IP Library Granted Patent US 11,363,200
Granted Patent B2
US 11,363,200 · App. 17/025,257 · Granted Jun 14, 2022

Techniques to compensate for movement of sensors in a vehicle

Inventors: Alan Camyre (Tucson, AZ); Todd Skinner (San Diego, CA); Juexiao Ning (Tucson, AZ); Qiwei Li (Tucson, AZ); Yishi Liu (Tucson, AZ)
Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
H04N5/23267G01B7/14G01B11/14G01B17/00G01S7/4972G01S17/06G01S17/86G01S17/931G05D1/0212G05D1/0231B60G17/0155B60G17/052B60G2202/152B60G2300/02B60G2400/252B60G2500/324
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,363,200
App. No.
17/025,257
Granted
Jun 14, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are described for compensating for movements of sensors. A method includes receiving two sets of sensor data from two sets of sensors, where a first set of sensors are located on a roof of a cab of a semi-trailer truck and a second set of sensor data are located on a hood of the semi-trailer truck. The method also receives from a height sensor a measured value indicative of a height of the rear of a rear portion of the cab of the semi-trailer truck relative to a chassis of the semi-trailer truck, determines two correction values, one for each of the two sets of sensor data, and compensates for the movement of the two sets of sensors by generating two sets of compensated sensor data. The two sets of compensated sensor data are generated by adjusting the two sets of sensor data based on the two correction values.

Claims (44)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a first sensor located on a cab of a semi-trailer truck, a first sensor data, wherein the first sensor is rotatable relative to a first pivot of a chassis of the semi-trailer truck;

receiving, from a second sensor located on a hood of the semi-trailer truck, a second sensor data, wherein the second sensor is rotatable relative to a second pivot of the chassis, a position of the second pivot being different from a position of the first pivot;

receiving, from a height sensor located at a rear portion of the cab, a measured value indicative of a height of the rear portion of the cab relative to the chassis; and

correcting or compensating for movements of or misalignment between the first sensor and the second sensor by calibrating the first sensor data and the second sensor data based on the measured value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the height sensor is located adjacent to air springs that are coupled to the rear portion of the cab.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor move in opposite directions in response to receiving a physical stimulus.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first sensor moves upward relative to a plane formed by the chassis and the second sensor moves downward relative to the plane, and

wherein the first sensor moves downward relative to the plane and the second sensor moves upward relative to the plane.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the first sensor data and the second sensor data, comprises:

determining, based on the measured value, a first correction value for the first sensor data and a second correction value for the second sensor data; and

compensating for movements of the first sensor and the second sensor by generating a first compensated sensor data and a second compensated sensor data,

wherein the first compensated sensor data is generated by adjusting the first sensor data based on the first correction value and

wherein the second compensated sensor data is generated by adjusting the second sensor data based on the second correction value.

6. The method of claim 5 ,

wherein the first correction value comprises a first symbol to indicate that the first sensor moves upward relative to a plane formed by the chassis and the second correction value comprises a second symbol different from the first symbol, to indicate that the second sensor moves downward relative to the plane, and

wherein the first correction value comprises the second symbol to indicate that the first sensor moves downward relative to the plane and the second correction value comprises the first symbol to indicate that the second sensor moves upward relative to the plane.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first correction value and the second correction value are determined based on an equation or a pre-determined table.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein a first height is a pre-determined height of the cab when the cab is in a rest position, a second height is a height of the cab when the semi-trailer truck is moving, wherein a change of height is determined by subtracting the second height from the first height, wherein the first correction value and the second correlation value are correspond to the change of height.

9. A system, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising:

receiving, from a first sensor located on a cab of a semi-trailer truck, a first sensor data, wherein the first sensor is rotatable relative to a first pivot of a chassis of the semi-trailer truck;

receiving, from a second sensor located on a hood of the semi-trailer truck, a second sensor data, wherein the second sensor is rotatable relative to a second pivot of the chassis, a position of the second pivot being different from a position of the first pivot;

receiving, from a height sensor located at a rear portion of the cab, a measured value indicative of a height of the rear portion of the cab relative to the chassis; and

correcting or compensating for movements of or misalignment between the first sensor and the second sensor by calibrating the first sensor data and the second sensor data based on the measured value.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the height sensor comprises an ultrasonic distance sensor, a laser distance sensor, a linear potentiometer, or a rotary potentiometer.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first sensor is located on a roof of the cab, wherein the second sensor is located on a hood of the semi-trailer truck.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein a front portion of the cab is attached with a first pivoting mount to the chassis, the first pivoting mount comprising the first pivot, wherein a rear portion of the cab is suspended on or coupled to an air spring.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein a front portion of the cab is attached with a first pivoting mount to the chassis, the first pivoting mount comprising the first pivot, wherein a front portion of the hood is attached with a second pivoting mount to the chassis, the second pivoting mount comprising the second pivot.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a latch couples a rear portion of the hood to the front portion of the cab.

15. The system of claim 9 ,

wherein the first sensor comprises a camera and the first sensor data comprises a camera image, and

wherein the second sensor comprises a light detection ranging (LiDAR) sensor and the second sensor data comprises LiDAR data.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor move in opposite directions in response to receiving a physical stimulus, wherein one of the first sensor and the second sensor moves upward relative to a plane formed by the chassis, wherein the other one of the first sensor and the second sensor moves downward relative to the plane.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having code stored thereon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a method comprising:

receiving, from a first sensor located on a cab of a semi-trailer truck, a first sensor data, wherein the first sensor is rotatable relative to a first pivot of a chassis of the semi-trailer truck;

receiving, from a second sensor located on a hood of the semi-trailer truck, a second sensor data, wherein the second sensor is rotatable relative to a second pivot of the chassis, a position of the second pivot being different from a position of the first pivot;

receiving, from a height sensor located at a rear portion of the cab, a measured value indicative of a height of the rear portion of the cab relative to the chassis; and

correcting or compensating for movements of or misalignment between the first sensor and the second sensor by calibrating the first sensor data and the second sensor data based on the measured value.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first sensor data comprises a camera images, the second sensor data comprises LiDAR data, wherein calibrating the first sensor data and the second sensor data, comprises:

compensating, based on the measured value, for movements of the first sensor and the second sensor by performing a shift to at least one of the camera images and the LiDAR data.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein performing the shift comprises performing an angular shift, a vertical shift, or a horizontal shift.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein after performing the shift to at least one of the camera images and the LiDAR data, the first sensor data and the second sensor data are substantially aligned.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2025
From: TUSIMPLE, INC.
To: CREATEAI, INC.
Reel/Frame 073832/0553 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2020
From: CAMYRE, ALAN; SKINNER, TODD; NING, JUEXIAO; LI, QIWEI; LIU, YISHI
To: TUSIMPLE, INC.
Reel/Frame 053817/0298 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16565331 · Sep 9, 2019
Related Publication 20210075966A1 · Mar 11, 2021