# US 10,768,284 B1 · Systems and methods for using audio cue for alignment

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- Number: US 10,768,284 B1
- Document ID: US10768284B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/419,995
- Filed: 2019-05-22
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-22
- Assignees: Pony AI Inc.
- Applicants: Pony AI Inc.
- Inventors: Peter G. Diehl; Cheng Jin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768284B1

## CPC

- G01S 7/4813: {Housing arrangements}
- G01S 7/4972: {Alignment of sensor}
- G01S 7/481: Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
- G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating
- G01S 13/865: {Combination of radar systems with lidar systems}
- G01S 13/87: Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
- G01S 13/931: of land vehicles
- G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target
- G01S 17/931: of land vehicles
- G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path}
- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response
- G01S 13/867: {Combination of radar systems with cameras}
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- G01S 2013/9315: {Monitoring blind spots}
- G01S 2013/9318: {Controlling the steering}
- G01S 2013/93185: {Controlling the brakes}
- G01S 2013/9319: {Controlling the accelerator}
- G01S 2013/93271: {in the front of the vehicles}
- G01S 2013/93272: {in the back of the vehicles}
- G01S 2013/93274: {on the side of the vehicles}
- H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for enclosure alignment. An enclosure can be translated along a fixture. A signal can be detected, during the translation of the enclosure, from a signal transmitter to a signal receiver. An intensity of the signal can be determined. An audio cue can be emitted based on the intensity of the signal. The enclosure may be aligned along the fixture based on the emitted audio cue.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensor enclosure alignment method comprising:
translating a sensor enclosure along a fixture of a vehicle, wherein the sensor enclosure comprises a light detection and ranging sensor;
detecting, by a signal receiver, during translation of the sensor enclosure, a signal transmitted from a signal transmitter associated with the sensor enclosure;
determining an intensity of the signal based on the signal detected by the signal receiver;
emitting an audio cue based on the intensity of the signal; and
aligning the sensor enclosure along the fixture of the vehicle based on the emitted audio cue.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter and the signal receiver are integrated into the sensor enclosure and a reflective surface is integrated into the fixture, and wherein the reflective surface reflects the signal transmitted by the signal transmitter prior to being detected by the signal receiver.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter is integrated into the sensor enclosure and the signal receiver is integrated into the fixture, wherein the signal transmitted by the signal transmitter is directly detected by the signal receiver.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the intensity of the signal comprises computing an intensity value corresponding to the signal detected by the signal receiver.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a final alignment location for the sensor enclosure based on a location along the fixture that corresponds to a maximum intensity of the signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the audio cue comprises a series of discrete audio, and wherein emitting the audio cue based on the intensity of the signal comprises:
increasing a frequency of the series of discrete audio as the intensity of the signal increases.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the audio cue comprises continuous audio, and wherein emitting the audio cue based on the intensity of the signal comprises:
increasing a pitch of the continuous audio as the intensity of the signal increases.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein emitting the audio cue based on the intensity of the signal comprises:
increasing an amplitude of the continuous audio as the intensity of the signal increases.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a light source and the signal receiver comprises a light detector.

### Claim 10

A sensor enclosure alignment system comprising:
a sensor enclosure to be aligned onto a fixture of a vehicle, wherein the sensor enclosure comprises a light detection and ranging sensor;
a signal receiver to detect a signal transmitted from a signal transmitter associated with the sensor enclosure while the sensor enclosure translates along the fixture, and the signal receiver to determine an intensity of the signal;
an audio device to emit an audio cue based on the intensity of the signal; and
a translation engine configured to align the sensor enclosure along the fixture of the vehicle based on the emitted audio cue.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the signal transmitter and the signal receiver are integrated into the sensor enclosure and a reflective surface is integrated into the fixture, and wherein the reflective surface reflects the signal transmitted by the signal transmitter prior to being detected by the signal receiver.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the signal transmitter is integrated into the sensor enclosure and the signal receiver is integrated into the fixture, wherein the signal transmitted by the signal transmitter is directly detected by the signal receiver.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the signal receiver determines the intensity of the signal based on an intensity value corresponding to the signal detected by the signal receiver.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the signal receiver determines a final alignment location for the sensor enclosure based on a location along the fixture that corresponds to a maximum intensity of the signal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the audio cue comprises a series of discrete audio, and wherein the audio device is configured to emit the audio cue by:
increasing a frequency of the series of discrete audio as the intensity of the signal increases.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the audio cue comprises continuous audio, and wherein the audio device is configured to emit the audio cue by:
increasing a pitch of the continuous audio as the intensity of the signal increases.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the audio device is configured to emit the audio cue by:
increasing an amplitude of the continuous audio as the intensity of the signal increases.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a light source and the signal receiver comprises a light detector.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the fixture is nonlinear.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the translation engine is configured to align the sensor enclosure based on a rate of change of an intensity of the audio cue over a time period.