Automated detection of sensor miscalibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11163045-B2
Application number	US-202016920983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 2, 2021
Grant date	Nov 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes various sensors. The system can include, among others, LIDAR, RADAR, SONAR, cameras, microphones, GPS, and infrared systems for monitoring and detecting environmental conditions. In some implementations, one or more of these sensors may become miscalibrated. Using data collected by the sensors, the system can detect a miscalibrated sensor and generate an indication that one or more sensors have become miscalibrated. For example, data captured by a sensor can be processed to determine an average height represented by the sensor data and compared to an average height of data captured by other sensors. Based on a difference in heights, an indication can be generated identifying a miscalibrated sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving sensor data of an environment from a plurality of sensors;
determining, as region data, a subset of data of the sensor data associated with a region of the environment proximate a vehicle;
determining a first value based at least in part on a first subset of the region data, the first subset associated with a first sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a second value based at least in part on a second subset of the region data, the second subset associated with a second sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a difference between the first value and the second value;
determining that the difference meets or exceeds a threshold based at least in part on a number of tests generated for the first sensor or the second sensor; and
performing an action by the vehicle based at least in part on the difference meeting or exceeding the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, based at least in part on the difference meeting or exceeding the threshold, an indication that the first sensor is miscalibrated;
generating, based at least in part on the indication, a trajectory; and
controlling, based at least in part on the trajectory, the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving segmentation information associated with the sensor data; and
determining, based at least in part on the segmentation information, that the region is associated with a ground surface of the environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the first subset of the region data meets or exceeds a threshold number of data values.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a third value based at least in part on a third subset of the region data;
determining a fourth value based at least in part on a fourth subset of the region data;
determining a second difference between the third value and the fourth value;
determining that the second difference meets or exceeds the threshold; and
generating an indication that the second sensor is miscalibrated.

6. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein executing the instructions causes the system to:
receive sensor data of an environment from a plurality of sensors disposed about a vehicle;
determine, as region data, a subset of data of the sensor data associated with a region of the environment proximate the vehicle;
determine a first value of a first subset of the region data, the first subset associated with a first sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determine a second value of a second subset of the region data, the second subset associated with at least a second sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determine a difference between the first value and the second value;
determine that the difference meets or exceeds a threshold based at least in part on a number of tests generated for the first sensor or the second sensor; and
perform an action by the vehicle based at least in part on the difference meeting or exceeding the threshold.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the sensor data represents data captured by three or more sensors, and
at least one of the first value or the second value comprises an average height dimension value.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further causes the system to:
determine a third value based at least in part on a third subset of the region data, the third subset captured by the second sensor;
determine a fourth value based at least in part on a fourth subset of the region data, the fourth subset captured by the first sensor and a third sensor;
determine a second difference between the third value and the fourth value; and
determine that the second difference meets or exceeds the threshold; and
generate an indication that the second sensor is miscalibrated.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
determine a highest value for the first subset;
determine a lowest value for the first subset;
determine a value difference between the highest value and the lowest value;
determine that the value difference is less than or equal to a value threshold; and
determine, based at least in part on the value difference being less than or equal to the value threshold, that the region data is associated with a flat surface.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
receive segmentation information associated with the sensor data; and
determine, based at least in part on the segmentation information, that the region data is associated with to a ground surface.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to determine that the first subset of the region data meets or exceeds a threshold number of data values.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and the instructions further cause the system to:
determine, based at least in part on the difference meeting or exceeding the threshold, that the first sensor is miscalibrated;
generate, based at least in part on the second sensor and a third sensor, a signal configured to cause the autonomous vehicle to traverse a trajectory; and
transmit the signal to the autonomous vehicle.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
increment a count of a number of tests attempted;
determine a second sensor average of data associated with the second sensor;
determine a third sensor average of data associated with a third sensor;
determine a sensor average difference between the second sensor average and the third sensor average;
determine the sensor average difference does not exceed a threshold; and
increment a count of a number of tests successfully performed.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
generate a quality score associated with a sensor of the plurality of sensors,
wherein the quality score is based at least in part on the number of tests successfully performed and the number of tests attempted.

15. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to determine that the region data is associated with a flat surface.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
capturing sensor data of an environment using a plurality of sensors of a vehicle;
determining, as region data, a subset of data of the sensor data associated with a region of the environment proximate the vehicle;
determining a first value of a first subset of the region data, the first subset associated with a first sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a second value of a second subset of the region data, the second subset associated with a second sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a difference between the first value and the second value;
determining that the difference meets or exceeds a threshold value based at least in part on a number of tests generated for the first sensor or the second sensor; and
performing an action by the vehicle based at least in part on the difference meeting or exceeding the threshold.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating a test rate, the test rate indicat

Assignees

• Zoox Inc

Inventors

• Pfeiffer David

Classifications

• G01S7/4972 Primary

  Alignment of sensor · CPC title

• G01S17/87

  Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title