by the processor or controller described herein. Computer-executable instructions can be compiled or interpreted from computer programs formed using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or techniques, including but not limited to the following individual or combined forms: Java, C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Fortran, Pascal, JavaScript, Python, Perl, and PL / SQL.

[0049] Vehicle 102 can communicate with network 130, such as cloud networks, packet-switched network services (e.g., internet access, VoIP communication services), cellular phone networks, etc. Data can be transmitted between the vehicle and network 130. In one example, GPS location associated with a known car wash location can be transmitted and used to indicate that the vehicle is present at such location.

[0050] Figures 2A to 2D A cross-sectional view of an external microphone device 106 according to one embodiment is shown. These figures illustrate an example system having a housing 142 and a cover 144 that cooperate with each other to surround a microphone element 120. The cover 144 is generally oriented facing away from the vehicle 102 to enter the environment surrounding the vehicle 105. As explained above, the microphone element 120 may be implemented as a MEMS microphone. The cover 144 defines a first opening 148 to enable the microphone element 120 to detect audio from outside the vehicle 102. The first opening 148 supports the input of sound without altering the sound before it is received by the microphone element 120.

[0051] PCB 116 supports microphone element 120. A sealing element 138 may be disposed between cover 144 and PCB 116. The sealing element 138 may optionally be provided and positioned between cover 104 and grille cover 110. In one example, the sealing element 138 may be formed of foam and shaped as a pad. The sealing element 138 prevents vibration between device 106 and vehicle 105.

[0052] Sealing element 138 and / or PCB 116 may each define a second opening 152 so that ambient sound passing through the first opening 108 can be received by microphone element 120. In this example, diaphragm 150 is positioned between PCB 116 and cover 104. Diaphragm 150 is generally configured to allow audio to pass through and enter the second opening 152 for reception by microphone element 120. In one example, diaphragm 150 may be... Or made of any other suitable material, including one or more waterproof and / or weatherproof materials.

[0053] The acoustic diaphragm 150 is configured to act as a barrier to prevent debris from entering the internal volume of the housing 142 from the outside of the vehicle 102. For example, the acoustic diaphragm 150 protects the microphone element 120 from water and / or dust or other debris. As shown, the microphone element 120 is positioned on one side of the PCB 116, while the acoustic diaphragm 150 is positioned on the opposite side of the PCB 116. It should be appreciated that the acoustic diaphragm 150 may need protection against direct water jets (e.g., water exceeding a predetermined pressure is delivered to the diaphragm). It may also need protection against the heat generated by steam or water. An actuation device 126 (not shown in Figures 2 through 6) can drive the housing 142 between an open position and a closed position.

[0054] Figure 2A An external microphone device 106 is shown in the open position. This may be the normal position during certain vehicle states (such as driving and reversing). This allows ambient noise to reach the microphone element 120 through openings 148, 152.

[0055] Figure 2B An external microphone device 106 is shown in the closed position. In this position, the housing 140 is moved relative to the cover 144 so that the first opening 148 is not aligned with the second opening 152. The cover 144 blocks the second opening 152, thus protecting the diaphragm 150 from environmental conditions outside the vehicle 102.

[0056] Figure 2C An external microphone device 106 in the closed position is shown. As explained, the microphone device 106 can be in the closed position during cleaning. As shown, the first opening 148 and the second opening 152 are offset from each other, thereby protecting the components within the housing 140 from environmental conditions.

[0057] Figure 2D An external microphone device 106 is shown in the open position. In this position, once the environmental conditions subside (i.e., the car wash is complete), the housing 140 can return to a position similar to... Figure 2A The location is already open.

[0058] Figures 3A to 3D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device 106 according to one embodiment is shown. This example is similar to... Figures 2A to 2D The example differs in that, in this example, the membrane 150 is arranged between the PCB 116 and the sealing element 138. In any case, it may be necessary to protect the membrane 150 from high heat and high pressure.

