IP Library Granted Patent US 9,767,369
Granted Patent B2
US 9,767,369 · App. 15/173,347 · Granted Sep 19, 2017

Image and video compression for remote vehicle assistance

Inventors: Vadim Furman (Los Gatos, CA); Andrew Hughes Chatham (San Francisco, CA); Abhijit Ogale (Mountain View, CA); Dmitri Dolgov (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Waymo LLC
G06K9/00805B60R11/04G01C21/00G06K9/6202G06T9/00H04N19/117H04N19/136H04N19/167H04N19/17H04N19/85B60R2011/004B60R2011/008B60R2011/0026G06K9/00791
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,767,369
App. No.
15/173,347
Granted
Sep 19, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle may receive one or more images of an environment of the vehicle. The vehicle may also receive a map of the environment. The vehicle may also match at least one feature in the one or more images with corresponding one or more features in the map. The vehicle may also identify a given area in the one or more images that corresponds to a a portion of the map that is within a threshold distance to the one or more features. The vehicle may also compress the one or more images to include a lower amount of details in areas of the one or more images other than the given area. The vehicle may also provide the compressed images to a remote system, and responsively receive operation instructions from the remote system.

Claims (53)

1. A method comprising:

a vehicle accessing a stored representation of an environment of the vehicle;

receiving, from a sensor of the vehicle, sensor data indicative of the environment;

matching a feature of the environment indicated in the sensor data to a corresponding feature indicated in the stored representation;

identifying a first portion of the sensor data, the first portion being associated with a region of the environment that is within a threshold distance to the matched feature;

compressing the sensor data to reduce a second portion of the sensor data; and

providing the compressed sensor data for receipt by a remote system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the sensor data is associated with a region of the environment that is at a distance greater than the threshold distance to the matched feature.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the remote system, operation instructions for the vehicle, wherein the operation instructions are based on the compressed sensor data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a camera, and wherein the sensor data comprises one or more images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a radar unit, and wherein the sensor data comprises an indication of one or more objects in the environment of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a microphone, and wherein the sensor data comprises an indication of sounds in the environment of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining, via a second sensor of the vehicle, an image of the environment, wherein the image is associated with the sensor data, and wherein matching the feature indicated in the sensor data with the corresponding feature indicated in the stored representation is based on a comparison between the image and the stored representation.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

compressing the image to reduce an amount of details in a portion of the image that corresponds to the region of the environment that is at least at the threshold distance to the matched feature; and

transmitting the compressed image for receipt by the remote system.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the remote system, a selection of the sensor associated with the sensor data, wherein receiving the sensor data from the sensor is based on the received selection.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the remote system, an indication of the threshold distance to the matched feature, wherein identifying the first portion of the sensor data is based on the received indication.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the threshold distance to the matched feature based on lighting conditions associated with the received sensor data, wherein identifying the first portion of the sensor data is based on the determined threshold distance.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the threshold distance to the matched feature based on information included in the stored representation, wherein identifying the first portion of the sensor data is based on the determined threshold distance.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor to provide sensor data indicative of an environment of the vehicle;

one or more processors; and

data storage storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the vehicle to:

access a stored representation of an environment of the vehicle;

obtain the sensor data from the sensor;

match a feature of the environment indicated in the sensor data to a corresponding feature indicated in the stored representation;

identify a first portion of the sensor data, the first portion being associated with a region of the environment that is within a threshold distance to the matched feature;

compress the sensor data to reduce a second portion of the sensor data; and

provide the compressed sensor data for receipt by a remote system.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a second sensor to provide an image of the environment, wherein the image is associated with the sensor data, and wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processors further cause the vehicle to:

obtain, via the second sensor, the image of the environment, wherein matching the feature indicated in the sensor data with the corresponding feature indicated in the stored representation is based on a comparison between the image and the stored representation.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processors further cause the vehicle to:

compress the image to reduce an amount of details in a portion of the image that corresponds to the region of the environment that is at least at the threshold distance to the matched feature; and

transmit the compressed image for receipt by the remote system.

16. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the instructions executable by the one or more processors further cause the vehicle to:

determine the threshold distance to the matched feature based on lighting conditions associated with the image, wherein identifying the first portion of the sensor data is based on the determined threshold distance.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a device, cause the device to perform functions comprising:

accessing a stored representation of an environment of a vehicle;

receiving sensor data indicative of the environment of the vehicle;

matching a feature of the environment indicated in the sensor data to a corresponding feature indicated in the stored representation;

identifying a first portion of the sensor data, the first portion being associated with a region of the environment that is within a threshold distance to the matched feature;

compressing the sensor data to reduce a second portion of the sensor data; and

causing the vehicle to wirelessly transmit the compressed sensor data.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the sensor data is associated with a camera, and wherein the sensor data comprises one or more images.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the sensor data is associated with a radar unit, and wherein the sensor data comprises an indication of one or more objects in the environment of the vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the sensor data is associated with a microphone, and wherein the sensor data comprises an indication of sounds in the environment of the vehicle.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE REMOVAL OF THE INCORRECTLY RECORDED APPLICATION NUMBERS 14/149802 AND 15/419313 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 44144 FRAME: 1. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Mar 4, 2024
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 068092/0502 →
SUBMISSION TO CORRECT AN ERROR MADE IN A PREVIOUSLY RECORDED DOCUMENT THAT ERRONEOUSLY AFFECTS THE IDENTIFIED APPLICATIONS Recorded Dec 4, 2019
From: WAYMO LLC
To: WAYMO LLC
Reel/Frame 051865/0084 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 6, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044144/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: WAYMO HOLDING INC.
Reel/Frame 042084/0741 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2017
From: WAYMO HOLDING INC.
To: WAYMO LLC
Reel/Frame 042085/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2016
From: FURMAN, VADIM; CHATHAM, ANDREW HUGHES; OGALE, ABHIJIT; DOLGOV, DMITRI
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 038804/0562 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14249611 · Apr 10, 2014
Related Publication 20160283804A1 · Sep 29, 2016