公开(公告)号：US10522887B2

公开(公告)日：2019-12-31

申请号：US15789533

申请日：2017-10-20

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Zhe Li ,  Jamal Izadian ,  Pierre-yves Droz ,  Min Wang

IPC: H01P1/06 ,  B60R16/027 ,  H01Q1/32 ,  H01Q1/22 ,  H01P3/127 ,  H01P5/04 ,  H01P3/12 ,  H01P5/12 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G05D1/00

Abstract: A vehicle having a communication system is disclosed. The system includes two electrical couplings, coupled by way of a rotary joint. Each electrical coupling includes an interface waveguide configured to couple to external signals. Each electrical coupling also includes a waveguide section configured to propagate electromagnetic signals between the interface waveguide and the rotary joint. Additionally, the rotary joint is configured to allow one electrical coupling to rotate with respect to the other electrical coupling. An axis of rotation of the rotary joint is defined by a center of a portion of the waveguides. Yet further, the rotary joint allows electromagnetic energy to propagate between the waveguides of the electrical couplings.

公开(公告)号：US10508986B1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-17

申请号：US15959611

申请日：2018-04-23

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Jiajun Zhu ,  David I. Ferguson ,  Dmitri A. Dolgov ,  Jonathan Baldwin Dowdall

IPC: G01N21/27 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G01S17/08

Abstract: A light detection and ranging device associated with an autonomous vehicle scans through a scanning zone while emitting light pulses and receives reflected signals corresponding to the light pulses. The reflected signals indicate a three-dimensional point map of the distribution of reflective points in the scanning zone. A hyperspectral sensor images a region of the scanning zone corresponding to a reflective feature indicated by the three-dimensional point map. The output from the hyperspectral sensor includes spectral information characterizing a spectral distribution of radiation received from the reflective feature. The spectral characteristics of the reflective feature allow for distinguishing solid objects from non-solid reflective features, and a map of solid objects is provided to inform real time navigation decisions.

公开(公告)号：US20190367105A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-05

申请号：US15992337

申请日：2018-05-30

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： William Grossman

IPC: B62D53/08 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G01S17/88

Abstract: The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided.

公开(公告)号：US10493992B2

公开(公告)日：2019-12-03

申请号：US15718459

申请日：2017-09-28

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Ethan Stark ,  Daniel Trawick Egnor ,  Ryan Cash

IPC: G01C22/00 ,  B60W30/188 ,  G05D1/00 ,  B60W10/06 ,  B60W10/02 ,  G05D1/02

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to stopping a vehicle. For instance, a vehicle is controlled in an autonomous driving mode by generating first commands for acceleration control and sending the first commands to an acceleration and/or steering actuator of an acceleration system of the vehicle in order to cause the vehicle to accelerate. Acceleration and/or orientation of the vehicle is monitored while the vehicle is being operated in an autonomous driving mode. The monitored acceleration and/or orientation is compared with the first commands. An error with the acceleration and/or steering system is determined based on the comparison. When the error is determined, the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode by generating second commands which do not require any acceleration and/or steering.

公开(公告)号：USD866117S1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-12

申请号：US29629924

申请日：2017-12-18

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Designer： Richard Morabito

公开(公告)号：US10473903B2

公开(公告)日：2019-11-12

申请号：US15856194

申请日：2017-12-28

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Brendan Hermalyn

IPC: G02B17/08 ,  G02B17/00 ,  H04N5/235 ,  H04N5/225 ,  B60R11/04

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to multiple view optical systems. An example optical system includes at least one primary optical element configured to receive incident light from a scene and a plurality of relay mirrors optically coupled to the at least one primary optical element. The optical system also includes a lens optically coupled to the plurality of relay mirrors, and an image sensor configured to receive focused light from the lens. The image sensor includes a first light-sensitive area and a second light-sensitive area. The primary optical element, the plurality of relay mirrors, and the lens interact with the incident light to form a first focused light portion and a second focused light portion. The first focused light portion forms a first image portion of the scene on the first light-sensitive area and the second focused light portion forms a second image portion of the scene on the second light-sensitive area.

公开(公告)号：US10471927B1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-12

申请号：US15703312

申请日：2017-09-13

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Atul Gupta ,  Peter Craig Lombrozo ,  Daniel Lynn Larner

IPC: B60R21/00 ,  B60R21/36 ,  B60R21/0134 ,  B60R21/01

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to airbag systems for vehicles. The airbag systems may prevent the airbags from splitting apart during impact with a pedestrian or object. The airbag system may include a first airbag attached to a first connector and a second airbag attached to a second connector. The airbag system may also include a tether attached to the first connector and the second connector, and wherein the tether is configured to be pulled taut upon the first or second airbag being deployed in an environment of a vehicle in order to reduce the likelihood of an object colliding directly with the vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US20190318207A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-17

申请号：US16447842

申请日：2019-06-20

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Wan-Yen Lo ,  Abhijit Ogale ,  Yang Gao

IPC: G06K9/62 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06N3/08 ,  G06N3/04 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G05D1/02

Abstract: In some implementations, an image classification system of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is capable of improving multi-object classification by reducing repeated incorrect classification of objects that are considered rarely occurring objects. The system can include a common instance classifier that is trained to identify and recognize general objects (e.g., commonly occurring objects and rarely occurring objects) as belonging to specified object categories, and a rare instance classifier that is trained to compute one or more rarity scores representing likelihoods that an input image is correctly classified by the common instance classifier. The output of the rare instance classifier can be used to adjust the classification output of the common instance classifier such that the likelihood of input images being incorrectly classified is reduced.

公开(公告)号：US10447959B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-15

申请号：US15817976

申请日：2017-11-20

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Huihui Hu ,  Min Wang

IPC: H04B3/54 ,  H04N5/38 ,  H05K1/11 ,  H05K1/02 ,  H05K3/40 ,  G01S7/00 ,  G01S17/02 ,  H05K1/16 ,  H04L5/14

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for a system for a power over data line (PoDL) system. The system includes a ground plane that has a cutout. In addition, an alternating current (AC) capacitor pad configured to establish a bidirectional data channel. The AC capacitor pad is positioned in the cutout of the ground plane. Similarly, a PoDL pad connected to one or more inductors and a direct current (DC) power source is positioned in the cutout of the ground plane and is in series with the AC capacitor pad.

公开(公告)号：US10444754B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-15

申请号：US15257021

申请日：2016-09-06

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Nathaniel Fairfield ,  Joshua Seth Herbach

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  H04L29/08 ,  B60W50/02

Abstract: Example systems and methods enable an autonomous vehicle to request assistance from a remote operator when the vehicle's confidence in operation is low. One example method includes operating an autonomous vehicle in a first autonomous mode. The method may also include identifying a situation where a level of confidence of an autonomous operation in the first autonomous mode is below a threshold level. The method may further include sending a request for assistance to a remote assistor, the request including sensor data representative of a portion of an environment of the autonomous vehicle. The method may additionally include receiving a response from the remote assistor, the response indicating a second autonomous mode of operation. The method may also include causing the autonomous vehicle to operate in the second autonomous mode of operation in accordance with the response from the remote assistor.