Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for processing analog signals with a wide dynamic range. In some implementations, the analog signal may be a current signal that is logarithmically scaled to decrease its dynamic range and converted to an output voltage using two or more diodes. A first diode may be used to scale a first range of the current signal and a second diode may be used to scale a second range of the current signal.

Abstract: Example systems and methods enable an autonomous vehicle to request assistance from a remote operator in certain predetermined situations. One example method includes determining a representation of an environment of an autonomous vehicle based on sensor data of the environment. Based on the representation, the method may also include identifying a situation from a predetermined set of situations for which the autonomous vehicle will request remote assistance. The method may further include sending a request for assistance to a remote assistor, the request including the representation of the environment and the identified situation. The method may additionally include receiving a response from the remote assistor indicating an autonomous operation. The method may also include causing the autonomous vehicle to perform the autonomous operation.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system can emit light toward an environment and detect responsively reflected light to determine a distance to one or more points in the environment. The reflected light can be detected by a plurality of plurality of photodiodes that are reverse-biased using a high voltage. Signals from the plurality of reverse-biased photodiodes can be amplified by respective transistors and applied to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The signal from a particular photodiode can be applied to the ADC by biasing a respective transistor corresponding to the particular photodiode while not biasing transistors corresponding to other photodiodes. The gain of each photodiode/transistor pair can be controlled by adjusting the bias voltage applied to each photodiode using a digital-to-analog converter. The gain of each photodiode/transistor pair can be controlled based on the detected temperature of each photodiode.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to providing audible indications to objects located externally to a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode. For instance, a vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode along a particular path. Information identifying a characteristic and a location of an object is received. When vehicle is determined to be prevented from proceeding along the particular path because of the location of the object, a scenario is identified using the characteristic. The scenario is associated with a predetermined period of time and a type of audible indication used to identify an audible indication. After the waiting the predetermined period, when the object is determined to still be preventing the vehicle from proceeding along the particular path, the audible indication is played through a speaker of the vehicle to encourage the object to take an action to allow the vehicle to proceed along the particular path.

Abstract: The radar system includes a split-block assembly comprising a first portion and a second portion. The first portion and the second portion form a seam, where the first portion has a top side opposite the seam and the second portion has a bottom side opposite the seam. The system includes at least one port located on a bottom side of the second portion. Additionally, the system includes radiating elements located on the top side of the first portion, wherein the radiating elements are arranged in a plurality of arrays. Yet further, the system includes a set of waveguides in the split-block assembly configured to couple each array to at least one port. Furthermore, the split-block assembly is made from a polymer and where at least the set of waveguides, the at least one port, and the plurality of radiating elements include metal on a surface of the polymer.

Abstract: A radar system in an autonomous vehicle may be operated in various modes and with various configurations. In one example, the radar system determines a target range for further interrogation. The target range may be determined based on the radar system transmitting a first electromagnetic radiation signal and receiving a first reflected electromagnetic signal radiation signal. After the radar system determines a target range, it transmits a second electromagnetic radiation signal. Additionally, the radar system receives a reflected electromagnetic signal radiation based on the transmission. After receiving the reflected signal, the radar system can process the reflected signal to only have components associated with the target range. The processing of the reflected signal may create a processed signal. Finally, the radar system may determine at least one parameter of a target object based on the processed signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining the location of a vehicle. According to one aspect the method and apparatus the movements of motor rotors in a vehicle are monitored and used to determine speed, travel distance and/or travel path of a vehicle may be determined. Using various navigation techniques, the distance and travel path may then be used to determine the vehicle's location. Furthermore, movements of the motor rotors may also be used to report the positions of the steering and drive systems for the purpose of informing the vehicle controller as a method of feedback.

Abstract: An example method may involve forming, in a first metal layer, a first half of waveguide channels including an input waveguide channel, a plurality of wave-dividing channels, and a plurality of wave-radiating channels. The input waveguide channel may include an input port for receiving electromagnetic waves into the waveguide channels, and the first half of the plurality of wave-radiating channels may include wave-directing members configured to propagate sub-portions of waves from the first metal layer to another metal layer. The method may also involve forming, in a second metal layer, a second half of the waveguide channels. The second half of the wave-radiating channels may include pairs of output ports configured to radiate the sub-portions of waves out of the second metal layer. The method may further involve fastening the first metal layer to the second metal layer so as to substantially align the halves of the waveguide channels.

Abstract: Methods and devices for using a relationship between activities of different traffic signals in a network to improve traffic signal state estimation are disclosed. An example method includes determining that a vehicle is approaching an upcoming traffic signal. The method may further include determining a state of one or more traffic signals other than the upcoming traffic signal. Additionally, the method may also include determining an estimate of a state of the upcoming traffic signal based on a relationship between the state of the one or more traffic signals other than the upcoming traffic signal and the state of the upcoming traffic signal.

