Intelligent lens masking system for an autonomous vehicle
First Claim
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1. An autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising:
- a camera array continuously generating image data indicating a surrounding environment of the AV;
acceleration, braking, and steering systems; and
an AV control system comprising one or more processors executing instructions, causing the AV control system to;
process the image data by comparing the image data to stored sub-maps that provide surface data of a current route traveled by the AV;
based on comparing the image data with a current sub-map, autonomously operate the acceleration, braking, and steering systems along the current route;
dynamically identify, based on the image data, one or more light sources for each respective camera in the camera array, wherein a lens of the respective camera comprises a masking layer; and
dynamically block each of the one or more light sources for the respective camera by activating a number of pixels of the masking layer such that blocking each of the one or more light sources preemptively bolsters quality of the image data and reduces processing of the image data by the AV control system.
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Abstract
An intelligent lens masking system for a camera array of an autonomous vehicle (AV) can include an array interface to receive real-time data from the camera array as the AV travels along a given route, where each camera of the camera array may include a masking layer on its lens. The intelligent lens masking system can dynamically identify, in the real-time data, a number of light sources in the field of view for each respective camera in the camera array. Once the light source(s) for the respective camera is detected, the intelligent lens masking system can dynamically block the lights source(s) for the respective camera by activating a number of pixels of the masking layer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising:
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a camera array continuously generating image data indicating a surrounding environment of the AV; acceleration, braking, and steering systems; and an AV control system comprising one or more processors executing instructions, causing the AV control system to; process the image data by comparing the image data to stored sub-maps that provide surface data of a current route traveled by the AV; based on comparing the image data with a current sub-map, autonomously operate the acceleration, braking, and steering systems along the current route; dynamically identify, based on the image data, one or more light sources for each respective camera in the camera array, wherein a lens of the respective camera comprises a masking layer; and dynamically block each of the one or more light sources for the respective camera by activating a number of pixels of the masking layer such that blocking each of the one or more light sources preemptively bolsters quality of the image data and reduces processing of the image data by the AV control system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a control system of an autonomous vehicle (AV), cause the control system to:
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process real-time image data from a camera system of the AV by comparing the real-time image data with stored sub-maps that provide surface data of a current route traveled by the AV; based on comparing the real-time image data with a current sub-map, autonomously operate acceleration, braking, and steering systems of the AV along the current route; dynamically identify, based on the real-time image data generated by the camera system, one or more light sources for each respective camera in the camera system, wherein a lens of the respective camera comprises a masking layer; and dynamically block each of the one or more light sources for the respective camera by activating a number of pixels of the masking layer such that blocking each of the one or more light sources preemptively bolsters quality of the image data and reduces processing of the real-time data by the control system of the AV. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer-implemented method of dynamically masking light sources for a camera system of an autonomous vehicle (AV), the method being performed by one or more processors of a control system of the AV and comprising:
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processing real-time image data from the camera system of the AV by comparing the real-time image data with stored sub-maps providing surface data of a current route traveled by the AV; based on comparing the real-time image data with a current sub-map, autonomously operating acceleration, braking, and steering systems of the AV along the current route; dynamically identifying, based on the real-time image data generated by the camera system, one or more light sources for each respective camera in the camera system, wherein a lens of the respective camera comprises a masking layer; and dynamically blocking each of the one or more light sources for the respective camera by activating a number of pixels of the masking layer such that blocking each of the one or more light sources preemptively bolsters quality of the image data and reduces processing of the real-time image data by the control system of the AV. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification