Patents Assigned to Waymo LLC
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Patent number: 9733342Abstract: Disclosed here are apparatuses and methods including a waveguide having a length and a port. The waveguide is a split-block construction waveguide, which includes a seam between a first waveguide section and a second waveguide section. The first waveguide section and the second waveguide section form a waveguide cavity, and the seam corresponds to a low surface current location of a propagation mode of the waveguide. The apparatus also includes an antenna coupled to the port of the waveguide. The antenna is configured to (i) receive an electromagnetic signal and propagate the electromagnetic signal into the waveguide, and (ii) transmit a reflected electromagnetic signal from the waveguide. Additionally, the apparatus includes a reflecting component. The reflecting component is configured to provide a short in the waveguide along the length of the waveguide, and to move with a velocity to simulate a radar target having the velocity.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventor: Adam Brown
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Patent number: 9734417Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David I. Ferguson, Bradley Templeton
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Patent number: 9727795Abstract: Methods and systems for real-time road flare detection using templates and appropriate color spaces are described. A computing device of a vehicle may be configured to receive an image of an environment of the vehicle. The computing device may be configured to identify a given pixels in the plurality of pixels having one or more of: (i) a red color value greater than a green color value, and (ii) the red color value greater than a blue color value. Further, the computing device may be configured to make a comparison between one or more characteristics of a shape of an object represented by the given pixels in the image and corresponding one or more characteristics of a predetermined shape of a road flare; and determine a likelihood that the object represents the road flare.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2016Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Wan-Yen Lo, David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Abhijit Ogale
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Patent number: 9725060Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate altering the rigidity of a vehicle's surface. More particularly, the vehicle may contain tension members that are arranged so that a change in tension across one or more of the tension members will alter the rigidity of the vehicle's surface. The vehicle may identify and respond to a potential collision by altering the tension that is applied to one or more tension members, thereby altering the rigidity of the vehicle's surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2015Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Thomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner, Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Atul Gupta
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Patent number: 9720072Abstract: A method is provided that includes a vehicle receiving data from an external computing device indicative of at least one other vehicle in an environment of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a sensor configured to detect the environment of the vehicle. The at least one other vehicle may include at least one sensor. The method also includes determining a likelihood of interference between the at least one sensor of the at least one other vehicle the sensor of the vehicle. The method also includes initiating an adjustment of the sensor to reduce the likelihood of interference between the sensor of the vehicle and the at least one sensor of the at least one other vehicle responsive to the determination.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2014Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Edward Daniel McCloskey, Russell Leigh Smith
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Patent number: 9720412Abstract: A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode may operate a sensor to determine an environment of the vehicle. The sensor may be configured to obtain sensor data of a sensed portion of the environment. The sensed portion may be defined by a sensor parameter. Based on the environment of the vehicle, the vehicle may select at least one parameter value for the at least one sensor parameter such that the sensed portion of the environment corresponds to a region of interest. The vehicle may operate the sensor, using the selected at least one parameter value for the at least one sensor parameter, to obtain sensor data of the region of interest, and control the vehicle in the autonomous mode based on the sensor data of the region of interest.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2015Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Jiajun Zhu, Christopher Urmson, David I. Ferguson, Nathaniel Fairfield, Dmitri Dolgov
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Patent number: 9720410Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2014Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Nathaniel Fairfield, Joshua Seth Herbach, Vadim Furman
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Patent number: 9719801Abstract: Example methods and systems for calibrating sensors using road map data are provided. An autonomous vehicle may use various vehicle sensors to assist in navigation. Within examples, the autonomous vehicle may calibrate vehicle sensors through performing a comparison or analysis between information about the environment received by sensors with similar information provided by map data (e.g., a road map). The autonomous vehicle may compare object locations as provided by the sensors and as shown by map data. Based on the comparison, the autonomous vehicle may adjust various sensors to accurately reflect the information as provided by the road map. In some instances, the autonomous vehicle may adjust the position, height, orientation, direction-of-focus, scaling, or other parameters of a sensor based on the information provided by a road map.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Dave Ferguson, Dorel Ionut Iordache
