US 12,748,199 B2 · Methods for detecting lidar aperture fouling

Abstract

An example method includes receiving point cloud information about a field of view of a lidar system. The point cloud information includes spatiotemporal and amplitude information about return light received. The method also includes determining, based on the point cloud information, a set of bright light returns from at least one highly reflective object. The bright light returns include return light having an amplitude above a photon threshold and a corresponding bright light return range. The method yet further includes determining, based on the point cloud information, a set of crosstalk returns. The crosstalk returns include return light having a corresponding crosstalk return range. The method includes adjusting, based on a normalized number of crosstalk returns, at least one of: a cleaning system, an operating mode of a lidar system, or an operating mode of a vehicle.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A light detection and ranging (lidar) system comprising:

at least one light-emitter device configured to emit light pulses;
at least one detector;
and
a controller comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the at least one processor executes instructions stored in the memory so as to perform operations, the operations comprising:
causing the at least one light-emitter device to emit at least one light pulse;
receiving, from the at least one detector, information indicative of return light;
determining, based on the received information, at least one bright light return associated with at least one highly reflective object;
classifying a portion of the return light as crosstalk light;
and
determining a normalized number of crosstalk returns based on an apparent size of the at least one highly reflective object.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods for detecting lidar aperture fouling

Life of this patent

Methods for detecting lidar aperture fouling

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20