Installation and use of vehicle light ranging system
First Claim
1. A method for calibrating a light ranging system including a control unit and one or more light ranging devices, the method comprising:
- scanning, by a calibration imaging device, a vehicle and the one or more light ranging devices installed on the vehicle to produce imaging data, each light ranging device including a laser source and a photosensor;
computing a primary model of an exterior of the vehicle based on the imaging data, the primary model including a coordinate frame;
determining one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model relative to the coordinate frame of the primary model, the one or more model positions corresponding to physical positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the exterior of the vehicle; and
outputting the primary model of the exterior of the vehicle and the one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model in a format usable by the control unit to determine distances between the exterior of the vehicle and one or more environmental surfaces using measurements from the one or more light ranging devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and devices are provided for calibrating a light ranging system and using the system to track environmental objects. In embodiments, the approach involves installing light ranging devices, such as lidar devices, on the vehicle exterior. The light ranging system may be calibrated using a calibration device to scan the vehicle exterior and construct a three-dimensional model of the vehicle exterior comprising the positions of the installed light ranging devices on the vehicle exterior. The calibrated light ranging system may use the model in conjunction with ranging data collected by the installed light ranging devices to track objects in the environment. In this way, the light ranging system may detect a proximity of environmental objects and help a driver of the vehicle avoid potential collisions. The light ranging system may further measure the vehicle exterior and thereby detect changes to the vehicle exterior.
14 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for calibrating a light ranging system including a control unit and one or more light ranging devices, the method comprising:
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scanning, by a calibration imaging device, a vehicle and the one or more light ranging devices installed on the vehicle to produce imaging data, each light ranging device including a laser source and a photosensor; computing a primary model of an exterior of the vehicle based on the imaging data, the primary model including a coordinate frame; determining one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model relative to the coordinate frame of the primary model, the one or more model positions corresponding to physical positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the exterior of the vehicle; and outputting the primary model of the exterior of the vehicle and the one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model in a format usable by the control unit to determine distances between the exterior of the vehicle and one or more environmental surfaces using measurements from the one or more light ranging devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for calibrating a light ranging system including a control unit and one or more light ranging devices, the system comprising:
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a calibration imaging device configured to scan a vehicle and the one or more light ranging devices installed on the vehicle to produce imaging data, each light ranging device including a laser source and a photosensor; and a processor communicably coupled with the calibration imaging device, wherein the processor is configured to; compute a primary model of an exterior of the vehicle based on the imaging data, the primary model including a coordinate frame; determine one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model relative to the coordinate frame of the primary model, the one or more model positions corresponding to physical positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the exterior of the vehicle; and output the primary model of the exterior of the vehicle and the one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model in a format usable by the control unit to determine distances between the exterior of the vehicle and one or more environmental surfaces using measurements from the one or more light ranging devices. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a processor, communicably coupled with a calibration imaging device, to perform a method for calibrating a light ranging system including a control unit and one or more light ranging devices, the method comprising:
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receiving imaging data obtained from the calibration imaging device configured to scan a vehicle and the one or more light ranging devices installed on the vehicle; computing a primary model of an exterior of the vehicle based on the imaging data, the primary model including a coordinate frame; determining one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model relative to the coordinate frame of the primary model, the one or more model positions corresponding to physical positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the exterior of the vehicle; and outputting the primary model of the exterior of the vehicle and the one or more model positions of the one or more light ranging devices on the primary model in a format usable by the control unit to determine distances between the exterior of the vehicle and one or more environmental surfaces using measurements from the one or more light ranging devices. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification