IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,016,174
Granted Patent B2
US 11,016,174 · App. 16/221,990 · Granted May 25, 2021

Radar mounting estimation with unstructured data

Inventors: Timothy Campbell (Mountain View, CA); Larry Smith (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Waymo LLC
G01S7/4026G01S13/931G01S2007/403G01S2007/4034G01S2013/9327G01S2013/93273G01S2013/93275G01S2013/93277
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,016,174
App. No.
16/221,990
Granted
May 25, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present application describes a method including transmitting at least two radar signals by a radar unit of a vehicle, where a first signal is transmitted from a first location and a second signal is transmitted from a second location. The method also includes receiving a respective reflection signal associated with each of the transmitted signals. Additionally, the method includes determining, by a processor, at least one stationary object that caused a reflection. Further, the method includes based on the determined stationary object, determining, by the processor, an offset for the radar unit. The method yet further includes operating the radar unit based on the determined offset. Furthermore, the method includes controlling an autonomous vehicle based on the radar unit being operated with the determined offset.

Claims (24)

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, at least one stationary object that caused reflection in a plurality of received reflection signals;

based on the determined stationary object, determining, by the processor, offsets for a plurality of radar units, wherein each radar unit is configured to transmit and receive radar signals, and wherein the offsets for a given radar unit depends on a desired position for the given radar unit and comprises at least two of an elevational offset, a rotational offset, and an azimuthal offset; and

operating the plurality of radar units by compensating for the determined offsets to determine a position of an object causing radar reflections.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radar units are mounted at approximately a 45-degree angle with respect to the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the offsets for one or more radar units from the plurality of radar units further comprises at least one of a lateral offset and a vertical offset.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

storing in a memory the determined offsets for the plurality of radar units.

5. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of mounting plates each configured to couple a radar unit to a mounting structure on the vehicle; and

a computational unit configured to perform operations comprising:

determine at least one stationary object that caused a reflection in a plurality of received radar signals;

based on the determined stationary object, determine offsets for a plurality of radar units, wherein each radar unit is configured to transmit and receive radar signals, and wherein the offsets for a given radar unit depends on a desired position for the given radar unit and comprises at least two of an elevational offset, a rotational offset, and an azimuthal offset; and

operate the plurality of radar units by compensating for the determined offsets to determine a position of an object causing radar reflections.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of radar units are mounted at approximately a 45-degree angle with respect to the vehicle.

7. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the offsets for one or more radar units from the plurality of radar units further comprises at least one of a lateral offset and a vertical offset.

8. The vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising a memory configured to store the determined offsets.

9. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining, by a processor, at least one stationary object that caused reflection in a plurality of received reflection signals;

based on the determined stationary object, determining, by the processor, offsets for a plurality of radar units, wherein each radar unit is configured to transmit and receive radar signals, and wherein the offsets for a given radar unit depends on a desired position for the given radar unit and comprises at least two of an elevational offset, a rotational offset, and an azimuthal offset; and

operating the plurality of radar units by compensating for the determined offsets to determine a position of an object causing radar reflections.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of radar units are mounted at approximately a 45-degree angle with respect to the vehicle.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the offsets for one or more radar units from the plurality of radar units further comprises at least one of a lateral offset and a vertical offset.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , further comprising storing in a memory the determined offsets.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2021
From: SMITH, LARRY; CAMPBELL, TIMOTHY
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 055627/0713 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2021
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: WAYMO HOLDING INC.
Reel/Frame 055632/0082 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2021
From: WAYMO HOLDING INC.
To: WAYMO LLC
Reel/Frame 055632/0129 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15054570 · Feb 26, 2016
Related Publication 20190120935A1 · Apr 25, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,320,886 US 12,372,641