公开(公告)号：US10346724B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-09

申请号：US15630275

申请日：2017-06-22

Applicant: Waymo LLC

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

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G06N3/04 ,  G06N3/08 ,  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：US20190208136A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-04

申请号：US16214589

申请日：2018-12-10

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Andreas Wendel ,  Jeremy Dittmer ,  Brendan Hermalyn

IPC: H04N5/247 ,  H04N5/232 ,  G06T7/20 ,  H04N5/917 ,  H04N7/12

CPC classification number: H04N5/247 ,  B60R11/04 ,  B60R2011/0026 ,  B60R2011/004 ,  G05D1/0246 ,  G05D2201/0213 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G06T2207/30252 ,  H04N5/23229 ,  H04N5/917 ,  H04N7/12

Abstract: An optical system for a vehicle may be configured with a plurality of camera sensors. Each camera sensor may be configured to create respective image data of a respective field of view. The optical system is further configured with a plurality of image processing units coupled to the plurality of camera sensors. The image processing units are configured to compress the image data captured by the camera sensors. A computing system is configured to store the compressed image data in a memory. The computing system is further configured with a vehicle-control processor configured to control the vehicle based on the compressed image data. The optical system and the computing system can be communicatively coupled by a data bus.

公开(公告)号：US20190204845A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-04

申请号：US16009499

申请日：2018-06-15

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： William Grossman ,  Benjamin Pitzer

IPC: G05D1/02 ,  B60R1/12 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/02 ,  G01S13/86

CPC classification number: G05D1/0231 ,  B60R1/12 ,  B60R2001/1223 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S13/865 ,  G01S17/023 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01S17/936 ,  G01S2013/9342 ,  G01S2013/9346 ,  G01S2013/935 ,  G01S2013/9385 ,  G05D1/0257 ,  G05D2201/0212 ,  G05D2201/0213

Abstract: The technology relates to autonomous vehicles for transporting cargo and/or people between locations. Distributed sensor arrangements may not be suitable for vehicles such as large trucks, busses or construction vehicles. Side view mirror assemblies are provided that include a sensor suite of different types of sensors, including LIDAR, radar, cameras, etc. Each side assembly is rigidly secured to the vehicle by a mounting element. The sensors within the assembly may be aligned or arranged relative to a common axis or physical point of the housing. This enables self-referenced calibration of all sensors in the housing. Vehicle-level calibration can also be performed between the sensors on the left and right sides of the vehicle. Each side view mirror assembly may include a conduit that provides one or more of power, data and cooling to the sensors in the housing.

公开(公告)号：US20190193733A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-27

申请号：US16238135

申请日：2019-01-02

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Jared Stephen Russell ,  Dmitri A. Dolgov ,  Nathaniel Fairfield ,  Laura Estelle Lindzey ,  Christopher Paul Urmson

IPC: B60W30/18 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G08G1/00 ,  G01C21/34 ,  G08G1/0962 ,  G08G1/0967 ,  G05D1/00

CPC classification number: B60W30/18 ,  B60W2400/00 ,  B60W2550/10 ,  B60W2550/20 ,  B60W2720/10 ,  G01C21/3407 ,  G05D1/0088 ,  G05D1/0214 ,  G08G1/00 ,  G08G1/09623 ,  G08G1/09626 ,  G08G1/096725 ,  G08G1/167 ,  G08G1/202

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to generating a speed plan for an autonomous vehicle. As an example, the vehicle is maneuvered in an autonomous driving mode along a route using pre-stored map information. This information identifies a plurality of keep clear regions where the vehicle should not stop but can drive through in the autonomous driving mode. Each keep clear region of the plurality of keep clear regions is associated with a priority value. A subset of the plurality of keep clear regions is identified based on the route. A speed plan for stopping the vehicle is generated based on the priority values associated with the keep clear regions of the subset. The speed plan identifies a location for stopping the vehicle. The speed plan is used to stop the vehicle in the location.

公开(公告)号：US20190193688A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-27

申请号：US15855327

申请日：2017-12-27

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Peter Craig Lombrozo

IPC: B60S1/56 ,  B08B3/02 ,  B08B5/02 ,  B08B3/10 ,  B60S1/54

CPC classification number: B60S1/56 ,  B08B3/022 ,  B08B3/10 ,  B08B5/023 ,  B08B2203/007 ,  B60S1/54

Abstract: This technology relates to a system for clearing sensors. The system may include an air knife, a sensor cover, and a sensor motor. The sensor cover may be configured to house one or more sensors. The sensor motor may be used to rotate the sensor cover. The air knife may be configured to clear the sensor cover of debris by providing a pressurized stream of fluid against the sensor cover as the sensor motor rotates the sensor cover.

