Abstract: The technology relates to approaches for determining appropriate stopping locations at intersections for vehicles operating in a self-driving mode. While many intersections have stop lines painted on the roadway, many others have no such lines. Even if a stop line is present, the physical location may not match what is in store map data, which may be out of date due to construction or line repainting. Aspects of the technology employ a neural network that utilizes input training data and detected sensor data to perform classification, localization and uncertain estimation processes. Based on these processes, the system is able to evaluate distribution information for possible stop locations. The vehicle uses such information to determine an optimal stop point, which may or may not correspond to a stop line in the map data. This information is also used to update the existing map data, which can be shared with other vehicles.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing data characterizing a first region in an environment to generate a prediction characterizing a second region in the environment. One of the methods includes obtaining surfel data comprising a plurality of surfels; obtaining sensor data for a plurality of locations in a first region of the environment; determining, from the surfel data, a plurality of first surfels corresponding to respective locations in the first region of the environment; determining, using the first surfels and the sensor data, a difference between i) a first representation of the first region of the environment corresponding to the first surfels and ii) a second representation of the first region of the environment corresponding to the sensor data; and generating a respective object prediction for one or more locations in a second region of the environment.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to training and using a phrase recognition model to identify phrases in images. As an example, a selected phrase list may include a plurality of phrases is received. Each phrase of the plurality of phrases includes text. An initial plurality of images may be received. A training image set may be selected from the initial plurality of images by identifying the phrase-containing images that include one or more phrases from the selected phrase list. Each given phrase-containing image of the training image set may be labeled with information identifying the one or more phrases from the selected phrase list included in the given phrase-containing images. The model may be trained based on the training image set such that the model is configured to, in response to receiving an input image, output data indicating whether a phrase of the plurality of phrases is included in the input image.

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: Aspects of the disclosure relate to an autonomous vehicle that may detected other nearby vehicles and identify them as parked or unparked. This identification may be based on visual indicia displayed by the detected vehicles as well as traffic control factors relating to the detected vehicles. Detected vehicles that are in a known parking spot may automatically be identified as parked. In addition, detected vehicles that satisfy conditions that are indications of being parked may also be identified as parked. The autonomous vehicle may then base its control strategy on whether or not a vehicle has been identified as parked or not.

Abstract: The technology relates to detecting and responding to processions. For instance, sensor data identifying two or more objects in an environment of a vehicle may be received. The two or more objects may be determined to be disobeying a predetermined rule in a same way. Based on the determination that the two or more objects are disobeying a predetermined rule, that the two or more objects are involved in a procession may be determined. The vehicle may then be controlled autonomously in order to respond to the procession based on the determination that the two or more objects are involved in a procession.

Abstract: A service computing device is provided for efficiently authenticating, verifying, and distributing subtasks or microtasks in a peer-to-peer network or distributed network. Also provided are computing devices with varying capabilities with respect to the performance of such tasks, such that enhancing efficiency in the authentication, verification, and/or distribution may enhance device efficiency and/or overall network efficiency. Processors or processor elements many be configured with differing capabilities to perform various types of the subtasks or microtasks such that proper distribution of such subtasks and microtasks may be required for completion of a complex task with enhanced efficiency. Probabilistic authentication or classification-based verification may be employed by the service computing device in performing its functions.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds of Formula (I): and to their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, and methods for their preparation. The compounds disclosed herein are useful for inhibiting the maturation of cytokines of the IL-1 family by inhibiting inflammasomes and may be used in the treatment of disorders in which inflammasome activity is implicated, such as inflammatory, autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancers.

