Vehicle sensor data sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11468688-B2
Application number	US-202016944891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

Two vehicles—an ego vehicle and an other vehicle—can share sensor data in a streamlined manner. One or more sensors can be configured to acquire first environment data of an external environment of the ego vehicle. A data summary based on second environment data of an external environment of the other vehicle can be received. Whether there is a common region of sensor coverage between the ego vehicle and the other vehicle can be determined. In response to there being a common region, the first environment data that is located within the common region can be identified and the resolution level of the identified first environment data can be reduced. The first environment data that has the reduced resolution level and a remainder of the first environment data excluding the identified first environment data can be transmitted to the other vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for sharing sensor data, the method comprising:
acquiring, using one or more sensors of an ego vehicle, first environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of the ego vehicle, the first environment data being at an acquired resolution level;
receiving, from an other vehicle, a data summary based on second environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of the other vehicle;
determining whether there is a common region of sensor coverage of the external environment based on the first environment data and the data summary;
responsive to determining that there is a common region of sensor coverage of the external environment, identifying the first environment data that is located within the common region, the first environment data that is located within the common region being a first portion of the first environment data;
reducing a resolution level of the first portion to a reduced resolution level, the reduced resolution level being lower than the acquired resolution level; and
transmitting, to the other vehicle, the first portion at the reduced resolution level and a second portion of the first environment data, the second portion being a remainder of the first environment data excluding the first portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting, to the other vehicle, the first portion at the reduced resolution level and the second portion includes transmitting, to the other vehicle, the second portion at the acquired resolution level.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the resolution level of the first portion to the reduced resolution level includes downsampling the first portion to the reduced resolution level.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein reducing the resolution level of the first portion to the reduced resolution level includes compressing the first portion.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data summary includes at least one of:
one or more detected objects; and
information about one or more sensors of the other vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining whether there is a common region of the sensor coverage of the external environment includes estimating an area of spatial-temporal correlation between the one or more sensors of the ego vehicle and the one or more sensors of the other vehicle.

7. A method for sharing sensor data, the method comprising:
acquiring, using one or more sensors of an ego vehicle, first environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of the ego vehicle;
transmitting, by the ego vehicle, a data summary based on the first environment data;
receiving, by the ego vehicle and from an other vehicle, a first portion of second environment data and a second portion of the second environment data, the second environment data being of at least a portion of an external environment of the other vehicle, a resolution level of the first portion being lower than a resolution level of the second portion, the second portion being a remainder of the second environment data excluding the first portion; and
fusing the first portion, the second portion, and the first environment data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first portion is compressed and further comprising decompressing the first portion.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second portion is compressed and further comprising decompressing the second portion.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein fusing the first portion, the second portion, and the first environment data includes aligning markers in the first portion and the first environment data.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data summary includes at least one of:
one or more detected objects; and
information about one or more sensors of the ego vehicle.

12. A system for sharing sensor data, the system comprising:
one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being configured to acquire first environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of an ego vehicle, the first environment data being at an acquired resolution level;
one or more processors, the one or more processors being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
receiving, from an other vehicle, a data summary based on second environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of the other vehicle;
determining whether there is a common region of sensor coverage of the external environment based on the first environment data and the data summary;
responsive to determining that there is a common region of sensor coverage of the external environment, identifying the first environment data that is located within the common region, the first environment data that is located within the common region being a first portion of the first environment data;
reducing a resolution level of the first portion to a reduced resolution level, the reduced resolution level being lower than the acquired resolution level; and
transmitting, to the other vehicle, the first portion at the reduced resolution level and a second portion of the first environment data, the second portion being a remainder of the first environment data excluding the first portion.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein transmitting, to the other vehicle, the first portion at the reduced resolution level and the second portion includes transmitting, to the other vehicle, the second portion at the acquired resolution level.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein reducing the resolution level of the first portion to the reduced resolution level includes downsampling the first portion to the reduced resolution level.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein reducing the resolution level of the first portion to the reduced resolution level includes compressing the first portion.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein determining whether there is a common region of the sensor coverage of the external environment includes estimating an area of spatial-temporal correlation between the one or more sensors of the ego vehicle and the one or more sensors of the other vehicle.

17. A system for sharing sensor data, the system comprising:
one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being configured to acquire first environment data of at least a portion of an external environment of an ego vehicle;
one or more processors, the one or more processors being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
transmitting, by the ego vehicle, a data summary based on the first environment data;
receiving, by the ego vehicle and from an other vehicle, a first portion of second environment data and a second portion of the second environment data, the second environment data being of at least a portion of an external environment of the other vehicle, a resolution level of the first portion being lower than a resolution level of the second portion, the second portion being a remainder of the second environment data excluding the first portion; and
fusing the first portion, the second portion, and the first environment data.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first portion is compressed and further comprising decompressing the first portion.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second portion is compressed and further comprising decompressing the second portion.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein fusing the first portion, the second portion, and the first environment data includes aligning markers in the first portion and the first environment data.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Cheng Bin
• Lu Hongsheng
• Guo Rui

Classifications

• G06F18/25

  Fusion techniques · CPC title

• G06T2207/30204

  Marker · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• G06V10/803

  of input or preprocessed data · CPC title

• G06V10/82 Primary

  using neural networks · CPC title