Vehicular Audio Sensor Noise Filtering via Reference Signal
Solution Overview
Problem
Current driver assistance and autonomous vehicle systems lack integration of audio sensors, which are hindered by noise from wind and air-buffeting, making it difficult to detect target sounds in real-time, and existing solutions are either expensive or data-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular auditory sensing system utilizing multiple microphones integrated with an analysis module to convert analog sound signals into digital data, processed and communicated through a vehicle data bus for notification to the driver or vehicle control system, with sound-filtering devices to reduce noise interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If audio sensors are integrated into driver assistance systems to detect target sounds, then situational awareness is improved, but noise from wind and air-buffeting interferes with detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the vehicle's own motion-induced air-buffeting noise as a reference signal to identify and filter out similar noise patterns from microphone inputs. By treating the harmful noise as a detectable reference, the system converts the problem into a solution where the noise itself helps identify and eliminate itself from the audio signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a reference microphone positioned to capture primarily air-buffeting noise as an intermediary element. This reference microphone acts as a mediator that provides a noise profile which is then used by the signal processing algorithm to identify and remove similar noise components from the target detection microphones.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If electronic filtering is applied to remove noise from sound samples, then noise reduction is achieved, but computational time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies filtering selectively rather than uniformly to all audio data. By using the reference noise profile to identify and remove only the specific air-buffeting noise components, the system achieves effective noise reduction without applying computationally intensive filtering to the entire audio spectrum, thus reducing overall computational burden.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensor types are used to sense vehicle surroundings, then detection accuracy is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The audio sensing system is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting target sounds, identifying air-buffeting noise, and providing reference signals for filtering. This multi-functional approach allows the system to achieve enhanced detection capabilities without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same audio processing infrastructure serves multiple purposes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective detection and notification of target sounds, such as emergency vehicle sirens, improving situational awareness without increasing computational time or costs, and enhancing vehicle control systems with audio-derived information.
Implementation Method 1
at least one microphone coupled to an analysis module configured to convert an analog signal produced by the microphone to a digital signal
Implementation Method 2
The system may include a sound-filtering device for the microphone that reduces the amount of noise detected by the microphone
Data Source
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AI summary
Audio-derived information is provided to a vehicle control system of a vehicle by attaching a microphone externally to a vehicle to generate an analog signal in response to sound waves external to the vehicle. An enclosure containing sound-attenuating material mechanically filters low frequency sounds from reaching the microphone transducer. An analog-to-digital converter converts the analog signal to a digital signal. A vehicle data bus transfers the digital signal to the vehicle control system.