IP Library Granted Patent US 12,428,029
Granted Patent B2
US 12,428,029 · App. 17/455,055 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Systems and methods for estimating cuboid headings based on heading estimations generated using different cuboid defining techniques

Inventors: Wulue Zhao (Ann Arbor, MI); Fnu Ratnesh Kumar (Mountain View, CA); Kevin L. Wyffels (Livonia, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60W60/0016B60W50/06G01S17/89G01S17/931G06F18/21G06F18/253G06N20/00G06T7/50G06T7/62G06T7/73G06V20/10G06V20/588B60W2420/408G06T2207/20081G06T2207/20084G06T2207/30241G06T2207/30256
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,428,029
App. No.
17/455,055
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer program products for operating a robotic system. For example, the method includes: obtaining a first cuboid generated based on an image, a second cuboid generated based on a lidar dataset and/or a third cuboid generated by a heuristic algorithm using the lidar dataset; using a machine learning model to generate a heading for an object in proximity to the robotic system based on the first cuboid, second cuboid and/or third cuboid; generating a bounding box geometry and a bounding box location based on the second cuboid or third cuboid; and generating a fourth cuboid using the bounding box geometry, the bounding box location, and the heading generated using the machine learning model.

Claims (35)

1. A method for operating a robotic system, comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device, at least two of a first cuboid generated based on an image, a second cuboid generated based on a lidar dataset, and a third cuboid generated by a heuristic algorithm using the lidar dataset;

using, by the computing device, a machine learning model to generate a heading for an object in proximity to the robotic system based on at least two of the first cuboid, second cuboid and third cuboid;

generating, by the computing device, a bounding box geometry and a bounding box location based on the second cuboid or third cuboid; and

generating, by the computing device, a fourth cuboid using the bounding box geometry, the bounding box location, and the heading generated using the machine learning model; and

using, by the computing device, the fourth cuboid to cause movement of the robotic system.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating a plurality of features for input into a machine learning algorithm based on at least two of the first cuboid, the second cuboid, the third cuboid and lane geometries.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of features comprise a first heading of the first cuboid, a second heading of the second cuboid, and a third heading of the third cuboid.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of features further comprise a variance for the first heading, a variance for the second heading, and a variance for the third heading.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of features further comprise a value indicating an availability of a heading and a heading variance associated with the first cuboid, a value indicating an availability of a heading and a heading variance associated with the second cuboid, and a value indicating an availability of a heading and a heading variance associated with the third cuboid.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of features comprise a distance from the robotic system to the first cuboid, a distance from the robotic system to the second cuboid, and a distance from the robotic system to the third cuboid.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of features comprise a number of points in the second cuboid or third cuboid.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one of a course of the object, a plurality of lane directions, a value indicating whether the object is in a driving lane, a distance from the object to a driving lane, an area of the object based on a geometry of the third cuboid, a long side length of the object based on the geometry of the third cuboid, a short side length of the object based on the geometry of the third cuboid, and a maximum height of the object from a ground surface.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bounding box geometry and the bounding box location are generated by: selecting the second cuboid when available for the object; selecting the third cuboid when the second cuboid is not available for the object; and using a geometry of the second or third cuboid which was selected to define a size and location for a bounding box.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to implement a method for operating a robotic system, wherein the programming instructions comprise instructions to:

obtain at least two of a first cuboid generated based on an image, a second cuboid generated based on a lidar dataset, and a third cuboid generated by a heuristic algorithm using the lidar dataset;

using a machine learning model to generate a heading for an object in proximity to the robotic system based on at least two of the first cuboid, second cuboid and third cuboid;

generate a bounding box geometry and a bounding box location based on the second cuboid or third cuboid; and

generate a fourth cuboid using the bounding box geometry, the bounding box location, and the heading generated using the machine learning model; and

use the fourth cuboid to cause movement of the robotic system.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the programming instructions further comprise instructions to generate a plurality of features for input into a machine learning algorithm based on at least two of the first cuboid, the second cuboid, the third cuboid and lane geometries.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of features comprise a first heading of the first cuboid, a second heading of the second cuboid, and a third heading of the third cuboid.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of features further comprise a variance for the first heading, a variance for the second heading, and a variance for the third heading.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of features further comprise a value indicating an availability of a heading and a heading variance associated with the first cuboid, a value indicating an availability of a heading and a heading variance associated with the second cuboid, and a value indicating an availability of a heading and a heading variance associated with the third cuboid.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of features comprise a distance from the robotic system to the first cuboid, a distance from the robotic system to the second cuboid, and a distance from the robotic system to the third cuboid.

16. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of features comprise a number of points in the second cuboid or third cuboid.

17. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one of a course of the object, a plurality of lane directions, a value indicating whether the object is in a driving lane, a distance from the object to a driving lane, an area of the object based on a geometry of the third cuboid, a long side length of the object based on the geometry of the third cuboid, a short side length of the object based on the geometry of the third cuboid, and a maximum height of the object from a ground surface.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining at least two of a first cuboid generated based on an image, a second cuboid generated based on a lidar dataset, and a third cuboid generated by a heuristic algorithm using the lidar dataset;

using a machine learning model to generate a heading for an object in proximity to the robotic system based on at least two of the first cuboid, second cuboid and third cuboid;

generating a bounding box geometry and a bounding box location based on the second cuboid or third cuboid;

generating a fourth cuboid using the bounding box geometry, the bounding box location, and the heading generated using the machine learning model; and

using the fourth cuboid to cause movement of the robotic system.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2023
From: ARGO AI, LLC
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 063025/0346 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2021
From: KUMAR, FNU RATNESH; ZHAO, WULUE; WYFFELS, KEVIN LEE
To: ARGO AI, LLC
Reel/Frame 058123/0377 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230150543A1 · May 18, 2023
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