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Patent number: 9707960Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining whether a vehicle should continue through an intersection. For example, the one or more of the vehicle's computers may identify a time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red. The one or more computers may also estimate a location of a vehicle at the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red. A starting point of the intersection may be identified. Based on whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point at the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red, the computers can determine whether the vehicle should continue through the intersection.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Jens-Steffen Ralf Gutmann, Andreas Wendel, Nathaniel Fairfield, Dmitri A. Dolgov, Donald Jason Burnette
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Patent number: 9711870Abstract: An example folded radiation slot for short wall waveguide radiation is disclosed. In one aspect, the radiating structure includes a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide. The waveguide may have a height dimension and a width dimension. The radiating structure also includes a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, such that the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide. The radiating layer may include a radiating element. The radiating element may be a slot defined by an angular or curved path, and the radiating element may be coupled to the waveguide layer. The radiating element may have an effective length greater than the height dimension of waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured along the angular or curved path of the slot.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventor: Jamal Izadian
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Patent number: 9709679Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to generating elevation maps. More specifically, data points may be collected by a laser moving along a roadway and used to generate an elevation map of the roadway. The collected data points may be projected onto a two dimensional or ā2Dā grid. The grid may include a plurality of cells, each cell of the grid representing a geolocated second of the roadway. The data points of each cell may be evaluated to identify an elevation for the particular cell. For example, the data points in a particular cell may be filtered in various ways including occlusion, interpolation from neighboring cells, etc. The minimum value of the remaining data points within each cell may then be used as the elevation for the particular cell, and the elevation of a plurality of cells may be used to generate an elevation map of the roadway.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Christopher Paul Urmson, Andrew Hughes Chatham, Hendrik Dahlkamp, Michael Steven Montemerlo, Jiajun Zhu
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Patent number: 9707966Abstract: Methods and systems for determining instructions for pulling over an autonomous vehicle are described. An example method may involve identifying a region of a road ahead of the autonomous vehicle based on lane boundaries of the road, one or more road boundaries indicating an edge of the road, and a size of the autonomous vehicle. The method may also involve determining a braking profile for reducing the speed of the autonomous vehicle based on the region and a speed of the autonomous vehicle. The method may also involve determining, based on the braking profile, a trajectory such that the autonomous vehicle will travel within the region while reducing the speed of the autonomous vehicle. The method may further involve determining instructions for pulling over and stopping the autonomous vehicle in the region in accordance with the determined trajectory and storing the instructions in a memory accessible by a computing device.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2016Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Joshua Seth Herbach, Nathaniel Fairfield
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Patent number: 9709985Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to detecting and responding to stop signs. An object detected in a vehicle's environment having location coordinates may be identified as a stop sign and, it may be determined whether the location coordinates of the identified stop sign correspond to a location of a stop sign in detailed map information. Then, whether the identified stop sign applies to the vehicle may be determined based on the detailed map information or on a number of factors. Then, if the identified stop sign is determined to apply to the vehicle, responses of the vehicle to the stop sign may be determined, and, the vehicle may be controlled based on the determined responses.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2016Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Harrison Silver, David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Abhijit S. Ogale, Wan-Yen Lo
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Patent number: 9703291Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to maneuvering autonomous vehicles. Specifically, the vehicle may use a laser to collect scan data for a section of roadway. The vehicle may access a detailed map including the section of the roadway. A disturbance indicative of an object and including a set of data points data may be identified from the scan data based on the detailed map. The detailed map may also be used to estimate a heading of the disturbance. A bounding box for the disturbance may be estimated using the set of data points as well as the estimated heading. The parameters of the bounding box may then be adjusted in order to increase or maximize the average density of data points of the disturbance along the edges of the bounding box visible to the laser. This adjusted bounding box may then used to maneuver the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2016Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Jiajun Zhu, Dirk Haehnel
