US Patent 10935647 Aircraft ground safety for ultrasonic sensors

An acoustic sensor system for an aircraft, and method for operating the same, includes a transmitter, at least one microphone, and a control circuit. The transmitter is configured to emit acoustic signals external to the aircraft. The at least one microphone is positioned on an exterior of the aircraft and configured to sense the acoustic signals as sensed data. The control circuit is configured to receive the sensed data and control the transmitter through a drive circuit, and is configured to detect an environmental condition and control the transmitter to emit the acoustic signals at a reduced intensity based on the detected environmental condition.