LIDAR waveform classification
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMark E. Hartman, Weston Taylor, Nathaniel W. Hart, Thomas Joseph Houchin
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Abstract
A system and method for controlling movement of a machine or a portion of the machine. The method comprises processing a waveform based on detected reflected light and a derivative of the waveform. The waveform includes a return. The method further comprises classifying the return as a phantom target or a non-amorphous target based on the result of the processing, and controlling movement of the machine or a portion of the machine based on the result of the classifying the return.
Claims17
A method for controlling movement of a machine or a portion of the machine, the method comprising:
- processing, by a controller, a waveform based on reflected light reflected from a target, and a derivative of the waveform, the waveform including a return;
- classifying, by the controller, the return as from a phantom target or a non-amorphous target based on a result of the processing;
- and
- controlling, by a machine controller, movement of the machine or the portion of the machine based on classifying the return,
- wherein the derivative includes one or more derivative peaks associated with the return, and classifying the return as the phantom target and associating a first confidence level with the return when a quantity of derivative peaks associated with the return is greater than or equal to a first derivative threshold.
A system for identifying phantom target returns, the system comprising:
- an emission and detection module configured to generate and emit a laser light beam and to detect reflected light from when the laser light beam is incident upon a target;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- process a waveform detected based on the reflected light, the waveform including a return, wherein when processing of the waveform, the controller is configured to determine an intensity of a predominant peak of the return, a return width and an integral of the return;
- process a rate of change in light energy detected for the waveform;
- and
- classify the return as a phantom target or a non-amorphous target based on processing of the waveform or processing of the rate of change in light energy.
A method for identifying phantom target returns, the method comprising:
- processing, by a controller, a waveform detected based on reflected light reflected from a target, the waveform including a return;
- processing, by the controller, a rate of change in light energy for the waveform;
- classifying, by the controller, the return as a phantom target or a non-amorphous target based on processing of the waveform or processing of the rate of change in light energy;
- and
- associating a confidence level with a classification of the return as the phantom target when the return is classified as the phantom target,
- wherein the return has a return ratio, and the rate of change in light energy for the waveform has a quantity of inflection points, and
- wherein:
- the return is classified as the phantom target and the confidence level is high when the return ratio is greater than or equal to 0.3 or the quantity of inflection points is greater than or equal to four;
- the return is classified as the phantom target and the confidence level is medium when the return ratio is greater than 0.2 or the quantity of inflection points is greater than three;
- and
- the return is classified as the phantom target and the confidence level is low when the return ratio is greater than 0.1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.