公开(公告)号：US20230131634A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-27

申请号：US18145158

申请日：2022-12-22

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  Pierre-Yves Droz ,  Benjamin T. Ingram

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G02B26/12 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical systems, specifically light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems. An example optical system includes a laser light source operable to emit laser light along a first axis and a mirror element with a plurality of reflective surfaces. The mirror element is configured to rotate about a second axis. The plurality of reflective surfaces is disposed about the second axis. The mirror element and the laser light source are coupled to a base structure, which is configured to rotate about a third axis. While the rotational angle of the mirror element is within an angular range, the emitted laser light interacts with both a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces and is reflected into the environment by the first and second reflective surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US11636765B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-25

申请号：US17222291

申请日：2021-04-05

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： David Ian Franklin Ferguson

IPC: G08G1/16

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.

公开(公告)号：US11634145B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-25

申请号：US17025048

申请日：2020-09-18

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Keith Hutchings ,  Julien Mercay ,  Philip Nemec ,  Hans-olav CaveLie ,  Saswat Panigrahi ,  Renaud-Roland Hubert ,  Johan Engstrom

IPC: B60W40/09 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G06V20/59

Abstract: This technology relates to dynamically detecting, managing and mitigating driver fatigue in autonomous systems. For instance, interactions of a driver in a vehicle may be monitored to determine a distance or time when primary tasks associated with operation of the vehicle or secondary tasks issued by the vehicle computing were last performed. If primary tasks or secondary tasks are not performed within given distance thresholds or time limits, then one or more secondary tasks are initiated by the computing device of the vehicle. In another instance, potential driver fatigue, driver distraction or overreliance on an automated driving system is detected based on gaze direction or pattern of a driver. For example, a detected gaze direction or pattern may be compared to an expected gaze direction or pattern given the surrounding environment in a vicinity of the vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US20230120380A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-20

申请号：US18068665

申请日：2022-12-20

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Mark Alexander Shand

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/931

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to selective deactivation of light emitters for interference mitigation in light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example method includes deactivating one or more light emitters within a lidar device during a firing cycle. The method also includes identifying whether interference is influencing measurements made by the lidar device. Identifying whether interference is influencing measurements made by the lidar device includes determining, for each light detector of the lidar device that is associated with the one or more light emitters deactivated during the firing cycle, whether a light signal was detected during the firing cycle.

公开(公告)号：US11632823B1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-18

申请号：US17210284

申请日：2021-03-23

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Shawn Nematbakhsh ,  Alec Berg ,  Craig Robinson ,  Alexander Zbrozek

IPC: H04W84/18 ,  H04W4/48 ,  H04L12/40 ,  H04W8/06

Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating sensor timestamps by oversampling are provided. One example method involves observing, at a sampling frequency, sensor data from a register of a sensor. The sensor updates the register with sensor data at as sensor update frequency. The sampling frequency is different from the sensor update frequency. The method also involves generating, based on the sensor update frequency and the sampling frequency, an observed sequence representing the sensor data. The observed sequence indicates whether the register is observed to be updated or not updated. The method also involves estimating, from the observed sequence, the sensor update frequency and a sensor update phase. The method also involves determining, based on the sensor update frequency as estimated and the sensor update phase as estimated, a timestamp corresponding to an update of the register.

公开(公告)号：US20230113678A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-13

申请号：US18079949

申请日：2022-12-13

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Graham Doorley ,  Paul Thomas Hansen Karplus ,  Peter Avram

IPC: B60S1/56 ,  B60S1/48 ,  B60S1/08 ,  H02P7/06 ,  B08B1/04 ,  B08B1/00 ,  B60S1/34 ,  G02B27/00

Abstract: A system includes a dome, a wiper assembly, a position sensor and a control device. The wiper assembly includes a wiper blade configured to rotate around the dome. The position sensor may be configured to send a signal to a control device when a wiper blade passes the position sensor. The control device may include one or more processors configured to receive the signal from the position sensor and determine a location of the wiper blade relative to the dome based on the received signal.

公开(公告)号：US11619734B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-04

申请号：US17072523

申请日：2020-10-16

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Jamal Izadian ,  Russell Smith ,  Timothy Campbell ,  Adam Brown

IPC: G01S13/86 ,  G01S13/90 ,  G01S13/931 ,  H01Q21/00 ,  H01Q1/32 ,  H01Q13/06 ,  H01P5/12 ,  H01P5/18 ,  H01Q21/06 ,  H01P1/18

Abstract: A radar system includes a split-block assembly unit comprising a first portion and second portion, where the first portion and the second portion form a seam. The radar system further includes a plurality of ports located on a bottom side of the second portion opposite the seam. Additionally, the radar system includes a plurality of radiating elements located on a top side of the first portion opposite the seam. The plurality of radiating elements is arranged in a plurality of arrays. The plurality of arrays includes a set of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission arrays, a set of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) transmission arrays, and at least one reception array. Further, the radar system includes a set of waveguides configured to couple each array to a port.

公开(公告)号：US11618481B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-04

申请号：US16919872

申请日：2020-07-02

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Yuning Chai ,  Benjamin Sapp ,  Mayank Bansal ,  Dragomir Anguelov

IPC: B60W60/00 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G06N3/08 ,  G06V20/56

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for agent trajectory prediction using anchor trajectories.

公开(公告)号：US20230094975A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-30

申请号：US17488952

申请日：2021-09-29

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Romain Jean Thibaux ,  Pankaj Purushottam Chaudhari ,  Jonathan Hsiao

IPC: B60W60/00 ,  G06T11/20

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium that create lane graph geometries from lane graph topologies. One of the methods includes receiving data representing a topological lane path through a plurality of cells of a drivable region. From the topological lane path, an initial polyline that traverses the same plurality of cells as the topological lane path can be generated. The initial polyline can be defined by vertices located on edges of a triangulated decomposition of the drivable region. A geometry optimization process can be performed on the initial polyline to generate a final polyline according to optimization criteria. From the final polyline, a geometric lane path representing a geometry of a drivable lane that traverses the drivable region can be generated.

公开(公告)号：US11614523B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-28

申请号：US17091337

申请日：2020-11-06

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Simon Verghese ,  Pierre-Yves Droz ,  Mark Shand

IPC: G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G05D1/02

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for protecting a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device against external light that is originated at a light source other than a light source of the LIDAR device and that is being emitted towards the LIDAR device. In particular, the LIDAR device may be equipped with a mitigation system that includes an interference filter, an absorptive filter, an adaptive filter, and/or a spatial filter. Additionally or alternatively, the LIDAR device may be operated to carry out reactive and/or proactive mitigation operations. For example, the LIDAR device may be operated to vary over time characteristics with which light is being emitted and to only detect light having characteristics that match the characteristics with which light is being emitted. In another example, the LIDAR device may be operated to activate a shutter to block the external light from being detected by the LIDAR device.