公开(公告)号：US20240071093A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-29

申请号：US17821535

申请日：2022-08-23

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Georges Goetz ,  James Dunphy ,  Augusto Tazzoli ,  David Schleuning

IPC: G06V20/58 ,  B60W60/00

CPC classification number: G06V20/58 ,  B60W60/0015 ,  B60W2420/52 ,  B60W2554/4049

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to time-division multiple access scanning for crosstalk mitigation in light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes emitting a first group of light signals into a surrounding environment. The first group of light signals corresponds to a first angular resolution. The method also includes detecting, during a first listening window, a first group of reflected light signals. Additionally, the method includes emitting a second group of light signals into the surrounding environment. The second group of light signals corresponds to a second angular resolution with respect to the surrounding environment. The second angular resolution is lower than the first angular resolution. Further, the method includes detecting a second group of reflected light signals from the surrounding environment. In addition, the method includes synthesizing, by a controller of the lidar device, a dataset usable to generate one or more point clouds.

公开(公告)号：US20230358868A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-09

申请号：US17662239

申请日：2022-05-06

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Georges Goetz

IPC: G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4865

CPC classification number: G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4808 ,  G01S7/4811 ,  G01S7/4865

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to mitigating crosstalk from high-intensity returns in a light detection and ranging (lidar) device. An example embodiment includes a lidar device. The lidar device includes an array of channels. Each channel includes a light detector and a corresponding light emitter. The lidar device also includes a controller. The controller is configured to cause one or more of the light emitters to emit light pulses. The controller is also configured to determine, based on a reflection pulse, that a high-reflectivity surface is present in a surrounding environment and a distance between the lidar device and the high-reflectivity surface. Additionally, the controller is configured to determine which of the other light detectors within the array of channels are susceptible to crosstalk from the first channel. Further, the controller is configured to identify one or more detected pulses that represent crosstalk from the first channel.

公开(公告)号：US20220163675A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-26

申请号：US17526051

申请日：2021-11-15

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Georges Goetz ,  Luke Wachter

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/18 ,  G06N3/02 ,  B60W40/02

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (lidar) device may be coupled to a vehicle and configured to scan a surrounding environment to determine ranges to one or more objects in the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The lidar device may generate data that can be used to form a range image, which includes or is based on range data determined for the one or more objects. The lidar device may also generate data that can be used to form a corresponding background image, which includes background light intensity data that the lidar device measures during the scan. The background image or background image data may be used to add range data to the range image, correct range data in the range image, and/or evaluate the quality of the range data in the range image. In this way, the background image or background image data can be used to generate an enhanced range image that includes range data that is more comprehensive and/or more reliable than the range data included in the original range image.

公开(公告)号：US20230194676A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

申请号：US17644994

申请日：2021-12-17

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Pieter Kapsenberg ,  Georges Goetz

IPC: G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4865

CPC classification number: G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4865

Abstract: An optical receiver includes a plurality of photodetectors, a shared memory, and a pulse calibration processing unit communicatively coupled to the shared memory. The optical receiver also includes a hardware accelerator module configured to accept input waveforms from the plurality of photodetectors and compare an amplitude of the respective input waveforms with a predetermined threshold. Based on the comparison, the hardware accelerator module could determine subsets of the input waveforms and determine information indicative of characteristic aspects of the subsets of the input waveforms. The optical receiver is additionally operable to store the determined information in the shared memory and trigger an interrupt for the pulse calibration processing unit to initiate a pulse calibration process on the determined information.

公开(公告)号：US20220187448A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-16

申请号：US17376611

申请日：2021-07-15

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Mark Alexander Shand ,  Lucas Peeters ,  Rui Wu ,  Blaise Gassend ,  Stephen Osborn ,  Paul Karplus ,  Georges Goetz

IPC: G01S13/931 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G01S7/4861

Abstract: Computing devices, systems, and methods described in various embodiments herein may relate to a light detection and ranging (lidar) system. An example computing device could include a controller having at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one processor is configured to execute program instructions stored in the at least one memory so as to carry out operations. The operations include receiving information identifying an environmental condition surrounding a vehicle, the environmental condition being at least one of fog, mist, snow, dust, or rain. The operations also include determining a range of interest within a field of view of the lidar system based on the received information. The operations also include adjusting at least one of: a return light detection time period, sampling rate, or filtering threshold, for at least a portion of the field of view based on the determined range of interest.