Methods and Systems for Estimating Rain Rate via Vehicle Imaging Radar
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorMichael Fina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example embodiments relate to techniques for using vehicle image radar to estimate rain rate and other weather conditions. A computing device may receive radar data from a radar unit coupled to a vehicle. The radar data can represent the vehicle's environment. The computing device may use the radar data to determine a radar representation that indicates backscatter power and estimate, using a rain rate model, a rain rate for the environment based on the radar representation. The computing device may then control the vehicle based on the rain rate. In some examples, the computing device may provide the rain rate estimation and an indication of its current location to other vehicles to enable the vehicles to adjust routes based on the rain rate estimation.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining, by a computing device and based on sensor data from a sensor coupled to a vehicle, a representation of an environment, wherein the representation conveys backscatter power measured from the environment;
- estimating, by the computing device using a rain rate model, a rain rate for the environment based on the representation of the environment;
- and
- generating an output based on the rain rate.
A system comprising:
- a vehicle having a sensor;
- a computing device configured to:
- determine, based on sensor data from the sensor, a representation of an environment, wherein the representation conveys backscatter power measured from the environment;
- estimate, using a rain rate model, a rain rate for the environment based on the representation of the environment;
- and
- generate an output based on the rain rate.
A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions, that when executed by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
- determining, based on sensor data from a sensor coupled to a vehicle, a representation of an environment, wherein the representation conveys backscatter power measured from the environment;
- estimating, using a rain rate model, a rain rate for the environment based on the representation of the environment;
- and
- generating an output based on the rain rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.