公开(公告)号：US20190186931A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-20

申请号：US15842055

申请日：2017-12-14

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Jeremy Dittmer ,  Andreas Wendel

IPC: G01C21/34 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/70

CPC classification number: G01C21/3461 ,  G05D1/0246 ,  G06K9/00791 ,  G06T7/70 ,  G06T2207/10004

Abstract: Example implementations may relate to sun-aware vehicle routing. In particular, a computing system of a vehicle may determine an expected position of the sun relative to a geographic area. Based on the expected position, the computing system may make a determination that travel of the vehicle through certain location(s) within the geographic area is expected to result in the sun being proximate to an object within a field of view of the vehicle's image capture device. Responsively, the computing system may generate a route for the vehicle in the geographic area based at least on the route avoiding travel of the vehicle through these certain location(s), and may then operate the vehicle to travel in accordance with the generated route. Ultimately, this may help reduce or prevent situations where quality of image(s) degrades due to sunlight, which may allow for use of these image(s) as basis for operating the vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US20190179052A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-13

申请号：US16277436

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Jiajun Zhu ,  Dmitri Dolgov ,  Dave Ferguson

IPC: G01W1/00 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G01S17/02 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01W1/14 ,  G05D1/02 ,  H04N7/18

Abstract: Example methods and systems for detecting weather conditions using vehicle onboard sensors are provided. An example method includes receiving laser data collected for an environment of a vehicle, and the laser data includes a plurality of laser data points. The method also includes associating, by a computing device, laser data points of the plurality of laser data points with one or more objects in the environment, and determining given laser data points of the plurality of laser data points that are unassociated with the one or more objects in the environment as being representative of an untracked object. The method also includes based on one or more untracked objects being determined, identifying by the computing device an indication of a weather condition of the environment.

公开(公告)号：US20190178974A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-13

申请号：US15839677

申请日：2017-12-12

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Pierre-Yves Droz

IPC: G01S3/782 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/481

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods operable to provide point cloud information about an environment based on reconfigurable spatial light emission patterns and reconfigurable light detector arrangements that correspond to the light emission patterns. Additionally, a LIDAR device with a plurality of light emitters and photodetectors may be operated in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The first mode of operation could be a normal mode of operation. The second mode of operation could be a failsafe mode of operation that is used when a fault condition is detected.

公开(公告)号：US10317906B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-11

申请号：US15370361

申请日：2016-12-06

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： David I. Ferguson ,  Donald Jason Burnette

IPC: G05D1/02 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G01C21/26 ,  B60W30/00 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G01C21/32 ,  B60W10/04 ,  B60W10/20 ,  B60W30/14 ,  G01C21/34 ,  G01S13/93 ,  G01S19/42

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to differentiating between active and inactive construction zones. In one example, this may include identifying a construction object associated with a construction zone. The identified construction object may be used to map the area of the construction zone. Detailed map information may then be used to classify the activity of the construction zone. The area of the construction zone and the classification may be added to the detailed map information. Subsequent to adding the construction zone and the classification to the detailed map information, the construction object (or another construction object) may be identified. The location of the construction object may be used to identify the construction zone and classification from the detailed map information. The classification of the classification may be used to operate a vehicle having an autonomous mode.

公开(公告)号：US20190170520A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-06

申请号：US16196194

申请日：2018-11-20

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Peter Colijn ,  Joshua Seth Herbach ,  Matthew Paul McNaughton

IPC: G01C21/34 ,  G08G1/00

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide systems and methods for providing suggested locations for pick up and destination locations. Pick up locations may include locations where an autonomous vehicle can pick up a passenger, while destination locations may include locations where the vehicle can wait for an additional passenger, stop and wait for a passenger to perform some task and return to the vehicle, or for the vehicle to drop off a passenger. As such, a request for a vehicle may be received from a client computing device. The request may identify a first location. A set of one or more suggested locations may be selected by comparing the predetermined locations to the first location. The set may be provided to the client computing device.