IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,940,537
Granted Patent B2
US 11,940,537 · App. 17/545,194 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Real-time virtual LiDAR sensor

Inventors: Wei Zeng (Oakland Township, MI); Huabing Zhu (Troy, MI); Shuqing Zeng (Sterling Heights, MI); Jordan B. Chipka (Commerce Township, MI)
Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
G01S17/89G01B11/22G01S17/931G06T7/11G06T7/521G06T7/55H04N23/90G06T2207/10024G06T2207/10028G06T2207/30252
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,940,537
App. No.
17/545,194
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A virtual LiDAR sensor system fora motor vehicle includes a plurality of camera modules and algorithms that generate a depth image, a RGB image, and a segmentation information image. The system is implemented with an algorithm that associates the backscattered signals with information from a color-reflectivity table, incident angle determination and depth information.

Claims (21)

1. A virtual LiDAR sensor system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a first camera or a first camera system that captures depth of field information of an image;

a second camera that captures RGB information of the image; and

a third camera that generates semantic segmentation information of the image;

a geometry point cloud that receives depth of field information from the first camera; and

a physics module that receives information from the geometry point cloud module, the second camera and the third camera, the physics module including a laser beam propagation sub-module, a backscattering attenuation sub-module, a digital reflector sub-module and a color-reflectivity table sub-module,

wherein the physics module generates a depth and intensity point cloud of the image from the depth of field information, the RGB information and the semantic segmentation information.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system includes a 3-d projection module that provides a pattern transformation.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pattern transformation includes 3-d coordinates.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the 3-d coordinates are associated with propagation of a laser beam and backscattering attenuation.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the 3-d coordinates are transmitted to an incident angle module.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the incident angle module provides information to a digital reflector.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the RGB camera provides color information to a color-surface reflectivity table.

8. A virtual LiDAR sensor system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a first module that provides depth of field information of an image;

a second module that provides RGB information of the image;

a third module that provides semantic segmentation information of the image;

a geometry point cloud that receives information from the first module; and

a physics module that receives information from the geometry point cloud module and the second and the third modules, wherein the physics module includes four sub-modules, and

wherein the physic module generates a depth and intensity point cloud.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the four sub-modules include a laser beam propagation sub-module, a backscattering attenuation sub-module, a digital reflector sub-module and a color-reflectivity table sub-module.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2021
From: ZENG, WEI; ZHU, HUABING; ZENG, SHUQING; CHIPKA, JORDAN B.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 058334/0458 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230176218A1 · Jun 8, 2023