Method and system for vehicle odometry using coherent range doppler optical sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12320898-B2
Application number	US-202117506397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2021
Priority date	Jun 21, 2019
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for vehicle odometry using coherent range Doppler optical sensors. The system and method includes operating a Doppler light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to collect raw point cloud data that indicates for a point a plurality of dimensions, wherein a dimension of the plurality of dimensions includes an inclination angle, an azimuthal angle, a range, or a relative speed between the point and the LIDAR system; determining a corrected velocity vector for the Doppler LIDAR system based on the raw point cloud data; and producing revised point cloud data that is corrected for the velocity of the Doppler LIDAR system.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
collecting, by a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system of a vehicle, point cloud data;
producing, by the LIDAR system based on the point cloud data, a velocity vector for the vehicle;
determining, by the LIDAR system, whether a scan by the LIDAR system is unidirectional or bidirectional;
in response to determining that the scan is bidirectional, revising, by the LIDAR system, the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on an average velocity in a scan direction; and
in response to determining that the scan is unidirectional, revising, by the LIDAR system, the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on a discontinuity in velocity measurements.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the revising the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on an average velocity in a scan direction comprises:
calculating a translational velocity for each scan direction; and
averaging the calculated translational velocities.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the translational velocities are averaged across evenly balanced opposing-direction scans such that an erroneous transverse velocity is canceled out.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the revising the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on a discontinuity in velocity measurements comprises:
detecting the discontinuity in the velocity measurements at a limit of a field of view (FOV) of a sensor; and
detecting a transverse velocity at a time of the discontinuity.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the time of the discontinuity is when a beam wraps around to a far side of the FOV of the sensor.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the point cloud data comprises data representing at least one of an inclination angle, an azimuthal angle, a range, or a speed.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the velocity vector is a translation velocity vector.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising causing a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system of a vehicle to:
collect point cloud data;
produce, based on the point cloud data, a velocity vector for the vehicle;
determine whether a scan by the LIDAR system is unidirectional or bidirectional;
in response to determining that the scan is bidirectional, revise the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on an average velocity in a scan direction; and
in response to determining that the scan is unidirectional, revise the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on a discontinuity in velocity measurements.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein in revising the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on an average velocity in a scan direction, the instructions cause the LIDAR system to:
calculate a translational velocity for each scan direction; and
average the calculated translational velocities.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9 , wherein the translational velocities are averaged across evenly balanced opposing-direction scans such that an erroneous transverse velocity is canceled out.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein in revising the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on a discontinuity in velocity measurements, the instructions cause the LIDAR system to:
detect the discontinuity in the velocity measurements at a limit of a field of view (FOV) of a sensor; and
detect a transverse velocity at a time of the discontinuity.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the time of the discontinuity is when a beam wraps around to a far side of the FOV of the sensor.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein the point cloud data comprises data representing at least one of an inclination angle, an azimuthal angle, a range, or a speed.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein the velocity vector is a translation velocity vector.

15. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
collect point cloud data;
produce, based on the point cloud data, a velocity vector for the vehicle;
determine whether a scan by the LIDAR system is unidirectional or bidirectional;
in response to determining that the scan is bidirectional, revise the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on an average velocity in a scan direction; and
in response to determining that the scan is unidirectional, revise the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on a discontinuity in velocity measurements.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein in revising the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on an average velocity in a scan direction, the one or more processors are configured to:
calculate a translational velocity for each scan direction; and
average the calculated translational velocities.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the translational velocities are averaged across evenly balanced opposing-direction scans such that an erroneous transverse velocity is canceled out.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein in revising the velocity vector and the point cloud data based on a discontinuity in velocity measurements, the one or more processors are configured to:
detect the discontinuity in the velocity measurements at a limit of a field of view (FOV) of a sensor; and
detect a transverse velocity at a time of the discontinuity.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the time of the discontinuity is when a beam wraps around to a far side of the FOV of the sensor.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the velocity vector is a translation velocity vector.

Assignees

• Aurora Operations Inc

Inventors

• Baker Devlin
• Curry James

Classifications

• B60W2420/408

  Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar · CPC title

• G01S7/487

  Extracting wanted echo signals {, e.g. pulse detection} · CPC title

• G01S7/4912

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S7/4804

  Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying lidar signals or the like, e.g. laser illuminators · CPC title

• G01S17/88

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title