公开(公告)号：US20230184955A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-15

申请号：US18166550

申请日：2023-02-09

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  Scott McCloskey ,  Stephen Osborn ,  Nicholas Armstrong-Crews

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

CPC classification number: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G05D1/0088 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: Example implementations may relate to determining a strategy for a drop process associated with a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. In particular, the LIDAR device could emit light pulses and detect return light pulses, and could generate a set of data points representative of the detected return light pulses. The drop process could involve a computing system discarding data point(s) of the set and/or preventing emission of light pulse(s) by the LIDAR device. Accordingly, the computing system could detect a trigger to engage in the drop process, and may responsively (i) use information associated with the environment around the vehicle, operation of the vehicle, and/or operation of the LIDAR device as a basis to determine the strategy for the drop process, and (ii) engage in the drop process in accordance with the determined strategy.

公开(公告)号：US11656629B1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-23

申请号：US17247353

申请日：2020-12-08

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews ,  Arthur Safira

IPC: G01S17/88 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G01P5/26 ,  G01S17/58

CPC classification number: G05D1/0231 ,  G01P5/26 ,  G01S17/58 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G05D1/0223 ,  G05D2201/0213

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling lidar-assisted segmentation and identification of particulate matter in autonomous vehicle (AV) applications, by: obtaining, by a sensing system of the AV, a plurality of return points, each return point having one or more velocity values and one or more coordinates of a reflecting region that reflects a signal emitted by the sensing system, identifying, in view of the one or more velocity values of each of a first set of the return points of the plurality of return points, that the first set of the return points is associated with a particulate matter in an environment of the AV, and causing a driving path of the AV to be determined in view of the particulate matter.

公开(公告)号：US11514343B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-29

申请号：US16916384

申请日：2020-06-30

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews ,  Arthur Safira ,  Alex Mccauley ,  Ruffin Evans

IPC: G06N5/04 ,  B60W50/00 ,  G06N20/00 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/02

Abstract: Simulated degraded sensor data may be generated for use in training a model. For instance, first sensor data collected by a sensor of a perception system of an autonomous vehicle may be received and converted into the simulated degraded sensor data for a particular degrading condition, such as a weather-related degrading condition. Then, the simulated degraded sensor data may be used to train a model for evaluating performance of the perception system to detect objects external to the autonomous vehicle under one or more conditions.

公开(公告)号：US20220146676A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-12

申请号：US16949657

申请日：2020-11-09

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews ,  Mingcheng Chen ,  Xiaoxiang Hu ,  Colin Andrew Braley ,  Yunshan Jiang

IPC: G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/58 ,  G01S17/26 ,  B60W40/02

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling efficient object identification and tracking in autonomous vehicle (AV) applications by using velocity data-assisted mapping of first set of points obtained for a first sensing data frame by a sensing system of the AV to a second set of points obtained for a second sensing data frame by the sensing system of the AV, the first set of points and the second set of points corresponding to an object in an environment of the AV, and causing a driving path of the AV to be determined in view of the performed mapping.

公开(公告)号：US20210199801A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-01

申请号：US17131594

申请日：2020-12-22

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Paul Karplus ,  Blaise Gassend ,  Nicholas Armstrong-Crews ,  Scott McCloskey

IPC: G01S17/18 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/486

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for occlusion detection. One example method involves a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device scanning at least a portion of an external structure within a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR device. The LIDAR device is physically coupled to the external structure. The scanning comprises transmitting light pulses toward the external structure through an optical window, and receiving reflected light pulses through the optical window. The reflected light pulses comprise reflections of the transmitted light pulses returning back to the LIDAR device from the external structure. The method also involves detecting presence of an occlusion that at least partially occludes the LIDAR device from scanning the FOV based on at least the scan of the at least portion of the external structure.

公开(公告)号：US12270914B2

公开(公告)日：2025-04-08

申请号：US18535933

申请日：2023-12-11

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews ,  Mingcheng Chen ,  Xiaoxiang Hu

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  B60W30/09 ,  B60W30/095 ,  B60W60/00 ,  G01S17/06 ,  G01S17/50 ,  G01S17/58 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/04

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling Doppler-assisted segmentation of points in a point cloud for efficient object identification and tracking in autonomous vehicle (AV) applications, by: obtaining, by a sensing system of the AV, a plurality of return points comprising one or more velocity values and one or more coordinates of a reflecting region that reflects a signal emitted by the sensing system, the one or more velocity values and the one or more coordinates obtained for the same instance of time, identifying that the set of the return points is associated with an object in an environment, and causing a driving path of the AV to be determined in view of the object.

