G01S17/87

Recalibration determination system for autonomous driving vehicles with multiple LiDAR sensors
11703577 · 2023-07-18 · ·

Described herein are various embodiments for identifying miscalibrations in LiDAR sensors installed on an ADV in real time while the ADV is in motion, and notifying a user that the LiDAR sensors needs to be recalibrated. An exemplary method includes calculating an initial number of overlapping cloud points between the cloud point data from a first LiDAR sensor and a second LiDAR sensor; and replacing a set of existing calibration parameters of the second LiDAR sensor with multiple sets of recalibration parameters to calculate multiple revised numbers of overlapping cloud points between the point cloud data. A potential miscalibration can be detected in the first LiDAR sensor or the second LiDAR sensor when the initial number of overlapping cloud points is smaller than at least one revised number of overlapping cloud points. The potential miscalibration can be verified by repeating the above operations multiple times with a time of time following each repetition.

APPLICATION SPECIFIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS FOR LIDAR SENSOR AND MULTI-TYPE SENSOR SYSTEMS

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for configuring architectures for a sensor, and more particularly for light detection and ranging (hereinafter, “LIDAR”) systems based on ASIC sensor architectures supporting autonomous navigation systems. Effective ASIC sensor architecture can enable an improved correlation between sensor data as well as configurability and responsiveness of the system to its surrounding environment and avoid any unnecessary delay within the decision-making process that may result in a failure of the autonomous driving system. It may be essential to integrated multiple functions within an electronic module and implement the functionality with one or more ASICs.

Transimpedance amplifier with pulse widening

Mechanisms for evaluating amplitude for current pulses provided to a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for current levels beyond the linear range of the TIA where clipping circuit(s) may limit the input voltage of the TIA are disclosed. In one aspect, an example TIA arrangement includes a clipping arrangement that includes multiple clipping circuits. Each clipping circuit can be biased by different bias voltages such that the different clipping circuits are activated at different input current amplitudes. Different clipping circuits can have different impedances, which can result in different recovery time characteristics. With the multiple clipping circuits in clipping arrangements discussed herein, a saturated dynamic range of a TIA can be divided into sub-regions and different pulse widening characteristics for each region may be defined, which may enable determination of amplitude for current pulses provided to the TIA even for current levels beyond the linear range of the TIA.

System and method for providing online multi-LiDAR dynamic occupancy mapping

A system and method for providing online multi-LiDAR dynamic occupancy mapping that include receiving LiDAR data from each of a plurality of LiDAR sensors. The system and method also include processing a region of interest grid to compute a static occupancy map of a surrounding environment of the ego vehicle and processing a dynamic occupancy map. The system and method further include controlling the ego vehicle to be operated based on the dynamic occupancy map.

Agricultural wear monitoring system

An agricultural implement wear monitoring system that monitors a first component of an agricultural implement. A sensor detects and emits a signal indicative of a first geometric dimension of the first component and/or a second geometric dimension of the first component relative to a second component. A controller couples to the sensor. The controller monitors the first geometric dimension and/or the second geometric dimension, and in response to a detected change in the first geometric dimension and/or the second geometric dimension determines a remaining service life of the first component.

Radar based position measurement for robot systems
11697213 · 2023-07-11 · ·

An apparatus including at least one emitter configured to emit energy; at least one receiver configured to receive the emitted energy, where the at least one emitter is mounted on at least one of: a robot arm, an end effector of the robot arm, a substrate on the robot arm, or a substrate process module, where the at least one receiver is mounted on at least one of: the robot arm, the end effector of the robot arm, the substrate on the robot arm, or the substrate process module.

Tracking aggregation and alignment

Systems and methods are disclosed that provide contextual tracking information to tracking sensor systems to provide accurate and efficient object tracking. Contextual data of a first tracking sensor system is used to identify a tracked object of a second tracking sensor system.

Dynamic lidar alignment

Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: initiating, by a controller onboard the vehicle, a first laser pulse from a first laser device; initiating, by a controller onboard the vehicle, a second laser pulse from a second laser device, wherein the initiating the second laser pulse is based on a phase shift angle; receiving, by the controller onboard the vehicle, first return data and second return data as a result of the first laser pulse and the second laser pulse; interleaving, by the controller onboard the vehicle, the first return pulse and the second return pulse to form a point cloud; and controlling, by the controller onboard the vehicle, the vehicle based on the point cloud.

Object detecting system and object detecting method
11698457 · 2023-07-11 · ·

An object detecting system comprising: a first distance measuring device, configured to measure a first distance between a first part of an object and the first distance measuring device; a second distance measuring device, configured to measure a second distance between a second part of the object and the second distance measuring device; a uniform light source, configured to emit uniform light to the object; an optical sensor, configured to sense optical data of the object generated based on the uniform light; and a control circuit, configured to calculate a location of the object according to the first distance, the second distance and the optical data.

Vertically stacked lidar assembly
11698446 · 2023-07-11 · ·

Various technologies described herein pertain to a vertically stacked lidar assembly of an autonomous vehicle. The vertically stacked lidar assembly includes a first lidar sensor system configured to spin about an axis and a second lidar sensor system configured to spin about the axis. The first lidar sensor system is vertically stacked above the second lidar sensor system in the vertically stacked lidar assembly. Moreover, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned. Redundancy is provided by the vertically stacked lidar assembly including the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system.