# US 11,305,724 B2 · Pedestrian protection system for sensor pods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,724 B2 - Document ID: US11305724B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/864,122 - Filed: 2020-04-30 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-30 - Assignees: Zoox, Inc. - Applicants: Zoox, Inc. - Inventors: Derek Adams; Daniel Glenn Johnson; Christopher William Labadie; Ryan McMichael; Daniel Miller; Peter Thomas Mitros; Anubhav Thakur; Joseph Patrick Warga; Austin In-Jei Yi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305724B2 ## CPC - B60R 21/34: Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians {(B60R19/02 takes precedence)} - B60R 21/013: including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over - B60R 2021/01013: {Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over} - B60R 2021/343: {using deformable body panel, bodywork or components} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A sensor pod system includes one or more sensor pods with a plurality of sensors configured to collect data from an environment. A sensor pod may include a housing and extend from a portion of a body of a vehicle. The sensor pod housing may have energy absorbing structures configured to absorb and dissipate energy during an impact in order to protect a pedestrian. The sensor pod may have deformable portions of the housing configured to absorb and dissipate energy during the impact. The sensor pod may have deformable fasteners coupling a sensor to the sensor pod configured to deform to absorb and dissipate energy during the impact. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor pod comprising: a frame coupleable to a vehicle, wherein the sensor pod protrudes from a body of the vehicle; a sensor coupled to the frame; and an impact structure coupled to the frame, the impact structure comprising: an outer surface configured to interface with a pedestrian during an impact, at least a portion of the outer surface disposed outboard of the sensor relative to the frame; and an impact energy absorbing structure disposed between the outer surface and the frame and configured to absorb a portion of energy transferred through the outer surface from the impact, the impact energy absorbing structure comprising a stress concentration zone, the stress concentration zone configured to cause local plastic deformation of the impact energy absorbing structure during impact to absorb energy from the impact. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, the stress concentration zone configured to cause local plastic deformation above a first impact force threshold and below a second impact force threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, the outer surface configured to move substantially uniformly with respect to the frame during the impact. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, the outer surface comprising a thickness being configured to plastically deform above a first impact force threshold and below a second impact force threshold during impact. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, the outer surface being substantially convex. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, the outer surface being substantially convex in two orthogonal directions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, further comprising another sensor disposed above the frame and coupled to the frame by a deformable fastener. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sensor pod of claim 7, the deformable fastener comprising a stress concentration zone to cause local plastic deformation of the deformable fastener to absorb energy from the impact; and the deformable fastener configured to release the other sensor when the impact exceeds an impact force threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, further comprising a baffle structure disposed between the sensor and the outer surface, the baffle structure comprising a crumple zone configured to plastically deform during an impact and absorb energy from the impact. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sensor pod of claim 1, wherein the impact energy absorbing structure comprises a varying cross-sectional thickness. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: a sensor pod protruding from a body of a vehicle, the sensor pod comprising: a frame coupleable to the vehicle; a sensor coupled to the frame; and an impact structure coupled to the frame, the impact structure comprising: an outer surface configured to interface with a pedestrian during an impact, at least a portion of the outer surface disposed outboard of the sensor relative to the frame; and an impact energy absorbing structure disposed between the outer surface and the frame and configured to absorb a portion of energy transferred through the outer surface from the impact, the impact energy absorbing structure comprising a stress concentration zone, the stress concentration zone configured to cause local plastic deformation of the impact energy absorbing structure during impact to absorb energy from the impact. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, the stress concentration zone configured to cause local plastic deformation above a first impact force threshold and below a second impact force threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, the outer surface configured to move substantially uniformly with respect to the frame during the impact. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, the outer surface being substantially convex in two orthogonal directions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the impact structure is coupled to the frame by a deformable fastener. ### Claim 16 A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a sensor pod protruding from the vehicle body, the sensor pod comprising: a frame coupleable to the vehicle; a sensor coupled to the frame; and an impact structure coupled to the frame, the impact structure comprising: an outer surface configured to interface with a pedestrian during an impact, at least a portion of the outer surface disposed outboard of the sensor relative to the frame; and an impact energy absorbing structure disposed between the outer surface and the frame and configured to absorb a portion of energy transferred through the outer surface from the impact, the impact energy absorbing structure comprising a stress concentration zone, the stress concentration zone configured to cause local plastic deformation of the impact energy absorbing structure during impact to absorb energy from the impact. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising another sensor pod protruding from the vehicle body, wherein the sensor pod protrudes from a first quadrant of the vehicle body and the other sensor pod protrudes from a second quadrant of the vehicle body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the sensor pod is a first sensor pod protruding from a first quadrant of the vehicle body, a second sensor pod protruding from the vehicle body at a second quadrant of the vehicle body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, the stress concentration zone configured to cause local plastic deformation above a first impact force threshold and below a second impact force threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, the outer surface configured to bend during the impact.