/Patent Tracker
GoogleGranted patentCars & transportInterest 6/10

Waymo patents heated microphone to keep ice off self-driving cars

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

This patent describes a microphone module for autonomous vehicles that includes a small heater built into the housing. The heater sits next to the microphone opening to stop ice from forming and blocking sound in cold weather.

Why it mattersIt helps self-driving cars hear their surroundings clearly during winter, which is essential for safe navigation in icy conditions.

In the filing’s own words

Example embodiments described herein involve reducing the formation of ice on external modules by incorporating a heater within the module. The system may include a microphone module for an autonomous vehicle. The microphone module may include a housing and a microphone inside an opening of the housing. The system may further include a cover abutting the opening of the housing. The cover may enclose the microphone within the housing and seal the opening of the housing. The system may also include a heater adjacent to the opening of the housing and configured to prevent ice from forming over the opening. The heater may at least partially surround the opening.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A system comprising: a housing, wherein the housing comprises an opening, and wherein the opening comprises a first recessed edge; a cover abutting the opening of the housing, wherein the cover is configured to allow sound to enter the housing and prevent debris and water from entering the housing; and a heater adjacent to the opening of the housing and the cover, wherein the heater is disposed in the first recessed edge.

Facts

Company
Google (Waymo LLC)
Official title
External microphone heater
Patent number
US12771979B1
Application number
18669973
Filed
May 21, 2024
Granted
Oct 20, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
20

Classified under

H04R 1/086 Electricity & electronicsH04R 1/04 Electricity & electronicsH04R 1/406 Electricity & electronicsH04R 3/005 Electricity & electronicsH05B 3/12 Electricity & electronicsH05B 3/34 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

More from Google in Cars & transport

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.