Granted Patent B2

US 12,613,309 · App. 17/384,448 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventors: Venkata Subrahmanyam Chandra Sekhar Chebiyyam (San Francisco, CA); Subasingha Shaminda Subasingha (San Ramon, CA); Joshua Kriser Cohen (Sunnyvale, CA); Chuang Wang (Sunnyvale, CA); Samantha Marie Ting (Redwood City, CA); Badeea Ferdaous Alferdaous Alazem (Redwood City, CA)

Assignee: Zoox, Inc.

G01S7/354G01S7/16G01S7/403G01S13/04G01S13/346G01S13/75G01S13/931

Abstract

Claims (66)

1 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving first radar data from a radar device, the first radar data from the radar device indicating a detection associated with a first object in an environment, wherein the first radar data from the radar device includes doppler data associated with the first object and radar reflected power data associated with the first object;

receiving second radar data from the radar device, the second radar data from the radar device indicating a detection associated with a second possible object in the environment, wherein the second radar data from the radar device includes doppler data associated with the second possible object and radar reflected power data associated with the second possible object;

determining, based on an object type of the second possible object, a probability distribution associated with the second radar data from the radar device;

determining, between the first radar data from the radar device and the second radar data from the radar device, at least one of a range overlap or a doppler overlap;

determining, based on the at least one of the range overlap or the doppler overlap and the probability distribution associated with the second radar data, a probability associated with the second radar data from the radar device indicative of the second possible object being an object of interest in the environment; and

controlling a vehicle in the environment to avoid a location associated with the second radar data from the radar device, based at least in part on the probability associated with the second radar data from the radar device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein controlling the vehicle comprises generating a trajectory based at least in part on determining that a radar noise level associated with the second radar data from the radar device meets or exceeds a radar response threshold associated with the object type.

3 . The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

determining a first radar noise level and a second radar noise level associated with the second radar data from the radar device, wherein the first radar noise level is a reflected power value and the second radar noise level is a doppler value;

determining a first radar response threshold based at least in part on a reflected power distribution associated with the object type; and

determining a second radar response threshold based at least in part on a doppler distribution associated with the object type,

wherein controlling the vehicle to avoid the location associated with the second radar data from the radar device is based at least in part on comparing the first radar noise level to the first radar response threshold, and comparing the second radar noise level to the second radar response threshold.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the probability distribution associated with the second radar data from the radar device comprises:

determining a first difference in range between the first radar data from the radar device and the second radar data from the radar device;

determining a second difference in doppler measurements between the first radar data from the radar device and the second radar data from the radar device;

determining an intensity measurement associated with the first radar data from the radar device; and

determining a radar noise level associated with second radar data from the radar device, based at least in part on the first difference in range, the second difference in doppler measurements, and the intensity measurement.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the probability distribution associated with the second radar data from the radar device comprises:

determining a range value and an azimuth value associated with the second radar data from the radar device; and

determining a first reflected power threshold and a second reflected power threshold based at least in part on the range value and the azimuth value, wherein the first reflected power threshold is associated with a first doppler value and the second reflected power threshold is associated with a second doppler value.

6 . A method comprising:

receiving first radar data indicating a first detection associated with a first region in an environment, wherein the first radar data includes first doppler data associated with the first detection;

receiving second radar data indicating a second detection associated with a second region in the environment, wherein second the radar data includes second doppler data associated with the detection, wherein the second detection is associated with a possible object in the environment;

determining, based at least in part on the first doppler data associated with the first detection, a radar noise level associated with the second region in the environment, wherein at least a portion of the first radar data and the second radar data overlap in at least one of the range or doppler dimensions;

determining a probability distribution associated with an object type of the possible object; and

controlling a vehicle in the environment to avoid the second region in the environment, based at least in part on the radar noise level associated with the second region in the environment and the probability distribution associated with the object type of the possible object.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the probability distribution includes at least one of a doppler value associated with the object type, a radar cross section value associated with the object type, or a reflected power value associated with the object type.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the probability distribution includes a first doppler value associated with the object type, and a second radar cross section value associated with the object type.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the radar noise level associated with the second region in the environment comprises:

determining a first difference between a first range from a radar device to the first region in the environment, and a second range from the radar device to the second region in the environment;

determining a second difference in doppler measurements between the first region in the environment and the second region in the environment; and

determining an intensity measurement associated with the detection.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the probability distribution is based at least in part on a doppler distribution associated with the object type.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the probability distribution comprises:

determining a range value and an azimuth value associated with the second region in the environment; and

determining a first radar response threshold and a second radar response threshold based at least in part on the range value and the azimuth value, wherein the first radar response threshold is associated with a first doppler value and the second radar response threshold is associated with a second doppler value.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a first probability associated with the first radar response threshold, and determining a second probability associated with the second radar response threshold, based at least in part on a doppler distribution associated with the object type.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining a first false negative probability associated with the object type, based at least in part on the first probability and the first radar response threshold;

determining a second false negative probability associated with the object type, based at least in part on the second probability and the second radar response threshold; and

determining a third false negative probability associated with the second region in the environment, based at least in part on the first false negative probability and the second false negative probability.

14 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving first radar data indicating a first detection associated with a first region in an environment, wherein the first radar data includes first doppler data associated with the first detection;

receiving second radar data indicating a second detection associated with a second region in the environment, wherein the second radar data includes second doppler data associated with the detection, wherein the second detection is associated with a possible object in the environment;

determining, based at least in part on the first doppler data associated with the first detection, a radar noise level associated with the second region in the environment, wherein at least a portion of the first radar data and the second radar data overlap in at least one of the range or doppler dimensions;

determining a probability distribution associated with an object type of the possible object; and

controlling a vehicle in the environment to avoid the second region in the environment, based at least in part on the radar noise level associated with the second region in the environment and the probability distribution associated with the object type of the possible object.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the probability distribution includes a first doppler value associated with the object type, and a second radar cross section value associated with the object type.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein determining the radar noise level associated with the second region in the environment comprises:

determining a first difference between a first range from a radar device to the first region in the environment, and a second range from the radar device to the second region in the environment;

determining a second difference in doppler measurements between the first region in the environment and the second region in the environment; and

determining an intensity measurement associated with the detection.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein determining the probability distribution is based at least in part on a doppler distribution associated with the object type.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein determining the probability distribution comprises:

determining a range value and an azimuth value associated with the second region in the environment; and

determining a first radar response threshold and a second radar response threshold based at least in part on the range value and the azimuth value, wherein the first radar response threshold is associated with a first doppler value and the second radar response threshold is associated with a second doppler value.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , the operations further comprising:

determining a first probability associated with the first radar response threshold, and determining a second probability associated with the second radar response threshold, based at least in part on a doppler distribution associated with the object type.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , the operations further comprising:

determining a first false negative probability associated with the object type, based at least in part on the first probability and the first radar response threshold;

determining a second false negative probability associated with the object type, based at least in part on the second probability and the second radar response threshold; and

determining a third false negative probability associated with the second region in the environment, based at least in part on the first false negative probability and the second false negative probability.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (48)