公开(公告)号：US20250060477A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-20

申请号：US18933582

申请日：2024-10-31

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews

IPC: G01S13/89 ,  G01S13/931

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to self-reflection filtering techniques within radar data. A computing device may use radar data to determine a first radar representation that conveys information about surfaces in a vehicle's environment. The computing device may use a predefined model to generate a second radar representation that assigns predicted self-reflection values to respective locations of the environment based on the information about the surfaces conveyed by the first radar representation. The predefined model can enable a predefined self-reflection value to be assigned to a first location based on information about a surface positioned at a second location and a relationship between the first location and the second location. The computing device may then modify the first radar representation based on the predicted self-reflection values in the second radar representation and provide instructions to a control system of the vehicle based on modifying the first radar representation.

公开(公告)号：US20240345254A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-17

申请号：US18750514

申请日：2024-06-21

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  Scott McCloskey ,  Stephen Osborn ,  Nicholas Armstrong-Crews

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

CPC classification number: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: Example implementations may relate to determining a strategy for a drop process associated with a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. In particular, the LIDAR device could emit light pulses and detect return light pulses, and could generate a set of data points representative of the detected return light pulses. The drop process could involve a computing system discarding data point(s) of the set and/or preventing emission of light pulse(s) by the LIDAR device. Accordingly, the computing system could detect a trigger to engage in the drop process, and may responsively (i) use information associated with the environment around the vehicle, operation of the vehicle, and/or operation of the LIDAR device as a basis to determine the strategy for the drop process, and (ii) engage in the drop process in accordance with the determined strategy.

公开(公告)号：US12117520B1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-15

申请号：US17370285

申请日：2021-07-08

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews ,  Filip Perich ,  Timothy Campbell

IPC: G01S13/89 ,  B60W60/00 ,  G01S7/41 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/246

CPC classification number: G01S13/89 ,  G01S7/415 ,  G06T7/246 ,  G06T7/97 ,  B60W60/001 ,  B60W2420/408 ,  B60W2520/14 ,  G06T2207/10044 ,  G06T2207/30248

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to radar image video compression techniques using per-pixel Doppler measurements, which can involve initially receiving radar data from a radar unit to generate a radar representation that represents surfaces in the environment. Based on Doppler scores in the radar representation, a range rate can be determined for each pixel that indicates a radial direction motion for a surface represented by the pixel. The range rates and backscatter values can then be used to estimate a radar representation prediction for subsequent radar data received from the radar unit, which enables a generation of a compressed radar data file that represents the difference between the radar representation prediction and the actual representation determined for the subsequent radar data. The compressed radar data file can be stored in memory, transmitted to other devices, and decompressed and used to train models via machine learning.

公开(公告)号：US20240217554A1

公开(公告)日：2024-07-04

申请号：US18608300

申请日：2024-03-18

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nicholas Armstrong-Crews

IPC: B60W60/00 ,  B60W40/02 ,  B60W50/06 ,  G06N5/04 ,  G06N20/00 ,  G10L25/51 ,  H04R1/40 ,  H04R3/00

CPC classification number: B60W60/0016 ,  B60W40/02 ,  B60W50/06 ,  G06N5/04 ,  G06N20/00 ,  G10L25/51 ,  H04R1/406 ,  H04R3/005 ,  B60W2420/54 ,  B60W2556/45 ,  H04R2201/401 ,  H04R2499/13

Abstract: The technology relates to determining a source of a horn honk or other noise in an environment around one or more self-driving vehicles. Aspects of the technology leverage real-time information from a group of self-driving vehicles regarding received acoustical information. The location and pose of each self-driving vehicle in the group, along with the precise arrangement of acoustical sensors on each vehicle, can be used to triangulate or otherwise identify the actual location in the environment for the origin of the horn honk or other sound. Other sensor information, map data, and additional data can be used narrow down or refine the location of a likely noise source. Once the location and source of the noise is known, each self-driving vehicle can use that information to modify current driving operations and/or use it as part of a reinforcement learning approach for future driving situations.