US 12,003,929 B1
Microphone cleaning and calibration
Xuan Zhong, San Jose, CA (US); Arvind Pattabhiraman, Alameda, CA (US); David Donald Logan, Morgan Hill, CA (US); Nam Gook Cho, Cupertino, CA (US); Venkata Subrahmanyam Chandra Sekhar Chebiyyam, San Francisco, CA (US); and Shaminda Subasingha, San Ramon, CA (US)
Assigned to ZOOX, INC., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/711,888.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/282,642, filed on Nov. 23, 2021.
Int. Cl. H04R 29/00 (2006.01); B08B 7/02 (2006.01); B08B 13/00 (2006.01); B60S 1/62 (2006.01); B60W 50/02 (2012.01); B60W 50/06 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 1/08 (2006.01); H04R 1/40 (2006.01); H04R 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 29/005 (2013.01) [B08B 7/02 (2013.01); B08B 13/00 (2013.01); B60S 1/62 (2013.01); B60W 50/0205 (2013.01); B60W 50/0225 (2013.01); B60W 50/06 (2013.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.02); H04R 1/025 (2013.01); H04R 1/08 (2013.01); H04R 1/406 (2013.01); H04R 3/005 (2013.01); B60W 2050/021 (2013.01); B60W 2555/20 (2020.02); H04R 2499/13 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
outputting a first audio signal from a speaker into a conduit connecting the speaker to a microphone;
detecting, by the microphone, a second audio signal;
determining a difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal;
determining, based at least in part on the difference, a probability associated with an obstruction covering an opening adjacent the microphone; and
performing an action based at least in part on the probability meeting or exceeding a threshold, the action including at least one of:
initiating a cleaning operation to remove at least a portion of the obstruction covering the opening; or
initiating a calibration operation to calibrate the microphone to verify operation of the microphone.