US 12,769,001 B1Granted

False-positive object identification

AssigneeZoox, Inc.

InventorsStefano Cattani, Shreyas Sudhir Mundhra, David Pfeiffer, Jifei Qian, Arvind Srivastav

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Abstract

Techniques for identifying false-positives caused by sensor deflection off of reflective surfaces. The techniques may include receiving data indicating a presence of an object in an environment of a vehicle. Based at least in part on the data, a determination may be made that the object is occluded from view by another object in the environment. The techniques may also include determining that a retroreflective surface is located within a threshold proximity of the other object in the environment. Based at least in part on the retroreflective surface being located within the threshold proximity of the other object, a determination may be made that the presence of the object is caused by a false-positive condition associated with a sensor of the vehicle reflecting off of the retroreflective surface. In some instances, the object may be labeled as a false-positive object that is absent from the environment.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving lidar data generated by a lidar sensor of a vehicle and associated with an environment in which the vehicle is operating, the lidar data indicating a presence of an object at a location in the environment;
determining that the location is within an occluded region of the environment that, from a perspective of the lidar sensor, is occluded from view by an intervening object located between the lidar sensor and the occluded region;
determining, based at least in part on the location being within the occluded region, an existence of a geometrical relationship between the object, the intervening object, and a retroreflective surface;
determining, based at least in part on the existence of the geometrical relationship, a probability that the presence of the object is caused by a false-positive condition in which a laser emitted from the lidar sensor deflected off of the intervening object, reflected off of the retroreflective surface, deflected again off of the intervening object, and received by the lidar sensor;
and
based at least in part on determining that said probability meets or exceeds a probability threshold, performing at least one of:
labeling the object in the lidar data as a false-positive object that is absent from the environment;
or
precluding a bounding region associated with the object from being included in the lidar data.

9 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving sensor data from a sensor of a vehicle, the sensor data indicating a presence of an object at a location in an environment;
determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the location is an occluded location that is occluded from view of the sensor by an intervening object located between the sensor and the occluded location;
determining that a retroreflective surface in the environment is located within a threshold proximity of the object;
determining that an object velocity associated with the object is less than a threshold velocity;
and
determining, based at least in part on the object velocity being less than the threshold velocity, the retroreflective surface being located within the threshold proximity of the object, and the occluded location being occluded from view of the sensor, that the presence of the object is caused by a false-positive condition in which a sensor beam transmitted from the sensor deflected off of the intervening object, reflected off of the retroreflective surface, deflected again off of the intervening object, and was received by the sensor.

3 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from a sensor of a vehicle, the sensor data indicating a presence of an object at a location in an environment;
determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the location is an occluded location that is occluded from view of the sensor by an intervening object located between the sensor and the occluded location;
determining that a retroreflective surface in the environment is located within a threshold proximity of the object;
determining that a difference in size between the object and the intervening object is less than a threshold difference;
and
determining, based at least in part on the difference in size being less than the threshold difference, the retroreflective surface being located within the threshold proximity of the object, and the occluded location being occluded from view of the sensor, that the presence of the object is caused by a false-positive condition in which a sensor beam transmitted from the sensor deflected off of the intervening object, reflected off of the retroreflective surface, deflected again off of the intervening object, and was received by the sensor.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.