SIDEPOD STEREO CAMERA SYSTEM FOR AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

• US 20170259753A1
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uatc, LLC (Uber Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Meyhofer, Eric, Rice, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,077,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A sidepod stereo camera system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) includes a sidepod housing mounted to the AV, a view pane coupled to the sidepod housing, and a stereo camera mounted within the sidepod housing. The stereo camera has a field of view extending outward from the sidepod housing through the view pane. A control system of the sidepod stereo camera system or the AV can conditionally activate and deactivate the sidepod stereo camera system when needed.

Claims

1. A sidepod stereo camera system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising:

a sidepod housing mounted to the AV;

a view pane coupled to the sidepod housing; and

a stereo camera mounted within the sidepod housing, the stereo camera having a field of view extending outward from the sidepod housing through the view pane to enable a control system of the AV to determine distances to potential hazards within the field of view, the field of view comprising a blind spot of a main sensor array of the AV.

2. The stereo camera system of claim 1, wherein the stereo camera includes a pair of wide-angle lenses, and wherein the view pane is partially globular.

3. The stereo camera system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller operable to activate and deactivate the stereo camera, the controller being connected to the control system of the AV, the control system processing camera data from the stereo camera in order to detect the potential hazards within the field of view of the stereo camera.

4. The stereo camera system of claim 3, wherein the controller automatically activates the stereo camera in response to detecting an initial startup of the AV.

5. The stereo camera system of claim 4, wherein the controller automatically deactivates the stereo camera in response to detecting the AV completing an egress maneuver from a parked state.

6. The stereo camera system of claim 4, wherein the controller further automatically activates the stereo camera in response to detecting the AV decelerating below a threshold speed.

7. The stereo camera system of claim 6, wherein the controller automatically deactivates the stereo camera in response to detecting the AV accelerating above the threshold speed.

8. The stereo camera system of claim 4, wherein the controller automatically activates the stereo camera in response to detecting the AV initiating a parking maneuver.

9. The stereo camera system of claim 3, wherein the sidepod housing comprises a first side-view mirror housing of the AV.

10. The stereo camera system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second side-view mirror housing mounted to an opposing side of the AV relative to the first side-view mirror housing;

a second view pane coupled to the second side-view mirror housing; and

a second stereo camera mounted within the second side-view mirror housing, the second stereo camera having a field of view extending outward from the second side-view mirror housing through the second view pane;

wherein the controller is further operable to activate and deactivate the second stereo camera, and wherein the control system of the AV further processes camera data from the second stereo camera in order to detect potential hazards within the field of view of the second stereo camera.

11. The stereo camera system of claim 10, wherein the view panes of the first side-view mirror housing and the second side-view mirror housing comprise one-way mirrors.

12. The stereo camera system of claim 11, wherein the stereo camera and the second stereo camera each include one or more actuators, and wherein the controller operates the one or more actuators to pan the stereo camera and the second stereo camera within the side-view mirror housing and the second side-view mirror housing respectively.

21. The stereo camera system of claim 1, wherein the blind spot comprises at least a portion of an area of interest that is occluded from view by the main sensor array.

13. A computer-implemented method of operating a sidepod stereo 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:

initiating start-up of the AV;

in response to initiating start-up of the AV, activating the sidepod stereo camera system, the sidepod stereo camera system comprising a plurality of stereo cameras situated within a plurality of side-mounted pods of the AV to enable the control system of the AV to determine distances to potential hazards within a field of view of each of the plurality of stereo cameras, the field of view of each of the plurality of stereo cameras comprising a blind spot of a roof-mounted sensor array of the AV;

controlling steering, acceleration, and braking systems of the AV to execute an egress maneuver from a parked state;

monitoring camera data from the plurality of stereo cameras while executing the egress maneuver; and

after executing the egress maneuver, deactivating the sidepod stereo camera system and processing sensor data from the roof-mounted sensor array to autonomously drive the AV.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of side-mounted pods includes a left side-mounted pod and a right side-mounted pod.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the left side-mounted pod and the right side-mounted pod comprise a left and a right side-view mirror housing of the AV, and wherein the plurality of stereo cameras comprise a first stereo camera mounted within the left side-view mirror housing, and a second stereo camera mounted within the right side-view mirror housing.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to decelerating the AV below a threshold speed, activating the sidepod stereo camera system; and

monitoring the camera data from the sidepod stereo camera system for potential hazards.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to accelerating the AV above the threshold speed, deactivating the sidepod stereo camera system.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the left and the right side-view mirror housings each include a view pane, and wherein a field of view of each of the first and the second stereo cameras extend outward through the view pane respectively.

16. (canceled)

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

initiate startup of the AV;

in response to initiating start-up of the AV, activate a sidepod stereo camera system, the sidepod stereo camera system comprising a plurality of stereo cameras being situated within a plurality of side-mounted pods of the AV to enable a control system of the AV to determine distances to potential hazards within a field of view of each of the plurality of stereo cameras, the field of view of each of the plurality of stereo cameras comprising a blind spot of a roof-mounted sensor array of the AV;

control steering, acceleration, and braking systems of the AV to execute an egress maneuver from a parked state;

monitor camera data from the sidepod stereo camera system while executing the egress maneuver; and

after executing the egress maneuver, deactivate the sidepod stereo camera system and process sensor data from the roof-mounted sensor array to autonomously drive the AV.