Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining relative velocity between a vehicle and an object. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle. The one or more sensors are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving by following a scan pattern comprising component scan lines. The method includes obtaining, by one or more processors, a point cloud frame based on the sensor data and representative of the environment and identifying, by the one or more processors, a point cloud object within the point cloud frame. The method further includes determining, by the one or more processors, that the point cloud object is skewed relative to an expected configuration of the point cloud object, and determining, by the one or more processors, a relative velocity of the point cloud object by analyzing the skew of the object.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining relative velocity between a vehicle and an object. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle. The one or more sensors are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving by following a scan pattern comprising component scan lines. The method also includes obtaining, based on the sensor data and by one or more processors, two or more point cloud frames representative of the environment and tracking, by the one or more processors, a point cloud object across the two or more point cloud frames. Additionally, the method includes determining, based on the tracking and by the one or more processors, a relative velocity of the point cloud object and correcting, by the one or more processors, the point cloud object based on the relative velocity of the point cloud object.

Abstract: A lidar system includes a transmitter that encodes successive transmit pulses with different pulse characteristics and a receiver that detects the pulse characteristics of each received (scattered or reflected) pulse and that distinguishes between the received pulses based on the detected pulse characteristics. The lidar system thus resolves range ambiguities by encoding pulses of scan positions in the same or different scan periods to have different pulse characteristics, such as different pulse widths or different pulse envelope shapes. The receiver includes a pulse decoder configured to detect the relevant pulse characteristics of the received pulse and a resolver that determines if the pulse characteristics of the received pulse matches the pulse characteristics of the current scan position or that of a previous scan position.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining relative velocity between a vehicle and an object. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle. The one or more sensors are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving by following a scan pattern comprising component scan lines. The method also includes obtaining, based on the sensor data and by one or more processors, two or more point cloud frames representative of the environment and tracking, by the one or more processors, a point cloud object across the two or more point cloud frames. Additionally, the method includes determining, based on the tracking and by the one or more processors, a relative velocity of the point cloud object and correcting, by the one or more processors, the point cloud object based on the relative velocity of the point cloud object.

Abstract: A method for controlling a first sensor configured to sense an environment through which a vehicle is moving includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through the environment, identifying, by one or more processors and based on at least a portion of the received sensor data, one or more road portions along which the vehicle is expected to travel, and determining, by one or more processors, a configuration of the identified road portions, at least in part by determining a slope of at least one of the identified road portions. The method also includes determining, by one or more processors analyzing at least the determined configuration, an elevation of a field of regard of the first sensor that satisfies one or more visibility criteria, and causing the first sensor to be adjusted in accordance with the determined elevation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining relative velocity between a vehicle and an object. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle. The one or more sensors are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving by following a scan pattern comprising component scan lines. The method also includes obtaining, based on the sensor data and by one or more processors, two or more point cloud frames representative of the environment and tracking, by the one or more processors, a point cloud object across the two or more point cloud frames. Additionally, the method includes determining, based on the tracking and by the one or more processors, a relative velocity of the point cloud object and correcting, by the one or more processors, the point cloud object based on the relative velocity of the point cloud object.

Abstract: A method for controlling at least a first sensor of a vehicle, which senses an environment through which the vehicle is moving by producing a plurality of scan lines arranged according to a spatial distribution, includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors. The one or more sensors are configured to sense the environment through which the vehicle is moving. The method also includes identifying, by one or more processors and based on the received sensor data, one or more areas of interest in the environment, and causing, by one or more processors and based on the areas of interest, the spatial distribution of the plurality of scan lines produced by the first sensor to be adjusted.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining relative velocity between a vehicle and an object. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle. The one or more sensors are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving by following a scan pattern comprising component scan lines. The method also includes obtaining, based on the sensor data and by one or more processors, two or more point cloud frames representative of the environment and tracking, by the one or more processors, a point cloud object across the two or more point cloud frames. Additionally, the method includes determining, based on the tracking and by the one or more processors, a relative velocity of the point cloud object and correcting, by the one or more processors, the point cloud object based on the relative velocity of the point cloud object.

Abstract: To compensate for the uneven distribution of data points around the periphery of a vehicle in a lidar system, a light source transmits light pulses at a variable pulse rate according to the orientation of the light pulses with respect to the lidar system. A controller may communicate with a scanner in the lidar system that provides the orientations of the light pulses to the controller. The controller may then provide a control signal to the light source adjusting the pulse rate based on the orientations of the light pulses. For example, the pulse rate may be slower near the front of the lidar system and faster near the periphery. In another example, the pulse rate may be faster near the front of the lidar system and slower near the periphery.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for dynamically varying receiver characteristics in a lidar system includes emitting light pulses by a light source in a lidar system. The method further includes detecting, by a receiver in the lidar system, light from one of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse. The method also includes determining an atmospheric condition at or near a geolocation of a vehicle that includes the lidar system. The method further includes providing a control signal to the receiver adjusting one or more characteristics of the receiver to compensate for attenuation or distortion of the return light pulses associated with the atmospheric condition.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of detecting object distortion. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by a plurality of sensors of the vehicle. The plurality of sensors includes a first set of one or more sensors configured to sense an environment by sequentially advancing through a plurality of points in a scan pattern. The plurality of sensors also include a second set of one or more sensors configured to sense the environment by capturing an entirety of the frame at a single time. The method also includes comparing a shape of the point cloud representation of the object to a shape of the object as sensed by the second set of sensors and identifying that the object is distorted based on the shape of the point cloud representation of the object component not matching the shape of the object as sensed by the second set of sensors.

