公开(公告)号：US11705149B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-18

申请号：US17746384

申请日：2022-05-17

Applicant: WAYMO LLC

Inventor： Choon Ping Chng ,  Cheng-Han Wu

IPC: G10L25/51 ,  G01P15/09 ,  G10K11/178 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R1/40 ,  B60R11/02 ,  H04R3/00 ,  B60R11/00

CPC classification number: G10L25/51 ,  B60R11/02 ,  G01P15/0907 ,  G10K11/17873 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R1/406 ,  H04R3/005 ,  B60R2011/004 ,  G10K2210/12821 ,  G10K2210/3027 ,  H04R2499/13

Abstract: A system includes a microphone unit coupled to a roof of an autonomous vehicle. The microphone unit includes a microphone board having a first opening. The microphone unit also includes a first microphone positioned over the first opening and coupled to the microphone board. The microphone unit further includes an accelerometer. The system also includes a processor coupled to the microphone unit.

公开(公告)号：US11692841B1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-04

申请号：US17540306

申请日：2021-12-02

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Kenneth Hobbs ,  Lawrence Burns ,  Brian Cullinane

IPC: G01C21/00 ,  G01C21/36 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G01C21/34 ,  H04L67/12

CPC classification number: G01C21/3626 ,  G01C21/34 ,  G01C21/367 ,  G01C21/3614 ,  G01C21/3673 ,  G01C21/3676 ,  G01C21/3682 ,  G01C21/3697 ,  G05D1/0061 ,  G05D1/0255 ,  G05D1/0272 ,  G05D1/0274 ,  G05D2201/0213 ,  H04L67/12

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to generating and providing route options for an autonomous vehicle. For example, a user may identify a destination, and in response the vehicle's computer may provide routing options to the user. The routing options may be based on typical navigating considerations such as the total travel time, travel distance, fuel economy, etc. Each routing option may include not only an estimated total time, but also information regarding whether and which portions of the route may be maneuvered under the control of the vehicle alone (fully autonomous), a combination of the vehicle and the driver (semiautonomous), or the driver alone. The time of the longest stretch of driving associated with the autonomous mode as well as map information indicating portions of the routes associated with the type of maneuvering control may also be provided.

公开(公告)号：US20230202519A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-29

申请号：US18170710

申请日：2023-02-17

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： David Smith ,  Christopher Bowen

IPC: B60W60/00 ,  B60W10/04 ,  G01C21/34 ,  B60W10/10 ,  G01C21/36

CPC classification number: B60W60/0011 ,  B60W10/04 ,  G01C21/3492 ,  G01C21/3469 ,  B60W10/10 ,  G01C21/3691 ,  B60W2556/10 ,  B60W2555/20 ,  B60W2555/60

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling routing of an autonomous vehicles (AV) by identifying routes from a first location to a second location, identifying a target efficiency value of autonomous driving along a respective route, determining, in view of historical data for the respective route and using one or more randomized conditions, a confidence level associated with the target efficiency value, selecting, based on the target efficiency values and the associated confidence level, a preferred route, and causing the AV to select the first route for travel from the first location to the second location.

公开(公告)号：US11686823B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-27

申请号：US16895191

申请日：2020-06-08

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Pierre-Yves Droz ,  David Neil Hutchison ,  Ralph Hamilton Shepard

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  F21V8/00 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G02B6/42

CPC classification number: G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G02B6/003 ,  G02B6/0055 ,  G02B6/4214 ,  G02B6/4298

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to limitation of noise on light detectors using an aperture. One example implementation includes a system. The system includes a lens disposed relative to a scene. The lens focuses light from the scene. The system also includes an opaque material that defines an aperture. The system also includes a waveguide having a first side that receives light focused by the lens and transmitted through the aperture. The waveguide guides the received light toward a second side of the waveguide opposite to the first side. The waveguide has a third side extending between the first side and the second side. The system also includes a mirror that reflects the guided light toward the third side of the waveguide. The system also includes an array of light detectors that detects the reflected light propagating out of the third side.

公开(公告)号：US11685401B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-27

申请号：US17037104

申请日：2020-09-29

Applicant: WAYMO LLC

Inventor： Ashwin Limaye

IPC: B60W60/00 ,  G06V10/44 ,  G06V20/56 ,  G08G1/123

CPC classification number: B60W60/00253 ,  G06V10/44 ,  G06V20/56 ,  G08G1/123 ,  B60W2556/50

Abstract: A control system for an autonomous vehicle is configured to pick up a passenger at a pickup location. The autonomous vehicle includes a self-driving system and one or more computing devices in communication with the self-driving system. The one or more computing devices are configured to receive a trip request including a pickup location and a destination location, the trip request being associated with a client device; cause the self-driving system to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the pickup location; send a prompt to the client device to collect semantic information; determine a specified location based on the semantic information received in response to the prompt; identify one or more semantic markers for the specified location from the semantic information; and send a message to the client device identifying the specified location using the one or more semantic markers.

