Waymo LLC

Gm Cruise Holdings LLC

Planet Labs, Inc.

Planet Labs Pbc

Brendan Hermalyn

Pierre-yves Droz

Pierre-Yves Droz

Andreas Wendel

Jeremy Dittmer

Simon Verghese

Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera

Benjamin T Ingram

Kimberly Geneva Toth

Shane Mcguire

Caner Onal

M Dirk Robinson

Joshua D Levine

David Schleuning

Brandyn White

Ury Zhilinsky

Alex Mccauley

Jonathan Dyer

Ronny Votel

Matt William Messana

Radu Raduta

Devin Cass

Roger Lo

Shane McGuire

Joseph Robbins

Mabel Lee

Nate Herse

Yung Change Ko

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles that use a perception system to detect objects and features in the vehicle's surroundings. A camera assembly having a ring-type structure is provided that gives the perception system an overall 360° field of view around the vehicle. Image sensors are arranged in camera modules around the assembly to provide a seamless panoramic field of view. One subsystem has multiple pairs of image sensors positioned to provide the overall 360° field of view, while another subsystem provides a set of image sensors generally facing toward the front of the vehicle to provide enhanced object identification. The camera assembly may be arranged in a housing located on top of the vehicle. The housing may include other sensors such as LIDAR and radar. The assembly includes a chassis and top and base plates, which may provide EMI protection from other sensors disposed in the housing.

Camera ring structure for autonomous vehicles

Example embodiments relate to multiple operating modes to expand dynamic range. An example embodiment includes a camera system. The camera system may include a first image sensor having a first dynamic range corresponding to a first range of luminance levels in a scene. The system may also include a second image sensor having a second dynamic range corresponding to a second range of luminance levels in the scene. The camera system may further include a processor coupled to the first image sensor and the second image sensor. The processor may be configured to execute instructions to identify objects of a first type in a first image of the scene captured by the first image sensor and identify objects of a second object type in a second image of the scene captured by the second image sensor.

Multiple operating modes to expand dynamic range

Example implementations are provided for an arrangement of co-aligned rotating sensors. One example device includes a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) transmitter that emits light pulses toward a scene according to a pointing direction of the device. The device also includes a LIDAR receiver that detects reflections of the emitted light pulses reflecting from the scene. The device also includes an image sensor that captures an image of the scene based on at least external light originating from one or more external light sources. The device also includes a platform that supports the LIDAR transmitter, the LIDAR receiver, and the image sensor in a particular relative arrangement. The device also includes an actuator that rotates the platform about an axis to adjust the pointing direction of the device.

Rotating LIDAR with co-aligned imager

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide both an image of a scene and depth information for the scene. An example system includes at least one time-of-flight (ToF) sensor and an imaging sensor. The ToF sensor and the imaging sensor are configured to receive light from a scene. The system also includes at least one light source and a controller that carries out operations. The operations include causing the at least one light source to illuminate at least a portion of the scene with illumination light according to an illumination schedule. The operations also include causing the at least one ToF sensor to provide information indicative of a depth map of the scene based on the illumination light. The operations additionally include causing the imaging sensor to provide information indicative of an image of the scene based on the illumination light.

Hybrid time-of-flight and imager module

Systems and methods of capturing imagery are provided. In particular, an imaging platform can be configured to capture imagery using a dual-axis steering mirror and one or more image capture devices. The line of sight angle of the imaging platform can be controlled by controlling the motion of the steering mirror in accordance with a motion profile. In example embodiments, the motion profile can correspond to a sawtooth wave. The imaging platform can further include one or more position sensors used to determine a position and/or orientation of the imaging platform along a path on which the imaging platform travels. The motion of the steering mirror can then be controlled to rotate about a first axis and a second axis to compensate for line of sight errors based at least in part on the determined position and/or orientation.

Controlling a line of sight angle of an imaging platform

Camera system, method and instructions using images captured by a first mage sensor and a second image sensor to generate a third image corresponding to a simulated lens having an intermediate focal length

The subject disclosure relates to features for improving the modularity and interoperability of sensors and in particular, sensors deployed for use in vehicle related sensing applications. In some aspects, the disclosed technology encompasses a sensor aggregation module (e.g., sensor pod) that includes a sensor enclosure having an interior volume configured for housing one or more sensors, a data port integrated into an exterior surface of the sensor enclosure, wherein the data port is configured to be electrically coupled to a vehicle data port, and a plurality of sensor ports disposed within an interior volume of the sensor enclosure, wherein the sensor ports are configured for modular connectivity to the one or more sensors.

Sensor aggregation module

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles that use a perception system to detect objects and features in the vehicle's surroundings. A camera assembly having a ling-type structure is provided that gives the perception system an overall 360&#xb0; field of view around the vehicle. Image sensors are arranged in camera modules around the assembly to provide a seamless panoramic field of view. One subsystem has multiple pairs of image sensors positioned to provide the overall 360&#xb0; field of view, while another subsystem provides a set of image sensors generally facing toward the front of the vehicle to provide enhanced object identification. The camera assembly may be arranged in a housing located on top of the vehicle. The housing may include other sensors such as LIDAR and radar. The assembly includes a chassis and top and base plates, which may provide EMI protection from other sensors disposed in the housing.

The present disclosure relates to 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.

Single optic for low light and high light level imaging

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles that use a perception system to detect objects and features in the vehicle's surroundings. A camera assembly having a ring-type structure is provided that gives the perception system an overall 360&#xb0; field of view around the vehicle. Image sensors are arranged in camera modules around the assembly to provide a seamless panoramic field of view. One subsystem has multiple pairs of image sensors positioned to provide the overall 360&#xb0; field of view, while another subsystem provides a set of image sensors generally facing toward the front of the vehicle to provide enhanced object identification. The camera assembly may be arranged in a housing located on top of the vehicle. The housing may include other sensors such as LIDAR and radar. The assembly includes a chassis and top and base plates, which may provide EMI protection from other sensors disposed in the housing.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide information about a scene based on a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor and a structured light pattern. In an example embodiment, a sensor system could include at least one ToF sensor configured to receive light from a scene. The sensor system could also include at least one light source configured to emit a structured light pattern and a controller that carries out operations. The operations include causing the at least one light source to illuminate at least a portion of the scene with the structured light pattern and causing the at least one ToF sensor to provide information indicative of a depth map of the scene based on the structured light pattern.

Time-of-flight sensor with structured light illuminator

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Brendan Hermalyn