Lidar system for autonomous vehicle
AssigneeAurora Operations, Inc.
InventorsDevlin Baker, Stephen C. Crouch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for controlling an autonomous vehicle with a processor that controls operation, includes operating a Doppler LIDAR system to collect point cloud data that indicates for each point at least four dimensions including an inclination angle, an azimuthal angle, a range, and relative speed between the point and the LIDAR system. A value of a property of an object in the point cloud is determined based on only three or fewer of the at least four dimensions. In some of embodiments, determining the value of the property of the object includes isolating multiple points in the point cloud data which have high value Doppler components. A moving object within the plurality of points is determined based on a cluster by azimuth and Doppler component values.
Claims20
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system for a vehicle, comprising:
- one or more scanning optics configured to output a first transmit signal and a second transmit signal;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- receive a first return signal from reflection of the first transmit signal by a first object;
- receive a second return signal from reflection of the second transmit signal by a second object;
- retrieve a first predetermined position of the first object and a second predetermined position of the second object;
- determine a position of the vehicle based on the first return signal, the second return signal, the first predetermined position, and the second predetermined position;
- and
- provide a control signal to a control system of the vehicle for the control system to control operation of the vehicle based on the position.
An autonomous vehicle control system, comprising:
- a LIDAR sensor system coupled with a vehicle, the LIDAR sensor system comprising one or more processors configured to:
- receive a first return signal from reflection of a first transmit signal from the LIDAR sensor system by a first object;
- receive a second return signal from reflection of a second transmit signal from the LIDAR sensor system by a second object;
- retrieve a first predetermined position of the first object and a second predetermined position of the second object;
- determine a position of the vehicle based on the first return signal, the second return signal, the first predetermined position, and the second predetermined position;
- and
- control operation of at least one of a steering system or a braking system of the vehicle based on the position.
An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
- a LIDAR sensor system configured to:
- transmit a plurality of transmit signals;
- receive a plurality of return signals from reflection of the plurality of transmit signals by a plurality of objects;
- and
- determine a position of the vehicle based on the plurality of return signals and a plurality of object positions of the plurality of objects;
- a steering system;
- a braking system;
- and
- a vehicle controller configured to control operation of at least one of the steering system or the braking system based on the position of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.