US 11,899,466 B2Granted

Sensor integration for large autonomous vehicles

AssigneeWaymo LLC

InventorsWilliam Grossman, Benjamin Pitzer

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles for transporting cargo and/or people between locations. Distributed sensor arrangements may not be suitable for vehicles such as large trucks, busses or construction vehicles. Side view mirror assemblies are provided that include a sensor suite of different types of sensors, including LIDAR, radar, cameras, etc. Each side assembly is rigidly secured to the vehicle by a mounting element. The sensors within the assembly may be aligned or arranged relative to a common axis or physical point of the housing. This enables self-referenced calibration of all sensors in the housing. Vehicle-level calibration can also be performed between the sensors on the left and right sides of the vehicle. Each side view mirror assembly may include a conduit that provides one or more of power, data and cooling to the sensors in the housing.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous driving mode, the vehicle comprising:

a driving system configured to perform driving operations;
a perception system configured to detect objects in an environment surrounding the vehicle;
and
a control system operatively coupled to the driving system and the perception system, the control system having one or more computer processors configured to receive data from the perception system and to direct the driving system based on the received data when operating in the autonomous driving mode;
wherein the perception system includes a pair of side sensor assemblies attached to opposite sides of the vehicle, each side sensor assembly including:
an exterior housing receiving a plurality of sensors therein;
a mounting element configured to rigidly secure the exterior housing to a corresponding side of the vehicle;
and
a plurality of sensors received within the exterior housing, the plurality of sensors including:
a long range light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor vertically aligned along a common axis within the exterior housing, the long range lidar sensor having a first detection range of at least 50 meters and a first field of view immediately adjacent to the corresponding side of the vehicle;
a short range lidar sensor vertically aligned along the common axis within the exterior housing, the short range lidar sensor having a second detection range with a second field of view immediately adjacent to the corresponding side of the vehicle, wherein:
the long range lidar sensor is disposed in the exterior housing closer to a roof of the vehicle than the short range lidar sensor, and
the first field of view of the long range lidar sensor wholly encompasses the second field of view of the short range lidar sensor;
a radar sensor disposed within the exterior housing between the long range and short range lidar sensors;
and
a camera disposed within the exterior housing between the long range lidar sensor and the radar sensor.

13 more elements

A side sensor assembly for use on a truck or bus capable of operating in an autonomous driving mode, the side sensor assembly comprising:

an exterior housing;
a mounting element configured to rigidly secure the exterior housing to a corresponding side of the truck or bus;
and
a plurality of sensors received within the exterior housing, the plurality of sensors including:
a long range light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor vertically aligned along a common axis within the exterior housing, the long range lidar sensor having a first detection range of at least 50 meters and a first field of view immediately adjacent to the corresponding side of the truck or bus;
a short range lidar sensor vertically aligned along the common axis within the exterior housing, the short range lidar sensor having a second detection range with a second field of view immediately adjacent to the corresponding side of the truck or bus, wherein:
the long range lidar sensor is disposed in the exterior housing closer to a roof of the truck or bus than the short range lidar sensor, and
the first field of view of the long range lidar sensor wholly encompasses the second field of view of the short range lidar sensor;
a radar sensor disposed within the exterior housing between the long range and short range lidar sensors;
and
a camera disposed within the exterior housing between the long range lidar sensor and the radar sensor.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/724,559Filed 20 Apr 2022 · continuation
Priority: 29 Dec 2017
Published: US 2022/0244737 A14 Aug 2022
Granted: 13 Feb 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

G05D 1/0231
Specially adapted to land vehicles: using optical position detecting means
B60R 1/12
Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or…:…
G01S 7/4813
Common to transmitter and receiver: housing arrangements
G01S 13/865
Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder: combination of radar systems with lidar systems

Family

Application62/611,685Us provisional application · filed 29 Dec 2017
Application16/009,499Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Jun 2018
US 2022/0244737 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Aug 2022
US 2019/0204845 A1Published application
US 11,899,466 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.