Waymo LLC

David Sobel

Srikanth Muroor

Pierre-yves Droz

Kaushik Kannan

Pieter Kaspenberg

Pieter Kapsenberg

Sabareeshkumar Ravikumar

Michael Dierickx

Example embodiments relate to a lower power linearization of lidar signals. An example embodiment includes a method that includes receiving a sample value output by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in a processing unit of a lidar system. The ADC may be configured to digitize an optical signal that is compressed by a gain amplifier. The compression may be based on a transfer function comprising one or more linear portions. The method also includes comparing the sample value to one or more threshold values. The one or more threshold values may correspond respectively to the one or more linear portions. The method further includes selecting, for the sample value and based on the comparing, an inverse gain and an associated intercept. The method additionally includes linearizing the sample value based on the selected inverse gain and the associated intercept.

Lower power linearization of lidar signals

Example embodiments relate to low-overhead, bidirectional error checking for a serial peripheral interface. An example device includes an integrated circuit. The device also includes a serial peripheral interface (SPI) with a Master In Slave Out (MISO) channel and a Master Out Slave In (MOSI) channel. The MOSI channel is configured to receive a write address, payload data, and a forward error-checking code usable to identify data corruption within the write address or the payload data. The integrated circuit is configured to calculate and provide a reverse error-checking code usable to identify data corruption within the write address or the payload data. Additionally, the integrated circuit is configured to compare the forward error-checking code to the reverse error-checking code. Further, the integrated circuit is configured to write, to the write address if the forward error-checking code matches the reverse error-checking code, the payload data.

Low-overhead, bidirectional error checking for a serial peripheral interface

A method and system to provide timebase synchronization for multiple processors in a multi-processor sensor system, where each processor operates according to a respective reference clock, and where the processors' respective reference clocks are off sync from each other. An example method includes simultaneously injecting a synchronization pulse respectively into the multiple processors. Further, the method includes recording for each processor, according to the processor's respective reference clock, a respective synchronization-pulse timestamp of the simultaneously injected synchronization pulse, comparing the respective synchronization-pulse timestamps recorded for the processors, and, based on the comparing, computing for each processor a respective time offset. Additionally, the method includes using the per-processor computed time offsets as a basis to provide a synchronized timebase across the processors.

Timebase synchronization using pulsed signal injection

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Los Altos, CA, United States of America

David Sobel