DYNAMIC LIDAR SENSOR CONTROLLER

• US 20170168146A1
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uatc, LLC (Uber Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Boehmke, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,338,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/48 of systems according to group G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/123 Multibeam scanners, e.g. using multiple light sources or beam splitters

Abstract

A laser imaging, detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) includes a LIDAR sensor comprising a plurality of configurable parameters, and a sensor controller. The sensor controller can execute sensor configuration logic to adjust one or more of the plurality of configurable parameters of the LIDAR sensor in response to AV feedback from a control system of the AV.

Claims

1. A laser imaging, detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle (AV), the LIDAR system comprising:

a LIDAR sensor comprising a set of LIDAR components having a plurality of configurable parameters; and

a sensor controller to execute sensor configuration logic to adjust one or more of the plurality of configurable parameters of the LIDAR sensor in response to AV feedback from a control system of the AV.

2. The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of configurable parameters includes a beam pattern of the LIDAR sensor, and wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to:

receive feedback data from the control system of the AV, the feedback data indicating a speed of the AV; and

based on the speed of the AV, dynamically adjust the beam pattern of the LIDAR sensor.

3. The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of configurable parameters include a vertical beam parameter that is configurable to modify a vertical angular spacing between beams emitted by the LIDAR sensor.

4. The LIDAR system of claim 3, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to:

receive feedback data from the control system of the AV, the feedback data indicating a speed of the AV; and

based on the speed of the AV, dynamically adjust the vertical beam parameter of the LIDAR sensor to modify the vertical angular spacing between the beams.

5. The LIDAR system of claim 4, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to dynamically increase the vertical angular spacing as the AV decreases speed, and dynamically decrease the vertical angular spacing as the AV increases speed.

6. The LIDAR system of claim 4, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to adjust the vertical beam parameter by controlling one or more mirror actuators of the LIDAR sensor.

7. The LIDAR system of claim 6, wherein the one or more mirror actuators control a vertical sweep for a beam pattern produced by the LIDAR sensor.

8. The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic further causes the sensor controller to:

identify a road gradient in a forward traveling direction of the AV; and

based on the road gradient, dynamically adjust a general vertical angle of a beam pattern for the LIDAR sensor.

9. The LIDAR system of claim 8, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to identify the road gradient using at least one of a map that indicates road geometries for a given region or sensor data from the LIDAR sensor, and wherein executed sensor configuration logic further causes the sensor controller to adjust the general vertical angle to align with the road gradient.

10. The LIDAR system of claim 9, wherein positive and negative parameters of the general vertical angle are specified by predefined values that correlate road speed with road gradient.

11. The LIDAR system of claim 10, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic further causes the sensor controller to:

dynamically set boundaries for the general vertical angle of the beam pattern based on the speed of the AV.

12. The LIDAR system of claim 2, wherein the feedback data further includes one or more of traffic conditions, road conditions, pedestrian activity, or driving parameters of the AV.

13. The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of configurable parameters include a rotational parameter corresponding to a scan rate of the LIDAR sensor, and a vertical beam parameter corresponding to a vertical field of view (VFOV) of the LIDAR sensor.

14. The LIDAR system of claim 13, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to:

dynamically adjust the rotational parameter and the vertical beam parameter based on a speed of the AV.

15. The LIDAR system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of configurable parameters further include a pulse rate of a laser source of the LIDAR sensor.

16. The LIDAR system of claim 15, wherein the executed sensor configuration logic further causes the sensor controller to:

dynamically adjust the pulse rate of the laser source based on the speed of the AV.

17. An autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising:

a laser imaging, detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor to generate sensor data indicating a situational environment of the AV, the LIDAR sensor comprising a set of LIDAR components having a plurality of configurable parameters;

an on-board data processing system to process the sensor data to identify potential hazards along a current route traveled by the AV;

an acceleration, braking, and steering system;

an AV control system to utilize the processed sensor data to operate the acceleration, braking, and steering system along the current route through road traffic; and

a sensor controller to execute sensor configuration logic to adjust one or more of the plurality of configurable parameters of the LIDAR sensor in response to AV feedback from the AV control system.

18. The AV of claim 17, wherein the plurality of configurable parameters include a vertical beam parameter that is configurable to modify a vertical angular spacing between beams emitted by the LIDAR sensor, and wherein the executed sensor configuration logic causes the sensor controller to:

receive feedback data from the AV control system, the feedback data indicating a speed of the AV; and

based on the speed of the AV, dynamically adjust the vertical beam parameter of the LIDAR sensor to modify the vertical angular spacing between the beams.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an on-board processing system of an autonomous vehicle (AV), cause the on-board processing system to:

continuously monitor a speed of the AV; and

based on the speed of the AV, dynamically adjust a vertical beam parameter of a laser imaging, detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor of the AV to modify a vertical beam pattern of the LIDAR sensor.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the executed instructions cause the on-board processing system to dynamically increase the vertical angular spacing as the AV decreases speed, and dynamically decrease the vertical angular spacing as the AV increases speed.