Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Google Inc.

Waymo LLC

Xuan Zhong

Jianchun Dong

Jung Sik Yang

Zhen Xu

Han Zhang

Bozhao Tan

Chia-Jean Wang

Chun Sik Jeong

Geng Ye

Choon Ping Chng

Jun Hou

Cheng-Han Wu

Shahram Talakoub

Chung-Ling Hsu

Eliot Kim

Peng Zhang

Yuwen Su

Courtney McCool

Xin Zhou

Oliver Huy Doan

Haoxing Zhang

Niranjan Madan Mohan Bhatia

Yuna Hu

It is advantageous for a vehicle to detect road wetness or related environmental conditions. This is particularly true for self-driving vehicles, which can then adjust the manner of automated operation of the vehicle to increase safety by reducing speed, braking earlier, adjusting internal estimates of road traction parameters, or adjusting autonomous operation in some other manner. It is difficult to directly measure road wetness (e.g., using spectroscopy or other methods directed at the road surface), however, it is possible to indirectly estimate road wetness based on road noise audio signals detected via one or more microphones disposed on the vehicle. The location of the microphones, the type of post-processing applied to the audio signals, or other factors can be adapted to increase the useful road wetness-related content of such audio signals while reducing the presence of engine noise, road noise, or other confounding signals.

Using audio to detect road conditions

A sensor module comprising a housing defining an internal cavity, the housing including an aperture, at least one microphone positioned in the internal cavity spaced from the aperture, a first barrier proximate the aperture, and a second barrier positioned between the at least one microphone and the first barrier.

Microphone module

A head-mounted wearable device provides many functions to a user. The functions may be provided based in part on whether the device is being worn (donned) or not worn (doffed). Force sensing resistors in the device provide output indicative of forces associated with wearing the device. A time series of values indicative of the magnitude of a force may be determined. An increase or decrease in force values measured at different times may indicate that the device has been donned or doffed, respectively. If a subsequent force value does not differ substantially from a previous force value, this may indicate that the device has remained donned or doffed.

Sensors for determining don/doff status of a wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) provides audio output using acoustic quadrupole units (AQU). The AQU produces an acoustic pattern having a first region and a second region. The first region has a first phase and the second region has a second phase that is opposite the first phase. A major axis extending through the regions is directed generally upwards from the ear canal of the user. The ear of the user is within the first region. The second region is directed upward. Bystanders are within an acoustically null region of the acoustic pattern. The acoustically null region is perpendicular to the major axis. Within the acoustically null region, the sound intensity is reduced due to destructive interference between the first phase and the second phase. As a result, the user wearing the HMWD is able hear audio output while audio amplitude perceived by the bystanders is significantly reduced.

Acoustic quadrupole system for head mounted wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) with a form factor of eyeglasses incorporates a compact audio module with transducers that may be operated as an acoustic dipole or acoustic quadrupole. The audio module provides ducts that convey sound with a particular phase from a transducer to particular output ports. The phase of sound emitted from a first output port is opposite to the phase of sound emitted from a second output port. The audio module may include a pair of transducers, enabling operation as an acoustic dipole or quadrupole. The ducts are integrated into elements of the structure of the audio module, minimizing the overall size of the audio module.

Compact audio module for head-mounted wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) provides audio output from a first speaker that is driven with a first signal and a second speaker that is driven with a second signal. Based on a volume level setting, an equalization profile and inversion frequency are determined. The equalization profile selectively amplifies or attenuates particular frequencies or ranges of frequencies. Those frequencies in the second signal that are above the inversion frequency have their amplitude inverted, relative to the first signal. When driven by the first signal and the second signal, the first speaker and the second speaker operate as acoustic dipoles below the inversion frequency and acoustic quadrupoles above the inversion frequency. Sound from the first and second speakers with frequencies above the inversion frequency exhibits destructive interference. As a result, the user wearing the HMWD is able hear audio output while audio amplitude perceived by the bystanders is significantly reduced.

