Detection and recalibration for a camera system using lidar data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10430970-B2
Application number	US-201715830148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2017
Priority date	Dec 4, 2017
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Systems and method are provided for calibrating a camera system of an autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: identifying, by the processor, a planar object from sensor data generated by a sensor of the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is operating; identifying, by the processor, a pattern of the planar object; selecting, by the processor, planar points from the pattern of the planar object; and calibrating, by the processor, the camera system, while the autonomous vehicle is operating, based on the planar points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method of calibrating a camera system of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
identifying, by a processor, a planar object from sensor data generated by a sensor of the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is operating;
identifying, by the processor, a grid-like pattern presented by the planar object based on gradient values computed from the sensor data;
selecting, by the processor, planar points from the pattern of the planar object; and
calibrating, by the processor, the camera system, while the autonomous vehicle is operating, based on the planar points.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes lidar data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying the pattern is based on gradient values computed from points of the lidar data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes image data.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
computing gradient values for pixels in the image data; and
selecting the planar points based on gradient values in the image data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the pattern is based on gradient values computed from points of lidar data and image data.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filling holes of the pattern based on at least one data enhancing technique.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data enhancing technique includes anti-aliasing.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data enhancing technique is based on a predefined three dimensional map.

10. A computer implemented system for calibrating a camera system of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a first non-transitory module that, by a processor, identifies a planar object from sensor data generated by a sensor of the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is operating;
a second non-transitory module that, by the processor, identifies a grid-like pattern presented by the planar object based on gradient values computed from the sensor data, and selects planar points from the pattern of the planar object; and
a third non-transitory module that, by the processor, calibrates the camera system, while the autonomous vehicle is operating, based on the planar points.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor data includes lidar data.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second non-transitory module identifies the pattern based on gradient values computed from points of the lidar data.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor data includes image data and lidar data.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second non-transitory module computes gradient values for pixels in the image data, and selects the planar points based on the gradient values in the image data.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second non-transitory module identifies the pattern is based on gradient values computed from points of lidar data.

16. The system of claim 10 , the second non-transitory module fills holes of the pattern based on at least one data enhancing technique.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the data enhancing technique includes anti-aliasing.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the data enhancing technique is based on a predefined three dimensional map of the world.

19. A vehicle, comprising:
a lidar system;
a camera system; and
a controller configured to, by a processor, identify a planar object from sensor data generated by the lidar system of the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is operating, identify a grid-like pattern presented by the planar object based on gradient values computed from the sensor data, select planar points from the pattern of the planar object, and calibrate the camera system, while the autonomous vehicle is operating, based on the planar points.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Bier Solomon

Classifications

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• G01S17/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title