Vehicle sensor calibration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952317-B2
Application number	US-201615166538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle sensor calibration system can detect an SDV on a turntable surrounded by a plurality of fiducial targets, and rotate the turntable using a control mechanism to provide the sensor system of the SDV with a sensor view of the plurality of fiducial targets. The vehicle sensor calibration system can receive, over a communication link with the SDV, a data log corresponding to the sensor view from the sensor system of the SDV recorded as the SDV rotates on the turntable. Thereafter, the vehicle sensor calibration system can analyze the sensor data to determine a set of calibration parameters to calibrate the sensor system of the SDV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle sensor calibration system for self-driving vehicles (SDVs) comprising:
a turntable which an SDV can be driven onto;
a plurality of fiducial targets positioned around the turntable to enable calibration of a sensor system of the SDV;
a control mechanism to automatically rotate the turntable when the SDV is positioned on the turntable; and
one or more computing systems that include one or more processors and one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive, over a communication link with the SDV, a data log corresponding to sensor data from the sensor system of the SDV recorded as the SDV rotates on the turntable; and
analyze the sensor data to determine a set of calibration parameters to calibrate the sensor system.

2. The vehicle sensor calibration system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle sensor calibration system is provided in an indoor space, the vehicle sensor calibration system further comprising:
an environment control system to maximize signal-to-noise ratio for the sensor system during calibration, the environment control system to optimize at least lighting conditions and temperature conditions within the indoor space.

3. The vehicle sensor calibration system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
transmit the set of calibration parameters to the SDV for automatic calibration of the sensor system.

4. The vehicle sensor calibration system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions cause the one or more processors to analyze the sensor data by running one or more mathematical models on the sensor data, the one or more mathematical models representing a calibrated sensor configuration for the sensor system.

5. The vehicle sensor calibration system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor system of the SDV comprises a plurality of LIDAR sensors and a plurality of camera sensors, and wherein the one or more mathematical models include a dedicated mathematical model for each of the plurality of LIDAR sensors and each of the plurality of camera sensors.

6. The vehicle sensor calibration system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more mathematical models implement gradient descent on the sensor data to determine the set of calibration parameters for each respective sensor of the sensor system.

7. The vehicle sensor calibration system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more detectors to detect a position of the SDV on the turntable;
wherein the control mechanism automatically rotates the turntable based on the one or more detectors detecting the position of the SDV on the turntable.

8. A method of calibrating a sensor system of a self-driving vehicle (SDV), the method being performed by one or more processors of a vehicle sensor calibration system and comprising:
detecting an SDV on a turntable;
in response to detecting the SDV on the turntable, rotating the turntable using a control mechanism to provide the sensor system of the SDV with a sensor view of a plurality of fiducial targets, the plurality of fiducial targets being positioned around the turntable at different locations;
receiving, over a communication link with the SDV, a data log corresponding to sensor data from the sensor system of the SDV recorded as the SDV rotates on the turntable; and
analyzing the sensor data to determine a set of calibration parameters to calibrate the sensor system of the SDV.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle sensor calibration system is provided in an indoor space, and wherein the vehicle sensor calibration system comprises an environment control system to maximize signal-to-noise ratio for the sensor system during calibration, the environment control system to optimize at least lighting conditions and temperature conditions within the indoor space.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transmitting the set of calibration parameters to the SDV for automatic calibration of the sensor system.

11. The method of claim 8 , the one or more processors analyze the sensor data by running one or more mathematical models on the sensor data, the one or more mathematical models representing a calibrated sensor configuration for the sensor system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor system of the SDV comprises a plurality of LIDAR sensors and a plurality of camera sensors, and wherein the one or more mathematical models include a dedicated mathematical model for each of the plurality of LIDAR sensors and each of the plurality of camera sensors.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more mathematical models implement gradient descent on the sensor data to determine the set of calibration parameters for each respective sensor of the sensor system.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle sensor calibration system comprises one or more detectors to detect a position of the SDV on the turntable, and wherein the one or more processors utilize the control mechanism to automatically rotate the turntable based on the one or more detectors detecting the position of the SDV on the turntable.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a vehicle sensor calibration system, cause the one or more processors to:
detect an SDV on a turntable;
in response to detecting the SDV on the turntable, rotate the turntable using a control mechanism to provide the sensor system of the SDV with a sensor view of a plurality of fiducial targets, the plurality of fiducial targets being positioned around the turntable at different locations;
receive, over a communication link with the SDV, a data log corresponding to sensor data from the sensor system of the SDV recorded as the SDV rotates on the turntable; and
analyze the sensor data to determine a set of calibration parameters to calibrate the sensor system of the SDV.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
transmit the set of calibration parameters to the SDV for automatic calibration of the sensor system.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the executed instructions cause the one or more processors to analyze the sensor data by running one or more mathematical models on the sensor data, the one or more mathematical models representing a calibrated sensor configuration for the sensor system.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the sensor system of the SDV comprises a plurality of LIDAR sensors and a plurality of camera sensors, and wherein the one or more mathematical models include a dedicated mathematical model for each of the plurality of LIDAR sensors and each of the plurality of camera sensors.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the one or more mathematical models implement gradient descent on the sensor data to determine the set of calibration parameters for each respective sensor of the sensor system.

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Valois Jean-Sebastien
• Bradley David Mcallister
• Watson Adam Charles
• Melick Peter Anthony
• Miller Andrew Gilbert

Classifications

• G01S7/4972

  Alignment of sensor · CPC title

• G01S17/08

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

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/4026

  Antenna boresight · CPC title

• G01S7/497 Primary

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title