[0059] Figure 3A An external microphone device 106 in the open position is shown. Figure 3B An external microphone device 106 is shown in the off position. Figure 3C An external microphone device 106 is shown in the closed position. Figure 3D An external microphone device 106 is shown in the open position.

[0060] Figures 4A to 4D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device 106 with a second housing 158 is shown. This second housing 158 may surround a first housing 142. The second housing 158 may be fixed relative to a cover 144. Housing 142 may be movable under certain environmental conditions similar to the example described above, while the second housing 158 provides additional protection within the cavity where the microphone device 106 of vehicle 102 is located.

[0061] Figure 4A An external microphone device 106 in the open position is shown. Figure 4B An external microphone device 106 is shown in the off position. Figure 4C An external microphone device 106 is shown in the closed position. As explained, the microphone device 106 may be in the closed position during car washes or other environmental conditions. Figure 4D An external microphone device 106 is shown in the open position.

[0062] Figures 5A to 5D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device 106 is shown, in which a cover 160 is arranged between a sealing element 138 and a cover 144. The cover 160 can be driven between an open and closed position by an actuating device 126 (not shown in FIG. 5) to block and protect the second opening 152. In this example, the housing 142 may remain stationary, and the cover 160 may move in response to certain environmental conditions. The cover 160 may be configured to slide between the sealing element 138 and the cover 144. In another example, the cover 160 may be a door hinged at the first opening 148 and configured to open and close. Other examples of the cover 160 can also be seen.

[0063] Figure 5A The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the open position is shown. Figure 5B The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the closed position is shown. Figure 5C The cover 160 of an external microphone device 106, for example, in the closed position during a car wash, is shown. Figure 5D The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the open position is shown.

[0064] Figures 6A to 6D A cross-sectional view of another external microphone device 106 is shown, wherein a cover 160 is disposed on the outer side of a cover 144. The cover 160 may function similarly to the cover of the system of FIG. 5, but is located on the outside of device 106.

[0065] Figure 6A The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the open position is shown. Figure 6B The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the closed position is shown. Figure 6C The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the closed position is shown. Figure 6D The cover 160 of the external microphone device 106 in the open position is shown.

[0066] Figure 7 It shows Figure 1 An example flowchart of a system including process 700 for determining the location of device 106 is provided. Process 700 begins at block 705, where the controller determines whether an indication of environmental conditions related to microphone protection has been received. As explained above, this indication could be the vehicle's status, such as parked or in neutral. In another example, the indication could be the location associated with a car wash facility. If an indication has been received, process 700 proceeds to block 710. If no indication has been received, process 700 returns to block 705.

[0067] At frame 710, the controller can instruct actuator 126 to move the cover element to the closed position. The cover element may include a housing 142, similar to the examples of Figures 2 through 4. The cover element may also include a cap 160, similar to the examples of Figures 5 and 6. The cover element is movable to misalign the first opening 148 and the second opening 152. By misaligning the openings 148 and 152, the membrane 150 can be blocked by the cover 144 or the cap 160 and thus protected from external and environmental conditions such as hot water and high pressure from a car wash.

[0068] At box 715, the controller can determine whether the indication has changed. For example, whether the vehicle location has been moved and therefore is no longer at the car wash facility. Alternatively, the controller can determine whether the vehicle state has changed. If yes, process 700 proceeds to box 720. If no, process 700 remains at box 715.

[0069] At frame 720, the controller can instruct the actuator 126 to move the cover element to the open position. Then, process 700 can end.

[0070] While the examples shown and described herein generally relate to a single microphone, it should be understood that this disclosure is extendable to array microphones. A single system can control the opening and closing of all microphones. Alternatively, several synchronized systems can control the opening and closing of each of the microphones. Furthermore, depending on the curvature of the vehicle surface on which the microphones are arranged, more than one microphone can share a cover or shroud element. Other microphones can be associated with specific cover or shroud elements.

