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Google Patents Emergency Response Tech for Self-Driving Cars

Google Inc. has received a U.S. patent for a system that allows autonomous vehicles to recognize and respond to the presence of emergency vehicles.

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Google Inc. has received a U.S. patent for a system that allows autonomous vehicles to recognize and respond to the presence of emergency vehicles.

The patent, which was published earlier this month, describes a system that uses one or more sensors to identify flashing lights associated with different types of emergency vehicles. By categorizing colors and flashing patterns, the system can distinguish between vehicles and traffic lights and other light sources.

The information is combined with input from other sensors that track location and speed to determine the appropriate action an autonomous car should take when it senses an emergency vehicle.

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