Abstract: A system and method for low latency and higher bandwidth communication between a central processing unit (CPU) and an accelerator is disclosed. When the CPU updates a copy of data stored at a shared memory, the CPU also sends an “invalidate” command to a cache coherent interconnect (CCI). The CCI forwards the invalidate command to a dedicated cache register (DCR). The DCR marks its copy of the data as “out-of-date” and requests an up-to-date copy of the data from the CCI. The CCI then retrieves up-to-date data for the DCR. When the DCR receives the up-to-date data from the CCI, the DCR replaces the out-of-date data with the up-to-date data, and marks the up-to-date data with the status of “valid.” The DCR can then provide data to an accelerator with a status of “out-of-date” or “valid.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to maneuvering a vehicle. As an example, sensor information identifying a set of objects as well as a set of characteristics for each object of the set of objects is received from a perception system of a vehicle. The set of objects is filtered to remove objects corresponding to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. An object within an expected future path of the vehicle is selected from the filtered set of objects. The object is classified as drivable or not drivable based on the set of characteristics. Drivable indicates that the vehicle can drive over the object without causing damage to the vehicle. The vehicle is maneuvered based on the classification such that when the object is classified as drivable, maneuvering the vehicle includes driving the vehicle over the object by not altering the expected future path of the vehicle.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to generating a speed plan for an autonomous vehicle. As an example, the vehicle is maneuvered in an autonomous driving mode along a route using pre-stored map information. This information identifies a plurality of keep clear regions where the vehicle should not stop but can drive through in the autonomous driving mode. Each keep clear region of the plurality of keep clear regions is associated with a priority value. A subset of the plurality of keep clear regions is identified based on the route. A speed plan for stopping the vehicle is generated based on the priority values associated with the keep clear regions of the subset. The speed plan identifies a location for stopping the vehicle. The speed plan is used to stop the vehicle in the location.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided that may distinguish between dynamic obstacles and static obstacles. Given a detector for a class of static obstacles or objects, the vehicle may receive sensor data indicative of an environment of the vehicle. When a possible object is detected in a single frame, a location of the object and a time of observation of the object may be compared to previous observations. Based on the object being observed a threshold number of times, in substantially the same location, and within some window of time, the vehicle may accurately detect the presence of the object and reduce any false detections.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an autonomous vehicle having a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system includes a vehicle detection system. The vehicle detection system includes receiving an image of a field of view of the vehicle and identifying a region-pair in the image with a sliding-window filter. The region-pair is made up of a first region and a second region. Each region is determined based on a color of pixels within the sliding-window filter. The vehicle detection system also determines a potential second vehicle in the image based on the region-pair. In response to determining the potential second vehicle in the image, the vehicle detection system performs a multi-stage classification of the image to determine whether the second vehicle is present in the image. Additionally, the vehicle detection system provides instructions to control the first vehicle based at least on the determined second vehicle.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to classifying the status of objects. For examples, one or more computing devices detect an object from an image of a vehicle's environment. The object is associated with a location. The one or more computing devices receive data corresponding to the surfaces of objects in the vehicle's environment and identifying data within a region around the location of the object. The one or more computing devices also determine whether the data within the region corresponds to a planar surface extending away from an edge of the object. Based on this determination, the one or more computing devices classify the status of the object.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for determining a location of an object within an environment. An example method may include determining a three-dimensional (3D) location of a plurality of reference points in an environment, receiving a two-dimensional (2D) image of a portion of the environment that contains an object, selecting certain reference points from the plurality of reference points that form a polygon when projected into the 2D image that contains at least a portion of the object, determining an intersection point of a ray directed toward the object and a 3D polygon formed by the selected reference points, and based on the intersection point of the ray directed toward the object and the 3D polygon formed by the selected reference points, determining a 3D location of the object in the environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for optimizing one or more object detection parameters used by an autonomous vehicle to detect objects in images. The autonomous vehicle may capture the images using one or more sensors. The autonomous vehicle may then determine object labels and their corresponding object label parameters for the detected objects. The captured images and the object label parameters may be communicated to an object identification server. The object identification server may request that one or more reviewers identify objects in the captured images. The object identification server may then compare the identification of objects by reviewers with the identification of objects by the autonomous vehicle. Depending on the results of the comparison, the object identification server may recommend or perform the optimization of one or more of the object detection parameters.

Abstract: An example method for a beamforming network for feeding short wall slotted waveguide arrays. The beamforming network may include six beamforming network outputs, where each beamforming network output is coupled to one of a set of waveguide inputs. Further, the beamforming network may include a cascaded set of dividers configured to split electromagnetic energy from a beamforming network input to the six phase-adjustment sections. The cascade may include a first level of the cascade configured to split the electromagnetic energy from the beamforming network input into two first-level beamforming waveguides, a second level configured to split the electromagnetic energy from each of two first-level beamforming waveguides into two respective second-level beamforming waveguides, and a third level of the cascade configured to split the electromagnetic energy from one of two respective second-level beamforming waveguides into two respective third-level beamforming waveguides.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical systems, specifically light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems. An example optical system includes a laser light source operable to emit laser light along a first axis and a mirror element with a plurality of reflective surfaces. The mirror element is configured to rotate about a second axis. The plurality of reflective surfaces is disposed about the second axis. The mirror element and the laser light source are coupled to a base structure, which is configured to rotate about a third axis. While the rotational angle of the mirror element is within an angular range, the emitted laser light interacts with both a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces and is reflected into the environment by the first and second reflective surfaces.