[0071] Various embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

[0072] Various aspects of this disclosure may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure may take the form of a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an implementation combining software and hardware aspects, which may be collectively referred to herein as “modules” or “systems.” Furthermore, various aspects of this disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media on which computer-readable program code is embodied.

[0073] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be used. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples (not an exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media will include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store programs for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0074] Various aspects of this disclosure are described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that each block in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, support the implementation of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Such processors may be, but are not limited to, general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, application-specific processors, or field-programmable processors.

[0075] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this respect, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions mentioned in the blocks may not appear in the order shown in the drawings. For example, depending on the functionality involved, two blocks shown consecutively may be executed substantially simultaneously, or sometimes the two blocks may be executed in reverse order. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified function or action.

[0076] While exemplary embodiments have been described above, they are not intended to represent all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the terminology used herein is descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, features of various implementations may be combined to form other embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A microphone device for attachment to an external part of a vehicle, the device comprising: A housing that holds a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB, wherein the housing is movable between an open state and a closed state; A sealing element, the sealing element being disposed on one side of the housing and defining at least one housing opening; and A cover extends over the sealing element and defines a cover opening, the cover opening being configured to align with the housing opening in an open state to allow ambient sound from outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element, and the cover being configured to block the housing opening in a closed state to protect the microphone element.

2. The microphone device of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to move the housing between the open state and the closed state.

3. The microphone device of claim 1, further comprising a membrane disposed above the housing opening to act as a barrier to prevent debris from entering at the opening.

4. The microphone device of claim 3, wherein the diaphragm is disposed between the sealing element and the cover.

5. The microphone device of claim 3, wherein the diaphragm is disposed between the PCB and the sealing element.

6. The microphone device of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to: Receive indications of environmental conditions related to microphone protection; and In response to the instruction, the housing is directed to move to the closed state.

7. The microphone device of claim 6, wherein the indication is a vehicle status of being parked or in neutral.

8. The microphone device of claim 6, wherein the indication is a vehicle location associated with a car wash facility.

9. A microphone device for attachment to an external part of a vehicle, the device comprising: A housing that holds a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB; A sealing element is disposed on one side of the housing and defines at least one housing opening to allow ambient sound from outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element. as well as A cover that extends above the sealing element and is movable between an open and a closed state, the cover being configured to cover the housing opening in the closed state to protect the microphone element from environmental conditions.

10. The microphone device of claim 9, further comprising an actuator configured to move the cover between the open state and the closed state.

11. The microphone device of claim 10, further comprising a membrane disposed above the housing opening to act as a barrier to prevent debris from entering at the opening.

12. The microphone device of claim 11, further comprising a cover extending over the sealing element and defining a cover opening configured to align with the housing opening to transmit ambient sound from outside the vehicle to the microphone element.

13. The microphone device of claim 12, wherein the diaphragm is disposed between the sealing element and the cover.

14. The microphone device of claim 13, wherein the diaphragm is disposed between the PCB and the sealing element.

15. The microphone device of claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to: Receive indications of environmental conditions related to microphone protection; and In response to the instruction, the lid is directed to move to the closed state.

16. The microphone device of claim 15, wherein the indication is a vehicle status of being parked or in neutral.

17. The microphone device of claim 16, wherein the indication is a vehicle location associated with a car wash facility.

18. A microphone system for protecting the exterior of a vehicle, comprising: A housing that holds a printed circuit board (PCB) and a microphone element positioned on the PCB; A sealing element is disposed on one side of the housing and defines at least one housing opening to allow ambient sound from outside the vehicle to be transmitted to the microphone element; A cover element that extends over the sealing element and is configured to influence the open and closed states on the sealing element; as well as The controller is configured to: Receive instructions regarding environmental conditions related to microphone protection, and In response to the instruction, the cover element is directed to affect the closed state on the sealing element.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cover element is a lid arranged adjacent to the housing opening to block the housing opening in the closed position.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication is the vehicle location associated with a car wash facility.

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