Sensor steering for multi-directional long-range perception
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorClayton Kunz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to systems, vehicles, and methods for adjusting a pointing direction and/or a scanning region of a lidar. An example method includes determining a plurality of points of interest within an environment of a vehicle. The method also includes assigning, to each point of interest of the plurality of points of interest, a respective priority score. The method additionally includes partitioning at least a portion of the environment of the vehicle into a plurality of sectors. Each sector of the plurality of sectors includes at least one point of interest. For each sector of the plurality of sectors, the method includes adjusting a scanning region of a lidar unit based on the respective sector and causing the lidar unit to scan the respective sector.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining a plurality of points of interest within an environment of a vehicle;
- assigning, to each point of interest of the plurality of points of interest, a respective deadline;
- partitioning at least a portion of the environment of the vehicle into a plurality of sectors such that each sector of the plurality of sectors includes at least one point of interest;
- determining a schedule for scanning the plurality of sectors by a lidar unit, wherein determining the schedule for scanning the plurality of sectors comprises determining a visit order of the plurality of sectors such that each point of interest can be scanned by its respective deadline;
- and
- for each sector of the plurality of sectors:
- adjusting a scanning region of the lidar unit corresponding with the respective sector in accordance with the schedule;
- and
- causing the lidar unit to scan the respective sector in accordance with the schedule.
A system comprising:
- a planner unit comprising a planner controller operable to determine a plurality of points of interest within an environment of the system and to assign a respective deadline to each point of interest of the plurality of points of interest;
- a perception unit comprising a perception controller operable to carry out operations, the operations comprising:
- partitioning at least a portion of the environment of the system into a plurality of sectors such that each sector of the plurality of sectors includes at least one point of interest;
- and
- determining a schedule for scanning the plurality of sectors by a lidar unit, wherein the lidar unit is operable to adjust a scanning region to correspond with a respective sector of the plurality of sectors in accordance with the schedule, and wherein determining the schedule for scanning the plurality of sectors comprises determining a visit order of the plurality of sectors such that each point of interest can be scanned by its respective deadline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.