Abstract: Expandable occlusive plugs and methods of using them are disclosed. The devices generally include a tubular body bearing multiple slits defining leaves, which expand radially outward when the ends of the device are brought toward one another.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for the identification of parkable areas. In one instance, observations of parked vehicles may be identified from logged data. The observations may be used to determine whether a sub-portion of an edge of a roadgraph corresponds to a parkable area. In some examples, the edge may define a drivable area in the roadgraph. In addition, map information is generated based on the determination of whether the sub-portion of the edge corresponds to the parkable area.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds of Formula (I) or (II): and to their prodrugs, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, and methods for their preparation. The compounds disclosed herein are useful for inhibiting the maturation of cytokines of the IL-1 family by inhibiting inflammasomes and may be used in the treatment of disorders in which inflammasome activity is implicated, such as inflammatory, autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds of Formula (I) and to their prodrugs, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, and methods for their preparation. The compounds disclosed herein are useful for inhibiting the maturation of cytokines of the IL-1 family by inhibiting inflammasomes and may be used in the treatment of disorders in which inflammasome activity is implicated, such as inflammatory, autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancers.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to detecting unmapped drivable road surfaces. In one instance, sensor data captured by a sensor of an autonomous vehicle may be projected onto a grid having a plurality of cells. The plurality of cells may be classified by generating a label for each of the plurality of cells. Each label may identifies whether or not a corresponding cell contains a drivable surface. Ones of the plurality of cells may be clustered based on the labels to form a cluster of cells. An area of the cluster of cells may be compared to a map. Whether the area of the cluster of cells is an unmapped drivable road surface may be determined based on the comparison.

Abstract: The technology relates to approaches for determining appropriate stopping locations at intersections for vehicles operating in a self-driving mode. While many intersections have stop lines painted on the roadway, many others have no such lines. Even if a stop line is present, the physical location may not match what is in store map data, which may be out of date due to construction or line repainting. Aspects of the technology employ a neural network that utilizes input training data and detected sensor data to perform classification, localization and uncertain estimation processes. Based on these processes, the system is able to evaluate distribution information for possible stop locations. The vehicle uses such information to determine an optimal stop point, which may or may not correspond to a stop line in the map data. This information is also used to update the existing map data, which can be shared with other vehicles.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds of Formula (I): and to their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, and methods for their preparation. The compounds disclosed herein inhibit the maturation of cytokines of the IL-1 family by inhibiting inflammasomes and may be used in the treatment of disorders in which inflammasome activity is implicated, such as inter alia autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancers.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining whether a feature of map information. For example, data identifying an object detected in a vehicle's environment and including location coordinates is received. This information is used to identify a corresponding feature from pre-stored map information based on a map location of the corresponding feature. The corresponding feature is defined as a curve and associated with a tag identifying a type of the corresponding object. A tolerance constraint is identified based on the tag. The curve is divided into two or more line segments. Each line segment has a first position. The first position of a line segment is changed in order to determine a second position based on the location coordinates and the tolerance constraint. A value is determined based on a comparison of the first position to the second position. This value indicates a likelihood that the corresponding feature has changed.

Abstract: An introducer set for a microwave ablation probe is disclosed. The introducer set includes a cannula that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy, and a stylet sized to be received by the lumen of the cannula. Other examples provide a microwave ablation system including a microwave ablation probe having a radiating portion and a cannula that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy. The radiating portion of the probe aligns with the transparent portion of the cannula when the probe is inserted into the cannula lumen. The technology provides a method including introducing a microwave ablation probe into the lumen of a cannula having a cannula body that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy, aligning the transparent portion of the cannula with the radiating portion of the probe, and causing microwave energy to be emitted from the radiating portion of the probe.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds of Formula (I): and to their prodrugs, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of use, and methods for their preparation. The compounds disclosed herein are useful for inhibiting the maturation of cytokines of the IL-1 family by inhibiting inflammasomes and may be used in the treatment of disorders in which inflammasome activity is implicated, such as inflammatory, autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancers.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing data characterizing a first region in an environment to generate a prediction characterizing a second region in the environment. One of the methods includes obtaining surfel data comprising a plurality of surfels; obtaining sensor data for a plurality of locations in a first region of the environment; determining, from the surfel data, a plurality of first surfels corresponding to respective locations in the first region of the environment; determining, using the first surfels and the sensor data, a difference between i) a first representation of the first region of the environment corresponding to the first surfels and ii) a second representation of the first region of the environment corresponding to the sensor data; and generating a respective object prediction for one or more locations in a second region of the environment.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for autonomous driving with surfel maps. In some implementations, a three-dimensional representation of a real-world environment is obtained. Each of the surfels can correspond to a respective point of plurality of points in a three-dimensional space of the real-world environment. Input sensor data is received from multiple sensors installed on the autonomous vehicle. A pedestrian is detected from the input sensor data. A determination is made that the pedestrian is located behind a barrier. A driving plan is updated based on determining that the pedestrian is located behind a barrier.