Abstract: A method for controlling at least a first vehicle sensor includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more vehicle sensors that are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving, and identifying, based on the received sensor data, one or more current and/or predicted positions of one or more dynamic objects that are currently moving, or are capable of movement, within the environment. The method also includes causing, based on the current and/or predicted positions of the dynamic objects, an area of focus of the first sensor to be adjusted, at least by causing (i) a field of regard of the first sensor, and/or (ii) a spatial distribution of scan lines produced by the first sensor, to be adjusted.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions executable by one or more processors to implement a sensor control architecture for controlling at least a first sensor of a vehicle. The sensor control architecture is configured to receive sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle. The one or more sensors are configured to sense an environment through which the vehicle is moving. The sensor control architecture is also configured to determine, based on the received sensor data and using an attention model that is trained using a machine learning technique, one or more sensor settings, and to cause one or more sensor parameters of the first sensor to be adjusted in accordance with the determined sensor settings. The one or more sensor parameters include at least one sensor parameter that defines an area of focus for the first sensor.

Abstract: A method for processing point clouds having variable spatial distributions of scan lines includes receiving a point cloud frame generated by a sensor configured to sense an environment through which a vehicle is moving. The point cloud frame includes scan lines arranged according to a particular spatial distribution. The method also includes either generating an enhanced point cloud frame with a larger number of points than the received point cloud frame, or constructing, by one or more processors and based on points of the received point cloud frame, a three-dimensional mesh. The method also includes generating, by performing an interpolation function on the enhanced point cloud frame or a virtual surface provided by the three-dimensional mesh, a normalized point cloud frame, and generating, using the normalized point cloud frame, signals descriptive of a current state of the environment through which the vehicle is moving.

Abstract: A method for controlling a first sensor configured to sense an environment through which a vehicle is moving includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle as the vehicle moves through the environment, identifying, by one or more processors and based on at least a portion of the received sensor data, one or more road portions along which the vehicle is expected to travel, and determining, by one or more processors, a configuration of the identified road portions, at least in part by determining a slope of at least one of the identified road portions. The method also includes determining, by one or more processors analyzing at least the determined configuration, an elevation of a field of regard of the first sensor that satisfies one or more visibility criteria, and causing the first sensor to be adjusted in accordance with the determined elevation.

Abstract: A method for controlling at least a first sensor of a vehicle, which senses an environment through which the vehicle is moving by producing a plurality of scan lines arranged according to a spatial distribution, includes receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors. The one or more sensors are configured to sense the environment through which the vehicle is moving. The method also includes identifying, by one or more processors and based on the received sensor data, one or more areas of interest in the environment, and causing, by one or more processors and based on the areas of interest, the spatial distribution of the plurality of scan lines produced by the first sensor to be adjusted.

Abstract: A lidar system comprises a light source configured to emit light, a scanner configured to direct the emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system in accordance with a scan pattern, a receiver configured to detect the light scattered by one or more remote targets, and a controller configured to control motion of at least the second mirror to modify the scan pattern. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror having a block having a first wall, a second wall, and reflective surfaces extending between the first and second walls, the reflective surfaces being angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the block. The scanner also includes a polygon mirror axle extending into the block through at least one of the first and second walls, about which the block rotates, and a second mirror pivotable along an axis orthogonal to the polygon mirror axle.

Abstract: A scanning system includes a light source configured to emit light as a series of one or more light pulses, a scanner configured to direct the one or more light pulses towards a remote target, and a receiver configured to detect light scattered by the remote target. The receiver includes a light detector element disposed on an ASIC that includes multiple comparators disposed in parallel with one another, and corresponding time-to-digital converters (TDCs) coupled to the comparator. Each of the comparators processes a received electrical signal from the light detector element to produce a digital edge signal when the amplitude of the received electrical signal reaches a particular threshold. A corresponding TDC outputs a time delay value associated with a time at which the received electrical signal reaches the particular threshold.

Abstract: To compensate for the uneven distribution of data points around the periphery of a vehicle in a lidar system, a light source transmits light pulses at a variable pulse rate according to the orientation of the light pulses with respect to the lidar system. A controller may communicate with a scanner in the lidar system that provides the orientations of the light pulses to the controller. The controller may then provide a control signal to the light source adjusting the pulse rate based on the orientations of the light pulses. For example, the pulse rate may be slower near the front of the lidar system and faster near the periphery. In another example, the pulse rate may be faster near the front of the lidar system and slower near the periphery.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard. The field of regard contains all or part of a target located a distance from the lidar system that is less than or equal to a maximum range of the lidar system, and one or more of the emitted pulses of light are scattered by the target. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the pulses of light scattered by the target. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target based at least in part on a round-trip time of flight for an emitted pulse of light.