Waymo LLC

Scott McCloskey

Blaise Gassend

Nicholas Armstrong-Crews

Benjamin T Ingram

Gaetan Pennecot

Luke Wachter

Pierre-yves Droz

Christian Lauterbach

Peter Morton

Stephen Osborn

Pierre-Yves Droz

Paul Karplus

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate light detection and ranging operations. An example transmit block includes at least one substrate with a plurality of angled facets. The plurality of angled facets provides a corresponding plurality of elevation angles. A set of angle differences between adjacent elevation angles includes at least two different angle difference values. A plurality of light-emitter devices is configured to emit light into an environment along the plurality of elevation angles toward respective target locations so as to provide a desired resolution and/or a respective elevation angle. The present disclosure also relates to adjusting shot power and a shot schedule based on the desired resolution and/or a respective elevation angle.

Variable beam spacing, timing, and power for vehicle sensors

The technology relates to developing a highly accurate understanding of a vehicle's sensor fields of view in relation to the vehicle itself. A training phase is employed to gather sensor data in various situations and scenarios, and a modeling phase takes such information and identifies self-returns and other signals that should either be excluded from analysis during real-time driving or accounted for to avoid false positives. The result is a sensor field of view model for a particular vehicle, which can be extended to other similar makes and models of that vehicle. This approach enables a vehicle to determine when sensor data is of the vehicle or something else. As a result, the detailed modeling allowing the on-board computing system to make driving decisions and take other actions based on accurate sensor information.

Model for excluding vehicle from sensor field of view

One example method involves rotating a housing of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device about a first axis. The housing includes a first optical window and a second optical window. The method also involves transmitting a first plurality of light pulses through the first optical window to obtain a first scan of a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR device. The method also involves transmitting a second plurality of light pulses through the second optical window to obtain a second scan of the FOV. The method also involves identifying, based on the first scan and the second scan, a portion of the FOV that is at least partially occluded by an occlusion.

Methods and systems for detecting sensor occlusions

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for occlusion detection. One example method involves a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device scanning at least a portion of an external structure within a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR device. The LIDAR device is physically coupled to the external structure. The scanning comprises transmitting light pulses toward the external structure through an optical window, and receiving reflected light pulses through the optical window. The reflected light pulses comprise reflections of the transmitted light pulses returning back to the LIDAR device from the external structure. The method also involves detecting presence of an occlusion that at least partially occludes the LIDAR device from scanning the FOV based on at least the scan of the at least portion of the external structure.

LIDAR occlusion detection methods and systems

Example implementations may relate to determining a strategy for a drop process associated with a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. In particular, the LIDAR device could emit light pulses and detect return light pulses, and could generate a set of data points representative of the detected return light pulses. The drop process could involve a computing system discarding data point(s) of the set and/or preventing emission of light pulse(s) by the LIDAR device. Accordingly, the computing system could detect a trigger to engage in the drop process, and may responsively (i) use information associated with the environment around the vehicle, operation of the vehicle, and/or operation of the LIDAR device as a basis to determine the strategy for the drop process, and (ii) engage in the drop process in accordance with the determined strategy.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Scott McCloskey