Method, apparatus and computer program product for determining the presence of precipitation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022363260-A1
Application number	US-202117302849-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2021
Priority date	May 13, 2021
Publication date	Nov 17, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide a method for using one or more audio signals from one or more sensors to establish the presence and severity of precipitation at a particular location. Methods may include: receiving at least one first audio signal from a first audio sensor of a vehicle; extracting acoustical features including frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal; receiving at least one second audio signal from a second audio sensor of the vehicle; extracting acoustical features including frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal; processing the frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal and the frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal as inputs to an algorithm to generate an output from the algorithm; and determining, from the output of the algorithm, a precipitation condition and a confidence measure of the precipitation condition.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code instructions, the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive at least one first audio signal from a first audio sensor of a vehicle; extract acoustical features comprising frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal; receive at least one second audio signal from a second audio sensor of the vehicle; extract acoustical features comprising frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal; process the frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal and the frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal as inputs to an algorithm to generate an output from the algorithm; and determine, from the output of the algorithm, a precipitation condition and a confidence measure of the precipitation condition.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine a location of the vehicle; and identify an area of the precipitation condition based on the location of the vehicle.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
provide for a change in an operational state of the vehicle in response to the determination of the precipitation condition.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the operational state of the vehicle comprises at least one of a traction control sensitivity or a power distribution to the wheels.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine, from the output of the algorithm, a severity measure of the precipitation condition.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the confidence measure of the precipitation condition is determined based, at least in part, on a combination of the at least one first audio signal and the at least one second audio signal.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
transmit an indication of the precipitation condition and the severity measure of the precipitation condition together with a location of the precipitation condition to a service provider in response to the confidence measure satisfying a predetermined level.

8 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to:
receive at least one first audio signal from a first audio sensor of a vehicle; extract acoustical features comprising frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal; receive at least one second audio signal from a second audio sensor of the vehicle; extract acoustical features comprising frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal; process the frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal and the frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal as inputs to an algorithm to generate an output from the algorithm; and determine, from the output of the algorithm, a precipitation condition and a confidence measure of the precipitation condition.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising program code instructions to:
determine a location of the vehicle; and identify an area of the precipitation condition based on the location of the vehicle.

10 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising program code instructions to:
provide for a change in an operational state of the vehicle in response to the determination of the precipitation condition.

11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the operational state of the vehicle comprises at least one of a traction control sensitivity or a power distribution to the wheels.

12 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising program code instructions to:
determine, from the output of the algorithm, a severity measure of the precipitation condition.

13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the confidence measure of the precipitation condition is determined based, at least in part, on a combination of the at least one first audio signal and the at least one second audio signal.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising program code instructions to:
transmit an indication of the precipitation condition and the severity measure of the precipitation condition together with a location of the precipitation condition to a service provider in response to the confidence measure satisfying a predetermined level.

15 . A method comprising:
receiving at least one first audio signal from a first audio sensor of a vehicle; extracting acoustical features comprising frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal; receiving at least one second audio signal from a second audio sensor of the vehicle; extracting acoustical features comprising frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal; processing the frequency and amplitude from the at least one first audio signal and the frequency and amplitude from the at least one second audio signal as inputs to an algorithm to generate an output from the algorithm; and determining, from the output of the algorithm, a precipitation condition and a confidence measure of the precipitation condition.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining a location of the vehicle; and identifying an area of the precipitation condition based on the location of the vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing for a change in an operational state of the vehicle in response to the determination of the precipitation condition.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the operational state of the vehicle comprises at least one of a traction control sensitivity or a power distribution to the wheels.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, from the output of the algorithm, a severity measure of the precipitation condition.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the confidence measure of the precipitation condition is determined based, at least in part, on a combination of the at least one first audio signal and the at least one second audio signal.

Assignees

• Here Global Bv

Inventors

• Stenneth Leon
• Bernhardt Bruce
• Raut Advait

Classifications

• Y02A90/10

  Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation · CPC title

• B60W40/02 Primary

  related to ambient conditions · CPC title

• B60W30/182

  Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes · CPC title

• B60W2552/40

  Coefficient of friction · CPC title

• B60W30/0956

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title