Waymo LLC

Ethan Stark

Daniel Trawick Egnor

Ryan Cash

Andrew Schultz

Nolan McPeek-Bechtold

Pierre-yves Droz

Michael Marx

Katharine Patterson

Nolan Mcpeek-Bechtold

The technology relates to detecting water or fouling on the exterior surface of a sensor cover, for instance due to precipitation or debris (fouling). Such objects on the sensor cover surface may degrade operation of the sensor, which can be problematic for vehicles operating in an autonomous driving mode. According to an aspect of the technology, a waveguide layer is provided on the sensor cover. A laser emits light at a selected wavelength along one side of the waveguide layer. The light waveform propagating along the waveguide layer is affected (distorted) by precipitation and/or fouling on the surface of this layer. A detector receives the distorted waveform. The system determines whether water and/or fouling is present based on the received waveform. This allows the system to determine whether to activate a cleaning module or to factor in the information when processing received sensor data.

Surface fouling detection

Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, a trajectory is identified. The trajectory defines a future desired path for the vehicle and includes a control requirement having a corresponding point in time. A command for achieving the control requirement is generated. A fixed delay value corresponding to a delay caused by transmission of the command to an actuator of the vehicle is generated. A variable delay value corresponding to a delay caused by an amount of time to change a physical state of the actuator to a desired state according to the command is generated. The command is then sent to the actuator based on the fixed delay value, the variable delay value, and so that the actuator causes the vehicle to move according to the command.

Adjusting timing of actuation commands to account for fixed and variable delays in autonomous driving control of vehicles

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device includes a light emitter configured to emit light pulses into a field of view and a detector configured to detect light in the field of view. The light emitter emits a first light pulse. The detector detects, during a first measurement period, at least one reflected light pulse that is indicative of reflection by a retroreflector based on a shape of a reflected light pulse, a magnitude of a reflected light pulse, and/or a time separation between two reflected light pulses. In response to detecting the at least one reflected light pulse indicative of reflection by a retroreflector, the light emitter is deactivated for one or more subsequent measurement periods. Additionally, the LIDAR device may inform one or more other LIDAR devices by transmitting to a computing device information indicative of the retroreflector being within the field of view of the light emitter.

Retroreflector detection and avoidance in a LIDAR device

Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a transition between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode of a vehicle. For instance, one or more processors of one or more control computing devices may control the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode. While controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode and decelerating at a given rate, the processors may receive at a user input of the vehicle input requesting a transition from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode. In response to the input, the processors may transition the vehicle to the manual driving mode. After transitioning the vehicle to the manual driving mode, the processors may send deceleration signals to a deceleration actuator thereby causing the vehicle to continue to decelerate at the given rate.

Driver transition assistance for transitioning to manual control for vehicles with autonomous driving modes

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.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ethan Stark