公开(公告)号：US20230196232A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

申请号：US18112047

申请日：2023-02-21

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： David Margines ,  Tacettin Guney ,  Saksiri Tanphaichitr ,  Jeffrey Min ,  Laurens Feenstra ,  Peter Pawlowski ,  Dirk Haehnel

IPC: G06Q10/0631 ,  G06Q10/02 ,  H04W4/40 ,  G08G1/00 ,  H04W4/021 ,  G06Q50/30

CPC classification number: G06Q10/06312 ,  G06Q10/02 ,  G06Q10/06315 ,  G06Q50/30 ,  G08G1/202 ,  H04W4/021 ,  H04W4/40

Abstract: Aspects of the technology relate to providing service area maps for an autonomous vehicle transportation service having a fleet of vehicles. For instance, each vehicle of the fleet is associated with a polygon corresponding to a service area for that vehicle. A first location may be received from a client computing device, and a set of vehicles of the fleet of vehicles that are currently available to provide transportation services may be identified based on the first location. The polygons associated with each of the set of vehicles may be used to determine a first polygon having a geographic area. A first portion of map information corresponding to the geographic area of the first polygon may be identified, and the first portion may be provided to the client computing device for display to a user such that the portion represents a currently available service area for the user.

公开(公告)号：US11675357B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-13

申请号：US16863450

申请日：2020-04-30

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nolan Shenai ,  Nathaniel Fairfield ,  Benjamin Pitzer

IPC: G05D1/02 ,  B62D7/14 ,  G05D1/00 ,  B62D7/15

CPC classification number: G05D1/0214 ,  B62D7/144 ,  B62D7/1509 ,  G05D1/0088 ,  G05D2201/0213

Abstract: The technology relates to fine maneuver control of large autonomous vehicles that employ multiple sets of independently actuated wheels. The control is able to optimize the turning radius, effectively negotiate curves, turns, and clear static objects of varying heights. Each wheel or wheel set is configured to adjust individually via control of an on-board computer system. Received sensor data and a physical model of the vehicle can be used for route planning and selecting maneuver operations in accordance with the additional degrees of freedom provided by the independently actuated wheels. This can include making turns, moving into or out of parking spaces, driving along narrow or congested roads, construction zones, loading docks, etc. A given maneuver may include maintaining a minimum threshold distance from a neighboring vehicle or other object.

公开(公告)号：US11670864B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US17136393

申请日：2020-12-29

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Edwin Lim ,  Timothy Campbell ,  Matthew Markel

IPC: H01Q13/02 ,  H01Q5/55 ,  H01Q1/32 ,  H01Q19/13

CPC classification number: H01Q19/138 ,  H01Q1/3233 ,  H01Q1/3275 ,  H01Q5/55 ,  H01Q13/0233

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to low elevation side lobe antennas with fan-shaped beams. An example radar unit may include a radiating plate having a first side and a second side with an illuminator, a waveguide horn, a waveguide opening, and a radiating sleeve extending into the first side of the radiating plate. The waveguide opening is positioned on the first end of the first side and the radiating sleeve is positioned on the second end of the first side. The radar unit also includes a metallic cover coupled to the first side of the radiating plate such that the metallic cover and the radiating plate form waveguide structures. The waveguide horn is configured to receive, from an external source, electromagnetic energy provided through the waveguide opening via a first waveguide and provide a portion of the electromagnetic energy to the illuminator via a second waveguide such that the portion of the electromagnetic energy radiates off the illuminator and through the radiating sleeve into an environment of the radar unit as one or more radar signals.

公开(公告)号：US11670038B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US17516073

申请日：2021-11-01

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Yin Zhou ,  Pei Sun ,  Yu Zhang ,  Dragomir Anguelov ,  Jiyang Gao ,  Yu Ouyang ,  Zijian Guo ,  Jiquan Ngiam ,  Vijay Vasudevan

IPC: G06T15/20 ,  G06V20/56 ,  G06V10/82 ,  G06V20/64 ,  G06V20/58

CPC classification number: G06T15/20 ,  G06V10/82 ,  G06V20/56 ,  G06V20/64 ,  G06V20/58

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing point cloud data using dynamic voxelization. When deployed within an on-board system of a vehicle, processing the point cloud data using dynamic voxelization can be used to make autonomous driving decisions for the vehicle with enhanced accuracy, for example by combining representations of point cloud data characterizing a scene from multiple views of the scene.

公开(公告)号：US11662465B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-30

申请号：US16237427

申请日：2018-12-31

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Ryan Davis ,  Blaise Gassend

IPC: G01S17/26 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G02B26/12 ,  G01S17/00

CPC classification number: G01S17/26 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G02B26/12 ,  G02B27/0955 ,  G02B27/0972 ,  G02B27/0977

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate a scanning light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device configured to provide an asymmetric illumination pattern. An example system includes a rotatable base configured to rotate about a first axis and a mirror assembly. The mirror assembly is configured to rotate about a second axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The system also includes an optical cavity coupled to the rotatable base. The optical cavity includes a photodetector and a photodetector lens arranged so as to define a light-receiving axis. The optical cavity also includes a light-emitter device and a light-emitter lens arranged so as to define a light-emission axis. At least one of the light-receiving axis or the light-emission axis forms a tilt angle with respect to the first axis.