US Patent 9937922 Collision avoidance using auditory data augmented with map data

A controller for an autonomous vehicle receives audio signals from one or more microphones and identifies sounds. The controller further identifies an estimated location of the sound origin and the type of sound, i.e. whether the sound is a vehicle and/or the type of vehicle. The controller analyzes map data and attempts to identify a landmark within a tolerance from the estimated location. If a landmark is found corresponding to the estimated location and type of the sound origin, then the certainty is increased that the source of the sound is at that location and is that type of sound source. Collision avoidance is then performed with respect to the location of the sound origin and its type with the certainty as augmented using the map data. Collision avoidance may include automatically actuating brake, steering, and accelerator actuators in order to avoid the location of the sound origin.