System for presentation of audio using wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) may be fashioned that includes temples that pass near each ear of the user. To accommodate different head shapes and sizes, a head contact piece may be mounted to the temple. Head contact pieces with different profiles may be used to improve user comfort, aid in retaining the HMWD on the user's head, improve performance of output devices such as bone conduction speakers, and so forth.

Ergonomic spacer for head-mounted wearable device

A user interface for a head-mounted wearable device provides many functions to a user. Information about whether the device is being worn (donned) or not worn (doffed) may be acquired in several ways. Force sensing resistors in the device may provide output indicative of the pressure associated with wearing the device. Output from a bone conduction (BC) microphone may be analyzed to determine if the device is in use. Piezoelectric BC speakers typically used to present audio output to a wearer provide changes in voltage corresponding to a change in pressure associated with wearing the device. A BC speaker may emit a signal that is detected by the BC microphone, with changes in the signal strength being used to determine if the device is donned or doffed.

Wearable device don/doff sensor

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) may incorporate bone conduction speakers (BCS) to generate audio output that is perceptible to a wearer. During operation, vibrations of the BCS may produce sound in the surrounding air that is perceptible to bystanders. An active noise cancellation module monitors the output and generates cancellation audio that is out of phase with the sound leaked by the BCS. An air conduction speaker emits the cancellation audio, producing destructive acoustic interference to the leaked sound. As a result, the user of the HMWD is able to hear audio clearly while bystanders are not.

Active noise cancellation for bone conduction speaker of a head-mounted wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) includes a plurality of microphones. These microphones may be used to acquire audio data produced by the user, such as speech, or sound from the ambient environment. In one implementation, a first air conduction (AC) microphone is emplaced at a bridge of the nose of the HMWD, a second AC microphone at a hinge, and a bone conduction (BC) microphone is positioned at a distal end of one of the temples of the HMWD. For example, the BC microphone may be located in the left temple proximate to the apex of the user's ear. A semi-rigid structure may provide mechanical coupling between the user's head and the BC microphone.

Microphone system for head-mounted wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device incorporates a transducer into a nosepiece. Vibrations from the user's speech are transferred through the bridge of the nose and are detected by the transducer to produce an audio signal. In one implementation, a nose plate with a pair of attached nosepieces is mounted to a transducer, such as an accelerometer. The nose plate may be affixed to a front frame of the head-mounted wearable device using a motion limiter mechanism.

Wearable device with bone conduction microphone

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) may be fashioned that includes temples that pass near each ear of the user. A temple may incorporate a bone conduction speaker (BCS) to provide audio output to the user. During wear, a portion of the BCS is in physical contact with a head of the user to transfer the vibrations from the BCS to the user. To accommodate different head shapes and sizes, a head contact piece may be mounted to the BCS. The user may add, remove, or swap the head contact piece from an assortment of such pieces to find a profile that is comfortable to the wearer and improves performance of the BCS. The head contact piece may be magnetically affixed, allowing for easy changeout.

Field replaceable spacer for head-mounted wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) includes a bone conduction speaker (BCS) to provide audio output to a user wearing the HMWD. The BCS may be mounted within a recess of a temple of the HMWD. During wear a portion of the BCS is in physical contact with a head of the user. In one implementation, a head contact piece may be mounted to the side of the BCS that is proximate to the head. The head contact piece is contoured to maximize the contact area with the head, and may have a cross section that is approximately wedge shaped, with a thicker portion of the wedge proximate to the front of the HMWD. The BCS may include low damping elements to provide protection to the BCS from damage and improve performance, as well as high damping elements to reduce the transfer of vibrations from the BCS to the temple.

Bone conduction speaker for head-mounted wearable device

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) may incorporate bone conduction speakers (BCS) to generate audio output that is perceptible to a wearer. Due to the mechanical connection between the BCS and the rest of the device, when the output amplitude of the BCSs is too great, the air-conducted audio 'leaks' and may be heard by other people. This leakage may result in eavesdropping by, or generate a nuisance to, those other people. The noise level in the environment around the HMWD is determined and used to dynamically adjust the amplitude of the audio output generated by the BCS. This adjustment improves the comfort and intelligibility of the audio output to the wearer while minimizing audio leakage to the surrounding environment.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Xuan Zhong