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Patent number: 9694818Abstract: A method is provided that includes receiving user input identifying a travel destination for a first vehicle, determining, by a processor, a first route for the first vehicle to follow, and configuring the first vehicle to follow the first route. The method further includes obtaining a model for a second vehicle that shares a road with the first vehicle and comparing model to a pre-determined template for a vehicle that is known to be a special purpose vehicle in order to determine whether the first template and the second template match. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a second route that leads to the travel destination, when a match is found to exist, and switching the first vehicle from following the first route to following the second route.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventor: David I. Ferguson
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Patent number: 9696722Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device scans through a scanning zone while emitting light pulses and receives reflected signals corresponding to the light pulses. The LIDAR device scans the emitted light pulses through the scanning zone by reflecting the light pulses from an array of oscillating mirrors. The mirrors are operated by a set of electromagnets arranged to apply torque on the mirrors, and an orientation feedback system senses the orientations of the mirrors. Driving parameters for each mirror are determined based on information from the orientation feedback system. The driving parameters can be used to drive the mirrors in phase at an operating frequency despite variations in moments of inertia and resonant frequencies among the mirrors.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Drew Ulrich, Pierre-yves Droz, Samuel Lenius
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Patent number: 9697606Abstract: Methods and systems for object detection using laser point clouds are described herein. In an example implementation, a computing device may receive laser data indicative of a vehicle's environment from a sensor and generate a two dimensional (2D) range image that includes pixels indicative of respective positions of objects in the environment based on the laser data. The computing device may modify the 2D range image to provide values to given pixels that map to portions of objects in the environment lacking laser data, which may involve providing values to the given pixels based on the average value of neighboring pixels positioned by the given pixels. Additionally, the computing device may determine normal vectors of sets of pixels that correspond to surfaces of objects in the environment based on the modified 2D range image and may use the normal vectors to provide object recognition information to systems of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: James Stout, Jiajun Zhu
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Patent number: 9690297Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an autonomous vehicle having a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system includes an image processing system. The image processing system receives an image that includes a light indicator. The light indicator includes an illuminated component. The image processing system determines a color of the illuminated component of the light indicator and an associated confidence level of the determination of the color of the illuminated component. The image processing system also determines a shape of the illuminated component of the light indicator and an associated confidence level of the determination of the shape of the illuminated component. The determined confidence levels represent an estimated accuracy of the determinations of the shape and color. Additionally, the image processing system provides instructions executable by a computing device to control the autonomous vehicle based on at least one of the determined confidence levels exceeding a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2016Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Andreas Wendel
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Patent number: 9690296Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to detecting and avoiding blind spots of other vehicles when maneuvering an autonomous vehicle. Blind spots may include both areas adjacent to another vehicle in which the driver of that vehicle would be unable to identify another object as well as areas that a second driver in a second vehicle may be uncomfortable driving. In one example, a computer of the autonomous vehicle may identify objects that may be relevant for blind spot detecting and may determine the blind spots for these other vehicles. The computer may predict the future locations of the autonomous vehicle and the identified vehicles to determine whether the autonomous vehicle would drive in any of the determined blind spots. If so, the autonomous driving system may adjust its speed to avoid or limit the autonomous vehicle's time in any of the blind spots.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2015Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Dmitri A. Dolgov, Christopher Paul Urmson
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Patent number: 9682707Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate controlling autonomous vehicles or vehicles having an autonomous driving mode. More particularly, these vehicles may identify and respond to other vehicles engaged in a parallel parking maneuver by receiving sensor data corresponding to objects in an autonomous vehicle's environment and including location information for the objects over time. An object corresponding to another vehicle in a lane in front of the first vehicle may be identified from the sensor data. A pattern of actions of the other vehicle identified form the sensor data is used to determine that the second vehicle is engaged in a parallel parking maneuver based on a pattern of actions exhibited by the other vehicle identified from the sensor data. The determination is then used to control the autonomous vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2015Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Harrison Silver, David Ian Franklin Ferguson