Granted Patent B1

US 12,477,205 · App. 18/462,248 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Ralph Hamilton Shepard (Menlo Park, CA); Joseph Patrick Warga (San Francisco, CA); Lucian Ion (Redwood City, CA)

Assignee: Waymo LLC

H04N23/55

Abstract

Claims (74)

1 . A device comprising:

a rotationally symmetric foveated lens configured to:

receive light from an environment; and

produce an image at an image plane based on the received light; and

an image sensor having an associated image sensor resolution, wherein the image sensor is positioned at the image plane and configured to capture an image having an associated field of view of the environment,

wherein, based on a distortion profile of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens and the image sensor resolution, the captured image exhibits:

a first angular optical resolution in a central region of the field of view;

a second angular optical resolution in a peripheral region of the field of view; and

an intermediate angular optical resolution in an intermediate region of the field of view, wherein the intermediate region of the field of view is between the central region of the field of view and the peripheral region of the field of view,

wherein the first angular optical resolution is enhanced relative to the second angular optical resolution,

wherein the intermediate angular optical resolution is between the first angular optical resolution and the second angular optical resolution, and

wherein the distortion profile of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens transitions from a first degree of distortion to a second degree of distortion through an intermediate degree of distortion.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the environment comprises an environment surrounding a vehicle.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein a forward direction or a reverse direction of the vehicle coincides with a central region of the field of view.

4 . The device of claim 2 ,

wherein the intermediate region of the field of view coincides with a location of roadside signs, objects adjacent to a road surface, traffic signals, or exit lanes, and

wherein the central region of the field of view coincides with a location of lane markers, a road surface, or other vehicles.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first angular optical resolution is between 100 μrad/pixel and 250 μrad/pixel, and wherein the second angular optical resolution is between 500 μrad/pixel and 1000 μrad/pixel.

6 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the image sensor is positioned vertically off-center relative to a principal axis of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens, and

wherein an elevation extent of the field of view is asymmetric relative to a horizon in the environment.

7 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the central region of the field of view includes objects in the environment located along a principal axis of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens,

wherein the intermediate region of the field of view includes objects in the environment located along an axis that is at a 15° angle with respect to the principal axis of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens, and

wherein the peripheral region of the field of view includes objects in the environment located along an axis that is at a 45° angle with respect to the principal axis of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein an absolute value of the second degree of distortion is at least 60%.

9 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the foveated lens comprises a lens assembly, and

wherein the lens assembly comprises a first aspheric lens.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the first aspheric lens has a diameter of less than 25 mm.

11 . The device of claim 9 ,

wherein the lens assembly further comprises:

an aperture stop; and

a second aspheric lens,

wherein the second aspheric lens and the first aspheric lens are positioned on opposite sides of the aperture stop, and

wherein the image sensor is positioned nearer to the second aspheric lens than the first aspheric lens.

12 . The device of claim 9 ,

wherein the lens assembly further comprises a spherical lens, and

wherein the spherical lens is positioned between the first aspheric lens and the environment.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the foveated lens comprises components fabricated from molded optical glass.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the foveated lens is fabricated from molded optical plastic.

15 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the foveated lens comprises a lens holder, and

wherein the lens holder is fabricated to provide thermal stability.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the lens holder is fabricated from aluminum.

17 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the field of view captures an azimuthal portion of the environment that spans at least 120° and an elevation portion of the environment that spans at least 45°.

18 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the image sensor has an aspect ratio of at least 2:1 (width:height),

wherein the image sensor resolution is at least 17 MP, and

wherein each light-sensitive pixel in the image sensor has an areal size of less than 6.25 μm 2 .

19 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a rotationally symmetric foveated lens, light from an environment;

producing, by the rotationally symmetric foveated lens, an image at an image plane based on the received light;

capturing, by an image sensor having an associated image sensor resolution, an image having an associated field of view of the environment, wherein the image sensor is positioned at the image plane,

wherein, based on a distortion profile of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens and the image sensor resolution, the captured image exhibits:

a first angular optical resolution in a central region of the field of view;

a second angular optical resolution in a peripheral region of the field of view; and

an intermediate angular optical resolution in an intermediate region of the field of view, wherein the intermediate region of the field of view is between the central region of the field of view and the peripheral region of the field of view,

wherein the first angular optical resolution is enhanced relative to the second angular optical resolution,

wherein the intermediate angular optical resolution is between the first angular optical resolution and the second angular optical resolution, and

wherein the distortion profile of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens transitions from a first degree of distortion to a second degree of distortion through an intermediate degree of distortion.

20 . A vehicle comprising:

a camera, wherein the camera comprises:

a rotationally symmetric foveated lens configured to:

receive light from an environment; and

produce an image at an image plane based on the received light; and

an image sensor having an associated image sensor resolution, wherein the image sensor is positioned at the image plane and configured to capture an image having an associated field of view of the environment,

wherein, based on a distortion profile of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens and the image sensor resolution, the captured image exhibits:

a first angular optical resolution in a central region of the field of view;

a second angular optical resolution in a peripheral region of the field of view; and

an intermediate angular optical resolution in an intermediate region of the field of view, wherein the intermediate region of the field of view is between the central region of the field of view and the peripheral region of the field of view,

wherein the first angular optical resolution is enhanced relative to the second angular optical resolution,

wherein the intermediate angular optical resolution is between the first angular optical resolution and the second angular optical resolution, and

wherein the distortion profile of the rotationally symmetric foveated lens transitions from a first degree of distortion to a second degree of distortion through an intermediate degree of distortion.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (30)